Polyphemus — Roleplayer Guild

It all started with the very best of intentions on all sides. But you know what they say about the road to hell.

The 2014 Convention of American Mayors was intended to address some of the most serious issues facing urban areas in the United States. Crime, poverty, decaying infrastructure, unemployment, falling educational standards, pollution, a litany of blight. But out of all the problems discussed, at least one seemed to have a solution- police corruption. “Get the bad apples out of the barrel,” they said. The power-trippers, the bribe-takers, the evidence-planters: only once they were removed from local police could any serious action be taken against crime. They meant well. They were trying to make things better for everyone. One hundred and ninety-six of America's largest cities joined in the crusade. In every state, rigorous investigations were carried out, and corrupt police officers were forced out. 

But, like always, there were unintended consequences. Many respected police officers opted for early retirement or sudden career changes, fearful that the axe might fall on them as well. Completely innocent and honest cops found themselves out of a job, through the overeager attitudes of investigators or even the machinations of dirty cops looking to protect themselves. And, of course, their friends grew upset. No one likes to see their friends picked on. 

Although the police unions and calmer heads urged against it, many police officers went on strike in the summer of 2014. It was not a decision they made lightly, of course, many still felt the weight of duty. But their profession was under attack, their colleagues jobless after years of service. They meant well. They had to stand up for themselves. Many police refused to go on strike, still reporting in for duty despite their personal feelings. Between the strike and the purge, however, many police departments were at less than a quarter strength that summer. 

But there were those who considered this an opportunity. They did not mean well. 

Every kind of criminal rampaged in every city in America. Arsonists. Bank robbers. Purse snatchers. Murderers. Carjackers. Organized crime syndicates of all varieties stepped up their operations. Even normally law-abiding citizens got in on the act, confident that they could be bad just this once and get away with it. The police and National Guard struggled heroically to restore order, and in many cases the striking police resumed their duties voluntarily once the seriousness of the situation became clear. Many civilians formed neighborhood watch groups, or in worse cases lynch mobs. But what everyone remembers most from this troubled summer is the rise of the vigilantes.

Almost every big city claims one of their own to have been the first vigilante, but the truth is no one really knows who was first to put on a mask and strike out on their own. But reports were soon coming in from all over America- men and women fighting against rampant crime, their identities protected against retaliation by assumed personae. The vigilantes varied wildly. Some were content to react to crimes, others favored preemptive strikes against criminals. Some would use the bare minimum of force to restrain their quarry, others murdered wrongdoers with disturbing glee. It could be difficult to tell who was motivated by love of community and who was a psychopath targeting other thugs. 

There were vigilantes whose methods were dangerously close to those they fought, to say the least. Kansas City's Fire-Eater targeted mafiosos with a series of expertly constructed firebombs, burning down their homes and businesses. In Newark, the computer hacker Witchhunt leaked the personal records of white-collar criminals, as well as cleaning out their bank accounts as payback. Atlanta's Scream Queen savagely beat real and suspected sex offenders regardless of the actual nature of their crimes, only letting them go after forcing them to scream and beg. And infamously, Los Angeles has the Hangman. No eyewitness reports exist of the Hangman, none of the street gang members who encounter him survive to describe him.

But plenty among the vigilantes are good, moral people who genuinely want to make the world a better place. Their unambiguously heroic and selfless acts are what has softened the controversy over vigilantes in the last two years. They mean well. And because of this, the worse vigilantes are apologized for and the better ones held up as icons. Even though the crisis of 2014 has passed, masked crimefighters continue to operate in every major American city.

Vigilantism, of course, is illegal in all fifty states, giving vigilantes another reason to carefully protect their identities. The police are sworn to hunt down vigilantes and bring them to justice- many special squads have been set up for this specific purpose. They go about it with zeal. There is a great deal of bad blood between police and vigilantes- police resent them for holding so much goodwill among a public that now deeply distrusts the police, while the vigilantes are not by definition the types to trust authority to handle crime. There are rare instances of vigilantes cooperating with the police, but it is usually with a single officer and done very discreetly. Any cop who associates with a vigilante is committing career suicide- there's no surer path to being ostracized in any department than by being a “Gordon” (named for Batman's ally in the comics).

Now it is autumn of 2016. The police and the vigilantes continue to fight crime and one another. Vigilantes are now an accepted part of life, a curiosity that arouses great public speculation and interest. 

The Internet and press have exploded with what happened in Fresno two months back. In a single night, every vigilante operating in the city of Fresno, California, was brutally murdered. Tracer was hurled from one of the rooftops she so easily navigated. The hacker Whyte Rabbyt was gunned down in a home invasion. And of course Rhino, so beloved by the press, had his throat cut by a straight razor.

Amongst the outpouring of both grief and relief, almost unnoticed was one little fact- a group calling itself The Iconoclasts claiming responsibility for the slaughter. Fresno was assumed to be an isolated incident, a risk of going around beating up criminals. The Fresno police half-heartedly pursued a few token leads in the murders but found nothing. People mourned or rejoiced at the deaths, and life moved on.

Then came Toledo, Ohio, a mere week later. Once again, all of the town's vigilantes murdered in a single night. Once again, The Iconoclasts claimed responsibility. People began to take notice.

When The Iconoclasts hit Albuquerque, New Mexico and left another pile of masked bodies behind (but no evidence), people began to demand answers. Who were The Iconoclasts? Why were they doing this? How do you stop them? There were no answers.

After The Iconoclasts attacked and killed the vigilantes of Providence, Rhode Island, again in a single night, vigilantes all over the nation began to grow paranoid. Some went into hiding, while others tried to find answers. None were forthcoming.

Memphis, Tennessee was a true bloodbath. Here, The Iconoclasts actually received some determined resistance from the vigilantes, even local gangs who assumed the attack to be a turf invasion. But once again, The Iconoclasts ultimately won the battle, melting back into the night and bringing their dead and wounded with them. The sun rose on no sign they had ever been there- except for the dead vigilantes, gang members, and bystanders.

Obviously emboldened by their successes, this time The Iconoclasts have announced their target to the press: Chicago, easily the biggest city they have yet attacked. With a huge number of vigilantes it is a logical choice. The press screamed the story in every headline. Chicago Next. Iconoclasts Target Windy City Vigilantes.

They are coming for you.

And they don't mean well at all.

And so, with rain beginning to fall and the sun beginning to set, you prepare yourself for a battle to the death.

Welcome to One Rainy Night in Chicago. 

This RP, as the title might suggest, is set in and around Chicago over the course of one rainy night in October, 2016. On this night an organized and well-armed group has come to the Windy City with the intent of murdering every masked crimefighter there. 

I would suggest playing as a vigilante but I will of course accept any character that will reasonably fit into the storyline. Unlike some superhero roleplays, there are NO SUPERPOWERS in this world. Magic does not exist and the technology level is the same as our own. Therefore, the emphasis here is on character-driven action and creative thinking. Your character should be more unique than just a set of powers.

Stakes are high on this night. Fair warning, your character can be killed. Rest assured, though, I won't do that cheaply or without your express consent. 

Secret identities are VERY important here. If your true identity is revealed, you risk exposing yourself to prosecution or retaliation. It is NOT something to reveal lightly. Doing it willingly should be a gesture of enormous trust, having it done to you should be a massive trauma. Accordingly, there are two separate character sheets. Both the Character Sheet and the CPD Dossier will be submitted via private message to me, the GM, for approval. Once they are approved, though, ONLY the CPD Dossier will be posted under the CS tab. Everyone else in this RP will only know you as a vigilante- depending on in-game events this may change. 

If you have chosen not to play a vigilante, however, just submit the Character Sheet to me via PM. If approved, it will go under the CS tab as per normal.

Character Sheet

Name: Your full name.

Age: Your character's age.

Gender: What your character identifies as.

Photo/ Description: A detailed description or photograph of your character. No GIFs, no anime, please.

Day Job: Those masks cost money, you know. What do you do when you're not out busting heads?

Personality: What makes your character tick? What do they value? How do they interact with others?

History: Two or three paragraphs about what you've been doing with your life up until now. Specifically, I'd like to see what made you take up vigilantism, what skills you use, and where you picked those up.

CPD Dossier

Remember, this is just what's publicly known about your vigilante persona. Be careful about revealing anything personal!

Alias: What name is your vigilante known by? It could be a name you picked yourself or one given to you by the public or press.

Known Photographs/ Eyewitness Description: What does your vigilante look like? A blurry or indistinct photo is fine, even preferable. 

Modus Operandi: How does this vigilante operate? What is unique about them? Do they only target a specific kind of criminal? How do they prefer to fight criminals? Do they pummel them with martial arts? Blow them away with guns? Steal their money? Be unique and imaginative, but realistic.

Known Weapons/ Equipment: Closely related to the above, what does your vigilante carry with you? Be detailed.

Territory: Chicago is a huge city, it might be wise to focus on just two or three neighborhoods, though circumstances may force you to leave them. This is just to flesh out your character. Just as an example, though, there's a big difference between fighting crime in low-income housing projects and fighting crime in multi-million dollar mansions.

Notes: Anything else we need to know.

RULES
Treat one another with respect and fairness. 

As the GM, my word is law. However, feel free to approach me with any suggestions or questions you may have.

I have no post order and no post minimum. I only ask that you don't post just for the sake of posting, try to contribute to the story each time.

All image copyrights belong to their respective holders.

Finally, a song for this roleplay.

Good luck out there. It's gonna be a rough night.
Polyphemus Member

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