How to Survive When the Power Goes Out (OOC)

[Manticore]

THE GREAT PURGE

Location: New Orleans, Louisiana, United States
Time: February 22th, 2022 at 11:11 AM

Unknown cosmic force wipes out 80% of Earth's population, leaving no bodies behind. People are just...gone. Those who stayed are left in remains of once modern and technologically advanced civilization. Electricity is off, since all the wires and power stations (including emergency ones) have been fried by the cosmic wave. The towns and the cities are left in the dark. Those remaining seemingly untouched soon began to realize that they are all about the same age – 20 to 30 years. They are scattered across the globe, and for some it takes days before they come across another survivor. People being robbed of their former lives began to unite into small groups, soon recognized as the Tribes, just to maximize their chances of survival. The smartest ones soon inhabit the malls, where they have free access to all life's necessities – food, clothing, medicine... However, supplies are not unlimited. Fresh food that needs refrigerating goes bad first, and whatever's left cannot feed all of them forever. People are getting desperate. Some decide to fight another tribe to win control of their food resources, others try to reconnect with their primal instincts and learn how to grow vegetables and hunt wild animals, and others try to understand what happened and figure out a way to reverse the Purge.

This RP will revolve around one group of 4 – 6 people, who form a Tribe known as the Mall Hounds. I will play a leader of this tribe. Apart from the obvious - trying to survive the new world - the RP will be also focused on the conflicts between the Tribe's members, and some in-depth character development.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
BASIC RULES
- First and most obvious - my word is law
- One-liners are forbidden. I know we can all manage to write at least two paragraphs.
- I like focusing on character development, so I encourage you all to do the same.
- Keep it realistic. This isn't meant to be a Sci-fi fantasy, although it does contain some elements that are unlikely to happen in RL (like the fact that 80% of population could one day just wanish from the face of the Earth)
- I may be adding some rules as I see fit later
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
CHARACTER SHEET FORM

Name:
Age: (must be between 20 and 30)
Gender:
Appearance: (picture or text)
Personality:
Background: (describe what was your character doing around the time of the Purge)

 

[Insidious Joe]

Reserved.

 

[Manticore]

Name: Dominick O'Conell

Age: 30

Gender: Male

Appearance:

Personality: Despite his rough appearance, and a rich criminal record, Dom is far from being a villain. Even though he is always in some kind of trouble with the authorities, his intentions are rarely bad. He likes to break the law, and violate any kind of rules, but would never truly harm another, be it a human being or an animal. He is smart and cunning, although he sometimes appears to be slightly nuts with the way he talks to himself, or make strange remarks about people without caring if they heard him. If provoked, he would engage in a fight, especially when he'd be protecting someone else. He considers himself a lone wolf, with little to no close friends, but quite a lot acquaintances. He acts as a natural leader, just because he knows no other way. It's either people following him, or he walks alone.

Background: On the day of the Purge Dom was stuck in the jail cell of the local Police station, being charged with a car theft and an assault on the police officer. Of course, he thought he did nothing wrong. So, he stole someone's car, what's the big deal? The town was full of them, anyway. But while he was sitting on the ground of that stinky old cell, whistling a melody of a song he couldn't remember the name of, the weirdest thing happened. The cell door that had an electronic lock on it suddenely opened, and the station was left in complete darkness. The power was off, along with the emergency power system that's supposed to be working during a blackout. Dom didn't think about it twice, and took the opportunity of breaking out, only to find out that he was completely alone. No officers to be found, hell, no sign of anything brutal going on. Just silence. He bursted out on the streets, and faced what seemed to be a ghost town. No pedestrians, no signs of possible apocalypse... it all looked like everybody just disappeared, and he was the only one left. But why him? And where did all the people go? Was it all just a dream?

He decided to head south, boldly stole a police car (although he couldn't really steal anything if there was no one to steal from), and drove 100 miles to the nearest city, hoping its population of 300.000 people was still the same. However, it was not. The once busy city was now another ghost town. Although, taking free gas and free food at all the gas stations was pretty fun, the feeling of isolation soon began to creep in. He wasn't stupid. And as a street thug and common criminal, he knew that power was always in the numbers. Sure he was more of a lone wolf, when it came to socializing, but being alone in the crowd and being literally the only person left on this world were two completely different things. However, as he continued to roam the empty city of New Orleans, he came across a few others, who seemed to survive whatever happened on the February 22th, 2022. His knowledge of living in the streets, stealing stuff, burglaring, picking the locks, and overall enduring the brutal sides of life soon proved to be exactly what a group of confused and terrified souls needed in order to survive the New World.

 

[Mglo]

EDIT:

Withdrawing.

 

[Nemopedia]

I assume that we're going to use real life pictures?

Name: Elliot Harper

Age: 24
- Birthday: April 23

Gender: Male

Appearance:
- Height: 6 feet 2 inches
- Weight: 143 lbs

Personality: Closed off and private. Elliot doesn't like to talk about himself, preferring to keep to himself most of the times and to stay out of most trouble. The few rare relations his has, usually family, would describe Elliot to be naturally on guard, painstakingly shy and easily overwhelmed. He doesn't really know how to interact with the world outside, or how to communicate with strangers. Neither does he handle stress very well or unforeseen circumstances, mainly to blame to his consistent and the shell of protection he grew up within.

However, despite the many flaws he has, there are also redeeming factors, for his friends appreciate him greatly for his natural instinct to listen and the honesty he carries and isn't afraid to show once he settles in. He often carries the role as the mediator inside of his circle, patiently listening and questioning to find out the details of all sides of the stories. It is a rare quality, they describe, as he takes the time and patience to listen to all without judgement. It has partly influenced his decision for the course he was taking, deciding that he was to take a degree in mediation. Though Elliot was known to be a shy mumbling mess at times he still chose to take on this course, hoping that it would teach him to grow out of his shell a little. Which it did, a little, but never healed him completely.

Background: Around the time of the purge Elliot was studying for his next exam. Being a college student he spends most of his time studying, so it wasn't a surprise that he found himself in the dull activity as the one he was in now. It was however curious that the man didn't seem to be affected by the purge as much until he finally had the exam. Surely he had noticed the absence of the people around him, the silence that suddenly surrounded him despite the blaring sirens and the late night house parties that were usually heard, or the lack of electricity, to keep it simpler, but somehow it didn't register inside of his mind. Elliot had explained it away with due to stress, his nerves probably being too high strung to have taken careful note of whatever was happening around him and when it finally did land he had another factor to add into his stress. Not only was he suddenly expected to survive, and the fact that he was never going to make this important exam he had studied so hard for, but he needed to ally himself with people in order to survive. Strangers he did not know and the bashfulness that he never got rid of was overwhelming him due to the anxiety that rose up as well. It was thus a surprise that he eventually had finally managed to gather up his courage to engage in contact with other survivors and join in their little group. However he was grateful, as he wasn't physically apt to fight like most in his group, but he did believe that his background in mediation could help the group in some way. After all he is a strong defender of communication and healthy trafficking, maybe that he could negotiate something out for the Mall Hounds?

 

[Tyche]

Elke Maeve Honiahaka

"Intoxicatingly Noble Little Wolf"

Birthday & Age
December 27th [Capricorn] & Twenty-Nine

Gender
Female

Personality
Elke is kind, energetic, and radiates happiness wherever she may go, but she can be quite abrasive. She isn't afraid to make an impression, nor is she afraid to make a complete fool of herself. Laughter is the best medicine, and she tries her best to give everyone a dose or two, especially when she picks up on negative auras. She is carefree and a conversationalist, usually initiating one with a stranger and not feeling the slightest bit embarrassed about it. Sometimes, her filter goes haywire and she says or does things she doesn't mean, which is a problem with those who can be easily hurt. When something like this happens, Elke apologizes over a million times and explains that it's just something she has yet to keep under control, her charismatic attitude is usually what gets her out of those awkward situations. Sometimes, she feels like the person needed to hear such harshness and keeps her apologies to herself --- it depends on the day.

The young woman is a go-getter, an adventurer, and more diligent than you could ever imagine. She will try her hardest, for hours upon hours, to make someone feel more comfortable in her presence as well as offer advice that some may not desire. She knows when to pry and she knows when to allow someone to mull-it-out, but sometimes, in regards of her friends, Elke can't help poke into the affairs that do not involve her. She is the one you would go to if you had relationship problems, but not one for large, life decisions. For the life of her, when it comes to choosing, Elke has difficulty weighing her options and going with the best route. She sees potential in all outcomes (as well as people) and has a soft-spot for the misunderstood or the outcasts.

Overall, Elke is too sweet, but never does she ever let her emotions get the best of her. She is incredibly organized and holds herself together whenever a problem arises. She may be scatter-brained in all other accounts, but when it comes to problem-solving, you can count on Elke no matter what. She constantly finds herself wedged between a rock and a hard place and yet she finds the exit unscathed each time. She is empathetic, understanding the pain of others, and sometimes makes rash decisions according to how her friend's feel. The consequences to these decisions are quite messy, but Elke always shakes her head and claims she would do them all over again. Her friends are her life and she often finds herself trying to shake them into reality when they get lost, which makes her the rational one of the group. Never has she ever strayed from logic. Her brain is her greatest asset.

Background
WIP
Elke had been working at the car shop, located in northern Louisiana where her family lived, when everything went dark. She had been the only one in the shop, especially since she owned it, but she was still surprised to see that the roads were completely empty outside. It was a strange and scary sight so she immediately drove back home, however there were no signs of her mother or younger sister, Raelynn. She packed a few things and drove all across Louisiana where, eventually, she met up with other survivors who were facing the same hardships.

Appearance Logistics

Nationalities
Native American, Wampanoag descent

Eye Color
Azure

Hair Description
Raven, long/layered

Height
163 cm (5ft. 4in.)

Weight
52kg (114lbs.)

Skill Sets

Scavenging
Elke has a an eye for detail and is very good at picking out useless junk that may be used later on for something important. She's the one to turn to when you need something put together so talk to the raven-haired girl whenever she's free.

Fighting
Elke's father was a Sheriff in their little town of Waterville, Maine, so he taught his daughter a few moves that helped her through high school. After the lights went out, Elke decided to try her hand at self-teaching, however she is still susceptible to getting knocked around due to her height and weight.

Speaking
Elke is incredibly charismatic and can usually talk herself out of any situation, but not always. She sometimes slips up during a lie or gives herself away due to her simple gestures. Her general appearance is what covers these slip-ups, except good looks aren't an effective way to stay alive now.

Likes
Children
Animals
Puzzles
Talking
Crowds
Reading
Smiles

Dislikes
Rudeness
Rules
Yelling
Writing
Crying

Hobbies
Racing/Track & Field
Puzzle-solving and/or tinkering
Acting/Theatre
Playing the ukulele

Relationships

Family
Father | Gaagii Honiahaka | Deceased
Mother | Swazella Honiahaka | Alive
Older Brother | Jacobsone Honiahaka | Alive
Younger Sister | Raelynn Honiahaka | Alive
Baby Sister | Towa Honiahaka | Deceased

(Message me if you'd like to establish something with your character.)
Friends
WIP

Acquaintances
WIP

Enemies
WIP

​

 

[Manticore]

Reserved, work in progress ...

I assume that we're going to use real life pictures?

Yes, I'd prefer real life pictures.

 

[WrittenAll Over]

Still open? I would really like to take a crack at it; You and I seem similar in level and interest. Also, How fast will this be taking us?

Reserve~ if I may

 

[Manticore]

Still open? I would really like to take a crack at it; You and I seem similar in level and interest. Also, How fast will this be taking us?

Reserve~ if I may

You are welcome to join us! Not sure what you mean by ''How fast', though. We will, however, definitely discuss some details regarding the plotline before we start IC.

 

[WrittenAll Over]

You are welcome to join us! Not sure what you mean by ''How fast', though. We will, however, definitely discuss some details regarding the plotline before we start IC.

Fantastic, thank you.

I'm sorry, what I mean by "how fast" is simply how fast the posting speed is expected. I have several other RP commitments and of course some kind of a life, however off/on it may seem.

Your 'casual-advanced' statement has scared me a bit. I can post a speedy reply if my writing level meshes well with other players but other days it may take me a bit to write something really fluid.

@Ghosty I friggin just discovered twenty-one pilots yesterday! I can't get enough of their music now. Also, I couldn't help but notice how similar your character is to the one I'd planned on writing before I read it... *taps fingers on a metallic table* oh what to do...what to do..

 

[WrittenAll Over]

~Name~
Rachel Elise

~Age~
February 26th, 20 years old

~Gender~
Female


~Personality~
​

Originally from a rural area in Texas, Rachel looks fragile but is well acquainted with life associated with hard work and displacement. Rachel's a cautious, secretive young women and while words fly without a care to those whom she trusts, don't be fooled, her thoughts tend to be weighty; resting on that of the future or outcome. On the outside, she is potently optimistic. On the inside, deceptively careful in the way she views situations. Furthermore, you will be hard pressed to find her doing something for no reason and if you think it doesn't make sense, you can rest assured it does to Rachel.

She is sympathetic, feeling repentant for her wrongdoing and those going through similar situations. Though she acknowledges the things in her past are what made her who she is today, she would not share them with you; little things as they may seem to you they are as mountains to her.

Upon seeing her you wouldn't see the displaced life in the zany person before you. Mannerisms and body language from that of a playful child and saucy young woman. She is curious and scrupulous to detail; the combination is sure to see that any person or object is subject to her fascination, even then her attentions are fleeting. She is aware she has strange fascinations and will most likely hide them from you. It may seem like prying at first, and most likely it is, but Rachel insists knowing all facets of a situation at hand and will persist to solve them until her questions are quelled.

If you look closely you might encounter Rachel's most endearing trait, the compassion she sees for the things around her. Words or threats meant to sting end with emptiness, Little things such as pushing too hard or killing for a meal could topple her emotions if left unguarded. She may be soft and sometimes gullible to jokes at first but beware those who seek to sully, hurt, or kill her compassion you will suffer for it.


Though Rachel has many skills in areas useful to the situation, she's become dependent on others for social satisfaction, protection and motivation to do what needs to be done. Naturally a follower, She may try and become an authoritative figure in order not to be cast aside. She's needy that way. You should expect her to move at a leisurely pace throughout the day, unless given a task on which to focus, or otherwise reflects on what could be done better.

Others perceive her as keen, persistent, smiley (in a sarcastic way), clingy or physical (around those whom she's comfortable) calculating and slow to action.

extra
Ask a question; she loves them.
She always has a craving for frozen something
She knows ASL and cares deeply for her hands
She knows how to garden, ride a horse, train a dog and make soup



~Background~

A few days before, Rachel and her younger sister had left Texas for a much needed vacation from the complicated life of Huston waitressing to travel the world; their first stop being Louisiana's port city of New Orleans. After a stop here for a cute hat and there for a bathroom break, eventually, both girls arrived late that night, checked into a tourist hotel, ordered room service and went to bed. Rachel woke up late the next morning. The sun streaming through her window provided more than enough light for the room so that it wasn't until she tried to turn on the TV that she found it dead. Curious. after that she tried the light, and then her phone followed by the bedside phone. Nothing worked. hmm. Finally she retreated to her sisters room to relay her findings but soon after found her sister, the staff and other residents to have disappeared into thin air. WIP...​

 

[Tyche]

@Ghosty I friggin just discovered twenty-one pilots yesterday! I can't get enough of their music now. Also, I couldn't help but notice how similar your character is to the one I'd planned on writing before I read it... *taps fingers on a metallic table* oh what to do...what to do..

Twenty One Pilots is so awesome! They are so easy to fall into and just get addicted omg. I'm glad you found them! Sorry about your character!~ I guess great minds think alike LOL​

 

[Manticore]

I'm sorry, what I mean by "how fast" is simply how fast the posting speed is expected. I have several other RP commitments and of course some kind of a life, however off/on it may seem.

Your 'casual-advanced' statement has scared me a bit. I can post a speedy reply if my writing level meshes well with other players but other days it may take me a bit to write something really fluid.

No need to be scared. What I meant by casual-advanced has more to do with quality of your posts than the speed of your posting. Beside, we all have life outside of RP community, and we probably all have some other RP commitments aswell, so I don't expect anyone to post here daily (but of course, I do encourage it). As long as you're able to go in some depth with the character development, and you contribute to the story (also, discussions in OOC thread are very much desired), I think you are good :)

 

[MarMar]

I-is this still open?

 

[Mglo]

GM said 4-6 people so it seems that yes, there's still room :)

 

[MarMar]

Thank you!
I'll be sure to make my CS soon-!

 

[Manticore]

Thank you!
I'll be sure to make my CS soon-!

Welcome aboard! :)

 

[WrittenAll Over]

Okay, I've got a couple of questions for you, Manticore.

1. Will our phone batteries work? I assume yes, since the car batteries do; seeing as how you drove one away. Though we don't know what the "cosmic wave" did exactly, (also based on assumption) it wasn't similar to an EMP since that would take the electrical charge of most all cars. I ask this mostly because I'm probably going to use it in my background.

2. Also, What time of day did the purge occur?


This story would pretty much suck for anyone left on Alaska, the arctic, or New Zealand....

 

[Manticore]

Okay, I've got a couple of questions for you, Manticore.

1. Will our phone batteries work? I assume yes, since the car batteries do; seeing as how you drove one away. Though we don't know what the "cosmic wave" did exactly, (also based on assumption) it wasn't similar to an EMP since that would take the electrical charge of most all cars. I ask this mostly because I'm probably going to use it in my background.

2. Also, What time of day did the purge occur?


This story would pretty much suck for anyone left on Alaska, the arctic, or New Zealand....

1. I would say that anything that wasn't plugged in electricity still works. Don't ask me why, though, 'cause I haven't thought that through yet. I wanted to leave those things unexplained so our characters (and us for that matter!) would have something to think about. Besides, even if it was EMP that still doesn't explain why majority of the people went missing.
Anyway, the phones still work, but they are practically useless since there is no signal or internet (those two things are dependent upon electric power system). In case of portable generators the story is the same as with phones. There is, however, a limit to what can be charged by them (they aren't strong enough to provide enough electricity for the whole shopping mall, for example).

2. Good question. Thanks for bringing that up. I totally forgot to clarify it. Let's say 11:11 am, so we have something more to wonder about :P I'll edit that in my first post.

Did that answer your questions? :)

EDIT: I wouldn't be so sure about that. I think the worst would be for the people of New York, for example. Big cities are way more dependant upon electricity than Eskimos :)

 

[WrittenAll Over]

Hahaha, yeah Obviously EMPs can not make people disappear. Life would suck in The Big Apple without electricity, however, New yorkers (you you said in the story) have a source of food. They will be able to cultivate a new given enough time and for the most part Eskimos have storage too but I don't think, I do not know but, they probably have permafrost all year round. The way I'm probably naively picturing it, they will quickly run out of stuff to burn in order to stay warm and cook meat.

...this is very off topic but fun none the less.


Anyway~ yes, that answers my questions. *with much zeal, I rub my hands together*~ Can't wait to begin