SEVERANCE

[Astaroth]

The town of Dormarth lies at the foot of a hill.

If you climb the stone steps which have been laid to ease the way, you will reach an outcropping where the earth was hewn halfway up the hill. A ring of ancient azurebark yew trees surround the outcropping and shield it from prying eyes with their leafy boughs. At the center, a great stone disk is set upon the ground.

This Stone Circle is where all of Dormarth's religious rites and festivities are held, and none is so important as the Ritual of Severance.

Once every year, the Ritual of Severance is held on Soul's Passage Eve. A pyre is built upon the Stone Circle, and every citizen of Dormarth over the age of five must participate in the burning of personal objects within the flames in order to honor those who have died in the past year and to ward off evil spirits. There are rules of the ceremony which must be strictly adhered to:

You must go up to the Stone Circle at some point on the night of Soul's Passage Eve.​

You must offer your object of personal significance to the ceremonial pyre.​

You must not damage the azurebark yews or take live wood from them.​

You must not use any kindling but azurebark yew for the ceremonial pyre.​

You must not enter the ceremonial woodshed unless you are an ordained priest.​

You must not allow an outsider of Dormarth to step within the Stone Circle.​

You must not wear the color red.​

The Ritual of Severance has been a part of village tradition for longer than anyone in Dormarth can remember, dating back several centuries. These days, however, Soul's Passage Eve is viewed more as an excuse for festivity. Decorations crafted from the discarded leaves and twigs of azurebark yew are found in every window. There are even craftsman and vendors who sell items specially made to be worn or used and then burnt at the next year's rites. No one gives much credence to the tales of spirits, or the rumors of odd happenings. They've forgotten the origins of the ceremony...

They've forgotten ME... ​

Welcome to SEVERANCE, a Dark Fantasy/Horror story of buried secrets and lingering pasts.

You will play one of the townsfolk of Dormarth- or if you so choose, a visitor to the town. Dormarth is set in a high fantasy world, so you may play a character with magical abilities or from a fantasy race. My one rule is that you exhibit common sense and do not play anything that will minimize the horror aspect of the game (e.g., playing a necromancer would give you control over ghosts, nullifying any reason to fear them). I will reject characters if I feel that they are unsuited.

Posting Expectation Level: INTERMEDIATE+

I expect posts at least once a week from my players. You should not expect daily posts from anyone. Pacing is very important in a horror game and I expect your posts and activity rates to reflect that. Impatient players or people dragging their feet will get two warnings before being kicked out. (If there is any reason you cannot post- whether it be real life events or just writer's block- all you have to do is tell me. I'm pretty reasonable when people just communicate with me.)

Again, this is a horror game. Do not join if you cannot handle loss of control or character death.

The game will begin on Soul's Passage Eve as the festivities are prepared. It is up to you whether you believe in the traditions or not. If you are playing a visitor or someone who has recently moved to town, you likely know very little about the ceremony.

What I would most like to see from you as players is some INITIATIVE. I don't want to spell out what kind of character you should play or what you ought to do in order to progress the plot. What happens and how awesome the story is will largely depend on you and the characters that you give me. The more you give me to work with, the better it will be for everyone. If you need help developing your ideas, talk to me or to your fellow players. I've lowered the posting expectations because I do not want to restrict people in terms of writing proficiency or complicated themes, but I do want to see extra effort in other areas.

If you hijack my roleplay to the point of derailing it, however, you will regret it.

---

CHARACTER SHEET SKELETON​

NAME:
PROFESSION:
APPEARANCE: (Please include a picture (preferred) or brief text description. Fantasy art is preferred, rather than photos or anime.)
PERSONAL OBJECT: (What, if anything, does your character plan to sacrifice in the pyre?)
SKILLS/ABILITIES: (I will once again invoke the laws of common sense.)
FEARS: (Optional, but relevant.)
HISTORY IN DORMARTH: (This is the most important part of your sheet. How do your neighbors see you? Who are you close to? Do you have any deceased friends or family? Do you have any secrets? Do you like Dormarth? Were you born there, did you move to town, or are you only visiting? Feel free to contact me privately or use spoiler tags if there is information you would like to remain hidden from other players. You also do not have to tell me everything, only what you think is important for me or for other players to know.)

 

[Astaroth]

-THE CAST-

 

[heliacalRebirth]

NAME: Rhiamon

PROFESSION: Caretaker/Nurse

PERSONAL OBJECT: Mother's set of bone sowing needles.

SKILLS/ABILITIES: Child care, Management, sowing.

FEARS: Losing the children, Poverty, travelers/foreign people.

HISTORY IN DORMARTH: Her mother left her at birth. A half-elf of strong faith, Rhiamon manages the small house-turned-orphanage in Dormarth. She is known to be a kind and reasonable woman beneath the stress of child care, infamous for very violent and emotional displays if rubbed the wrong way. Many townsfolk steer clear of her when she's in a worse mood, knowing that the subject of her father -who had gone missing only months before- is taboo. She keeps food on the table by running a small tailoring side business.

 

[Vay]

I don't get invited?

 

[Dawn]

NAME: Saeja (sa-eh-yah)
PROFESSION: Archivist and Penman
APPEARANCE:

PERSONAL OBJECT: That's none of your business.
SKILLS/ABILITIES: Ghosting - the ability to turn one's body into an apparition. Stronger powers may affect anything that has physical contact with the practitioner.
FEARS: Solitude. Falling behind.
HISTORY IN DORMARTH: "He's a kind boy, talented and smart too. It's a shame how he came to us but he seems to be doing a little better these days. He smiles more now, talks more too, even if he still gives off this...loneliness vibe. How long has it been? Got to be more than half a year now since Zydras found him in the Stone Circle with Death knocking at the poor boy's door. Seems only his body has healed though. He can't seem to remember how he got here or what happened. He said he didn't want to go home though, that he'd left it behind. So naturally the town Historian took the boy under his wing and gave him a job as his assistant and a place to stay. He seems rather interested in our little ol' town's history anyway, so I'd say the job is a perfect match."

 

[Fijoli]

NAME: Valora [Means "valuable" in Esperanto] Last name unknown
PROFESSION: unknown
APPEARANCE:
PERSONAL OBJECT: (unknown)
SKILLS/ABILITIES: (will develop through the RP)
FEARS: The Pyre and Fire
HISTORY IN DORMARTH: Valora is sighted commonly but remains a mystery to those in Dormarth. Wandering around the nooks and crannies, this 5 year old, homeless orphan does her best to stay out of sight and continues to throw those who have tried to track, help, save, or question her. Valora holds a rather hefty secret and knows more than she appears to.

 

[Diana]

NAME: Melody

PROFESSION: Chocolatier

APPEARANCE: Chestnut hair, blue eyes, freckles, and a heart shaped face. Around 5'2" with a curvy frame. Favors wearing soft and light colors.

PERSONAL OBJECT: A locket that once belonged to her mother.

SKILLS/ABILITIES: Delicious Candy Making, Sweet Talking, Organizing

FEARS: The forest at night, beasties bigger than her with big sharp teeth, spiders, horses.

HISTORY IN DORMARTH: Melody is a Dormarth native and has lived there all her life, minus the two years she spent in another country as an apprentice chocolatier. The bakery she works in belongs to a very nice older woman. Her father is the town drunk, and she has no other surviving family. Her mother died last year. Melody is the nicest, most friendly person you will ever meet but has a short temper for rudeness and a bad habit of meddling. Her free time is spent doing charity or helping people around town. Because she doesn't have family of her own, she likes to be involved with others.

 

[Astaroth]

NAME: Zydras Shyamar
PROFESSION: Priest of the Azure Hand
PERSONAL OBJECT: A small talisman of the Azure Hand, worn by priests each year to be sacrificed at the next Ritual.
SKILLS/ABILITIES: Healing and limited spells of protection. Fully initiated in all the rites of the Order. Community leadership.
FEARS: Failure.
HISTORY IN DORMARTH: Zydras comes from a long line of Azure Hands. His father was the Head Priest of the Order before him, and now that he has passed on, it falls to Zydras to conduct this year's Ritual for the first time. He teaches at the local school as well as at the orphanage, and assists when the surgery needs an extra pair of hands. He has always been a quiet, responsible man and is generally well-liked and respected.

 

[Closer]

*breathes heavily*

 

[Astaroth]

Oh, I should probably clarify. *Points up* People who've been accepted get their character portrait in the cast list. So far, that means you: @heliacalRebirth @Fijoli @Diana

 

[RiverNotch]

NAME: Philemon
PROFESSION: Musketeer
PERSONAL OBJECT: Nothing
SKILLS/ABILITIES: Shooting, Singing, Debauchery
FEARS: Losing his manhood, Spiders, The gods, Death in the family
HISTORY IN DORMARTH: Philemon's a jovial old soldier taking a nice leave from the blood work. He was born in Dormarth, but he'd only really been there his first couple of years, growing up and living the rest of his life in some other town instead. He's vacationing there for two reasons: first, he'd heard the town held a fair party that season, and he was kind of tired of his own home's fun; second, he'd heard that his younger brother had disappeared a few months back, and he wanted to find out why.
Oh, his brother by the way, he's Rhiamon's father.

 

[Sans]

Is it still possible for me to join this?

 

[Astaroth]

@Quiet Musician

Yes it is!

 

[Astaroth]

@Killroy

I will have to decline your application. I don't feel like this character is suited to the game.

For one thing, I feel like any more people who were not born in Dormarth or have not lived there for a long time would be out of tone at this point UNLESS there is a good plot hook for their presence. Vay and Dawn have not posted their sheets, but are both playing outsiders or people who have moved away, as is RiverNotch.

For another, the conversation we have had about the choice to use blood instead of a personal item does not satisfy me. While it is possible to make that choice, I don't see any good reason to, even if you say your character views items as meaningless. What makes his blood any different, in that case?

Finally, I am concerned about your choice to play a character who has no ties to other characters or to the town. As I mentioned, I am looking for initiative and for plot hooks in character sheets. I don't see that here. What I see is a character who will be superfluous to a plot that is based upon characters and connections.

If you would like to reapply with a new character, feel free.

 

[Killroy]

ok guess i'll have to think of something else then

 

[Wanderfool]

NAME: Tamerial "Tami" Vyce

PROFESSION: Courtesan and Dancer

APPEARANCE: Tami stands at about 5 feet and 7 inches, she has very elegant and sharp features which is a big part of her appeal. The skin she chooses to show is always powdered and flawless, but underneath it is very irritated and fevered after washing. Tami is very slender, nearly bony, and her curves are extremely slight. Her most striking figures are the pure scarlet red hair that she was born with, and her pale grey eyes that are nearly white if looked upon from afar.

PERSONAL OBJECT: A faded blanket that belonged to her child

SKILLS/ABILITIES: Seduction, Manipulation, Gossip & Secrecy

FEARS: Pregnancy, Men, Age, & Sickness

HISTORY IN DORMARTH:
Since the day Tamerial was born in Dormarth, it was as if she was cursed. From the first breath drawn, all anyone could see was the full head of blood red hair atop her pretty little head. Laviette, her mother, despised her daughter and rued the day she found that she was with child. It was as if she knew that Tamerial would be the bane of her existence, the locks of red only sealed her fate. The townsfolk were no different as time would reveal. With continuous years of horrid nicknames, such as "Harlot", her mother's strict traditional values would be deemed the straw that broke Tami's back. Puberty would be seen to treat Tamerial well, and soon every man in the town, married or otherwise, would come to admire her looks. Not long after, she began to use this to her advantage in gaining everything she wanted through the men in her bed. Sweets, flowers, silly trinkets, jewelry, anything she so desired was hers. Tami continued to lie with men out of wedlock, until she made a single mistake and ended up pregnant. All that is known of the mystery child is the simple fact that Tamerial was seen sparingly for months on end, and the husbands of the town were finally loyal with nothing to pike their pleasure. After a year without seeing Tami, the people began to wonder at her disappearance, but too suddenly for many wives Tamerial was back. Some were miffed, others picked up where they left off and continued to despise her. Another mystery surrounding the Vyce family, is the sudden illness that took root in Laviette. The woman who has always been strict and extremely traditional, gave birth to a daughter who spits on these beliefs and aims for nothing more then her next paramour.

 

[Wanderfool]

Hope I am not intruding, ^.^ But this is a fantastic concept.

 

[Megilwen]

If you still have room. I'd like to throw in a character...if you aren't...well here's my character and I hope everyone has fun :).

CHARACTER SHEET SKELETON

NAME: Keira Davis
PROFESSION: Innkeep
APPEARANCE:

PERSONAL OBJECT: Bloodied baby blanket.
SKILLS/ABILITIES: Cooking, Cleaning, Management
FEARS: Death, Being Alone, Being incapable of having children
HISTORY IN DORMARTH: She was born and raised in Dormarth and until she was about 15 she'd participated in the Severance every year. At 15, she decided that the Severance was just a bunch of superstition and stopped participating. A few years later she marriage Avery Davis, the son of the Innkeeper, whom she'd grown up with as a child. His father passed along the inn to them as a wedding gift, leaving her and Avery to run the inn. Things went along well, the inn was always busy and bustling. At 25, she became pregnant with their first child. Everything seemed to be going well. The Severance came and went again without her participating and then only a week after the festival Avery died in a fire that burnt down the addition they'd added to the inn in order to increase the number of rooms available. She'd also loose the child a few weeks later due to the stress of losing her husband and having to run the inn by herself. Nearly a year later, with the new Severance on the horizon, she plans on participating again. Hoping to symbolically at least, have a clean start.

 

[Manakete]

Ah, I hope you're still accepting ;v;

NAME: May Balyvn
PROFESSION: Apothecary
PERSONAL OBJECT: Her first mortar and pestle.
SKILLS/ABILITIES: Can easily identify many types of plants, is proficient at potion-making, is quite nimble.
FEARS: Spiders, death, malicious spirits, claustrophobia.
HISTORY IN DORMARTH: May was born in Dormarth 27 years ago. She was always rather well-liked in the community, despite her youthful shenanigans, which she has for the most part grown out of. Her father left Dormarth for reasons unknown when May was 15, leaving her and her mother behind. Her mother used to run their potions and medicines shop with May, but age has taken its toll and due to hand arthritis, now only occasionally helps around the shop, however May's cat, Mylo, is still actively involved in the shop, though he isn't always helpful. May isn't particularly close to anyone, though she does have a few friends in Dormarth, and would like to someday raise a family.

 

[Wanderfool]

So much estrogen...