The darkness began to descend over Gotham City a full twenty years ago, in a little alley in Park Row, by the old Monarch Theatre. You know the one. They call it Crime Alley now. A fitting name.
The Waynes had always been one of the city's foremost and wealthiest families- generous, compassionate, and above all untouchable. Imagine everyone's surprise when some low-rate punk stepped out of the shadows and pointed a .38 at Martha Wayne, demanding her pearl necklace- three months rent in Park Row. Her husband Thomas and their ten-year-old son Bruce got the worst of it, they had to watch as the mugger pulled the trigger. Maybe he was surprised, maybe he was just a sadist, but the end result was the same.
Thomas Wayne reacted to the sight of his wife's death in a way most would consider unmanly- he dropped to his knees and begged the gunman for his own life, never making mention of his wife or even his watching son. It worked- the mugger melted into the shadows with Martha's necklace and Thomas' wallet, doing no further harm. But greater damage was done. In young Bruce's head, the seeds had been planted- a fanatical hatred of criminals and a complete rejection of his father, including the older man's moral compass.
As Thomas Wayne slid slowly into grief-induced alcoholism, his son drove himself towards self-improvement. Bruce mastered several martial arts alongside the principles of business, vowing to one day use all of his money and personal skill to eradicate crime and the poverty that launched it- permanently.
The Waynes had always been one of the city's foremost and wealthiest families- generous, compassionate, and above all untouchable. Imagine everyone's surprise when some low-rate punk stepped out of the shadows and pointed a .38 at Martha Wayne, demanding her pearl necklace- three months rent in Park Row. Her husband Thomas and their ten-year-old son Bruce got the worst of it, they had to watch as the mugger pulled the trigger. Maybe he was surprised, maybe he was just a sadist, but the end result was the same.
Thomas Wayne reacted to the sight of his wife's death in a way most would consider unmanly- he dropped to his knees and begged the gunman for his own life, never making mention of his wife or even his watching son. It worked- the mugger melted into the shadows with Martha's necklace and Thomas' wallet, doing no further harm. But greater damage was done. In young Bruce's head, the seeds had been planted- a fanatical hatred of criminals and a complete rejection of his father, including the older man's moral compass.
As Thomas Wayne slid slowly into grief-induced alcoholism, his son drove himself towards self-improvement. Bruce mastered several martial arts alongside the principles of business, vowing to one day use all of his money and personal skill to eradicate crime and the poverty that launched it- permanently.
As he gained his majority at 21, Bruce Wayne officially took over Wayne Enterprises, a role he had been unofficially playing for years as his father grew more and more distant. He grew colder and more ruthless over the years, while still carefully cultivating the public persona of an affable and philanthropic playboy. The Wayne Foundation does a great deal of charity work, with Thomas Wayne, now a hopeless and embarrassing drunk, running an inconsequential charity in St. Roch. However, this is merely a front. Wayne still plans to completely destroy the lower classes he holds responsible for his mother's death.
Accordingly, Bruce Wayne's vast amounts of money and influence have gone towards strengthening the rule of law and order in Gotham. Bruce Wayne is the slumlord of several of Gotham's poorer neighborhoods, allowing him to know exactly what goes on at the lower strata. He has placed Lyle Bolton in the role of Commissioner of the Gotham City Police Department, invoking an unapologetically brutal police culture wherein concern for the rights of criminals is a surefire way to never receive promotion. The notorious “hanging judge” Harvey Dent enjoys a limitless supply of election funds courtesy of the Wayne Foundation, and Vicki Vale's position as owner of several newspapers and magazines ensures that Wayne is never smeared in the press. The old Falcone mafia family was effectively dismantled through Wayne's machinations. While Wayne allowed a few small organized crime groups to continue operations, reasoning that this was preferable to the chaos of a power vacuum, they are heavily taxed and constantly monitored. And of course, there is always Arkham Asylum, now privately owned and operated by the Wayne Foundation. With the handpicked Professor Hugo Strange at the head, this is the repository for many of those who oppose Wayne. While they are perfectly sane on arrival, a month of two of Strange's ministrations will easily reverse that.
Should these methods fail, there is always alternate options. There have been those who are visited by Wayne's private driver, Victor Zsasz. Or maybe his personal bodyguards, identical twins Tom and Tad Trigger. Or even his one-eyed head of security, Floyd Lawton. No one has survived these visits.
And yet it is not enough. Bruce Wayne seeks a complete solution.
While the majority of Gotham is blind to Bruce Wayne's behind-the-scenes dictatorship, not all have been quite so blind. There have been brave souls who investigated his authoritarian nature, discovering his utter hatred of criminals and the poor, his shady business dealings.
There are those who are opposed to Wayne. Some on moral grounds, others merely out of personal hatred. And yet, they are beginning to form a coalition, a resistance based on a common enemy. Together, they will uncover Wayne's plans, and, God willing, drag the seemingly unstoppable man himself from his high tower.
The Resistance faces a formidable task- internal discord, the Gotham police, Wayne's establishment. And lately, they are reports of a strange bat-themed figure intimidating and assaulting those who dare to speak out against Bruce Wayne. . .
Accordingly, Bruce Wayne's vast amounts of money and influence have gone towards strengthening the rule of law and order in Gotham. Bruce Wayne is the slumlord of several of Gotham's poorer neighborhoods, allowing him to know exactly what goes on at the lower strata. He has placed Lyle Bolton in the role of Commissioner of the Gotham City Police Department, invoking an unapologetically brutal police culture wherein concern for the rights of criminals is a surefire way to never receive promotion. The notorious “hanging judge” Harvey Dent enjoys a limitless supply of election funds courtesy of the Wayne Foundation, and Vicki Vale's position as owner of several newspapers and magazines ensures that Wayne is never smeared in the press. The old Falcone mafia family was effectively dismantled through Wayne's machinations. While Wayne allowed a few small organized crime groups to continue operations, reasoning that this was preferable to the chaos of a power vacuum, they are heavily taxed and constantly monitored. And of course, there is always Arkham Asylum, now privately owned and operated by the Wayne Foundation. With the handpicked Professor Hugo Strange at the head, this is the repository for many of those who oppose Wayne. While they are perfectly sane on arrival, a month of two of Strange's ministrations will easily reverse that.
Should these methods fail, there is always alternate options. There have been those who are visited by Wayne's private driver, Victor Zsasz. Or maybe his personal bodyguards, identical twins Tom and Tad Trigger. Or even his one-eyed head of security, Floyd Lawton. No one has survived these visits.
And yet it is not enough. Bruce Wayne seeks a complete solution.
While the majority of Gotham is blind to Bruce Wayne's behind-the-scenes dictatorship, not all have been quite so blind. There have been brave souls who investigated his authoritarian nature, discovering his utter hatred of criminals and the poor, his shady business dealings.
There are those who are opposed to Wayne. Some on moral grounds, others merely out of personal hatred. And yet, they are beginning to form a coalition, a resistance based on a common enemy. Together, they will uncover Wayne's plans, and, God willing, drag the seemingly unstoppable man himself from his high tower.
The Resistance faces a formidable task- internal discord, the Gotham police, Wayne's establishment. And lately, they are reports of a strange bat-themed figure intimidating and assaulting those who dare to speak out against Bruce Wayne. . .
Please post character sheets in the OOC for review. Once accepted, then and only then you may post under the CS tab.
Canonical Batman/ DC characters are perfectly fine in my book, but please be conscious of the fact that they will be very different people in this reality and plan accordingly.
Up to two characters permitted.
Appearance: A suitable photograph, drawing, or render (no anime, no GIFs) of your character.
Name: Your character's name.
Age: Your character's age.
Gender: Nonbinary genders are totally fine by me.
Occupation/ Employer/ Rank (if applicable): What do you do and what company or entity do you work for? If you are military, police, or something similar, what rank do you hold?
Skills/ Abilities: Do you speak Farsi, know how to fence, and possess expert computer hacking skills? This is the place to tell me about it. Don't drop new skills on me in the middle of things. Please keep any superpowers, if you must have them, on the lower end of the spectrum- a competent and well-trained normal person should be able to cope with you.
Equipment: What do you carry around with you on a daily basis? This just lets me know what to expect so you don't pull some Bat-Shark Repellant out of your ass.
Psyche: What makes your character tick? How do they view the world and people around them, and how does this make them react to things. No one's perfect, everyone capable of greed, pride, and other vices.
History: I don't need more than one or two paragraphs here, but the more detail the better.
Canonical Batman/ DC characters are perfectly fine in my book, but please be conscious of the fact that they will be very different people in this reality and plan accordingly.
Up to two characters permitted.
Appearance: A suitable photograph, drawing, or render (no anime, no GIFs) of your character.
Name: Your character's name.
Age: Your character's age.
Gender: Nonbinary genders are totally fine by me.
Occupation/ Employer/ Rank (if applicable): What do you do and what company or entity do you work for? If you are military, police, or something similar, what rank do you hold?
Skills/ Abilities: Do you speak Farsi, know how to fence, and possess expert computer hacking skills? This is the place to tell me about it. Don't drop new skills on me in the middle of things. Please keep any superpowers, if you must have them, on the lower end of the spectrum- a competent and well-trained normal person should be able to cope with you.
Equipment: What do you carry around with you on a daily basis? This just lets me know what to expect so you don't pull some Bat-Shark Repellant out of your ass.
Psyche: What makes your character tick? How do they view the world and people around them, and how does this make them react to things. No one's perfect, everyone capable of greed, pride, and other vices.
History: I don't need more than one or two paragraphs here, but the more detail the better.
This is an RP for mature players. There is fighting, violence, swearing, player characters can be killed or badly injured.
Respect one another, be civil with disagreements and conduct them in the OOC.
My rule is "quality over quantity", there is no minimum post length or amount, but please make sure every post contributes to the proceedings.
There will be a minimum of two posts from other players between yours. This prevents one person from monopolizing the RP and makes you think carefully about what you post.
As GM, my word is law, though I am happy to discuss things with you. I wish to be fair, so please tell me if you think I am failing at that.
Please post as often as you are able to!
Respect one another, be civil with disagreements and conduct them in the OOC.
My rule is "quality over quantity", there is no minimum post length or amount, but please make sure every post contributes to the proceedings.
There will be a minimum of two posts from other players between yours. This prevents one person from monopolizing the RP and makes you think carefully about what you post.
As GM, my word is law, though I am happy to discuss things with you. I wish to be fair, so please tell me if you think I am failing at that.
Please post as often as you are able to!
