Olive Fontaine

The Pyres Never Stop Burning (Old-School Occult Horror/Mystery)

Ah I see. For me there's a "New Roll" section at the top that lets me put in that info. It's my first time using the dice campaigns thing, so I may have messed something up. I'll see if I can fix it, or else we'll find some other way to do rolls.

Power Rangers Rebel Force

Sarah Hopkins

The stunt she pulled had somehow worked. Although it had only been a momentary diversion for Uion, that was all the rangers needed to recover and regroup. But now, Sarah's cover was blown. The officer wouldn't spare her after what she'd done. She turned to run, but the other soldier from before was already attacking from behind! 'Crap, crap crap!' It was all she could do to dodge the quick slashes of his weapon. She tried hopping back, but he quickly pursued and sent her tumbling over a pile of wreckage.

"Ugh..." She had to pull herself together quickly - the soldier was right behind her and his weapon was at a lethal angle. What would her brother think if she was killed by some faceless tool like him? Sarah jumped to her feet and slapped away the trident with her claw. He went for another thrust, but this time she grabbed the weapon with her monstrous hand, catching him by surprise. Her human right hand was still free, so she threw a punch right at his helmet. Again, and again! It wasn't having the desired effect - the soldier was about to start grappling her.

"No more holding back!" she threw him off, but followed with a high leap. Before her opponent could get his footing, she was coming down on him with a full power downward kick! She struck his shoulder and smashed him into the ground. The soldier's body bounced back up from the force of the impact, but did not seem to stir again. Sarah huffed and tried to rise to her feet after another improvised landing.

The Pyres Never Stop Burning (Old-School Occult Horror/Mystery)

@enmuni@BurningCold@Archazen

I made a big post today to help get the story going - and it culminates in your first chance to make a roll with your character. :)

The Pyres Never Stop Burning (Old-School Occult Horror/Mystery)

M. Herbachet's own emotions soared high with Joséphine's pleasure. The delight on his face was plain to see when she tried on the heirloom ring. "Ah, it's simply magnifique, Mademoiselle." He listened politely to her introduction and replied "Likewise, my dear. I knew that you would be an educated woman, but the University of Lyon? That is quite impressive!" Of course, it was likely that he already knew that much about Joséphine, but her academic accomplishments certainly deserved some recognition.

The notary listened carefully to Samuel, not daring to interrupt for fear of breaking the man's concentration. He looked to the others in that dimly lit room with a slightly opened mouth - a shared recognition of the young man's foreign persuasion. "And you must be the Englishman! And quite a charming one, too, isn't he?"

"An inventor, you say? Why, if only you had come to our country sooner, you might have attended the grand technological exposition in Paris last year. I saw the most wonderful and dreadful displays at the exhibits there - I still can't make sense of how they were done, honestly. But such scientific mysteries are better left to young, enterprising minds like your own." Once the pleasantries had died down somewhat, he offered Samuel the emerald ring.

--

One of the other participants that day was a blonde woman with a quiet, even sombre, air about her - which contrasted strongly with the general gaiety of the proceedings. She was fairly young, and judging by her fine clothing, she had come from a family with some privilege. The woman was dressed in a black fitted bodice, with slightly puffed shoulders and a modest neckline. It drew in narrow at the waistline, but opened up wide again at the bottom with voluminous matching skirts. The most striking thing about her was that she wore a lacy black veil over her face, and a prominent cross at her chest. If you weren't mistaken, this was the attire of a lady in mourning... perhaps that could explain her listless and dour attitude.

She had sharply declined the cognac before, but she was not impolite in accepting the topaz ring from the notary. "It's beautiful, Monsieur. Would that I could say I would treasure it, but it is as the wise author of Ecclesiastes says: All is vanity and vexation in the end." She did not place the ring on her finger, instead putting the piece safely away in her purse.

M. Herbachet bristled a bit at this, but he addressed her carefully. "Sœur Valérie Bisson. I am surprised to see you without your habit."

"I have taken leave of the abbey," she answered quickly. Apparently, Valérie was a dedicated woman of the catholic church, though the subject seemed to make her cringe. Even behind the veil, one could see the rueful expression in her watery blue eyes. "But I have not forgotten my vows. I will see this money put to charitable use, as Christ commanded. Six thousand francs will empower the church to help the needy and to save many souls."

--

The meeting concluded without issue, and it was agreed that everyone would meet at the notary's office again around noon tomorrow to seal the deal. Each participant was directed to the lodging that had been prepared for them. It had already grown late in the afternoon, but there would still be time to unpack your luggage and have some dinner.

Joséphine would be staying at l'Hotel Saint-Pierre on Saint Pierre Road. This was evidently in a wealthy part of town, as there were only a few estates here, each with a large yard to itself. The hotel was finely decorated in a traditional style, and its clientele were fashionably dressed and well put-together.

Samuel would be staying at the Croix Guesthouse at Saint Croix Place. This was the large modern hotel which was visible from a distance before. It was one of the tallest buildings around, with eight stories of rooms and amenities. Everything was still brand new and practically spotless. The furniture had a more functional design, but some of the more ambitious architectural elements like the facade and central staircase are in an appealing Art Nouveau style.

Valérie would be staying at l'Hotel des Remparts on Chaude Street. Unfortunately for her, this place was fairly run down and grimy. The hotel was in the bad part of town, and after a certain hour the street outside became populated with shady characters.

And the others had their own lodging arrangements. If asked, the attendants at each place would relay that everything has been paid for ahead of time by a middle-aged man, confirming M. Herbachet's story. Each room had been cleaned and prepared for your arrival. Though the furnishings and dimensions were different, each room contained a vase with a lovely bouquet of damask roses and nutmeg flowers. Beautiful and fragrant as they were at first, these very flowers would be the first sign that something wicked was afoot in Loudon.

At exactly midnight, you were awoken by a strange light in your hotel room. It only persisted for a moment, but in that moment, the vase seemed to faintly glow before your eyes. Shortly after, however, the smell of the bouquet changed from fragrance to putrid stink. The room filled with a noxious rotting scent, causing your eyes to water, and quickly inducing headache. It will prove most impossible to go back to sleep while the bouquet remains in your room, and you already feel sickened from the fume...

My Hider

Please make a vitality roll to see how badly the noxious flowers affect you!

Here's how. Go to my roll thread: (roleplayerguild.com/campaigns/1116). For the roll, put "1d100", and for the note, please put [Character name] Vitality Roll. Then I'll let you know the results OOC and you can play it out in your post.

EDIT: Okay, upon learning that the dice roller is kinda wonky here - feel free to join our discord server to do rolls instead if you prefer: discord.gg/6YRhCCVQ9q

The Pyres Never Stop Burning (Old-School Occult Horror/Mystery)

I was about to start writing my first post but @enmuni makes a very good point. Is this meeting in English or French as I highly doubt my character would have learnt any French as a working class Londoner @Olive Fontaine

@Archazen

Yes, everything being said would be in French in the reality of the game. Honestly, my suggestion would be to have your character know at least enough of the language to get by, or it will be more difficult for you to really interact with the NPCs. There was a long history of using French and Latin in Britain. They were used as international languages, which were more easily accessible to the whole of Europe than things written only in English. So I don't think it's too far outside the realm of possibility for Sam to know some. True, it was more of an upper class behavior, but your character is an inventor and probably would have had plenty of reason to study foreign tractates on science. So you'd be able to communicate, but you'd still be quickly recognizable as a foreigner.

Joséphine's first language is English as well (I think), but she speaks really naturally due to her family, study, and long stay in the country. You could try to rely on her for translations, but I think that this may be a bit more trouble than it's worth for our game.

Terribly sorry for the delay; I hope this will help us get moving!

@enmuni

No worries at all! That was a great first post.

I've been putting together a character too. I thought that we could use someone with more of a spiritual focus, so that's what I'm going for. But I felt that she wouldn't be right for this game without a delightfully dark twist. So she won't just be a goody two-shoes. I'll introduce her in game soon and I'll add a little blurb to the characters tab.

The Pyres Never Stop Burning (Old-School Occult Horror/Mystery)

@BurningCold I like how your character has shaped up. Accepted! I'm looking forward to playing together ^^

Here are your completed stats. You can add this and your tarot draw to the bottom of your CS and post it in the characters tab.

Stats

15 Strength
11 Perception
14 Skill
8 General Knowledge
10 Rationality
11 Spirituality

The Pyres Never Stop Burning (Old-School Occult Horror/Mystery)

It was April 10th, 1901, when you finally found yourself in Loudon. Bidden there by the unexpected offer of a hereditary fortune, the time had finally come to see what would come of the matter. This strange, provincial town was once famous the world over for its purported hauntings. Just now, in the light of earnest day, it didn't seem all that much to fear. Sure, the towering church spires, and the remains of other ancient stone constructions could be a bit intimidating. But they also added a great deal of character to that rural landscape. If you climbed up the hill a little ways you could look out and see just about all of it: The familiar collections of deep orange tiled roofs, the little white and yellow brick houses - thick with leafy trees throughout. And beyond, in the distance, there were promising golden fields stretching to the horizon.

It didn't have the fanciful storefront facades and electric lights of Paris, but the old cobblestone roads ran smooth enough. There were a number of shops and services to supply the needs of the town, and several inns as well. In particular, one of those tall high-rises in the east looked to be a very modern hotel. Yes, the changing times could be seen, even here.

It was a little after three o'clock when you were settled in to M. Herbachet's office - the notary who was assigned to settle this case. It seemed to be quite the proceeding, for not just yourself but about six people had been gathered together in that long wooden room to discuss business.

Monsieur Herbachet had a large desk at the end, but he seemed adverse to sitting in it - instead flitting around the room and welcoming everyone in as they arrived, occasionally dabbing his forehead with his handkerchief. He had a finely trimmed black mustache, though his hair was rather more grey. He wore a fine blue vest and bow tie, and a ring of keys jingled at his hip when he walked. His office looked well enough for a man in his standing. It was a bit run down, but clean. He had a large floral rug and bookshelves, some packed with case files. The shutters were drawn shut, so the place was lit only by candlelight when things got underway.

He cleared his throat and said "Of course, before we get into the details, I have to be sure of your identities. It's an unfortunate part of my profession, but very important for legal reasons, you see. Please do introduce yourselves, and I'll take a look at your papers."

Once he had gone through everyone's details to his satisfaction, he breathed a sigh of relief, and proceeded to inform everyone of his contract.

"As you will have read in my letter, my business here concerns my role as executor of a will. My client, who wished to remain anonymous in these proceedings, has unfortunately passed away. He was a wealthy man as far as Loudon goes, but he was survived by no suitable heir. He left behind very detailed instructions about what was to be done with his estate in this case, and though they are unusual - it is my duty to see it done." The man was a professional, though with a slightly florid attitude. He let everyone bristle for a moment while he produced a silver tray with glasses, and a bottle of fine cognac. It was common to offer spirits over serious dealings, and he gestured for anyone who wished to partake. He put a splash in his own glass and sipped it before continuing.

"You're probably all strangers to one another. I know some of you have traveled some distance for the occasion. But believe it or not, this town is not as alien to you as it may seem. You may not know it, but each of you has a direct ancestor that lived in this place many years ago. According to my client's family history, all of your families were close allies in the founding days of his house. When they fell on hard times, your families were the ones who bailed them out. Indeed, their house may never have enjoyed such success if it wasn't for that support. Respecting his family history, my client wishes to entrust the majority of his remaining fortune to those allied houses.

"The years have apparently changed this place more than we can imagine. None of your families have any surviving members in Loudon anymore - I've checked very scrupulously. Which rather brings us to the point. Gathered here today are the nearest living relatives of the families named as beneficiary in my client's will. Congratulations, everyone.

"You are each slated to receive some six-thousand francs, as long as you comply with my client's very modest wishes. He asks only that you each stay here a night in memory of your virtuous ancestors. I've already made arrangements. Each of you will have a room in a different corner of town, somewhere close to where your ancestor might have lived, as far as I can tell. When I have confirmed your stay tomorrow, we can go about transferring the money in a manner that pleases you. That is what my client has asked of me." He finished off his glass and clanked it down a little harder than was appropriate, to which he quickly raised his fingers in apology.

"Look here, I have a wonderful advance for you all. I mentioned the family jewelry in my letter, yes? Here are the items in question..."

Monsieur Herbachet unlocked a drawer on his desk, and retrieved a polished box from within. He sat it out on the desk and flipped it open for all to see. Inside was a soft bed of velvet, and five beautiful golden rings. They all shone brightly, but each one was set with a different gemstone. Ruby, Amethyst, Sapphire, Emerald, and Topaz.

"This one is for you, Mademoiselle," the notary said, offering Joséphine the sapphire ring. Even in the dim candlelight, the light blue jewel seemed clear as glass; a faint highlight danced behind it from the interplay of the facets.

The Pyres Never Stop Burning (Old-School Occult Horror/Mystery)

The Pyres Never Stop Burning

The Pyres Never Stop Burning (Old-School Occult Horror/Mystery)

@Archazen sent me an application via PM and was approved. Here are your results in the Great Game of Knowledge. Add this to the bottom of your CS and post it in the Characters tab.

The cards tell a tale of a young man bound on a long and winding journey. Tossed by the winds of chance, in a world that seemed more cruel than indifferent, he never received that chance miraculous aid which might have set his heart towards heaven -- nor would he. That was not his fate - your fate, boy. You have been given few blessings in this life, apart from your cautious insight and calculating mind. Whether one such as you can succeed seems a matter of chance, but I advise you that boldness is auspicious for one who has few advantages.

Cards: The Black Moon, -hidden-, The Wheel of Fortune, Eve (reversed), The Cabalist (reversed), the Monk, -hidden-

Finished Stats:
12 Strength
13 Perception
12 Skill
10 General Knowledge
16 Rationality
5 Spirituality

----

@BurningCold@baraquiel@PatientBean@ChronicleMan

I'm going to go ahead and get the IC started later today. The accepted characters and myself will get the ball rolling on our story. But I'd still be happy to have a few more players. So if you're still interested, just get in touch or post a character profile here and you can jump in with us!

The Pyres Never Stop Burning (Old-School Occult Horror/Mystery)

@Archazen Absolutely, we're still accepting. If you're interested, please do put together an application. It doesn't have to be super in-depth.