[IC] New Orleans: The House of the Rising Sun

[Cirus]

I live in New Orleans. The moment I stepped onto these streets I knew I would never leave. Perhaps the only thing better than living here is writing about here, a city that not only never sleep but refuses to wake up.

I invite anyone who knows New Orleans, be it in fiction, fact or fantasy to join me in this literary romp where a crescent moon always shines.

Must warn you, right off the bat. I do NOT do vampires or werewolves. In this town the Anne Rice scar still stings in our chest. But at least the Garden District is quiet again (the way we like it).

So if anyone can relate to the following running list of New Orleans "triggers" (a work in progress) feel free to join in this thread of thoughts.

If you came looking for vampires and werewolves just look to our politicians and lawyers.

In these streets you not only see history, but feel history.

We fear the living far more than we ever feared the undead.

People here will have sex with you not only for what you have, but just for the hell of it. (Louisiana actually has the highest rate of per capita sex partners of any state- rocking at an average of 15 partners).

Just remember this town was named for a guy that dressed in dresses, was bisexual, and preferred high heels.

In 18th century France, if you were a male noble and committed a crime. You had to marry a prostitute and go to New Orleans. Yep that's definitely our base population.

Katrina was the real 9/11.

The song House of the Rising Sun was about Storyville, an entire neighborhood block of brothels catering to the merchant marine and navy bases. It was demolished right after WW1 because they thought they would never get the sailors back on the ship. What a crock of urban planning.

Bloody Marys are the healthiest breakfast you can have during Mardi Gras.

Speaking of Fat Tuesday. If you wear any article of Mardi Gras paraphernalia , outside of Mardi Gras, you are carrying a giant license to be mugged. Rightfully so.

Mudbugs look just like that.

Sucking the head has a whole other meaning down here.

We are the northern most Caribbean nation and we have the lifestyle, music, job ethic, economy and politicians to prove it.

New Orleans Easter Egg: Touchdown Jesus.

We are what we eat: Fat, spicy, lazy and careless.

COVID felt like the worst hangover. A heavy head of over a year. 

If you wanted people to get the vaccine, they should have had full throttle Mardi Gras and thrown the injections off the parade trucks.

So what is it that I am looking for?

• Fellow lovers of the city that know about it or want to
• Players that want to romp around in this unique urban setting
• Ideas for RP in this Storyville of a town
• Stories of a surreal Crescent City, perhaps on the verge of something like the Dying Earth theme
• Musings, ideas and inspirations.

[Elizabeth Ecsed]

Ooohhh, I wanna go on a The Originals tour!!

Yeah, I'm down. Can't say no to the Easy. Mmm, beignets.

[Cirus]

I tried watching The Originals, and may do it again, ONLY for the sake of my beloved Big Easy. But I always had a problem with with PPP- Pretty People Problems. But I will try, for my city.

Beignets, girlfriend, sit down. We now have GLAZED Beignets! Two places on this side of the river offer it. It is the best of both worlds.

So here I am rattling my can- any ideas in having an rp story/romp in the lovely Crescent? In the past present or future? I always thought New Orleans would look more than lovely in a fantasy or steampunk print dress?

[Elizabeth Ecsed]

Whhhaaaa??? That's just not.... I can't.

Hrrrmmmm.... Steampunk siege of New Orleans during the American Civil war?

[Cirus]

Sounds very very nice. However while we can play it in an alternate universe...

The first Northen military sword-swing in the Civil War after Fort Sumpter, was to capture the city of New Orleans, which pretty much did not resist at all. This thankfully cut the Confederacy in the jugular. I say thankfully, because so much of our architecture was preserved. If a true siege would have happened, I'm afraid we would have made the burning of Atlanta, look like a damn campfire.

[Elizabeth Ecsed]

So Union occupation of the city, smugglers in sporty airships, Confederate spies? Maybe the South has developed AI to run automated production

[Cirus]

Im drooling.

[Elizabeth Ecsed]

James Watt invents a mechanism for containing supercompressed, enriched steam, an extraordinary source of power.

Robert Fulton creates the first viable airship.

Charles Babbage begins creating artificial intelligence...

Fuelled by the sudden boom in productivity and research, population expands rapidly. A certain Thomas Edison and shortly after, Nikola Tesla are born in the mid 1820s...

[Cirus]

Lance Estrada, detective of Crescent City Crimes, never believed the Mississippi was actually made of fog. But looking out over to the West Bank, on the River Walk, one would think so.

Plumes of smoke curled and pumped in rhythm as the swamps to the South exhaled vapors of decay. The iron bridges spanned the massive river swung heavy smoke, vaporous industrial arms. Too heavy to float, to0 light to penetrate the river, they simply huddled like cold Decatur-rats around a fire, just over the waters.

"Flores para los Muertos," the cry of a street vendor tore through the mechanical silence. It made Lance smile, for his mother had sold pralines covered in ash on the streets of the quarter. He bought a meat pie from another vendor, bit into the crawfish tails inside. He relished for a moment the ooze of muddy grease, down his cheek. Then was startled by his damn partner.

"We have another apparent suicide, sir," the iron clad sentinel shrilled from the grate that was its mouth.

"Yeah well, what do you expect Tinman," Lance said wiping his mouth with his sleeve as the cart moved off. "Can you hear with those construct ears of yours those Northern Guns? Half the city has gone south to the islands and I missed the last boat."

"Sir, in Crescent City, there is never a last boat, schedules indicate that there is a ship to your father's native Cubanan in..."

"Thanks, Tin-Man but I can't go back to my Dad's plantations," Lance said looking down at the walk's cobblestones, tears of merciful rain had begun to fall.

"True, because of The Burning, 70% of the country's ariable land was consumed by..."

"I know, I know Tin-Man," Lance shifted, looking out toward the St. Expeditious Cathedral, its concrete walls and iron balconies becoming shadows in the dying day. "Alright, how did he do it, that I would like to know..."

"Jumped from the Pontalba Apartments right onto a park bench in Pakenham's Square, sir."

"Damn, and those benches are made so that no one can even sit on them spiked up to all hell..." Estrada squinted, trying to make out the massive red apartment buildings perpendicular to the cathedral.

"It is believed he was aiming for that target sir."

"Ok, print me a dossier on that ticker tape brain-dome of yours and tell me the name." Lance never got used to the fact that the sentinel series, partners to the detectives, had a transparent dome for a head. Most unsettling he thought since they split up the force into individuals with a shotgun sentinel by their side.

The tape started at the back of the sentinels head, forming a sort of tassle until Estrada caught it.

"The name sir, was Samuel Clemens, born November 30, 1835, in Florida, Montana..."

"Damn he had the best parties," Lance said, finishing his make-shift dinner.

[Cirus]

PS: someone show me how to make images smaller and have writing lay around images?

[himawari]

PS: someone show me how to make images smaller and have writing lay around images?

You can adjust the height of the pictures. Normally most people use 200-300.

Code Select Expand

[img height=200]INSERT IMAGE LINK HERE[/img]

For images to lean left

Code Select Expand

[float=left][img height=200]INSERT IMAGE LINK HERE[/img][/float]

For images to lean right

Code Select Expand

[float=right][img height=200][/img][/float]

[Cirus]

My cutlasse and bunderbluss is in your debt himawari!

[Nowherewoman]

I tried watching The Originals, and may do it again, ONLY for the sake of my beloved Big Easy. But I always had a problem with with PPP- Pretty People Problems. But I will try, for my city.

Beignets, girlfriend, sit down. We now have GLAZED Beignets! Two places on this side of the river offer it. It is the best of both worlds.

So here I am rattling my can- any ideas in having an rp story/romp in the lovely Crescent? In the past present or future? I always thought New Orleans would look more than lovely in a fantasy or steampunk print dress?

Glazed beignets?  Isn't that one of the mortal sins?  That'd be kinda like blackened tofu, y'all!

And I agree, The Originals was a great concept that was horribly overwritten and undersupported. The witches were far more interesting than the Drinkers, as people and plot devices.

I'm...intrigued, though I have to admit, I never made it to Nyawl'ns, alas. Going to keep an eye on this, at least, see which way it veers.

[Cirus]

Yeah I basically thought the same thing. I tried being a New Orleans purist, until I realized there really is no such thing. As long as you don't put tomatoes in my gumbo I'm pretty much ok with trying anything (still have never developed a taste for boiled peanuts).

Yeah, then I tried them too, whoa and whoa and get your own bag of donuts whoa!

I am not sure where this is going, if anywhere. I started it off as a nostalgia trip, literary staycation of the city. I was not planning for a game but then someone gave me the idea of New Orleans Steampunk during the Civil War and I just bit.

It is for those that love the city, not necessarily live in it.

[Cirus]

Inspired by this incredible fall weather here in New Orleans. Like someone once said 'if it was like this all year round, everyone would live here'. But no we have two seasons here, bearable and unbearable. Even our winters are cold in the shade and hot in the sun, so no one has any idea what the hell to where.

[Pumpkin Seeds]

Oh fun.  Always looking for stuff to put in my city.