Interest Check - The Forsaken (EX/Horror/Werewolf)

Started by dapoet, October 31, 2012, 03:15:38 PM

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dapoet

This is a request for interest for The Forsaken. It will be loosely based on The Foresaken: Werewolves from White Wolf Publishing, but only as a basis so that those interested have solid information for the universe this story will be in.

The story will follow the same introductory path of a group of werewolves being placed into a pack by a very old werewolf, who's motives are unclear. I would like to include some of the story ideas that are present in their packets..which is available online for free from DriveThruRPG, but beyond that the stories that are told will be the sole generation of the writers.

Those interested can apply here, and once the group has been generated we will start the story. In addition to the werewolves though, there are other beings in these stories, from other entities to humans, so please if you are even remotely interested, please PM me or check out the information online yourself, as I believe this is a universe that can handle a number of thoughts for many different interests.

I will be including basic information about the universe of The Forsaken as well as samples of characters, though these are not characters that are required for the story to be written, just examples so potential applicants can get an idea of what is being looked for.

Also I will place the rules of the pack as I call them, as were's in this universe live by a certain code and do have things that are considered taboo for them, but of course rules are made to be broken, so keep that in mind when looking at characters as well..but remember there will be punishments to go along with rule breakings..




A brief intro into the Universe of The Forsaken (Taken from Werewolf: The Foresaken Demo by White Wolf Publishing)

In the time before time, this sundered world was whole. The Shadow Realm and the material world were one, sharing an indistinct boundary known as the Border Marches. The world was a hunter’s paradise that—while not idyllic or always peaceful—existed in perfect harmony. As long as spirits and living creatures refrained from interfering with each other, they could walk among one another as equals. Those who misbehaved or tarried too long where they did not belong, however, faced the wrath of Father Wolf, the foremost hunter spirit. He was lord of the Border Marches, and he sired numerous children. The strongest of those children were the Uratha, the werewolves, whose mother was fickle Luna, the ever-changing moon. Creatures made equally of flesh and spirit, the Uratha were the princes of the Border Marches, whose dominion bridged the regions on either side. To them Father Wolf taught many secrets and imparted a portion of his vast power, yet as his children’s star rose, his began its sharp, inevitable decline.

In time, Father Wolf began to falter and the worlds astride the Border Marches suffered. Spirits toyed with creatures of flesh and made them slaves. Creatures of flesh encroached on the spirits’ land and despoiled it by their very presence. The world trembled and sickened while Father Wolf struggled to keep up. And as in all wolf society, when the alpha weakens, the entire pack suffers. The Uratha saw this, and though Father Wolf must have seen it himself, he could do nothing to correct it. Therefore, with heavy hearts, the Uratha came together to perform a grim duty. Hunting their faltering and exhausted Father Wolf as they had once hunted by his side, they raised fang and claw against him to bring him down.

Unable to resist his children, Father Wolf fell at last, leaving only the Uratha to fulfill his duties. Yet his death was not without consequences. His final piercing howl shattered the Border Marches, forever separating the world of flesh from the Shadow Realm and slamming down a nigh-impenetrable Gauntlet between them. Crazed with grief, Luna levied a curse on his children for bereaving her of her proud, powerful lover. (Although Luna has since forgiven her children and helped them grow into their father’s mantle, that curse still lingers.) But worst of all, the lords of the spirit world turned their backs on the Uratha for what they did. Whether they did so out of sheer outrage or quailing terror is unknown, but the effect remains the same. Only those few spirits who were closest
THE HUNT BEGINS…to the Uratha before the Fall of Father Wolf will have anything to do with the werewolves now, and the rest have forsaken them.

You’ve had the sense at some point in your life that all is not right with the world, that not everything is as it seemed. You can tell that sinister truths hide behind a façade of normality, veiled by the rational, orderly “natural laws” we call science. When night falls, as the shadows grow long and the wind whistles through the trees, you shudder and remember the truths of your ancestors, who were right to fear the dark. In those times, you realize just how alone you are. You feel this way because you’ve just entered the World of Darkness, where the shadows hide very real monsters.




A basic character that fits in this universe: Please note there will be no dice rolls, or anything like that in this story, this will be free-form in the Extreme setting, this is solely an example:

KATE STONE

Quote: Game. Set. Match.

Background: Kate grew up in suburban New York, raised alone by her dad. She has a picture of her mother and some blurry memories, but she died soon after Kate was born. She suspects her mother was a werewolf, but she hasn’t been able to dig up a relative who knows. Either way, her dad, a former left tackle for the New York Jets who blew out his knee in his first season, raised a jock for a daughter. A natural athlete, she excelled in every sport she tried out for. While she wasn’t the center of her social circles, it was only because she saw the emptiness of it all. Only on the field (or the court or the track) with her blood pumping and the smell of victory in her grasp, did she feel truly alive and happy.

Her First Change took place during a marathon. Fortunately, she was alone on a stretch of highway. She had twisted her ankle but kept going, determined to finish. Already rocky from the stress, she changed when the moon rose. Semi-delirious, she shifted to the Urshul form and finished the race, terrifying the other runners. A pack of Blood Talons who had heard the news reports of a wild dog tracked her down.

Kate knew the Blood Talons were the right tribe for her, but the pack that had picked her up left something to be desired. The pack doubled as a street gang, its members ruling their urban neighborhood like medieval kings. She instinctively understood (and agreed with) their roles in the pack and knew she didn’t fit. She parted amicably with the pack, and she hopes that joining one of Max Roman’s multi-tribal packs will work out better. She still keeps in touch with her dad, who thinks she burned out and ran off to find herself. He hopes she will return one day, but Kate is determined to keep him out of her dangerous life.

Roleplaying Hints: You are a natural competitor, determined to be the best at whatever you try. You’re smart enough to know that there are things you cannot do and that you don’t have time to be an expert in everything. That doesn’t stop your first inclination to take charge, however. You despise weakness in any form. While it’s okay for someone to come in second place, it should be because someone else’s best was a little better.

Description: Kate is very attractive in an athletic way, and she doesn’t mind showing off her toned muscles. Her short hair is bottle-auburn, with well-done highlights. She dresses in stylish but practical clothes—outfits that can handle the wear and tear of her lifestyle. She tends to stand in aggressive postures.
Equipment: Dedicated outfit (tight jeans with gussets sewn in so she can move in them, sports bra, and broken-in running shoes). Stylish clothes for various occasions, crammed tightly in a gym bag. Tennis racquet and balls. The first-place trophy from her first tournament.

Virtue/Vice: Kate’s Virtue is Hope. Once per session, she regains all of her spent Willpower when she refuses to let others give in to despair, even when doing so harms her goals or well-being. Her Vice is Pride. She regains one spent Willpower point at the end of any scene in which she exerted her will over others at some potential risk to herself.

Tribal Vow: “Offer No Surrender You Would Not Accept” — As a Blood Talon, Kate must honor her oath to Fenris-Ur, the Destroyer Wolf. You must make a degeneration roll (four dice) if Kate surrenders or concedes a significant victory to a foe.




The rules of the pack: This is from the wiki for Werewolf: The Forsaken, but you will see where taboos will fall into play and possible plots that could evolve.

Society

Uratha can, theoretically, come from any part of human society, which can have a stronger or lower importance after the werewolf’s first change. Some forsake human society completely and others do not.

Most Uratha form packs of different sizes to hunt more efficiently and better protect their territory. The smallest packs consist of 3 Uratha and every pack needs a totem (a spirit who bonds with the pack).

Also, every Forsaken werewolf who belongs to a Tribe must swear the Oath of the Moon, which (roughly) describes the moral of the Uratha (called Harmony). The phrases of the Oath are:
The Wolf Must Hunt (the Uratha have to fulfill the roles of Father Wolf)
The People do not murder the People (Uratha don’t murder other Uratha)
The Low honor the High, the High respect the Low
Respect your Prey
The Uratha shall cleave to Human (Uratha are forbidden to mate with each other or with wolves and are mandated to reproduce)
Do not eat the flesh of Human or wolf
The herd must not know (the Uratha must be hidden from the humans)

In addition:

The Uratha are physical and spiritual creatures, who can use the energy of the spirits (called Essence) to activate certain supernatural powers (called gifts), supernatural tools (called fetishes), change form or accelerate their healing.

Unlike humans, Uratha heal very fast (sometimes in a matter of seconds) and can theoretically regrow limbs and organs (which is accompanied with a great deal of effort). An exception to this rule are wounds caused by silver. These wounds have a resemblance to burns and only heal very slow and with difficulty. The Uratha are immune against normal diseases and most foreign particles are expelled from their bodies very quickly.

The metabolism of a Uratha is faster than that of a human and so they have to eat more. What they can eat depends on their personal taste and the form they wear at the moment. Most prefer meat, but a vegetarian diet is also possible (but very difficult).

Uratha can only reproduce with humans, but the chance that the child will be a Uratha is very small. Reproduction with wolves is not possible and a mating between two Uratha can result in the birth of a Spirit monster (mating with other Uratha is considered as a serious sin).




If you have read this far and are still interested, thank you. I would like to note that all that is listed here is referance only and we can change the rules and taboos as needed to tell the story that we as writers wish to tell. This idea is only derived from the mentioned source, but in no way has to follow it step for step.




Rather and making people download the informational pdf of this  idea, I am including it here:

https://elliquiy.com/elluiki/images/a/ad/Werewolf_The_Forsaken_Demo_Full.pdf

helvorn

I am very, very interested in the game.  Actually I quite like Kate and would like to play her essentially as-is.  What is the next step?

Cold Heritage

Tentatively interested. I wonder why the game is going to be Extreme. What sort of content do you expect to have? The other thing I think that might be worthwhile is to abandon the aspects of the Oath that forbid werewolves from mating with one another, and dispensing entirely with the murderous spirit-child that canonically results from a conception between two werewolves.
Thank you, fellow Elliquiyan, and have a wonderful day.

AndyZ

Tentatively interested.  I know the setting pretty well and have played WtF but am very rusty.

I imagine that the reason for Extreme is the sheer amount of blood and gore common to Werewolf, but I may be wrong.
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FallenFeather

I'm interested. Been itching for a good werewolf rp :)

dapoet

Quote from: helvorn on October 31, 2012, 11:47:03 PM
I am very, very interested in the game.  Actually I quite like Kate and would like to play her essentially as-is.  What is the next step?

Next step would be to apply with a CS, making any changes in her that you would like to make and giving her a face so we know what she looks like, which of course could be changed from the listed as well as her name.

Quote from: Cold Heritage on October 31, 2012, 11:55:38 PM
Tentatively interested. I wonder why the game is going to be Extreme. What sort of content do you expect to have? The other thing I think that might be worthwhile is to abandon the aspects of the Oath that forbid werewolves from mating with one another, and dispensing entirely with the murderous spirit-child that canonically results from a conception between two werewolves.

I chose Extreme because of the potential blood and gore, but not only from the werewolves, but also from the other creatures that they battle. There is a lot in this that isn't very nice in my opinion and wanted to have all our bases covered. The setting being placed in Extreme, doesn't mean that it has to actually go to the extreme, it's just a safety net so we have the option.

The mating of wolf to wolf has been discussed previously by others that have shown interest. At this moment I am looking at either removing it, or having it as a taboo, but in either case the Spirit Monster will be removed. The rest of the rules (Oath) I think are good and can be altered or added to to meet our needs.

Quote from: AndyZ on November 01, 2012, 12:27:34 AM
Tentatively interested.  I know the setting pretty well and have played WtF but am very rusty.

I imagine that the reason for Extreme is the sheer amount of blood and gore common to Werewolf, but I may be wrong.

Rusty or not you would be welcome, someone that has world knowledge is always helpful. I don't plan to follow it word for word and plan to adapt it, but you are certainly welcome.

Quote from: FallenFeather on November 01, 2012, 02:02:18 AM
I'm interested. Been itching for a good werewolf rp :)

Please look over the information and submit an application. I am thinking of limiting the pack of Max Roman to 6 three female and three male, but as you will see there are a lot of other options as well, so while the were's are the central characters, they are not the only characters.

One change that will be made which should be noted. The wolves will be intelligent in mind and function as you would expect and I like the idea of different stages, but ultimately their, what I will call wolf form, will not be humanoid, they will look like a wolf, either from the movie Blood and Chocolate or Twilight as an example of that look. I think size will be that of a wolf, Twight's seem larger than normal as I recall, but felt I should mention that as well should that change anyones minds about applying.

FallenFeather

Cool cool! Just waiting on a cs so I can start creating a character :)

dapoet

Quote from: FallenFeather on November 01, 2012, 04:55:05 AM
Cool cool! Just waiting on a cs so I can start creating a character :)

There will be one later today.

helvorn

I prefer that the wolf form be 'wolf' rather than humanoid.

dapoet

Quote from: helvorn on November 01, 2012, 10:06:14 AM
I prefer that the wolf form be 'wolf' rather than humanoid.

They will be. When we have the pack cast, then we will work out the specifics so we are all on the same page on how they behave in general, and their other abilities an things like that. When we move to the groups then I will take all the info we decide on and make something of a lexicon for the info for ourselves and any readers we may have.

AndyZ

If I understand helvorn's question correctly, she wants to be able to transform into a full wolf, rather than switch between human and the stereotypical wolfman.

In the game, you actually have a total of five choices to pick from.



Forms

Hishu - human form. A werewolf appears to be a normal, if very fit and healthy, human. An unconscious or dead werewolf returns to this form. This is the form most werewolves are most comfortable with.
Dalu - near-human form. The werewolf is significantly bigger, hairier and stronger. Ears, teeth and nails are slightly pointed and the face is more angular. Facial hair is noticeable even on females. This form reacts in a similar manner as that of the human form.
Gauru - wolf-man or war form. Half-human, half-wolf, the Gauru form of werewolf are generally 8 to 9 feet (2.7 m) tall and much heavier and stronger than any human. In this form a werewolf's blood-lust rises to the surface and is much harder to control. Werewolves can only channel the power of the Gauru form for a limited time, and generally only take this form to kill. This forms’ reaction towards chemicals is nearly impossible to predict and a werewolf takes this form automatically when he enters Death Rage.
Urshul - near-wolf form. A werewolf in this form is a huge wolf 3 to 5 feet (1.5 m) high at the shoulder, resembling the extinct dire wolf. This form reacts in a similar manner as the wolf form.
Urhan - wolf form. The werewolf is indistinguishable from a normal grey wolf. Depending on the area where the werewolf comes from, respectively which area shaped the majority of his ancestors, this form differs. If there are grey wolves in the area, this form looks similar to these wolves respectively similar to other canines like the African wild dog, dhole, or red wolf (but never like domestic dogs) . Some werewolves of Africa and the Near East even developed forms similar in coloration and to a certain extent build of hyenas.[3]

Although I'm good with using all five, if that proves too complex for people who are entirely new to the game, I'd be good with only keeping the human, wolf and middle forms.  If so, however, I'd recommend that the middle form could be kept indefinitely, unlike the game where you can only hold it so long.

((Dapoet, if I'm overstepping, let me know and I won't make posts like these again.))
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dapoet

No I appreciate the information, maybe we can work it out that all can be used, but for different purposes? I have only done this as a story rp, so practical knowledge in addition is very helpful.

AndyZ

Yeah, I've got a decent amount of practical knowledge on the system ^_^  That can translate over into story.  At the very least, even if I can't come up with anything for a character, you can hit me up for questions about stuff.
It's all good, and it's all in fun.  Now get in the pit and try to love someone.

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If I've owed you a post for at least a week, poke me.

dapoet

Quote from: AndyZ on November 01, 2012, 01:38:34 PM
Yeah, I've got a decent amount of practical knowledge on the system ^_^  That can translate over into story.  At the very least, even if I can't come up with anything for a character, you can hit me up for questions about stuff.

Okay, yeah I can certainly keep that in mind.

dapoet

Basic CS is below I added an age blank as it might be interesting if ages are known how different generations react to different things. I played one story a long time about for instance where a new werewolf was almost always angry and it was the older ones that were better at hiding what they were, they were also much much stronger




Name:

Age:

Background:

Description:

Equipment:

Virtue/Vice:

Tribal Vow:




I left the bio pretty well untouched except for the age blank. I removed the quote, but left the Tribal Vow. It might be interesting as the pack is made up of many Tribes I believe, so I think it will be interesting if we want to explore the idea of tribes that don't get along as an example of being forced to work together.

FallenFeather

What are the different tribal vows that we can have??

dapoet

I think it's part of the tribe section in the info,  If it is easier for everyone, me included, we can remove that as well. Most of what I have seen is really an allegence to their tribe. But that said. We can change this however we want and not concentrate on the various elements if it will be simpler.

For the most part what drew me to this is the differences being forced together under one "man" to fight darkness. And a number of the plot ideas are really good too..LOL. But all that said, anything that we have there that will be too confusing we can remove, or if there are other things that are more necessary.

Tydorei

I'm interested if I get to kill some vamps down the line.

dapoet

Quote from: Tydorei on November 01, 2012, 05:25:24 PM
I'm interested if I get to kill some vamps down the line.

LOL..I think we can work something out. Once the applications start in one form or another, so we have the pack, then I will add the leader and my other which is part of the pack and start to construct the plots we would like to see, vamps are always a fav of mine.

Basically until the apps start to appear I can't build the pack..

helvorn

I'm not adverse to the middle form, especially if it is limited to a blood rage/combat situation.  Ultimately I'm not terribly fixated on what forms are available and will go with the pack consensus.  Woof!

dapoet

Perhaps what we can do is handle it this way, as the human form is the one they all prefer the most..that is the primary..the full wolf is one that allows them to protect, but not necessarily scare those that are protecting. The ones in between are used for various reasons as said in their descriptions, that way if it's a situation were they need brute strength, but not particularly the full wolf..they a have that..and so on and so forth.

Too maybe it's something to consider if each tribe with in the pack maybe focuses on a specific form, as an example..Helvorn's character will be married or at least a mate to another (I know this from PM's) Perhaps their preferred forms are human and full wolf, but can be the others when needed. Others might prefer to be the half and half becuase it relates better to how that hunt or deal with situations.

dapoet

#21



Name: Max Caine (Pack Founder)

Age: Unknown

Background:

Max Caine comes from a long line of werewolves that dates back centuries, some even say that he does as well. He is a skilled diplomat and has brought together many multi-tribal packs with varying success.

A private man, few know his true nature or really much of anything about him. He has one daughter that assists him and while she is believed to be human, that has never been proven either.

Description: Max Stands a muscular 6'4, he has the body of a Marine and proudly has served in many wars, both as a human and as a wolf. It was not easy, but many lives were saved due to his bravery and many loyalties formed because of it as well.

Equipment: Usually dressed in a business suit or casual office wear, looks like the ultimate polician some have said, or a cop.

Tribe: Storm Lords

Marie Reynolds

I have a Ghost Wolf concept I would love to play if you are letting the Ghost Wolfs be involved.

dapoet

#23





Name: Henry Stone

Age: 27

Background: Hank Stone is a smart man, not as smart as he often thinks he is, but it didn't stop him from creating a chain of blogs that were designed to be used as self-help for men, he designed them, wrote most of the articles and stated his position on a number of issues. And was an overnight success.

Hank has been married to Kate Stone for five years and while both are werewolves have found a common bond and love for each other that seems to transcend tribal differences.

Description: Hank is 6'0” and carried a solid build, dark hair and eyes that seem to change with his mood, though are usually blue.

Equipment: Hank is usually dressed in shorts and a t-shirt or casual attire, athletic like his wife, he will run with her many times trying to get her to loose her breath, it has never happened, but he loves to make her sweat.

Tribe: The Bone Shadows

dapoet

Quote from: Marie Reynolds on November 01, 2012, 07:09:04 PM
I have a Ghost Wolf concept I would love to play if you are letting the Ghost Wolfs be involved.

What's the concept? It would be easier to decide if we know what you have in mind.