Rascal Speakeasy (Interest check, Roaring 20's era)

[Mayakterra]

So this is another idea I had, but its less thought out.


The story takes place in the mid 1920s during prohibition era, at one speak easy in San Fransisco called "Rascals"

The story would involve the owner, its employees, contacts (Such as the people in charge of acquiring booze, gangsters who provide protection, crooked cops, etc) and possibly patrons and their day to day romances, interactions, and exploits.

Has a lot of opportunities for some good story elements. Scandals, Organized crime, prostitution, raucous drunken parties, murder, blackmail etc.

Interests? Questions? ideas?

[Le Immortelle]

Oh that sounds lot of fun, count me in!

[TheLovelyMaid]

Sounds good to me. Color me interested :)

[Jazra]

I'm interested. I read a fun fictional book set in the 1920s about a smuggler and his lady once. So now I'm game to try my own hand at the era. Here are a proposed duo. I thought I could play one or both as needed to move scenes along and  have fun. The sketches are very rough, but it will give everyone an idea of this wide-eyed, somewhat naive crime-fighting duo. Also if someone wants to bring in another federal prohibition agent, we could work together or even kill Dan Hart off and give the other agent something to investigate. Ideally, Daisy will lose her virginity and get into one or two Perils of Pauline style situations over the course of our adventures. But I'm very open to taking these characters in many different directions.

Daisy Hart, sister of Prohibition Agent Dan Hart, learned to sing in the choir of her Bible Grove, Illinois hometown Church of Free Evangelical Bible Studies. A fierce advocate of women’s rights and the prohibition of alcohol, Daisy and her brother straight-arrow Agent Hart seek to infiltrate the underground world of speakeasies and illegal smuggling. In addition to being a federal agent, Agent Hart is a crackerjack saxophonist. He and Daisy are posing as jazz musicians and (as he is a tall, dark-haired man and she is a slender blonde) lovers (in a totally platonic fashion and I would expect it to stay there with uncomfortable moments where they attempt to maintain their disguise). She and he use their eyes and ears with an aim toward exposing the evils of Rascals. I would probably use these straight-arrow characters interchangeably to make scenes work.

[Mayakterra]

Update for a possible story-


The story will start out with business as usual for Rascal's, however currently their stock of booze is running extremely low. The previous month, their former supplier of bootlegged alcohol was killed and raided during the midst of a violent gang war between two organizations in the city, one of which is an organization that provides security to Rascals.

Currently Rascals is selling very watered down stock of their leftover cache of alcohol, desperately seeking new leads. At the same time, the undercover cops who are hidden in the establishment are rather frustrated over the lack of activity or possible evidence, worried that the place might shut down from bankruptcy and thus ending the case and possible big break for the cops. On top of that the employees are worried that they might lose their jobs if they can't find a new supplier.

Through some means they make a contact through the organization that provides security with new smugglers who they  can acquire a very good supply of alcohol from. Naturally any deal involving Rascals, a organized crime group, and a bootlegging ring is going to be quite a juicy peach to be picked, so there's going to be a lot of interest in it.


Thus far we have a performer who is an undercover cop and a bouncer/bodyguard bouncer for characters.

I'd like to play the guy in charge of supplying the boozed, but I might have to play the establishment owner if nobody else is interested in doing so. We still could use a few more characters.

[Mayakterra]

Another thought.... 


I was intending on it being in San Francisco but upon looking through different fictional 20's era themed media, as well as researching prohibition I kind of wonder if Saint Louis might be a better locale. You have its rich culture, the fact its near the Mississippi and the coastline, and has a lot of railroad routes through it.

Comments?

[Jazra]

I could make either St. Louis or San Francisco work. I have a better feel for San Francisco, but not in a 1920s sense. So in the end, I'm totally open and no help to you in making up your mind =)

[Le Immortelle]

Name: Shara Thorn
Age: 27
Hometown: San Francisco
Appearance: http://i51.tinypic.com/312viqg.jpg
Public Occupation: Front Desk Clerk at the Pride Hotel
Private Occupation: Member of the Frisco Thorns
Job at Rascals: Providing muscle and booze to the Rascals and running some errands if necessary.
Affiliations: Rascals, Frisco Thorns
Legal Status: Not wanted at present. Shara grew up on streets, her mother unknown to her and father himself being a criminal. The family moved constantly from one house to another and when her dad got shot during a robbery when she was 16..Shara herself got into the life of crime due to lack of any other option. She doesn't feel any remorse for living the life as a criminal. In fact, on the other hand she enjoys it quite a bit..and is often underestimated by others because she's a woman only to be proven wrong by her. Previous arrests, Shara was jailed once when she and three others were caught robbing a jewellery store and had to spend two years in jail.
Description: Height: 5'11" Weight - 150 lbs Eyes - Brown

[Jazra]

Name: Dan Hart
Age: 27
Hometown: Bible Grove, Illinois
Public Occupation: Jazz Saxophonist
Private Occupation: Prohibition Agent
Job at Rascals:  Performer
Affiliations: Rascals. Bureau of Prohibition.
Legal Status: Undercover
Description: Six feet tall, 165 pounds, jet black hair, steel grey eyes, and the look of a straight arrow, no matter how hard he tries to look the debauched jazz performer.


Name: Daisy Hart
Age: 22
Hometown: Bible Grove, Illinois
Public Occupation: Jazz Singer
Private Occupation: Concerned Private Citizen
Job at Rascals:  Singer
Affiliations: Rascals. Women’s Christian Temperance Union
Legal Status: Undercover
Description: 5’3” tall, 120 pounds, strawberry blonde hair, blue eyes, and a slightly shocked look (and decidedly curious yen to know more) whenever she sees anything at all untoward no matter how much she tries to look the jaded jazz singer. She knows right from wrong and can't help but be a wee bit curious to know more about the wrong side of the equation.

[Mayakterra]

Bringing this back up, I never got it off the ground to begin with but I know some of the interested people are still around the forums.


Also I can probably do a better base write up for the story given the study of the 20's I've been through recently in transnational history.

[wander]

I've got a Call of Cthulhu character I'd easily be able to bring into this, being as he's a 1920's PI with a fair amount of background.

I'm interested in playing if you'd have me. :)

[Joel]

prohibition? hell yes.  throws his name into this

[la dame en noir]

hmm

how would this work...for a woman of color lmao

[Mayakterra]

hmm

how would this work...for a woman of color lmao

Well the 20's was an era of Jazz music and colored performers. I would cite Josephine Baker as an example (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Josephine_Baker)

Most likely a colored woman would be a lounge singer or some kind of exotic stage dancer that does Burlesque entertainment for the speakeasy's clients.

Additionally its possible she could have just married a non prejudiced successful white male and became rich enough on her own to avoid some segregation of the 20's.

[la dame en noir]

Oh no

I know all about the 20s, Josephine Baker, and Burlesque. I'm just meaning for this rp in general.

[Mayakterra]

Whatever you like. :)

I'm a DM at heart, I like to make a world and setting, place some rules and important people and groups here and there... then open it up to the players. It's completely a collaboration.

So basically the sky is the limit. What did you have in mind?

[wander]

Would the bios as given above be the default format for the game or would you like the characters done in another way?

Just want to know what the best way my character can be handed over, is all. :)

[Tinkertoy]

This is just calling out to my inner gangster's moll. The kind that dangles from her mobster's arm like the most precious diamond encrusted watch. A gal that is all finest chinchilla coats and no panties...colour me interested.

[Joel]

I haven't any idea what exactly im making but I know he's gonna be the villain.  a rival gangster to the group providing rascal their security.  it's a turf war and he wants rascal to play by his rules.

If it's St. Louis I'll start poking around on it's history.  Although, why did you decide not to do the East Coast where generally this genre is set?

[Mayakterra]

I haven't any idea what exactly im making but I know he's gonna be the villain.  a rival gangster to the group providing rascal their security.  it's a turf war and he wants rascal to play by his rules.

If it's St. Louis I'll start poking around on it's history.  Although, why did you decide not to do the East Coast where generally this genre is set?

Sounds good for a character! I like it!


As far as your other question, the process in which my mind builds worlds is not... linear so to speak. It gives me ideas and it creates and I work with it but sometimes I have to take what it gives me. The speakeasy that I created doesn't really fit into the east coast with the terrain and setting, plus I've also lived in St. Louis before so I understand its geography.

I kind of want to get away from the very well known Al Capone style of Gangster and wanted to move more to the Midwest to give kind of a low key aspect to the growth. People are well versed in Harlem and New York but this phenomenon occurred across the US. This also gives people and opportunity to learn and see an aspect of the 20's they might never have thought of before.

I think it will make sense when you read the background write up.

[Mayakterra]

I've created a world building thread for all idea submissions, character sheets and other background information (such as real history and story history) to assist you in the collaboration.


I'll come up with a template at some point, but for the moment just wing it with the information you want prevalent.


https://elliquiy.com/forums/index.php?topic=226212.new#new

[wander]

Bookmarked the thread. ^^

I have an idea for my PI being hired by a Femme Fatale, likely a gangster's moll, for some reason and needing to spend time at Rascals for this job. I don't want him to rock too many boats and I'm still working on specific motivations he'll have, though I figure thats a pretty fair way for him to get involved in the game. :)

[la dame en noir]

I will be making a singer from Harlem. I'm just trying to figure out something deeper with her.

[wander]

I'm down for linking backgrounds if you'd like, dame...

Feel free to PM if you'd like to figure things out together.

[Maeve]

Still looking for people? Have any roles in particular you need to be filled?

[Mayakterra]

I do! I'll PM you a link to the Character page and we can discuss some ideas :)

[RubySlippers]

I'm working on a movie star and notorious but rumors only lesbian whose father imports "alcohol for scientific purposes" from South America and can be purified to drink. With ties to the Mafia.

She will seduce anything pretty in a skirt herself and has money from her work investing in boring companies like utilities and ones that provide food. 20 cents of every dollar like her father said to do.  ;D

She recently returned from France.

I figure a customer is important to and she will add color.

[wander]

I'm still open for character background links... I've been struggling to think of how my PI received a membership pin to gain access to Rascals, though I'm assuming another PC passed it to him to investigate something there for him. From there I can figure out a cover for him and set him up with some NPCs. So if anyone has interest in that, having a PI hired by them to do something and they know what that something could be, then please do send a PM my way and lets discuss! :)

[Madriv]

So I just found this thread (after nosing around the world building thread) and I'm here to express interest! In playing "Silver Dollar Sam" Carolla, in particular, big shot alcohol importer and Sicilian mobster from NOLA. When there's a set character sheet I'll go to work on it.

[Mayakterra]

So I just found this thread (after nosing around the world building thread) and I'm here to express interest! In playing "Silver Dollar Sam" Carolla, in particular, big shot alcohol importer and Sicilian mobster from NOLA. When there's a set character sheet I'll go to work on it.

There's a character sheet template on the first post of the world building thread!

[Juggtacular]

What would you think of an Enforcer of sorts who has made himself known as being "that guy you don't want to fuck with". 6'6(huge especially for the time), packed with muscles and scary as a mack truck. On top of that he's got business sense. And he'd of course be at Rascal's as a bouncer or maybe head of security? And due to his let's call it a "checkered past", Rascal's is one of the few places he can find legitimate work. And I know you said sky is the limit with terms to race as long as it makes sense so since he basically got to where he was by being big, strong, ruthless, and having a mind for business that his looks.

So if that character archetype is acceptable, could he be black?

[Mayakterra]

What would you think of an Enforcer of sorts who has made himself known as being "that guy you don't want to fuck with". 6'6(huge especially for the time), packed with muscles and scary as a mack truck. On top of that he's got business sense. And he'd of course be at Rascal's as a bouncer or maybe head of security? And due to his let's call it a "checkered past", Rascal's is one of the few places he can find legitimate work. And I know you said sky is the limit with terms to race as long as it makes sense so since he basically got to where he was by being big, strong, ruthless, and having a mind for business that his looks.

So if that character archetype is acceptable, could he be black?

Absolutely! That would work.

I think my character is going to be the primary head of security, but the Speakeasy could use some intimidating muscle.  A few of the traits of Rascal's can actually help further this along.

1- Rascal's is an unsegregated establishment. The forefathers of Wayton worked with the underground railroad and have always had a vice against the government when it came to freedom inhibiting laws. (Slavery, anti-prostitution, prohibition etc). The only way to be let into the speakeasy from the 'Ton is by presenting a Golden token with the six pedaled lotus flower on it, on the back of all these tokens is written "Enter without Prejudice"

2- Rascals boasts a huge cave for its main room, but a back section has been sealed off by a heavy cast iron vault door and is simply known as "The Vault" only the most elite of individuals, personally known by Wayton, are ever granted access to this exclusive room. This would probably be the primary guard place of a large, muscled black man. From his position at the Vault he can see everything going on within the cave as well as assure only those who are allowed in the vault can access it.

3- With the lack of segregation many of the patrons come to Rascal's to seek out more exotic encounters with dark skinned women. Rascal's likely employs several of these and they probably are all under the watch and security of this behemoth guard.

How does that sound?

[Juggtacular]

Absolutely! That would work.

I think my character is going to be the primary head of security, but the Speakeasy could use some intimidating muscle.  A few of the traits of Rascal's can actually help further this along.

1- Rascal's is an unsegregated establishment. The forefathers of Wayton worked with the underground railroad and have always had a vice against the government when it came to freedom inhibiting laws. (Slavery, anti-prostitution, prohibition etc). The only way to be let into the speakeasy from the 'Ton is by presenting a Golden token with the six pedaled lotus flower on it, on the back of all these tokens is written "Enter without Prejudice"

2- Rascals boasts a huge cave for its main room, but a back section has been sealed off by a heavy cast iron vault door and is simply known as "The Vault" only the most elite of individuals, personally known by Wayton, are ever granted access to this exclusive room. This would probably be the primary guard place of a large, muscled black man. From his position at the Vault he can see everything going on within the cave as well as assure only those who are allowed in the vault can access it.

3- With the lack of segregation many of the patrons come to Rascal's to seek out more exotic encounters with dark skinned women. Rascal's likely employs several of these and they probably are all under the watch and security of this behemoth guard.

How does that sound?

Absolutely brilliant. Could my guy be a close friend of Wayton's? Maybe they crossed paths and Wayton saw him in action and offered him a job? And while not head of security, he helps out as more than just the muscle from time to time since he's not just a tank on legs.

[wander]

I am going to back out of this game, it seems there is no real reason for my character idea to be at Rascals and there's been no interest in joining backstories. I wish you all luck with this game. :)