The Gaunt

[Jack Shade]

You have all received the same letters, written on thick vellum in careful cursive. One by one they were delivered in your daily mail, strangers among the billing statements, magazines, and brightly colored advertisements. There is no return address, no stamps, delivered by the hand of some unknown courier. The contents, born of past lives, regrets, and bygone summers, smell of Colorado. Thick evergreen pine needles cling innocuously beneath the envelope flap. It calls you home, to a place you've all but forgotten.

It calls you to mourn.

And as you examine the contents, tapping the envelope against your kitchen counter, you reflect on the dream you've had consistently for the past week. The dock and the wide, wide sea. The figure at the end, staring off into the horizon.

Before it steps into empty air, and vanishes beneath placid waters.


((Small note.  Please PM me before joining.  We have limited spaces and I need a headcount of how many people like this idea, that I'll know to expand after the first rp is done and we move on to the wider world))

This roleplay is open to 5 participants. Make sure you can post at least twice a week, if not more (I can be forgiving, however, depending on the reason). Stagnancy can claim the best of our stories and I will move the plot along if I feel it is beginning to flounder. The story has a simple beginning. 5 individuals receive letters calling them back to their childhood home in Sanctuary, Colorado for the funeral of David Ashburn. This man means something different to each of them, but they are all linked by both common origin and a shared past . David Ashburn was the sole owner and operator of the small Sanctuary orphanage where they lived from a young age until their early teenage years. I've left the story intentionally open ended, subtly changing the plot and events as I grow to know the characters and their individual goals. You will be receiving character secrets in this roleplay. They are as private to you as you choose to make them. This is a story about discovery, memory, and the haunting confusion of shared amnesia with a backdrop of destiny. There may be mature themes encountered such as violence, language, and sexual content. Not that anything is slated in, but it is a possibility.

This is a detailed roleplay and I'll be putting a great deal of my effort into it. I expect the same of my players.

Please do not hesitate to ask questions and I look forward to seeing who is interested in my little experimental story.

Rules.
1. No God Modding, Power Player, etc
2. Everyone plays (Commit to your character, commit to this story. It will be as compelling as you help me make it)
3. The Genre is Supernatural with elements of Surrealism
4. I will occasionally Hijack to keep the plot moving or for important scenes (I will study your characters first, before doing so and will be open to edits)
5. Choose your Role before you begin working on your character sheet. I will PM you your secrets which may influence your character creation
6. Suggest, Suggest, Suggest. (The more excited you are about the story, the more ideas you have, the more you surprise ME, the more fun we'll all have)
7. When you get to the town, all technology will still function, albeit poorly. I'll let you know when that changes.


Character Sheet Skeleton

Name:

Age: (You are all within at least two years of each other and it has been at least ten years since you left Sanctuary)

Appearance: (Pictures preferred)

Personality: (What do we remember about you? What are you like now?)

History: (This is for after you left town. Your childhood memories are foggy, always have been.)

Relationships: (This is to be filled out as other characters are added. This is one of the more pivotal parts of the character sheet. After reading the profiles of the others who joined, write a short blurb on what you thought about them, what you may think of them now. This may change as the game progresses. For each name, I want a short memory. This is a memory shared by as many as are in the memory, but may have specific importance to you and this other person. These will be the guidelines by which your relationships will begin to root, so be careful what you use.)

Location: (Picture and description. These are places in Sanctuary that you remember. They are as clear to you as if you had just seen them yesterday. While all else is somewhat vague, this place stands out to you. This is an opportunity for the players to help me fill the town with the story of buildings and people you'd like to roleplay with. This location will be important to your character, maybe only somewhat, maybe vitally. Write a memory associated with this place.)

Roles: (These roles will dictate your secrets and become important later in the story. Your choices are, The Mystic, The Zealot, The Fortunate, The Diplomat, The Redeemer)

I look forward to your participation; let's make this interesting…hmm?

 

[Astaroth]

​

 

[LuluRS]

[GLOW=#58D3F7]
~The Mystic~

[/GLOW]​

[GLOW=#58D3F7]
[/GLOW]

[GLOW=#58D3F7]Name:[/GLOW] Tori Avalon


[GLOW=#58D3F7]Age:[/GLOW] 22​

​

[GLOW=#58D3F7]Appearance:[/GLOW]

[GLOW=#58D3F7]Personality:[/GLOW] People from Sanctuary would remember Tori as a strange child. Oh she would play like a normal little girl. She enjoyed the few toys the children shared, and was much too polite to those who didn't deserve it. However, she never seemed to be close to the other children, as she spoke often of imaginary friends, whom no one else could see, and often made remarks about the people who came to visit the orphanage. Sometimes kind, others not so. The children called her a liar, and for a large part of her childhood, Tori was alone. As such, she knows what it feels like to be lonely, and feel helpless. That the world is against you. Of course, this was not a pleasant feeling, so the girl changed. She stopped her talk of these imaginary people, and was once again accepted by the other children of the orphanage.


Ten years have given Tori more confidence in who she is. Likely to claim the attention of those around her, the woman has a motor mouth that barely pauses to take a breath, especially if she is allowed to rant about a topic that interests her. Those interests lie in music. Rhythm and sound, melodies and lyrics, there is no one type of music that she could confidently state as her favourite. Tori has a crippling fear of being left alone, surrounding herself with as many people as she can, and always attempting to engage others in conversation. She is somewhat lacking in personal boundaries, and people will likely find that she has a rather hands-on approach to towards them.




[GLOW=#58D3F7]History:[/GLOW] Tori's family brought her a city far away from the place of her 13 year residence, and she was soon enrolled in a public school located a few blocks from her home. Almost instantaneously, she had made herself a friend, Erin Wall. While they each had many friends, the two girls were nigh inseparable. Their time after school was spent together, playing with toys and pretending family situations that they hoped to have someday. Throughout their school life, the two did their best to stay in the same classes. While their friendship sparked a few rumours, and not a small amount of ridicule, but it seemed to roll off of the girls like water on a duck's back.


At about halfway through their graduation year, Erin fell ill with a persistent cough. While mildly uncomfortable, it wasn't strong enough to cause her any pain, and she continued to attend school. While initially worried, Tori began to notice the coughing less and less, and it became something the two learned to tune out. However, a month before graduation, Erin missed a very important study session. Wondering what could have kept her friend from coming to school, Tori went to her house to investigate. She found the girl dead in her room, having gone in the night. Tori didn't return to school after that, and was shut away in her room. Sometimes, when her parents would walk by her door, they would hear her talking quietly to "Erin". Not wanting to believe their daughter had gone mad, they never asked her when they brought her meals.


After a two month period of avoiding the outside, Tori emerged from her room. And while she acted as though her life hadn't been dealt such a heavy loss, there would always be a deep sadness that filled her eyes. She never spoke of Erin after that. It was difficult for the young woman to get in touch with her friends again, though she did become close to a fellow named Jason. While the two hadn't been particularly friendly throughout school, they both shared a love of music, and after deciding to move in together, opened a small music store on the corner of a busy street, with their apartment above. They could never boast that they were overtly wealthy, but they were happy.


That is, until their business began to fail. With the stress of money on their relationship, the two decided it would be best for them to go their separate ways. The parting was private, and the few who did know didn't think much of it. Tori moved back home with her family, and this was where she stayed, spending her time with friends, while trying her best to promote her music.




[GLOW=#58D3F7]Relationships:[/GLOW]


Christopher Moore - Tori had little interaction with Chris before he began to show interest in her, and even after, didn't take much liking to him, as he acted friendly, though never defended her. She began to tolerate him more so towards the end of her stay in the orphanage, actively trying to include him in the silly little children's games that they so often played. She had no contact with him after leaving Sanctuary.



Edward Manson - Tori and Edward, while not starting on the best of terms, as was her relationship with all the children in the orphanage, smoothed out well enough for her to turn him into one of the many she called friends. Strangely enough, the clearest memory she has of the man is after she left Sanctuary, and fell out of contact with him. His first album had sparked a heated debate between her and her best friend, which nearly ended their friendship, and marked her opinion of the man.


Brian Cundall - No matter how hard you try, there will always be those who you just don't get along with. Brian is one of these people for Tori, and for good reason too. As the boy was able to worm his way out of chores, they were given to her as punishments for her "bad behaviour". If all that had meant was her habit of making rude remarks, she might not have been so sour towards the other. No, see she was a perfect target as well to blame his own troubles on, which landed her in even more disfavour with those who ran the orphanage. Tori's resentment towards Brian hasn't lessened any in the time they've been apart.


Chairese Maple: A bright girl, friendly and cheerful, as far as she can remember. Tori remembers Chairese fondly as one of the few children of the orphanage that she could confidently call a friend, even through the tough beginnings. She often thinks back on the day the two first met, Tori having been sitting alone on the playground. Whether she had felt sorry for the girl or not, Chairese had come over and spent the rest of the day with her.


[GLOW=#58D3F7]Location:[/GLOW]

Mr. Darren's Iced Café


-A small little shop tucked away in the downtown area of Sanctuary. It is no longer run by the cheerful old man it gained its name from, but has been kept open by his daughter and her husband. The old white linoleum floors have been switched out for a darker shade, and the counter tops have all been replaced, but the place still retains its old charm.


Back when Tori was still in the orphanage, the orphanage brought the kids in her age group to the café for a rare field trip. Mr. Darren welcomed them in with warm smiles and excited chatter, sitting them all down. He took turns guessing at their favourite kind of ice-cream, and most of the time, he was right. That afternoon was spent drinking ice cream floats and chatting happily with friends. About halfway through her float, Tori struck up a conversation with Mr. Darren. It started off as most conversations with adults did, asking about games and toys she was interested in, but it slowly began to turn to the girl's dreams and aspirations. Their conversation was cut short when the children had to leave, but Mr. Darren stopped her for a moment. "You are a very special young lady. Now, don't you let anybody ever tell you different, a'ight?" And with a warm smile, sent her on her way. It was the only time she ever met Mr. Darren, but the kindness he showed her stuck with her over the years.​

 

[Metallic Soap]

The Diplomat


​

Name: Brian Cundall
Age: 24


Appearance:

Personality: During his stay at the orphanage, Brian was the nice one, always ready with a smile and a word of comfort or liveliness. He enjoyed being with friends more than anything, always seeming to be at the head of a pack of children. Fun loving and charismatic, he was the "cool kid" at school. He seemed to have a silver tongue, able to avoid chores and fights with honeyed words and subtle suggestions. He could usually get out of trouble with adults, a little accusation here, a little circumstantial evidence there, and someone else would take the blame.


Ever since leaving Sanctuary, Brian has slowly become a sort of Master of Masks, a chameleon, able to show a different persona to fit almost any situation. His charisma has not lessened in the slightest and with little difficulty, he can squeeze secrets out of people or convince them to do as he suggests. He is quick to anger, but is usually able to keep such outbursts under control. However angry he may get, he is not quick to violence. If he were ever to get into a fistfight, he would surely lose.


History: Brian coasted through high school and collage, only working as hard as he needed to. He was more interested in making friends and having fun than in getting an education. One evening while walking home from a movie, he and his girlfriend at the time, Sarah, were jumped. The attacker gave him no time to react and, when he tried to fight back, he was shot in the stomach. He some up in a hospital to find that Sarah had been killed and the murderer had escaped. Due to this tragedy, he found work as a police detective, specializing in negotiation with and interrogation of suspects. He only barely made it past the mental examination, showing severe anger management problems.


His ultimate goal was to catch whoever had jumped them, but to no avail. Even with his busy schedule, he still found time for fun, which helped ease his mental recovery from what had happened years ago. He liked to frequent bars and nightclubs, easily talking his way into and out of nightly excursions with women.


Relationships:
Tori Avalon: Brian had always seen Tori as a weird girl, a target for the torment of the other kids and the punishment of the adults. Which, consequently made her the perfect scapegoat. Many of his chores and blame landed on her, more so than on other kids. Dislike breeds dislike and, even though she had not wronged him, he found small enjoyment in his passive-aggressive attacks on her.

Christopher Moore: Chris was one of the closer friends that Brian had. He was not someone he would depend on wholly, but he was almost never one of Brian's scapegoats. He would play sports with Chris, even though he never won, and enjoyed simply hanging out with him.

Edward Manson: Brian met Eddie during one of the times when he was trying to convince other kids to explore the drainage pipe. Eddie was the first to volunteer and from then on out, Eddie had been a friend ever since. He was someone that Brian could call a very good friend. Brian would often help Chris get out of trouble with certain adults.


Locations:
Echo Valley Park

This park was frequented by the children while they were young. Most of the playground is typical and uninteresting, except for one thing, one thing that is not a piece of playground equipment. To the east of the park, a mere thirty feet away from the see-saw, there is a small creek; more of a drainage ditch actually. The water leads to a concrete pipe, one of those wide pipes that lets water run through hills. As far as the children could tell, the pipe only lead to darkness. Brian never wen inside it himself, but he would often dare other children to do so. No one ever made it more than ten feet into the tunnel before running back to the entrance, scared and laughing. No matter how much Brian tried to goad them into moving deeper, they would refuse. There was, however; one instance where a kid made it past the ten foot mark. After going twenty feet into the pipe, he was almost completely shrouded by darkness so the other children at the entrance could not see him. The young boy in the tunnel froze, sat down, and started crying. No one wanted to go in and save him and the boy kept sobbing and bawling in fear. Eventually, after fifteen minutes, the boy ran out of the tunnel and collapsed on the ground. When the boy woke up later, Brian tried to question him on why he had cried, even resorting to reason him about it, but the boy remained steadfast in his refusal to tell him what had happened, saying that he only "got scared."

 

[Hecatoncheires]

[size=+1][glow=yellow]Name:[/glow] Edward 'Eddie' Manson

[glow=yellow]Age:[/glow] 24

[glow=yellow]Personality:[/glow] Those who remember Eddie from his days at Sanctuary Orphanage will recall a small, dark-haired kid with an adventurous streak that threatened to land both him and his compatriots in a lot of bother at points. He was the troublemaker with a knack for getting away with things others could not, possessing a good sense of humour and a love of all things music-related.

Fast-forward about a decade and that adventurous little kid still hasn't quite got round to growing up. That sense of humour has not abated, though it's taken a darker tone now. Eddie's love of trying new things and enjoying himself is still there, but the lifestyle he's been leading for the past few years is starting to wear on him more than a little. There's a jaded, worn-out streak to him now, the brightest candle who burnt out all too fast.

The love of music is still there, however. That definitely has not changed.

[glow=yellow]History:[/glow] Since leaving Sanctuary, Eddie's life has changed dramatically.

From small-town roots he's made quite the headway. Moving across to stay with a foster family in Seattle he quickly found himself deeply entrenched within the city's bustling music scene. Gigging, jamming and getting to know a lot of artists, Eddie was asked to get involved with local post-hardcore band 'Eisenhower' as a guitarist and frontman, an offer that he snapped up eagerly.

With Eddie at the helm 'Eisenhower' took Seattle by storm in an astoundingly short time. They became a major attraction for local music venues and soon they were getting offers for a record deal from several companies. Stardom was beckoning, and their first single quickly started getting attention all across the country.

Life was good for a time; albums, awards, magazine shoots and parties with the rich and famous. Sadly the pitfalls of such a lifestyle were all too easy for Eddie to fall into; the drinking and the drugs, the wasting away of finances on pointless trivialities.

He fared better than some of his original band mates, however.

The drummer was found dead of an overdose from drugs Eddie almost took. The bassist was stabbed to death by an unstable fan Eddie had been chatting with. Slowly Eisenhower's numbers dwindled, and though Eddie himself managed to walk away from the scrapes and scuffles that claimed his band mates things changed between the group. Their frontman was growing increasingly cocky and they couldn't help but notice how he in many cases was the direct cause of the issues that were plaguing them.

Things finally came to a brutal climax around a year ago, when Eddie and his fellow guitarist Kurt were involved in a brutal car accident. Though Eddie managed to walk away from it with minimal injuries Kurt was hospitalised with horrendous wounds and died shortly after. That was the end of Eisenhower as an outfit, with the surviving members blaming Eddie for Kurt's death and Eddie now thoroughly disillusioned with the life of a musician.

A year of soul-searching followed; Eddie has become a recluse despite media efforts to locate him. Now he finds a letter calling him back to Sanctuary, back to his roots.

[glow=yellow]Relationships:[/glow] [glow=#afeeee]TORI AVALON - Eddie remembers a shy, reclusive girl who he occasionally teased when she first came to the Orphanage. After the initial childhood uncertainties wore off and the two got to know each other better, however, he found that he actually got along quite well with the Tori. His most vivid memory of her remains the time when he comforted her after one of her insights regarding a visiting couple meant that they stormed out of the orphanage in a rage; though her ability to see so much in others freaked him out a little, he genuinely felt sorry for her that it could provoke such a reaction in others.[/glow]

[glow=brown]BRIAN CUNDALL - Since he volunteered to explore the drainage pipe first Brian became Eddie's closest friend in Sanctuary. He was the kid who was always up for whatever childish stunt Eddie conceived, and he in turn was always game for Brian's pranks and games. He can still remember one Halloween, when he and Brian decided to make war upon some of the locals with eggs and toilet paper before almost being caught by the police. Eddie's good luck and Brian's ability to talk fast meant that they somehow got away scott-free, something they talked about for years afterwards and which he remains proud of to this day.[/glow]

[glow=blue]CHRISTOPHER MOORE - Though the two largely got along reasonably during their time in the Orphanage, the incident with the tree meant that Eddie's relationship was a bit strained at points. Because of this Christopher was probably the kid that Eddie did not get along with as well as he did with the others. He was always rather envious of Chris's sporting talents, however; his most vivid memory comes from after he left Sanctuary, when he recognised him playing for the Lakers.[/glow]

[glow=yellow]Location:[/glow] The Bronx - Even small Colorado towns like Sanctuary have a music venue or two, a place where local musicians get together every now and then to perform in front of friends and patrons. The Bronx is Sanctuary's house of music, a reasonably-sized bar with a stage for bands and artists to perform upon. When he was still at the orphanage Eddie was infatuated with the place, its atmosphere and musicians, frequently sneaking out after-hours to come down and watch the musicians play. It was here he got his first few lessons concerning the guitar, where his path as a musician began.

[glow=yellow]Roles:[/glow] The Fortunate[/size]

 

[Jack Shade]

:/ I appreciate everyone who applied but we are regrettably out of roles. Not to worry. If this roleplay works out the way I'm planning to, there will be a followup or a similar one in the same world. A tad different, but also quite fun and character intensive. Leave your interest here and once I reach another 5, I'll begin drafting a roleplay to occur in the same world...different place, different plotline. I have a lot on the table for this world. A lot. I'd love to see how many people become interested in being involved.

*Returns to waiting for character sheets*

 

[Zen]

Name: Christopher "Chris" Moore


Age: 23


Appearance:

Personality: What do we remember about you? Chris arrived at the orphanage when he was about six years old. For about a year during his stay at at the orphanage he rarely socialized and preferred to be on his own. However, after that time had passed he had grown accustomed to his surroundings and the people he lived with. Playful, loving and ever cheery, it was sometimes hard to realize that Christopher had such a painful past. He played a lot with the children, participating in soccer, football, and basketball.

What are you like now? Stoic is one of the best adjectives to describe Chris now. He is like a tree, strong but silent. He speaks very few words, preferring to let his actions speak for him. However his interests in sports has never waned, if anything they have intensified. He is unyielding, passionate and set on his goals. It is also because of this attribute of his that makes it difficult for Christ to find a wife.


History: Chris left town shortly after high school. He received a full ride scholarship at Duke University in North Carolina and graduated top of his class with honors. He also played for their basketball team and won MVP two years running. However bright he was, Chris painfully lacked the social skills to keep a relationship blossoming. He often used time as an excuse for things not working out but his exes vented to their friends about his lack of faith. A cheater or player they deemed him. They claimed that Chris grew bored of them quickly and found interested in someone else in a few months' time.

Upon graduation Chris joined the NBA, despite holding a degree in Sociology. If the man had parents they would undoubtedly tell him that he was foolish. Currently he plays for the California Lakers.


Relationships: Tori Avalon - At first Chris thought that Tori was a very strange girl but he started to notice a pattern with her. The remarks she would make about the people coming through the orphanage often times turned out to be true or a twist of the truth. Upon realizing this he made a bigger effort in getting to know her. Chris never went as far as to protect her from the whispers being spoken about her, but at least he made it known that he wanted to get to know her.

Brian Cundall - Chris would consider Brian a childhood friend. The both of them got along splendidly, although it grew apparent early on that Chris was the better athlete. However it wasn't until middle school that it dawned on Chris that Brian would lie his way out of chores. Luckily Brian wouldn't always put the blame on Chris.

Eddie Manson - Chris wouldn't have had a lot of problems with Eddie if it didn't mean that he almost lost his life during a day out at the local park. Eddie's idea for an adventure involved climbing one of the trees. At first Chris was up for the idea but soon the climb grew treacherous. A branch creaked and broke. Chris suffered a broken ankle and had to stay in crutches for several weeks. As for the present day, Chris is not sure whether or not he should hold a grudge with Eddie or forgive him.


Location: Berryesa Creek - Chris remembers this being the place he took his prom date to. He can't remember whether they went before or after the Prom but he remembers that they both went there that night. He's often frightened by the fact that he can't remember who his prom date was, despite remembering how happy he was with her. Popular in the town as a place for lovers to go, there is a trail that runs alongside the creek and a small secluded clearing with a bench in the middle. The creek is rarely ever stagnant, always flowing and trickling through. In the summer the cicadas can be heard, while the wind graces the tall grass and cat tails. Large willow and pine trees grow alongside the creek and trail, providing shade and privacy.

Roles: The Zealot

 

[Hecatoncheires]

Added mah character; still need to add 'Relationships', but we're almost there.

 

[Jack Shade]

Hey all! IC up.

The IC

You may post in the IC when your sheets are as updated as they can be. That means for every character that is currently submitted, you need a relationship. Once you have that down, you're good to go.


I'm super excited all, let's see what we can do with this.

 

[Jack Shade]

Incidentally. I trust you all with this roleplay. If you're in a conversation with another player, no need to wait on the rest of us to jump in and post what we're doing. Feel free to expound on that meeting. I'll post a general intro post for the inside of the church when people enter. For now, converse to your heart's desire. Build relations. Character work can be hard sometimes, and I don't want to leave anyone behind. So if there are three players in a conversation and the other two are off doing something else, feel free to continue on that line. I'll step in and condense time when I need to.

 

[Jack Shade]

Hey all! Thanks to the three of you that have gotten posts up.

As for Grumps and Osso...I can waive this week since it's the first, but if you're finding you don't have time for this roleplay, let me know so I can get those positions filled.

 

[Hecatoncheires]

Sorry for the delay, dude; our internet went down in the flat (won't be back until next month, but I can find a way around it) and I was having big issues with the flat itself.

Shall get a post in tonight, methinks.

 

[Jack Shade]

This is an announcement. Any text surrounded by dashed borders is a memory. As you return to Sanctuary and spend time here, memories will start to filter into each of your minds. The memories I write will either involve one player or all the players present in the scene.

But here's the fun part.

When you're ready and comfortable. Feel free to write a memory yourself. This is about deep character relationships and interactions. As such, we need to start unveiling their connections to each other and the history they had in Sanctuary. I'm willing to allow mostly free reign on these, stepping in only if the story demands something be changed. I encourage each of you to make use of this privilege to uncover surprising things about each other you may have known in the past or rediscovering how close or far you once were.

Best wishes!

 

[Jack Shade]

Well done so far all.

Quick preliminary poll. Is there anything more you'd all like to see in this rp? Anything I can do?

Remember that I'm more than happy to change things up a bit if a certain speed or style isn't working...suggest away.

 

[Opossum My Possum]

I can't send messages yet, but if you're still allowing people to join, I'd love to join this.

 

[Jack Shade]

I'm afraid that we're full up here. But there will be a sister role play similar to this one called Children of the Vision. Would you like me to pm you about it when I have it up?

 

[Zen]

I've moved into an apartment but unfortunately the internet won't be set up until... God knows when. Go ahead and lug Christopher where ever you guys need him to be.

 

[Jack Shade]

Excellent so far. I'll move things along soon as we have a Grumpy post to the afterword of the funeral...feel free to intersperse memories.

I'm thinking of possibly scheduling a chat rp based around this. More for conversations between the group rather than short post between subjects. All conceptual right now, feel free to voice an opinion.

We shall have our Redeemer soon. Stay tuned.

 

[Jack Shade]

Slight delay while I replace a member for our fifth and we await Grumps to get a post up. Once he does, I'll swing this funeral forward and we can continue to the house. Would anyone be interested in scheduling a chat session for more rapid fire conversational exchanges?

 

[LuluRS]

Ah, that's a shame :/

On another note, I'd be interested in participating in a chat session.