PENUMBRA - An Afterlife Story [World Info, Sign-Ups, OOC Discussion]

[Astaroth]

​

You are dead. For some reason or another, however, you're not quite ready to let go just yet. Something gave you so much reason to hang on to your existence that you've ended up in a purgatory-like plane…

​

Potter's Field is a shell of a city that once was, as much a ghost as you are. The buildings are old and crumbling, broken and rusted and abandoned.


But not entirely. You aren't the only ghost in town, it seems; others like you have found themselves here, in office buildings and hospitals and schools and apartments, in factories and alleyways and subway tunnels and parks. Some keep to themselves, but others just keep on doing the same things they did in life, going to clubs to socialize or theaters to view damaged film reels (although oddly, the only such to be found are home videos) or simply exploring the ruined cityscape. Each of them, you included, has a particular place that feels like home, a place that may be familiar (the house where you grew up, the hospital room you died in) or just somehow right. The locals call it a Haunt, and it is your only sanctuary against…

When a person dies and comes to Potter's Field, an Umbra is born. The Umbra are sinister presences, vaguely possessing human characteristics, but warped beyond recognition. They twist the world around them as they pass by, causing the surrounding room or street to reflect their appearance. At times, you might be taking a familiar route and find yourself in a different place entirely, a place shaped by the Umbra's essence. The Umbra hunts the one responsible for its birth, sometimes aggressively and sometimes with honeyed temptation. When a person is touched by their Umbra, they vanish, effectively killed in death. The true nature of these shadowy beings is uncertain to the denizens of Potter's Field; all they know is that if they want to continue their unlife, they must elude their Umbra.


Although there is no true time in Potter's Field, there is something resembling day and night. "Daytime" can be considered the city's "normal" state, when you find your Haunt a safe haven from the Umbra. At "night", all bets are off. The Umbra become stronger, influencing entire city blocks, and Haunts no longer shut them out. Sometimes, when more than one of the dead congregate in an area, the Umbra's environmental influences will bleed into one another, causing a blending of personal Hells for those involved. For the purposes of play, "night" and "day" happen at similar intervals to the earthly plane.


Artistic examples of an Umbra's appearance:

​

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CREATING YOUR CHARACTER
​

What I really want to see from this roleplay is people having fun with character creation. Feel free to use pictures, if you like, to enhance your profile. If you're one of those people who don't have the patience for image hunting, feel free to ask me for help. I have lots of images already saved for this, anyway, and I might just have what you're looking for. As for the characters themselves, I do have a few rules.

1. I would prefer if you play a character that is recently deceased. Characters that have been around the city for a long time are allowed, but I highly encourage otherwise. Additionally, if you are joining this after the initial character quota for the thread is met, then you may only play a freshly deceased character.
2. You may, if you like, design and play your own character's Umbra. However, if you do NOT wish to, I will handle this for you. Please tell me which option you prefer. Keep in mind that if you do choose to play your own Umbra, you may find yourself doing a lot of self-roleplay interaction.
3. Not a rule, per say, but an additional note: It's been rumored that it is possible to make a bargain with the Umbra in order to continue unlife without fear of being taken. However, one has to wonder exactly what that entails… (No, this is not something you can do at character creation. Just keep it in mind if it sounds interesting.)

Profile Skeleton is as follows.


Name:
Age at Time of Death:
Days Dead: Must now be left blank or left at one for character creation. Feel free to update this as the roleplay progresses.

Appearance in Life: What did your character look like? Use an image if you like, but please describe in words as well.

Manifestation in Death: Death is traumatic for all involved. As a ghost, this trauma reflects in your appearance, whether in obvious or in metaphorical ways. For example, the stab wound victim may have the knife still sticking out of their chest; or, alternatively, they may have an odd, perfectly round hole in the center of their torso. The victim of hypothermia may be covered in a thin layer of frost, or they may have blue-tinged lips and white hair. Again, pictures are encouraged but not an alternative to text!

Personality: What is your character like as a person?

Cause of Death: How did your character die? This shouldn't be a simple answer, like "drowning", but a full account of the circumstances surrounding their death.

In Life: What did your character do before they died? Give a summary of their life history.

In Death: How does your character feel about their death, and about their newfound afterlife? What makes them want to hang on? What do they do with themselves now? What are their goals?

Haunt: Describe your character's Haunt. I especially encourage pictures as supplements here. Remember, your character's Haunt should reflect something about their life or their death.

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If you have any questions or need any help, please ask here or PM me. I'd like to get at least six players to join in before launching the thread. And… go!

 

[redblood]

I'm in :D gonna post the character later today ^^

 

[Stacisaur]

-Giggles and squeezes the cheeks of the armless man.-
Can I keep him? <3

In in in.
Like a villain.
Chillen, when he's not killin.
All the heroes, they be shrillin'
The pain will come til they willin'
to give in to the candy fillin.
CUZ IT'S HALLOWEEN.

Kay.
I'll think up a character by tonight, hopefully maybe? Just know I'll try to get in this. -nod.-

 

[Duke Ferret]

I should be posting a bio here hopefully today if I find the time.

 

[Tenchi-Roku]

-Screams like PewDiePie-

IIIIIIIIIIIIIIINNNNNNNNNNNNNN
SO IN!!!!!!!
I can't wait to make a character

 

[redblood]

Name: Sapphire Venizelos
Age at Time of Death: 17
Days Dead: 4 days

Appearance in Life: about 1,65 m, light skin colour, dressed in black clothes. Natural hair colour brown (dyed black)green eyes.
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Manifestation in Death: Her skin got white pale, she got a wound on her head after her dad hit her and her throat have red marks after the belt and the rope.

Personality: she is quiet and shy and think everything that happens are her fault. She wants to be alone but at the same time she wants someone to understand her.

Cause of Death: One day when she came home from school she met her dad in the doorway, he was drunk as usual. She thought that it would become like usual, he would start to scream and telling her how useless she were and then start to hit her and so on. But this time were different, he didn't say anything and stared on her for a while. Then he started to walk towards her, Sapphire felt scared of the way he looked at her and turned around to run out of the house, but her father grabbed her neck and threw her on the floor, he fast went and locked the door and went back to Sapphire who tried to get up but had hit her head in the fall and now saw dubble. He took a belt and wreathed it around her neck dragging her towards the backyard while Sapphire desperately tried to get air. When he had come to the backyard he loosend the belt a bit and Sapphire started to cought, gasping after air. Suddenly she felt that something hit her head and she became unconscious. While she were unconscious her dad tied two ropes in the tree, then he hanged her in the first one and then himself in the second.

In Life: Sapphire grew up with her father and mother, an ordinary happy family. She had a lot of friends and life was wonderful. When she was 13 years old her mother died in a flight crash and her dad became a alcohol addict. He started to abuse Sapphire who started to dissassociate herself from other people. Her friends couldn't stand to be with her anymore and she felt like everything was her fault. She went to school as usual, but didn't talk to anyone in the last three years of her life. After school she mostly locked herself up in her room.

In Death: Sapphire woke up alone and scared, uncertain what had happend, but she slowly understood that she were dead. She didn't want to die yet, she weren't ready, but she knew that she couldn't go back to life now, but half of her tried to convince her that she still were alive. She fast realized that if her father had killed her then he probably took his own life too, and she was certain that he never would be able to move on so he must be here too. Thats when she decided to find him, she wouldn't be able to live(be dead?) without talking to him.
On the days she often went to the tree and on the nights she searched for her father in the town and talked to people to see if they had seen him.

Haunt: Her haunt is the tree she got hanged in. She often sat under that tree while her father was drunk or when she wanted to be alone. Even if she died there she had always felt safe at that place.

 

[Astaroth]

Okay Alec, you're approved! Would you like to play your own Umbra, or shall I?

 

[redblood]

it would probably be best if you did ^^ I think it would get boring if I started to play against myself xD hahah

 

[Astaroth]

Alright, fun. >:]

 

[Stacisaur]

Name:
Kimberly 'Kim' Elizabeth Laurie

Age at Time of Death:
Twenty-Two Years Young

Days Dead:
Ten

Appearance in Life:
http://i159.photobucket.com/albums/...rl_female_woman_picture_image_digital_art.jpg
{Sorry, the link/picture button didn't work for me. >.>.. So. T ^T; }
More of a visual so her face is shown when it is all in one piece.. -nodnod.-

Kim's natural hair color is the reddish hue that is shown. Her eyes have always been a bright, deep blue shade, in which spoke volumes to those captured within their pools, without her even saying a word. Her skin is a creamy pale tone, and usually is soft, except in the winter. She stands at about five foot eight, weighing one hundred and twenty pounds due to muscle, more than how giant her hair is in volume.
The picture shown above was taken after a date only about two days before the accident. Although she wears a red and white dress then, when the accident happens, she is wearing the white dress that appears in the current showing of her state below, as well as a simple leather, black biker jacket, and black combat boots that reach up to her knees. She had black gloves for riding as well, but..those fell off during the accident.

Manifestation in Death:
http://i159.photobucket.com/albums/t133/NinjaKitty224/tumblr_lmxp4nC15i1qd6pkuo1_400.jpg

The alterations from death in Kim's physical appearence is rather obvious to the naked eye. With her jaw completely torn away from her body, she is left with shreaded skin underneath her nostrils along her cheeks, an exposed upper set of teeth, the entirety of her tongue lolling out into the air without much control, and some skin missing from around her neck, beneath where her jaw should still be placed. The problem she often has is keeping drool off from her body, since it freely drips along from the bottom of her tongue down her throat. After a while of attempting to keep dry by lugging around packs of napkins, she gave in to reality and now doesn't even notice when her neck glistens and shines with dried over saliva. There are still scratches and bruises in random places along the back of her neck, her upper back, and a couple bumps on the right side of her skull. Though, it's hard to focus on these areas, when there is a pretty big focal point already on her body. Also, with her leg bent like it is (left leg, at the knee, bent so the heel turns out where the toe would be, but a little more angled towards the outter side), she does limp when she walks.

Personality:
Kim has always been the independent type, ever since she was in second grade, going off to invent a game called Chase The Penguin on the playground, even if no one joined her to play. Growing into a spitfire sort of being upon entering junior high, it was rare she would stand back and take any sass from other peers. Confidence poured out from each tiny pore on her body. She wanted to be the best at everything she put her mind to, and then this included dating later on in life. Kim is a strong figure, passionate, loyal, a bit sarcastic and maybe rude sometimes, but never on purpose. Kim has the tendency to be reckless sometimes, as a result of her headstrong ways. She never felt afraid of anything, that was before she arrived at Potter's Field.

Cause of Death:
60mph was the speed limit of a city in which held Kimberly Laurie in its district. 120mph was the rate at which Baby was racing down the road, the young woman leaning over a bit, palms wrapps along the handles. The cycle spurred out noises of excitement, anxious tires abused the rubber that adorned its skeleton, burning against the asphalt of the street. Had she ever been arrested for going this fast? Clearly she had been. Did she knew this was illegal by now? Of course, why wouldn't she. Things were more important running through her brain at the moment. She was late for work, she needed to grab milk on the way there, and her mother needed her to drop off a late video into the slot at Blockbuster. Of course, being the older child, she was in charge here. Even though she had close to only five minutes before her shift would begin, naturally she was suppose to get all this done. Gritting pearly whites, boots clunked down on the pedal, giving the cycle more energy than before as it whirred past a light turning green the second she crossed the line.
Taking into consideration how incredibly fast this woman was going on the mototcycle, the ride was turning out quite smooth thus far. No worries occupied her mind, her face was washed over with calm spray, lips turned into a slight smile, content.
And then, there was the giant, blue and metallic gray truck that was backing out of a gas station ahead.
In what felt like under a minute and a half, Kim Laurie's life came to a quick end. In short, it shall be explained in as few words as possible.
Girl does not wear a helmet while riding her cycle. Girl does not look up while riding, she is singing to herself, lost in the moment. Truck pulls out, assuming the right away. Cycle speeds forward to the side of the truck as it moves back, beeping obnoxiously loud. 121, 122, 123, 124, 125mph.
Bam.
Collision with the truck, bike is angled slightly to the side in the front. Girl literally goes flying off of the seat, not enough time nor air to express herself, let alone think about the moment. Head tilted back, chin up to the clouds, noticing it is starting to rain for a split second, girls lower jaw meets a brick alleyway. Fifteen feet up the wall, body is limp as it smacks to the ground below. While a left leg is cracked at the knee, forced into the opposite direction so the heel almost faces the front, bones break and dislodge from the body. Tendons, muscles, skin is torn apart, ripped from the cheeks and neck, a jaw splits onto the ground in a puddle ten feet away to the right. Girl is left there in a sea of her own blood, splatter against her dress, against her hair, all over. Eyes stare straight ahead, and screams are heard from the street, words of concern over the dented truck.
Kim wasn't the type to wear seatbelts or helmets ever.
Her mother was right about them being some of the best inventions upto date.

In Life:
Kim didn't have such a shabby life, to be honest. It was a normal, average kind of existence that ran out in a middle class type family of four. Her mother was a nice lady, her father was alright, and her younger brother was a little twerp. Through high school and college, she worked a couple jobs, studied hard, partied harder, and gave her best shot to living up her life, enjoying it all the while. Kim had always had a knack for socializing with the guys, moreso than the girls. This being the case, it made sense why she was sometimes more likely to shoot some hoops, and run around playing Ultimate Frisbee than to paint her nails and watch Gossip Girl. At one point in her life, Kim found she had a problem with self control. Adrenaline was her anti-drug. When she felt it surging inside of her from almost falling into hole that sunk thirty feet into the earth, being hit by a car, or riding without her helmet, well.. it was better than anything she could compare to feeling. And, yes, this did include intercourse. Her father bought her motorcycle for her nineteenth birthday. The black Yamaha was named Baby, appropriately, and had become her best friend, her pet from then on. Life was pretty damn good, Kim could not complain. Studying to become a Biology teacher at school, excess time was spread out between hanging with friends, making plans with potential players in the relationship game and riding her Baby as much as possible. No, life for this red-head was pretty normal, and fantastic.
It is a shame it had to end.

In Death:
Death had always seemed like a necessary, inevitable thing to Kim. She knew it would happen at some point in every person's life. Her motto somedays turned out to be 'Live Life To The Fullest'. And with this, she was found to be one who enjoyed doing every adventurous activity she was introduced to. This could be one of the reasons, if not the main, on why she died in the first place. Looking back to the accident, and her situation now, she would not change a thing, honestly. It was her own stupidty all along that had brought her to her current game of limbo, and she would take full responsibility for this screw up. But, she would not take back how good the wind felt against her cheeks, running through her hair all the while she was on her bike. That, my friend, was worth every tooth and particle of bone lost.
Lost in this city now for a little over a full week, she has gotten more use to the surroundings. The ways the streets curved and twisted, feeling like a new path to walk upon, only to bring her back to her starting point, well it was odd. But, it was all pretty exciting, and unique to her. Something about the city does not sit right with Kim, however, explaining why she carries a TMP she picked up along one of her daily travels. Of course, she knew she was dead soon after waking up in her garage. It didn't take much but her own reflection in a puddle of drool beneath her cheek to make that clear in her head.
Her current goal seems to be just staying in this world, whatever it is. Kim still doesn't understand quite the reason for why she is here, and not completely gone from being a physical form. But if this is a sign of some sort, saying she needs to defend herself, be more careful, stop being so idiotic and careless with her own safety, then she would take it. Oh, and she wants to blow the head off of whatever is following her at night on her way back to her garage..

Haunt:
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3592/3599273912_84fd876eac.jpg

Kim spent a lot of her free time when she was alive working on her bikes. Being cooped up in her garage wasn't so bad, she actually enjoyed herself. She had set it up with a nice couch to relax, or fall asleep on, a mini fridge for those days she did not leave the space often, and some minor personal touches here and there to make it hers. It was homey, and quite nice, even though it seemed dingy and dirty to most other than herself. Her Haunt gives off the same interior as her garage back home did..except, the outside isn't as nice looking as she remembered it was.
It is a nice place to go to during the night, when she keeps away from the creepers outside her door. The sensation the building gives her brings security to her veins, the perfect mixture of safety and something familiar in her presence. Also, it is a home for her bike, or what she has come to believe is her bike in this world..
http://www.24x7photography.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/matte_black_motorcycle.jpg​

 

[Astaroth]

STACI HAS BEEN APPROVED LIKE SYRUP ON PANCAKES.

Will you be designing your own Umbra?

 

[Bee]

<font face="century gothic" size="2" color="#444444">I'm in, writing up my template now.

 

[Stacisaur]

I LYK SYRUP.
On fish.

Uhm.
No.
No thank you. 8D

 

[Astaroth]

*Adds Staci to list of Umbra victims*

 

[Stacisaur]

8D
-flails arms.-
I feel so included.<3

 

[Lawkheart]

Name: Krystaline Lawkheart
Age at Time of Death: 24
Days Dead: 12 days

Appearance in Life: Krystaline was a typical home girl. She was shy and timid when outside, yet loved to read as much as she possible could. She was extremely smart in her youth and up until she died. Her family was of Japenese decent, but she was born in America but moved back to Japan as a child. She had a birth defect, causing her eyes to change three different colors. Normally they were a light blue, but in the morning they were a cerulean color and at night a navy blue. The birth defect is a mixture of both Coloboma and melanin production issues. So if you look close to her eyes, her pupil is 'cat like' and her normal color is a cerulean but her eyes absorb more UVrays then is normal, thus causeing the blue pigments to change. Her hair was black as the night and she never cut it or dyed it.
View attachment 5747
http://static.desktopnexus.com/thumbnails/733733-bigthumbnail.jpg

Manifestation in Death: When she arrived in this odd city, she was glossy and mist surrounded her. Although she did not notice until much later, half of her body had been burned away to the bone. She didn't seem too surprised by it and accepted it with ease. What was odd was that her hair had not burned away and the rest of here seemed untouched although she remembered being completely covered in flames.
View attachment 5748
http://cdn.pimpmyspace.org/media/pms/c/ya/ov/sh/_3550_full.jpg

Personality: She was very sweet and gentle. She loved helping others and didn't ask for much in return. She had no enemies because she was always nice and kind to everyone. She was also timid and shy around new people, especially those she liked.

Cause of Death: Krystaline was at a a municipal court getting her marriage license after having a traditional ceremony with her family and her husbands family. A riot broke out in the streets and the building began being bombed. Her husband was shot in front of her but the burning building collasped all around her and she burned alive in the building with the body of her husband. She still wears the wedding dress and her wedding ring although she still has not found her husband.

In Life: She went through the levels of school, getting accepted into a prestigious college and working with her mother at a silk painting shop in the tourist area of Tokyo. She met her first love their, an American transfer student named Daniel. She fell in love and after a year of dating they decided to get married. She was going to get her Doctorate from her college of medicine a year after she was married but she died before she could.

In Death: She feels depressed and mopes around the city when she can't sense her Umbra close. She hangs on, wanting to look for her husband and be with him when she moves on to her eternal rest. She also loves going to the library and wooded area's to try and feel less dead.
Library: http://www.dw-world.de/image/0,,1571070_1,00.jpg
Wooded Area: http://img.ehowcdn.com/article-page-main/ehow/images/a07/da/np/perennials-wooded-area-800x800.jpg

Haunt: Naturally, she has a specific haunt that she always goes to, which is the chapel at the towns center, but she has a few places that she spends time at, that are mentioned in the 'In Death' section. She spends a lot of her time at the burned down library reading the remains of the books and just waiting. She sometimes walks through the more wooded areas of this place, to try and remember some of her life but she will only go during the day and if she can't sense her Umbra close by.

Chapel: http://www.constructionphotography....on_attack_in_Barrow_in_Furness_Cumbria_UK.jpg

 

[Astaroth]

Okay Lawkheart, you're approved!

 

[Lawkheart]

Yay!! So where do we start?

 

[Astaroth]

I'll be starting the IC thread as soon as we get six approved characters.

 

[Duke Ferret]

Staci... you make me feel inferior.... I will have to try and compete with the awesomeness that is your character >8D

Ill start working on the bio now