A little something, something I kind of wanted to try. Kind of a zombie based theme, mostly a survival than a combat type. I blame Dishonored for this idea.
Wall o' text below:
Castle Blackwood, the heart of the Grantian Empire and the shield of House Blackwood, is considered the Diamond of the known world. It is the largest, most industrial, richest, and by far the most impregnable city within the Empire. It has expanded and absorbed nations under its supremacy, breaking their enemies, maintaining the peace, imposing laws, forging their defenses, the empire became a stronghold. There have been many that has tried to topple the regime, many has failed miserably, and even tried to storm the Castle both by siege and by Trojan horse tactics, failing to even meet the Keep itself. The empire managed to maintain their rule by the use of the Tribunal Shield: The fearsome and infamous Imperial Arms; the strong and justified Templars; and the strange and mysterious doctors. These three has kept the Empire secure for over a millennia.
Our story begins when King Blackwood, whose sons died in stillbirth, whose brothers and cousins died in war, whose daughters were wedded off to foreign land and whose wife now sleeps in the mausoleum, has no heir to the throne and is soon fallen ill, still breathing upon his bed. And now the vacuum of power managed to open, leading General Sturmvoraus of the Imperial Arms and Abbot Buonaiuto of the Templars to fight over the position of Regent (the abbot is keeping Sturmvoraus from seizing the throne). It soon became a large and twisted war between the two factions, splitting the City in two. Later down the years, the Entire Empire begins to split, purging the lands, surging the people, corrupting the media, and slowed the factories to a halt. People starved and lords were naked, metaphorically.
The war didn’t cease with the two sides but the final blow of nature will end up costing the feuding parties. A plague rose from nowhere, 3 million people were infected upon the first year. People were reported with boils within certain parts of the body spewing puss, blackened skin, weakened structure and loss of muscle mass. Later symptoms emerged as spitting blood, constant pain and even death. Those were apparently the lucky ones. The Black Death has managed to manipulate the people into pained and suffering walking corpses that cannibalizes on the living and dead. The chance of becoming such a beast is approximately 50%. The dead and the undead give no remorse; the plague will continue to spread. Pyres are frowned upon, less one wish to release the evil upon their homes, or say the folk of villages.
“Where do the Doctors play in all of this?” You may ask. Well, the Doctors have been neutral during the war between the Templars and the Imperial Arms. But since the Dawn of the Black Death, the Doctors geared up and began to face this biological destruction. This is their challenge, to survive, to keep the Black Death from consuming all of humanity, this is your tale.
The Doctors: Ever since the War of the Templars and Arms and the sudden rise of the pandemic, the doctors have split into different groups to ensure the safety of humanity. Though they are neutral and would likely go on either side of the war to heal the hurt and tend the sick, they are often feared by their aura they give; usually when a doctor comes to town, many shut their doors and hide; others go paranoid and suspect anyone as plague bearers. Rational people tend to also fear their presence, knowing that if they come to town, the plague is already there. They are easily noticeable in order to distinguish themselves as neutral or healers, they always wear a mask filled with filtering herbs and magic and more often than naught robes that covers them to keep the plague from reaching them by skin or air; orthodox doctors tend to wear bird masks, but that is up to the wearer.
Types of Doctors:
Black Watch: The Black Watch are the military order of the Doctors, though they have no intention to head to war unless the plague is there. They are relatively new to strategy and tend to not have a form of doctrine, usually because there really isn’t a need to fight off the walking dead, thus they tend to be less organized and more liberal in the use of their weapons, ie seeing an undead and then shooting it with a rocket propelled explosive. They tend to be defenders of encampments, hunters, rangers, guardsmen, or cleaners that purge towns to clean the area of the plague. They are the most willing to burn anybody regardless of omens and folklore. They are also the more willing to shoot the Arms and the Templars in order to keep their safety and security of their encampments and their battles.
Some examples of the Black Watch are the Novice purgers used to shoot, kill, and burn the hot zones of the plagued empire; fighting the deathly beings that shrieks pain unto the field. Another are the Stiders who stand guard within and around the Doctor Encampments, they are extremely tough and their height and structure keeps them from being swarmed by rats, out of the undead reach, and avoid ticks and flees. Sometimes they hunt within the city of Castle Blackwood to purge rats and the undead but are often attacked by the Imperial Arms and Templars; they tend to take care of themselves by the use of their tesla arrows; other doctors tend to wave to them for good gesture. (NPC only)
They are more tech savy than the other factions.
Witchdoctors: Witchdoctors are the healers of the Order of Doctors and the most recognizable. They tend to try and seek out those who are infected and attempt to treat them as best they can. For a normal sickness, blood loss, serious wounds, and other afflictions they have been known for being able to cure quite nicely; but the recent Plague is the one thing they cannot cure. If they can reach the victim in the early stages they can treat them back to health and the plague no longer kills them; but even a second to late and they are doomed. If the doctor comes into your home and sees a doomed soul, via by investigating the person, he or she will walk out and place a black cross upon your home; telling others who hold a plagued person and to tell the morticians to pick the doomed soul up; sometimes people tend to take it upon themselves to do it for them to avoid coming to their town, but it actually makes it worse and ends up filling the town filled with Plagued beings. Witchdoctors are also used to treat the wounded of both sides of the war and innocents as a part of their duty. They practice more of the magic and alchemy side of the spectrum rather than the technical side; their magic spans wide within the fields.
Morticians: also known as the Undertakers, tends to the dead, cleaning them, burying them, burning them, in order to sanitize the area and the plague from continuing. They also hold the power of necromancy, using the recently dead to overcome any obstacle in their way and even driving the hearses before discarding them somewhere to be buried or burned. The Morticians cannot, however, take control of the plagued undead, as they are not truly dead yet. The Morticians also use their necromancy to hear the words of spirits; they tend to their needs and often try and heal them of their sorrow so that they may pass into the next realm. When it comes to the war, the famine, and even the plague, the morticians try to dehumanize the relationship between people and themselves; only conversing with other doctors and the dead. They rely on both magic and tech to bind them together.
Starting off: You will be starting off in a small town of Trendal, just 20 kilometers from your area of operations, encampment of Frendish, another town that is secured by the doctors. You are searching for possible infected beings within the area after hearing a particular rumor. This will be your first mission ever after your training; you’ll be with the Black watch, Witchdoctors and Morticians to succeed. You’ll be transported on a clean hearse until you reach your destination. The technology is steam-punk, diesel punk and medieval (swords, bows, castles) however most of the steam-punk and diesel-punk weaponry and armor are used by the Templars and Arms so the equipment is quite limited; the Magic level is limited to healing, fire, lightning, frost, affliction, transmutation, enchanting and necromancy. Good luck and be safe.
Know Thy Enemy:
The Imperial Arms: They are the military arms of what used to be the Empire; they are, obviously, superior in the subject of war and strategy. They have been known for their harsh treatment towards their citizenry, but their punishments are less severe than their opponents, usually either doing time in jail or seeking atonement through battle. They can be rather aggressive towards anyone not theirs, even Doctors. Their lands are filled with rats and plague ridden, but the amount of undead is minimum. Their tech level is diesel punk. (ex.their tanks they run through the city and towns.
Templars: They are the Justice of what used to be the Empire. They have been known for their benevolent treatment towards their citizens, but their harsh punishments for when one commits crimes; like chopping the heads off of crime doers. They are more passive to those who are not the enemy, often offering sanctuary to those who needs it, often accepting doctors with open arms, even if they came from the Arms side of the war; however, when in the dark or if they are fighting, they tend to not be able to identify doctors as easily and tends to attack them as well. Their lands are much cleaner than the Imperial Arms with rats and plague at a minimum, but they are often attack by the undead often. Their tech level is more steampunkish-medieval.(ex.Titan class Knight with a regular knight.
The Plagued: The doomed souls who became the undead through a method of Half-death, keeping the body alive while it decays and feeds on itself and on others. The Souls are trapped inside but they feel no pain while their body hobbles on near death, howling the souls last painful words before become detached. The first symptoms usually revolve around a sneeze, giving the saying “Gods bless ye” to those who may be doomed. The next is paranoia and paranoia schizophrenia, these two are usually a good sign to call a doctor and treat him before he is doomed. The next is boils within certain parts of the body, blackening skin, weakening structure within the bones and losing muscle mass, around this time they may or may not be able to be saved, if it is minor enough they can be, if its sever they are damned. Usually the doctors come in, investigate the persons, see if they can be treated and if not, they’ll mark the doors properly and send in a black watch and a mortician. The plagued can infect in multiple ways more than just biting, its airborne (within reasonable distance (ie. Coughing, noxious aura they contaminate, ect.)) and could afflict people next to them if not treated, usually by they are sent to the burial grounds or the burning pyres. The only reports of identified plagued are the zombie-esc types.
Character sheet:
Code: Select all
[b]Appearance:[/b]
[b]Mask:[/b] (can be either a personalized mask or a traditional bird mask)
[b]Gender:[/b]
[b]Age:[/b](around a young adult age to start out kind of new)
[b]School:[/b] (one of the three)
[b]Equipment:[/b] (weapons, clothes, enchanted items)
[b]Skill:[/b] (Magic abilities (choose 4 specific magic abilities maximum) and physical abilities)
[b]Weakness:[/b] (Afraid of something, weak in a certain category, Achilles heel, ect)
[b]Bio:[/b]
[b]Misc:[/b] (Theme song(why not) or something else I haven’t mentioned)Rules:
1. Standard forum rules! Don’t know them, ask someone.
2. Be detailed with you posts
3. PVP is allowed, though the two parties must consent with each other.
4. You’re no hero; you can die and be out powered.
5. Romance is allowed
6. 3 characters max
7. Wish to add to the lore, pm me first
8. This not meant to be combat-focused too much; rather an interaction to the world.
9. You'll only have to see everyone on the first mission, after that you're free to explore the world with whomever you want.
10. You’re starting off with your first mission, don’t think you know everything or are the most powerful or veteran in the field. Character Development guys!
