McHaggis

Pandora's Inheritance: The Coven [Modern/Fantasy]

Interested.

[High Casual] Frontier: The Great Space Rebellion

It's okay Dipper. I'm sorry for your loss.

As for everyone else, mind if I do a role check to make sure everyone else is here? We can sort this out, even if it means leaving Risty on the ship as an NPC for a time.

The Underwood Society [McHaggis & Invader Len]

First post up! It's a bit shorter than what I usually do but, oh well! Also, I made a little title for the first one. Too much free time!

The Underwood Society [McHaggis & Invader Len]

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January 29th, 1860 – Brearside was being battered by unrelenting rain that, judging by the dark clouds looming as far as they eye could see, had no intention of stopping any time soon. Passable bogs became treacherous when water, unable to drain away in the muddy moorlands, began to flood the marginally safer pathways. Travel to and from neighboring villages had stopped in its tracks as only a fool would try and take a horse or worse a horse and carriage through the mess. There would be no trade, no contact, no nothing with the outside world until the weather cleared up at the weekend; a dangerous thing for its vulnerable people to have.

Ronan hoped (though he was not to the point of prayer yet) that the possible house-guest and future member of the Underwood Society had already made it to Brearside. If he hadn't, Mister Harley Williams – a man of science, judging from their brief correspondence – would have a hard time finding a room to sleep in at the village. Desmond Boarding House had been full since last night, the owners frazzled at the most business they'd seen in years and all of it because of the freak, unexpected rainstorm. The Findlay heir would have investigated for fear of supernatural tampering; however, the age-old saying held him back: if you don't like the Scottish weather, wait half an hour and it'll change.

3 o'clock saw Ronan surrounded by books, journals and self-made notes in various languages, resting on the floor by the armchair. The rain had transformed into sleet and came in fast, unpredictable bursts against creaking windows. He would argue that his manor faced the worst of it, being on a small hill up the road from the village. Eventually the lord had stopped reading, as there was only so much he could learn about the Fae's control over the weather or the increase in will 'o wisp populations in unpleasant climates. He sighed, picking at the collar of his shirt.

Perhaps Mr. Williams had only a passing interest in the unknown and decided not to come at all? It would be a real shame if that was the case. Ronan had been looking forward to another initiate for the Underwood Society, ever since the last one was– well, prevented from joining. Hunting 'monsters' would take him to an early grave if he had to continue it alone; even something so simple as a kelpie would drown him in an instant without someone to mitigate its charm, walk up behind it and strike it with iron. He had little hopes of the man visiting now, but even so he was ready to jump up at a moment's notice to grab the door.

Remember, never let anyone in the headquarters without first confirming their identity, read rule one of the Underwood Society.

The Underwood Society [McHaggis & Invader Len]

The letter? I think it's a good idea!

The Underwood Society [McHaggis & Invader Len]

The Underwood Society
1860 – a year of great change. Published only a few months ago, Darwin's theory of evolution is already rocking the pious Victorian society, making waves that separate those who follow God and those who believe man came from more beastly origins. It is a time of social panic, of reaffirming faith or shattering it completely, and under the cover of darkness in a world unseen by mortal eyes, creatures of terror and destruction are stirring.

Demons, spirits, ghosts and ghouls abound, they prey on the most vulnerable of our society – the children, grieving widows and lost travellers of Britain – and expect no living soul to notice the rapid rise in the number of disappearances around the region. Many choose not to listen to us when we warn them not to wander the bogs at night nor touch black horses dancing in lakes. More the fool them.

If you are savvy enough to seek out the truth, you have two choices: forge your own path (and ultimately fail) or find the Underwood Society in the village of Brearside, Scotland. Our voices will not be silenced.

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BREARSIDE

A small, dilapidated village on the border between Scotland and England with many run-down buildings and a small, aging population. The history of Brearside dates back to the Middle Ages, where it was known as a place of blasphemy and witchcraft; however, nothing was ever done about it. It is said that it was once under the protection of the Seelie Court due to its close proximity to a grove where it was the naked, unknowing eye could supposedly see their true forms. Now there is no such thing, and thus the Underwood Society who lived and worked out of Findlay Manor has dwindled down to only the youngest member, Ronan Findlay.


Notable places include:
– The Hobgoblin, a local tavern frequented by most locals
– Desmond Boarding House, a family-owned bed and breakfast with few visitors and a gloomy, unwelcoming atmosphere
– Findlay Manor (recently renamed and still known as Underwood Manor to many around town)
– Stagnant Grove, a portal to the realm of the Seelie Fae
– The Parish, devoutly attended by almost everyone in the village each Sunday
– Mosshelm Crypt, a graveyard slightly up the hill from the church where ghosts and spirits wander unchecked after midnight and before dawn
– The Bog, featuring a treacherous footpath between Brearside and neighboring towns. the only way in as many believe the village is 'cursed'

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MAGIC AND WITCHCRAFT: A USER'S GUIDE

To put it shortly, magic is a natural talent which you are either born with or do not have at all. It is limited to the monsters and myths and the descendants of those that can have children. It is far from regimented, based on imagination and only one almost scientific rule: 'energy in must equal energy out'. Examples of magic include healing, conjuring any of the four elements, illusions and mind control or charm.

Witchcraft, on the other hand, is a way of life. In a way, witches and warlocks can be considered mythological monsters themselves; however, they are born human and remain human until they die. Only a witch or those otherwise touched by the supernatural may, after death, become a spectre, spirit, ghost or poltergeist. They command a type of magic themselves that supposedly any can learn, though it is fueled by faith and strict regulations for correct ritual use – belief alone does not work. Typically (in almost all cases) witchcraft spells use runes and spoken incantations brought forth and translated from ancient times. The powers of witchcraft can range from simple protection spells to powerful, dangerous blood sacrifices.

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MEMBERS OF THE UNDERWOOD SOCIETY

Ronan Findlay

FULL NAME: Ronan Findlay-Barr
AGE: 27
BIRTHDAY: February 19th

APPEARANCE:
As pictured. Ronan has steely blue eyes and light brown hair dotted with premature strands of grey; however, despite this he still looks his age (or younger) due to a youthful face and a shorter than average height at 5'7". He has a tattoo on his neck of an elaborate array of runes done in green ink, fading and stretching with age. It is reminiscent of early Pictish warpaint.

PERSONALITY:
Ronan is charming, well-mannered and eloquent and meets any expectations imposed on a young man of noble birth. Whether or not he enjoys it is a different question; he lives a hedonistic lifestyle and prefers to chase after myth and legend rather than settle down and find a respectable profession, a realisation of his thrill-seeking (and often flighty) nature. Overall Ronan is an extrovert. He cares about people and he cares about being with people – loneliness is not his style nor is it something he likes to see in others. As a result, his approach to friendship can be heavy-handed, almost insensitive to those who would rather be alone.

In general, staying in one place for too long is boring to him, as is being stuck in an investigation or unable to progress through lack of evidence. When the dots don't connect, he gets frustrated – often too easily. His humour is morbid and black; his sarcasm is far too bitter at times to be funny, often without his knowledge.

CREATURES ENCOUNTERED:
– The Seelie Fae
– The Unseelie Fae
– Brownies
– Kelpies

ABILITIES:
Fae-touched – Permitted to summon a member of the Seelie Court (his patron, Titiana) through fairy rings and portals without paying a hefty toll. He is acknowledged as a human who always completes his deals and so receives preferential treatment. In addition to this, he has been bestowed the gift of minor magic, the Fae's 'trickery' or subtle illusions to do with sleight of hand.

HISTORY:
Ronan Findlay-Barr grew up in an affluent family without a double-barrelled surname. His mother was unwed, shamed by his birth and left housebound so as to not bring any more embarrassment on the family. His father certainly knew of his existence, enough so to leave him the entire estate in his will, but they never met. He never attended public lessons and had a private tutor for each of his main subjects: history, languages, English and mathematics (which he was a complete terror during). His religious education was, on the other hand, unique. The Findlay name was once renowned for its relation to the supernatural as protectors and so he was taught the myths and legends rather than Christianity, though he still had experience with the latter through Sunday school.

At age fourteen, he inherited the Findlay name and manor. Unwanted in the Barr household, he moved out there to live with his elderly second cousin Hadrian Stuart – the last remaining member of the Underwood Society – who survived only long enough to teach him the ropes of the secret society. Even dying, the name itself was worth its weight in gold. Shortly after this, representatives from the Seelie Court contacted him in an effort to repair previously broken bonds between the organisation and the 'peaceful' supernatural (not that the Fae could ever be truthfully called that). Though it went against the wishes his ancestors set out, Ronan agreed to their terms of becoming a human Champion, brought to battle in times of need.

Harley Williams

Full name: Harlene Morgiana Wildes (Changed to Williams after the age of 16)
Age: 25
Birthday: September 13th

Appearance: Short and fair skinned, with dirty blonde hair that she tends to keep back in a bun or curls. Her wide, startlingly green eyes give her an almost constantly surprised appearance, exaggerated by her pointed dark eyebrows and the part in her lips. Two dark birthmarks, one near her spine and the other on her hip, identify her as a witch.

Personality: Harley is a stubborn, strong willed, highly intelligent young woman, relying on logic and practicality. She is polite and well-mannered, yet very blunt, and dislikes small talk. Some have described her as a bookish prude, as she is very independent and work-minded, either not picking up on flirting or ignoring it outright. To her, the progression of science, society, and technology are more important than marriage and children, which she is unfortunately chided for. However, she has a soft side, and is a very moral and gentle person. Her views on society are optimistic and humane, perhaps due to her Quaker upbringing.

Creatures encountered:
Poltergeists
Ghosts
Wraiths
Spectres
Possible Demon sightings or connections

Abilities: Clairvoyance- the ability to sense unnatural beings, as well as the ability to sometimes see the future, past, or alternate present, in dreams. These dreams can either come on quite suddenly and involuntarily, or be summoned by the user. Whatever the circumstance, these dreams can be highly dangerous and unpleasant, and leave the dreamer with sudden sweats, constant unease, or even physical wounds.

History: Harley was born in Beverly, Massachusetts, to her parents Mary and John Wilde, descendants of Sarah Wildes, the last witch to have been hung during the Salem Witch trials. While Sarah herself was not involved with witchcraft, her sister, Abigail Averill, was. Shortly before her death, her daughter-in-law, Mary Wildes, became involved in Abigail's practices. Her son, Ephraim, was a constable during the trials, and during the arrest of another accused witch, Deliverance Hobbs, his wife was implicated. Desperate to save her daughter-in-law's life and her son's reputation, Sarah convinced Deliverance to change her testimony and implicate Sarah as a witch instead. Sarah took Deliverance's place by secretly contributing to her bail money, and was arrested, tried, and hung.

Ephraim was estranged from his wife later in life, resulting in the lack of documentation for his second son, Jacob Wilde, who followed in his mother's footsteps, secretly practicing witchcraft. Overtime, the Wilde clan grew, taking different names as wives wed their husbands and other changed the spelling, but all remembered the catastrophe in Salem, and kept to themselves. Almost a hundred and fifty years later, Harlene was born, the youngest of three sisters and two brothers. Harlene was always confused and frightened by her family's practise, and refused to learn it, even from a young age. She soon moved out of the family home, living with her maternal uncle and aunt in New York, and changing her name. However, she could not hide from the natural abilities of the Wilde family line, Clairvoyance and seeing spirits. She became obsessed with science, as a means to escape the religious "hullabaloo" as she called it, leaving America entirely and moving to Europe. She studied history and forensics abroad in France, before moving to England, living in London, then Cambridge, before finally moving farther north to Carlisle, where she worked as a secretary and police consultant. However, the unusual spike in ethereal-facilitated criminal activities, and her own unique abilities, had her seek out the Underwood Society. One can imagine her disappointment when she found the only remaining member to be the overbearing and self-indulgent Ronan Findlay.

NAMED BENEVOLENT CREATURES

NAMED MALEVOLENT CREATURES

katekyo hitman reborn: the Moreno family

Zan ended up shrugging at the prospect of beating up the two unruly members of the Moreno family. What else could he say? His was taught better than to refuse the 'request' of a lady. It was the blade that worried him, even more so than the mysterious power that Brenda summoned that called to him even from his faraway position. "Sure," he said simply, folding his hands behind his back. He never was one for useless words.

He raised an eyebrow at his grandmother, sceptically. Was he meant to fight with his bare hands – he had been accustomed to it on the streets in his younger years, recently not so much – or would he be given his staff? He was sure otherwise his supposed 'opponent' Carlisle (who he saw as an ally, not an enemy) would show him up completely in a hand-to-hand fight as the boy seemed rougher than he was!

Stand Still. Stay Silent. (High Casual/Low Advanced)

Reserve me for mage, please?

Forsaken Children of War (Kirah and McHaggis)

"Your sister caved, huh?" Siobhan hummed to herself, a smile that said I-know-something-you-don't-know playing on her face. "Alistair'll be happy, at least." While she wasn't sure about Maggie McCarthy herself, Alistair was a big boy and could handle himself. Sort of. She did get the impression he was very, very lovesick.

Siobhan coughed slightly as she sat her bag down, displacing some of the dust from the room into the air. "At least he can't make us clean cauldrons? I heard he used to do that for the Gryffindors who annoyed him." She continued, more seriously, "I don't know... doesn't he seem strange to you?"

She could have sworn Snape didn't look angry or upset at them fighting, only... melancholic.

[High Casual] Frontier: The Great Space Rebellion

*wants to revive RP but responds after four damn hours woops*

I'm good! How are you?