[Other] Into the Jaws of Oblivion

[Nade]

Game Name Into the Jaws of Oblivion

Game System Other Roleplaying Games

Theme A dangerous trek across a ruined world whilst being pursued by dangerous entities

Flavour Dark Post Apocalyptic Collaborative Storytelling

Plot Summary The End of All Things When the end came, we were not ready. But then, how could any of us predict what was to come on that fateful day? It began when the sky itself split open with an eruption of inky blackness that obscured the sun beneath its black embrace. At first we all thought it was an eclipse of the sun and moon. The truth of it though soon became quickly apparent, that this was no eclipse — this was a rift that had opened up a gate into the netherworld. First came the bodiless spirits, dreadful keening spectral beings who’s terrible song caused those who listened to it to go mad. Stripped of humanity, these men and women who were once human turned into mindless feral beings, tearing those who stood in their path limb from limb and devouring them. This in itself would have been bad enough, yet worse was to come. Those who died that night would not stay dead. Almost as if the black rift had the ability to deny souls their passage to the next life, the dead rose once more as decaying rotten husks that once lived. Inflicted with an insatiable hunger, their only need was to feed on the blood on those few that remained alive. A single scratch from their rotten fingernails would cause their victims to decay slowly from within, until finally they died in excruciating agony before rising as a living corpse. That was not the end of it. As the rift boiled again, spitting forth a vast horde of twisted, nightmarish creatures, I knew.....we all did, that this was the end of all things. Against this, humanity could not stand. We lost contact with the world at large as our own country fell. It was not until long afterwards that I realised our own hubris had brought us to this point — yet by then it was too late. ~ A first hand account of the rifts arrival, recorded in an ancient journal now lost in the ruins of civilisation. It has been thousands of years since the coming of the rift. In that time, the world before this Age of Eternal Night has become nothing more than a faint and ghostly memory, spoken of in nothing more than whispered stories spoke of over a covered campfire. Now, the bodiless dead and the shambling corpses have claimed the remnants of this world as their own. And while there are still some isolated pockets of people cowering within the shadows of broken stone buildings, civilisation has long since disappeared, torn apart between the claws and screams of the dead. The living are a sad and pathetic lot, reduced to nothing more than scurrying around like rats concerned with nothing than their continued survival. The broken world is bleak, it is cruel and it is brutal. Yet, for a collection of poor, desperate souls, their lot is about to change. Forced from safety by a catastrophic event, they are forced to flee for their survival chased by the living dead and the dead living. In their hands they come into possession of a strange item that may, just may, possess the means to close the rift once and for all. This item makes them hunted, not just by the dead but the living also, possession of such an artifact by those with more nefarious thoughts would be terrible indeed. And, beyond all of them, the true architect of the cataclysm watches them with covetous eyes..... Pitch Hello everyone, my name is Nade and for this game I want to try something a little bit different. This game is a collaborative storytelling game that will be using the Rosette Diceless Roleplay rules, of which a sample can be found of here, and more info and resources here This is a collaborative effort and will be treated as such, although I have set the overarching scene and storyline for the game I will be introducing a character of my own design too as described below. Although I will set the scene and the encounters, you will receive more freedom than usual to resolve encounters both combat and roleplay. For example, if you are defeated in a combat encounter you will suffer what the game terms a “Consequence”. The nature of that consequence however is entirely up to you to decide and roleplay. You could suffer an injury, you could be knocked out, that is for you to decide on. At this moment in time do not worry about the rules, if you are interested in playing a heavily role-play based game focussed on character interactions and developments whilst using a diceless mechanic to simulate encounters quickly and seamlessly then please feel free to give this a try and apply. If you like the thought of this at the moment I am only looking for a concept as outlined in the below format. Name: Age: Appearance: Personality: Background: For ease of reference I’ve included a few details of the setting below to aid in helping you develop your characters:- Setting: Post Apocalyptic Earth. Starting Location: The ruins of London, the characters will begin inside a ruined building that they have been using as shelter. Outside that shelter the dead freely roam. Technology Level: Modern technology no longer exists. You might, over the course of the adventure find firearms that still work you will not begin with any, and they will be no more advanced than a simple pistol. Will there be magic? Quite possibly, although you will not begin with it, it will need to be found. Tara Rosencourt Name: Tara Rosencourt Age: 24 "The world is dead. Would you want to die never lying in your bed clutching at the cover around your chest, or do you die staring down your killer face to face knowing that you have done everything you can to defy your fate before you go. I'm going to die anyway, but at the very least I will not die a coward." Appearance With her pale countenance and dark eyes, and framed in her dark clothing, you would be forgiven for thinking that Tara was a shadowy wraith sent from the netherworld. And in some ways, that is a perception that the quiet and softly-spoken girl would like others to think. Framed in black, and with the grace and poise of an ethereal being, Tara drifts from place to place almost as if she was one of the bodiless dead. Her countenance is one of pure, cold ice. Yet despite her somewhat ghostly visage, Tara is absolutely nothing more unusual than a young woman barely into adulthood in this shattered and broken world. What she has found however, with her dark clothes and dark hood cast over her head, is that she is able to blend into the darkness and shadows, passing from sight from those who would seek to do her harm. Although her dark eyes are strangely endearing, if one were to look closely into them, they would see inside them a hint of something.....a deep and dark sorrow perhaps that the girl seeks to conceal unto herself. A shadow of something that she does not speak of to anyone. Personality Whilst Tara's appearance appearance and visage is that of cold and pale ice, her personality itself is the exact opposite. Although softly-spoken and generally quiet, Tara's character is borne from the hottest of fires. The spirited girl is not one to go meekly and quietly to her grave -- she thinks, nay knows that she will die fighting for what she believes in, and if that is indeed the price that she pays in refusing to surrender then she will gladly pay it. Perhaps dangerously so, Tara's fiery personality is complimented by an altruistic streak. She recognises that there are those who do not have the strength to fight for themselves, and she will fight for them irrespective of the cost. And there are times that the cost is great indeed. Headstrong, recklessly so, although Tara tries to help -- tries to fight back, there are times that it is to the detriment of those that she fights for. There are times that her beliefs and her "I'm going to spit in the face of all those who would fight against me" attitude has brought unwanted attention down on those that she fights for, leading to sometimes tragic outcomes -- tragedies that she carries with her to this very day, carrying on her shoulders a weight that belies her nineteen years. Tara has a deep-rooted belief in mysticism and the occult. She looks for signs and portents and follows them sometimes in the blind belief that there is a greater power that is still watching down on the remnants of humanity. There are no reasons for this belief, no reasons for the actions that she sometimes chooses to take, save that she believes it to be the right thing to do. It is these beliefs in signs and portents that have led her to a group of ragged survivors hiding in a dilapidated apartment block. Background There is little known about the somewhat secretive Tara Rosencourt. She claims that "her dreams" have led her to be in this place with the other survivors, and that this is where she needs to be. If pressed, one can discern that Tara has no significant family or others to call friend, she appears at first glances to be a drifter going from place to place on her own, following whatever course she happens to believe is the right one. However she came to be here, she is here. Whatever the future holds, it is about to unfold. More will be revealed about Tara as the game progresses..... About Rosette Diceless Roleplaying This will be my first attempt at narrating a game using a diceless role-playing system, and I'm still very much in the process of learning the system as I do so. I will probably (read: likely) make mistakes as I do so, so please be gentle with me . It is my belief that when applied to a PbP game that using a diceless roleplaying system to complement freeform roleplaying will lead to something quite memorable and spectacular - it is certainly my utmost intention to make it so. When creating a character, you will have seven points to allocate between the attributes Mind, Body and Charm, with a score of 1 being unremarkable and the highest, 5, being world-class. These three attributes will be boosted with a series of traits and skills (both positive and negative), that you will take on character creation. I will define an example set of traits and skills but you are able to (and encouraged) to create your own to make your character unique with their own set of abilities. Essentially, both combat and non-combat encounters consist of you using your attributes and skills to make what would be an "attack roll" in a normal D&D game. The skills and traits essentially provide you with modifications to your final attribute score used for that encounter or provide you with some other unique benefit. If that score in turn, equals or exceeds either the target's relevant defense score, or a target number (TN) provided by myself, then it is deemed a success. Please, feel free to read over the rules excerpt here for a quick overview. If you like the sound of this and the game as a whole, I would encourage you to apply using the template above. At this point in time, I'm not too concerned about the mechanics of character generation, more the character concept as a whole. If you are interested, I'm happy to take whatever time is needed to teach you the rules for the game, and we can work on it as we are going through it. I'm not setting a closing date for this as I'm not expecting to be overwhelmed with applications - instead I will close the ad as soon as I have all the characters I need for the game.

[Begon Ugo]

Kieran Kelly Name: Kieran Kelly Age: 41 “It's the end of the world every day, for someone.” Appearance A large, broad shouldered man, Kieran's face is covered by an unruly fiery beard that reaches down to rest on his chest. Only 41 years old, Kieran's eyes, a beautiful hue of green, are shaded by a heavy brow, haunted by unspoken pain. His face is weathered and cracked, with deep furrows of doubt and worry across his forehead. Kelly wears a black beanie cap pulled tight on his head, giving the man a menacing appearance that he does nothing to belie. Personality Kieran Kelly is a quiet man... stoic. He doesn't put much stock in fancy words... high minded ideals... the time for that passed long ago. As far as Kelly is concerned, surviving is something that takes doing... not discussing. The large man is a gentle giant who sees it as his responsibility to look after what he calls his tribe... his small band of survivors. While taicturn at times, Kelly has an inner warmth that glows brightly for those he has accepted into his flock. Kieran would surely sacrifice himself for his friends if it ever came to that. Kelly's goal is to make sure that this never needs to happen and so he watches over those close to him like an overprotective father. Slow to anger, Kieran is a force to be reckoned with when provoked and people have learned to beware his angry glare. Background Kieran does not waste much time talking of himself. He is good with his hands, not so much building but more the repairing side of things. He has mentioned in passing... usually in times of extreme frustration... a woman with the name Siobhan. The name slips out in a tirade of curses that usually ends with something being thrown and Kelly sitting exasperated as he looks to the ceiling, repeatedly whispering her name. When asked to elaborate, Kieran has responded with a look that explains clearly that the conversation is over. Kieran Kelly speaks with an Irish brogue and has mentioned coming across the water when he was younger man.

[Silverfist]

What posting rate would like? Once a week, Twice a week?

[Nade]

I’m pretty relaxed when it comes to posting rates. I balance my gaming against a full-time job and two kids in the house, so I think maybe two posts a week would be more than enough for me.

If the group manage to exceed that amount then great, I’ll roll with that, likewise if the pace is too fast I’m also happy to slow down as needed.

[Nade]

Very shameless bump, I only really need about 2/3 more takers to start the game if anyone fancies giving this a try

[Begon Ugo]

C’mon people!!! Pure RP! Where’s all those awesome applications?!?

[mobby]

Hope Stetson name: Hope Stetson age: 23 Everyone’s going somewhere. Where are you going? appearance Hope is a scrawny young girl with a tangled curly mess of hair. She carries a mysterious green canvas bag over her shoulder that seems to weigh nearly as much as she does. Her clothes are handmade & more colorful than the garb of a typical traveler. She has a bad habit of humming to herself as she walks — her brother Todd used to scold her for it. He used to say singing had no use, & that they stuck out like a pair of sore thumbs already. personality Hope’s sheltered youth has left her woefully unprepared for the reality of this blasted world. She tends to watch conversations from afar, wide-eyed, struggling to understand, perhaps laughing oddly at something that seems funny only to her. Hope isn’t quick to trust anyone. But once you prove there’s some good in you Hope becomes foolishly dedicated & fiercely protective. background Hope grew up far from here, although she couldn’t tell you the name of the place. Her parents ran a homestead of sorts, a safehouse in the country. They lived with some uncles & cousins there. They raised Hope & her brother Todd there as best they could. They tried to lead a good life amongst the trees & deer & creeks. But a life like that could never last. Eventually, like it always does, the darkness crept in. Hope was working one of the gardens one morning when she saw a man slumped over on the other side of the community’s chain-link wall. She called for help — the man was in bad shape — & foolishly, they let him in. He said his name was Elias. He told a delirious story about a mad flight through the woods. They fed him, clothed him, & in the night… He set their world ablaze. Hope managed to escape the fire with her brother Todd. She carried a bag of books, he carried a bag of seeds. Together they had all they needed to rebuild the community of their childhoods. They've been traveling ever since, searching for a place to rebuild. Perhaps someday, somehow, they'll regain contact with their family, if they survive. But Todd & Hope have lost each other. & now, in this ruined building with these unfamiliar people, Hope is beginning to lose herself.

[Nade]

@Begon Ugo, @mobby, I’m certainly happy to accept both characters into the game. I’m just waiting for another 1-2 applications to come in and we can make a start.

[JaredSyn]

Bastian Haarstad Name: Bastian Haarstad Age: 29 “If you don't like the way the world is, change it.” Appearance Bastian is a large well muscled man standing just over 6 feet in height. His body is toned and athletic, from years of fitness training. His eyes are a dark blue, and his hair a sandy blondish brown in color and kept short. His beard is similarly colored and typically well groomed. Personality Bastian is an outgoing and friendly guy who genuinely cares for others. Even with his impressive size and rugged good looks, he has never been one to treat others poorly. As a young boy Bastian was bullied which led to his efforts in the gym changing his life. Growing up in the world was difficult enough but Bastian worked hard and taught himself to survive. Bastian is the type of person who would give the shirt off of his back to someone in need. Background Bastian was born and grew up in Norway. From an early age he was average sized and do to moving frequently due to his father's work they moved around a lot which meant he often had very few friends and was picked on frequently being the new kid. Going to his father he told him about what was happening to him in school and his father told him that if he did not like the way he was being treated to do something about it. Bastian took his father's words to heart and began to exercise several hours each day, transforming his growing body. By the time he was in high school he had built himself into a strapping young man, that had no difficulty making friends due to his appearance eagerly being welcomed by most of the other guys and girls. Through High School he played rugby and upon graduating, he joined the Military and served as an officer for several years in the FSK part of NORSOF. After his tour in the military he returned to fitness modeling and was sent to London for training. It was while there that the world turned inside out, and all hell broke loose. Remembering his father's words Bastian has done his best to help people as he is able while staying alive himself.

[Nade]

Looks good to me @JaredSyn. I've got the minimum I need to start this, so as soon as the forum is approved and setup I'll link everyone here. In the meantime I'm also happy to take on 1-2 more if anyone is interested so the application thread will remain open for another week or two.

[bagginses]

Ki Mastersen Name: Ki Mastersen Age: 26 Aw yeah! What's the worse that could happen? Appearance Ki is a wiry young man with some obvious Asian heritage and stands about 5' 9" or so. He sports black dreadlocks and has dark brown eyes with a mischievous twinkle. He usually dons serviceable street clothes like rugged jeans, work boots, hoodie, and a coat in darker or neutral colors although he carries a rucksack with various odds and ends that includes a few more colorful pieces. He usually wears a cheerful grin and naturally is never still - whether it's bouncing on his feet, playing with his hair, or cracking his knuckles - unless he has a need to be. He carries a beat-up skateboard. Personality Averse to hard work, Ki relies on his quick mind and even quicker hands to get things done. That said, he is also open to trying nearly anything, but he avoids the really dangerous ones because the world, dark and tragic that it is, is still full of wonderful experiences and dying early would limit the number of those tried. He also has an affinity for material objects because they're cool to have, but also because they can purchase access to even more experiences. Being open and spontaneous also leads him to being outgoing with other people. He has an easy laugh and seems a tad gullible at times. Of course, he has found that people can be a currency too, or perhaps more positively, a gateway to more adventures. Or maybe just more things. Ki is certainly the man to go to if you need something. Background Ki doesn't share much about his background - maybe from shame or just because he's got secrets (possibly to sell). The story that he usually shares is that he grew up in the streets among the ruins of one the bigger cities. He picked up odd jobs here and there while learning how the world worked and how he could hustle it to make it easier for himself. Usually, he avoided too much trouble, but often, he moved from place to place to evade the dark creatures and what passed for the law these days.

[mobby]

we've got some (in some cases literally) good looking characters here !!!!

just to clarify:

It has been thousands of years since the coming of the rift.

is this literal ?

it seems like language & culture would be completely different after thousands of years of post-apocalyptic living.

i just want to make sure we're all on the same page !!!

[Begon Ugo]

Lol! My thoughts exactly! Hence the reason Kieran looks like he has had a few bad decades. According to the history it has been 1000 years so modeling would have been a hilarious past time. I’m looking forward to jumping into this and if anyone wants to work out any connections to Kelly let me know.

He still has the Irish brogue as I pictured that the emerald island got cut off from the main land and Kelly only crossed over to London when Ireland became basically inhabitable.

[Nade]

Oops, my bad. That's what I get from skipping quickly through a post whilst at work . Yes, it has been a long time since the apocalypse so to speak and the world has fallen into a collective ruin. So yeah, @JaredSyn, there are aspects of the background that don't quite fit if you could reword Bastian's background to take into account that the event itself would have taken place a long time before he was born - might need to put that modelling career on hold

[JaredSyn]

Yeah I removed the modeling and college stuff, after noticing that LOL.