Long ago, there was once a great vampire that threatened the world. The forces of light defeated him again and again, until his true death in 1999. In his dying breath, the vampire cursed the world. 13 years later, this curse took effect, casting the world into an eternal night. The creatures of the night emerged and destroyed much of the world in nearly 4 short years...
It is now the year 2016, and much of the world is under the control of the creatures of the night. But there are pockets of resistance left. Our story is of one of those pockets, located in Chicago, Illinois.
Inspired by: Castlevania, Hellgate London, World of Darkness, and Fallout
Posted: Fri Nov 13, 2015 7:11 am
The Full Story
Every story has its beginning, so I suppose it would work best if I start there, huh? So ages upon ages ago, there was this vampire called Dracula. Okay, seriously, forget Bram Stroker's Dracula for a moment here, along with all those shitty movies you grew up with. This guy was serious business. Every so often since the 11th century, his castle would appear and Dracula and his minions would cause some serious chaos and carnage. From what they say about the guy, he was pretty pissed off at humanity and mortality. Something about his wife dying of an illness or something like that. Either way, he had a rival, a family of vampire hunters dedicated to killing him. But each time the hunters would kill this vampire, he'd come back to life after some time. Usually, it'd be a few generations before he returned, but sometimes it'd be quicker than that. Let's fast forward to 1999. From what I've heard from those guys from the Arcane Order, Dracula was finally destroyed for good, and his castle sealed within a solar eclipse. This sounds all fine and dandy, but Dracula had one last trick up his sleeve. One that took 13 years to deploy. If you did your math correctly, you would've come to the year 2012. Apparently, those Mayans were onto something when you predicted the end of the world. Dracula had left a curse on the world, one that would plunge the world into eternal darkness. Dark clouds now cover the skies, as if a permanent storm was above. And if you thought the lack of sunlight was bad, let's toss in the hordes of dark creatures. Every creepy crawly thing that ever existed came out from the hardwood - vampires, werewolves, zombies, demons, and those tentacle things that do horrible things to women... I remember when it happened like it was yesterday. First, it was the zombies. They hit us faster than we thought was possible - let's face it, movies taught us that zombies were slow. But if you survived that, there was a decent chance that the werewolves or vampires would try to take you down. I heard the military places were hit hardest by them. Half of Millennium park was leveled by a single demon, they say... Four short years later, almost every government has fallen. Those who did not swear allegiance with the forces of darkness have been consumed. Only a few groups stand against the creatures of the night: the Guardians of Light, the Arcane Order, and the Survivors. There are a few others out there, but that covers most of the bases. So welcome to Chicago, 2016. The Vampire Lord Sammael rules the city, while a small group of Survivors struggle to resist. It's not much, but it beats being dead.
Yamazaki_Yoshio Captain
Enduring Seeker
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Yamazaki_Yoshio Captain
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Posted: Fri Nov 13, 2015 7:43 am
The Factions
Like many stories, there's more to it than just the hero and the villain...
The 'Good Guys' The hope of humanity's survival are these factions. However, they are just human, and thus not always good...
The Guardians of Light A group of soldiers who have banded together to fight off the Darkness. Equipped with experimental magi-tech armor that was developed with help from the Arcane Order and the biggest guns and swords they can get, these guys take to the front lines on a daily basis. They also support the various Survivor camps, providing protection.
The Arcane Order These mages have existed since before the dark ages and have been studying and practicing magic the entire time. When the Eternal Night came, they were the first to understand the nature of the apocalypse it brought. They provide magical support to both the Guardians and the Survivors, as well as research how to end the Night.
The Survivors The regular Joes of the world. While many people ended up submitting to the rule of the Night, and live in the internment camps set up by the vampires, there are those who struggle to survive freely. They do their best to help out the Guardians and Arcane Order by providing food, water, materials, and information.
The Night Watch While the above are made up of mostly humans, there are a small group of creatures that have sided with humanity. These vampires, werewolves, demons, ghouls, and other creatures were active in human society before the Eternal Night, and wish for things to go back to the way they were. They often have to earn the trust of the humans by blood and fire, and even then they're looked upon with suspicion.
Neutral Some folks would much rather sit on the sidelines, or at least not get caught up in the crossfire. Or they just don't side with either end of the conflict and will shoot whoever crosses into their territories.
The Raiders A true symbol of human nature are the Raiders. Instead of trying to be heroes or siding with the creatures of the Night, these people have resorted to looting and pillaging to survive. They will attack anyone who crosses into their territory, human or creature. Thankfully, of all the threats to the Light, at least the Raiders can be talked down from shooting you and maybe even be willing to trade with the survivors...
The Imprisioned The majority of surviving humanity has submitted to the rule of the Night. They live in the many internment camps that dot the world. They barely have food or water and often have to pay for their rations with blood donations. Of all the factions, they have lost most of their will to live.
The Forces of Darkness The current rulers of the world are the Forces of Darkness. Commanded by the various creatures of the night, they seek to continue their rule and put out what's left of the light...
the Creatures of the Night Made up of the various creatures - the Undying, the Beasts, and the Damned. They are made up of several Clans, each one ruling a particular area. The Revenants rule Chicago, commanded by the Vampire Lord Sammael.
the Cult of Midnight While most of humanity submitted to the rule of the Night, some joined them. These strange, twisted individuals are less than 1% of surviving humans. They look human, but they have given up their humanity for power...
Posted: Fri Nov 13, 2015 7:51 am
the Cast
Isaac Forland Yamazaki_Yoshio
Name: Isaac Forland Faction: Survivors Appearance: Standing just short of 6'1", Isaac boasts a messy, almost shoulder length brown hair, a pale complexion hazel eyes, and a constant 5 O'clock shadow. Across his nose is a deep scar, and most of his body shows similar markings. He often wears a flannel shirt/armor jacket combination with jeans. On his back is a sling-bag with a bandoleer across his chest. He carriers several minor magical and technological items on him, as well as a few weapons. A scratched up silver wedding band is worn on his left ring finger. Isaac often smells of tobacco and alcohol. Abilities: Isaac is an accomplished alchemist and gunsmith, as well as a decent aim with most semi-automatic weapons. He has a knack for exploration and salvaging. Thanks to several months of experimentation, Isaac has come up with alchemical shotgun shells, which have proven quite useful. Equipment: Double barrel sawn-off shotgun, light pistol, hatchet, several knives, alchemical bombs and concoctions, armored leather jacket, sling-bag of holding, Light/Shadow Magic Amulet, hacked smartphone built into bracer, minor camping gear Other: Played by: Yamazaki_Yoshio
Abby Kawakas
Name: Abby (Abaddon) Faction: The Night Watch Appearance: She has a pale skin, white hair with a small bow. She has two horns protruding from her head,battleworn wings and a demon's tail, her eyes are a shade of green. Abby is about 5'7 and has a slim figure. She is never seen without her signature armour, covering most of her torso in ebony metal plates, in addition to her armoured torso she also has matching gauntlets and boots.Abby leaves a few places unarmored such as her upper forearms and thighs. It is unknown why. Abilities: Keen senses, short distance warp within visibility, demon form, fast reflexes Equipment: Gauntlets and boots are used as primary weapons. Abby has been sighted carrying a battle-axe, crackling with ruinous energy. She has a dagger on both sides of her hip. Other: Played by: Kawakas
Atrellus RastkoB
Name: Atrellus Faction: The Guardians of Light Appearance: Artellus has a strong build with broad shoulders and a barrel chest. Some fat lines his body but underneath lies thick heavy muscle. His face is rounded with large cheek bones and a small chin. Dark brown almond eyes sit evenly spaced between his short pointed noise. His hair is buzzed short and he shaved regularly. For a human his skin is pale but it rarely sees light or leaves the comfort of his armor. While in battle and during most of his leisure he is clad in a dull black exoskeleton with yellowish gold trim. It is styled in the fashion of a knights plate mail but appears modern as well. A brown fur cape extends from the neck guard and around his back, it is the hide of a demon. Abilities: He has been trained to fight the forces of evil, along with basic medical and technical knowledge so he can preform specialized tasks in the field. Aside from this he bares the ability to use magic to generate auras which buff, protect, or harm attackers of him and his allies. Lastly his body has been augmented through magic and technology allowing him to suffer great wounds and still fight. Equipment: Mk. II Invictus Armor : A second generation powered exo-suit developed from the remains of a military grade hardware. Modified by the Arcane Order to better suit the situation. Provides the user with increased strength, recovery systems, heads up display and most importantly protection. Piercing Lance : A slender lance combined with magic energies for added punch. Made from a nano material. Ark Gun : Almost looks like a bee held in a single hand, requires time to charge but releases a nova of energy around the user harming enemies. Can be tuned to better effect enemies. Light Machine Gun : Standard military issues LMG, fires a varied of a modified ammunition. Other: His armor is a prison due the injuries he has suffered. Attellus' body is mangled, help together by the exoskeleton he wears. At most he can leave for an hour before risking his own health. Despite the best efforts of the order, scientists and doctors they have been unable to repair the damage but can assure his continued survival. Played by: RastkoB[
Joining Just send a PM with your profile to me, Yamazaki. I'll post it here once I've approved it.
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[b]Name:[/b] your character's name, of course. [b]Faction:[/b] who you've sided with. [b]Appearance:[/b] a description of your character. You are welcome to include a link to an image. [b]Abilities:[/b] powers and skills. Don't get carried away, but you already know the drill here. [b]Equipment:[/b] what kind of weapons and gear the character has. [b]Other:[/b] notes about the character that hasn't been covered. These do not include history or personality. [b]Played by:[/b] your username here
and so you know what it looks like:
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Name: your character's name, of course. Faction: who you've sided with. Appearance: a description of your character. You are welcome to include a link to an image. Abilities: powers and skills. Don't get carried away, but you already know the drill here. Equipment: what kind of weapons and gear the character has. Other: notes about the character that hasn't been covered. These do not include history or personality. Played by: your username here
Yamazaki_Yoshio Captain
Enduring Seeker
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Yamazaki_Yoshio Captain
Enduring Seeker
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Posted: Mon Nov 16, 2015 6:51 am
The Chicago Base of the Survivors
With just over a hundred people struggling to survive and not be killed and/or captured by the forces of the Night, the Survivors (along with their Guardian and Arcane allies) need a base of operations. Thankfully, they have set up in an old abandoned shopping mall a mile off the South Shore of Chicago.
Much of this two-story building's store fronts have been refurnished to be used as living space for the many less able folks of the Survivors. Meanwhile, the larger stores (which are usually giant clothing stores) have been given to the Guardians as a training area for their soldiers, lab space for the Arcane Order to do their research, or to the scavenging crews for salvaging what they can from their jaunts outside of the hideout.
Thanks to the Arcane Order's discoveries, magical batteries provide what little power the building has, with the help of a few looted gas-powered generators. Thankfully, water is still running, although it needs some filtration to make it drinkable.
The surrounding store fronts have also been re-purposed as guard shacks and storage areas. One of these store fronts has been given to the Night Watch, just far enough to keep people happy, but close enough to help out if the situation dictates it.
It didn't take long for Isaac to pick the lock of the back door of the hardware store. He gingerly opened the door, his sawn-off shotgun at the ready. Only darkness and stale air inhabited the back storage area. With a sigh, he clicked on his flashlight and stepped into the store.
Although odd, the survivor always found something comforting about looting hardware stores. Maybe it was because he used to work at one, and it was his own way at getting back at retail. Or maybe when the Eternal Night began, he was at work, and managed to survive the first wave of creatures with a makeshift weapon made of conduit pipes and far too many bored shifts filled with some rather dark ideas about making said weapon.
Regardless, a quick search proved that the area was empty, which was good news to Isaac. He placed his shotgun in between his armpit, jammed his hand into a pocket and pulled out a small shopping list of items. Alrighty, duct tape, batteries, some small propane tanks, a blow torch, and maybe some beef jerky. Shouldn't take long. Once again taking the shotgun into his hand, he began his search.
It didn't take long before he reached the duct tape. He twists the sling-pack on his back around and zipped it open. He dumped a dozen rolls of duct tape into the bag, the magic within the bag allowing for the great deal of items being poured into it. Twenty more minutes in the darkness, and Isaac had found everything that had been asked of him, and then some extra stuff for good measure.
- Red Rider, do you copy? Red Rider? - The survivor rolled his eyes as he reached for the small radio strapped onto his bag. "This is Red - what's up?" - What's your status, Red? - "Doin' good here...." The survivor noticed a bit of motion out of the corner of his eye. He shook his head. "Actually, scratch that, I've got company. You just had to call me, didn't ya?" - Stop sassin' me and get the ******** outta there! -
Isaac whipped the flashlight in the direction of the motion, hoping to strike something moving. Sadly, he heard it connect with a shelf instead. He quickly reached into the tool belt around his waist and pulled out what looked like an inert glow stick. The survivor cracked it in his hand and tossed it into the air, where it burst into a ball of light. The whole area of the store was illuminated, revealing several zombies climbing to their feet. "That idiot just had to call, didn't he?"
The survivor began a dash for the front door, which was closer than the back. With experienced hands, he raised his shotgun to fire at any undead in the way. As he blasted a zombie down, he grabbed the radio and shouted, "Bring the party van to the front of the store!" - It's gonna be a few minutes, Red. Hang in there! - "Hurry your a** up, man!"
He booked it with all his might, leaping over shelves of laundry detergent as he made a break for the glass doors. Isaac shot out the door as he ran for it, blasting glass out of the way and stepping out into the open street. He spun around, reloading with practiced motion. "Come on, man..."
Posted: Mon Nov 23, 2015 7:08 am
It was a slow day for Abby, then again everyday was a slow day when there was no sunlight. She missed the rays of sun, especially on the cold mornings. Where she would just sit on one of the pews at the local cathedral and watch the sun pierce the old windows. She'd listen halfheartedly to the priest.Those were the days for her, nice and easy. Sometimes she'd flip a pew over with her powers for the giggles. Maybe play with the lightings, beam a set of sharp teeth at the little child siting beside her. It was how the world was. A little of bad and good.
Abby blew a stray strand of hair from her face, her legs dangling from the shelf that she had sat on ever since the start of her shift. Her eyes scanning the streets for any abnormalities. She noted a group of humans leaving the base afew hours ago. Scavengers, she thought.
With the other nightwatch members either off duty or resting the demon had almost the entire store for herself, her eyes darted to the far corner of the store where another nightwatch member stood guard. well almost entirely for myself
She took in a deep breath, mostly because she was disappointed. She never got to tag along with the humans on their scavenging trips. I could be very useful, I can teleport and stuff. And I have an axe. An honest to God axe. Who carries an axe these days? Bet they've never seen anyone-or anydemon carrying an axe,she made a face. Her child-like thoughts a clear contrast to her intimidating features.
It had been a long week for the Guardian, as extended patrols proved to be rather uneventful. Being more machine then man he could function for long periods with minimal rest and resources. However this assured his ability to fight at any moment. "Movement several blocks ahead, comms traffic marks them as survivors. Order is to offer any assistance necessary" a cheery voice rang through his earn. This was his handler, weather or not they were a person was up for debate but they kept him well informed about the surrounding area, at least when they were close enough to keep contact. "As you wish, update HUD. I will notify them when I am close" he responded quickly.
Atrellus changed his direction, gazing through the display of his helmet. A digital marker, blinked in the distance. However he would be left to discover the path he had to follow. Using his right hand, he channeled his magic into the surrounding area, focusing it to quicken the movements of him and his allies. In this case the survivors. Of course it only extended out some twenty five feet but it would be useful for all of them. With that done, he began to run through the streets. The exo-skeleton supported the weight of his equipment, so it felt like nothing to him at this moment. It wouldn't be long before he arrived at their location. As he passed the ruins of the city, spotting some remains of its former inhabitants, be it bodies, clothing, toys. With time he had learned to be unaffected by such things but deep down inside it still bothered him.
A sub-system picked up movement within his vision and quickly highlighted an zombie in a red outlining. In a swift movement he pulled his lance from its holding with his left hand. The blackened weapon appeared dull, aside from the blades that ran along its piercing tip. Changing his footing, he lowered his stance, tucking the lance underneath his arm. His grip tightened as the distance between the pair drew shorter. After his next few steps, he threw his weight from left to right, while lunging forwards. Allowing the lance to slip through his hands, it extended to its full length striking his target. There was only the noise of the body hitting the ground and his recovery but it drew attention from anything hidden. It seemed the undead were present here.
Atrellus let out a deep growl as he spun around, seeing if anything else would come to pick a fight. However nothing happened at first so he moved towards his original goal but this is when he was attacked by several of the undead. They had toppled him to the ground but proved easy enough to handle with fists alone. Remaining still on his hands and knees, he gazed downwards over the bloody mess he had created. It reminded him of his first mission and the dreadful end that several had met along the way. Shacking his head, he rose to his feet and proceeded forwards. "Atrellus of the Guardians of Light, if you hear my call I shall be there within the coming moments" he said in a hopeful tone over all radio frequencies hoping the survivors were still alive. His eyes darted left and right, as he moved through the streets and it wouldn't be long before he arrived.
The guardian dashed forwards, pushing the exo-skeleton to its maximum causing his already broken body to shatter further under the immense strain of the suit. Turning he began to move through a dilapidated building, eventually bursting through a brick wall with his right shoulder. Perhaps another method would have been less destructive but he needed to draw as much attention as he could to himself at this moment. Tumbling across the ground, he kept steady and remained his feet. Atrellus was pointed in the direction of the survivors. "Over here" he barked in booming voice. For now he seemed to be unarmed but he reached for a device known as an Ark Gun. Gripping the trigger, it began to buzz and emit a bright blue light from the main housing which looked like the stripped section of a bumble bee.
