Just realized I still haven't told ya'll what year I decided this is taking place in, my bad! The year will be 1925. @Roland Your character is looking good! I think he and Ferd are going to get along, possibly a little to well for a normal persons tastes. And it's fine that it's still a bit of a work in progress, I just did some minor editing on Feeds page as well. I know I didn't ask for you to include this in the CS, but have you decided what sort of connection James will have had to Jeremy? Ferd is going to have met him during travels. Being intrigued by Jeremies story he left him his card and told him to call if he ever found the place.
Name: Chione Shesep of Aemeni and Photep, son of Addaya and Appepi of the Photepian Cask Makers Fellowship
Age: 16
Appearance: 5' 6", Shoulder length black hair with a straight cut. Dark blue eyes, short nose, light brown skin.
Background
Chione was born to two very loving parents. Addaya his father, and Appepi his mother had both worked as cask makers within the city of Photep for most of their lives. When Chione was born, they were both ecstatic and disappointed. Ecstatic because Chione was such a miracle to them, but disappointed because they had hoped and prayed that Chione would be a girl. As a compromise with the Gods they chose to give their newly born son they name they had picked out for him had he been a girl. They also named him Shesep, which being interpreted means palm, because when he was born, he was small enough to fit in their palms. Thus, Chione grew up with a girl’s name, was teased for it, and never quite forgave his parents. Regardless Chione loved his parents. They were ever so good to him. They gave him all of the opportunities that they could afford, which wasn't much considering what they made as cask makers. Chione had never asked them to make and sacrifices for his sake but was such a curious child. He wanted to try everything just once! So, they sent him the best school they could, hired a tutor, and enrolled him in any extracurricular he asked them to. Chione was happy, as far as he knew they were living the good life. After all, they had never once mentioned any financial struggles to him, so surely all the things they did were fine, right? One day when Chione was still eight or so, he left his tutors home early and decided to go straight home. He felt very tired that day and thought a nap would do some good. As he walked in the front door of their home, he heard hushed voices coming from the dining area. He realized it was his parents talking. He thought it odd that they were whispering to each other, and he couldn't remember a time that he had heard them sound so tired, and worried. He decided to eavesdrop and see what they were talking about. "Appepi, how much do we have this week? Will it be enough to keep paying Chione's tutor?" "Yes Addaya, but only just enough. We still have our taxes to pay, and I'm not sure where it is coming from this month. There haven't been as many orders lately at my shop. What about yours? Do you have any promising leads?" Addaya sighed, "No. Business is slow there as well." There was silence for a moment. Chione could feel himself shaking. Money? There wasn't enough? But why, his parents always made it seem as though there was plenty! Addaya spoke again, "Alright my love, there won't be any need to purchase food for my lunches this month." There was a pounding sound, Chione thought his father must have pounded his chest as was his custom right before he said his catchphrase, "A man isn't a man without struggle." He said to Appepi. "I do love you dear." Appepi said, "I guess I won't be eating lunch either." There was another pause. Then in unison they said, "Everything for our son." Chione had his hands over his mouth now, to cover the sound of his sobbing. He waited till he was sure they had left the room and then he ran out the front door again. He ran and ran until he came to an open field near their home. His mind was raging with more thoughts than he could handle. But one set of thoughts stood out. He latched on to them, seeking reprieve from the tempestuous sea within his head. He couldn't let his parent’s sacrifices be in vain. Nor could he dishonor those sacrifices by letting them know that he had discovered their secret or asking them to stop. He grit his teeth. It was decided. He would be the most dedicated student and son he could be. He would aim for the greatest height he could! He frowned and felt his face scrunch up. But what did that mean? It wasn't as if he could become king, after all their king had been king for... well forever! Then he thought of the magic the kind wielded. That was it! He would become the greatest mage he could! As great as the king himself! And he would serve the country with honor. This was how he would honor his parents. Chione stood up and began walking with a brisk decided pace. He came to his tutor’s door and knocked on it politely. When the door opened Chione bowed and apologized for his carefree behavior. He asked his tutor to please allow him to come in and resume their lesson. The tutor frowned at Chione but bid him enter. Once Chione was seated the tutor asked him why the change of heart? Had his parents told him to come and apologize? Chione tried so hard to be strong, to keep from crying and let his parents secret come bursting out of him. But he could not. The tutor sat quietly as Chione sobbed and explained his situation. His parents were poor but were choosing not to even eat so that he could do as he liked. The tutor frowned, at first feeling angry with this spoiled child. Granted he seemed genuinely upset, but why? likely because he did not like the idea of being poor. He shook his head. He had seen it to many times. But then Chione surprised him. He said, "And so I am here again so that I may finish our lesson. I will not leave early ever again." Chione began wiping at his tears with his sleeve. "I cannot dishonor my parents great sacrifice." He sat up a bit straighter, "I will not dishonor or tarnish the gift they have given. I will honor them by becoming the best son and man I can be." He paused to gather his breath as he had not quite stopped sobbing yet. The tutor was shocked. Such composure and language from one so young. And he had decided this on his own? What eight-year-old child felt such things? Chione continued, "I will become the best gift I can ever give back to my parents, I will become the greatest mage I can, even as great as the king himself if I can!" Chione had stopped crying now, his face was set in a proud and confident stare, locking eyes with his tutor. There wasn't a hint of defiance or pride there, nor any malice or fear that the tutor could see. He couldn't break eye contact with the boy. He meant it. Every last word and believed that he could do it. The tutor smiled and thought to himself, such a sentiment deserves to be fulfilled. So long as this child remains true to his aspirations, I think I shall support him as best I can. Moved rather deeply, the tutor held out his hand to Chione. Chione looked at the hand, puzzled. The tutor laughed at his confusion. "My name is Buneb, I don't believe I've ever shared it with you." He said with a smile. "It's nice to formally meet you Chione." Chione's face slowly began to light up. His look of determination to one of happiness. This one person thought his decision was a good one. With a beaming smile Chione took the hand and shook it, "It's nice to formally meet you as well Buneb!" From that day forward the two were very close friends. Buneb wanted to cut the cost of his lessons for Chione's parents but felt that this too would dishonor them. Instead he secretly agreed with Chione that he would help him in his goal however he could. Their lessons had no time limit, and often carried late into the night. When asked why he had been out so late, Chione would often explain he had been studying at the library, or with friends. If his parents ever doubted the validity of his studying, he would openly welcome a quiz on the subject of that study. He never disappointed. Buneb taught Chione more than simple arithmetic as well. Buneb had studied at the best schools when he was younger and had a great wealth of knowledge concerning many things. He taught everything from proper etiquette to magic and physical combat. Chione couldn't believe that Buneb knew enough about magic to teach him so much, but Buneb waved it off. What he knew was all book learning and word of mouth. He'd never been able to do more than produce a small breeze. Chione on the other hand turned out to be quite skilled with magic. Buneb couldn't call him any sort of prodigy, but he was certainly one of the lucky few who had the potential to learn powerful magic. Easily enough potential to petition to enter one of the Cults. Chione practiced and studied relentlessly, occasionally becoming ill due to exhaustion. When he would see how this pained his parents, he would feel daggers in his chest. He had to become strong enough that he could withstand the demands he put on his body, so that his parents didn’t have to worry, and he could honor their sacrifice! And so, the years passed, with Chione training and studying to honor his parents, his parents working and sacrificing to allow him to chase his dreams, and Buneb observing and aiding where he could. Chione caught the attention of the local Rehati due to his impeccable performance in schooling and extra curriculars. At the time Chione was attending the best school his parents could afford, however this school was far from the best. The Rehati sent a representative to pay a surprise visit to Chione’s family. They were all shocked. What could the Rehati want with them? They had been paying their taxes reliably, and they observed all state laws and celebrations. The Rehati representative set their fears to rest, they were in no sort of trouble at all. In fact, they had come to offer to sponsor young Chione. Everyone was stunned. He went on to explain that the Rehati had noticed his exceptional performance, and felt it was in the state’s best interest to support the young lad. He had clear potential and the state would lose out on an exceptional man if he was not allowed the very best education available. Of course, everyone was ecstatic, so Chione began the process of moving up in schools. The Rehati would not enroll him in a school they did not feel confident he could succeed in. It didn’t take long before they were satisfied that he deserved to attend the Pesedjet. Everyone was ecstatic, and the Rehati praised Chione for making it so far. They encouraged him to continue to work hard and prove that they had been right to invest in his future. Chione promised to work hard. Finally, after years of tireless preparation the day that Chione's proud parents have been waiting for has arrived, and they could not be more excited for him. Chione to is excited, though Buneb remains reserved. Chione has asked him why, but Buneb refuses to answer, instead scolding him for paying more attention to his tutors’ mood than to his studies. Chione laughed and responded, "But Buneb don't you remember I'm studying psychology and doing a refresher on manners this month? So, you are part of my studying! Everyone is! I noticed you seemed worried about something and thought it would be polite to ask if you were alright." Chione gazed up at Buneb with a cheery smile. Buneb stared into Chione's unblinking eyes. Was he wrong to worry? Chione was such a dedicated boy, surely, he would be fine within the Cult's. They ought to accept and welcome his enthusiasm. But then Buneb noticed the weariness evident in creases of Chione's face. He looked older than he was. And there was something else, something Buneb couldn't put his finger on. A growing concern, or perhaps dread that had begun a few months before. He had sought council from one of mages who practiced divination, and they said it was likely an innate ability of his sensing some impending event in the future, though they refused to say if it was a good or bad event. Buneb had left more worried than when he arrived. Now looking down into Chione's eyes he had to wonder, was everything really going to be alright? Was this day really one to be celebrated?
Personality: Chione is a bright and energetic young man. His greatest wish in life is to become the very best mage he can, whether that means becoming as strong as the Crimson King, or as strong as the average scholar mage. He is loyal to a fault, foolishly optimistic, a try hard, and prone to pushing himself to far. He is ecstatic that he has been accepted into the Cults and can’t wait for the commencement ceremony to end so that he can begin his studies in magic.
Aptitude: Chione has found he has a great affinity for Telekinesis and hopes to be inducted into the Cult of the Scarab.
Tutelary: Chione hasn’t summoned a Tutelary yet. He believes he is capable of doing so, but Buneb had very limited knowledge concerning Tutelarie’s, and Chione decided to wait to summon his until he could discuss the matter further with one of the mages of whichever Cult he is inducted into.
Also I'm planning to wait 1 to 2 more days before starting the OC and IC, to give more people a chance to join. I'd like 1 or 2 more at least, but I'm not opposed to going with the three of us.
Oh also, I'd love to know everyone's familiarity with both Lovecraft in general, and the Cthulu Mythos. You don't need to know much to play this roleplay, but it'll help me in creating atmosphere, dropping hints, and the like.
Ferd will be my character joining this adventure, you can use this as an example character sheet for the sort of information I want to know, but you can add more info if you would like.
Name: Ferd Smith
Age: 35
Occupation: Former Military Intelligence Officer, Currently Unemployed but claims to be a "Private Investigator currently studying the complex tendencies of certain unnatural occurrences."
Interests: Survival Prepping, Stamp Collecting, Supernatural Occurences, and Astronomy
Fears and Phobias: Ferd is terrified of never finding the answers he's looking for, and has a phobia of mailmen. He swears it's a real phobia, and can't be categorized as a social phobia since only postmen ever trigger this fear.
Superstitions: Ferd believes in nearly every superstition he's ever heard. In his opinion he's seen plenty of proof to back them up.
Skills: Well versed in Judo, Kung-Fu, American Boxing, Gunplay, Lockpicking, Persuasion, Impersonation, general Deception, Sneaking, German, Russian, Polish, Spanish, Mandarin, Latin, Hieroglyph's, and Tax Evasion. No really. He hasn't paid taxes in ten years. Says it's all some sort of conspiracy.
Intelligence/Sanity: Ferd is a very intelligent and surprisingly sane person... Well, for the most part. He got perfect scores all through out his schooling and received high praises for his work in the military before his discharge. However he has reason to question the reality he thought he knew. His sanity is solid and reliable, even in the midst of supernatural events, though people around him would likely be dubious concerning this fact. He makes no effort to hide his fascination with the supernatural, causing his sanity to seem questionable at best.
Backstory
Ferd Smith was born in Boston Massachusetts to normal parents. He lived a fairly normal life for the majority of his child hood. In fact nothing particularly strange took place in Ferd's life until his third year serving as a Military Intelligence officer, and his 6th year in the military itself. The year was 1919 and he was 29. He was on an undercover assignment in Germany, keeping an eye on things as was the governments policy since the Great War. For Ferd this was an average assignment, and he didn't expect anything out of the ordinary. Things had been quite in the Prussian state for years now, with the only notable occurrence being the birth of a new political party calling themselves the Nazis. The end of the war had left them in a tight spot financially and socially so they weren't exactly in a position to be causing any trouble. Ferd was fairly certain he was wasting his time in Germany, which irked him greatly. He was far more concerned about the rebellion in Russia. That communist party just rubbed him the wrong way.
Ferd spent his days fairly leisurely. He would lend a hand in welfare relief efforts from time to time, and of course he never slacked off on his regular duties, but since there wasn't much to investigate he found that he had a lot of time on his hands. It wasn't long before he found himself sitting in pubs, conversing with elderly locals. He found them charming, and strangely relatable. Especially one group of elderly men who he met in an old town outside of Frankfurt. They called themselves the "Dumm Opa's", or Silly Geezers. Ferd loved these old men dearly. They would discuss all current events as only the elderly can, full of satire and sarcasm. He spent many happy hours with these men, but not as many as he should have liked. It all ended rather suddenly one day. One of the men who was named Shultz didn't come to the pub one evening. The others didn't seem very concerned, but Ferd couldn't help but wonder where the old fellow was. It wasn't like Shultz to miss an evening at the pub.
He began questioning the others about Shultz's absence, but they laughed him off and told him to have another drink. Ferd was confused, they didn't seem themselves. He noticed shaky hands, and darting glances. He tried to follow these glances but couldn't understand what they were looking at. The ceiling?
Ferd never saw Shultz again, and after than night the rest of the Dumm Opa's disappeared as well. Ferd put off all of his official duties to investigate their disappearance, but found himself blocked at every turn. Family and friends claimed never to have known them, public records made no mention of them, and things like bank accounts had disappeared along with them. Only two things remained to even hint at their existence. Ferd's memory of them, and their empty homes. Homes that no one bought, looked at, or even seemed to realize existed. Ferd once dragged a random passerby into one of these homes and yelled at him to acknowledge it's existence. The man just stared at Ferd with blank fear. It finally sank in for Ferd then. The man was serious. He didn't see a house, and the world had no recollection of the existence of the old men. Only he remembered. But why him? So many questions.
Ferd was discharged from his duties on account of his seemingly fragile state of mind shortly there after. He didn't care. He knew he was sane, and he knew what he'd seen. More than that he knew what he needed to do. He needed to see the supernatural with his own eyes. Someone needed to come to understand the strange things in the world, so that some day maybe someone could save the next group of Dumm Opa's...
Light fog and soft misty rainfall greet most travelers in Arkham these days. The city inhabitant's seem unaware of the strangely out of season weather, going about their daily routines with out so much as a shrug towards the sky, smiling and waving to each other cheerily. After all, what's a little rain in a city like Arkham? Most locals learned to ignore strange happenings a long time ago. What happens in the shadows, usually stays in the shadows, and it isn't wise to make room for those shadows. Of course there are those who feel a bit differently about the strange happenings in Arkham. People who live in rundown apartments with oddly angled roofs and doorways, older folk who live on the outskirts of town and mutter about fish faced people, never going out on clear nights, and corpses that don't stay dead, lunatics locked up in the Asylum's who gibber and moan about strange dreams, dreams of ancient gods and dreams of previous and future lives spent soaring in outer space, and Old Jeremy. Old Jeremy who used to talk about a map his uncle left him, along with a letter that contained all sorts of madness. Old Jeremy who always used to talk about the day he'd figure out what city the ancient map was of, and he'd finally set off to find out what had become of his uncle. Old Jeremy who ran out of his rickety shack in the middle of town jumping and shouting with glee, claiming he'd found the city! Old Jeremy who left home two years, three months, and five days ago... and hasn't been heard from since. Old Jeremy who wasn't around when the rain came, nearly a year after he left. Folks have turned it into a joke, "The rain'll stop when Old Jeremy comes a crawlin back from his crazy adventure half starved, and crazier than when he left." They then slap each other on the back, and chuckle, somehow reassured that the rain really isn't all that strange, Old Jeremy really was crazy, and Arkham isn't any different from the rest of the world after all. But it is.
Apologies for the bizarre introduction, I find my mind wanders these days. Ever since Jeremy disappeared things have gotten worse. More of the shadowy visitors have been knocking on his door, though I never answer it. I'm a house sitter after all, not his butler. Oh, of course I haven't introduced myself. Again, apologies, sometimes I get distracted what with... the whispers… you know the ones, the ones you swear are coming from inside the shadows in certain corners of a room even though there's nothing there? Just the wind, most people say, and well normally I say. It's just being alone in this old house I think. Has me on edge. Ah what a mess! I've just reread everything I've wrote and decided I'll have to rewrite the whole thing. Don't know why I'm still scribbling on this paper anyway. It's all these strange things that have been happening, especially the rain. I swear there's something not right about that rain, though it could just be that I'm missing the sunlight. Plenty of that outside of Arkham, which is one reason I'm so loath that I have to stay here and mind this house for Jeremy. Honestly, did he truly need to pawn his problems off on me? I'm fed up with all the strange things going on here, and no one willing to talk about them! I swear if one more
No time to explain! The visitors came again, broke the door down, beat me something horrible! I'm off to purchase a weapon or two for when they come back and to send this letter off! No time to rewrite it! My name is Harry Everfield, a friend of Jeremy Stockhold. I'm watching his home for him and I'm worried something horrible has happened to him! I checked his address book and found a list containing names of people he wished me to send for should I ever have reason to believe he may be in dire trouble. Well I surely do. Please make your way to Arkham city, 1111 South Curlew Drive with all haste! I don't know how much time Jeremy has left.
I don't even know how much time I have left...
Regards
Harry Everfield, House Sitter
*********
Hello everyone! I am a huge fan of all things H.P. Lovecraft, and as is the norm, the Cthulhu Mythos is my preferred home amongst his creations. That said while this roleplay will take place within that Mythos we will be honoring Lovecraft's wishes and adding our own ideas and flair to his mysterious world.
Our roleplay will take place in the late 1920's, to early 1930's though we will avoid the years of World War 2 as that would hinder some of my plans for the roleplay. Player characters may begin wherever in the world they would like, with a few stipulations. They will all be recipients of the above letter, must all speak good English, and be at least moderately inclined to actually travel to Arkham and discover what has become of Jeremy. Characters May Not have powerful motivations that would prevent them from pursuing the main story of this roleplay, nor may they be the type that will cause significant trouble for other player characters. This roleplay will require a decent amount of team work as it will be a detective type story with a Lovecraft twist. That said you can have troublesome characters such as gangsters, cheats, murderers etc. etc. as long as their personalities are such that they will act like normal human beings majority of the time. Your intelligent, you know what I'm trying to say.
Characters may be of any profession, and have almost any level of knowledge in any field, save that they may not have had any 1st person encounters with the supernatural up to this point.
Any who I think that covers the basics! Lemme know if your interested, and feel free to type up a character sheet for me to go over. I'd like to get this rolling soon!
Also feel free to PM me any questions, I would love to get ahold of someone interested in being a Co-GM, and post potential CS here for now..
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