Call of Cthulhu: The Black Elixir

[Asmodeus]

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March 1925. On England's west coast, the greatest storm in living memory is about to hit the port village of Penryn.



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The fishermen, miners and shopkeepers take shelter with their families. The houses are boarded up, the streets emptied, and prayers whispered in the dark.

But some do not sleep tonight.

Foul deeds continue, in the shadow of the storm.

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At the Eagle Arms, Vicky Oswald keeps the lights on and the doors open. She will welcome any who come here. But tonight will be like any other night: her pub will be empty. The villagers no longer come here. No one has bought ale from Vicky since her sister vanished.

But she will not be alone for long. Her father, in London, has hired an investigator, asking them to travel to Penryn and help Vicky find her sister before the kidnappers strike again.

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At the village church, the insanity of Father Marrak grows. He has suffered an injury, something terrible, and now his faith is eroding, day by day.

He tells all to an old friend, whom he has written to for many years. Each letter arrives with more tangled writing, stranger language, each pen stroke seeped in gathering despair. The old friend fears for Marrak's well-being, and will travel to Penkos tonight to check on him.

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At the northern cove, the fishing docks are not entirely abandoned. A group continues working in the dead of night, in trenchcoats and hats that hide their faces. They speak in American accents, and whisper the name Scarface.

These smugglers have something that needs doing. They have hired a killer, who is arriving tonight. His task will simple. To kill the noble known as Lord Cargwyn.

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And on the headland, upon high cliffs overlooking the village, Cargwyn Manor keeps its gates shut. Once the great employer and benefactor of Penryn, the noble and his servants have now become recluses. Rumour is that Randolph Cargwyn has deposed his father and taken over the estate, shutting down the tin mines and robbing the villagers of work.

But his father had many friends - many connections. His father was a Mason. And now an initiate of the Order is coming to learn the fate of Old Lord Cargwyn.</table>

The storm is coming.

And all shall be revealed this night.​

 

[Asmodeus]

This will be a quick horror story in which 4 plotlines converge to reveal the terrible secret of Penryn.

The Cthulhu Mythos is unknown to all but the highest echelons of academia. So you better have a good reason if your character has insider knowledge.

This is set in 1925. Europe is at peace. Hitler is in jail for his Munich Putsch fuck-up. Mussolini has assumed dictatorial powers in Italy. The KKK are at the height of their power with over 5 million members. And Al Capone has just become the boss of the Genna Crime Family and is about to redefine the second half of the Prohibition Era.


What I need is:

- An investigative type who will take big money from retired mariner Gerald Oswald to investigate the kidnap of his daughter and the threat hanging over her sister.

- An old friend of Father Marrak, who has kept in correspondence with him for many years and noticed the madness creeping into his letters over the last few weeks.

- A mercenary hired by Capone's bootleggers for their mysterious smuggling operation in England, under orders to kill the lord of the manor.

- A low-ranking member of the Masonic Orders, sent to discover the fate of Jago Cargwyn and the secrecy of his unruly son, Randolph.


Any other applicants will have to be locals, or assistants to the main four protagonists.

[noparse][b]Name:[/b]

[B]Appearance:[/B]

[b]Role:[/b] (choose one of the red roles from the intro)

[B]Skills:[/B]  

[B]Why are you here?:[/B][/noparse]

 

[Asmodeus]

Name: Eugene Hughes

Role: A searcher (GM secret role)

Skills: Eugene has one person in the world, and that person is somewhere in Penryn. He will not give up.

Why are you here?: Eugene's mother, Martha, left in the dead of night from their home in Devon. She left a number where she could be contacted. Eugene has traced it to the Eagle Arms in Penryn. With the storm taking out the phone lines, he has no choice but to go to Penryn himself to learn why his mother abandoned him.

 

[CosmicWeinerDog]

Character Withdrawn

Name: Arkos

Role: A mercenary hired by Capone's bootleggers for their mysterious smuggling operation in England, under orders to kill the lord of the manor.

Skills: Near inhuman willpower established by the Way of the Fakir. -> http://www.ardue.org.uk/university/system/lect07.html

Why are you here?:Directed by his Yogi, Arkos has traveled with his mentor with intent to slay Lord Cargwyn. Brainwashed through fanatical reasoning, the monk believes that in order to reach enlightenment he must first understand what it is to take life. In this case, specific life dictated by his yogi for reasons all her own.

 

[Stormy MoldaviteOwlet]

Character Withdrawn

Oh, this is so cool. I love it ^_^

Name: Lonan Bjork
Appearance: Very small for his occupation, both short and slight; a young face unblemished except for a couple of scars, like thin disarrayed scratches along his jawline; rather mussed and shaggy hair, a dark reddish brown; unsettling pale grey eyes
Role: Assistant role to mercenary, you can decide the details
Skills: Quick reflexes, much stronger than he looks, tough and hardy. Empathetic, good at gaining trust or sympathies from others (not manipulative.) Fantastic shot (MP 34 submachinegun)and a characteristically tiny dagger. Good at drawing, sticks to simple sketches. Great singing voice, though he tends to keep it to himself. Good at diffusing a tense and potentially dangerous situation. Patient.
Why are you here?: .... It's a Lovecraftian sea roleplay. :K

I'll build on the character more if he's approved.

 

[KaitxtiaK]

Name: Marina Payne

Role: - An investigative type who will take big money from retired mariner Gerald Oswald to investigate the kidnap of his daughter and the threat hanging over her sister.

Skills: Quick reflexes, good at solving puzzles, doesn't believe everything she hears. She is agile and quick on her feet, along with being witty.Why are you here?: After the mysterious disappearances of her parents, Marina has sworn to help people find their lost loved one, so she jumped at the chance to help find Vicky's sister. Even though she is a young woman in the 1920's she manages being a private detective because of her parent's fortune left to her and their prominence in society has allowed her to work her way up the ladder rather quickly.

 

[Hecatoncheires]

[size=+1][size=+2]Name:[/size] Doctor Arthur C. Kingsley

[size=+2]Role:[/size] A low-ranking member of the Masonic Orders, sent to discover the fate of Jago Cargwyn and the secrecy of his unruly son, Randolph.

[size=+2]Skills:[/size]

• Ex-Serviceman – A veteran of the brutal trenches of the Western Front, Arthur's service as an Officer of Her Majesty's Royal Army has left him with a certain finesse in combat as well as considerable experience with stressful situations and military tactics.
• Medical Knowledge – Since returning home from the war, Arthur has completed a degree in Medicine and become qualified as a Doctor, though he's still new to the profession and lacks the experience a veteran of the field. Nonetheless, his medical knowledge is one of the reasons he has been chosen for the task; his superiors in the Order believe he may be able to bring these skills to bear if Lord Cargwyn is sick.

[size=+2]Why are you here?:[/size] A recent 'Entered Initiate' of the Quatuor Coronati Lodge in London, Doctor Kingsley has been tasked by the Masters of his Lodge to travel to the rural coastal village of Penryn in order to investigate the reasons behind Lord Cargwyn's reclusiveness and the rumours of his deposition at the hands of his son Randolph. A former soldier and gifted doctor still in possession of his youthful wits and physicality, it is hoped he can learn the truth behind the tales being told of Cargwyn Manor.[/size]

 

[CosmicWeinerDog]

Alright. Would you rather
a) Let me know where I could fit him in?
or
b) Tell me what sort of character the Yogi would be?

Welp, dunno about the first one as I haven't planned to make the Hit a gun toting fast talking james bond scene. I had planned to set the Mercenary as more of a Number 23 feel where the bulk of the text sits as a psychological narrative of Arkos and how inhuman his perception of the world is. The man will be played as close to a machine as I can manage with heavy emphasis oh what kind of personality a person would need to have to become drawn to such a masochistic ideology. Knowing both Lovecraft inspired plots and Asmo's sick brain, as the lot of story becomes more and more disjointed I planned to bend Arkos more into the direction of clear cut Insanity.

As for the Yogi, I imagine her sporting a personality very similar to Lady MacBeth from Shakespere. I hadn't planned on making her a major character as much as I had planned on giving her key roles through out the RP. An aspect I intend to run is the theme of Duality here. When it all comes down to it, while Arkos is a brutally efficient husk of a man who has over decades attempted to break human weakness from his body, he no longer understands what it is to operate independently. All focus is set on the never ending persuit of Enlightenment. A point of irony shall be that while the man's will is unbreakable, he's little more than a puppet.

The Yogi on the other hand is an evil bitch of a woman who's hands shall remain completely clean through out the piece. She understands the gains of having an unquestionable servant and has spent years Molding him into a brutally efficient tool. Her role as a Yogi is a flawless act, played perfectly in order to string along the broken monk. I've been playing with the idea of placing her in a wheel chair or making her a survivor of some of the more brutal aspects of the second world war. Cold, Calculating, heartless, and seething with a lifetime old need for vendetta.

Both characters will probably not survive the RP.

Haven't quite pegged the role yet. It's still in the works and is very different from what I usually attempt. If you think you can pull it off, more power to ya, but I'm going to be especially particular as to how it's done.

 

[Nekomimist]

Name: Jorell Ravin

Appearance:

Reaches about 5'10", still in great shape for his age. However, he suffers from a torn ligament on his left arm and has to rely on a metal device that to give him extra support. Fun fact, the device can be changed into a revolver.

Role: An old friend of Father Marrak, who has kept in correspondence with him for many years and noticed the madness creeping into his letters over the last few weeks.

Skills: Despite his age, Mr. Ravin holds a stern talent for detective work and staying calm under pressure—especially under insanity. He's always been level headed and thurough—and a royal pain in the @$$.

Why are you here?: Jorell has never been one for formalities or order and sometimes teasingly mocked his friend, Father Marrak, for his work. The old man has been retired for years, but now concerned for his friend, has become involved.

~WIP~ I can add more soon! :3

 

[Asmodeus]

Er... a metal device on his arm that can change into a revolver?

...in 1925?


And he "stays calm under insanity"? Whut?

 

[Asmodeus]

Er... a metal device on his arm that can change into a revolver?

...in 1925?


And he "stays calm under insanity"? Whut?

 

[Nekomimist]

Er... a metal device on his arm that can change into a revolver?

...in 1925?


And he "stays calm under insanity"? Whut?

In a way that he doesn't go haywire immediately. But that can be changed. As for the revolver, I was thinking this was slightly more steampunk-esque. It seemed there were a few... unnatural elements in the game. But both those can be changed if it works better for the story ( and I can turn the metal device just into a brace). :3 Just lemme know!

 

[Hecatoncheires]

Steampunk elements aren't really conducive to Lovecraftian horror, unless you want to throw the horror aspects out in favour of "LET'S STRAP COGS TO ALL THE THINGS".

 

[Nekomimist]

Steampunk elements aren't really conducive to Lovecraftian horror, unless you want to throw the horror aspects out in favour of "LET'S STRAP COGS TO ALL THE THINGS".

Lol! XD That's a good point! I can get rid of it or structure it mechanically for that era. :3 Either works.

 

[Asmodeus]

"LET'S STRAP COGS TO ALL THE THINGS".

I read that as corgis. Another peril of Steampunk.


Yeah, I think the world is weird enough without bringing in the Steam Dream. Let's just say it's a metal brace, and I'll make sure it gives him an important advantage at one point in the plot.

And how does he know this random Cornish priest? Has he been to the town before? Did they study together? Did he call on the priest for help with a previous case?

Even though she is a young woman in the 1920's she manages being a private detective because of her parent's fortune left to her and their prominence in society has allowed her to work her way up the ladder rather quickly.

I think we're climbing the plausibility ladder now. Does she still have her parents' estate? Does she still attend social functions and uphold the family legacy? Or has she become a recluse from City life? In the 1920s I can imagine there being a whole household staff and a social circle that you've either abandoned or had to compromise with.

 

[CosmicWeinerDog]

IT'S TOO DANGEROUS TO GO ALONE!

TAKE THIS!

 

[Asmodeus]

Okay, the IC is up.

Start wherever you like. You don't necessarily have to go straight for your plot destination, since there's plenty of clues to be found around the village. Just bear in mind that the headland where the mansion is is VERY hard to access due to deadly cliffs and a gated wall guarded by groundsmen. All the villagers are sheltering inside their houses, so the only lights on are at the pub, church and mansion.

And it's pissing it down.


*slaps the starter tentacle*

 

[Stormy MoldaviteOwlet]

Hm. I'd like to try the Yogi, please. And I actually usually make my mercenary-types as you described xD I deviated from my usual.

 

[CosmicWeinerDog]

Hm. I'd like to try the Yogi, please. And I actually usually make my mercenary-types as you described xD I deviated from my usual.

Send me a PM regarding the idea you have with the direction of the character and We'll talk it over.

 

[KaitxtiaK]

I think we're climbing the plausibility ladder now. Does she still have her parents' estate? Does she still attend social functions and uphold the family legacy? Or has she become a recluse from City life? In the 1920s I can imagine there being a whole household staff and a social circle that you've either abandoned or had to compromise with.

She still has a social life, but she has given up the estate for a small apartment.