I was born in December 1998, and I've been doing Forum RP since 2011. I live in Southeast Asia-- the Philippines (GMT +8:00) in particular, so if I'm not around, I'm probably asleep or otherwise busy. I mostly do Group RPs and Tabletop Games (off-site). I've never been in a 1x1 RP, but some of the premises seem interesting enough.
I like Fantasy, Sci-fi, and certain Anime settings. I do shy away from certain genres as a matter of preference (historical, slice-of-life, grimdark, etc), and if I know nothing about a fandom setting in question, I'm far less likely to throw my hat in the ring-- but if the premise is interesting enough, I may give it a shot regardless.
I like to be relatively active, though life gets in the way sometimes. If you're lurking and are trying to get me to post, if you want to be a mutual friend, or if you want to invite me to a specific RP, just let me know...I don't bite. So long as you aren't rude, we'll get along just fine, and even then, I may extend a sort of professional courtesy between us as writers.
With that out of the way, if you're here, you're probably looking for more of my writing. Thankfully, I've recently compiled a list of my characters (with links to their respective RPs) from this site. If you want to check them out, the link is here.
If you made it this far, thanks for reading! May the RPs you're in be of an acceptable posting speed, and eventually, come to end on a decent conclusion...
Hey lads. Sorry for the delay. Between losing internet for several days on two separate weeks, and then the storm hitting this week and taking out my power... as well as my semester at school, this RP has definitely been relegated to the backburner, and for that, I do apologize. Still, I'm here now, and I want to get things moving.
And what better way to get things moving than to throw people right into the thick of things?
Chapter 1: The Flop
This is an introductory chapter, starting strong with a huge combat encounter to get everyone acquainted with their characters.
Using the fortifications set up at this perimeter has allowed this team of soldiers to hold the line in spite of overwhelming odds, but thankfully, you're here to relieve them. The soldiers are engaging threats equal to their level, taking them off your lists. Pastor Jin, Mother Ekaterine, and Sister Bianca would all recognize the Executor as Father Alistair, having worked together with him on previous operations. He's currently engaging x2 Lesser Vampires, which takes them off your lists.
Naturally, fleeing civilians do not assist in taking out enemies, and instead get in the way.
Protecting a fleeing civilian means counting them as a Rank 1 enemy. Protecting an injured soldier means counting them as a Rank 0 enemy. Protecting a trained soldier means counting them as a Rank -1 enemy. It's not enough that you kill the enemies chasing them, as doing so means you kill the target after they kill theirs-- actively protecting these people means exerting extra effort (which is why some hunters tend not to bother with it).
With that in mind, if we tally up the number of enemies that can be targeted and the number of allies that can be saved...
Rank -1: Individual Bats and Rats, x4 Protect Trained Soldiers: Can be handled by one player, or by multiple players just off-handedly. Rank 0: x7 Various Enemies, x3 Protect Injured Soldiers: Can be handled by two players, taking out or protecting 6-7 each. Rank 1: x8 Ghoul, x3 Protect Fleeing Civilians: Can be handled by two players, taking out or protecting 5-6 each. Rank 2: x3 Lesser Vampire: Can be handled by one player, taking out 3. Rank 3: x1 Vampire Leader: Can be handled by one player, taking out 1.
With all of that said, choosing not to protect any of the allies here will make cleanup quicker. Either way, I suspect this will be finished in one or two rounds of posting. Of course, you are free to follow the guidelines in the OOC post to instead make your own arrangement of who kills what-- these things have always been intended as guidelines rather than hard-and-fast rules.
In addition, the nature of the enemies are left vague intentionally. If you want to fight a vampire with a weapon, sure! If you want to fight one that's more animalistic than the others, that's fine too! Either way, they're Lesser Vampires, and don't pose much threat. The only one who is set in stone is the Vampire Leader, who fights with sharp nails, superhuman strength, agility, and reflexes, as well as mental dominion. She will retreat after engaging in one round of combat with a Hunter. You can leave her critically injured and allow her to retreat, or finish her off in that post, but become slightly injured yourself.
Las Vegas. Thirty or so years ago, the Strip was born, and with its existence, life had come to this mere whistle-stop town. The next twenty years were its heyday-- a veritable oasis where stars like the legendary Frank Sinatra or the illustrious Elvis Presley made their appearances. The rise of this city was meteoric, and it was almost as if there was no end to its splendor.
But now, in the seventies, the business was starting to dry up. Glamour had faded from this place. No longer was Las Vegathe place to be; where you would go once you were at the top of your career. Now, Vegas was where you ended up when you were at your lowest. Whether you're a washed-up has-been, or a desperate gambler seeking to stake their fortune on one last roll of the dice... This place had welcomed any and all, regardless of its reputation.
It would seem that the forces of darkness were counted among that number.
Arriving from different points of the world, you all find yourselves in a small convoy of vehicles, moving at high speed towards your destinations. The Las Vegas Police Department let you through the checkpoint, and into the outer perimeter. You had met in your respective departments, at airports, or perhaps simply on the road-- and whether you've just landed at the McCarran Airport hours ago, or if you've been driving across the blistering dunes and deserts for days... you hear it before you see it.
Gunfire, screams, and otherworldly screeches. The scene is... desperate.
"Hold this position! Reinforcements are here!" The captain shouts.
There were men dressed in black tactical gear, armed with military hardware. They seemed to be manning a checkpoint, complete with sandbags, spotlights, and barbed wire. The asphalt was stained with blood and bodies-- both human and animal. Each man was unloading mag after mag into their targets, and they wouldn't last much longer. There was a single exception: a Vatican Executor, who was clearly putting in overtime to suppress as many enemies as he could.
"It took you all long enough." Father Alistair comments matter-of-factly, his voice ringing out clearly even through the cacophony of battle. "Drive them back!"
But they were not the focus of your gazes. No-- beyond them were your true targets. Marching down main street was a procession of vampires of varying power. Behind them were several swarms of rats and bats, nibbling at the defenders and otherwise being a nuisance. At the front was a large pack of ghouls, who were currently engaged in combat with this military. The Executor was engaged in combat with a pair of vampires who seemed to bear a striking resemblance to one another.
The supposed leader of the vampire procession seems to lick her ruby-red lips. She was beautiful, even among her kind, and she seems to regard you all with a curious gaze.
"Ah... more prey. Lambs to the slaughter, it would seem." She chuckles. "Kill them all! Anyone that brings me back a head will earn their ascension!"
The creatures of the night roar, and soon, battle is joined.
NAME: ALISTAIR ARDIZZONE ______________ AGE: 28 ______________ DATE OF BIRTH: OCTOBER 10, 1944 ______________ FAITH: CATHOLIC ______________ NATIONALITY: ITALIAN ______________
PERSONALITY ______________
Outwardly, Alistair appears to be a kindly young priest who treats everyone he meets with dignity, respect, and a smile on his face. He is wise, understanding, and surprisingly knowledgeable about the ways of the world. He appreciates art, music, and the little things. Above all else, he is a pious man who has dedicated his life to serving the Lord.
Inwardly, Alistair harbors a deep resentment for demons and the unrepentant and can be particularly cold or angry toward them. He isn't afraid to get his hands dirty and believes that ridding the world of these undesirables would be better for everyone. To him, being denied salvation is a small price to pay for the opportunity to save the world, and he'd readily give it up again if he had to. He's also fiercely protective, and perhaps even a little possessive when it comes to those he truly cares about. Paradoxically, Alistair will die for a cause he truly believes in without hesitation yet is simultaneously not yet ready to die.
After all, there is so much more work left to do.
EQUIPMENT ______________
- Ceremonial Longsword: A holy relic, dating back to the First Crusade, this steel longsword has an edge forged from sanctified silver. Gilded with gold and jewels, this weapon was meant to be used to anoint members of an ancient order of holy knights, rather than be used in true combat. Although heavy and unwieldy, it feels light and fast in the hands of the Ordained. Its edge is dull when used against the innocent, while unrepentant sinners find it sharp-- enemies of the Lord cannot even bear to be in the blade's presence, finding the sword to cut supernaturally deep. Alistair keeps the blade in its scabbard, only ever pulling it free if he knows he must purify.
- Holy Bible: A heavy-set grimoire, containing the Word of God. Alistair has each page committed to memory, but he finds the presence of the tome comforting. He can also recite scripture and verses directly from the Bible, causing many demons to recoil in pain. Weaker demons may burn away, though stronger ones may merely be weakened by such acts.
- Reliquary: A leather satchel containing holy symbols, scripture, and other objects that are anathema to demons. Supplies include, but are not limited to: vials of holy water, silver crucifixes, a ritual dagger, a jeweled grail, notes on religious rituals, images depicting the Father, the Son, the Holy Spirit, the Virgin Mary, and various other Saints, wooden stakes, blessed nails, a hammer, a set of candles, and of course, bread and wine.
- Beretta M1951R: Fairly ubiquitous, even by military standards. Unlike Alistair's other weapons, this one was acquired after the recommendation of a friend. Unadorned and undecorated, this pistol can fire in semi-automatic and fully-automatic modes, and is used to take down targets at medium-to-long range. With a 10-round magazine, this pistol is often filled with blessed ordnance; sanctified silver and salt rounds. The gun has quite the recoil, bullet spread, and inaccuracy when fired in its fully-automatic mode, so Alistair usually reserves that function for emergencies, or to 'fire-and-forget' before engaging in melee.
CAPACITY ______________
Despite his thin, seemingly frail physique, Alistair is deceptively tough, his physical and mental fortitude impressive even among other exorcists. He was shown to have a prodigious talent for the arts of battle. He leverages this training to great effect during combat, combining his talent and training together. Fast, strong, and tough, the man is a dangerous combatant in close quarters.
When wielding the holy sword, Alistair uses traditional techniques from Fiore dei Liberi, a form of Historical European Martial Arts (HEMA) that revolves around the use of a longsword. When fighting without his blade, he uses a street-boxing style, honed through a turbulent youth in the streets of post-war Rome. If pushed, the man isn't afraid to fight dirty, having learned a long time ago that if there are lives on the line, then no technique is too dishonorable.
In addition, the man knows the entirety of the Bible, the Old and New Testament having been committed to memory. If he encounters a situation where his blade will do him no good, he always has the Gospel and the Scriptures to fall back upon. When even that is tested, he taps into reserves of willpower and determination rarely ever seen, except in men with nothing to lose, but everything to gain.
NAME: ALISTAIR ARDIZZONE ______________ AGE: 28 ______________ DATE OF BIRTH: OCTOBER 10, 1944 ______________ FAITH: CATHOLIC ______________ NATIONALITY: ITALIAN ______________
PERSONALITY ______________
Outwardly, Alistair appears to be a kindly young priest who treats everyone he meets with dignity, respect, and a smile on his face. He is wise, understanding, and surprisingly knowledgeable about the ways of the world. He appreciates art, music, and the little things. Above all else, he is a pious man who has dedicated his life to serving the Lord.
Inwardly, Alistair harbors a deep resentment for demons and the unrepentant and can be particularly cold or angry toward them. He isn't afraid to get his hands dirty and believes that ridding the world of these undesirables would be better for everyone. To him, being denied salvation is a small price to pay for the opportunity to save the world, and he'd readily give it up again if he had to. He's also fiercely protective, and perhaps even a little possessive when it comes to those he truly cares about. Paradoxically, Alistair will die for a cause he truly believes in without hesitation yet is simultaneously not yet ready to die.
After all, there is so much more work left to do.
EQUIPMENT ______________
- Ceremonial Longsword: A holy relic, dating back to the First Crusade, this steel longsword has an edge forged from sanctified silver. Gilded with gold and jewels, this weapon was meant to be used to anoint members of an ancient order of holy knights, rather than be used in true combat. Although heavy and unwieldy, it feels light and fast in the hands of the Ordained. Its edge is dull when used against the innocent, while unrepentant sinners find it sharp-- enemies of the Lord cannot even bear to be in the blade's presence, finding the sword to cut supernaturally deep. Alistair keeps the blade in its scabbard, only ever pulling it free if he knows he must purify.
- Holy Bible: A heavy-set grimoire, containing the Word of God. Alistair has each page committed to memory, but he finds the presence of the tome comforting. He can also recite scripture and verses directly from the Bible, causing many demons to recoil in pain. Weaker demons may burn away, though stronger ones may merely be weakened by such acts.
- Reliquary: A leather satchel containing holy symbols, scripture, and other objects that are anathema to demons. Supplies include, but are not limited to: vials of holy water, silver crucifixes, a ritual dagger, a jeweled grail, notes on religious rituals, images depicting the Father, the Son, the Holy Spirit, the Virgin Mary, and various other Saints, wooden stakes, blessed nails, a hammer, a set of candles, and of course, bread and wine.
- Beretta M1951R: Fairly ubiquitous, even by military standards. Unlike Alistair's other weapons, this one was acquired after the recommendation of a friend. Unadorned and undecorated, this pistol can fire in semi-automatic and fully-automatic modes, and is used to take down targets at medium-to-long range. With a 10-round magazine, this pistol is often filled with blessed ordnance; sanctified silver and salt rounds. The gun has quite the recoil, bullet spread, and inaccuracy when fired in its fully-automatic mode, so Alistair usually reserves that function for emergencies, or to 'fire-and-forget' before engaging in melee.
CAPACITY ______________
Despite his thin, seemingly frail physique, Alistair is deceptively tough, his physical and mental fortitude impressive even among other exorcists. He was shown to have a prodigious talent for the arts of battle. He leverages this training to great effect during combat, combining his talent and training together. Fast, strong, and tough, the man is a dangerous combatant in close quarters.
When wielding the holy sword, Alistair uses traditional techniques from Fiore dei Liberi, a form of Historical European Martial Arts (HEMA) that revolves around the use of a longsword. When fighting without his blade, he uses a street-boxing style, honed through a turbulent youth in the streets of post-war Rome. If pushed, the man isn't afraid to fight dirty, having learned a long time ago that if there are lives on the line, then no technique is too dishonorable.
In addition, the man knows the entirety of the Bible, the Old and New Testament having been committed to memory. If he encounters a situation where his blade will do him no good, he always has the Gospel and the Scriptures to fall back upon. When even that is tested, he taps into reserves of willpower and determination rarely ever seen, except in men with nothing to lose, but everything to gain.
I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” - Psalm 91:2
Vigil of the Faithful
A parliament of monsters hides behind the curtain. They emerge, sometimes, past the red velvet. They move in shadows among the human herd, reaching out and plucking the unsuspecting into their grip. Humans can be livestock to the hungry, lovers to the lustful, and toys to the wicked. All the horror stories talk of it: vampires filling their mouths with our blood, lycanthropes harrying mortal prey through dark forests, demons convincing a man to hand over his soul in a gift-wrapped bundle.
But they aren’t just stories, are they? No, the horrors are real, hiding within a labyrinth of mystery.
They have many names. Rakshasa. Oni. Agma. Shaytan...
Demon.
Whatever they are called, one thing remains constant: wherever there are demons, there are people who hunt them.
You are one such person. Armed with steel, fire, and faith, you keep the Vigil. Someone must bear the burden of your thankless Crusade-- so let it be you. But you are not alone-- others like you fight elsewhere, doing what needs to be done. Perhaps you still fight that good fight, or perhaps you've laid down your arms, having passed on your teachings to someone else. Whatever the case is, today you have received a message: a summons, directing you to Las Vegas, where an entire Compact of hunters has gone silent.
Intel suggests that this Compact uncovered a small clan of vampires, and likely perished in the attempt to eliminate it. An unfortunate loss, to be certain, but organizations in the region are scrambling to contain the situation. Boots on the ground are already establishing a perimeter while trying to keep things hidden from the public. They've even sent for hunters from different parts of the world. Whether you're the on first flight out, or are already driving across states to reach the infamous Sin City, you know things won't be easy when you get there.
OOC Section
Hey everyone. As stated on the interest check, this is a short, campy action RP about killing demons. Part 1 will involve arriving at the scene and fighting to the skyscraper, Part 2 will involve ascending the skyscraper, and Part 3 will be about finishing the fight.
To help facilitate the idea of what is and is not acceptable in this action RP, I've filled out a short list of guidelines to follow in combat. Check the guidelines section for that. In addition, to give people a better idea on how combat works, I've ripped a system wholesale adapted a simple rank system from a TTRPG that will hopefully streamline the action part of the game.
Rank
Although there is no 'official' power ranking system among hunters or demons, many organizations have attempted to stratify and classify the various threats they come across in such a way that they can reasonably assign the proper countermeasures. The below table describes the ranks and gives examples to give readers a better idea of what's going on.
Rank
Rank -1
Rank 0
Rank 1
Rank 2
Rank 3
Rank 4
Rank 5
Rank EX
General Quality
Terrible
Average
Notable
Good
Great
Excellent
Top-class
Beyond Common Sense
Danger Level
Inconsequential
Trivial
Very Low
Low
Medium
High
Very High
Extreme
Approx. Hunter Level
Unarmed Civilian
Armed Civilian
Trained Soldier
Inexperienced Hunter
Regular Hunter
Veteran Hunter
Elite Hunter
Legendary Hunter
Mundane Risk Example
Thug
Thug with Knife
Group of Thugs
Explosion
A Riot or Skirmish
Large-scale Terrorism
Large-scale Bombardment
Unknown
Supernatural Risk Example
Thrall
Armed Thrall
Ghoul
Lesser Vampire
Vampire
Greater Vampire
Vampire Elder
Unknown
Range of Influence
Non-issue
A Few People
A Street
A Neighborhood
A Residential District
A City
Multiple Cities
Unknown
Damage to Public
Potential Injuries or Robbery if Unlucky
1-2 Casualties, Maybe a Broken Window
5-6 Casualties, Damaged Property
12+ Casualties, Destroyed Building
50+ Casualties
100+ Casualties
Area is Destroyed
Unknown
The PCs are Rank 4 Hunters. Their apprentices, if any, are either Rank 2 or Rank 3. When fighting as a unit, a group of lower-ranked fighters can defeat higher-ranked threats, but only to a certain extent. The closer the fighter gets to another fighter in rank, the more even a fight is. When a lower-rank fighter enters combat against a higher-ranked opponent, there's a noticeable 'pressure' exuded by the higher-ranking fighter-- you know when you're outclassed, so to speak. Lastly, if a fighter is at least three ranks above an opponent, the power difference is so noticeable that the fight is quickly won without any issues.
These details invariably mean that the Rank 4 Hunters can essentially mow through hordes of Rank -1, Rank 0, and Rank 1 enemies, and can easily dispatch Rank 2 opponents. Rank 3 opponents may prove to be more trouble, but can be eliminated with dutiful labor. Rank 4 opponents are expected to be quite rare, and can equal a Veteran Hunter in strength-- which is generally a life-or-death scenario with the hunters at a disadvantage. Lastly, Rank 5 opponents cannot and should not be engaged alone; there is a reason the US Conspiracy has called over a group of Rank 4 Hunters-- by working together, they should be able to eliminate any conceivable threat.
That being said, these details are very abstract, and with good planning and proper use of equipment, lower-ranked fighters can take on foes of much higher rank, though of course, the same goes for the opponents. Another detail that is quite notable is that this is not a linear scale-- a Rank 3 threat is many times stronger than a Rank 2 threat, and a group of Rank 5 fighters may still not be enough to take on a Rank EX threat. It's all context-based and there are many monsters that are supposedly low on the danger scale, but can easily kill a high-ranked hunter, if the right situation presents itself. When in doubt, it's best to use this scale only as a rough guideline, rather than Gospel.
Sheets, References, Ranks, and Guidelines
Sheet and format below. Be sure to add an image and change the hider name accordingly!
Unfortunately, we are full on both players and characters, but when applications open again, I'll be sure to let everyone know!
Organization
Division
NAME: FULL NAME ______________ AGE: AGE HERE ______________ DATE OF BIRTH: MONTH - DAY - YEAR ______________ FAITH: CATHOLIC or PROTESTANT or EASTERN ORTHODOXY or OTHER ______________ NATIONALITY: RACE ______________
PERSONALITY ______________
Description of character's personalities, motivations, etc.
EQUIPMENT ______________
Format what you will to describe your equipment - mainly your weapons, armor, and gear.
CAPACITY ______________
Description of character's physical and mental capacity. Note the talents, skills, and proficiencies relevant to the scenario.
If you need explanations on what should be in each section, feel free to check the hider below, and to ask if you're still not sure!
ORGANIZATION: The name of the organization that employs this character. Can be written in that country's native language, or translated into English.
CHAPTER: The division that this character works under. Can be anything as simple as "Division 44", and "10th Battalion" or as complex as the "Organized Chapter of Exorcists of the Vatican City". Other names like "Task Force: Valkyrie" or "Mobile Task Force: Kings of Uruk" are also possible. Like the previous entry, this can be written in that country's native language, or translated into English.
NAME: Your character's full name and aliases.
AGE: Your character's age.
DATE OF BIRTH: Your character's date of birth. For reference, the year is 1972, two years after the events of the first RP.
FAITH: Your character's faith of choice. You are primarily assumed to be a Roman Catholic, Protestant, or Eastern Orthodox priest, but it's entirely possible to bring in a Buddhist, Daoist, Animist, or something else entirely! Even a 'faithless' character who believes in nothing but the strength of the iron in their hand. These are the exceptions rather than the norm, however, so please discuss this possibility before bringing one in!
NATIONALITY: Your character's country of origin and race. Naturally, only humans exist in this world.
PERSONALITY: Description of your character's personalities, motivations, etc.
EQUIPMENT: Description of your character's equipment list. Your characters know that vampires are involved in this operation, and may pack accordingly.
CAPACITY: Description of your character's physical and mental capacity. Note the talents, skills, and proficiencies relevant to the scenario. As a reminder, your character is assumed to be a veteran Hunter of some renown in their circles, and should probably have the skills to match. It's entirely possible to bring a neophyte or 'apprentice' character to one of the other PCs though-- just ask!
A sample sheet, and one of the NPCs already on the ground before the rest of you get here.
Ordinis Sancti Exorcistarum Christi
Ordinatus Capitulum Exorcistae de Vatican City
NAME: ALISTAIR ARDIZZONE ______________ AGE: 28 ______________ DATE OF BIRTH: OCTOBER 10, 1944 ______________ FAITH: CATHOLIC ______________ NATIONALITY: ITALIAN ______________
PERSONALITY ______________
Outwardly, Alistair appears to be a kindly young priest who treats everyone he meets with dignity, respect, and a smile on his face. He is wise, understanding, and surprisingly knowledgeable about the ways of the world. He appreciates art, music, and the little things. Above all else, he is a pious man who has dedicated his life to serving the Lord.
Inwardly, Alistair harbors a deep resentment for demons and the unrepentant and can be particularly cold or angry toward them. He isn't afraid to get his hands dirty and believes that ridding the world of these undesirables would be better for everyone. To him, being denied salvation is a small price to pay for the opportunity to save the world, and he'd readily give it up again if he had to. He's also fiercely protective, and perhaps even a little possessive when it comes to those he truly cares about. Paradoxically, Alistair will die for a cause he truly believes in without hesitation yet is simultaneously not yet ready to die.
After all, there is so much more work left to do.
EQUIPMENT ______________
- Ceremonial Longsword: A holy relic, dating back to the First Crusade, this steel longsword has an edge forged from sanctified silver. Gilded with gold and jewels, this weapon was meant to be used to anoint members of an ancient order of holy knights, rather than be used in true combat. Although heavy and unwieldy, it feels light and fast in the hands of the Ordained. Its edge is dull when used against the innocent, while unrepentant sinners find it sharp-- enemies of the Lord cannot even bear to be in the blade's presence, finding the sword to cut supernaturally deep. Alistair keeps the blade in its scabbard, only ever pulling it free if he knows he must purify.
- Holy Bible: A heavy-set grimoire, containing the Word of God. Alistair has each page committed to memory, but he finds the presence of the tome comforting. He can also recite scripture and verses directly from the Bible, causing many demons to recoil in pain. Weaker demons may burn away, though stronger ones may merely be weakened by such acts.
- Reliquary: A leather satchel containing holy symbols, scripture, and other objects that are anathema to demons. Supplies include, but are not limited to: vials of holy water, silver crucifixes, a ritual dagger, a jeweled grail, notes on religious rituals, images depicting the Father, the Son, the Holy Spirit, the Virgin Mary, and various other Saints, wooden stakes, blessed nails, a hammer, a set of candles, and of course, bread and wine.
- Beretta M1951R: Fairly ubiquitous, even by military standards. Unlike Alistair's other weapons, this one was acquired after the recommendation of a friend. Unadorned and undecorated, this pistol can fire in semi-automatic and fully-automatic modes, and is used to take down targets at medium-to-long range. With a 10-round magazine, this pistol is often filled with blessed ordnance; sanctified silver and salt rounds. The gun has quite the recoil, bullet spread, and inaccuracy when fired in its fully-automatic mode, so Alistair usually reserves that function for emergencies, or to 'fire-and-forget' before engaging in melee.
CAPACITY ______________
Despite his thin, seemingly frail physique, Alistair is deceptively tough, his physical and mental fortitude impressive even among other exorcists. He was shown to have a prodigious talent for the arts of battle. He leverages this training to great effect during combat, combining his talent and training together. Fast, strong, and tough, the man is a dangerous combatant in close quarters.
When wielding the holy sword, Alistair uses traditional techniques from Fiore dei Liberi, a form of Historical European Martial Arts (HEMA) that revolves around the use of a longsword. When fighting without his blade, he uses a street-boxing style, honed through a turbulent youth in the streets of post-war Rome. If pushed, the man isn't afraid to fight dirty, having learned a long time ago that if there are lives on the line, then no technique is too dishonorable.
In addition, the man knows the entirety of the Bible, the Old and New Testament having been committed to memory. If he encounters a situation where his blade will do him no good, he always has the Gospel and the Scriptures to fall back upon. When even that is tested, he taps into reserves of willpower and determination rarely ever seen, except in men with nothing to lose, but everything to gain.
This is identical to the Rank Table from the above section, to be used as quick reference.
Rank
Rank -1
Rank 0
Rank 1
Rank 2
Rank 3
Rank 4
Rank 5
Rank EX
General Quality
Terrible
Average
Notable
Good
Great
Excellent
Top-class
Beyond Common Sense
Danger Level
Inconsequential
Trivial
Very Low
Low
Medium
High
Very High
Extreme
Approx. Hunter Level
Unarmed Civilian
Armed Civilian
Trained Soldier
Inexperienced Hunter
Regular Hunter
Veteran Hunter
Elite Hunter
Legendary Hunter
Mundane Risk Example
Thug
Thug with Knife
Group of Thugs
Explosion
A Riot or Skirmish
Large-scale Terrorism
Large-scale Bombardment
Unknown
Supernatural Risk Example
Thrall
Armed Thrall
Ghoul
Lesser Vampire
Vampire
Greater Vampire
Vampire Elder
Unknown
Range of Influence
Non-issue
A Few People
A Street
A Neighborhood
A Residential District
A City
Multiple Cities
Unknown
Damage to Public
Potential Injuries or Robbery if Unlucky
1-2 Casualties, Maybe a Broken Window
5-6 Casualties, Damaged Property
12+ Casualties, Destroyed Building
50+ Casualties
100+ Casualties
Area is Destroyed
Unknown
Below is a quick-and-dirty guideline sheet to keep in mind when writing combat scenes with Rank in mind. You're not expected to follow these guidelines to a tee-- just keep them in mind.
Rank -1:Mooks. Mow through as many of them as you want in a single post. These guys are basically no threat to your hunters, so feel free to describe how your character ducks, dodges, weaves, and eliminates each of them. You may want to leave a few as a courtesy to other players though.
Rank 0:Grunts. The bulk of the enemy forces. You can eliminate up to ten (10) of these guys in a single post. They're a little stronger than the ones from Rank -1, but that's not really saying much.
Rank 1:Foot Soldiers. These would be dangerous to the average human, but not to your veteran hunters. You can eliminate five to six (5-6) of these in a single post.
Rank 2:Elite Soldiers. These ones would take an entire squad of trained soldiers to eliminate. You can eliminate two to three (2-3) of these in a single post.
Rank 3:Sergeants. Now we reach capable threats-- don't get too cocky with these, but you're still strong enough to eliminate them. You can eliminate one (1) of these in a single post.
Rank 4:Lieutenants. Dangerous, even for yourselves. You can eliminate one (1) of these in two (2) posts (though you'll likely get injured in the process), though two (2) hunters working in tandem can eliminate one (1) if they both write separate posts or collaborate on a single post to take down a Rank 4 threat.
Rank 5:Bosses. Very dangerous, do not engage alone. Requires all Hunters currently present to submit one to two (1-2) rounds of posts, or to collaborate on one to two (1-2) megaposts. These ones will be used quite sparingly to prevent collab fatigue, but they should be treated as dangerous as it implies.
Rank EX:F.O.E. (Formido Oppugnatura Exsequens, Field On Enemy, Freakishly Overpowered Enemy, etc). Extremely dangerous, even for a group of Veteran Hunters. Essentially cannot be defeated conventionally-- Veteran Hunters can fight defensively to keep them at bay for a time, but any more than that will result in the deaths of them and their party. Hunters are instead expected to retreat and find a way to overcome or circumvent the foe in question.
These guidelines are written on the assumption that you control a Rank 4 Hunter. If you have an apprentice, instead shift the threat upward based on how many ranks they are away from Rank 4. For example, if you have a Rank 3 Apprentice, treat Rank -1 enemies as Rank 0, Rank 0 as Rank 1, etc-- until you get to the end, where Rank 5 enemies are counted as Rank EX. Similarly, if you have a Rank 2 Apprentice, Rank -1 enemies are considered as Rank 1, Rank 0 enemies are considered as Rank 2, etc-- until you get to the end, where Rank 4 enemies are counted as Rank EX.
Of course, if an apprentice is fighting alongside their master, just consider the apprentice and the master to be a single (slightly stronger) Rank 4 fighter. The apprentices should essentially try to be force multipliers who support their master and try not to get in the way, rather than an additional threat on the field for the purposes of threat calculation.
If you are eliminating multiple enemies of differing ranks in a single post, it may be a good idea to divide the number of enemies slain for each one by the number of different ranks you're taking care of. For example, you can normally kill up to 10 Rank 0 enemies, and 5-6 Rank 1 enemies in a single post. Since you're taking on two different ranks, divide the number of potential kills by the number of ranks (in this case, 2). Following these rough guidelines means you can kill up to 5 Rank 0s and 2-3 Rank 1 enemies in a single post, combined.
When fighting threats that require at least one or more posts to take down, instead add a post for every other Rank you're also taking down, except Rank -1 (i.e. if you're facing off solo against a Rank 3 enemy, a few Rank 2 enemies, and an indeterminate amount of Rank -1 enemies, the Rank 3 enemy now takes 2 posts to take down instead of 1) -- at a certain level, these bigger threats are best focused on by individual hunters, as the small fry can pull away at your attention. Either clear the field and get rid of the annoyances first, or split up and tackle each group on your own.
These rules may seem confusing at first, but they're here to address a problem we had in the previous RP, where a lot of discussion was had on how many enemies there were, who was taking down what enemies, how many enemies could be killed in a single go... etc. These guidelines should hopefully streamline things and give people perspective on what the limits of posting are.
That being said, I understand that this can be a surprisingly crunchy system for a Forum RP. With that in mind, at the beginning of every combat start, I will post the enemy list, their rank, how many enemies a player is expected to take care of, and how many 'rounds' I anticipate the combat to take. Naturally, if any of you have questions, feel free to ask.
This is a list of other guidelines to follow while writing. Consider this your 'rules' section!
1. Refer to this link for a comprehensive guide on collabs. I found it quite helpful when I was writing in tandem with the person who wrote it and it really can help improve productivity.
2. Inform the other players as to which opponents and how many opponents you plan on eliminating and injuring ahead of time when writing a combat post. This will help prevent situations where everyone is trying to calculate which opponents are available for takedown, and which ones are not. In a similar vein, try not to kill too many enemies to the point that there's none left for the other players. Of course, if you want a scene where a character just goes on a killing spree and everyone else cleans up, that's fine-- just make sure everyone is okay with that kind of scene before proceeding.
3. Don't be afraid to write any injuries your characters sustain during combat! You're all badasses, and can take a bit of punishment, especially from the small fry. Plus, all you need afterward is a quick scene to bandage up, use healing magic, or take a smoke break to mostly return to full strength. That being said, if you want a scene where your character receives a grievous injury or even dies, that's fine-- just be sure to discuss it with me and the other players beforehand.
4. Be courteous. This is an action RP with anime-level shenaniganry, so things are naturally expected to gravitate towards the... self-indulgent. Even so, try not to hog the spotlight too much. You are sharing the stage with five other players, eight other characters, a horde of NPC monsters, and a single GM trying to manage everything, so if you feel like going on a rampage, ask first.
5. Have fun! This is a short, campy action RP about religious people killing vampires! Don't take things too seriously, and enjoy the RP for what it is. Keep the RP moving and don't get stuck on what-ifs. When in doubt, ask-- we don't bite. Should be fine!
Wanted to try an apprentice character too if that's cool
Persatuan Persaudaraan
Aceh Division
NAME: Rahmah Deng ______________ AGE: 23 ______________ DATE OF BIRTH: January - 15 - 1949 ______________ FAITH: Folk Islam, influenced by Chinese folk religion and Taoism ______________ NATIONALITY: Indonesian, Chinese ethnicity ______________
PERSONALITY ______________
Rahmah Deng was born in Java in the city of Jakarta. She came from an upper middle-class family in Jakarta of Chinese origins. While her early life was devoid of much in the way of interesting events, her life took a sudden turn in 1965, she and her parents were attacked by a penanggalan, a kind of nocturnal vampiric entity native to Southeast Asia. While her parents did not survive the encounter, she was saved by intervention by two hunters who were in the area at the time, the legendary Sheikh Ibrahim Joko, and his apprentice Daniyal Sitepu. After the encounter, Rahmah insisted on joining with the two hunters and helping to put an end to these creatures. Ibrahim assigned Daniyal to take on the training of Rahmah. He would become her sole mentor after Sheikh Ibrahim's death in 1967.
If there is one way to describe Rahmah's personality,it is uncertain. A relative newcomer to hunting, she has been Daniyal's apprentice for 7 years, but remains insecure about her abilities or potential as a hunter. She compensates for her internal insecurities with a very fiery and pugnacious presentation: very assertive and quick to take offense.
Rahmah has a very perfectionist attitude towards her work, something that runs contrary to Daniyal, and something that often clashes with his own laissez-faire approach to life. Nevertheless, she and Daniyal are quite close, with Daniyal seeing her as something like a younger sister, and Rahmah seeing Daniyal as a kind of father figure.
Rahmah's family are relatively recent converts to Islam, with her grandfather being the first to adopt the local religion. However, her family and personal practice maintains practices from traditional Chinese folk religion. Daniyal has been tolerant of her foreign practices, though he has resisted attempts by Rahmah to adopt them himself.
EQUIPMENT ______________
• 1911-A1 FS - Rahmah's general use handgun. Was a gift from Sheikh Ibrahim. • Winchester Model 1200 - Much like her mentor, Rahmah makes use if a pump action shotgun. Whereas Daniyal makes use of his shotgun for his main weapon, Rahmah is more reserved in her applications of the weapon. • Machete - Rahmah carries a machete for the purposes of close combat. Hers has been plated with silver to make it more effective against the spiritually impure. • Zamzam water - Water from the sacred springs of Mecca. Acts like holy water for the purposes of purification and repelling the malevolent. • Taweez - a form of holy amulet containing verses of the Quran worn for protection • Fu - Fu are special talismans in Chinese folk religion. Rahmah uses them for the purpose of sealing and protection.
CAPACITY ______________
With her type A personality and perfectionism, Rahmah is very well organized, often acting as a counterweight to Daniyal's relaxed attitude. She mostly plays support to Daniyal in combat, working for logistical and defensive roles such as crafting fu for the purposes of sealing demons. Much like Daniyal, she is multilingual, speaking Hokkien, Indonesian, Dutch, English and Mandarin fluently. She also has decent command of French and Arabic. Unlike Daniyal, who often lacks the initiative to negotiate, Rahmah is a skilled negotiator and bargainer, consistently haggling and working out favorable circumstances for travel and purchasing on their travels together.
After some deliberation, I've decided to accept this, though from here on out, we're at player and PC hardcap. Naturally, it'll be your job ensure both of your characters get the right amount of screentime, heh. Otherwise, good app! Cool character, heh.
Divine Communicator, Spiritual Purifier; Good Sister
NAME: HIKARI MIKO ______________ AGE: 28 ______________ DATE OF BIRTH: APRIL - 25 - 1944 ______________ FAITH: SHINTO ______________ NATIONALITY: JAPANESE ______________
PERSONALITY ______________
Hikari is an optimistic, trusting, and self-giving individual. As an unofficial adoptive child, all such qualities were naturally inherited from the priest of the Shinto temple where she spent her childhood. Growing up, giving service was nothing short of a normal day for her. This looked like keeping the temple up and running alongside her fellow shrine maidens, assisting the priests and priestesses during rituals and prayer ceremonies, and even providing solace to visitors of the shrine in the form of much-needed conversations and rant sessions. As a result, obedience and good listening skills were her forte for the longest time.
However, above all things, the shrine maiden is optimistic. It is her main quality, and almost to a fault. Ever since the fall of her shrine, the absolute belief she had in the good in all things has enabled her to fall down an unsavory path with the Yakuza, thoroughly trusting that their power, capabilities, and promises would help her restore her dying shrine and put all its members to rest.
Climbing the ranks and even having a division specially formed within a gang syndicate was inevitable for a person with her talents, but the things she witnessed on a daily basis were unsightly no matter what. Even still, she tolerates them with great conviction and has no trouble holding her tongue in exchange for a smile. Over time, it became natural for her to stay positive even during the greatest of misfortunes. After all, there was a great goal in her heart that she ought to achieve before her passing - even if it meant setting aside her feelings and looking past devious lies, clear exploitations, and greed that knew no bounds.
EQUIPMENT ______________
As a shrine maiden first and an acting yakuza member second, Hikari dons the miko shozoku even during her missions in great respect to the Shinto practice. It is coupled with a bulletproof vest above her white kosode, graciously provided by her organization for added protection.
❀ Oyabushi, "Pacifier" - A blessed katana, her main weapon of choice. Has undergone rites of purification and is empowered through spiritual energy. Officially used to send yokai to the other world
❀ Ofuda, "Blessed Paper Talismans" - Slips of paper and wood blessed by local priests. They are imbued with much spiritual power and made with various uses in mind, mainly for the purpose of protection against evil. During hunts or exorcisms, they can be utilized to trap even the most elusive of apparitions.
❀ Azusa Yumi, "Evil-Banishing Bow" - A powerful, traditional bow made of sacred Cherry Birch. In preparation for the mission at hand, the arrows have been both consecrated and engraved with inscriptions to repel negative energy.
❀ Tamagushi, "Sacred Offertory" - A thick sakaki-tree branch mainly used for divination and is adorned with strips of white cotton cloth. Though it is meant as an offering, it has been specially sharpened thoroughly on its end for this mission to ensure great precision and reliability as a backup weapon.
❀ Walther P38- A pistol given to her by another member of the Yakuza as a token of his admiration after a particular banishment event. Because of his insistence, she carries it with her but only as a last resort as she is aware these weapons were smuggled into the country.
❀ Gehōbako, "Pouch of Trinkets" - A sizeable cloth bag that holds her prayer beads, ink for inscriptions, several types of omamori charms, uncooked rice, dried fruits, nuts, herbs, salt, sugar, and sake.
CAPACITY ______________
❀ SPIRITUAL COMMUNICATION - Hikari is gifted with the natural ability to see and communicate on a deeper level with yokai and yurei of all shapes and sizes. She is able to hear and speak to them, sense their presence, and even feel their emotions on a superficial level. As a result, she is fairly understanding to visitors from beyond the boundary and often uses this ability to make purification and exorcism rituals easier to handle for all parties involved.
❀ SWORDWORKS - As a shrine maiden and spiritual communicator, Hikari prefers to sit down and talk first before pulling out a sword. However, when the situation calls for it (which is usually) she will not hesitate to protect her loved ones or work associates.
In the beginning, she was not expected to be extremely adept at physical prowess, especially when compared to her fellow yakuza members. For that reason, she has spent years of her life training regularly in kenjutsu to make up for this lack and can fend for herself against particularly aggressive yokai when need be. As a bonus, it also gives her the chance to execute yokai herself, often granting them swift and painless deaths.
❀ PURIFICATION - Hikari is able to hold purification and cleansing rituals and throughout the years has learned to turn this process into a seamless addition to her combat style. The shrine maiden has by-hearted the shinto norito, a large collection of prayers, to assist her in this process of honoring kami and releasing spirits. Comprised of sing-song tones and rhythms, it also acts as a sort of meditation while she is out on hunts.
NOTABLE SPIRITUAL CONTRACTS ______________ Due to her gifts, Hikari is able to form and establish contracts with yokai should both parties consent. As of this day, only one has been under her employ.
❀ Yago - Yago-kun, a grumpy spirit with excellent sight perception that Hikari picked up after a particular mission.
A gang member once requested assistance due to complaints of terrible migraines, intense eye aches, and a weakened aura which made him extremely vulnerable to falling ill. Though it was clear that he was being haunted by a resentful spirit, Hikari later found out that said spirit was originally an innocent bystander that the gang member had mistakenly shot due to bad aim.
So, it stayed in the mortal realm to haunt his killer and 'steal' his vision, and that it did.
As a result, the spirit ended up with amazing sight and sensory perception that it had nothing to do with. The shrine maiden believed it to be a good idea to 'adopt' the spirit under her care and allow it to work with her to atone for its evil misdeeds during its haunting. This is so that it can one day redeem itself, and reunite with its ancestors to become a guardian kami.
The two have agreed to settle on a contract, allowing Hikari to make use of Yago's sight during missions for the purpose of scouting. In return, Yago siphons her negative emotions and fuels itself in this way.
Great stuff! Accepted.
For everyone else, I'll write up the OOC tomorrow, probably-- then we can get started. Thanks for staying on, and I hope we can get good progress in!
Looks good, are you still accepting or is this full?
Hey, thanks for your interest! Unfortunately, with six players, one GM, and eight characters... we're going to have our hands full already, such that it is. I'll be sure to let you know when a slot or even another game opens up, though!
There's not much about me to say.
I was born in December 1998, and I've been doing Forum RP since 2011. I live in Southeast Asia-- the Philippines (GMT +8:00) in particular, so if I'm not around, I'm probably asleep or otherwise busy. I mostly do Group RPs and Tabletop Games (off-site). I've never been in a 1x1 RP, but some of the premises seem interesting enough.
I like Fantasy, Sci-fi, and certain Anime settings. I do shy away from certain genres as a matter of preference (historical, slice-of-life, grimdark, etc), and if I know nothing about a fandom setting in question, I'm far less likely to throw my hat in the ring-- but if the premise is interesting enough, I may give it a shot regardless.
I like to be relatively active, though life gets in the way sometimes. If you're lurking and are trying to get me to post, if you want to be a mutual friend, or if you want to invite me to a specific RP, just let me know...I don't bite. So long as you aren't rude, we'll get along just fine, and even then, I may extend a sort of professional courtesy between us as writers.
With that out of the way, if you're here, you're probably looking for more of my writing. Thankfully, I've recently compiled a list of my characters (with links to their respective RPs) from this site. If you want to check them out, the link is [url=https://www.roleplayerguild.com/topics/185346-hawthornes-rpguild-characters/ooc]here[/url].
If you made it this far, thanks for reading! May the RPs you're in be of an acceptable posting speed, and eventually, come to end on a decent conclusion...
...A man can dream, eh?
<div style="white-space:pre-wrap;">There's not much about me to say.<br><br>I was born in December 1998, and I've been doing Forum RP since 2011. I live in Southeast Asia-- the Philippines (GMT +8:00) in particular, so if I'm not around, I'm probably asleep or otherwise busy. I mostly do Group RPs and Tabletop Games (off-site). I've never been in a 1x1 RP, but some of the premises seem interesting enough.<br><br>I like Fantasy, Sci-fi, and certain Anime settings. I do shy away from certain genres as a matter of preference (historical, slice-of-life, grimdark, etc), and if I know nothing about a fandom setting in question, I'm far less likely to throw my hat in the ring-- but if the premise is interesting enough, I may give it a shot regardless.<br><br>I like to be relatively active, though life gets in the way sometimes. If you're lurking and are trying to get me to post, if you want to be a mutual friend, or if you want to invite me to a specific RP, just let me know...I don't bite. So long as you aren't rude, we'll get along just fine, and even then, I may extend a sort of professional courtesy between us as writers.<br><br>With that out of the way, if you're here, you're probably looking for more of my writing. Thankfully, I've recently compiled a list of my characters (with links to their respective RPs) from this site. If you want to check them out, the link is <a href="https://www.roleplayerguild.com/topics/185346-hawthornes-rpguild-characters/ooc">here</a>.<br><br>If you made it this far, thanks for reading! May the RPs you're in be of an acceptable posting speed, and eventually, come to end on a decent conclusion...<br><br>...A man can dream, eh?</div>
Member
Arthanus
Patroxclus
