GENERAL WORLD KNOWLEDGE:
- This world is not technologically advanced like ours. Think, a medieval-like fantasy world where magic is often the solution (i.e. rather than our modern-day transportation, bigger, more advanced cities use teleportation seals to get around).
- Haven is not the only big city; however, it is the only one able to preach complete coexistence between species. Other places have attempted it, but the hate crimes ran rampant. Only a few small villages and towns have successfully managed.
- There is no one government or ruling system in place. Every city, town, and village is run differently. Haven follows a monarch-like system where the Founder reigns supreme.
- Subject to more additional information as time passes.
-
Here is a document containing more in-depth worlbuilding.
WARNING: This roleplay will explore darker topics such as trafficking, drugs (or abilities that induce effects similar to drugs), sex workers, murder, blood, discrimination, gore, etc.. Haven is not a good place, full disclosure now. If you have a question, comment, or concern about one or more of the above topics, please reach out to me and I'll do my best to accommodate!
RULES:
- Respect your fellow roleplayers. If someone expresses something they are not comfortable with, you are expected to listen and respond accordingly.
- Wait your turn to reply. We'll go in the order that people first respond to the starter post.
- Cursing, as well as graphic violence/depictions of blood, are at this point and time, allowed.
- Keep your characters realistic. The only limitation I ask is that you don't make them overpowered or omnipotent.
- Stick to one character, please! I broke this rule in order to guide the plot without breaking character.
CHARACTER CREATION:
Name:
Species:
Age:
Gender/Pronouns/Sexuality:
Powers/Abilities: (Remember, don't make them overpowered! If you give your character more than one ability, make sure they're related. Don't make them telepathic AND able to lift three tons. Instead, consider telepathy and telekinesis as more coherent package deal!)
Appearance:
Biography: (Add as much or as little as you want; just make sure YOU know your character's history!)
Personality:
Accommodations/Weapons/Support Items: (Optional, but particularly useful if your character is a human or has a power with backlash!)
*Please note that you are more than welcome to hide the specifics about your character if you wish to reveal them later throughout the story.
- I originally planned on giving a guide on a few popular supernatural creatures as an example, but I think I'm going to leave it open to interpretation so it doesn't limit anyone's character. Don't be afraid to cram world/character-building into things! It's what I plan to do.
For convenience, I've posted all involved characters below:
@Veere
Name: Malleb "Mal" Delune
Species: Ḥ̵́µ̶̥̍m̵̭̔å̸̢͌ñ̶̺̈ ̷̰̐?̶̗̽
Age: Twenty-five
Gender/Pronouns/Sexuality: Male, he/him, pansexual.
Powers/Abilities: Shadow Manipulation; Mal's able to control and bend the will of nearby shadows at the steep price of his deteriorating sanity. To avoid risking losing himself, Mal sticks to low-level manipulations that barely take any effort to maintain. His weakness is the dark, as his shadows become far less defined and able to grasp. Pitch black renders his powers useless, while dawn and dusk are when he is most powerful.
Appearance: About 5'9" and very well-built from all his training. Mal has a dark complexion from living all his life under the sun's wrath, also evidenced by his dark brown hair that has gold and red highlights when he steps in the rays. This hair is just long enough to cover his eyes, the right of which is scarred and permanently blind while the other is a dark brown, almost black with flecks of gold in them.
Biography: Mal is the only child of a poor fisherman whose wife perished in child labor. He grew up emulating his father—his personal hero—always striving to follow in his footsteps. He was, however, also a meddlesome child who liked to cause more trouble than he could handle. Having been raised in a village that both feared and detested supernaturals, Mal, at the incredibly intelligent age of fifteen, decided to act on his inherited prejudice by trying to steal a witch's incomplete spell. She caught him red-handed and, in a fit of rage, cast a curse on the boy in retaliation. The curse was aimed to make him a part of the very shadows he used to try and hide, but something about the curse blended with the unfinished spell and mutated Mal in a way neither anticipated. Mal managed to escape to his father, who, fearing for his safety, packed his things and told him to flee the village. Over the last ten years of unplanned introspection, Mal has had every one of his previous prejudices confronted and challenged, and his perceptions of the supernatural have changed drastically as a result. He began to wonder if coexistence was really possible. His curiosity drew him to Haven as every other idealistic, wondering person was, but he was saved from the price of his nativity by a cynical old shapeshifter who warned him of the hidden dangers inside. She invited him to a meeting held by what, at the time, was merely vaguely referred to as "The Movement"; a group of supernaturals and humans working together to overthrow the so-called utopia of Haven. It was there that Mal learned of the cruelty festering in the famed city, and it was there he had to make his choice: Should he stay and help this motley group save the people in Haven? Or should he save his own skin and continue travelling far, far away? Ultimately, he decided he could no longer turn his blind eye (hah) to the suffering of the many, especially when the many were people like himself—those who wanted to live in peace among species.
Personality: Confident, passionate, and headstrong. He's had years of introspection and experiences that have helped cement his ideals, and he'd sooner risk death or insanity than abandon them. That's not to say he's the perfect Lawful Good type, however, as he's willing to do almost anything to accomplish his goals. Aside from his strong, leadership-like qualities, Mal is quite the softie who enjoys pretty things and good humor. His ultimate wish is to someday settle in peace with friends he considers family.
Accommodations/Weapons/Support Items: He carries a short sword strapped to his lower back, as well as a bundle of what he perhaps misleadingly has dubbed "Spice"—an extremely potent powder that will cause a person to sneeze uncontrollably for a time. His bundle of Spice is also highly combustible, although never to fear! The bundle containing it was made from the scales of a dragon; that is to say, it's completely fireproof!
@Veere
Name: ???
Species: ???
Age: ???
Gender/Pronouns/Sexuality: Male, he/him, pansexual.
Powers/Abilities: ???
Appearance: Small and willowy, around 5'3" in height. Silver hair just barely long enough to be tied back or to hide his eyes when his head is bowed. What little skin can be seen beneath the loose, formal gown he wears is unblemished.
Biography: ???
Personality: ???
Accommodations/Weapons/Support Items: N/A
@ScotchTapeWorm
Name: Chirp Romero
Species: Changeling
Age: 27
Gender/Pronouns/Sexuality: She's a changeling, so biology gets a bit messy, but she goes by she/her/hers. Pan
Powers/Abilities: Obviously, Chirp is a changeling, she has the ability to change her appearance on a whim, looking like someone she has seen before. She can also improvise, piecing together bits and pieces of people she's seen, a nose here, eyes there, but it ends up in uncanny valley, not looking quite human. But it can be used to at least approximate someone she's never seen in person before. If used too much, Chirp reverts back to her true changeling form and is exhausted until she can rest. For flavor, she also can't touch iron, as it burns her like it does to fae and faeries in myth.
Appearance:In her "true form" Chirp has bone white skin and hair, the skin almost clear, letting you see the jumble of organs and bones she has. Hollow cavities for eyes and black veins. For the sake of simplicity however, she does have a preferred standard human looking form. Chirp weighs 210 lbs, but doesn't appear it, the extra weight comes from bone replacements, she has bones of a copper alloy instead of calcium, and the rest of her body has to compensate, so she is startlingly heavy. Stand around 5'5", not particularly tall nor short. Chirp keeps pitch black hair, her hair is cut short, in a fraying outward pattern, it stops at about the nape of the neck, but goes outwards in a fan like shape from the sides. A heart shaped face with eye that are gold with grey undertones. Her skin is lightly tanned but she still managed to look sickly pale. Chirp has broad shoulders that slope downwards with unusually long legs and normal arms. She also has a tiny tattoo of a bird in flight on her wrist and a tattoo of a runic symbol, a complex twisting pattern on her back.
Biography: A changeling is born to the fae, but is swapped at birth with a human child. This is essentially what happened to our changeling girl here, Romero being her human parents last name. She grew slower than other children, but was far too intelligent for her age, which led to suspicions of witchcraft and demons in the child. Her parents, still feeling as if it were their child didn't wish to abandon her, but were eventually persuaded under threat of death to leave the baby in the woods. Forced to adapt, Chirp spent much of her life in beast shapes, learning what she could about human anatomy and behavior from travelers that were hopelessly lost or were willing to speak with her. Chirp found herself pointed towards Haven by a group of refugees, who promised freedom and safety and acceptance. She went out of curiosity and hope, and found out through painful trial and error the city wasn't as pristine as it appeared from the outside.
Personality: Chirp is well.. A chirpy person. While she is perfectly capable of imitating a person she looks like, and infact prefers to act like the person who's face she is using, her personality in the face and body she has claimed is an incurable optimist. She is not easily shaken or surprised and takes everything in stride. Endlessly curious about things. Very pleasant and friendly, but she has trouble picking up on the more subtle human cues involved in speaking rather than body language. Chirp is a crafty person underneath all the smiles, and does what she can to further her goals.
Accommodations/Weapons/Support Items: For weapons, Chirp prefers daggers made from glass or rock, as ferrous are a no go, and she carries around skulls of certain animals, giving her a base to work off of if she hasn't taken a beast form for a long time.
(For how the changeling works, I'm going with a mix of kandra from mistborn if anyone is familiar and the more popular modern depiction of changelings. Her "true" form can't exist on its own for a long time and she does need a body to use when she runs out of extra mass to change shape. But otherwise, she just needs to study a persons face closely for a few moments to remember how to shift into them, though I give Chirp the ability to improvise)
@Jaiden_Truthteller_is_dating_Nyx!
Name: ?
Species: ?
Age: ?
Gender/Pronouns/Sexuality: ?
Powers/Abilities: It is believed that they have telapathic abilities, though it is unconfirmed and suspected to be just a rumour. What is known is that they are a very adept and agile fighter, slicing through groups of 5-10 with relative ease. Their preffered weapons seem to be estocs and longswords, though broadswords, greatswords, daggers, knives and bows seem to be a part of their skillset.
Appearance: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/969540626001404991/?nic_v3=1aAnnw5Ww
Biography: ?
Personality: Is a very quiet individual. Doesn't seem to enjoy the company of living beings. The company of the dead though. . .
Accommodations/Weapons/Support Items: ?
@Icefire
Name: Goes by Soren
Species: (okay I know this is generally supposed to be a short section but I need to explain things) Soren's mother is a pureblood Fae. His father, however, was what was known as a "Corrupted" Fae. This is a Fae who was either cursed or was born to someone who was cursed. Further, his father was demon-possessed. This mixture is incredibly rare, as Fae are rarely, if ever, demon-possessed. What this led to, when Soren was born, was a deep corruption of everything the Fae typically are. He can lie, which no other Fae can. His magic is a corrupted twisting on the Fae's more normal powers of growth and life. Essentially, he should not exist, and is one of a kind.
Age: 25
Gender/Pronouns/Sexuality: Male, he/him. Bi
Powers/Abilities: Power/energy manipulation and amplification. Essentially, he serves as a natural amplifier of other people's powers, but can also steal their abilities/energy for his own use. His amplifier ability is exceedingly rare, as it is a result of a genetic mutation caused by his particular mix of parentage, which made him very sought after. While he can amplify through concentration, his amplification works best through physical touch, or through blood (if he takes someone else's blood, he can steal their abilities. If, however, someone else takes his, they suddenly have far more power to draw on). Think of him like a battery, in terms of amplification. Or a generator. When his amplification is done through touch or through his own concentration, he can take or give it at will. However, when it is done through blood, it doesn't require his consent, and he can just be used. While he has a deep well of energy/power, once it becomes drained it leaves him in a lot of pain, and can even cause his skin to split and bleed. If he tries to draw in too much power, the same thing can happen. His eyes glow, and he may start to bleed from the eyes, nose, ears, and even mouth if too much power is channeled through him at once, whether it's power drawn out or power pulled in. In addition, if he is in pain already, it amplifies his abilities even more, since his body's biology is equating pain with danger, and thinks if it gives more power he will no longer be in danger. Does not need consent or permission or anything in order to take power, he can just take.
Appearance: Soren stands at 5'9", with a slender, almost delicate form. He is white, and rather pale, with skin that almost gleams in the light. He has a fine bone structure, with long, slender fingers. His cheekbones are high and sharp, and he has a sharp jawline. Basically, he just looks…sharp. Beautiful, in a slightly threatening way. His eyes are a very pale blue, almost white, with thick lashes ringing them. His mouth is soft and shaped like a rosebud, with a sweeping, perfect cupid's bow, and he has a button nose. His hair is a shockingly pure white, like snow, and cut in a shorter style. It tends to stick up quite a bit, and that isn't helped by the fact that it is thick and wavy, rather than straight. There is a scar stretching from just under his left eye across the bridge of his nose, and ends midway across his right cheekbone. It's a very old scar, and has faded to a silvery tone. Also has a large scar on his throat in the shape of a band. His whole body is criss crossed with various scars of different shapes and sizes. Often, though, they look more like cracks than something opened by a weapon or a whip; like his skin just tore, which…is the truth. It is the aftermath of his abilities being harnessed too much and too deeply, too often. These scars will sometimes cause physical pain, and can hamper his movements when he is in too much pain. Despite the scarring, however, he is still beautiful, in the way most Fae are.
Biography: Soren's mother knew what he would be before he was born, and did her best to hide before giving birth, as she knew that her son would be sought-after for his rarity. This world was never kind to those like her son. Her name was Siobhan. She was mute, and spoke in sign language. For the first six years of Soren's life, it was just him and his mother, on the run. One day, however, their luck ran out, and Siobhan was killed and Soren was captured. For the next 17 years of his life, Soren was kept as a slave, traded and bought and sold so his abilities could be abused by those who wanted endless power. He was often kept chained, his beauty on display and his blood frequently taken by greedy, powerful people who wanted even more. Torture was also common, in order to make him amplify things even more. He was abused frequently, in all sorts of ways, especially as he got older and was less child-like (even corrupt people often drew the line at directly hurting a child, but once he was a teenager, most of those qualms disappeared). His final owner was a man who delighted in hurting him, and Soren finally lost it one day. He had always been kept with a collar that helped to control his abilities, keeping him from being able to pull and only letting him amplify. One day, he was in so much pain from being hurt and having his power drained to the dregs, that he pushed so hard the collar broke. He ended up completely draining the owner, and destroying everything within a mile and a half radius, simply, from how hard he pulled with his abilities, and then let it all go flowing back out again. The amount of energy that had passed through him in that short of a time left him incapacitated for a few hours, and when he came to, he made his way to the city, living in the outskirts and doing his best to survive. He used his abilities to make money, selling his time or tiny vials of his blood (though he prefers to sell time. Selling blood is too risky). If he had to, he would also resort to prostitution, seeing it as no different from some of his previous owners. He has accumulated more money now, though, and doesn't prostitute or use his abilities for money.
Personality: Soren is quiet, in almost every sense of the word. He doesn't speak often, as he is selectively mute and prefers sign language, and when he does speak, his voice does not tend to be very loud. He is thoughtful and relatively calm, though when he loses his temper it can be explosive, and it takes him a long time to calm down again. Intelligent, but sometimes not knowledgeable, as he didn't receive the best education. At the same time, though, he sometimes does have good information, as much of the free time he did have was spent reading, and those rich enough to purchase him almost always had good personal libraries. Essentially, he often doesn't understand things most people would, but he has a lot of knowledge about things he has read about.
Accommodations/Weapons/Support Items: Again, mainly speaks in sign language, but can speak if he chooses to or needs to. Does not carry weapons, as his abilities are more than enough to defend himself with if necessary. Also carries around bandages and suture tools for if he overextends his abilities and tears.