Night of the Marked
In the beginning, there was Day, and there was Night. The ancient men prospered under the light of the sun, and cowered beneath the pale moon. They dared not venture into the Night, for the darkness was fear and fear brought death. The creatures of the night hated the day, and mankind. They sought the blood of humans for their feasts, and dark rituals, and all manner of vile purposes. Under the pale moon they were stronger, faster, and more impervious. With their nightcraft they weaved terrible curses and alluring enchantments to ensnare their prey. Men could do naught but shudder in fear...
Until, during the Day, men found fire. Fire was light, and light was life, and hope, and courage. With fire men faced the Night, and drove it back. With fire men forged steel to do battle. And with steel men chopped wood and chiseled stone, to build great walls and keep the Night at bay.
Yet the pale moon rises, and the Night draws closer once more. They seek out their victims and place upon them a brand, a disgusting stigma upon the flesh. The Marked fear even their own shadows; for the dark forces flock to them no matter where they run.
But hope is not lost. If the Marked slays that which branded him, he will be free. Until the sun sets once more, and the Day begins to fade...
This RP is a Dark Low-Fantasy inspired by Berserk, the Souls franchise, and dark fairy tales. There are two principal ideas. First, how will players overcome supernatural odds without magic or other superhuman abilities? Yes, you heard that right, a fantasy RP where the humans don't have any magic. More on that in a bit.
Secondly, what can players create when the story is up to them, rather than the GM? Every player in this RP will be Marked by the creatures of the Night. The Night Mark attracts evil creatures, but it also has a specific purpose. Whatever creature marked you can find you, no matter how far you run, no matter where you hide. Perhaps a Vampire marks a young woman as his next mistress, then tracks her down across the kingdom. Perhaps a pregnant woman is marked so her baby can be swept away and replaced with a Changeling. Whether the creature eats humans, sacrifices them, or worse...The players choose what marked them and why. Then it's up to the characters to deal with these monstrosities when they come to make good on their marks. I control the creatures attracted by the Mark, and work with players on the storylines to run things smoothly. As long as it's reasonable, fair, and most of all interesting, anyone can introduce plot threads.
Characters have a good reason to team up, because Marked attract one another the same way they draw the creatures of the night. To remove the curse, you must slay that which marked you, and there is strength in numbers.
Now, a bit more about magic. Magic does exist in the setting, but for the most part only the creatures of the Night can use it. The only "magic" that humans can use are the kinds that aren't really magic--old women who practice herblore and make foul smelling poultices might be called witches, and strange bespectacled men who peer over steaming beakers might be considered alchemists, but there is no real magic that is available to normal humans. At first one might say "well, how boring!" but my thought process is that, for one thing, an RP like this needs to be difficult. A fight with a werewolf is much harder for the guy who only has a sword and a shield, as opposed to the guy who can call down lightning. And in the same way that this is a tale of dark creatures, it is also a tale of those who fight those creatures. Of heroes.
And the best heroes get by not on the strength of unnatural powers, but by their character and cunning.
In addition to slaying the creatures of the Night, I had other ideas revolving around a Church, and the reaction of characters ostracized by society. I haven't developed a lot of the setting yet, as I'd like to see if I get any interest first. If you have any questions, ask away.
