PENNYBLOOD (a Steampunk adventure)

[Asmodeus]

It started in Russia in 1880.

In a bid to avert revolution, the Kaiser ordered the mass production of food for the working class. Scientists were given free reign to boost agricultural output by any means necessary - genetic modification, radiation treatment and all manner of experimental fertilizers.

The result... the Dead Menace... zombification on an unprecedented scale.

Russia was torn apart and Africa and the Middle East ravaged by the infected. America survived the worst of it, despite whole states being reduced to lawless frontierland. For 10 years chaos ensued, till finally a catastrophic war in Europe and the alliance of Japan and China slowed the advance of the Undead.

The war still rages today - the survivors living a harsh existence protecting what few cities remain against the zombies.

Only one place in the world has held onto its technology and remained a beacon of civilisation and order to the rest of the world...

London.

Of course, it was by no mere accident that this particular city prospered. England came under fierce attack from a type of zombie known as Migrants, who were able to cross the oceans to invade the island kingdom. For a decade the nation suffered and the fast-moving zombies slaughtered most of the population.

But then, when all seemed lost, help came from a most unexpected group of people...

No one knows how the Vampires were created, or why they waited till now to reveal themselves. And no one could have foretold that these monsters would turn out to be our saviours in the hour of need.

The Vampires were scientists and magicians without equal. With their powers they created the Smog - a thick cloud of smoke that blocked out the sun and encircled London. It had the effect of slowing the Migrants down, turning them to shuffling drones rather than the sprinting animals that plagued the rest of the world. This made them easier to kill, to contain and second-guess. The Migrants were driven back to the outskirts of South London.

But the Vampires had a price for their services. They would keep the Smog in place... but only if they received the proper payment.

The Dead Deal was struck.

For 13 years the Vampires have ruled North London, forming an aristocracy of politicians, scientists and philosophers. They control the factories that produce the Smog and in return the human families of South London provide their most attractive sons and daughters as blood-slaves to the Vampires.

An equilibrium has been achieved. We are now the subjects of our vampire lords, fighting to keep our city safe from the Migrant horde.

But it is also a time of wonders, of new technologies and thrilling intrigues. It is a time when travellers will arrive from other nations, when dark creatures will stir, and when adventures will change the very course of our brave new world.

 

[Asmodeus]

Name: Professor Pennyblood
(real name 'Randolph Hoffman')

Occupation: Officially an inventor and biologist, but by night a masked investigator of the Undead.

Notable Skills: Pennyblood specializes in toxins, pheremones and chemical enhancers/inhibitors. He is the only man ever known to have walked amongst the zombies.

Residence: Pennyblood has a little shop on Fleet Street in South London, where he sells antiques.

Status: Pennyblood has been a lifelong bachelor, so has never pledged any children to the Vampires. He has attended some of the balls and science exhibitions in North London, but the Dynasty has little knowledge of him. He is definitely not a part of high society, but has many friends among the middle classes of South London. He is fond of entertaining and the company of learned colleagues. Despite his shadowy activities, he is a warm and charismatic gentleman.

Current Goal: Pennyblood believes there is a chance to cure the Zombie Plague. He has been studying them for the last decade. He is also suspicious of the Smog and how the Vampires create it.

 

[Asmodeus]

Name: The Judge
(AKA 'The Black Death')

Occupation: The Mayor of North London and High Judge of the Tower of London.

Notable Skills: He is a master composer, an avid collector of pornography, a sadistic torturer and commander of the Home Guard.

Residence: The Judge resides in the Tower of London, a fortress where he spies on the rest of the city, composes his operas and stores all manner of unspeakable sexual literature and prostitute slaves. He is reclusive due to the terrible scars inflicted on his face from a Zombie attack.

Status: The Judge was the man who signed the Dead Deal with the vampires. He was once Prime Minister and when Buckingham Palace was destroyed he became responsible for the entire fate of London. He moved quickly and sold his soul to the vampires, agreeing the terms by which the most beautiful humans would be offered up as gifts to the new aristocracy. With his armies he crushed dissent amongst the clergy and the opposition parties, imprisoning his enemies in the Tower or in the Bedlam Asylum.

Current Goal: He now spends his time collecting blood-slaves and virgins and composing operas for the Vampire dynasty. He is a tormented soul, haunted by his own ugliness and obsessed with studying and desecrating the beauty of others. It is he who must answer for the behaviour of the human citizens, and so he does his utmost to ensure that the people of South London behave themselves.

 

[Grumpy]

Name: [size=+1]Cassie O'Hara[/size]

Occupation: Bare-Knuckle Boxing Champion

Notable Skills: A champion in the illegal boxing rings of South London, Cassie's fists are reputed to hit like a steam locomotive. She's also adept and dodging and movement when fighting, is a masterful trash-talker and is seemingly impossible to knock out no matter how many times you hit her. Outside of the ring, she can drink men twice her weight under the table if she wants to, and happens to be a rather excellent fiddle player.

Residence: In a small apartment in the Irish quarter of South London. The locals all look out for one another; if you're not from there, expect trouble.

Status: Cassie's status as a bare-knuckle boxing champion makes her well respected by the Irish community of London, as well as grudgingly respect from the various criminals of the city who don't give her any trouble largely out of fear of her skills. The constables are aware of her reputation and standing as the champion of the illegal boxing tournaments but have no evidence against her, leading to a certain amount of enmity.

Current Goal: Two weeks ago Cassie's cousin Katie, a student at King's College and probably the first of the family to be admitted into higher education, vanished from her home near to the bridge between North and South London. Cassie believes that the Vampires may have seized her as a blood-slave or something worse and is currently searching for other individuals to assist her in finding out what has happened to her kin.

 

[Grumpy]

Name: [size=+1]Smiling Jack (aka Jack the Ripper)[/size]

Occupation: Serial Killer, targeting prostitutes who service Vampires and the blood-slaves of Vampires (he is likely a surgeon or doctor, given the precise nature of his 'work')

Notable Skills: An in-depth knowledge of the human anatomy, and considerable skill with surgery and operating techniques (he is apparently capable of doing so without needing a large amount of equipment). He seems adept at evading all pursuers, no matter how many of them there are and how well organised, with many constables referring to him as a 'ghost' who leaves no traces of himself behind, only mutilated corpses.

Residence: Unknown

Status: Smiling Jack has become the bogeyman of South London, and has many prostitutes living in fear of him. It is believed that his killings are politically-motivated, targeting 'fang-fuckers' and others associated with the new overlords of London. Many of those who are against the Vampires rule of London are starting to view him as some sort of dark hero, targeting 'traitors of the human species' and the food that the Vampires feed upon. Jack himself has only sent one letter to the press, containing a finger of one of his victims to prove it's legitimacy. In it, he describes his actions as a 'beautiful act' and states that he is 'removing the cancers of this society', as well as stating that he soon plans to 'move on to more dangerous prey'. The papers are currently awash with articles about what he may mean by this.

Current Goal: Murdering the prostitutes and blood-slaves of Vampires, and then moving on to 'more dangerous prey'.

 

[Tegan]

*Not going to lose ANOTHER steampunk RP.* >:(




Name: Astrid Mercier

Occupation: Lyric Soprano for the Royal Opera House, Professional Thief

Notable Skills:
Vocal Virtuoso
Stealthy
Acrobatic
"I can get us inside, just give me a second."
Fights like a lady
Ambidexterity
"I know Run Fu."

Residence: A small boarding house on the edge of North London

Status: Astrid is one of the most recent addition to the Royal Opera House and though she is still an unknown, her unique voice type has received some acknowledgment from her fellow singers.

Current Goal: In order to discover the secret behind the Smog for her employers, Astrid is working hard to climb through the ranks of the ROH; to bring herself closer to the vampire aristocracy. And maybe nip a nice trinket or two for her troubles.

 

[Spammy]

Name: Quincy Richardson, real name Harris Richards.

Occupation: Arms merchant.

Notable Skills: Harris, or Quincy as he is known now, has a great familiarity with the products he sells, and is capable of accurately shooting most any firearm, and assembling and disassembling them with ease, all courtesy of his upbringing. He has a certain confidence and charm that lead to things usually happening the way he wants, and the money and connections to see that they do if charm and confidence fail.

Residence: A quiet, respectable apartment in a neighborhood not too rich nor too poor. The rooms are furnished adequately and do have a somewhat lived-in appearance, but still give off the sensation of a temporary vacation home for their occupant.

Status: Quincy is one of the best sources for firearms imported from America, never explaining why beyond a smile and his American accent, a finely-tuned drawl, enough to be different and exotic without going over the top. The truth is, he has his father to thank, as he was once part of a father and son exhibition shooting team for an American gun manufacturer, even performing for the Vampires of London, back when he was called Harris Richards. He's gone to no particular lengths to hide his identity, barely changing his last name, but it's enough to throw off most of those who might have seen him as a child. He moves easily between clients, both legitimate and not, comfortable where he is.

Current Goal: He's eagerly waiting for a new shipment to arrive, mostly revolvers, but most importantly: Replacement parts for his custom revolver, Good Business.

 

[LadyHarpy]

Name: Maxine Brewer (AKA 'Mama Maxie')

Occupation: Informant and Houser of the Ill and Unfortunate.

Notable Skills: Maxine is more than another pretty face. In fact, she is quite the sharp shooter, picking off targets with her dual pistols from far distances easily. She also happens to be a wonderful cook, seeming to make the dullest ingredients into a nice hardy meal that will sit in one's stomach for weeks. Along with cooking she is a skilled flirt when she wants to be, batting her eyelashes and showing off a tempting thigh to get what she wants, be it information or just a new gun to add to her growing collection. Maxine is rather good with sewing and first aid, but she certainly is no doctor.

Residence: A large rundown townhouse in the South London

Status: Maxine is labled as an 'old maid', having never been married or had any children. She is looked up to by many of the ruffians of South London for her pretty face and her kindness, gladly giving them something to eat and drink for just the trading of information. She loves having simple drinking parties, seeing it as both an oppertunity to get the latest dirt as well as lighten the the usually dark mood that hangs over South London. Even though she is looked at as a mother Maxine is quick to pick up a gun to defend the honor of a friend or her own.

Current Goal: Maxien hopes to stop the Vampier's Reign for her own reasons, though she doesn't say why, and has begun collecting dirt on them for later use. She also is working on growing her collection of guns, preparing for what she calls the 'unavoidable fight'.

 

[exewon]

Name: James Swinnen
Age: 32
Occupation: Mercenary
Image

Notable Skills:James is a mercenary and don't try to put him on the same level as the dumb muscle that hires itself out to look mean and rough up simple civilians. No, he is a tool of death and destruction tweaked to perfection in the fire's of conflict. Having a basic grasp on demolitions and gun maintenance, A sharp eye and steady enough hands to put a bullet in between the eyes of his target from afar and good enough reflexes and the right state of mind to survive quite a few kinds of trouble that can come his way.

Residence: An empty rundown warehouse in south london

Status: A veteran of the war against the zombie kind and an ex member of the guard still defending london from the shambling zombie masses. James hasn't seen a hell that can't really be explained if you didn't see it yourself. The guard was quite gratefull when the vampires created the smog and made their job a lot easier.Still not everything can last and james was forced to find a better paying job then the military when he heard that his family was in serious financial trouble and mercenary's where always needed to do the dangerous jobs that nobody wanted to do.

Current Goal: James is just in it for the money and not much else, the money that he doesn't need to support his spartan lifestyle goes to his family, who mostly use it to keep a few cheap and good inn's open. though what he himself doesn't know is that they are also funding a resistance against the vampires and that he is going to get pulled into it like it or not.

 

[Asmodeus]

Name: Louchard Vindicar

Occupation: Dandy

Notable Skills: Language, pleasure, eloquence, poise, timing, wit, humour and being fabulous. Also, he's a vampire.

Residence: A penthouse in North London filled with every kind of painting, old and new.

Status: Louchard is a vampire of the Vindicar Dynasty - a family of Eastern European vampires who can trace their roots to the Transylvanian heritage. He is the only known member of this tribe in London, and it remains a mystery where the others have vanished to. Being the sole representative of the Vindicars, he has an extensive fortune and political power, neither of which he puts to good use. He is regarded as lazy, decadent and degraded.

Current Goal: Louchard is watching the other characters and interferring in their affairs. it is not yet known why. He is also keeping the company of a certain doctor who lives in North London. Both their mysteries are yet to unfold.

 

[Darkness]

Name: Oliver Giteau

Occupation: Former American soldier, now airship maintenance crew at Greenwich Station.

Notable Skills: He is a talented man when it comes to machinery, to fix it and drive it if he must, Oliver has a tendency to tinker with anything mechanical he can put his hands on, weapons often included. Oliver also perfected his shooting skills in England, already good from hunting back in his homeland. Besides this, he has always found himself very lucky at gambling.

Residence: A boarding house near the docks, on the South London area.

Status: Oliver is known as a very reliable worker on the docks, while not a friend to everyone, he is a bit of a rebel, to the point where he's been to jail a few times for fighting the police, claiming British incarceration to be worse than back in his country. Otherwise, he remains a good worker, knowing he only has a job because he hasn't done anything major besides a few drunken scuffles. Recently, he found himself falling for a prostitute, until the day she disappeared. He doesn't know if she left, or if she was taken, or if Jack The Ripper killed her, but either way, he will find out.

Current Goal: To find out what happened to the prostitute and stuff lolz, but otherwise, keep himself employed.

 

[Alarice]

I know I'm going to kill Asmo in the future for this.

Name: [SIZE=+1]Arthuria Pendragon [/SIZE]

Occupation: Hermit/avid scholar

Personality: Mute around strangers at first, Arthuria is obsessed with the theory that magic can be broken down into a science. She believes the only safe place in the world is the basement in which she lives and whenever she ventures out, she wants to return more than anything and will possibly do whatever it takes. She's a very intelligent woman who is more like a little girl, naive, innocent--except when someone touches her hair, calls her "love", sneaks up behind her, or asks her about her parents. When one of the aforementioned circumstances occur, she attacks the offender almost by reflex and takes on a completely different side of herself. She will become angry, spiteful, and aggressive. Because this side is virtually unknown, so is the method to calming her down.

Notable Skills: Arthuria is a damn good swordswoman, having fenced for nearly half her life. She's handy with any blade but 9 times out of 10 if she throws it, she'll miss her target completely. She knows something of close quarters combat, having seen her share of fist fights as she slips around the city. Arthuria is resourceful and can quickly come up with solutions to get herself out of trouble, and appears to always have something flammable on hand.

Residence: The basement of what used to be University of Westminster

Status: Arthuria has been down in the basement of the Westminster University for three years now. She moved in after the death of her parents, Lord and Lady Pendragon, under mysterious circumstances and only emerges for food and the occassional necessity.

Current Goal: To prove that magic is just a complicated, over-romanticized form of science!

 

[Torsty]

Name: Bjørn-Einar Furubotten (AKA 'Lars')

Spoiler

Appearance:

Occupation: Immigrant.
​

Notable Skills: Lars was a farmer before the zombies arrived. This making him experienced in construction, harvesting and selling products. He also had his share experience of gun-action defending the local settlement against attacks. The defense that held up against the invaders for years can be classified as guerilla warfare.

Residence: Lars lives in a hostel with the fellow immigrants he arrived with in Brixton, Lambeth.

Status: Like many of the new citizens of London he's in a restless state of mind, looking to establish himself within the community. Right now he's hunting for a job so that he can find a place of his own. Just as important, he's seeking all the right social connections he can get that might be helpful as his life in this new country continues.

As for the politics and the deal with the vampires is none of his concerns at the moment, Lars just wants something that can make his life meaningful. At least he's found friends at the hostel.

Current Goal: Find a job, get a place to live and learn proper english.

 

[Asmodeus]

Sorry about the long posts. I've had them saved for a while and been waiting for a chance to use them.

The next ones will be much shorter.

 

[LadyHarpy]

It's quite alright Asmo! I find them quite fun to read. 83

 

[Alarice]

You Brits and needing to be geographically accurate. *snickers* I"ll edit it. A university of London it is.

Bio is edited. Can I post now?

 

[Asmodeus]

Yus

 

[Alarice]

Despite Arthuria's wish of the contrary, I think this would be a good time for her to meet another PC. Harpy, can she find her way to Maxine's place and bump into her there? I think Maxine might have seen her enough to be familiar with her, particularly her first name and that she has no family.

 

[LadyHarpy]

Certainly Alarice! I'll welcome her with warm arms~ 8D

 

[Torsty]

So this wasn't a clear call for Lars to get his hands on some work? D: