The Nightscraper

[Moogle-Girl]

Hello and welcome to The Nightscraper!
Where your darkest fears come alive!
Ten floors, each filled with horrors tailored to you...
Survive each floor and make it to the roof for one million dollars!
But give up, and you may never be seen again...
Do you have what it takes to reach the top?
​

That was the beginning of the invitation sent out to everyone who'd been selected to participate in the hot new game show, The Nightscraper. The game is simple: survive ten floors of increasingly unimaginable horrors, and you will receive a great big pile of cash. Though the show has not yet premiered, making real info about it hard to come by, the rumors have already started flying. Some say they hear growling and scratching noises coming from the inside of the recently-constructed tower. Others have seen blood staining the wastewater flowing outside. But the danger can't be real. It's all just smoke and mirrors, illusions that make great television but don't actually put the contestants in any real peril.
​

Or do they...?
​

The thing is, The Nightscraper is more than just a game show. It's a trap. A feeding frenzy, even. The whole thing was dreamed up by a group of hideous monsters looking for an easy way to bring in prey. Every single contestant is in mortal danger from beginning to end, and if they fail to survive all ten floors, they will be devoured, both body and soul. And of course, the show is designed to be unwinnable. Good luck...

The Setting

This RP will take place in modern times, in a fictional city in California. Magic is widespread in this society; about fifty percent of citizens have at least some level of supernatural prowess. Powers typically manifest as manipulation of some element, but other things such as transformation or heightened senses are not unheard of. There is a system in place to scan newborn babies for magical powers and artificially limit or even remove them if they are deemed a potential threat to society. This way, everything is kept in balance. Many jobs are designed to make use of any magical powers the employees might have.

As far as most people know, monsters do not exist.

The Monsters

Somni

Somni (singular "Somnus") are twisted creatures, rivaling humans in intelligence. They stand at five to six feet tall and are masters of illusionary magic. Their sustenance comes not from ordinary food or drink, but from the fear of other creatures. To this end, they use their spells to discern the fears of others with a touch, and then conjure twisted nightmares tailored to their victims. The Somni are in charge of all the terrifying trials that the contestants will face. Even though the spells they weave are not material, the effects definitely are. When a Somnus feeds on someone, their emotional strength and willpower slowly fades away, and eventually they are left a pathetic shadow of their former self.

Shades

While Somni are calculated schemers, Shades are brutes, desiring little more than destruction. They feed on whatever they can get -- usually the flesh of weaker creatures. They appear as shadowy whisps while moving, solidifying only when they are about to make their kill. Mob mentality rules in crowds of Shades. They are usually happy to follow the orders of a stronger being, and as a result are led by the Somni in this twisted game show. Once the victim has been properly drained by their leaders, the Shades will move in for the kill. And it won't be pretty.

The Administrator

The mysterious being spearheading the whole operation. No one knows who or what the Administrator is. Only a select few Somni are allowed to look upon him, and they have been sworn to secrecy. Rumors are spreading among the ranks that he lives on the rooftop, waiting to offer a final challenge to anyone who can make it to the top.

Rules

• I am the GM, and as such I expect requests to adjust characters or cease a certain behavior to be honored. I try to be as nice as possible but my patience can only be pushed so far!​
• Basic stuff: no godmodding, powergaming, metagaming, whatever you want to call it. Respect Iwaku's rules.​
• Since this will rely heavily on psychological horror, do your best to put yourself in your character's shoes. Terrified people may make mistakes, rush headlong into situations, or break down. Bravery is expected at times, though (or else it would be too easy for me); use your best judgment.​
• I seriously doubt this'll happen but if you want to do anything sexual please fade to black or take it to PM. I guess there could be some hot player/Shade action?​
• You can play up to two characters, as long as you are active with both of them. However, they cannot both be contestants. I will not be allowing Somnus or Shade characters, sorry! I will be allowing a wide range of creativity in your characters so feel free to take advantage of it. I'm generally really lax when it comes to characters. In fact I encourage you to push the boundaries.​
• If you want to pull a plot twist that will result in the death of another person's character, run it by them first.​
• If your character dies, whether by the hands of the Shades or someone else, you may immediately make another one and jump back in if you so choose. Just make sure it gets approved first.​
• Though I am by no means inexperienced on this site, this is my first time actually running an RP here. Feel free to offer constructive criticism, ask questions, or otherwise help me make this RP as great as it can be. :3​

​

Character Sheet

Only human characters please.

Name: First and last, and any nicknames they might go by.

Gender: Male? Female? Something else?

Age: I'll be allowing just about any age here, within reason. Little kids, teenagers, adults, elders, whatever.

Appearance: Description or real life picture is preferred.

Role: What part will your character be playing? Will they be a contestant fighting for their lives? Someone who's trying to take the show down? Or maybe a conspirator working for the Somni and Shades? Be creative! I would like at least four contestants total before starting.

Powers: See the Setting section for additional info. I'll be more likely to accept a power if it has some strong drawback, but this is not a requirement. Anything involving the physical or mental manipulation of others (including but not limited to mind reading, possession, or outright mind control) will not be allowed. This is the only section where I'm going to be fairly strict to keep the tension high.

Personality: Don't just list off single-word qualities if you can help it.

Backstory: I'd prefer something brief, maybe a few paragraphs max.

Fears: This is where the fun starts. What is your character afraid of? Definitely include their biggest fear, whether it's something physical like spiders or cramped spaces, or something more abstract like the loss of their loved ones. You can also throw in minor fears to help spice things up. Somni can learn these fears with physical contact; the strongest fears come to them first, and prolonged contact can reveal the lesser ones. Keep this in mind. You can also reveal more throughout the RP if you so choose.

Other: Optional. Just anything else you'd like to include.

 

[Moogle-Girl]

Link to interest check

Riv Galoes, played by Barley Beast
Jordan Bishop, played by WhoopDau
Gray Armstrong, played by Ay-Ex
Laurie Raines, played by Ay-Ex
Alf Lillvik, played by Moogle-Girl
Blake Williams, played by Ali

 

[Barley Beast]

Umm I believe I have everything! Let me know what you think and if any changes should be made! I apologize if any formatting is wrong, I am not too familiar with this website.

Riv Galoes

Name: Birth Name: Rivington Galoes, Goes By: Riv Galoes

Gender: Male

Age: 22

Appearance: Riv is always seen wearing a moss green duster that trails behind him. His black pants are baggy and held up by a strip of leather. A holster is attached which holds his famous weapon: The Bolt.

Under his duster he is almost always shirtless or wearing a white wifebeater. Riv's dirty blond hair is spiked forward in the front and slicked down in the back. Even in the darkest of rooms he wears his black shades.

As for general look (physique included), I guess the closest would be Kamina from Gurren Lagann (minus the sword):

Spoiler

Role: Riv has always been one looking for attention. Sure he could compete and get to the top floor...but what would be bigger than actually taking down the entire operation? Nothi....oh wait. Killing The Administrator. That is Riv's goal, to kill the head honcho. He doesn't care if the rest of it tumbles down also, but he will at least kill the head guy.

Powers: Riv isn't the magical fairy type. And unless you count a giant ego as his power, he only relies on quick wits and The Bolt. The Bolt is a speciality designed revolver that captures small amounts of energy in the air before firing. The damage from the shot itself is only slightly stronger than a regular bullet. The benefits of not using actual ammo are: Very difficult for Riv to run out, and the use of electricity.

Personality: Don't get me started about how Riv's ego could fill a room by a single word escaping his mouth. He needs the focus of attention to be on him at all times. He knows that he is good at what he does (see: Backstory) and he makes it apparent. Sure he is arrogant, ignorant, and every type of "-ant" under this face of the sun but he is also reliable. He won't stop until the job is done and he will at the end of the day put his neck out for his friends (or "allies" as he prefers to say.)

His loud and obnoxious tones are all there because it is a front. He believes in hiding in plain sight. Riv's real strengths shine from his dedication to a job. You could have him on death's row and he would still lift his revolver with his broken hand just to try and kill one more enemy. His last breaths might even be him solving one final mystery. Riv will go down swinging and most likely with some obscure insult or a final morale boost.

Additionally, Riv will often try to "talk" his way out of a situation rather than fight. By "talk" I mean he will usually offer the enemy a chance to surrender or just try to confuse them long enough for him to try and get the upper hand. Telling tall tales and acts of heroism is not uncommon.....heck it's very common.

Backstory: Riv's father was in the army, known for his strength. Riv's sister was a scientist that threw the world forward because of her research. His brother had a black belt. Riv hated all three of their lives, but not because of envy. His father knew nothing but battle, his sister's brain was stuck on a single track and could only see things from a formula perspective, and his brother could not use his karate unless he was in trouble.

So how did Riv reply? Well a giant middle finger to the entire family tree. He became a detective, and a dam good one at that. Riv knew about gunfire and people dying but his job did not depend on it (take that dad!), he could use logical reasoning to solve a case but also could think outside the box (f*ck you sis!), and more importantly: Riv could beat the crap out of anyone he wanted as long as he had his badge (sorry brother, can't hear you over the sounds of my fists).

So....detective? Yup. Riv Galoes went on to solve tons of cases, and making a real spectacle of himself as he did. His most well known accomplishments include: The Vein Case (a vigilante hunted down crime lords and ate their heats), High Fly Dave (a maniac who tried to teach people how to fly by throwing them off of cliffs), and The Shadow Dancer (a man who....well there is a better time for this story.)

He has no real reason to take down The Administrator other than just another opportunity to have his face shown in the newspapers.

Major Fear: Being forgotten - Riv wants his name to be known for centuries to come. To think that people will one day look at his gravestone and say "who was that?" horrifies him. He has done too many things in life to deserve a nameless death.

Major Fear: The return of the Shadow Dancer. The most horrifying time of Riv's life was when this obscure man kidnapped and tortured him for weeks. The torture was simple: Riv was left in a silent room with nothing but darkness. Time was impossible to track but every so often there was a flash in the blackness and a blade would appear to cut Riv. The assailant would vanish as fast as he appeared. Riv eventually managed to escape and kill the Shadow Dancer but the scariest part was that he never saw the man's face. Somehow, Riv became almost blind in anything that isn't complete darkness. That's why he wears the shades.

Minor Fears: Failure to succeed (Riv must always complete his mission), the death of his pet monkey (see Other), his sunglasses being broken (Riv received his shades from a monk who trained him in terms of detective work. He fears that they will break, however will reply with great anger and hatred if they do)

Other: Just to stand out even more, Riv has a monkey named Mingle. The small animal is no larger than a fist and has chestnut brown fur. Its green eyes are almost as large as its head. Mingle climbs around Riv's duster. She is actually very smart and communicates with Riv with small chirps (though Riv has no clue what she is saying). Riv can often be found conversing and joking with his pet, his best friend.

 

[WhoopDau]

Name: Jordan Bishop
Gender: Male
Age: 19
Appearance: Jordan is shorter than the average male, and is light in weight as well. He has curly unkempt dark chestnut hair, which reaches to his olive skinned shoulders. He has a pair of dark brown eyes, placed in the middle of his diamond shaped face. He doesn't really cares what he wears just as long as it gets the job done, which means ugly Christmas sweaters in colder temperatures.
Role: Contestant
Powers: N/A
Personality: Paranoid || Distrustful || Intelligent || Practical || Selfless || Prideful
Jordan grew into a household where pranks were very popular. He was usually the target of his older sibling's pranks, and thus became really paranoid. A lot underestimate how paranoid he actually is, and will usually find out after spending just a few minutes with him. His paranoia branches out to actual distrust in people, thus is seen kind of introverted.

He is actually pretty intelligent, and often likes to test himself. This includes stealing useless things and then placing the blame on someone else, trying to see wether he could get away with it or not. Though it's never actually serious, and usually returns the item within a certain amount of days. He's also pretty practical whenever he does things, and absolutely loves things with more than one purpose. This leads to a lot of bullying though, which further increases his distrust in others.

But even with all the reasons why he hates people, he does like to be selfless at times. He blames it on the fact that he doesn't really socialize with other humans that much, and this is his way of socializing without actually having to do so. Yet with these selfless facts, he can be quite prideful. He especially has pride in his intelligence. Anyone who thinks the opposite, he will usually try and show otherwise.
Backstory: Jordan was born into the Bishop family on December 23rd. As the youngest of two older brothers, he was usually picked on. He didn't fare any better in school either, after all, who better to pick on than the social outcast? Unknown to his family and the rest of his peers, he had contemplated suicide before, but never had the guts to do it. Another reason that stops him was his grandmother, whom was one of the only people who enjoyed listening to one of his many rants. She's also the actual reason why he's usually selfless.
Fears:
• The deep sea; he doesn't like the idea of the unknown. But more importantly the deeper parts of the ocean. After studying one of the fish that lived there, he developed a small fear of them. The fear only grew when he realized that it was possible to die out there. Unlike space, where it' shard to get to, drowning in the sea isn't too hard if your ship sinks. He also gets uneasy in the darkness, and drowning while you slowly sink to a dark pit is horrifying for him.

- Suffocating; everybody likes breathing, even him. He loves it, and is absolutely spooked when it' stakes from him. Even when it's just him accidentally rolling over to his stomach.
- People; he really distrusts others. He's also physically weak, which doesn't help much when he has to fight others to ensure a walk home without bruises. But that's not all, he is actually soft-hearted. And writhes in misery when judged by others.
Other: N/A

 

[King]

Could I reserve a spot and have a post up tomorrow? I've got a wonderful character idea!

 

[Moogle-Girl]

@Barley Beast: Accepted!

@WhoopDau: I like your character; do you think you could just go into a little more detail with the fears? Those are mostly very common (almost omnipresent) fears and I'm not sure where to go with them.

@Ay-Ex: Sure! No rush.

 

[King]

Question: One of my characters, I'm considering having her working for the Somni. What sort of ways do you think they could bribe her into doing so and why? Or does she go to them? And do you think they'd actually trust a human?

Sorry for all the questions, I just want to get it right!

 

[Moogle-Girl]

Well, depends. What does she want? The Somni are in position to steal anything they need to seal the deal, or they could even fabricate it entirely with illusions. I could see the Somni wanting to invite a human cohort who would later betray the others to add intrigue to the game show, or perhaps your character could come to them offering assistance for her own reasons. (A cut of the prize, perhaps?) As for whether they would trust her, well, she would certainly need to prove her loyalty somehow. Does that help any? I can probably work around whatever you come up with.

 

[King]

Well, depends. What does she want? The Somni are in position to steal anything they need to seal the deal, or they could even fabricate it entirely with illusions. I could see the Somni wanting to invite a human cohort who would later betray the others to add intrigue to the game show, or perhaps your character could come to them offering assistance for her own reasons. (A cut of the prize, perhaps?) As for whether they would trust her, well, she would certainly need to prove her loyalty somehow. Does that help any? I can probably work around whatever you come up with.

Awesome! Thanks, that gives me a better idea! I'll have them both up in a second, I'm excited c:

 

[Moogle-Girl]

Excellent, looking forward to it. :3

 

[Moogle-Girl]

@WhoopDau: I just noticed that you added more. Thank you, accepted!

 

[King]

Name:
Graham 'Gray' Armstrong

Gender:
Male

Age:
55

Appearance:

Gray is about 6ft. He has silvery hair with a receding hair-line. He used to be in great shape, but is loosing it slightly with age. This doesn't make him weak or feeble however, he still can throw a fair punch. A lot of the time, his face is molded to a scowl, but that's easy to fix with a compliment or joke. Gray is usually found in shirts, suits, ties, all the rest.

Role:
Contestant

Powers:
Hyperosmia - Gray has heightened sense of smell. This is useful for his job [See Backstory.] However, pungent and foul smells are much stronger for him, sometimes they can cause him to vomit or get headaches.
Hyperacusia - He also has heightened sense of hearing. This is useful for his job [See Backstory.] He can hear things slightly lower than others and higher. However, anything loud and sudden can harm him more, and can give him a headache.

Personality:
|| Opinionated || Hard-Worker || Honest || Paranoid || Honorable || 'Tough love' ||
Gray has always been the opinionated hard-worker who will do his best for the people around him. Doing what's best for the people is what he's always done. He'd die for the people he loves. Gray will tell mostly the truth, and is not the type to lie to keep anything bad. He's definitely honourable to his job and to his people.
However, despite his honourability and hard work, Gray can show to be paranoid and skittish. Especially when his worst fear is mentioned, Gray can shout and get angry irrationally. In some cases, he won't hesitate to throw fists.
With others, Gray is the type of person to issue 'tough love' and will put personal problems aside to do important word.

Backstory:
Graham was born to alcoholic parents. His mother was killed when he was 3; he was in the car when his father was drunk driving. He was unharmed and his father escaped with minor injuries.
His father got heavier into drugs and drink, then turned into an extreme fascist, a Neo-nazi. Graham was abused by his father, the loud nazi speeches terrified him as a kid.
It was when he turned 18 and escaped his fathers extremism and abuse. He got into a college, then into university, a degree in criminology and forensic psychology. After a masters degree in criminology, Gray began working for the government.
When he was 21, he met his first boyfriend. They became long term partners in secret, it wasn't until he was killed in line of duty after 20 years that Gray was single again. He told a few people about his sexuality.
Through promotions, Gray became head of Law against Drug Trafficking in California [LaDT] His heightened sense of smell made it easier to sniff out the drugs. It was a joke that Gray was the new sniffer dog.
His branch, LaDT, is sectioned to close down. The money From the gameshow would be enough to keep his branch open, his job safe and hundreds of others.

Fears:​

• Nazism. An odd fear, yes, but one that has affected him from a young age. The stamping sound of a march, the commands shouted in harsh German, the quiet steps of a gestapo officer, they all panic Gray. This was caused by his Father [See Backstory.] The way it affected him is similar to how Alex was in 'A Clockwork Orange.' When he witnesses similar related things, or even listens to related things, Gray experiences panic, nausea, anger, nervous sweats and shaking. Extreme or prolonged exposure can send Graham into violence or vomiting.​

Minor Fears:
Fast cars
People finding out he's homosexual

Other:​

• Due to his job, Gray can shoot many weapons effectively. His job also taught him to survive hard interrogation, survival skills and basic psychology.​
• Gray is a great pianist and a fair singer, after a few drinks, he can usually be found at the lounge bar and playing some blues.​

--​

 

[King]

Name:
Laurie Raines

Gender:
Female

Age:
21

Appearance:

Role:
Somni insider, in-game

Powers:
Emotionally activated enhanced strength - Similar to the hulk, but diluted down. If Laurie hits a high in anger/frustration or rage, she'll become brutal and tougher. Her voice deepens and her muscles get stronger. She's been able to take down fully grown men. However, she's a surprisingly calm person so triggering this is difficult. Another drawback is that during the rage fit, Laurie looses memory of what happened during it.

Personality:
|| Disloyal || Hard-Worker || Manipulative || Tough || Intelligent || Deceiving ||
As a criminal, Laurie has to keep hard face. She isn't one to ever commit to a group, or person and is deceiving and disloyal. She is not romantic and doesn't go very far into having feelings. However, she's a tough person and is easy to rely on to do a job. She'll only do something if there is something in it for her.
Despite the toughness, Laurie can be fragile [see fears]. It only takes so much to break her. She is very good at what she does and is an intelligent individual; Not a genius but could probably do maths quicker than you.
If you manage to befriend her, it would be prove to be useful, she can provide lies and manipulation to avoid the law.

Backstory:
Born to a single mother, Laurie grew up into a fairly flat house hold. Her mother was a prostitute and when Laurie grew up to understand, she was disgusted. During her childhood, her mother wasn't very protective. Often she'd leave Laurie alone in front of the TV. This was when she watched a particularly gruesome werewolf scene. It scarred her.
She was a hard worker in school, surprisingly, and excelled in technology and maths. She soon enrolled into college in ICT. At this time, she was already being scouted by criminals for her amazing hacking ability.
At 18, she hadn't worried about her fear of werewolves, until she accidentally aggravated a stray dog, which attacked her. This rekindled her canine phobia.
As she dropped out of college and began working for herself as a 'contact-criminal' or 'hacker-for-hire'
Laurie got interested in a gameshow that she had seen about fear. And of course, she was intrigued. Laurie began researching, hacking and getting too close to the secret. After she was found prying into the building, the creates, 'Somni caught her. After talking and bargaining a small slice of the prize, Laurie agreed to help them. She didn't regard humanity highly, so this was easy for some money and excitement.

Fears:​

• Werewolves, and to an extent, other canines. Due to a bad experience [See Backstory] Laurie is horrified by the sound of howling, snarling or barking. Even worse, Laurie finds the transformation of man to beast terrifying. Hearing related sounds or seeing related things can make Laurie panicked, shaky, sweaty and nauseated. Watching the transformation would most likely create tears and terror. Prolonged or extreme exposure can cause her to go into a fit of hysteria; screaming, wailing and rage can occur.​

Minor fears:
Needles
Her angry state

Other:​

• Misophonic - Misophonia; "The hatred of sound." Laurie suffers this extremely. It is one of the only things that can send her into the flying rage, consequently enhancing her strength. Her triggers include: Chewing, biting of nails, coughing and sniffing. The noise that is the worst and makes her the angriest is the cracking of bones. There have been occasions where she has publicly screamed at people for cracking a knuckle.​

 

[Moogle-Girl]

@Ay-Ex: Very nice, both accepted! Quick question about Laurie: you mentioned a bad experience related to werewolves, but I don't see it in her backstory. :o Am I just missing something?

 

[King]

@Ay-Ex: Very nice, both accepted! Quick question about Laurie: you mentioned a bad experience related to werewolves, but I don't see it in her backstory. :o Am I just missing something?

Ah, no its me who is missing something! Let me tweak that. Thank you!

 

[Moogle-Girl]

Name: Alf Lillvik

Gender: Male

Age: 8

Appearance: A dirty-looking young boy, Alf often appears caked in some kind of dust, dirt, or bodily fluid -- usually blood. His short brown hair sticks to his head in thick, greasy locks, and his striped shirt and suspenders have numerous holes and tears, along with attempted patch-jobs to fix them. He is nearsighted and needs glasses, but even if he did have any, he would never wear them; as a result he tends to squint at anyone who comes too close. A few blackened cavities sit in his teeth, clearly visible when he smiles -- which is often.

Role: Alf is a close personal friend of the Administrator's and one of the few who knows the leader well. If the Administrator feels that things are moving too slowly or getting boring, he will send Alf in to spice things up. He is also allowed to speak on the Administrator's behalf.

Powers: Alf can generate a small amount of light at his fingertips. It has no offensive capabilities, but makes for a useful parlor trick or flashlight substitute.

Personality: Happy-go-lucky and carefree. There's never a dull moment in this boy's life: no parents, no rules, no problem. He trusts the word of his friends above all else, but if you can gain his trust, he is easily manipulated. In his head, there's nothing wrong with drawing a little blood now and then, but he would never kill a soul. Then the fun would be over.

Backstory: Alf's mother died in childbirth, and his father was brutally murdered before he was old enough to know what was going on. The culprit, incidentally, was the Administrator himself. The monster insisted that Alf's father had been little more than a slave driver, one who could only trap everyone he knew in a vicious cycle of suffering. Alf didn't fully understand what was happening, but he did come to think of the Administrator as his new guardian, in a sense. Alf never has to worry about things like bedtime, or taking baths, or doing homework, because the Administrator gives him things that are so much more fun. And what's wrong with having a little fun?

Biggest Fear: The loss of his best friend, the Administrator.

Lesser Fears: Alf loves fuzzy, fluffy animals of all kinds -- especially bats -- but he hates snakes. He is also afraid of adults and the rules they impose.

 

[Moogle-Girl]

I edited my second post in the thread with quick links to the bios; I'll be updating the list as more characters are added. I believe there was one more person from the interest check who wanted in, so I'm thinking of giving it a few more days before I start work on the IC thread. Any objections?

 

[King]

How many people did you want? Because you could always make a banner, I also offer to do so bc I like that hehe. But if you just want a small number, that's cool c:

 

[Moogle-Girl]

I was hoping for around 4-6 people? If I don't get more interest soon I'll probably make a banner. :o

 

[Ali]

This sounds incredibly interesting. Room for one more? :)