[Other OPEN] Venice: Masks & Monsters [M]

Dusty · Jan 1, 2016

Masks & Monsters

Introduction

Venice Masks & Monsters is a relaunch of a roleplay that ran here a couple of months back, but died because of inactivity. This version is slightly altered, but carries over a lot of the same stuff from the old version. All of it is included in here. With that comes some extra information, but it's all designed to be optional, and is not required reading. It's included in the post below this one.

Welcome

Venice is a city of mystique and intrigue. People say the city wears a mask. The mask itself is the beauty of the city, the art, the water, the amazing architecture, but underneath that water, and in those buildings, monster live. The city is filled with all kinds of horrors, roaming the streets, blending in with the masses. The city is filled with werewolves, vampires, sirens and demons, lurking between the citizens. Ghosts haunt the cathedrals, ghouls swamp through the cemeteries, and mermaids terrorize the bay.

Venice

Venice is controlled by rich families that control trade. Different families all control different markets, different parts of town, different people even, trying to control the economy of Venice. In this town, cash is king, or doge rather, and people will do everything for money. Gold pieces flow between families and their associates as they pay their debts and loans, and their liquidations and scaring techniques. The power struggle is eternal.

The politics play out in two different ways. Meetings will be held, disguised as masked balls, where family members settle their differences, and in the streets and canals, where people are liquidated, and fights take place. The one thing these things have in common is the masks. Masks are worn at night, to keep identities a secret. Murders and meetings are held with as little personal information as possible. The masks make it possible for the monsters to stand out at night, and blend in at day. Numbers of secret societies arise, where masked figures meet, discussing schemes, and executing them, without knowing anyone's identity. When interacting with supernatural beings, almost everyone wears a mask. The truth about who is human and who is more is hard to come by.

Families

As mentioned above, Venice functions on families. Families are what they imply to be, a group of people related by blood. A family is basically a business, led completely by people from the same bloodline, be it hereditary, or magical in nature. They employ other people to work with them, from private bankers to hitmen. Most of the times, these people are bound to a family, loyal to the people and the steady source of income they supply. Through the way Venetian families try to keep their power, even banks and shopkeepers try to align themselves. The benefits of security and protection are worth a lot in a city as ruthless as Venice.

Families as a roleplay mechanic are fairly simple. Every character will most likely be aligned with a family, or at least affiliated with one. Players can create these families themselves, and have control over them. It is heavily encouraged for multiple players to work with the same family, at which point they share control. When putting up a sign up, people aren't required to add a family to be accepted. You can just put up that you are with a family, and try to see if anyone wants to be in a family together afterwards.

The Arc system

This RP works with the Arc System. The RP is set up to be easily joinable, and you are not having to commit long term to the role play. The story will be divided into arcs. Every arc is meant to be a story that can stand on itself. Sign Up's will be closed while an arc is active, but when the end of an arc nears, they will open up again. Players will be able to join in the new arc, and a summary of information that is important to get in the story will be added. The end of an arc is a good place for people to leave the RP, join the RP, or retire your character and play as a new one.

The supernatural world/setting

The supernatural world in Venice: City of Masks is based on gothic literature, but taking influence from other cultures occultism is allowed too. The monsters in Venice are all of equal intellect as the humans, and can pass as humans. Blending in with the normal society is a big part of every supernatural beings life. The existence of the magic world is public knowledge, but they are mostly feared by the commoners. The Christian faith is very present in the city, and it shuns the magic world. Monsters aren't the only part of this occult world. Actual people can acquire magical abilities, or magically change themselves too. Magic is not something that is easily controllable however, and magical abilities manifest themselves mostly as specific abilities, instead of full control of the magic spectrum. Examples of this are pyrokinesis, teleportation, and transmutation. There are a lot of magical artifacts going around in Venice too, and they are highly sought after. Artifacts are some of the most powerful things in this world.

The city itself is a renaissance representation of Venice. Cars don't exist, nor does steam power. Magic is no big part of a commoner's life, and it plays no big part in the city. On the surface at least. Science is a heavily discussed topic right now, but it's not advanced. Theories about the world start blooming only know, and there is an ongoing struggle with the iron fist of the church. Alchemy is one of the most advanced sciences, and seems very magic in its potential. Transmutation is not unheard of, but the church prosecutes alchemists, which makes it a very secretive science.

A list of common monsters, with a small description:

Spoiler:

Vampires, monsters who live on blood. They are stronger and faster than humans. They have to be invited into a house to enter, but after the invitation they can enter at will. Christian symbolism cripples them, and they dislike sunlight. Vampirism is transferable. If a vampire pierces your skin with their teeth, you will become a vampire too. Vampires normally pierce the skin with other means and drink from the wound, to not infect their prey.

Werewolves, monsters who can change into monstrous half-man, half-wolf beings. In werewolf form, they possess wolf-like traits, and are stronger than humans. They lose cognitive function, however. A big weakness includes touching silver. Lycanthrophy is spread by getting bitten by a werewolf. Werewolfs mostly kill their prey, however, or don't use their teeth to keep the target from turning.

Ghosts, monsters who are the souls of dead people. They can interact with the physical world at times, but are mainly intangible. Ghosts can turn invisible and have limited teleportation. They can be harmed with salt, and pass on if their corpse get cremated. Ghosts are created if someone dies and still has attachment to the physical world. They can also be created by spells.

Ghouls, demons who have taken on the appearance of the first dead body they ate. They are corpse eater, and feed off of rotting flesh. They don't feel pain as we do, and can lose body parts without hurting themselves. They can replace parts of their body with that of other corpses. Ghouls don't remember their lives as demons before they became ghouls.

Mermaids, monsters who live underwater, and eat humans. Their fish tail changes into human legs once they enter land. On land they are just humans in their ability, only almost always beautiful. Once they enter water, their true nature arises. They can breathe underwater, and heal there. They are faster and stronger in the water.

Sirens, monsters who lure humans away to consume them. Their skin rots, and they are unholy in appearance. They have hypnotic capabilities, however, and use these to fit in. Their hypnosis isn't extremely strong, and it's easy to break, but sirens commonly use it to lure lonely humans out of the streets. One of their strongest hypnotic abilities is to make people believe they have a beautiful appearance, which they use to blend in with the masses.

Demons, monsters who possess humans to for their personal gain. Demons are formless beings that take over host bodies. They have limited telekinesis, and can leave and enter host bodies at will. Their main weakness is everything holy. They can't enter holy places, and burn if they touch anything holy. Demons stuck on earth are corrupted spirits, and their is no knowledge about the existence of an after life, beyond being stuck on earth as a demon or a ghost. A demon is born every time a person who lived a life of extreme evil dies. A newly born demon basically gets born out of their sins. Newborns are pure evil, and will do nothing but wreak havoc. A demon can develop new character traits as it's lifespan grows, however.

Draconians, monsters who are the distant descendants of dragons. They look human, but they have dragon like abilities. Their skin is extremely durable, and they can breathe flames. Their legs are scaly, and they have claws instead of feet. Draconians are known for their greed, commonly associated with gold, but this is not always the case.

Faes, monsters who are mostly mischievous in nature. While this mischief may differ from simple trickery, to harmful deceit, they all like to play around. They commonly look childlike. They have very potent reality warping, with which they can change the world around them. It allows them to change objects into others, placing hexes on people, and move things around. It's commonly perceived as magic, but it in actuality it's a form of reality warping. They have a very big weakness to iron however.

Gameplay

Venice combines sandbox elements with a story driven plot. Players will be presented with an arc long story, but they will not be limited to this story. Players are allowed to develop their own characters and stories, and along the way will be presented with opportunities to join the overarching story. The GM will try to use player created plot and characters as much as possible. In the world of Venice, players can take almost any job, and fulfil that. Venice is heavily based in this supernatural world, so involving your character with it is a good way to get in with the action. Big plot points will be interaction between the families, magical artifacts, and dealing with monsters.

You

You are a citizen of Venice, free to roam the city. Most people are affiliated with a family. Either being part of that family, or working for them. Families are what they sound like. Members of the family are all related by blood, and the only way to become part of it is to marry your way in. People that work for families are paid by them. Players don't need to be part of a family, although they are a good way to get involved in the action. Players can be shop owners, street rats, or monster hunters too.

Arc Library

Arc 1 - The Fall of an Empire

Rules

PC rules apply.
This RP is M-rated
No godmodding
No bunnying unless you've gotten permision to do so
Post at least once every two weeks
New races or species cannot be added without permission of the GM
Creating Very strong NPC's should be talked through with the GM
Creativity is encouraged. I'm likely to agree with what you're wanting to add to the story, unless it clashes with the setting
Be respectful. The RP is supposed to be fun for everyone

The Sign-Up Sheet

Name: (Real name, and name used when wearing a mask)

Age:

Gender:

Species: (Can be either human, one of the common monsters, or a requested species. I suggest requesting a species first, and only writing your SU after the GM said you are allowed to use it. This is because they may be denied, or changed to fit the setting better.)

Affiliation: (Your affiliation with a family. If you want to join up with another player and create a family together, but have not decided yet, you can just put YES here, and try to set up a family after that.)

Appearance: (This includes your mask.)

Personality:

History: (This is allowed to be very brief)

Powers/Skills: (Human characters are allowed to have superpowers through magic, while monster can only acquire other magical abilities through artefacts. All extraordinary skills should be mentioned here, however, not just the magic powers.)

Weapons: (The weapons can be anything that was around in and before the late renaissance. This is mostly swords, but small fire weapons are allowed too.)

Accepted players

Sign ups are opened:

- Ice as Maria Insetto
- Foxrally as The Boogeyman
- Ice Goddess as Amarone Vinicio-Vermiglio
- Infinite as Rosabella "Thorn" Vermiglio
- Varys The Galvantula as Pierre Marco Matera
- under_score as Keira O'cuinn
- Godzil as Cynthia "Cindy" MacKenzie
- Oddball_ as Sheog the Demon
- gimmepie as Adalina "Pixie" Capello
- Deceptio as Rowin Odo
- STARDU5T as Gabriel Lorand Vignali
- Kyoke as Carlo De Loca
- Gimmepie as Adalina Capello
- WooliestSteam as Mariano Alberici
- Estrello as Nino Vignali

Important NPCs

Ice1 · Jan 1, 2016

This post includes extra information and background on magical things. The book is something that exists in the world, and is a quite common object in households of people active in the occult. I will try to add to it, and it will contain some extra detail on monsters, if you need that for your post, or if you're just interested. It's certainly not required reading material by any stretch of the imagination, it's just to deepen out some concepts. It will be updated every once in a while too. I'll add new monsters, new species, new big artifacts that need mentioning, that kind of jizzjazz. Everything will be classified, assume that anything classified as Mythical can not be used except with GM's permission. Everything with a rating that isn't Mythical can be used in your posts.

Spoiler:

The Almanac of the Supernatural
A reference for everything supernatural, by Nicolo Nozione

Foreword

Dear reader, this almanac serves one purpose, documenting all knowledge about the supernatural world, and defining the line between science and the occult. In this book, the following definition for the supernatural will be used:

The supernatural is categorized as everything that cannot be explained by the natural sciences, or can be explained by logical argumentation.

This definition does not mean that logic can't be applied to the supernatural, the logic used to explain the supernatural should however not stem from natural sciences, but is more based in observation and experience.

This book will bundle my research combined with information I have collected into a understandable catalogue, being able to be used as a reference if needed.
I have created a classification system to signify the chance of encounter with any of these beings. The top of the list is a relatively high frequency, although they are still relatively rare in comparison to natural and non-magical beings, and the bottom of the list is extremely rare, meaning that they are the only example of this species or may not even exist.

The Nozione Classification system:

Common
Uncommon
Rare
Legendary
Mythical

Part 1: Humanoid Creatures

Chapter 1: Vampires

Classification: Common

Vampires are a common species of humanoid beings. They are born human, but get turned by the bite of another vampire. They share common aspects in their pale skin, and their black hair, although exceptions are certainly possible. Recognizing a vampire is best done by touching them, or inspecting their teeth, although both of these techniques may create a dangerous situation. Vampires have cold skin, and on touch the difference in temperature is clearly noticeable. Their teeth may look normal on first inspection, on a second look hidden fangs will be revealed. These fangs slide over their teeth, and are sharp enough to pierce skin with easy.

Vampires feed on human blood, and human food will turn to dust in their mouths, making blood the only way for them to feed. They can survive on animal blood, but this weakens their power. The blood of a sick man is harmful to them, and they'll avoid it. Vampires have sharpened senses which they use to select their food before they consume it. The blood of a dead man is like poison to a vampire, crippling them, and hurting their ability to function normally.

Vampires exceed most humans in their capabilities. They are more durable than men, being able to survive falls from big heights. They, however, are still breakable, and certainly aren't indestructible. Vampires can still break bones, the force needed is just higher than the force needed for a normal human.

Vampires are stronger than normal humans, their strength being comparable to that of two adult males. They're speed is also increased, together with their agility.
Vampires dislike sunlight, and I reason this is because of their cold skin, but I haven't confirmed this theory yet. They feel physical pain once they see religious imagery, although it has to be sincere and come from a believer. A Jew using the cross to fend off a vampire will not succeed. Vampires can't enter religious ground, such as churches or pagodas without being in extreme agony.

The origins of vampires is unknown, but I have heard theories about them either being descendants of Judas, being Satan's answer to humanity, or being the descendants of a human that mated with a bat. I must say that this last theory seems the least likely to me.

Chapter 2: Werewolves

Classification: Common

Werewolves are a common species of humanoid beings. They are born human, but get turned by the bite of another werewolf. They are shape shifters, being able to switch between a humanoid wolf appearance and a human appearance. Recognizing a werewolf in their human form is incredibly hard, and can be argued to be impossible. An overabundance of scars can be a sign, and body hair can, but they are not great indicators, as normal humans can have these aspects, and werewolves may lack them.

Werewolves feed like humans do, although they will prefer meat, and can't survive on a vegetarian diet. They can digest raw meat in their werewolf form, but their body is the same as that of a normal human when they aren't. Werewolves commonly have aggressive urges, and certain triggers may trigger a conversion in them. Common triggers are the full moon, hunger, and life threatening situations. They can turn at any time, if they are willing, but the transformation can get the better of them, forcing them in their wolf form. They revert once the trigger has disappeared.

There is no consistency in the werewolf memory mechanism. While some may remember their actions as a werewolf, others will not, and there is no way of determining which werewolf will remember their actions, and which won't. There has been theorized that the retaining of memory is linked to how feral the werewolf get when they change, but this is not always the case.
How feral a werewolf is another random factor, but there seems to be a correlation to personality aspects. A man who is aggressive, brutish and uncivil in human behavior, will commonly retain more control of their actions as a werewolf. This also goes up for strong personalities, people who are determinated. What makes the werewolf more feral, and less controlled, is a lack of mental strength.

Werewolves are stronger than humans, comparable to around 5 men, and are incredibly fast. They are more durable than humans, and will regenerate quicker when they are taking on their wolf appearance. Most werewolves trade this power in for a lack of cognitive function. The mind gets taken over by instinctual behavior, instead of rational, but as mentioned earlier, the severity of this varies. Werewolves are weak to silver, for reasons unknown, and if they touch it, it burns as if it were boiling.
The origin of werewolves in unknown at this point, but theorized has been that they are the offspring of Romulus and Remus. I have yet to confirm this theory, but there is evidence of the brothers being werewolves.

Chapter 3: Ghosts

Classification: Uncommon
Ghosts are an uncommon species of humanoid beings. They are the souls of deceased humans bound to this earth. Ghosts can greatly differ in appearance, some looking completely ordinary, while others still show the wounds they had at the time of death. They take on the appearance of the time they mentally identify the most with. So if someone were to die at the age of 70, but they felt like their height of life was at the age of 35, they would walk the earth as a spectral being, of physical age 35.

The way ghosts bind themselves to the physical world is peculiar. Some ghosts live out their life as a spectral being, being mostly intangible, and being more of a spectator to the physical world then a participant. Some ghosts may, however, feel so attached to their previous lives that they bind themselves to the earth, living as they did when they were alive. They spend most of their lives tangible, and visible, and very much interact with the world.

The powers of ghosts manifest in different manners. They appear in two kinds of manifestations, heavily linked to the concepts explained above. Is a ghost is detached to the physical world, it will have trouble interacting with it. It will have trouble with actually moving objects, or visibly appearing for others. On the other side of the spectrum, there are the ghosts that come in existence as physical beings. For these ghosts it's harder to phase through objects than it is to touch them. They have to maintain their invisibility, instead of their visibility.

One thing that seems to plague ghosts is the loss of sanity. If the deceased enters the spiritual plane in pain, or in confusion, they may not understand the situation at hand. Many ghosts who died unpleasant deaths seem to go insane when they leave the corporeal world. Ghosts that are on the earth for a long time share this tendency for insane behavior. The time that is needed to drive a ghost insane varies on the person they were in life.

Ghosts have the ability to blink from one location to another, and they can move objects telepathically. These abilities are inherent upon inception, but they are hard to control. It seems that how well a ghost can handle these abilities depends on how strong they are mentally. Both sides of the mental spectrum seem to have strong control. The leading theory is that it's uncertainty and confusion that hinder the blossoming of these abilities. Ghosts who qualify as 'insane' and as sane and fully aware of their situation seem to have less trouble learning their gifts.

Ghosts are very weak to salt. I suspect that salt's demoisturizing nature affects the soul in the same way, and distorts a ghost's essence.

Chapter 4: Ghouls

Classification: Uncommon

Ghouls are an uncommon species of humanoid beings. They are demons fused to a body they consumed while in ethereal form. They take on the appearance of the human consumed, but their appearance is variable. Because of the nature of ghouls, they can change out body parts for those of others, and their appearance is there for not constant.

Ghouls feed on humans, but only on the deceased. They can function without consuming, but the hunger is an extreme mental urge, that leads on their behavior. A ghoul that has not fed for a long time will start to shake and foam from the mouth, although these symptoms can be remedied. I have heard rumors of ghouls overcoming these symptoms, but I have yet to experience it for myself.

Ghouls are dangerous, in that they don't feel pain, and are of supernatural strength. They don't bleed, and separated body parts can be reattached easily. The most effective way to defeat a ghoul is decapitation. Their head is the center of their being, allowing for the animation of their attached body parts.

A ghoul can animate dead body parts by attaching them to their body, and they'll fuse together with their body. Ghouls usually mimic human anatomy, as this is the ideal form for movement, and they're most capable in this form. Controlling displaced limbs, or animalistic body parts is incredibly difficult, although more ancient ghouls, or ghouls born from ancient demons, can attach and place more freely.

Ghouls, demonic in nature, lose all memories of their lives as demons, and can be regarded as a whole new being. The personality they receive is based on their demonic personality, and their ghoulish needs. The mental state of the person they fed on is completely lost, as they take only meat.

Ghouls are unkillable monsters through physical means. They cannot be disposed of, as they will live on, even as a disembodied head, until new meat has been attached. What can kill a ghoul, is magical. They share weaknesses with demons, being weak to everything holy. Touching or nearing holy matter will hurt them, but not in the same matter as demons. A ghoul can enter a church, and although it will be in immense pain, it will not die. Killing a ghoul is best done by filling its body with holy water, covering it in the ashes of a bible or performing an exorcism. Ghouls can be burned to ashes, but will only burn if the fire is lit by a devout believer.

The best way to handle a ghoul is decapitate it, remove its tongue, and lock it in a chest, taking away its ability to do anything

Chapter 5: Mermaids

Classification: Uncommon

Chapter 6: Sirens

Classification: Uncommon

Chapter 7: Demons

Classification: Uncommon

Chapter 8: Draconian

Classification: Rare

Chapter 9: Fae

Classification: Rare

Chapter 9: Fae

Classification: Rare

Chapter 9b: Hag (Fae sub-species)

Classification: Rare

Chapter 11: Mummy

Classification: Legendary

Chapter 12: Leprechaun

Classification: Legendary

Chapter 13: Spirits

Classification: Legendary

Chapter 14: Oni

Classification: Legendary

Chapter 15: Boogeymen

Classification: Mythologic

Chapter 16: Angels

Classification: Mythologic

Ice1 · Jan 1, 2016

As the GM I am allowed to triple post, right? This CSS was made for NPC characters that some people wanted to make in the last edition. I'll repost it here, for convenience sake. It's not just for NPCs, if you want to create a character but suck at CSS, feel free to copy this one.

Venice

Name: (Real name, and name used when wearing a mask)

Age: #

Gender: M/F/O

Species: (Can be either human, one of the common monsters, or a requested species. I suggest requesting a species first, and only writing your SU after the GM said you are allowed to use it. This is because they may be denied, or changed to fit the setting better.)

Affiliation/Job: (Your affiliation with a family. If a family is a new addition add to which powerful family, either the de' Medici or the Omicidio, they side. Players can be unaffiliated too. Trying to side with both families may be a bad decision, however, as the families she a shared asset as no asset at all. The job of your character should be described here too.)

Appearance: (This includes your mask.)

Personality: (Have at it.)

History: (This is allowed to be very brief)

Powers/Skills: (Human characters are allowed to have superpowers through magic, while monster can only acquire other magical abilities through artefacts. All extraordinary skills should be mentioned here, however, not just the magic powers.)

Weapons: (The weapons can be anything that was around in and before the late renaissance. This is mostly swords, but small fire weapons are allowed too.)

Spoiler:

HTML:

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[cd="float: left; width: 220px; opacity: 0.79; margin-left: 40px;margin-top: 50px;"]
[IMG]http://fc09.deviantart.net/fs71/f/2015/019/f/6/anonymous_face_mask_graphic_by_lensicle-d8ekisy.png[/IMG]

[cd="width: 300px; float: left; font-size: 38px;      color:#84180A;text-shadow: #000 1px 1px 0px;  font-family: gothic;      letter-spacing: 4px;  font-variant: small-caps; margin-left: -40px;"][B]Venice[/B][/cd][/cd][cd="width:   500px; height: 500px; background-color: #B7B7B7; color: #000; float:   right; margin-top: -10px; margin-right: 10px; border-radius: 18px;   opacity: 0.82;text-align: justify; padding: 10px 30px 10px 30px;   overflow: auto;"]
[B]Name:[/B] [I](Real name, and name used when wearing a mask)[/I]

[B]Age:[/B] [I]#[/I]

[B]Gender:[/B] [I]M/F/O[/I]

[B]Species: [/B][I](Can be either human, one of the common monsters, or a    requested species. I suggest requesting a species first, and only    writing your SU after the GM said you are allowed to use it. This is    because they may be denied, or changed to fit the setting better.)

[/I][B]Affiliation/Job:[/B][I] (Your affiliation with a family. If a   family is a new  addition add to which powerful family, either the de'   Medici or the  Omicidio, they side. Players can be unaffiliated too.   Trying to side  with both families may be a bad decision, however, as   the families she a  shared asset as no asset at all. The job of your   character should be  described here too.)[/I]

[B]Appearance:[/B] [I](This includes your mask.)[/I]

[B]Personality:[/B] [I](Have at it.)[/I]

[B]History:[/B] [I](This is allowed to be very brief)[/I]

[B]Powers/Skills:[/B] [I](Human characters are allowed to have   superpowers  through magic, while monster can only acquire other magical   abilities  through artefacts. All extraordinary skills should be   mentioned here,  however, not just the magic powers.)[/I]

[B]Weapons:[/B] [I](The weapons can be anything that was around in and   before  the late renaissance. This is mostly swords, but small fire   weapons are  allowed too.)[/I]

[/cd][/cd][/CENTER]

Foxrally · Jan 1, 2016

SIGN ME UP COACH

Name: The Boogeyman (referred to as 'Boo' sometimes)
Alias: Malvo Nefando

Gender: Though gender is irrelevant to The Boogeyman, he is obviously male as his name suggests (as well as all Boogeymen in the world).

Age: Once again, this is irrelevant. The Boogeyman has been around as long as the idea of his existence has. However, during the day, the Boogeyman takes on the form of a common man in his mid-thirties. The body does not age, however, as it is a mere illusion.

Species: Boogeyman. There are actually very few of these monsters around the world - as they are not a biological entity themselves, but instead the personification of one of the most raw emotions in humans - fear.

Affiliation/Job: During the day, Malvo is a simple housework cleaner and janitor, taking care of tasks such as mopping floors, cleaning windows, tidying up after visitors, etc. Over the years, he has provided his services to many families and households, including highly-suspicious, tyrranical aristocrats and thriving commercant families. Currently he is employed by the Fedéxí family post, a post-handling and delivery business. However, as he doesn't really need the money, the main purpose of Malvo's daytime work is to 'scout' for new areas and locations. Never staying in one household for too long and constantly revising them allows the Boogeyman to have a vast network of shadows and darkness he can travel to - and his occupation does just that. Malvo usually uses his own mop, broom and tools, aside from disposables such as towels and water which are provided by his employers. Once a year, all Boogeymen across the globe commute and meet in one spot and share information.

Appearance: During the day, Malvo Nefando is a simple-looking Venetian man, slightly taller than average, with jet-black hair and eyes. His clothes, often being provided by his masters, are simple and representative of his occupation and social class. During the night, the Boogeyman can make himself appear as his victim's worst fear. When he is not in such form, he appears as a hooded, crooked ghost or ghoul in a black ragged robe.

Personality:
It is common knowledge among children that the best way to beat the boogeyman is to scare him back and not be afraid of his scare tactics. This weakness follows Malvo both in the day and night, and is what mainly defines its personality. Cowardly, fidgety and sometimes even paranoid, the boogeyman can be scared by anything - a child pretending to be a lion, a jack-in-the-box, a toy soldier... which severely impairs him during the day. Otherwise, the Boogeyman prefers to be a very quiet and timid person, doing what he is told without asking any questions.
Powers/Skills:

(Passive) Empowered by Fear - The Boogeyman's main source of power is the fear he generates when 'attacking' his victims. The more afraid his victim is, the more he grows in power and is able to use his abilities. Essentially, the boogeyman feeds on fear, so he only scares other by necessity (in addition to enjoyment). If not 'fed' enough, he risks weakening his powers, causing him to become sore and tired during the day. However, if fed a lot, he will be much more energetic and in a better mood.
Shadow Exit/Entrance - The Boogeyman possesses the ability to emerge or disappear into shadows. These have to be particularly dark, such as underneath beds, inside closets/cupboards, drawers, even dark rooms. The only condition for this is that he has to have already visited the place in person, and remember it. If he forgets its appearance or location, he loses the ability to travel to it.
Dream Control - Being a monster of fear, the Boogeyman has the ability to turn pleasant dreams into nightmares (even if they are not dreaming), if his target is asleep. He has no control over the actual nightmare however, as this ability is meant to wake up the victim.
Scare-based Telekinesis - Not to be confused with regular telekinesis. The Boogeyman's telekinetic powers are very limited, in the sense that they only serve as a starting scare tactic for his victim - and in no other situation. This includes the ability to slam doors and windows shut, fizzle out lightbulbs, make the wind howl outside a window, etc. These abilities do not drain his powers much, making them a good way to start off a scare.
Minor Reality Bending - This ability becomes more and more potent as the boogeyman's victim becomes more and more afraid. The Boogeyman can, in a sense, distort his victim's perception of reality in order to create terrifying settings or images for them. While the physical objects will remain unaltered, the victim will view the illusions as real.
Illusionary Shapeshifting - The Boogeyman's final scare tactic, meant to drain the highest amount of fear energy from the victim. After setting up a scare, he gains the ability to turn into the single thing his target fears the most - whether it be a person, event, animal, or something else. Of course this form is only an illusion, present only in the victim's mind.

Weapons: Nothing aside from his mop and other cleaning tools, most of which he usually gets from his employers - not that they could be used as weapons in most cases.

Roleplay sample:

http://www.pokecommunity.com/showpost.php?p=8781249&postcount=75

Crunch Punch · Jan 1, 2016

This sounds awesome as f, can I reserve a spot please?

Winter · Jan 1, 2016

The VenIce Goddess is here

Ice1 · Jan 1, 2016

Foxrally said:
-SU MINIMIZATION MAGIC-

I trust you to change what we've discussed, but otherwise, you're accepted.

Crunch Punch said:
This sounds awesome as f, can I reserve a spot please?

Yes, I've put you down as reserved!

Ice Goddess said:
The VenIce Goddess is here

Reserved you too

jombii · Jan 1, 2016

Reservation please! My new year resolution is to join more non-Pokemon RP :)

Ice1 · Jan 1, 2016

Infinite said:
Kitty's here
Please :3

Reserved!

Varys the Galvantula said:
Reservation please! My new year resolution is to join more non-Pokemon RP :)

Reserved!

Jay · Jan 1, 2016

To Hell with it. Rowin.

Name:
In his day to day life he goes by the name of Rowin Odo, however whilst wearing his mask he is known only as "The Conductor".

"Ooo! I do love names. Such interesting and variable things!"

Age:
It is unknown what age exactly The Conductor is. He himself has forgotten.

"Time is such a finicky thing. I, ironically, have no time to give to time. Isn't that a peculiar thought?"

Gender:
The body that Rowin uses closely resembles that of a male in its design. Though in reality he is very much genderless.

"I'm like a child growing up, so conflicted on my genitals that I claim to be this that and the other! Oh friends, just call me a man for now 'afore I think up something better."

Species:

Rowin Odo is a demon forever bound to the two small hook like blades connected by razor sharp and indestructible string... the weapon in question is constantly carried by his current "body".

He is capable of possessing everybody and everything that picks up these blades by extending his power through them and into his host. However unlike most other demons he is unable to move his spirit from the blades and into a new host due to the sigils adorned on the underside of each of the two edges, sealing him forever inside. Because of this he can only possess living hosts for so long before being forced out and his control being lost.

His current "body" is a mannequin akin to golems, created by an alchemist. It is an empty shell without any resistance and Rowin can control it completely and permanently as long as it is making contact with his weapon of a prison. If the weapon ceases to make contact entirely with the mannequin, then said falsified body will fall limply and uselessly to the ground, leaving Rowin himself trapped again until somebody picks him up.

"What callous Gods above did put me in my state I might never know... but a hop, a skip and a dance in this puppet lets me put on quite a show. No? One day a real body will come for me and as a human I shall go. I'll fight to make it so!"

Affiliation/Job:

Rowin has no affiliation to any of the major families, nor any small family beneath them. He is rumored to be willing to work with the bigger families occasionally. His unique set of skills in combat makes him capable of doing very difficult jobs for extra income and so one might say that he has an affiliation with them. Despite this he is no way bound to the family and is more of an occasional hired help than a permanent employee. Due to their somewhat shadier aspects, Rowin is known to refuse work with the more "evil" families. If they were to present him with a reward that directly benefited his quest for a true living form, then he might consider, but other than that he dislikes their business practices and tries to stay away from them.

"The nicer folk can keep me fed when business at the shop is low. However the meaner lot spend so much time in the dark that they might as well bathe in tar to keep the black hearts permanent. I'm not playing a game of shadows as they are."

As a general daytime profession, Rowin owns and runs a toyshop where he creates various wooden toys and dolls for the children of Venice to play with. He was created a number of board games and other such pleasantries with his clever mind and one of the few things that brings him joy is being able to see a child, the embodiment of life and innocence, enjoy something he has created. It gives him hope that perhaps one day he might be able to enjoy such things too, as a real and living being, not confined to something as callous as a weapon.

"Toys and games are fun and distracting thing... it's pleasant as well to keep ones hands busy no? Especially in a way that entails the absence of gore and pulp, to avoid unnecessary shivers and gulps."

Appearance:

A black and green suit and a top hat adorned with golden trinkets. The brim of which and the hair beneath it constantly covering his eyes. That's the general idea that the people of Venice get when they see Rowin Odo for the first time. His attire is strange and unique, not at all common among the people of Venice. His hair is pure white, with green tips at the end, the unnatural color always raises eyebrows but many people often tend to accept Rowin's strange appearance regardless due to the fact that he is, of all things, a toymaker.

The suit is a premium material, which is good since it's all that Rowin wears on his mannequin body. It doesn't generally small since dolls don't sweat, but if he gets into some genuinely dirty work then he will wash it. He wears two leather bracers which are used to store his two miniature blades, the string connecting them goes down the sleeve and around his back, ready to be released when required and used as a weapon. He wears a pair of leather black boots, durable and water proof (something valuable in Venice). His hat is a small top hat adorned with various golden trinkets. It has a specially designed brim that holds his hair over his eyes while still allowing him to see, Rowins face is generally rather normal despite being a mannequin however his eyes are the exception.

Being magically animated allows the mouth and other features to move and function as normal, and this procedure generally makes it so they appear quite normal to other people. His eyes however, are made of glass and even though they move and function properly, their pearly surface makes for a rather unnatural effect that scares many people on sight alone. For this reason, Rowin keeps his eyes covered and out of sight. His final defining feature are his teeth, the mannequins teeth are part of the inanimate body and as a result Rowin feels no pain when they are harmed. He has as a result, filed the teeth down to form a sharpened row of fangs that he is known to occasionally actually use to bite people. "The teeth are capable of piercing flesh and causing damage, so why not use them in combat if it is effective to do so?" Is the way he generally views it.

During the night he wears a green mask with frayed and jagged edges. He takes the mask and leaves the hat at home, making his cold, dead eyes visible through the eyeholes that the mask provides. Two glassy orbs shimmering like dead still water in the moonlight, the mask is imposing enough as it is and adding this factor alongside Rowin's already estranged personality can make "The Conductor" quite the intimidating, creepy and bewildering opponent in combat.

"Perhaps my body is false but even I can't deny that I keep it looking rather dashing!~

Personality:

The stranger a man is, the stranger the life he leads... and the oddity that is Mr. Odo is clearly no exception at all. At a glance and perhaps after even a few months of interaction the most prominent thing one might notice about The Conductor is that he is zany, random and completely insane. His actions are all rather spur of the moment and at a glance he seems only willing to go with the flow and worry about the consequences later. He has no problem with doing anything on a whim, from something as simple as eating your lunch... to an act as dangerous as random murder. One might think him foolish and worthless because of this, but those people simply do not understand him.

Every major action Rowin takes is done with purpose and incredibly detailed planning. Beneath his insanity he is an incredible genius capable of vast strategic thought and he tends to avoid doing things that could land him in a very bad situation. He is fueled to act and move forward by his insatiable longing for a true "human" form. He wishes beyond all else to be a living being, allowed to truly feel, breathe and live. He is constantly sickened by his entrapment and his forced existence in the body of a mannequin. While possessing others he gets a somewhat more intense understanding of life, but his possessions of the living are so short-lived that they only tease him with that which he might never have. He would give up everything, his power, his immortality, everything... just for the chance to experience a real life.

There is a great and hidden anger deep within the seemingly fun loving Conductor. He might be your best friend one moment, only to turn tail and insult or even attack you in a very passive-aggressive fashion the next. He doesn't much care for other people, be they vampire, human, demon or otherwise and as such he generally does not feel regret from his actions. He is unlike other demons in the way he operates however, as he generally doesn't want to waste life either. Life is something incredibly valuable and something that he longs for. He is generally somewhat reluctant to end life, since he knows all too well how painfully important it is.

As a direct result of this, Rowin possesses a quality that is generally very rare in humans. Rowin is a very friendly individual. He finds people just oh so fascinating, humans especially. By using a top hate to cover his shining, mannequin eyes during the day, he interacts with the people of Venice by acting as one of their own (albeit a very eccentric one). He doesn't want to kill that which he longs to be. He isn't genocidal, humanity and life is something sacred to him. Don't get me wrong, he will kill and he will kill often, but the fact that he tries to be friendly and generally makes an attempt to avoid killing... and the fact that he REGRETS it when he does so anyway... is something that goes against his very nature as a demon. Yet, it is his unique circumstance that makes it so the fact that he IS a demon is what fuels this behavior.

Rowin loves games, jokes, puzzles and other such activities. He is very random as mentioned before and will often try to make even the darkest of circumstances more entertaining in a sometimes rather eerily playful manner. He could be held against a wall, his strings about to be cut and his life about to be ended before he can accomplish his goals and he might still make a joke or try to find a silver lining. He loves the children of venice and during the day he is known to bring them toys and other games so that they might play with them for his own amusement. Many parents tend to avoid him due to the fact that they suspect malicous intent. But to this day Rowin has never killed a child, in fact he tells himself and others often that that is one thing that he would never do. A child in danger may just be the one thing that can make him angry, on that note.

Rowin is a strange demon and if he were to be understood by another demon then he would most likely be despised. He is empathetic with non-demon life and longs to be among them. He understand human emotion and the grander scale of emotion in general much better than a demon would and while he still has demonic tendencies he is slowly learning to become more man than monster... despite the fact that he may just be the least "human" of us all.

"It's a sad thought you know, that when this whole city is mad... a loony like me isn't popular because of the things he thinks are right and wrong.

History:

"I remember... such strife at my birth. Indeed it was so very violent."

Rowin Odo is a demon whom was crafted from the shattered fragments of a cruel and horrendous rulers soul some one thousand years in the past. He was created from nothing but pure hatred and anger and his behavior and actions expressed this. In his pure demonic state he was unnaturally powerful due to his being tied to a man whom had caused so much death and pain. His rage was unending and refused to cease for any consolation. He took hosts only to force them to destroy others, then to destroy themselves so that he might move on to someone else. He primarily enjoyed tormenting children by manipulating their feeble minds. He was created as a ravenous and prominent creature, feared by people of the time as an incarnation of demonology itself. Naturally those with power to stop such a beast would do so and so a powerful human mage took the task.

He made a proclamation of hatred towards the pure demonic Rowin and lured him to an ancient tomb, the mage was insanely powerful for a human and was able to resist Rowin's influence long enough for a fierce battle of wills to ensue.

"A massive conflict, to shake my foundation... followed by a darkness to crumble them completely, I should think. Though the details are lost in that same dark haze."

The young mage in a final triumphant moment cast a powerful incantation and held a pair of sharpened and mystical blades aloft, connected by string so thin that it was nigh invisible to the demons gaze. In a swirling dark vortex of abyssal energy Rowin screamed in a howl that made the young mans ears bleed as he was drawn against his will into the artifact. The legendary weapon known as Imperium. Once his form was taken within Rowin struggled and cried to break free, his voice limited only to telepathic wails of mental anguish, but in a last ditch effort the young mage cast a final, powerful hex. A sigil appeared on the underside of the two blades, a sigil so powerful that no known magic could break. By equivalent exchange, the spell was so powerful that the young mage himself turned to dust and Rowin trapped in his new form fell to the ground, unable to move and continuously moving as more of the humans moved to seal the tomb and look him away.

"The dark years began... I struggled, I learned."

In pitch black, Rowin raged for years. He channeled his anger for decades until his demonic power seeped out through the weapon, the powerful sigils weakening over time. Rowin thrashed and struck at walls and barricades that surrounded him. He reveled and despised the darkness surrounding him. Over time the blades began to move to his will, the strings whipping them forward on his command. He moved to the door of that accursed prison and struck, small chips at a time he continuously struck and attacked the entrance to that place, dents and holes appearing at his feeble and humble made strikes.

But he noticed then, perhaps "noticing" for the first time, every strike he made wore away at him too. His rage, his hatred, his very being. His thoughts were clear and his resolve began to waver. He remembered everything, those humans whom had imprisoned him, the man whom had given his life to seal him away. Life was... so precious to humans. Was he so terrible in their eyes? That this one man would give his everything to be rid of him for good? Was he so much of a danger to life that it was sacrificed to seal him away?

Was he an enemy to life?

Was he himself alive?

Was he... death?

It hurt him, it started to mentally scar him. He had destroyed so much, he looked through those humans eyes, felt their judgment of him. Felt his judgment of himself. Every chip he made in that wall struck deeper, hit harder into himself. He thought of the children, so innocent and kind, embodiment of life itself. Life, life, life. He had destroyed it, whatever was watching him have forgiveness, he had torn it apart. Death, he had been death for those souls. He, he had always been death. He had always hurt so many. He didn't know why but that was what he knew now. He was not alive, he never truly had been. He had been nothing more than a tool to take life away.

The dent became a hole over days, months, years, decades, centuries. Chipping through incredibly thick rock. He began to lose his old thoughts, the memories of his time as a demon before all but faded into the darkness of that place, leaving him behind as he so tiredly and begrudgingly flung his undamaged and magical form at that rock face door. He wanted to save life. That was all he remembered. Life was precious, he had to attain it. It was his purpose, he was bound to it. He wanted to be alive like the humans, the humans were the ones who truly lived and he wished to be like them. But he could not, not as he was, not where he was. He had to escape, he had to be reborn.

He wanted to live.

"Here it becomes clearer I feel, yes after the darkness passed and the light arrived. I searched for life."

A crack he didn't make, a beam of light reflecting off his blade into an empty forest glen. He slowly, slowly moved outside of the hole. Pushing himself to the entrance and brink he fell and felt something so unfamiliar reverberate off of his strings. Blades of soft grass, so welcoming, so bright. This was life, this place was living.

He... yearned to be like that too.

***

In the two hundred years that followed his escape. Rowin is still mostly unaware of his past actions. All he now remembers is that he was a powerful demon and that he had done something very wrong. He protects humans now with the heart he grew through merciless attack, holds back what little remains of the rage he broke away. His lack of knowledge of modern day humanity and his slight twinge of psychopathy has developed him into a very strange and eccentric individual for humans and other creatures alike.

He learned of his ability to possess other beings when a dog running through the forest gripped Imperium's strings in its mouth unknowingly and was swiftly overcome by Rowins presence, using the dog for as long as he could to escape the forest. Rowin found himself in Italy after falling from the dogs mouth on a roadway, carriages would pass and he would hear people speaking. He had no memorable name and took a liking to a stage name owned by a gypsy in a caravan that passed him at one point.

Rowin Odo. A pun word used by the Caravans owner, the caravan was known as the "Ironwood" and "Rowin Odo" was a simple rearranging of the same letters. Rowin felt it suited him fine and it was enough of an identity for him to keep as he sat, half obscured by dirt, on the side of that caravan road.

***

The story of how Rowin Odo obtained his mannequin body is the same story as the one that tells of the first human he ever rescued. A powerful alchemist and puppeteer capable of amazing feats. However that is a tale for another time. What's important to know is that Rowin took this body and found his way to Venice. A town filled with water, life, vibrancy and the smiling faces of the children and people he know watches with an eerie smile and spontaneous step.

Having reclaimed just enough of his demonic power over time to make him formidable, Rowin now takes to the Venetian canals be night as "The Conductor" a mysterious man in suit and mask whom moves his body and attacks his foes with strings and blades that move at his every command. Protecting the life he so desires and craves and destroying whatever gets in his way (or earns him a bit of money when the tides are turned) he forever seeks a way for he himself to escape his prison and become a truly human being.

His grandest chapter, as well as that of many others, is about to begin in the City of Masks.

Powers/Skills:
~Enhanced Physical Capability~:
Rowin's body is not a living thing, it does not grow and it is hollow within itself. It is fueled purely by the demonic energy that flows from Rowin's prison of the weapon Imperium into the mannequin. This alone grants Rowin abnormal amounts of physical endurance and capability, without the negative effects of muscles, nerves and bones to hold him back Rowin is capable running at higher than average speed, jumping from ground level to rooftop and punching with the force of two men, twice his size. The downside to this is that his body is surprisingly fragile, limbs can be knocked off and if Imperium as any point disconnects from the mannequin body then said body will fall limply to the ground and Rowin will be trapped within Imperium with severely limited movement abilities unless he can reach the mannequin again. Due to the puppet body having no nerve endings, Rowin experiences no sense of pain or touch whatsoever, this can obviously provide a large number of positive and negative effects both. Drop something in a boiling pot of water? Rowin's got it. Take one of Rowin's legs while he's resting? He probably didn't notice.

~Imperium Telekinesis~:
Rowin is unable to telekinetically manipulate most objects due to his being sealed within the weapon "Imperium". However when it comes to the weapon itself, Rowin is able to manipulate the strings and blades magnificently using mental gymnastics and carefully times pulls on the strings with his hands. He can unleash flurry's of strikes using the sharp and edge thin strings, matching the strength of any blade, using the blades as a grapple he can launch himself forward by hooking into buildings and enemies alike. A similar technique can be used to bring enemies and light objects (such as his own severed limbs) towards him. Certain portions of the string can also be disconnected, however when doing so they lose all magical properties and become normal string. This CAN however be used for medical purposes, such as precision suturing of open wounds and for making repairs to ripped fabrics and more.

~Demonic Release~:
Not so much a unique ability as it is a form of true potential. If driven to a state of supreme rage then Rowin can unleash his full strength as an ancient sealed demon, making him faster, stronger and more durable as well as boosting the strength of his telekinetic abilities. Rowin has however, been working many years to hold back his true demonic nature in an attempt to become closer to a true living state of being, humanity. The old demon has been beaten to the point of standing at deaths door without so much as snarling, making him truly enraged takes very specific circumstances such as the sight of a child being harmed directly and injustly. (Which is currently the only known way to aggravate him.)

Weapons:

~Imperium~:
A pair of mysterious and small blades brimming with magical power and connected by countless, near invisible strings. This "weapon" is in fact the true possessed body of the demon Rowin Odo, he has been sealed away within the blades for nigh over one thousand years and during his time within them he has developed positive and friendly aspects, traits generally unheard of in demons. The blades allow Rowin to still utilize his demonic powers of possession and telekinesis, though only in a very basic sense. Through the power of his mind and telekinesis Rowin is able to move the razor sharp strings and blades in various directions and he can possess those whom come into direct physical contact with the blades themselves, if only for very temporary periods of time.

The string connecting the blades is incredibly thin and capable of slicing through many surfaces by whipping through it quickly. The blades themselves are also very sharp and have a curved and inwardly tilting edge, giving them a knack for "hooking" into various surfaces (and perhaps forms of living matter) allowing Rowin to move towards said surface or alternatively to pull it towards him. The two blades are marked on their undersides by demonic sigils. These sigils keep Rowin bound within the weapon and prevent him from simply taking a living host. Though he dislikes the idea of doing so regardless.

RP Sample:

Renegade - Titans

"My, my... quite the broody young man isn't he? Nightmares and Daydreams alike."

jombii · Jan 1, 2016

The Spider

Name: Pierre Marco Matera

Age: 53

Gender: M

Species: Human

Affiliation/Job: Pierre Marco Matera is a "spider" for the Vignali family. In a sense, he has a vast network of spies working under him. Most of them are garbage on the street, street urchins and orphans, who bring him various gossip and useless chitchat around town. However, unbeknownst to many, there are also several "family members" who serve not their family but Pierre Marco instead. These birds, as he like to call them, brings him familial secrets not open to the public. Most of these information, however, cannot be used publicly by the Vignali family as their means of obtaining it, through Pierre Marco, is shady at best. However, they are not against in using it as leverage in negotiations. Using Pierre Marco's network, the Vignali family are always sure to be at the better end of any deal, whether business or other cloak-and-dagger stuff.

Appearance:

Pierre Marco Matera, as most people call him, is a man of few emotions. One cannot see what Pierre Marco is thinking or feeling just basing on his expressions alone. His is a blank face, as most of the people around him cared to describe him. His silver eyebrows rarely curl at hate or jealousy His thin lips rarely curve at happiness or sadness. He doesn't wrinkle his bulbous nose in disgust or agony. He kept his face clean of any facial hair that might induce annoyance or itchiness. Even his hair, silver already at 53, is kept short as not to give any uncomfortable feeling to his head.

His choice of wardrobe is also of no notice. He prefers black and unmarked blazers, usually with white handkerchiefs to wipe his sweat, if there is any. His posture gives away a royal upbringing as he always stands tall and proud, not hunchbacked unlike most of the street rats he is known to deal with.

In his youth, Pierre Marco might have swept ladies off their feet but chose not to. Instead, he preferred living in the shadows, dealing with all scums, rats, and spiders.

Personality: As you would expect from a man of such posture, Pierre Marco Matera is a silent and solitary man. He has no known blood relatives and certainly no close friends. While he may not be the same Pierre Marco when he was younger, the current Spider likes to keep his immediate circle small, while extending his reaches to the very depths of the canals. He tends to speak only when asked and only when needed.

He has proven, time and time again, that he is a cunning and clever person. A shrewd manipulator, Pierre Marco can easily command you to do his bidding and still make it appear is if you had that idea all along in your mind. However, despite his ability to control people, he never had the dream to have a position in power. He tends to work in the shadows and never in the spotlight.

He is extremely loyal to the Vignali family.

History: Pierre Marco Matera is not really his real name. He was lifted from the streets by the Vignali family chef when he was young. He was called Oyboy then, mostly by the people he tried to pickpocket. However, when he was adopted by the Vignali family, he was taught how to read and write and how to become a proper boy. This was when he picked up the name Pierre Marco Matera.

Soon, the young boy became an adult and started working for the Vignali family. He started off as a negotiator, the face the family shows during negotiations as his slick words knew the right places to tickle. This is where his web started to grow. Pierre Marco started to know fellow negotiators from other family and decided to employ them in a sense. He lured this people with promises of riches from the Vignali family and those scums of questionable loyalty started to sway. Upon knowing of Pierre Marco's web, they hid him away in the shadows of their family and started utilizing the new wave of Venetian information arriving to them.

To this day, there exists a legend of a spider that knows each and every movement of every one. While most commoners dismissed this as an urban legend, it is a reality that Pierre Marco is somewhere listening to your very thoughts. And that you are just a fly in his great, big web.

Powers/Skills:

Extensive Venetian Knowledge: Through the use of his network, Pierre Marco knows everything there is to know in Venice and her people. He knows who the monsters are. He knows who sleeps with who. He knows which politician to harass when he or his family needs something. His knowledge about Venice is terrifying.

Blend: Pierre Marco's one of two unnatural abilities. He has the ability to blend in with the shadows, allowing him complete access anywhere in Venice. While he might have overused this ability in his prime, it takes a huge toll on him every time he uses the shadows to travel.

Selective Telepathy: Pierre Marco's final ability. He can communicate with any one of his spies, anywhere in Venice, without any repercussion or whatever. As his blending ability is severely hampered by his physical limits, he tends to utilize his street rats for the leg work and just use this ability to communicate with them effectively.

Weapons: Pierre Marco carries a stiletto with him at all times. It is approximately eight inches long, with a pointed tip made of steel. The wooden handle is carved with spirals and decked with steel beads.

PLACEHOLDER POST. ~~also I'm too lazy to create a new css code~~

Sweet Dreams · Jan 1, 2016

*SQUEALS*

Keira O'Cuinn (Vulture)

"Don't test my patience; I can tell you now that I haven't got any."

Keira's Theme

Age: 64

Gender: Female

Species: Banshee

Species Information: Banshees are Celtic monsters, originating primarily from Ireland and Scotland. All banshees are female and reproduce through human (or humanesque) mates, giving birth only to other banshees. Although they age at the same rate as humans, their lifespans are much longer, and as a result most banshees appear to be old women. They can sense the dying, and receive a high if they are in close proximity to somebody during their moment of death. The accompanying euphoria is incredibly addictive, and can drive away all rationale and self control.

The most identifiable feature of a banshee is her scream, which over time has become associated with death. Banshees actually have pleasant singing voices, and their song of mourning is almost hypnotically emotional. Few people know of the song, and fewer still have ever heard it.

Affiliation/Job: Formerly a renowned hitman for the Ventura family, Keira has been retired for several years. Her style was brutal and messy; she often butchered entire families along with the victims and was usually hired to set examples for, or as retribution to, those that opposed the family or could no longer pay their dues. The family itself is responsible for a large portion of the illegal drug trade in Venice, especially in regards to alchemical drugs catering to every desire imaginable.

Appearance: Keira's default expression can only be described as flatly unimpressed. She has managed to age quite gracefully, and it is plain to see that she was rather beautiful in her youth. Her most common garment is a black dress with a long grey cloak thrown over it. She hides her schiavona underneath the coat if she ventures outside during the day, and she brings a black parasol with her everywhere she goes.

Her need to control her own behaviour at all times manifests itself in her ramrod straight posture, as well as her slow and deliberate movements. Coupled with her rather impressive height, she appears to tower above people, even if she is actually shorter than them in reality.

Although she is far more spry than a human woman would be, Keira is noticeably weaker and slower than she was at her prime. In combat she compensates for this with a lifetime's worth of muscle memory and cunning, but even these can't make up for her constant fatigue, due in part to the fact that she suffers from constant withdrawal, and in part due to natural aging.

Most stories about the Vulture tend to describe her at her prime. They tell of long, vividly red wavy hair spilling in waves down her back, and of a golden mask that resembled the beak of a bird. Although Keira's hair has long since lost its colour, she still owns that mask in case she ever has need of it again.

Personality:

Keira is acutely aware of her surroundings at all times. Even if she appears calm on the surface, there is always a current of tension and anxiety running underneath. She is ready to react to any situation at a moment's notice, whether it requires her to sprint into action or to immediately remove herself from the vicinity. Her biggest fear is losing control of herself and relapsing into her former ways.

On a good day, Keira's sense of humour is wry and dry. She suffers no fools and is not afraid to speak exactly what is on her mind; the bite to her words and her ingrained cynicism tends to obscure her surprisingly kind-hearted--if prickly--nature. She is rarely impressed by anything or anyone. Her age and experience has ensured that she's practically seen it all before. As with many people past a certain age, Keira is completely without shame and sometimes ends up saying the most vulgar things at unexpected moments.

On a bad day, her hands shake and her mind is filled only with thoughts of blood. The cravings are so intense that they manifest themselves as physical pain. Keira becomes paranoid and aggressive, verbally lashing out for little to no reason and purposefully alienating herself from those around her. If it gets bad enough, she begins to hear voices urging her towards getting a quick "fix".

History:

Almost fifty years ago, rumours spread among the homeless of a mysterious Angel of Death. It was said that upon your moment of death, a girl with fiery red hair might appear before you and reap your soul. Not too long after these rumours started circulating, those who had been sickly or starving began to turn up with their throats sliced open. The number of deaths escalated at an exponential rate, although it was always restricted to the slums and so never garnered too much by way of public interest. Those who had heard of the phenomenon mused that perhaps somebody was taking it upon themselves to clean up the streets.

Quite soon after that, the Ventura gained a new employee.

Nearly a decade later, tales were being told of the ruthless killer who enjoyed nothing more than murder and mayhem. It was said that if you caught sight of the red of her hair and the golden glint of her mask, then you would only live to tell the tale through divine providence. The figure was dubbed "the Vulture" for the almost beak-shaped mask she wore and the corpses she left in her wake.

The Vulture only grew more and more infamous as the years went past. There were hushed tales of children's deaths, of the corpses of passersby piled in the streets, of houses completely scorched to he ground. Over time, people began to claim that the Vulture's existence was merely propaganda, or a tale told to frighten children from venturing outside in the night, or a fictional character that merely had all unsolved and brutal kills attributed to her name instead.

Regardless, the murders continued... until they stopped, suddenly, about nine years ago. It took a while for people to notice, as around that time a ballroom full of fifty people were massacred in the night, leaving no survivors. It was assumed that the Vulture had finally died, if indeed she had existed at all. She quickly became a thing of legend, and Venice moved on.

There are few souls in the world that know that Vulture lives on--and devotes her time tending to the herb garden hanging outside her windowsill.

Powers/Skills:

Banshee scream - A powerful scream that stuns those nearby who hear it and may even kill weaker enemies at close range. Keira can modulate her screams; the more powerful her scream is or the higher range it has, the more energy she must expend when using it and the more vulnerable she is to attack. Keira cannot move beyond a brisk walk when screaming, and her more powerful screams require her to stand completely motionless. The scream is also very distinctive and noticeable, and will draw unwanted attention from anybody nearby.
Weaponry - To make up for her fairly restrictive offensive power, Keira became extremely adept at both swordfighting and knifeplay. These have become her preferred method of attack.
Artifacts - A stone embedded into the hilt of her sword speeds up regeneration to close wounds and flush toxins from the system (does not affect the banshee high). Her parasol can activate a five minute barrier against all attacks, but it requires a half hour recharge per use.
Natural high - During Keira's high, she has hugely increased reflexes, strength and speed, and she is also capable of using her scream and physically attacking and defending herself at the same time. Every death gives her a boost in energy, and the endorphins flooding her body counteract any pain she may feel. This renders her very difficult to incapacitate. However, she loses almost all control of herself, and is much weakened both physically and mentally upon "coming down".

Weapons: A Venetian Schiavona with a silver handguard, as well as two daggers she hides on her person. She also keeps flint and a small pouch of salt on hand at all times, as she finds that these deter most supernatural beings.

The Vulture's Theme

Roleplay sample: http://www.pokecommunity.com/showthread.php?p=7407352#7407352

Ice1 · Jan 1, 2016

Deceptio said:
Reserve me plz. Minus one conductor, plus one new guy.

Reserved

under_score said:
-BY THE POWER OF THE ELEMENTS, I MINIMIZE THIS SU-

Keira O'Cuinn is Accepted

Also, PSA and a bit of preventive striking, but while sexual themes are fine to work with, no actual adult-rated stuff should be described. Overstepping this line will result in a weighed infraction without warning. /me turns serious mode off now.

Sweet Dreams · Jan 1, 2016

OMG Yes! I'm so excited!

jombii · Jan 1, 2016

Quick question: Can I play as some kind of "spider," akin to Varys in GoT?

Information could easily get to me through my vast network of spies and paid ears etc so I can easily know the secrets of the opposing family.

Ice1 · Jan 1, 2016

Varys the Galvantula said:
Quick question: Can I play as some kind of "spider," akin to Varys in GoT?

Information could easily get to me through my vast network of spies and paid ears etc so I can easily know the secrets of the opposing family.

You could, but you'd have to discuss what secrets can leak and which can't from other players their families. Families you make up are free game of course.

jombii · Jan 1, 2016

Alright! Finally found a perfect role. My SU will be done in a few hours. I hope.

It's nearly January 2 from where I live.

disciplish · Jan 1, 2016

Reserve my butt before I miss this like I did the last time
thnx

Ice1 · Jan 1, 2016

DLMuerte said:
Reserve my butt before I miss this like I did the last time
thnx

Reserved

Sonata · Jan 1, 2016

Theme

Names:

Twin brothers Baranabas and Facio Benedevice, Doctor Light and Doctor Right respectively.

Gender, Age, height and weight:

Both are 24, Male, 6' 4" and 185 pounds.

Species:

Barnabas the Siren and Facio the Vampire

Affiliation/Job:

Unaffiliated doctors. You bring someone to them, they'll patch them up regardless of if its day, night or whatever family they belong to. They're well known for their 10 body discount - bring in 10 bodies dead or alive, get one operation free.

Appearances:

Typical plague doctors, mask, robe and all. When not wearing their masks, they're usually only in their undergarments. Long black hair and hazel eyes.

Personalities:

Barnabas - Dark and brooding. The more extroverted of the brothers. Will do anything to succeed.

Facio - Kind and caring. The more introverted of the brothers. Puts the life of others above his own.

History:

The Benedevici family used to be the largest of the families of Venice. Monster and man alike traveled the halls of the Benedevici mansion for hundreds of years. However, roughly 25 years ago, the two great families which now reign over Venice decided it was time for some changes. In one fell swoop, the two families tore apart the Benedevici mansion, burned all the men and women who would not side with them, and then left the orphaned children to starve and die alone.

From amidst this destruction, a man and woman from opposite sides of the war - a human woman from the Basta family named Gloria, and a Siren man from the Michaeveli family named Sebastian - found love. Together they left their former families and joined together in the ruins of what was the Benedevici family's home. Through the next 15 years, they had two children together and rebuilt over half of their house by doing oddjobs and taking on mercenary work around the city for various families.

On one particular mercenary mission, Sebastian never returned. He went out from the city to assassinate some high ranking member of a family that opposed the one he was hired by. Gloria waited, and waited, and waited. Simply staring out the window while her children watched from the hall. After nearly 3 years of watching from the window, a man from her distant past walked up to the front door. She went down the stairs in the same clothes she'd had on the day that her husband left. She pulled a sword from the wall and opened the door, shoving the blade in the man's direction.

"What do you want?" She hissed.

"Ahh, Gloria. As beautiful as the day I first laid eyes on you. What's it been now, fifteen years?" The man brushed the blade aside and opened his arms towards the woman.

"I told you I never wanted to see you again." She stepped back and re-positioned the sword on the man's chest.

"Gloria, Gloria, Gloria." He shook his head and sighed. "You always were a troublemaker weren't you. It started with your interest in me, and then after that awful battle you decided to take up some low ranking nobody in one of our sub families and now you live in this... this... disaster." He snarled as the final words escaped his lips.

"Ensetto stop. I'm married and-"

"Heh, heh heheheh. Married. I suppose if you can be married to a dead man... speaking of which, that's why I've come here today. See, one of my cousins brought me something the other day. I think you'd be interested to see."

"I'm fine right where I am thank you." She put her hand on the door and went to close it.

Ensetto put his foot in the door and pressed his face against the opening. "Shh shh shh shh shh. Don't worry my darling. You don't have to go anywhere. Why, if you'll just wait one moment, my boys should be bringing my gift here to you as we speak."

Gloria opened the door and stuck her head out. Sure enough there were two men walking towards her house with a rather large box that seemed to be dripping something along the way. They brought it up to the porch and then Ensetto motioned for them to stop. He pulled out a long piece of red cloth and tied a bow around the box with it.

"Go on my dear. It's all yours." He smiled his fanged grin as she began undoing the bow he had just tied.

As she opened the box her eyes widened with horror and she turned her back and thought to run.

"Now now my darling," Ensetto stepped into the house and wrapped his arms around her, "there's no need to look so upset. He's been dead for nearly three whole years. It's time to let go and move on." He began moving to kiss her neck.

Gloria flailed about and pushed off from the man. "Get out of my house!" she screamed at him. "I don't ever want to see you again! Leave me alone or the next time I see you I'll put a stake in you myself." Tears welled up in her eyes as the man's smile grew larger.

"Gloria please, there's nothing left here for you. Don't you see I'm just trying to do what's best for you? Give me some time. Come meet my brother Enzo and see the rest of the family." He stepped towards her.

"I don't want anything to do with you or your God damned family." She turned her head and looked away.

He took another step closer. "But Gloria, you don't really think you can provide for yourself and your family all on your lonesome? Please consider the opportunity with which I am presenting you. Come live with me, marry me, devote every fiber of your being to me and I shall see to it that the renovations on this mess are completed and your two sons shall get only the best of education in whatever it is that they desire." He bent down onto one knee and held out his hand. "Imagine all that we could accomplish together."

"I..." she looked around the room, refusing to meet Ensetto's gaze. "If you promise to take care of Barnabas and Facio... I will do what you ask."

"Splendid. I will be back tomorrow to get you. Pack your things and be ready, it will be a most eventful night." He rose from his knee and strolled out the door, slamming it shut as he left.

The next night, Gloria left her two sons to live alone in the Benedevici house. As their new father in law promised, they were given tutelage in various things that interested them. They studied hard to master the sciences and miracles associated with medicine, and after 6 years of learning, they set out into the city to begin practicing their new profession.

Through the days they healed the common folk of their illnesses and diseases. And through the night they captured wanderers - both human and supernatural alike. They'd take these captives back to their mansion in the last hours of darkness and experiment on them to broaden their horizons. Through these many efforts, they have made connections with families of those that work both in day and night. Though they are knowledgeable, their one main draw for business is their magical cure all.

Those who do business both in the light and the dark at least know the name of the brothers due to this serum they have concocted. But truth be told, it's simply water. The real magic comes from what they pour it from. They've taken to calling it X, since they're not the most creative and haven't thought of anything better yet.

X is a small vial, much like any other vial that a doctor might carry potions in when he goes out. But this one is special in that whatever liquid is put into it is given magnificent curative powers. These powers have been proven to not only cure most common diseases and/or illnesses, but also revive the newly deceased and cure some supernatural diseases and illnesses.

On one outing for fresh test subjects, the boys had come across a freshly turned vampire. The body was laying in an alleyway, still warm with blood oozing from the bite wound. The boys hurriedly lifted the man and rushed back to their mansion. They took him down to their cellar and strapped him down to one of their operating tables. They tore off his clothes and began the process of opening up the body. As the clothes were removed, a small vial fell out of one of the pockets and bounced off of the floor. Barnabas picked it up and put it into his pocket, thinking that he had been the one who dropped it. Barnabas went through the man's clothes as Facio cut the sternum and opened up the rib cage to document the effects of the change from man to monster as they occurred.

After a few moments the man who was in the middle of transforming began to have seizure. His body flailed about and the restraints came undone. For about 30 seconds he ran around the room throwing and breaking things before he fell flat on his back. The heart stopped beating and the color drained from its face. Facio knelt down and began to pick the body back up so he could commence sewing it back together. He figured it would be dead since it stopped moving, but as he went to pick it up the man shot upright and began ripping away at the neck of Facio.

Barnabas shoved a stake through the newly turned vampire's head to pin it to the ground, and then went about putting wood slats beneath it. He put iron nails through its hands a feet, crucifying it. Then he turned to his brother who was still bleeding out, and instead of helping him he set him on the same table the other vampire had just been on. He secured him to the table with several more straps and then watched as his own brother began down the path of vampirification.

After this, Barnabas began feeding his brother the humans that they had captured before. For the next 6 months, Barnabas waned his brother Facio off of human blood. He helped his brother to control his appetite so that they could continue their business together. And once Facio had regained control over his urges, he set about looking for a cure for his vampirism. During this time, he turned and killed many innocent humans. Every night for the next 3 months the brothers focused on kidnapping normal humans. If they could not find any on the streets, Barnabas would use his hypnotic gaze to gain their entry into people's homes.

Facio had nearly given up hope. Everything he had tried was showing no results. Finally he was finished. After a long night of transforming a family of seven, he asked his brother for a vial of poison that they had prepared that day. Unbeknownst to either of them, they had made this poison in the vial that came from the vampire's pocket who had initially turned Facio. Barnabas opened the first of the seven's mouths and Facio poured in a drop of the poison before progressing on to the next one. They had been killing the people Facio changed this way for the past 2 months, so without even checking to see if it had worked they packed up their things and left.

The next day it came as a suprise when Facio and Barnabas passed by the very house they had visited the night before and saw the family of seven out and about. The brothers put down their things in the middle of the street and nearly had a heart attack. How were they alive? How were they out in the sunlight? Surely Facio had turned them, they had begun to grow their fangs and everything by the time they applied the poison. The brothers walked up to the family.

"How are you all today? Feel like anything is ailing you? Or perhaps you don't completely feel yourself?"

The mother of the family looked up and smiled. "Oh not at all. We all woke up this morning and felt better than we've felt in the past... oh I don't even know how long. Even my father who's been living in the attic for the past fifteen years is doing better this morning." She shook her head and smiled. "He hasn't said a thing in the last fifteen years, and then wouldn't you know it. This morning he comes downstairs and has a whole conversation with me." She chuckled and shook her head. "I never was one for believing in miracles, but after today I think I might just start. God really does exist doesn't he."

The brothers looked at each other. They were astonished. This was unprecedented. There was simply no way.

Facio looked back at the woman as he rolled around the vial in his pocket that had held the poison only hours before. "Yes ma'am. He certainly does. And he works in the most mysterious of ways."

Powers/Skills:

Both

Complete (as of the time period of the rp) knowledge of herbs along with their benefits.

Knowledge of most illnesses/diseases, both common and supernatural as well as how to cure them if they are curable.

Knowledge of most medical procedures and how to properly preform them.

The plague doctor's mask which when worn down, grows the plague doctor's outfit. Provides a non-suspicious disguise that can be worn both at night and throughout the day. Gives minor resistance against the wearer's weakness.

Barnabas

The eagle's eye - an artefact that allows the holder to see several times the distance that they normally could.

Hypnotic gaze. Standard power for Sirens.

The plague doctor's mask which when worn down, grows the plague doctor's outfit, Barnabas' mask being special in that the lenses are several inches thicker and increase the effectiveness of his hypnotic gaze via multiple reflecting mirrors.

Facio

X - an artefact in the shape of an average everyday vial. Whatever is put into it however is given magnificent curative powers. These powers have been proven to not only cure most common diseases/illnesses, but also revive the newly deceased and cure some supernatural diseases and illnesses.

Enhanced speed and strength. Standard for Vampires.

Vampiric bite. Also standard for Vampires.

The plague doctor's mask which when worn down, grows the plague doctor's outfit. Facio's mask being special in that when worn, layers of it can be peeled off up to 10 times as of now, which creates that many copies of the plague doctor's mask. When these copied masks are worn by anyone besides the brothers, the subject is transformed into a vampire and made into Facio's servant. They become gifted with the knowledge that Facio holds, but are forced to follow his will and lose any sense of free will that they once had. The masks also create the plague doctor's outfit when worn.

Weapons:

They both carry matching canes which house a hidden blade.
They both also carry a set of doctor's tools with them which can be used as weapons should they become desperate.

Roleplay sample:

http://www.pokecommunity.com/showpost.php?p=8747125#8747125

[Other OPEN] Venice: Masks & Monsters [M]

[img]http://www.serebii.net/pokedex-xy/icon/712.pn

[img]http://www.serebii.net/pokedex-xy/icon/712.pn

[img]http://i.imgur.com/omi0jS3.gif[/img]

fire > ice

[color=#bae5fc][font="Georgia"]KAMISATO ART: SOUME

[img]http://www.serebii.net/pokedex-xy/icon/712.pn

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[img]http://www.serebii.net/pokedex-xy/icon/712.pn

[font=Brawler][color=#91a8d4][i]Here comes the boi

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[I]are made of these~[/I]

Keira O'Cuinn (Vulture)​

"Don't test my patience; I can tell you now that I haven't got any."

[img]http://www.serebii.net/pokedex-xy/icon/712.pn

[I]are made of these~[/I]

[FONT=Franklin Gothic Medium][SIZE=4][COLOR=#00b05

[img]http://www.serebii.net/pokedex-xy/icon/712.pn

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supreme meme machine

[img]http://www.serebii.net/pokedex-xy/icon/712.pn

Don't let me disappear

Keira O'Cuinn (Vulture)