Gothic/Medieval/Fantasy - Masque of the Red Death inspired - interest check

[Gypsy]

Would there be any interest in a game loosely inspired by 'Masque of the Red Death'?

I have never attempted to run a group game on Elliquiy, but I have run several elsewhere with mostly good results, save for the normal attrition and posting rate difficulties that are common.   Allowance and patience as I 'find my feet' would be a necessity.

I am thinking a medieval-esque fantasy setting with very little magic and a generic monotheistic religion where miracles are touted by the Church, and politely scoffed at by the intelligentsia of the nobility.




Setup

Plague has come, and ravages cities and countryside alike in a slow-moving, inevitable progression.  The mortality rate is high, and healers and hedge-witches alike offer hope in the form of dubious cures that have little result.

One noble received warning of the plague in advance, from an unlikely and highly suspect source - a 'wise woman' he met while visiting his family's country estate, a place that had been inexplicably abandoned by his great-grandfather save for a small 'staff' who chased away trespassers with blade and bow.    She delivered her warning, which he discounted ... but as he left her there in the overgrown garden, he saw her eyes change, flashing red as fire and cooling into the deep, soulless black of coal.  Her visage haunted him in his dreams, and there she repeated her warning, and offered ... when the time came ... to provide a place of refuge where the plague would not enter ... for a price.

Fell dreams, as beautifully compelling as they were terrifying, these visions of what could be, troubled his sleep and the physicians could offer no remedy that dispelled them.  When the first news of the plague arrived, he knew ...  demons may lie, but they tell the truth when it suits their purpose.

As the death toll increased, he made his decision, and returned to the remote keep to strike the bargain, agreeing to the demon's price.  Plague would not enter the keep's walls, so long as he agreed to the demon's demands.  The bargain was struck, and the lord rode from the keep, to gather together all that he could trust; all that would come ... promising safety to all those who would swear fealty to his rule withing the walls, until the plague had returned from whence it had come.

It was a fool's promise, but made by a man of noble reputation in a time of desperation ...









Premise

• Dealing with getting the keep in order, making plans to survive the plague within the walls with limited supplies and rations, dealing with pleas from those who find their way to the keep and seek entry, and all the normal politics, difficulties, jealousies, rivalries, thefts, crimes, and the like that always arise in these 'isolation' type situations.


• Keeping the demon amused, and keeping her presence a secret -- something that she will make increasingly difficult.  As long as she is interested in the little dramas going on in the keep, she won't be thinking of more of her own to create.


• What happens when it is no longer possible to hide the fact that the safety of the keep's inhabitants is controlled by a demon inside, and the plague without?

There would be lots of room for individual plots, and taking the premise and running with it.   I would take the role of the demon, who would interject herself in the goings on when it suited her, complicating things and perhaps taking special interest in certain characters and/or situations in subtle ways (at first).  I would also likely NPC the keep's lord, unless someone who could work with me on the plot expresses an interest in that role.

Characters that would be most needed would be people of influence - minor nobles, castellan, sheriff, captain of the guard, apothecary, healer, hedge-witch, priest, merchant, etc. -- any roles that would give them more of a voice in how the keep would be run.   However, we can also devise plot lines for more ordinary characters -- for instance, a pretty chambermaid could be accused of theft of a piece of jewelry belonging to a noble, either prompted by the demon's mischief or because the lady is jealous in a lord's interest.




I would provide much more detail, of course, as well as work with anyone interested to develop story hooks, but right now I'd just like to see if there would be enough interest to press forward.

Concerns, questions, commentary, suggestions -- all are welcome. :-)

[abandoneddolly]

I've always liked this story, and the concept of the game sounds like it could be fun. I would be interested if more interest is given. I'll be keeping my eye on this.

[Birchleaf]

I am definitely down for this. I can do generic catholic-esque medievalism Gothic supernatural horror with gusto, although I lack the cynicism to go all out. Hope can prosper even in the most dire of places.

At any rare, I would love to play as a priest of some stripe. Possibly a young, zealous up and-comer with a stellar education and very little experience who has book knowledge of such minor magic or alchemy as the church approves of, and once watched an exorcism, but is woefully out of his league here.

[azzmeister89]

Sounds like fun, I'll most likely play the blacksmith, more intelligent than people think but keeps to himself and gets on with his job. Hates the idea of magic

[Gypsy]

I appreciate the interest, but think I'm going to shelve the idea for now.  I need some more practice with group games, I think, before trying to run one.