Rules I prefer forum based rather than PM. Advanced (some casual for conversations). Give me something to respond to. Daily posting - not interested in constant excuses. Check your subscriptions. Commit a little. I am looking for a writer with good skills, and not expecting to be heavily sidetracked by RL stuff like school. If you don't honestly have the time, do not apply. Also, please don't just reply with "interested". PM me with your ideas for a character and which Plot. I am not a grammar or spelling Nazi. I do, however, prefer third person, past tense as most books are written. I detest most fandoms. I tend to avoid darker scenarios. Real life has enough of that. I enjoy romances. Usually they should not be the entire focus of the RP. I do, however, have some that romance is the whole point, such as arranged marriages. I love sci fi. I do not have time to do ALL these RP’s. One. I’ll see what I can do to write up some additional RP Plots as I get time. Some ideas: I love anachronisms. Things and people out of their time or place. So things like time travel, cryogenic suspension and the like are a good start. World building. I don’t mean literally building a planet. And I prefer to focus on one character. But a post apocalypse where the characters are trying to restart civilization is good. Being marooned for various reasons is good. One scenario is on an island where the economy has all but crashed and everyone is struggling. Then new money - a casino - comes in to buy everyone out for a meager sum, but better than nothing. Half the town is fighting to preserve their culture. Half is desperate enough to bail. But the casino wants it all and needs a 100% response. Life or World changing events. I had a lottery winner RP. Another is the arrival of aliens. One scenario I liked was the Wet Firecracker War in which WWIII was a failure as every nuke failed to actually blow up. The nukes just looks like giant flares. However, the reason was the mystery. Another scenario had a bunch of kids gathered each as the potential heir to a vast fortune. This one was set about 20 years from now if I remember right. [color=ed1c24][b]Here are some specific Plots / Settings:[/b][/color] [hider=Isla Nublar][color=f26522][b]Isla Nublar[/b][/color] In the Summer of 2021 a young man (age 20) won a VERY large Powerball jackpot. The jackpot had been at 2.565 billion dollars and he had the Powerplay option. The Powerplay hit the 5x. In that instant the young man became 12.825 billion dollars richer than he had ever been. Oh, sure he was going to end up paying taxes - a LOT of taxes. And as they say a fool and his money are soon parted… He had no car, no permanent address, and no passport. But he had already begun to up his game. He had new clothes, a haircut. He had no driver’s license, which he soon rectified. Then he went out and bought a Lamborghini. He bought a state of the art laptop, the sort used by Navy Seals, but souped up. He bought his own private jet, a huge estate home. (He had to hire an estate manager to manage the property.) Most of his money got invested. He wasn’t completely stupid. Then he bought a yacht - and not just any yacht - a 160’ solar yacht capable of traveling around the world without a drop of fuel. It was designed for operation by one man. Then he got his passport. http://www.oceanofnews.com/awesome-futuristic-112-sailboat-with-hybrid-solar-power-technology/ (similar design, but with some added features) Our young man was a geek, but an athletic geek. At age 15 he had suffered some pretty serious injuries, but still managed to play football for his last couple of years of high school. He was tall, really tall, standing a solid 6’7” with dark black hair and blue eyes. His interests were in Physics and Chemistry first, with hobbies in just about everything else that isn’t biology or medical. He’s an avid science fiction fan and had even written a several books, 3 of them bestsellers (under the pen name James Braxton). He hopped on his yacht, fully stocked and prepared for the worst - not that he expected it. But he had forgotten one basic fact. He was the luckiest guy on the planet. Good luck, bad luck …. He had it all. The pendulum of Luck took its turn for the worse. A freak Bermuda Triangle type storm swept his yacht off the charts and beached it on a large tropical island he has come to call Isla Nublar. (No dinosaurs, but it has plenty of its own hazards.) He was a natural survivor. And he began with excellent resources. Food was plentiful. But food can only sustain a man for so long before loneliness begins to set in. In the Tom Hanks movie, the main character was marooned for 4 years. He cried over a volleyball named Wilson being lost at sea. He has no idea how long exactly. But he will have lost a lot of his social skills. [color=f26522][b]Rules[/b][/color] [color=ed1c24][b]Advanced/Detailed posts.[/b][/color] A little lighter is okay for conversations, but let’s not abuse this. I typically write a page+ in Google Docs. 3rd person past tense. I am looking for daily posts, but even I will have a day now and then when work leaves me no time to post or I get stuck in a cell dead area. (I use a laptop and mobile wifi hub 100% of the time - unless my laptop dies. That happened recently, but it has been replaced with an even better one.) [color=f26522][b]Character[/b][/color] I am looking for a female. Have a personality. Don’t just say you have one. Roleplay it. I say this because I have had so many occasions where a character was described with a personality, but never showed it. I’d rather you skimped on your CS and developed one in the RP. I do advise against the uncommunicative sort. It tends to kill 1x1 RP’s. Likewise, too passive or meek and weak character is a plot killer. This is the 21st century. A decent image would be great. Helps to have an idea what you look like. Speak English please. [color=f26522][b]Entry[/b][/color] You do not have to arrive by boat. As an option, you COULD fly to the island and crash there. But if so, I prefer you do your own flying and work this fact into your CS rather than have a dead pilot. [color=f26522][b]Setting and Plot[/b][/color] The exact nature of Isla Nublar is … different. Isla Nublar is out of phase with time. As such it fluctuates between the Present and about 15,000 BC. (It never goes past the Present or before the history of Man.) Most of the time is spent since the days of ocean going exploration. The storms that occur are the result of variation in hyperergic differentials between Isla Nublar and the time if connects with. There are three phases. The First wave, the Eye, and the Final wave. It is possible to escape the island, but only during the storms. And you can’t be certain When you will arrive. If one tries to sail past the reef that surrounds the island, they will return from another side. (Ever play Asteroids?) Healing. Healing occurs quickly. Even old wounds will begin to heal. Duncan’s old wounds are hardly even noticeable anymore. Even diseases like cancer will be cured. Senses. One’s senses will improve over time. Someone with glasses will eventually no longer need them. Age. One will stop aging once they arrive at a physiological age of 21. The Plot will largely be determined by YOU. [/hider] [hider=Time Enough][color=f26522][b]Time Enough[/b][/color] Two young adults escape an impending global thermonuclear war by travelling in time. This scenario is initiated when a young man learns that a nuclear war is coming in 2020. He has been experimenting with time travel and trying to look forward. Once he receives his warning his efforts geared toward physical time travel. Despite his young age of 20, he holds a postgraduate research position at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque. UNM is better known for its medical center, but as New Mexico is known as the Energy State, it should not be surprising that he pursued other disciplines like geology, metallurgy, astronomy and engineering (though not as heavily). His research becomes so obsessive that his mother - who teaches at the Medical Center, decides to set him up with a blind date. Surprisingly, the young man proves to be reasonably attractive - a former football star (though he has a limp on his left side) - and is well mannered and attentive. He makes a promise not to talk shop for his first date - and mostly keeps it. It shows that he has to keep biting his tongue. The character - Duncan Moran https://drive.google.com/open?id=0BxokA0dBKb4pOUNERDlqNF9LNWM +++++ Duncan's mother will look for a healthy girl, roughly Duncan's age. She knows he isn't usually into blondes, but intelligence will override that. A major in medicine will also be worth points in her book. Weak willed won't do. Duncan won’t really pay attention to a passive personality. The girl needs to be strong willed, but sensible. She knows that eventually someone is going to have to "mother" her son and take over making sure he eats right. She will also be looking for a girl attractive enough to fluster her son. LOL, get the picture about his Mom? [/hider] [hider=Innocent Blood][color=f26522][b]Innocent Blood[/b][/color] Note: This was originally designed for a group, but I discovered that it runs very well as a 1x1. As you might surmise from the title, it is a vampire RP. Yes, you could become a vampire in the course of the RP, but you will not begin as one. And even if you do, you really aren’t that powerful - not for decades or centuries. The main cast of vampires here are elders. The good news is that they are the ‘good’ guys. (They are working to prevent Gehenna and the utter breakdown of kindred politics.) For those who remember Kolchak or Night Stalker, this RP is for you. For this is a story about the search for a real vampire. And this group will succeed beyond its wildest expectations. The RP is based in Los Angeles to start. There will be some NPC specialists out there for the members to consult - like a hematologist with her own lab at UCLA. In fact there are a few professors at UCLA to consult. There will also be some ME’s in the Law Enforcement field, and coroners. For the most part these are not Hunters (such as in Supernatural). Most should merely be in search of the truth. (The police archetypes may have a tougher time working with the rest.) [color=f26522][b]Character Archetypes[/b][/color] Reporters - I suggest the newspaper variety. But it really doesn’t matter. It will just be hard to keep your job if you vanish every time you get a tip about a possible vampire story. Police - You have seen some strange homicides in your time. Perhaps you lost a partner or loved one to a suspected vampire. Oh noone seriously believes the idea. And if you are smart you have laughed it off rather than get laid off. But every time there is a new lead to what sounds like a vampire scene, you will do what you can to go investigate. Mythologist - This may be an archeologist, librarian, etc. This is someone with an education in literature and lore. Of course, there is no way to know if any of it has a shred of truth. You’d give just about anything to see a real vampire. Biological Scientist - This can be a forensic specialist, a pathologist, a medical student, ambulance tech, or any sort of scientist that might be obsessed with the concept of vampirism. Like the others you are driven to investigate any lore or evidence. Others? - The idea here is that none of you has ever actually seen a vampire (at least not that you know of). But the subject is your obsession. [/hider] [hider=Deathlands][color=f26522][b]Deathlands[/b][/color] [i]A hundred years ago (2037) a reign of nuclear bombs obliterated civilization in a few minutes of blazing horror. It was the end of the world - Doomsday - Skydark. With the first nuclear explosion, the tissue thin tapestry of civilization was ripped apart. The rule of law was replaced overnight with the somber draconian edict of survival of the fittest. Cannibals hunted prey. Cold hearts brutally raided farms. And slavers seized anybody they could as chattel. Electricity was seldom seen. Starvation universal. Rape a daily event. Death the only known means of escape. This is America in the mid 22nd century. Welcome to the Deathlands.[/i] ***** [color=ed145b][b](You do NOT need to know the Deathlands series to play.)[/b][/color] Deathlands is a Graphic Audio written by James Axler. This will be a PG-13 adaptation of the series [color=00aeef]merged with some of the more fun aspects of TSR’s Gamma World RPG and the Morrow Project RPG[/color]. The original series is incredibly graphic and explicit. We won’t be following suit. But this is a cruel post holocaust setting, tempered by an initial greeting by less hostile locals. At least this small group won’t be intent on making slaves out of everyone. Players are come from just before Skydark, placed in cryogenic suspension. One is an ex-mercenary, James Braxton, with a 13 year old daughter, Natalya, who hates him. The other character is female USMC combat medic that Braxton will have kidnapped just before Skydark. [color=ed145b][b]Players will awaken fully intact.[/b][/color] At first PC’s will be totally dependent on their saviors for everything - food, clothing, defense. They will find the world very much changed. Civilization has reverted to another Dark Age. Literacy, technology, culture, are all things of the past. The very ecologic and geologic balances are in upheaval. California is gone - underwater. They said it would happen and they were right. There are acid rains, superstorms, cannibals and dangerous mutations. Villes are ruled by despotic barons - tyrants who rule by strength. You can hardly trust anyone anymore. [color=ed1c24][i]Smart freezies will learn to listen to the rules of survival.[/i][/color] Things which once had value now have little or none. Money? Good for burning or making a version of gunpowder. It is easy to starve to death carrying a ton of gold. And a few good blasters (guns) can as easily get you chilled (killed) as fight off a band of muties. Muties are always hungry. Never make a fire that can be seen. Oh yes, a lot of rules to learn. Trust no one - except those you know you can call friend. And that is the rarest commodity of all. [color=f26522][b]About Mutants:[/b][/color] There are various kinds of mutations. Truth to tell, most mutations are bad. They are simply genetic errors. However a number of mutations have become standard and common enough to make the results a whole new species. Also, humans have developed a few mutations that are common enough to have names. However, most muties are highly distrusted as foul corrupt things. [color=f26522][b]Nearly always hostile[/b][/color] [color=39b54a]Stickies[/color] - These are humanoids with fingers ending in powerful sucker tips. The suction is strong enough to rend flesh. Stickies eat humans. They are drawn to fire and loud noise - though their hearing is poor. They delight in torturing their victims before killing them. They are extremely hard to kill. The best way is a head shot. [color=39b54a]Swampies[/color] - Tougher versions of Stickies. Amphibious. The only way to kill one is a headshot, or with catastrophic damage. Otherwise, much like Stickies. [color=39b54a]Scalies[/color] - Humanoids with reptilian skin and features. Otherwise much like stickies. [color=f26522][b]Animal Mutations[/b][/color] Common mutations include, chimeric blending (such as mammals with reptilian features, winged crocodiles), Gigantism / Dwarfism, heightened intelligence. Less common mutations include psionics, dual skeletal systems, etc. [color=ed1c24][b]Eve of Skydark (2037)[/b][/color] Braxton had already researched all the emergency shelters, hospitals, police, border patrol routes - everything he needed to stay off the grid - and everything he needed in an emergency. He had picked the Carlsbad area for its proximity to Mexico in case he needed to cross a border. He had no time to waste. Things were spiraling out of control according to his sources. The news offered only a pale shadow of what was to come if the nations didn’t find a common ground and end the posturing. The current problems were even worse than the mess when Ukraine had been invaded by Russia. Russia hadn’t stopped there. And they were using national security as their excuse. The US was upping the ante. Both sides had mobilized, escalating a precarious situation. China had mobilized as well as had Iran. all it was going to take was the drop of a hat - any hat. Most of the world was oblivious to the true level of the threat. But the USA was posting forces at its borders in response to the possibilities if invasions. What now interested James Braxton was the USMC mobile medical unit stationed on an exercise near Carlsbad, NM. He knew the real reason they had been stationed there - the top secret facility noone was supposed to know about in the caverns. Some were detached from the Los Alamos Demolition Facility - specialists in nuclear radiation treatments. The rad poisoning part was merely a happy coincidence. What he needed was a battlefield surgeon - someone who could remove bullets. He hacked in and tracked ALL the medical personnel via their smart cars. These days the interstate system required all cars to have autopilots. Of course many side roads and more rural areas lacked the upgrades to use them. But Federal law had mandated their use by 2025. His, of course, was disabled. He selected an experienced combat surgeon with high marks and came up with a strong candidate. His gut twisted for some reason, but he cast the pain aside. He didn’t have time for a shrink. And he was sure that was all it was. He tracked the doctor to a grocery store and parked along side. Then he waited as calmly as possible. He timed his exit and moved around to the sliding side door which not by coincidence was next to her driver door. He made himself look busy until she walked by, excused himself and jabbed the atropine of sedative into her butt as she walked by. From there he spun and caught her, depositing her into his van, setting the groceries aside, and sliding the door shut. He wasted little time in pulling away. +++++++++ By the time the woman woke up the van was well out of town on backroads, rolling at a good clip. Braxton had taken the time to stop and secure her, making use of zip ties to bind hands and feet professionally. He hadn’t bothered to tape her mouth shut though. “Good. You’re awake. I need a doctor. No, I can’t go to a hospital. I have no intention of hurting you. But I have no time to waste. I have a teenaged girl with gunshot wounds. She’s unconscious, but I put her in one of those fancy new autodocs. Not sure if you have even seen one yet. They have only made it to elite military units like Special Forces. They’re meant to replace you. All they can really do is diagnose and advise, and keep someone alive. Really it is more of a robotic paramedic.” He debated whether to discuss who had shot his daughter and himself. He had been both lucky and wearing body armor. But the woman might object to whom he had been forced to kill. As bad as things had gotten this might become a one way trip for her. He fought a wave of nausea, but passed quickly. The ground suddenly dropped out from under the car and they were driving downward at a steep angle in a dark tunnel. This part of the trip didn’t last very long. Unfortunately this was a panel van - no windows to stare out. But judging from his rough the road had been they were probably well off the beaten track. Even if she escaped she might not make it to civilization. She might even be in Mexico. “We’re almost there.” He stopped the van and shut it off. He ignored her for a moment while he walked around to the sliding door. Beyond him she could see a Humvee 3 - a military one, not a civilian Hummer. He reached in to grab her ankle and drag her out with one hand. Then she was flopped over his shoulder in a fireman’s carry. It was more than a little undignified. That was when she spotted the mini UAV’s - not one but 4. And they were most definitely armed. They lit up briefly as if to welcome Braxton home. He shifted her so they could see her. “We have company. She going to fix up Natalya. For the next hour this is the Red Line. She is not authorized to cross it without my permission.” The UAV’s made cybernetic noises, then went dark again. He walked a short ways past the drones. “They have guided bullets. Expensive, but great for antipersonnel ops.” He set her down, Pulled out his survival knife and cut the bonds. “You could run, but you wouldn’t make it very far.” He paused. “Natalya’s 13. She hates my guts. Her mother is dead. I’m all she has left. I am going to ask you not to let a 13 year old girl die.” He slipped the M120 Mod 4 sniper rifle from his back and handed it to the doctor. “You can shoot me now, wait an hour, then take the van and drive right out of here. Or you can shoot me and save my daughter. But if you take her to a hospital, both you and she will die. Your own people will do the killing. The less you know the better. You tell anyone you saw me or her, you’ll die - probably after an interrogation.” He gestured to an elevator door. They were covered by a blast door. This was a bomb shelter. "Sick Bay is that way. Your choice." [/hider] [hider=Cajun Asian Trouble][color=f26522][b]Cajun Asian Trouble[/b][/color] This RP revolved around the a young man named Cody Greyfeather. His CS is provided below. By necessity this RP takes place in the New Orleans area. https://drive.google.com/open?id=14GWgFMp3UyZp40mMcGksEP98Hn4lM4eDLOie_-MRh-o This is a vigilante RP. Cody is the one in trouble. His is no hero. Sure he has some martial arts skills. But he is no Batman. No, he is just a skilled citizen under pressure from mafias and corrupt cops. If anything he is the one who needs help. That is where you come in. The idea here is for a vigilante to take up the cause of helping him, with the possibility of a romance. It is designed for low power - along the lines of the movie Kick Ass. However, a superpowered RP is possible. I’m just not sure how well that will play out. [/hider] [hider=Wet Firecracker War][color=f26522][b]Wet Firecracker War[/b][/color] This RP was originally developed as a group RP, but can work as a 1x1. [color=ed1c24][b]Oct 17, 2025 0300 EST[/b][/color](about 8 years from now). They called it the Wet Firecracker War. Things in the Middle East and Ukraine never settled down. ISIS flared back up with all new tactics. China and Russia both continued the arms race. China continued to challenge territorial laws by creating new islands. Then it happened. Who launched first? Does it really matter? In the end we all went a little mad. Just one very, very odd thing. The nukes all fizzled. They were duds - all of them. Even the fissionable materials were never recovered. A Russian nuclear sub was placed on Kremlin Square. China suffered a similar fate - as did Washington DC - one vessel each. Beyond some minor injuries due to the movement, no personnel were harmed. Thousands of people witnessed the ICBM’s detonating, producing brilliant points of light in the sky. But the miniature suns never blossomed into mushroom clouds. There was no fallout. There are rumors all around. Aliens. Top Secret SDI programs. The Second Coming. But the simple truth is that noone knows what happened. [color=f26522][b]Aftermath[/b][/color] Realizing you are still alive after your leaders have all bugged out and entered bunkers ready to kiss their respected arses goodbye can have a very sobering effect. The day after was the first in a very long time on which there was no combat anywhere on the planet. (This doesn’t count a little looting that went on.) There were many reports of suicides as some people simply gave in to fear of suffering from fallout. But the real story of the century came in the weeks that followed. The UN held what might very well be the most historic meeting in history to declare peace. It has been an uneasy truce though. After all, it was begun in the wake of an attempt by many nations to slaughter one another wholesale with 4000 nukes. And there are still about 11,000 left - or are there? There are rumors that missiles vanished from their silos, mobile ICBM’s vanished. But only a very high level clearance will provide the knowledge that they all vanished. The public is being kept in the dark on that issue. [color=a0410d][b]The Plot(s)[/b][/color] You are one of many whose curiosity will not be contained. Or you may be an agent working for people who want an explanation. People want an answer to the question: Who or what could possibly absorb the yields of about 2000 MT of TNT and get rid of it harmlessly? (An estimated 4000 warheads were launched out of a little over 15, 000 the planet.) That’s over 8,000,000 TJ. Yes, I have a very, very specific explanation for what happened. Don’t try to make it up and expect it to be the truth. Those of you who are from agencies or military services can expect to receive orders. Reporters can expect to get assignments, be subject to expenses, etc. Civilians operating on their own will have no Press rights, have to deal with all expenses. You will need to explain how you can keep going. [color=f26522][b]Characters[/b][/color] You could be a reporter. You might be FBI, CIA, Homeland Security. You could be military intelligence. (You would need to be an officer.) You could be a Civilian not affiliated with any of the above, but please no Average Joes. Have technical skills that relate to your purpose. For example if you are a UFOlogist, have some skills that relate to that. Otherwise this will be a very short lived character RP wise, ie boring to roleplay. As this RP may move all over the globe, you ought to bear this in mind as far as ID, Passports, legalities, languages, licenses etc all apply. How will you travel locally? That Florida issued driver’s license will be useless in Jerusalem or Russia. [color=f26522][b]NPC’s[/b][/color] Do not run mine, please. For things like local drivers, common vendors of Imbiss stands, etc … by all means run them, even name them. A nice rapport with a local taxi driver can be fun. [color=f26522][b]What am I looking for?[/b][/color] Think of a TV Drama show. What characters will make it through the season? Which will see a second season? It takes a balance. I am hoping for characters who don’t have to be led by the nose. In fact, I want characters with enough influence to make requests for travel authorizations, get assistance from other agencies, possibly order scientific tests (be specific). I am NOT going to guide you around. This is NOT a combat RP. I detest combat in RP’s where the creation of characters and combat between them isn’t covered by specific rules with dice. Too many chances for bad feelings. Feel free to argue over who has jurisdiction. And if you are a reporter in a foreign country and a dozen security personnel surround you with guns, I’d surrender. If we have a conflict between characters, I will mediate. I mainly plan to stick to science-y types or non combatants who either surrender or run. Mostly their purposes will be to respond to questions. (They may or may not have their own security.) In other words, I plan to run “experts”, local witnesses, etc. [color=f26522][b]Chronology[/b][/color] Oct 24, 2025 - RP Start date [/hider] [hider=Man’s World][color=f26522][b]Man’s World[/b][/color] [i]Long ago (2037) a reign of nuclear bombs obliterated civilization in a few minutes of blazing horror. It was the end of the world - Doomsday - Skydark. With the first nuclear explosion, the tissue thin tapestry of civilization was ripped apart. The rule of law was replaced overnight with the somber draconian edict of survival of the fittest. Cannibals hunted prey. Cold hearts brutally raided farms. And slavers seized anybody they could as chattel. Electricity was seldom seen. Starvation universal. Rape a daily event. Death the only known means of escape.[/i] -paraphrased from James Axler’s Deathlands series intro. Storyteller’s Note: Below does NOT reflect any personal views. It merely sets the environment. Those were the early days after Skydark. Centuries have passed since those dark days and slowly mankind has begun to rise from this dark age. But we have yet a very long way to go. Noone is really sure just how many years have passed since that dark time. But with the fall of civilization humans reverted to older ways of life. Women, who had once won their freedom are once more second class citizens at best. Women have no rights. A woman may not be a warrior. In many lands doing so brings a severe punishment. Females belong to the male head of household until she is married off, traded, or even sold into slavery. A woman who loses her husband is in an extremely vulnerable position. [color=f7941d][b]Characters[/b][/color] Your character will be a female. (You could create two or three, each with her own origin story. Each story should be unique.) You may come from a variety of backgrounds, should in fact. (Note that there are no kings, hence no princesses. Things have devolved to a city state civilization ruled by Barons.) Really, the more common their origins the better. Butcher their families, have their hometowns raped and pillaged, have Dad die of disease or battle, be some blacksmith's daughter disappointed for the lack of a son, or refuse to marry that A-hole of a Baron’s son. Lots of options. What all will have in common is that these women have taken upon themselves to cut their hair short and disguise themselves as men, and set out to become mercenaries. This is a very risky process. First they must “sell” themselves to an dealer in labor. This is a little backwards as it really means bribing him to put you on the auction block. He has to feed you until he can sell you. At the auction block military and mercenary captains, chain gang overlords will “buy” the contracts of these raw recruits. The real kicker is that these women, for the most part, make for some scrawny men and will fetch very low prices. Those who do NOT get bought end up on chain gangs - working in mines, or even in the cities harvesting steel. That means a harsh life, and probably an even shorter one at that. Still as times are harsh - and one must eat to survive - these women need work. And it is either this, or less glamorous positions. Now here is the real kicker. These young ladies are going to end up bought by the same mercenary lord, who clearly is lacking in funds to buy the beefier men. He is actually buying the cheapest men for the most part, saving funds for perhaps one or two quality warrior potential individuals. He isn’t a fool though. He actually inspects each one for general health - and some qualities noone can be certain of. If he were a team captain picking players for a game, it would look like he was picking all the losers. Is he buying cannon fodder? Is that it? He doesn’t have a cruel look to him. Whatever his game, you have made it past the first stage - you have passed yourselves off as men. Now you have to make it work as you go through boot camp. The characters will not even know one another are women until later in the RP. Then as the story develops they will begin to learn that they are ALL women - all the new recruits. (The trainers consist of three men and two women.) [color=a36209][b]Specialties:[/b][/color] Each member will eventually have 3 specialties: a fighting specialty, a military specialty and a sedentary skill. While you will receive training in many areas, these are the ones you will excel in. I would prefer that you all try not to duplicate one another. You do NOT have to start out skilled. In fact, for the most part you won’t. This is part of character development. In other words, your new trainers will evaluate you and place you under the appropriate mentors. Fighting specialties are weapons (or unarmed). Martial arts are a forgotten art, but here they may be reintroduced. There are a few masters in this unit to train you. Modern gunpowder is a forgotten science, but black powder is known in some regions. Repeating firearms are exceedingly rare. Possession of one is really just a good way to get killed. Military specialties include scouting, tracking, medical assistant, etc. Non combat specialties include cooking, sewing, music, etc. [color=f7941d][b]Setting[/b][/color] The RP is based in the Southeastern USA. Technology includes up to black powder weaponry, a secret closely guarded. Old baronies (city states) are beginning to collect into small kingdoms. Marauders ravage the countryside. The remnants of old cities of the Ancients are being mined for steel - creating Steel Wars. The recruiting scene that starts the RP takes place in Rock City (near Chattanooga, TN). Old Chattanooga is heavily patrolled by Rock City. The lord of Rock City is conquest hungry and wants to control all the lands visible from his home. He is currently trying to enlarge his castle while expanding his domain. But he is a man of law and order and not a depraved A-hole like many barons. [/hider] [hider=Cowboy In Spite of Himself][color=f26522][b]Cowboy In Spite of Himself[/b][/color] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_New_Mexico This is the story of a young man (age 21) who travels back in time from the early 21st century to 1881 to the Territory of New Mexico. More specifically he travels to Albuquerque, NM for this is where he was from in the 21st century. New Mexico won’t be a state until 1912. Homesteaders began moving into the area in the late 1870’s as the trains finally begin to reach the region. The train reached Santa Fe in 1880, later Albuquerque, and Deming in 1881. The New Mexico Education Association is formed in 1886. The first colleges will open in 1889. Note: The Homestead Act was in 1862. You are a young woman (18-22) that has either grown up in the region or moved here during this turbulent era. You can live on a ranch or in town. But I am using Albuquerque as the focal point. (It starts its boom in 1880-81. Crime sky rockets in downtown until they finally get a marshall.) You can even be foreign and have immigrated with hopes of living the American dream. (However, read the history brief below.) I enjoy characters that represent a little imagination and creativity, so I don’t want to tell you what to be. Big ranch owner’s daughter? School teacher? (Civil War anything doesn’t fit because of time. You would have been a child.) [color=f7941d][b]History Brief[/b][/color] (Billy the Kid’s big period was 1878-1880.) Avoid being hispanic (neuvomexicanos) as they were second class citizens. Native Americans had it worse. Slavery and even indentured servitude was outlawed in New Mexico in 1862, but blacks are less than second class citizens in this time. Same is true is just about anyone not White really. And women won’t get to vote until 1920 in New Mexico. Our young man is age 21, unfamiliar with colloquial mannerisms, speech, clothing, costs, culture. But he has studied the history of the period rather heavily and recently. He stands out in a crowd without trying. He is 6’7” built like a football quarterback, short black hair, sharp blue eyes. He walks with a limp (left side) and wears a fingerless deerskin leather glove on his left hand. He is well armed with both rifle and pistol - a Peacemaker. [/hider]