Seraph's Sanctum (Literate Male seeking Writing Partner inside!)

[SeraphAzriel]

Amicorum Omnia Communia - Who I Am

Well.  T'would seem that my small haven has received a guest yet unbidden.  It concerns me not.  I shall receive all people kindly.  Hello, dear reader and welcome to my own humble little abode.  Herein shall I do my best to educate any future or potential partners as to my likes/dislikes in regards to kinks as well as educate them as to the standards of roleplaying from my partner(s), the kind of stories that I enjoy crafting, and otherwise pertinent fonts of information. 

My username is Seraph Azriel, though I will also answer to Seraph or Azriel.  Feel free to bestow a more fitting moniker upon me if you wish, I only ask that it not be one which may induce cringing.  I am twenty three years old, and have roughly about ten years worth of roleplaying experience which started with fatefully being introduced to the roleplaying section of Gaia Online as a young teenager.  I live in the Pacific Northwest of the US and greatly enjoy the drab, long days of rain, especially in late winter to early spring.  I greatly enjoy reading whether it's a paperback, a hardcover, a particularly good piece of fanfiction, or simply an amusing anecdote on /r/eddit.  I grew up listening to the exploits of Bilbo Baggins and his young ward Frodo as told to me by my father as a very young child.  Perhaps a bit too young to really appreciate Tolkien's writings for what they are, but they certainly have left a strong mark upon me and my interests.  Fantasy and I have long held a passionate affair throughout my life.  Naturally it didn't take very long before I was introduced to Star Wars and began a relationship with her lovely sister Science Fiction as well.  The two don't seem to mind the presence of the opposite sibling much.  The show currently devouring my free time (when I'm not searching for an interesting roleplay of course!) is the anime Re:Zero Starting Life In Another World.  I can most definitely assure you that it is an entertaining and gut wrenching experience.  Easily one of the best anime that I've seen in a long while. 

As you no doubt have gleaned, I do like to ramble on.  I'm very friendly and am hoping as much to make friends as roleplaying partners in my time on Elliquiy.  So I very much would like a partner that doesn't mind (or is even looking for) some OOC interation between us, as well as the usual plotting and planning for the roleplay itself.  I've admittedly not too many friends that share my same set of interests in the real world, so I'm hoping that by making enough here and there across the width and breadth of the internet, perhaps I can assuage that feeling somewhat!  Or to put it succinctly, may I be your friend please?  Of course I'm not only here to try and make some friends with similar interests.  My one and true life's goal will always be to make as many enjoyable stories as I possibly can.  Originally I wanted to be an author so that I could just craft stories as a living.  But the amount of work involved, not to mention the stress and limitations placed upon the creators in the industry really turned me off on the idea.  So I search for sites such as this one that I might put forth those stories that my inspiration calls forth.  I believe that stories are something that should ideally be something freely given.   

[SeraphAzriel]

Cave Ab Homine Unius Libri - Literacy 

Without further ado then!  I am rather verbiose in my replies, so I most definitely would classify myself as literate.  I love to give long, detailed replies.  Partly out of a desire to stretch my literary wings and see what exactly I'm capable of.  Partly in order to make sure that I'm giving my partner enough information that they can formulate a good reply that works off of the information contained within my post.  But also because I'm not always online and able to give my partner a reply immediately after they post.  Thus I try to give them length to make up for my not always reliable posting schedule.  Offline, I am in fact an English major and thus hold myself to a standard of writing that I very much often cannot live up to.  Especially in terms of grammar and correct use of punctuation (commas are the bane of my existence!).  I do make typos and misspellings, same as anyone else.  I just tend to take them a little more personally since I'm striving to eliminate them entirely from my writing. 

I hold myself to perhaps a slightly unreasonable set of standards in terms of writing.  I'm not about to extend that to my partner, since I know my standards are definitely unrealistic.  But I would like to feel matched, in terms of length and grammar.  I don't want there to be a feeling of one person having to work harder than the other.  I've been in roleplays where my partner wasn't at the same level and it's really frustrating to feel like they aren't as invested in the roleplay as you are, and aren't trying as hard to keep it afloat.  However that doesn't mean that I'm not willing to play with people that who are more in the semi-literate territory.  I just need assurances that you're as interested in the story as I am, or have a really well-polished story that you'd like my help to tell.  I'm also open to the idea of trying to make posting profiles so that our posts can look all pretty and visually intriguing!   Granted, I haven't really done so since my time at Gaia Online, so I am pretty dang rusty.

[SeraphAzriel]

Ede, Bibe, Lude, Post Mortem Nulla Voluptas - The Do's

Now to state a few of the more obvious points of roleplaying with me.  Just reiterating some of them since I like to cover all my bases.

Please, please be courteous and patient with me.  I recognize the fact that I can be slow with replies since I work full time and am in a period of transition in my life (currently looking into securing an apartment atm).  There are some days where I get off work and am just drained.  I like to really get involved with my roleplays and give nothing short of %100 in my replies.  I also have a life outside of roleplaying and sometimes am not able to get on to my computer or just don't have the time to do so. 

Do try to make friends with me!  I've all the ferociousness and threatening manner of Winnie the Pooh.  And I'm twice as cuddly!  I've a fairly wide range of interests in terms of anime/literature/old tv shows.  I love getting to know my partners as people and what their own struggles and endeavours in life are.  It can help my roleplays sometimes if I know that you're having a rough day and I am as well (ORAORAORA!  GOTTA GIVE MY PARTNER SOMETHING TO LOOK FORWARD TOOOOO!). 

Kinks.  The fun stuff!  I've of course completed the O/O list, but it seemed prudent to also provide a more conveniently placed list of my preferred kinks for the perusal of potential partners.  You'll find a link to my list right here!  There are a few kinks that I'm not necessarily interested in, but are negotiable.  So don't feel terribly discourage if I don't give you an outright no on conventional kinks!

[SeraphAzriel]

Errare, Humanum Est - The Don'ts

To state the obvious, these are the list of things you don't want to do if you want to entice me into roleplaying with you.  Most of them are relatively common sense, but again I prefer to be explicit in my wishes so there's simply not a single opportunity for any kind of misunderstanding.  I may or may not add more during my time here as situations arise.

Godmodding.  This is probably the single most annoying thing to deal with in a roleplay.  Certainly your character can and should be fairly competent.  Certainly they can be exceptional and even exemplary in their field of expertise.  But if the possibility of failure doesn't exist, then a roleplay lacks tension.  And without tension goes a good 90% of the possible drama and personal interest that I could take from it.  Not to mention that it's hard to make a villain or monster seem frightening if you're always able to hit it and eliminate it entirely with a single blow or a single spell.  So please, if you like to play infallible, all powerful characters, then perhaps you should give one of the many other roleplayers on this site a chance.  I'm sure that you can find someone willing to comply with you. 

Short replies.  In a roleplay in which a short reply is the norm, it's perfectly acceptable.  But in a roleplay where I'm averaging three plus paragraphs a reply and getting mere sentences lacking in any kind of detail or poignancy, then it rather ticks me off.  I take the time out of my day to sit down and try to give my partners a good reply with content that they'll (hopefully!) find interesting and useful.  So the least that one can do is return the favor and give me a post of similar (hell, even longer!) reply in return.

Dump a roleplay.  I can understand that real life circumstances do happen and that my partner might not be able to reply for a while.  That is perfectly fine and acceptable.  Just send me a Private Message letting me know that something has come up and I'll wait for a while before trying to reach out to you.  But if you lose interest in the roleplay, choose not to inform me and then pick up other roleplays in the mean time.  That, I take issue with.  I have run multiple roleplays in the past and will sometimes not be either able or in the mood to reply to one or the other.  But it's something else entirely when four weeks have gone by and I'm still waiting for a reply.  Only to go on to your history and find that you've been posting almost daily on another roleplay.  If you're no longer interested, please just tell me.  It's as simple as that.  A common courtesy even.

Controlling my character.  The whole point of roleplaying with someone else is to get characters that you can't control.  If you want everyone to act and behave exactly as you want them to, why don't you take on just writing instead?  It'll make for one less peeved Seraph in the world, and you'll be able to do exactly what you're looking for!

Forcing kinks on me that I've said no to.  No means no.  Simple as that. 

[SeraphAzriel]

Mali Principii Malus Finis - Story

This.  This is the singular most important thing to me as a roleplayer.  It's the whole reason that I roleplay.  I want to craft fantastic, wonderful tales with a partner.  Stories that we can both look back upon and nod in unison that, indeed, t'was a good tale.  To have others read the contents of our threads just for the purpose of having a fun account to enjoy.  Any other possible roleplaying concerns are secondary and side benefits to me.  Certainly smut can be very fun to read and to write.  But it's a quick thrill that fades quickly.  The story though.  A well-crafted story should be a source of pride for any kind of writer.  I want detail enough to craft an entire setting or even a whole world all our own.  Let there be other characters, other possible plot lines we could have or maybe should have pursued!  Let the endless possibilities flow forth from our minds to make something we can both be proud of!  That is why I roleplay.  To make stories, or even just one story that I can take pride in knowing that I helped to create.

Details.  Herein lies the devil of the problem.  Details, details, details.  I thrive upon them.  The little things in a roleplay that characters can do.  Perhaps one character taps his foot when nervous.  Or a shy young maid bites her lip when flustered.  Or an old soldier flinches at loud noises, hearing in them the echoes of a war long since past.  A small affectation or idiosyncrasy can make an otherwise bland character a memorable interaction.  Perhaps that merchant your character bought a horse from had breath that smelled like rotten garlic.  Maybe the market held a lot of fruit this year, suggesting a bountiful harvest.  Is the neighboring kingdom at war?  Did this celebrity sleep with a certain politicians son?  Little bits of culture, of news, of the world that lives and breaths around the characters is what, for me, helps make a fascinating story.  Even a small roleplay between two characters should not take place in a vacuum.  There should and needs to be cultural influences, political views, biases, grudges, friendships, loves and thousands of other little details that help to make up a character into what they are.  The detail of the character should reflect the detail of the world that they live in.  So when I say that I want you to go overboard on the detail, I mean it.  Go wild with your imagination!  Give tidbits of culture, of scholarly endeavour, of a thousand useless little bits of detail that don't really matter to the story as a whole.  Because that's what really makes life (and stories) memorable.  All the little things that make into the big world that we live in.  We shape it as it shapes us.  So on Earth, as in the story.  As such, worldbuilding is one of the most important exercises that I can possibly partake in with my partner.  Crafting this setting into the kind of place where characters such as ours can come about fascinates me.  I love history and learning about exotic new cultures, so please indulge me!  I'm always interested to hear my partner's ideas!

Sex.  The part that you really wanted to read about.  In all seriousness though.  Smut is delightful to write and take part of.  But for me, there needs to be some kind of reasonable lead in or reasoning behind it.  Random sex scenes just don't particularly interest me much.  But when a pair of adventurers that return to the inn after a near death experience are overcome in the moment and want to live a little.  That definitely gets my interest.  And the more involved I am with the characters, the more I'll be interested in the fun stuff.  And the way to make me care about the characters is to make them interesting, give them depth and make them a living breathing bit of the world around them. 

Plot twists.  Another difficult subject.  For me, this is something that can make a good roleplay excellent.  A sudden turn of the story, snap decision by a character, or a revelation of previously unknown/hidden information.  Perhaps a farmer's wife has actually been a witch cursing the townsfolk who sneered at him.  Or maybe the corporation that the security guard works for sells guns under the table to terrorist.  Maybe one character is the lost heir thought dead to the throne.  Maybe the pleasant young spellcaster gained his powers in a deal with an eldritch abomination.  People keep secrets.  And when you get a bunch of people working/acting together, the enormity of those secrets can grow in turn.  I love twists.  Please, do give me surprises, both large and small.  Perhaps the reason one character rescues another is because they vaguely resemble a spouse, or a family member.  Or maybe it's as large as the quest that they pair have been on was actually misinformation fed to them by the tyrant that they'd wish to dispose and they've been furthering along his own goals.  Please please provide these little twists of story or personality for me!  They let me know exactly how deeply involved with the story you are, and are some of my favorite conventions of writing!  Complicate the story for the characters, make memorable scenes take place!

[SeraphAzriel]

Varitatio Delectat - The Setting

Aka the world that the story is set within.  Just as important a detail to me as the world itself.  In fact they should be essentially inseparable.  The world is not just a backdrop to the characters but a grand stage which can determine the outcome of a story.  Places are just as important as people.  Lady Liberty is as much a symbol of America as George Washington is.  My preferred setting genres tend towards science fiction and fantasy.  Anything where there's something unusual or novel going on is always okay in my book!  I can also play in contemporary settings, but there needs to be something interesting about it.  I roleplay to get away from the world that I live in, since frankly it's a pretty boring place to be.  Magic, cybernetics, bionics.  Give me interesting details that change my idea of the world and how it works (not to mention how it can possibly shape my character!).  Drama should be an important element of any kind of roleplay.  A story without tension between the characters is just an autobiography.  A review of some people at a particular place in a particular slice in time.  Emotions and feelings give the character real personality.  Hence why romance is also an important genre for me as well.  Even a rather mundane contemporary setting can be made rather exciting if there's good drama and romance taking place.  The others I can't say that I'm particularly opposed to.  But I also can't particularly say that I'm terribly for them.  I'm honestly pretty well up for most anything if you can put forth an interesting enough story for me!

Canon and original settings.  This is a subject that I can be convinced towards either end.  On the one hand, many of the necessary details of canon material have already been established and provide a rough or sometimes complete framework for us to build characters and a story around.  Any kind of flaws in the setting or the way that things work can be corrected easily enough with headcanons or other adjustments.  Original settings allow for the ultimate in freedom of expression.  We can literally make the world whatever we want of it.  However, to establish a good setting can be a lot of work and dedication.  Not to mention very frustrating if the roleplay should fall through.  I usually prefer to play in original settings so that I can stretch my literary muscles to the fullest point.  But I'm most definitely not adverse to a canon setting (provided that I know enough of it of course!).  Original characters are most definitely my preferred forte.  I like coming up with a character that is most definitely a creation of my own.  It gives me a more personal connection to them.  Not to mention that I can grasp their mindset better.  I am...somewhat willing to play a canon character.  But I have very exacting standards concerning them, and will only play those characters that I know well.  Otherwise I'm not really all that willing to play them.  Do speak with me on the subject of original settings and I'll be more than happy to worldbuild with you!  But on the subject of canon settings, what follows is a list of settings that I'm fairly comfortable roleplaying in.

Settings

+Overlord (Anime series) - In which a young man becomes his video game character and slowly begins transforming in spirit and personality into a cold-hearted lich.  Fascinating since I'm a fan of the 'real people in video games' trope, but also because of the way that the main character interacts with the NPCs and people of the world (which is pretty detailed).  I'd definitely be interested in spinoffs that hold to the spirit of the series, such as a player assuming the identity of their Dungeons and Dragons character in Faerun or somesuch.

+Nasuverse (Anime Series/Visual Novel/Manga) - The setting of Fate/Stay Night, Fate/Hollow Ataraxia, Tsukihime, Kara No Kyoukai, and Fate/Zero.  The works of Kinoko Nasu are particlarly good and his deconstruction of the idea of a character that holds to the idea of a superhero is fascinating.  Not to mention that it's treatment of how magic works and what it's limitations are is the most detailed that I've ever encountered in a body of fiction.  Detailed characters are most definitely a must for this.

+Pathfinder (Tabletop Roleplaying Game) - This is my bread and butter.  One of the larger canon settings that I'm willing to roleplay in, good ol' DnD 3.75.  A roleplay set in the Pathfinder setting is a sweet and simple way to get my attention.  A game set in it would simply set my mouth watering (especially with a bunch of good roleplayers!).  The variet that it provides is such that it's more of hassle trying to figure out what my character should not be than what he/she should. 

+Iron Kingdoms (Tabletop Roleplaying Game/Tabletop Wargame) - Magitech robots.  Dragons that leak magical radiation.  Scottish Trolls.  Steampunk cyborg zombies.  All in the same damn setting.  How could any self-respecting fantasy enthusiast not possibly be interested in such a unique blend of technology and magic?!  A setting as memorable for its visuals as for it's characters and storyline. 

+Dungeons And Dragons 3.5e/4e/5e (Tabletop Roleplaying Game) - The old classic.  The most important roleplaying game, the one that really started my interest in tabletop RPGs.  This is a sort of umbrella for the various settings that operate under the game system.  I'm most familiar with Eberron and Forgotten Realms.  Faerun I love since it's the staple fantasy realm with all the classics.  Eberron is interesting for it's unique dungeonpunk, post World War feel.  By all means, invite me to your game if you think it's gonna be up my alley!

+Warhammer Fantasy (Tabletop Roleplaying Game/Tabletop Wargame) - A WORLD OF CHAOS.  A TIME OF HEROES.  AN AGE OF WAR.  The original in grimdark fantasy.  Probably as close to an even handed depiction of magic as a fantasy setting will likely ever receive.  I love the setting because it's one in which the heroes really have to work to get their good ending.  There will be sacrifice, pain, death, and a real struggle that they may very well not survive.  An excellent choice.

+Warhammer 40,000 (Tabletop Roleplaying Game/Tabletop Wargame) - IN THE GRIM DARKNESS OF THE FAR FUTURE, THERE IS ONLY WAR!.  The scifi counterpart to Warhammer Fantasy.  Another much beloved setting for it's ability to unerringly show that everyone sucks and can get screwed equally.  Not to mention that the flavor and variety of possible characters is nothing short of fantastic! 

+Rifts (Tabletop Roleplaying Game) - A post-apocalypse setting that combines all the best of left over super science with newly appeared magic.  In short, awesome.  The flavor of this setting is distinct, memorable, and I adore it.  Now if only the rulebook was as detailed as the attention payed to the fluff pieces in the rulebooks... 

+The Elder Scrolls Series (Video Game Franchise) - Admittedly I wasn't aware of the ES series until Oblivion.  Skyrim was where I really got my chance to sink my teeth into the world and get some of what was going on.  And a dear friend of mine turned me on to the larger arcs of the metaplot that are flowing in and around the narratives of the games.  Most definitely a setting that I'd like the chance to roleplay in, although I'd probably be limited more to the Skyrim era, since it's the game that I've played for a good 100+ hours.

+Star Wars (Movie Franchise) - The great grand daddy of American space operas.  Well, space opera films that is.  I grew up with it, love the hell out of it, and look forward to the directions that Disney will take it in!  Of course I'm much more interested in playing during the Imperial Era or the New Republic Era.  Expanded Universe could also be a lot of fun as well!  Hell, really I'm open to just about any time if it's roleplaying Star Wars.  I just happen to know the most about those time periods.

+Fallout (Video Game Series) - Because I don't want to set the woooorld on fiirrrre....  Fallout 3 and 4 are the domains that I'm most familiar with.  Love them for the attention to detail and the way that the Wasteland looks.  Not to mention that I do enjoy a well done post apocalyptic setting.  Survivors of any shade are most definitely welcome in this thread! 

+Exalted 2e-3e (Tabletop Roleplaying Game) - The demigod scions of the Sun in a wuxia style romp around a slowly crumbling world fought over by the original creators of it, their undead siblings, horrifically otherworldly fae, and an empire without an Empress.  I love it for how exceptional it makes the player characters feel, not to mention the epic scope of campaigns.  Especially if you sign me up with the Abyssals.  After all, some men simply want to watch the world burn...

+Overwatch (Video Game) - Blizzard's foray into the world of superhero-dom has been particularly memorable.  The game itself is a lot of fun, but the world being crafted is even more compelling yet!  There's some surprising depth and Fridge Horror that awaits a close reader of character bios or the comics that Blizz regularly releases.  Not to mention watching the relationships between the various characters unfold is most interesting!  Mercy76 is my guilty pleasure.

+Vampire The Requiem (Tabletop Roleplaying Game) - FINALLY.  VAMPIRES THAT DON'T FUCKING SPARKLE.  And another grimdark setting that makes vampirism really feel like a curse.  Even in the rules one can see the struggle to cling to one's humanity even as they perform the monstrous actions necessary for their continued survival in a world darker than the one they were born into.  I've always wanted a chance to play in a legitimate Invictus game!

+Shadowrun - The first cyberpunk setting that I was ever introduced to.  I love the combination of fantasy elements, dystopian flavor, topped with a healthy dose of reasonably plausible science fiction.  I greatly enjoyed Shadowrun Returns and Shadowrun: Hong Kong.  I would love to have a chance to actually get to play the tabletop as well, I own a few of the sourcebooks but just have never managed to find a group to play with.

[SeraphAzriel]

Cito Maturum Cito Putridum - The Plots

Wait?  Didn't he just detail this in the post before last?  Is I'm sure what you're thinking.  For me, the story is the sum of the forum.  All the bits and pieces of writing coming together to create something.  The plot is what writers think about.  What happens when in order to make the story move forward.  Perhaps at this point, an enemy knight steps forth to challenge our heroes!  Or maybe there a guard at the bank decides to try and play hero whilst we raid the vault for gold ingots.  This section is the down and dirty of making things happen.  A good plot can be the kind that is deeply entwined with the content of a setting, or perhaps is a thread that can be told across many different worlds, with each one turning out differently due to the various specificities of them.  This is also where I'll put down the plots that I think of, so feel free to read through them and see if any strikes your fancy.  Of course I'm most definitely up to crafting a completely unique plot, or playing something else if you have a different one in mind!

Apoptosis

+ (Warmachine Setting)/Background 
A once powerful, long-lived race is slowly but surely dying.  Scyrah, Regent Narcissar, sole remaining goddess of the elven race lies prone within her fane in the ancient capital .  Scyrah shall die within the next century.  The signs and portents all foretell it.  Even as their matron goddess slowly slips away so too does the Elven race.  Children are being born without souls.  Ios, their once fertile and bountiful homeland is now withering.  To be an elf in the Iron Kingdoms is to live in an age of fear, of doubt, of facing an ignominious decline.  It's an age of desperation.  In the midst of this crisis has arisen a deep schism within elven society.  Those who cling to isolation and secrecy.  The certain death of inaction.  This is the choice of the Fane of Scyrah.  Those loyal priests that care for their fallen goddess and agonize over every spell that they cast, as each drains the tiniest portion of her remaining strength.  To save lives now or to prolong the existence of their race.  The Seekers are those who have spread out into the world.  They consult ruins, tomes, any source that they can to find some solution to halt the decline or perhaps even restore their goddess.  Naivetes clinging to a forlorn hope.  Then there are the extremists.  The militants.  The Retribution of Scyrah.  Their goddess's decline coincided with the rise of magic amongst humans.  For those most desperate to have an answer, for those most eager to take some kind of action instead of meekly accepting such a fate, correlation is causation.  The solution is obvious.  To kill each and every single human mage.  Or in some cases to simply exterminate mankind.  As time wears on and the people grow more desperate they look upon the Retribution with favor.  As even despicable action is still action.  Furthermore their gains in recent years, such as the recovery of the god Nyssor who had been long thought dead has catapulted them into greater and greater power.  Capitalizing upon the fears of a dying race has allowed these radicals to seize the yokes of power.  An entire nation now heeds the drums of war and genocide in an effort to save themselves at any cost.

Plot
The plot I have in mind is to explore the relationship between a warcaster and a member of their battlegroup, preferably an artificer (magical craftsman), a lys healer, battle mage, or some other support unit.  The warcaster has suffered a recent loss at the hands of humans.  Perhaps the death of a close friend, a child, a spouse, a lover.  Or perhaps they've simply took in Retribution's genocidal rhetoric as truth.  Whatever the reason the leader of this battlegroup is eager to kill humans for reasons as much political/spiritual as personal.  The other character is one who is more in line with the leanings of the Fane.  They've come to accept the idea that their race is meant to die and that they should at least come to accept it with some grace and dignity.  They can't agree with what the Retribution is doing, perhaps on moral grounds or even on the simple principle that slaughtering innocents in the name of their goddess isn't what she would have wanted.  But of course the political climate in Ios is no longer as accepting of such moderates as it once was.  Furthermore his sense of duty compels him to aid his brothers and sisters in arms in this course.  Not because he believes in their cause, but simply that he wants to ensure that as many survive as possible.  Not to mention that if this is the course that they (the elven race) has chosen then to at least grant their victims a quick and painless death. 

Tags
Romance, Tragedy, War, Drama, Fantasy, Steampunk

Stray Cat

+ (Vampire the Requiem Second Edition)/Background 
    Portland is amongst the most populous cities on the West Coast, and the most populated in humble Oregon.  A surprisingly cosmopolitan and liberal city amidst a mostly rural state.  All kinds can be found rubbing shoulders there.  Chinese, Arabian, European, any number of nationalities.  Even the Kindred.  Especially the Kindred.  There was a rare few settlers that would brave an overland trek for cheap land.  Most died of course.  Perhaps not for the same reasons as the kine, but there were still a few when the exodus came.  In the 19th century, once the town had established itself as one of the premier ports on the Pacific Northwest did the Kindred realize that there was fruit ripe for the plucking.  Many vampires moved to Stumptown.  There was no shortage of investment opportunities, businesses, and less reputable means of accruing power.  Their reach grew quick and mighty.  The Covenants Invictus, The Carthian Movement, and the Circle of the Crone.  The others were either toppled by their rivals or simply weren't large enough to control the night.  As time passed and Portland grew, Invictus took root in the various shipping companies that played home to the city.  Investment was needed for the growing businesses.  Law firms to defend them.  The creation of Portland University.  The growing metropolis had no end of places for their presence to grow into.  Here the Unconquered grew quite wealthy and powerful.  The rival covenants felt the pinch on their purse strings as the First Estate slowly but surely placed a vice on them from big business.  There was little room for growth.  The Carthian Movement thus did what it does best and changed.  Adapted.  Stumptown's liberal views aligned well with their own.  Just as the Firebrands further influenced the welcoming view of the people so did the people open their own eyes to the possibilities.  The Revolution found a place in indie affairs.  Mom and pop coffee shops.  The food trucks.  Dance clubs.  They began to cater to the young and freshly affluent youth of the town.  The Circle of the Crone diminished further as time passed but found a home in the neo-pagans, the mystics, the wiccans.  The outcasts with beliefs not quite so conventional.  Invictus established itself as the lord of Portland.  With the money and political power that they held they've maintained this rule for the past 110 years. 
    However...things have started to grow a bit restless.  Change is in the wind.  America's current climate has decidedly turned hostile against the old guard.  The affluent upper crust.  Recent events have shaken Stumptown in beliefs that it assumed had gone the way of the dinosaur.  The young people are frightened of the future and angry at the political leaders.  Some are starting to grow violent.  The Carthians see a chance before them that they're quite want to take.  Unseat the Tyrants and claim Portland as their own.  Normally Invictus would simply hunker down and weather the storm.  But recently Prince Howard Byer was murdered by another Kindred, his assailant preferring death over capture.  Things between the two covenants already tense, much of the Elders wish for a direct war to remove the Carthians from the city altogether.  Former Seneschal Mariah Langford now serves as Prince, overwhelmed by the scope of her duties and reeling from the death of her only rival and sometimes lover.  As if trying to prevent overt gang wars from breaking out wasn't enough, there is some manner of rogue Kindred loose in the city.  Neonates without sires have been found roaming the streets, and all the covenants blame one another, fueling the fires of their agendas.  Stumptown stands in the middle of a ticking time bomb.

Plot
The story is simple enough.  A young man or woman is attacked and turned by an unknown figure.  They awaken to find themselves transformed into an unliving child of the night.  Likely horrified and confused as to what happens they attempt to live their life as they always have, only to find that their condition is drawing attention to themselves and disrupting their average, everyday life.  As such it's only a matter of time before the Sheriff and his Hounds discover the new childre.  They're suddenly ushered into a world that they know nothing about, whilst the Primogens discuss what should be done concerning this matter.  Some Elders call for a culling of these uninformed rabble.  Invictus is very particular regarding who should and should not be Embraced.  When low and behold a member of The Most Honorable Order of the Thorned Wreath should step forth to speak on behalf of this wayward childe.  Despite the obvious displeasure of the Elders, none see any particular reason to oppose the claim.  Either the neonate proves themselves worthy of the Order or the Knight shall rid them of the problem.  So begins a new Requiem in Stumptown.  Naturally I'd wish to assume the role of Knight, and your character could be the newly Embraced.  They could come from any manner of walks of life.  College student, lawyer, blue collar, or even a junkie perhaps.  I'm rather open to any manner of strange or unusual characters.

Tags
Romance, Drama, Dark Fantasy, Vampire, Urban Fantasy

Home Sweet Home

+ (Shadowrun Setting)/Background 
   At the docks in Heoi sits an old rusting tugboat.  Whatever it’s actual name was has been scraped off and replaced with a sloppily painted ‘THE BOLTHOLE’.  The occupants therein are a small team of shadowrunners living (and occasionally fighting) together.  All under the employ of Kindly Cheng, Triad boss and de facto ruler of Heoi.  She serves as their fixer, a damn good and a reliable one at that.  Of course not all of life is running from rent-a-cops or fighting mummies to live from paycheck to paycheck.  Sometimes there's lulls in running work and odd jobs need to be done to make ends meet.  Especially for putting groceries on the table and keeping the power on.
Plot
   This plot I can see unfolding in two different ways.  For those who have played  Shadowrun: Hong Kong, you’ll know exactly the place and the characters that I’m referring to, and we could have a series of short stories perhaps between the various runs that take place over the course of the game.  Runners can have lives outside of work after all.  There could be a fledgling romance between carefree Gobbet and uptight Duncan Wu.  Maybe Racter occasionally does some consultation work for Ten Armed Ambrose.  I suppose really I'm very interested in fleshing out Heoi in particular, and the people within it.
   Of course knowledge of the game isn’t particularly necessary at all, working knowledge of the Shadowrun setting will do just fine.  In which case it could be a small cast of original characters serving as roommates onboard and teammates out in the field.  Exploring the very close and sometimes intense interpersonal relationships that happen when you get a band of highly capable people working in an occasionally very lethal field of business together.  In this case I think the story could work more like a usual Shadowrun campaign with occasional runs and downtime to introduce characters and their roles within the team.  This would be a roleplay that would have some tangential characters but would mostly be focused on the team itself, as opposed to one or two central characters.  It's a bit unorthodox, but I'm interested in doing something a bit different.   
Tags
Cyberpunk, Action, Drama, Intrigue, Shadowrun

[SeraphAzriel]

Reserved

[SeraphAzriel]

Reserved

[SeraphAzriel]

Added "Stray Cat" to the Plots section!

[SeraphAzriel]

Added "Home Sweet Home" to the Plots Section!