TJByrum

The Faintly Gallows (Dark Fantasy/Horror/Suspense/Supernatural)

@Eyeris, read your bio in the PM's, you are accepted.

@Munk: Sorry to hear that. Always welcome if you want to come back later!

Also, don't be shied away from the IC post, that's a bit longer than I write anyway.

The Faintly Gallows (Dark Fantasy/Horror/Suspense/Supernatural)

Took me 2 hours to write the IC, probably could have been better, but I don't have a lot of free-time anymore (today is my first day off in a while). If you're confused about the way The Faintly Gallows is built I may draw up a (horrible) diagram later.

If you want to fast-forward time to morning, Lily's going to be upstairs in the storage (the third story of the inn), away from sight, so most of you probably won't even know she's there. Valunn will be roaming the town to get a feel for its people. The inn is quite busy in the morning what with people eating breakfast. Most newcomers come in later, around noon, unless you're crazy like Valunn and get there as early as possible.

The Faintly Gallows (Dark Fantasy/Horror/Suspense/Supernatural)

Earlier that evening...
The oarsman examined the sky once more. He was more than certain it was going to rain tonight. Then again, it practically rains every night in Darkwood. He carried passengers to Blackwater for a living, but he knew drifting down Stoneriver at night was a bad idea. He finally turned his attention back to the black-garbed warrior, his body hidden beneath a thick black cloak. "Look," the oarsman began, "I've been livin' here my whole life, and I can tell you that when it rains in Darkwood - it pours. Driftin' down the river tonight would be a bad idea. Just stay in my cabin for tonight, I have enough room for you and the girl, and I promise you'll get you to Blackwater by noon tomorrow."

The warrior sighed, "I'll pay you tenfold if you can get both of us to Blackwater by morning." He looked over his shoulder at the girl, "that includes her, too."

"Tenfo..." the oarsman said in surprise, unable to finish his sentence. That's one-hundred silver!. He weighed his choices.... it only took a few moments before he grudgingly accepted the offer. "Alright," he said, holding his hand out, "a hundred silver."

Later...
When it rains in Darkwood - it pours, the warrior said in his head, smirking. The torrential downpour started almost as soon as the boat started downriver. The rainstorm flooded the oak forest, turning ponds into small lakes and creeks into formidable rivers. The run-off flooded the Stoneriver and carried the rowboat at a rapid pace. The pitter-patter of the raindrops pounded against the old wood, filling the boat. The oarsman was busy at work filling up a fishing bucket and tossing the water out into the river. Streaks of lightning filled the moonless sky, illuminating the forest for split-seconds at a time. Rolling thunder followed in suit, as if the heavens themselves were about to collapse upon the world.

Naturally, the warrior was not surprised that his tattered black cloak, as thick as it was, failed to keep him dry as he sat on the thin plank-of-a-seat. Although he was wet and his boots were soaked, he was kept somewhat warm by the girl's body heat. The young girl, no older than twelve, sat curled up in his lap, her legs wrapped around his waist and her arms folded up against her chest. Her head was dug snugly into his own chest and he kept his arms and cloak around her to keep her dry. She somehow found the comfort to fall asleep.

The oarsman was not as lucky. When the lightning flashed you could see beads of rainwater pouring down his bald head and over his face. He was cold, wet, and regretful, and the warrior knew the man would catch a cold come morning, but his hefty profit kept him content with this unbearable job. "Ye never did tell me why you needed to get to Blackwater so fast," the oarsman said, taking a break from bucketing the water out. When the warrior did not reply, he continued, "is it 'cause of the girl? She sick?"

"No," the warrior said blatantly, "just get us there."

Early morning...
The sun hadn't even began to rise and the oarsman had gotten his two customers to Blackwater. Both parties were satisfied. The rain had let up a little, but it was still raining quite hard, and the strong gusts of wind didn't help either. The oarsman used one of the oars to slow the boat down and make sure it didn't crashed into the drain-grates that allowed the river to flow into Blackwater. Using a rope, the oarsman pulled the trio to a rickety old dock set into the side of the palisade wall. The warrior stood up slowly, being gentle with the girl who had began to wake. With a little help from the oarsman both of them hopped out of the boat and onto the dock. The oarsman proceeded to safely tie his boat to the dock and the group hobbled along a path towards the northern gate of the town.

"This storm's a little stronger than usual," began the oarsman, "it's almost.... unnatural."

The warrior let out a light grunt. "Probably is," he said in a foreboding way, "that just means I didn't get here as fast as I had hoped."

"Staytchur bistniss (state your business)." A loud, boisterous voice with a thick accent erupted from atop the gate. Three men armed with crossbows stood at the top.

The oarsman stepped forth and waved his hands, "just a few generous travelers, Larus, no one to be concerned about."

"A beet late fer a boat-ride, Cain, (a bit late for a boat-ride, eh Cain,)" the gatekeeper replied, "whysho late (why so late)?"

I... uh," began Cain, "...I'm not sure. I believe the girl is sick. She looked a bit under the weather." Cain knew she was fine, but he wanted out of this weather.

The gatekeeper, Larus, waited a few moments after giving the group a look-over. "Fine! Open, the gates, men, it's juist that bastard, Cain!" The wooden-iron gates began to slowly open and the trio quickly marched across the cobblestones and underneath a nearby shelter. The guards hurriedly closed the gates shut. A bit paranoid, thought the warrior.

"Theys an inn just down the ways," yelled the oarsman, "'The Faintly Gallows, Sloan' calls it. Come, follow me, it'll keep us out of this weather." The warrior and the girl did not hesitate to follow the man down the road. It was hard to see, but each building was at least two stories; their foundations were made of gray stones while the structures themselves were made up of both stones, wood, glass windows, and pointed, shingled, roofs. Where alleys or alternate pathways branched off from the main road you could see the storm had pelted it into mud. Obviously, the older and more wealthier buildings had been built along the main road.

The group finally made its way to the inn. The Stoneriver naturally ran southeast, but it made a bend in the middle of Blackwater and ran south. The inn was interestingly built right over the bend. In a way, it was like a very wide arching stone bridge built over the river with an inn sitting in the middle of that bridge. It was three-stories high, built with gray stones, glass windows, wooden shutters, and a shingled roof. The inn's entrance faced south down the river, so you had to cross either the eastern or western walkway to get to it. The door itself was made up of a very strong wood, no doubt from the oak-trees of Darkwood. A sign hung over the door of the building with the name "The Faintly Gallows' stylized across it.

Cain barreled through the door, eager to warm up. The warrior passed through next, holding the girls hand who walked in afterwards before closing the door behind her. The main room was quite large, covering the entire first-story save for a lavatory in the back-right corner and the bar on the left. There was a long stone pit made in the center of the room with hot coals burning within and some morning food roasting over them. An old, nearly-bald man was tending to the meat before he noticed Cain busting through the door.

"Damn it, Cain, how many times I gotta tell you-"

"Easy, Sloan, have you been out there? It's freezin'!"

"No I ain't been out there, boy. I'm not the madman who drifts down Stoneriver at night! Take off those wet clothes, you're getting the floors wet!"

"Of course," Cain said before scurrying off upstairs, where the rooms-for-rent were located. The warrior eased forward, noticing that only he, the girl, Sloan, and an unconscious drunkard was in the room. The wooden tables, chairs, and the bar itself was finely built. It was warm and dry, thanks to the firepit in the center of the room, which also offered a pleasant smell. The girl started to slowly circle the room, looking around sleepily.

"Lookin' for a place to stay?" Sloan walked up to the warrior, dismissing the presence of the girl.

"Sure," said the warrior. "Well, I'm hoping the girl could..." The warrior stopped talking once he noticed the girl take an interest in the unconscious drunk that sat on the far-end of the room. "Hey!" he yelled, "what do I always tell you?" The girl smirked before slyly moving away. "I'm looking for a place the girl can rest - safely. I still have unfinished business in town and so I don't plan on resting until tonight. Can you help me?"

"Yeah, I suppose." Sloan began walking towards the bar. The innkeeper pulled out a ledger book, ink, and a quill from beneath the counter. "Just tell me your names."

"Valunn," the warrior answered. At that moment, a half-cooked pig fell off of its stand and into the firepit. Both men looked over at the the girl who let out a guilty smile. "...and that's Lily."

"The Faintly Gallows" (Fantasy, Supernatural)

A horse doesn't really count as a companion because they're used for travel and carrying things.

You're looking for something like a faithful dog, or a tamed falcon, or a loyal wolf I assume. Two is good for me, but depending on the type of animal(s) probably more. Sloan probably won't allow a big animal such as a dog or wolf into the inn though, keep that in mind.

The Faintly Gallows (Dark Fantasy/Horror/Suspense/Supernatural)

Oh yeah, the OOC looks better and I described things a bit better too.

The Faintly Gallows (Dark Fantasy/Horror/Suspense/Supernatural)

Sorry guys, I got mixed up in something else, but here I am!

Gabriel Knotts is definitely new to me, haven't seen anything like him before in my RPing experiences. He's in.

Densha Nzongo is in. I especially like the fact that she's in Darkwood seeking the murderer and I would love to work with you on developing that story more.

I will try to tidy up the OOC, then depending on whether or not I feel like it I will post the IC.

"The Faintly Gallows" (Fantasy, Supernatural)

Click on the link me and Pyro posted and you'll be carried to the IC. I am still accepting characters.

Animal companions are fine.

"The Faintly Gallows" (Fantasy, Supernatural)

Here's the IC:
http://www.roleplayerguild.com/topics/63540/posts/ooc

I can see some of my codes didn't work but I will work on them later when I get off work.

I don't have an exact cap for characters, but once I feel like enough is enough then I will stop accepting.

The Faintly Gallows (Dark Fantasy/Horror/Suspense/Supernatural)

The Faintly Gallows

~Introduction~
Welcome to The Faintly Gallows! This fantasy roleplay takes place in a fictional world, mostly in and around a location known as Darkwood. Within Darkwood is a small town known as Blackwater, and in the center of Blackwater - built over Stoneriver - is an old inn known as "The Faintly Gallows". A lot of strange things happen here in Darkwood, and your characters will gather within The Faintly Gallows to embark on many quests, solve mysteries, investigate urban legends, or just tell tales and have a good time - whatever you want to do!

While this is a fantasy roleplay, I'm not going for high-fantasy. I want to focus on the more grim, superstitious, gloomy, gritty, and dark areas of fantasy, with a hint of horror thrown into the mix. Such things as witches, werewolves, curses, rituals, cults, vampires, ghosts, the undead, etc is what I am looking forward too. Everything from the setting to the characters will be 'vague' and 'subtle'. The characters are not overly important, most of them are just travelers, mercenaries, rogues, or plain folk. The outside world will only be vaguely referenced, I'm not to concerned with what is happening outside of the region known as Imerill (where Darkwood is located). We'll be dealing with things more locally.

~The Story So Far~

Foreword

The first mini-story of this roleplay will revolve around a mysterious warrior and his young companion, as well as the supernatural entities that have followed them to Darkwood. Stories won't last nearly as long as other stories, and I intend to work with you guys and collaborate to create a whole multitude of stories. Anything concerning superstition, urban legends, and whatnot is what I am aiming for - such as Bigfoot, Werewolves, and Count Dracula. Murder, mystery, drama, romance, what have you.

Part I: Strangers in the Night

When a mysterious warrior and his young female companion enter town, what sort of strange entities follow them there, and what do they want?

Other possible arcs

A werewolf appearance and possibility of an outbreak
Entering Bloodhaven Castle, where an ancient vampire-like being once lived
Investigating rumors of a cannibalistic cult within Darkwood

~Characters~

Foreword

Remember, characters are not overly important in this roleplay. There aren't really any noblemen, knights, or powerful wizards around. Mercenaries, hunters, travelers, merchants, assassins, rogues, thieves, scoundrels, and the like is what I am looking for. And races need to be somewhat traditional, although I am open for original creation. Anything from elves and humans, to dwarves and halflings are absolutely fine; I am NOT looking for giants, centaurs, or dragon-like characters; those type of characters would be shunned away and potentially killed by the people of Blackwater.

Keep magic on the 'subtle' side of things; you won't find a powerful spellcaster throwing fireballs continuously, and int his roleplay magic will consume your life force (causing you to pass out or die from overuse); even Gandalf carried a sword. Don't feel particularly limited, however, just show me what you got and we'll work with each other.

Bio Form

Note: By putting a '[' at the beginning of each label, the text will be bold.
b]Name:[/b]
b]Age/Race/Gender:[/b]
b]Appearance:[/b]
b]Other:[/b]

b]Armor/Clothing:[/b]
b]Weapons:[/b]
b]Other Items:[/b]

b]Skills:[/b] (Physical skills, like tracking, agility, acrobat, swordsman, hunter, etc)
b]Abilities:[/b] (Beyond physical skills, such as magic)

b]Personality:[/b]
b]History:[/b] (You don't have to get to deep on this, I like the idea of characters being somewhat of a mystery, or having their histories revealed throughout the roleplay through character interaction.)[/quote]

List of characters

Valunn - A mysterious warrior with shaggy black hair, a rough stubble, and cloaked in a tattered black cape. He carries a dark-metal longsword with an unearthly aura about it.
Lily - A young girl, no older than 12, who has been traveling with Valunn. She has short brown hair, green/brown eyes, and has an innocent and naive personality.
Gabriel Knotts - A halfling, former circus performer, wielding a whip and throwing knives.
Densha Nzongo - A dark-skinned bounty hunter from Eastwind, seeking the murderer a nobleman.
Caspain Argo - Skilled swordsmen/sailor seeking the individuals responsible for the murder of his crew.
Eksile - Armored warrior with two hunting dogs.
Lady Elizabeth Mcrae III - Once a noble lady, now with the mind of a hound.
Ash - A heavily red-armored paladin serving the Goddess of War.
Eva Vorhaas - A huntress of Darkwood, lives in a cabin just north of Blackwater.

Mayor Kern Locke - NPC - The citizen-elected 'mayor' of the town of Blackwater. Kern Locke is a highly-educated resident of the town and the people seem to trust him enough to place all the power in his hands, even though the term 'mayor' doesn't really mean much in Imerill. Locke's job mainly consists of managing the town guard, enforcing the law, and coming up with ways to deal with problems that the townsfolk may have. He's a tall but skinny man in his mid-thirties, although he looks slightly older. He wears posh clothes and has a stern look on his face. Kern tends to keep things under control by posting important 'jobs' on the notice boards around town, the most obvious one being within the Faintly Gallows, with which he has a working relationship with its owner: Sloan Wilson.
Sloan Wilson - The innkeeper at the Faintly Gallows. He looks to be in his mid to late forties and he's been working at the inn ever since his father let him shovel horse manure into wheelbarrows. When his father was murdered ownership passed on to Sloan and he's been working there ever since - and he's made a few changes, such as moving the stables to another location. Sloan is either washing a mug or pouring something into a mug. One of his eyes are a bit droopy and it makes one look bigger than the other; he is balding and you would swear he wears the same thing every single day. Being the innkeeper, Sloan has heard countless rumors, stories, and legends and has seen his fair share of would-be heroes, crooks, and robbers. As boring as he is, he's actually a well-liked and respected man within the town, and he is perfectly fine with swapping stories.
Jack the Trader - A strange little fellow who stops into town every now and again. His black-and-white spotted horse almost looks like a cow, and it drags around a rickety little cart full of mysterious findings that Jack attempts to sell to the populace. He wears a finely-tailored suit: black shoes, pants, coat, top-hat, and gloves. For some odd reason he wears white paint over his entire face with black paint covering his lips and around his eyes. He's odd, that's for damn sure, and the little trinkets he sells don't seem to do a damn thing except piss you off for not doing anything. People don't dislike him, and they actually anticipate seeing what sort of weird little trinkets he brings into town, but the town could certainly do without him.
Shamus - A funny old man with a gut that hangs out of his tight shirts, Shamus is the town crier, yelling out all sorts of news and handing out flyers and documents to the people in the town. Needless to say, Shamus frequents the Faintly Gallows and it's not a mystery where he gets his news from...

~History of The Faintly Gallows~

Brief history of The Faintly Gallows

Many years ago a native race lived in a region known as the Emerald Glades. The Emerald Glades was known for its lush rive valleys, forests, rolling plains, and beautiful landscapes. When foreigners began to settle the area and butchered the native dialect it became widely known as 'Imerill', a misspelled version of 'Emerald'. There was a smaller region within Imerill known to the populace as 'Darkwood', aptly named since the ancient trees of the forest kept the sun's light from ever hitting the ground. A major river known as Stoneriver ran from the northwest side, through the center, and down south. The area was chilly, wet, it rained often, was full of wildlife, and considered very dangerous. People went missing, rumors of strange beasts and phenomenons became widespread, and the area was considered 'haunted'. But that didn't stop people from traveling through it.

The main road ran from the south-east area, up towards the center, and on up north into another province. So long as one stayed on this road they should have been fine, and if you ever strayed from that path you were as good as dead. It wouldn't be to long before an individual ordered the construction of an inn, building the base of it over Stoneriver itself (so the river runs beneath the inn). He made a hefty profit by offering food and rest to all who passed through. Before long a number of other structures had been built, including a smith, a huntsmans shack, a tailor, and so on. The inn would eventually pass on to the Wilson family who renamed it 'The Faintly Gallows'. The main road was redone when the Wilson's paid volunteers to lay cobblestone. Over time more and more buildings were built and the town became a legitimate settlement. It was named 'Blackwater' in reference to the Stoneriver (which had black-colored stones in it).

In modern times, The Faintly Gallows remains just as busy, offering patronage to anyone passing through Darkwood. A small town surrounds it, and in turn is surrounded by a 12-foot-tall palisade wall complete with watch towers. There's a southeastern gate and a northern gate, and all sorts of small businesses and shops can be found within. Buildings are made mostly of stone and wood, usually 2 stories high.

The Faintly Gallows (Dark Fantasy/Horror/Suspense/Supernatural)

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