The Black Rose's Tears (Victorian Gothic Supernatural) [Recruiting]

[Totoro]

Dear Madam,

I know your life isn't what you wanted it to be. You don't have what you want. What you deserve. You don't even have the means to get it. People haven't seen fit to grant you that opportunity. You've been beaten down. Moulded. Forced to fit their archaic ideals. If you stop to think it might make you well up with tears. Shout with rage. No matter how angry you get you can't fight the wicked ways of this world alone. But with help, you can stand up. Rise above it. Be stronger than your own oppressors. Please do meet me. I can change everything for you.

My address is Blackrose Manor, Raven Court Road, Hastings.

I would like to see you on the 2nd of December this year at two o'clock in the afternoon. A few others will be there too.

I look forward to meeting you,

Lady Blackrose

The Black Rose's Tears is a game about a small coven of witches forming in England in 1880. The game will be small and focused with a cast of young women who all have suffering in their lives who are drawn together by a woman named Lady Blackrose. The game will incorporate themes of suspense, mystery and horror and will not shy away from issues like sexism, racism and homophobia that were rampant at the time and likely provided some of these character's suffering. Any and all graphic or dark content will be handled with respect and weight. The characters will begin as ordinary humans and much of the nature of the game's supernatural mythos will be kept purposefully mysterious to allow it to be uncovered. The game will feature a wide variety of extreme content however direct participation in it will never be forced.

This game is actively recruiting. I am looking for around 4-6 writers. Please state interest in this thread or PM me, and please send CS's to me via PM only. This game is not going to be first come first served.

England in 1880. Queen Victoria sits upon her throne of an empire being questioned by many. Poverty rises in the streets of England, labour forces growing more angry with the elite rich in their elegant country mansions. London's masses suffer in the smog-choked city as industry rises amidst many's dissent against social reform. Wars of questionable morality call into question the constitution and nature of Britain's imperialistic nature. Archaic views and ideas remain strong and unquestioned, the powerful rich enjoying all the benefits of their wealth whilst surrounded by the poor. Hatred and cruelty is allowed to run rampant behind closed doors and sometimes even in full, public view. Many groups are downtrodden and marginalised. What is, at least, certain is that there are people suffering who are shifting ever closer to demanding justice.

Certain things have long lurked in the shadows. Below the surface or amidst the darkness. Ancient and wicked things of strange origin. Their kind have plotted for a great deal of time and as humanity spreads the conflict between quiet things is drawn to the forefront. Inevitably some humans have a part to play in this. A tiny fraction of humanity have had gifts granted to them as part of a game played out over millennia. It always takes an awakening to become aware of the true depths of life and these few fledgeling witches are due to become aware of their birthright.

Story: This game will feature a fairly GM-guided story with a good deal of space for the player characters to heavily influence how various things go. The characters will be important features of the world and make a notable impact. There will also be space for sandbox/social interactions between player characters. A large theme of this game will be a descent of the character's morality, challenges for their sanity and their sense of right/wrong or good and evil. Characters should be able to be fairly morally grey and capable of engaging in moments of violence and dealing with witnessing graphic content including graphic smut-related content.

Content: This game will be placed in extreme and may include gore, violence, sexual violence, torture, mutilation, drug use/abuse, alcohol use/abuse and other similar content. That being said at no point will any player character be forced to experience anything their writer does not want them to. They may witness it but not undergo it themselves. This game will have dark themes and may feature characters who are sexist, racist, homophobic or otherwise hateful. These topics will be treated with care.

Smut: Smut is not the focus or main theme of this game however some plot elements may include semi-smutty aspects at times. Certain rituals, characters who care little about nudity and the like. That said no plot will force smut on any characters. All the player characters in this game will be female. Male NPC's will be available for scenes of smut and in certain scenarios human male NPC's may be made by players for the sake of writing M-F smut without needing me to take the M role. It would probably be best to have a bisexual or pansexual character and it is important to at least be comfortable with same-sex interactions between other characters.

Magic and the Supernatural: These are real, tangible facets of the game however they are completely unknown to the player characters at the start. They have something, as yet unknown to them or any around them, that marks them as beings with potential for magic. That is all that will be known to the players at the game's start. No characters should have any experience of the supernatural. When the characters get access to magic it will be largely ritualistic, requiring sacrifice and being treated with weight. This is not a game about throwing fireballs but hushed rituals and curses. The magical entities in this game will be twisted and mysterious with some relation to various religions, legends and mythos but they will be a blur of many things and not an attempt to portray any real-world beliefs.

1. Don't cause or participate in drama. Be respectful of other players. If an issue comes up, PM me.
2. Don't godmode. Exceptions made when all parties involved have agreed on it. This includes NPC's.
3. Inform the GM if you will be unable to post for significant time.
4. Write in the third person past tense. A reasonable standard of English is required. (Spellcheck, grammar check, no one liners or overly short posts)
5. Accept your character will witness graphic content and treat any heavy experience they suffer with weight.
6. Please communicate politely and make sure your character is a part of the game.
7. Respect that this game is not smut focused and save that for appropriate threads. Do not harass players IC or OOC regarding smut. (Or anything else.)
8. This game will feature controversial topics at times. Treat them with respect/care.

What am I looking for? Young women who have grown up in Victorian England. All between 18-30 and with at least some kind of grievance. They could well be wealthy but unhappy due to overbearing, elitist rich family. All characters in this game must be female. The characters should be fitting to the time period but do not need to be perfectly accurate as this is a fantasy game. No characters in this game should have any experience of the supernatural prior to the game's start.

The Character Sheet: All segments will give a little suggestion on how to fill them out. Please read it in full.

Uniqueness: Once some CS's are approved please read through them and try to create a character unique from the other player characters. Some overlap is acceptable but ultimately these characters can be as varied as real people can be.

Approval: Approval for this game will be done based on writer ability, OOC persona and character concept. It will not be first come first served. The game will favour capable, enthusiastic writers who avoid drama/interpersonal issues and create interesting characters.

Character Sheet Format:

Character Sheet Format

Name:
Age: 18-30.
Occupation: What's their job?
Sexuality: Just to inform other players.
Face Claim: Please try to use someone with era-apt. images if possible, or at least not very modern styles in images.


Height:
Weight:
Eye Colour:
Hair Colour:
General Description: A brief description.

Strengths: A list of at least three Positive personality traits E.g. Caring, Courageous, Sharp-Witted, Charismatic.

Skills: A list of at least three talents they have. These are things that take effort/practice to learn or maintain. E.g. languages, horseback riding, cookery, scientific knowledge, woodcutting, animal husbandry.

Flaws: A list of at least three negative personality traits E.g. Hot-tempered, greedy, lazy, cowardly.

At least three paragraphs detailing their experiences in life. The game begins on December 2nd 1880 after the characters have all received a strange letter from Lady Blackrose inviting them to her home. The characters must have been somewhere in England when they received their later in late November and must have been willing to respond to it. They should have at least some negative experiences with the society they live in.

Equipment: Anything and everything they have on their person at the moment including clothing. At game-start, they will be arriving at Blackrose Manor. Will update as the game goes on.

Physical State: Should most likely simply be 'Healthy'. Will be updated with any injuries or other physical issues as the game goes on.

Mental State: Just one sentence summarising their current overall mental state. Will be updated as the game goes on.

Witchcraft segments will be added at a later date when the characters gain knowledge of, and capacity for, magic.

Extras

Any extra information or details you would like to include.

Character Sheet Code:

Character Sheet Code

Code Select Expand

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[b]Name:[/b]
[b]Age:[/b] 18-30.
[b]Occupation[/b]: What's their job?
[b]Sexuality:[/b] Just to inform other players.
[b]Face Claim:[/b] Please try to use someone with era-apt. images if possible, or at least not very modern styles in images.
[hr]
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[b]Height:[/b]
[b]Weight:[/b]
[b]Eye Colour:[/b]
[b]Hair Colour:[/b]
[b]General Description[/b]: A brief description.

[hr]

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[b]Strengths:[/b] A list of at least three Positive personality traits E.g. Caring, Courageous, Sharp-Witted, Charismatic.

[b]Skills:[/b] A list of at least three talents they have. These are things that take effort/practice to learn or maintain. E.g. languages, horseback riding, cookery, scientific knowledge, woodcutting, animal husbandry.

[b]Flaws:[/b] A list of at least three negative personality traits E.g. Hot-tempered, greedy, lazy, cowardly.

[hr]

[center][img height=20]https://txt-dynamic.static.1001fonts.net/txt/dHRmLjYwLjAwMDAwMC5TR2x6ZEc5eWVRLCwuMAAAAAA,/dioszeghiensis-rg.regular.png[/img][/center]

At least three paragraphs detailing their experiences in life. The game begins on December 2nd 1880 after the characters have all received a strange letter from Lady Blackrose inviting them to her home. The characters must have been somewhere in England when they received their later in late November and must have been willing to respond to it. They should have at least some negative experiences with the society they live in.

[hr]

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[b]Equipment:[/b] Anything and everything they have on their person at the moment including clothing. At game-start, they will be arriving at Blackrose Manor. Will update as the game goes on.

[b]Physical State:[/b] Should most likely simply be 'Healthy'. Will be updated with any injuries or other physical issues as the game goes on.

[b]Mental State:[/b] Just one sentence summarising their current overall mental state. Will be updated as the game goes on.

[hr]

[center][img height=20]https://txt-dynamic.static.1001fonts.net/txt/dHRmLjYwLjAwMDAwMC5WMmwwWTJoamNtRm1kQSwsLjAAAAAAAAAA/dioszeghiensis-rg.regular.png[/img][/center]

Witchcraft segments will be added at a later date when the characters gain knowledge of, and capacity for, magic.

[hr]

[center][u][b]Extras[/b][/u][/center]

Any extra information or details you would like to include.

[impishcharm]

I'll do the obligatory and obnoxious honor of saying...

First!

[Totoro]

I'll do the obligatory and obnoxious honor of saying...

First!

Yay! So glad to have your interest.

[Miss Nyx]

You have the juiciest plots Sun. > w > I'll have my eye on this...

[Totoro]

You have the juiciest plots Sun. > w > I'll have my eye on this...

Thank you! You'd be very welcome.

[Timeless]

-stares-

... Why do you do this to me, Sun?! Guuhhhh.

I'll have to debate about this for a bit. <__<

[Totoro]

-stares-

... Why do you do this to me, Sun?! Guuhhhh.

I'll have to debate about this for a bit. <__<

As you're well aware I'd love to have you join!

[Wolfling72]

tosses in a white flag of surrender before wandering off mumbling about someone being the purveyor of Wolfi Muse Crack

[Totoro]

tosses in a white flag of surrender before wandering off mumbling about someone being the purveyor of Wolfi Muse Crack

I have no drugs on the premises.

But, yay!

[Totoro]

With four people's interest, and with me being likely to make a PC too as that's seemed to help lately, I'm happy to say this game's recruiting and I'm looking for CS's.

Looking for around 4-6 people so certainly still space for more. Feel free to ask any questions here or via PM.

[Sailor Moon]

This sounds awesome. Sent a sheet over via PM. :)

[Totoro]

This sounds awesome. Sent a sheet over via PM. :)

Thank you! I'll get back to you soon. Much appreciated.

[persephone325]

Just want to express interest and keep my eye on the thread.

I just got back from a much-needed break, and my muse is excited to write for the first time in a long time.

Can't say if I can commit 100%, but the idea interests me. :-)

[Totoro]

Just want to express interest and keep my eye on the thread.

I just got back from a much-needed break, and my muse is excited to write for the first time in a long time.

Can't say if I can commit 100%, but the idea interests me. :-)

Good to have the interest at least.

If you do wanna join or chat about it feel free to message me anywhere and I'll be happy to talk.

Otherwise, glad to see you back.

[Hecate]

A certain someone....*eyes the impish one pointedly*....has coerced me to rouse from my writing slump and toss my hat into this ring, so consider me interested.

[Totoro]

A certain someone....*eyes the impish one pointedly*....has coerced me to rouse from my writing slump and toss my hat into this ring, so consider me interested.

Heya,

Very glad to have your interest. Please do let me know if you have any questions!

[Madam Striga]

I'd also like to note my interest if there's still  room for new applicants!

[Totoro]

I'd also like to note my interest if there's still  room for new applicants!

Absolutely room!

We've got three approved CS's and one more in the works, still space for 1-2 more people potentially.

Approved CS thread should be up later today, I'm about to be out for a bit but when home I'll be sorting that out so people can see what's been approved so far.

[Madam Striga]

Absolutely room!

We've got three approved CS's and one more in the works, still space for 1-2 more people potentially.

Approved CS thread should be up later today, I'm about to be out for a bit but when home I'll be sorting that out so people can see what's been approved so far.

Awesome I can at least start drafting up a concept then ~

[Totoro]

Awesome I can at least start drafting up a concept then ~

Definitely go for it.

We have one woman who's married and very unhappy with her husband, one servant girl and one illegitimate daughter/doula. Some similarities are fine though.

[Madam Striga]

Definitely go for it.

We have one woman who's married and very unhappy with her husband, one servant girl and one illegitimate daughter/doula. Some similarities are fine though.

I was intending to play a biracial girl, possibly the child or granddaughter of a freed slave? At beginning of play, around 50 years would have passed since slavery was officially abolished in The British Empire. Would this be an angle I could use.

[Totoro]

I was intending to play a biracial girl, possibly the child or granddaughter of a freed slave? At beginning of play, around 50 years would have passed since slavery was officially abolished in The British Empire. Would this be an angle I could use.

Definitely works for me.

One of the PC's was a former slave but that's because she's an American immigrant. Another is biracial and the illegitimate daughter of a man and his maid. As long as the theme's got some difference to the second I'm sure it'll fit well.

[Madam Striga]

Definitely works for me.

One of the PC's was a former slave but that's because she's an American immigrant. Another is biracial and the illegitimate daughter of a man and his maid. As long as the theme's got some difference to the second I'm sure it'll fit well.

Sure? I dont want to go stepping on any toes.

Edit: i have another possible idea as well. Relating to a girl brought up in abject poverty. The child of factory workers with too many mouths to feed.

[Totoro]

Sure? I dont want to go stepping on any toes.

Edit: i have another possible idea as well. Relating to a girl brought up in abject poverty. The child of factory workers with too many mouths to feed.

I do like that second possible idea. It's not similar to any of the others and brings in a new kind of issue with society/people that I find interesting. Certainly fitting to the time period. I'd love to see that, but the first one is still doable.

[Madam Striga]

I do like that second possible idea. It's not similar to any of the others and brings in a new kind of issue with society/people that I find interesting. Certainly fitting to the time period. I'd love to see that, but the first one is still doable.

As a big nerd who is fascinated by the sociocultural studies of the period... thus is something I can indulge. It'll be a good perspective for an embittered girl I imagine.

[Totoro]

As a big nerd who is fascinated by the sociocultural studies of the period... thus is something I can indulge. It'll be a good perspective for an embittered girl I imagine.

You'll probably know more about it than I do, I think it'll definitely be very interesting.

[Hecate]

Edit: i have another possible idea as well. Relating to a girl brought up in abject poverty. The child of factory workers with too many mouths to feed.

I’ll be playing the unhappy wife of a nobleman who (by all external appearances) seems to have a privileged life, so with that in mind I’m very interested to see how the interactions between different social classes unfold. I anticipate some measure of friction for various reasons, it should be a fun experience to write.

Also, if no one has considered a prostitute for a character then someone really should, it seems almost obligatory to include one among the ranks, so hinty-hint-hint to those still fleshing out character concepts >.>

[impishcharm]

I’ll be playing the unhappy wife of a nobleman who (by all external appearances) seems to have a privileged life, so with that in mind I’m very interested to see how the interactions between different social classes unfold. I anticipate some measure of friction for various reasons, it should be a fun experience to write.

Also, if no one has considered a prostitute for a character then someone really should, it seems almost obligatory to include one among the ranks, so hinty-hint-hint to those still fleshing out character concepts >.>

*jots that down*

[Madam Striga]

I’ll be playing the unhappy wife of a nobleman who (by all external appearances) seems to have a privileged life, so with that in mind I’m very interested to see how the interactions between different social classes unfold. I anticipate some measure of friction for various reasons, it should be a fun experience to write.

You're right about that, coming from such different walks of life... the contrast will be fun to play with at the very least. Before they even get to talking aha