A Merry Band of Guisers: Interest Check/Signup Thread

"There's no harm in a little make-believe," they whispered in lowered tones when you were small. And you didn't care enough to pay any mind to them. You were off in your own little world.

As you grew older, the whispering became more pronounced. Not just from adults, but from your peers as well. Still you ignored them.

Until reality encroached upon your constructed paradise of fantasy.

Until new responsibilities called.

Until the voices grew too loud to be ignored.

Growing up is a painful process—that’s what all those Newberry Medal books you were made to read taught you, right?

Then why does everything feel so...wrong?

Can't you just stay in your castle in the clouds for one moment longer?

As you tentatively investigate your thoughts, you realize that, yes, something is wrong. It's not the shedding of your childhood fantasies that bothered you—oh, no, it was the way that the world was attempting to make you do it, with bullies and school and work and chores and the increasing awareness that all was not right in the way people treated each other.

Worst of all was the way you were ignored. It was your own fault, really. You played at being someone else, someone special, in your mind. Well, outside your head, you became irrelevant and the butt of jokes.

That had multiple disadvantages.

You swear that you saw a strange, shadowy figure stalking the streets. You swear that you heard odd clanging noises coming from the nearby forest, among other things. You swear that adults are becoming more and more complacent and not the slightest bit inclined to investigate the strange goings-on within your small town of Marshton, Louisiana. To make it even worse, your peers seem ever more alienated from you, and no help is in sight.

Fortunately, you've found some kids like you in an unofficial club, and (Good news!) whatever weirdness seems to be going on has affected you as well, granting you the abilities of your awesome alternate self! Armed with only your courage, wits, and your imagination, you're going to investigate everything that’s been going on.

Hopefully, you can learn some life lessons in the process and come to terms with your waning childhood.

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Welcome to A Merry Band of Guisers, an RP inspired by elements from Stranger Things, IT, and Shin Megami Tensei: Persona.

I've learned many lessons from my previous RP, so I will take more initiative as to plots and such, though players will be free to start their own plots if they want to.

(Note #1: Guises will be named properly in-game. I'm referring to them as such right now for the sake of exposition.)

(Note #2: Players can start without a Guise and develop it later in a plot. However, they will have to make and GM the plot themselves. For the sake of balance, they will be allowed to have more mature/powerful skills, but it must still be within reason.)

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Discussion Thread

Game Thread

Discord Server

Edited by JumpingFruit on Jan 14th 2019 at 10:42:34 AM

I wear the skin of the Elder Things, having come unto my own.

This sounds very interesting. Do you mind if I reserve a spot? I need time to come up with a character and I figured it might be best to ask whether that was ok.

• Name: Hector Gibbs
• Gender: Male
• Age: 17
• Skills:
  • Video and Drama: Hector is quite experienced in mixing together videos including for the school plays, one of his passions. He's made a lot of videos in his time, including a few that have gotten him in trouble. He's very adept with editing vocal lines and such - he's fond of bragging he could make anyone say anything on camera.
  • Actor: Tying in to his membership in the school play-actors classes, he's a surprisingly skilled actor when he needs to be.
  • Arcane Interests: Hector is an enthusiast for a number of rather dark or occult things - perhaps him looking to outside sources for help at his darkest emotional places.
  • Skilled Gunman: His father Elias Gibbs is an outdoorsman and hunter known in town for both his yearly hunts in the woods and for the adventures he takes his family on. He taught Hector gun safety, handling, and how to shoot from the age of ten. Hector for his part took to it, and his somewhat conservative father was delighted by the enthusiasm Hector showed, though it waned in his teenage years. While his mother never approved she did understand why he wanted to do these kinds of things.
  • Constructive Know-How: His role in the acting class also included some engineering work, which he initially disliked but which he eventually got used to. He's taken to working with mechanical and instrument pieces, including some chemical work.
• Equipment: While it is contingent on his father, Hector does have access to firearms - particularly he seems to like a pair of 40 caliber glock handguns his father said were made at the same time, so he took to calling the pair Castor and Pollux after the Greek Mythical twins.
  • He's equipped with a number of stage hand and recording gear.
  • His outfit has a remarkably pragmatic use in the number of pockets on it.
• Appearance: Hector is visibly and distinctly of the "edgelord" persuasion - he's dyed his hair silvery, which oddly works with his icy blue eyes, and he wears a large black trench coat over a black long sleeve shirt, dark blue jeans, and boots with steel toes. He also covers his hands in fingerless gloves. He has rather thin, angular features - looking somewhat effeminate in a certain way. His hair is styled long at the back and somewhat bushy. He's a somewhat pale young man, and stands at around five foot eleven and a half inches tall, just shy of six feet.
• Personality: Hector is an outsider and very much proud of it - he's long decided if the "popular jocks" and their type think he's some freaky loner, let them. He's gotten into his share of trouble, and openly opines that if he can be as inconvenient and crude to the jocks and "main crowd" as possible, make their lives difficult, then all the better. He does however definitely have a lot of repressed anger and less than positive emotions built up, due in part to feeling stifled. He's remarkably flippant seeming about this, and he's very practiced at sarcastic responses mostly because that's the sole way he has of really getting at them. "Lemme put it to you this way. I'm five eleven and 150 lbs. Sarcasm and maybe the odd nutshot are the only chances I'm gonna get of bruising some meathead's ego." He's all too happy to share his rejection of convention and norms - as far as he's concerned any reactions he gets makes this even better. Hector seems to have a rather hostile relationship with his brother Carter, who seems to encapsulate everything Hector despises. Those two have had a very public series of spats. Owing perhaps to location, Hector is one of very few somewhat openly bisexual boys in the school, and he's wary about sharing that with just anyone.
• Background: Hector belongs to the rather odd and locally well known Gibbs Family - the grandfather Elijah Gibbs is a rather controversial figure known as a megachurch pastor and arch-conservative, whereas Elias is a failed mayoral candidate who only "failed" by something like 10 votes. The mother of the family, Jessica, is a private and seemingly housewife inclined woman, taking care of the children and home. Hector feels like his father lavishes all the praise on Carter for his football and wrestling, leaving little affection for Hector (the reality is rather complicated). Hector started striking out on his own and changing up his attire and public image in the midst of middle school, and he's known by now as a member of the "trenchcoat squad".

Edited by NickTheSwing on Dec 28th 2018 at 1:27:38 AM

~Benthelame It's fine. The signups will remain open indefinitely, so you don't need to reserve a spot.

~NickTheSwing Hector Gibbs is accepted.

Edited by JumpingFruit on Dec 30th 2018 at 7:01:27 AM

I wear the skin of the Elder Things, having come unto my own.

Oh look another introverted emo-teen.

Whoops?

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• Name: Lydia Bates
• Gender: Female
• Age: 16
• Skills:
  • Management: Despite her relatively quiet nature, Lydia has enough of a logician's mindset in order to take up the occasional management role in school project's and the like—albeit almost always at vote by her classmates as she never seems to end up in the position willingly. Lydia is indeed an exceptional organizer, quietly but firmly keeping everyone and everything in line and seeming to appear instantly from whatever corner she's stationed herself in when something goes awry. The only thing seeming to hold her back as of now is her preference of a hands-off approach for the majority of the time.
  • Cleaning: Perhaps the most telling sign of Lydia's oddness is her tendency to end up helping with the school janitors. With her desk practically immaculate and her environment almost always checked for clutter, Lydia almost seems to take enjoyment out of discreetly removing any mess from her local area whenever backs are turned. It has unfortunately caused much unsettlement for newcomers; as they'd quickly have to get used to the room slowly but surely getting cleaner and cleaner nearly every time they turn their gaze away. A joking rumour is that for every blink in a conversation with Lydia an accompanying speck of dust will have been removed from the foreground without comment.
  • Observance: Lydia has an exceptional awareness of her environment, illustrated partly by her aforementioned obsession with order and neatness that tends to go hand in hand with this. Any gait, tic, habit, or speech pattern seems to be assimilated into her mind to an eerie precision—up to the point where the girl tends to inform the class of a latecomer's arrival before they've even gotten within ten feet of the door due to her simply listening for their unique footsteps. This has also helped her academically and with multitasking; Lydia's factual memory is practically eidetic due to how much information she absorbs, and she can quickly flit from several things at a time whether it be a lesson or a hushed conversation from her neighbour.
  • Mechanics: Due to her incredible precision and perfectionism, Lydia has become adept at tinkering with technology; most often in vehicles and purely mechanical systems. While less skilled with the more modern and fine-tuned components, Lydia is more than capable of detecting a problem in a local motorcycle or the like and detecting the incredibly obscure sounds of misfires or broken sparkplugs and proceeding to take the whole thing apart to fix it (usually but not always with prior permission). As such, Lydia has ended up providing an unofficial service for much of her older schoolmates—fixing their reckless purchases or ratty hand-me-downs a their prompt with little to no issues.
• Equipment:
  • Toolbox: Originally kept at home, but Lydia has taken to squeezing it into her backpack for easy access. In it is contained all the items necessary for her to provide her little mechanical services, usually leftover or forgotten tools that her father has had no use for himself. Since most of them are for carpentry, her range for using them is a little limited—however she is slowly amassing more mechanical tools out of her own pocket.
  • Smartphone: A no-brainer for a teen like her to have, but Lydia's phone is notably about three generations behind that of her compatriots—and she has little to no regard for it. The girl seems to use it for the phone part only, rarely choosing to even text if she can just call. Lydia doesn't even keep tabs on her own social media page despite having created it to begin with—although her blunt reasoning of “for the sake of my sanity” is as good enough an excuse for not visiting it as any.
• Appearance: 5'8".◊ The expressionless, mildly unsettling type. Typically wears goth/punk styled clothing for no real discernible reason—an active contrast with her apparently methodical and reserved nature that seems perfectly happy to follow every other rule barring the dress code. Usually stands with her hands clasped behind her back—and when not attentive and coolly focused she is usually seen reclining with a book in some quiet corner off to the side. Unhealthy habit of never announcing her presence; plus not very mindful of personal space as is evident by the people unfortunate enough to be snuck up on by her.
• Personality: A quiet logician who never quite seems to match the decibel levels of the current conversation; cool and rational with barely a hint of a facial expression most of the time. Lydia approaches everything from an objective standpoint—whether it be schoolwork or birthday parties—and while this robotic mindset has been cause for concern for her parents, colleagues, and teachers it is undeniable that the girl is efficient to an incredible extent because of it; continually offering to do the more menial tasks such as passing around tests while remaining 100% attentive to the classes themselves. Possessing a surprising amount of tact and gentleness when it's necessary to display such, it is very rare for Lydia to show any signs of active selfishness, indignance, or rebellion—but unstated hints of it (such as in her dress style) make clear that the girl must be repressing much more than she lets on. Lydia has never raised her voice, shed a tear, or even had the mildest speck of anger hidden in her tone—though whether that is to remain or not is another matter entirely. As of now, however, Lydia is the quiet watcher in the wings; silently observing her classmates and carefully interjecting when she feels it is appropriate to, but never quite remaining an active presence in their lives for them to fully get to know her.
• Background: Lydia has remained dismissive and shut up regarding her home life, and any questions from her fellows regarding it usually get quietly advised not to pry at best or shot down in a clipped and ruthless manner at worst. It is known through hints in conversation (and ensuing gossip) that she has a single father, but not much more than that is known for sure. What is definite is that Lydia has been bottling up a lot compared to her earlier years—her attire used to be much more casual a few years back in elementary when compared to her current punkish stylings, and she was even part of the local dance program for a short period as well. Whatever the case, Lydia's difficulties at home remain unspoken but still definitely present—and the only reason her classmates haven't pried much is out of fear of opening a can of worms and (partly) of the girl herself.

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• Guise Name: Ember^note  Also refers to herself as “Jo” in more casual settings
• Foci: The culmination of all of Lydia's pent-up frustrations, irrationality, and emotions rolled into a big angry ball of #$&% you. This Guise has been constructed in Lydia's head purely as escapist fantasy—the “what-if” of what she could be if she felt she was allowed to fully break away and rebel to a truly chaotic extent.
• Modum: A muttered set of alien tongues and overlapping vowels known only to the girl herself. Upon manifestation, Lydia temporarily levitates a few inches off of the ground, and dust particles and other small items in her immediate vicinity usually follow suit. The light tends to dim around her unnaturally—both in supernatural manifestation of partial darkness and a flickering and electrical failure of the local artificial sources—and she tends to be backlit by an aura of unknown source. Once her speech is complete, her body seems to abruptly “ripple” into its Guise, at which point the phenomena will cease from view. The change back is much quicker—a simple dim and the aforementioned ripple effect of her form is usually all that occurs to return her to her usual state without even an inkling of her unknown vocalisations.
• Powers:
  • Etherflame: So-called due to its ethereal state, Ember's most notable ability is the summoning of a pinkish fire-type substance from her body—most usually (but not limited to) her fists and arms. With it, she can mould fireballs with disintegrative properties; tending to fizzle away and slowly eat away at whatever is struck by them instead of simply catching them alight—and also use it to boost her physical capabilities in the form of a propelling mechanism. Ember can also mildly influence the trajectory of her projectiles even after launch—bending and changing their course of flight with much concentration and careful, directive hand gestures.
  • Radial Telekinesis: Specifically, a form of psychokinetic influence that only affects things in a limited range of 4-5 metres around her. As the name suggests, this is clearly marked by the purplish, circular hue that manifests upon activation of this ability—which also appears to be fully spherical/dome-shaped if she happens to be in an open enough area for this to be demonstrated. Anything inside this zone (and subsequently coated in the purple aura) can be targeted by her and be made subject to basic, bare-bones telekinetic movement—only strong enough to carry three objects of medium size or one singular human at a time (and even then very sluggishly and imprecisely). Ember can also cause the outskirts of this radius to harden into an all-encasing shield of purplish energy—which will proceed to crack and eventually shatter after prolonged usage. This ability is usually used defensively or for minor utility due to its sluggish and imprecise nature, and even then Ember is usually locked in a stationary position simply due to how much mental effort it takes to initiate in the first place. Disabling the zone almost always ends up leaving her winded and weakened for a short amount of time.
  • Hopping: A short-range version of teleportation, limited to line of sight and approximately 20 feet in distance at a time. Can be used for Teleport Spamming, but five consecutive 'ports at a time usually end up leaving her “burnt-out” and having to rely on her other abilities instead. The ability is heralded by a dull pulse and a purplish hue surrounding her and her target destination—to which she will then proceed to dematerialize and rematerialize in rapid fashion and with a sharp, explosive whining sound in accompaniment. Her destination can be quickly guessed if one is attentive enough to the warning signs, and the delay between her activating the ability and actually teleporting can be up to two full seconds (as to her perspective, things seem to cloud over and slow down—and she needs to intensely concentrate on the patch she wishes to travel to before activating the ability).
• Weaknesses:
  • Selective Power Usage: It is nearly (if not completely) impossible for Ember to activate more than one power at a time, and in order to switch abilities she needs to disable any leftover effects from her current otherwise the switch will just plain not work. In short, she always has to disable her TK zones, wait for her fireballs to dispel, or complete a teleportation before she can switch to another ability—chaining a barrier-to-teleport-to-fireball is simply impossible for her to do without stopping and chanting out alien tongues to herself for a brief moment. As such, her fighting style is sporadic and highly limited: requiring the patient and logical mindset of Lydia that Ember just simply does not have.
• Skills:
  • Athleticism: Lydia's old dance classes have lent themselves as full-on acrobatics and incredible examples of litheness and agility in the form of her Guise. Handsprings, wall kicks, wall runs, and extravagant (and unnecessary) flips are all used and abused by Ember to a dizzying degree. In some cases, this can be useful—dodging attacks or simply disorienting an opponent long enough for her to work out a counterattack—but most of the time these showy displays leave her wide open.
  • Emotional Attentiveness: While Lydia is impassive and invariably subtle in her displays of affection and fondness, Ember is the complete opposite. Excluding her brash tendencies, Ember is much more attuned to her comrade's feelings regarding matters, and is usually quick to respond to them as well. While no expert, her gained empathy gives Ember a much greater drive to support and fight for her companions—even if it's in her more rough-and-tumble manner.
• Equipment: N/A
• Appearance: Sharp-tongued and sprightly.◊ Just as colourful as her new manner of speech. Almost always delivering a glare—if not a sneer. Much more slovenly and crude in mannerisms and posture than when out of her Guise.
• Personality: If Lydia's schoolmates could possibly describe in detail what it is they think she's hiding behind the external stoicism and silence, it would probably only be half as bad as what the actual entity lurking behind her is. In colossal contrast to Lydia—who could perhaps be described as a “quiet rebel”—Ember is loud, proud, foul-mouthed and reckless; the type who would holler at thugs for kicks and jury-rig rides for street racing without a second's hesitation. A daredevil and thrill-seeker, Ember is the result of every single possible want or desire of Lydia being constantly shoved down and repressed—leading to an absolute explosion of a character when the latter finally decides to drop her walls and slip on her Guise. The only downside is that Ember is perhaps a little too outspoken and a little too reckless—the previously calculating and precise logician now replaced by an impulsive vagrant who is as quick to anger as she is quick to swear. Nevertheless, the fact the girl wears her heart on her sleeve in this state means she is equally likely to be sympathetic and comforting for those genuinely upset or in need—even if the transition is incredibly abrupt and unforeseen to her compatriots. Still, Ember has served and is still serving her purpose as a form of stress relief and escapist fantasy for the emotionally-disciplined and robotic Lydia, though the results are often... clumsy at best.

Edited by Enirboreh on Dec 28th 2018 at 1:15:04 PM

bork

• Name: Daikon
• Gender: Female
• Age: 12
• Skills:
  • Cleaning: Daikon doesn't really like doing housework, but she knows that it's necessary. Plus, you can find a lot of cool stuff hidden away in random corners! That's certainly an upside to an otherwise dreary state of affairs. Daikon knows which cleaning products are caustic and which ones are not...which may come in handy sometime.
  • First-Aid: Daikon's older brothers get into a lot of scrapes, and they usually ask for her help in patching them up. Thus, Daikon has been forced to learn how to dress minor wounds. However, she can't work miracles, and shouldn't be expected to.
  • Cooking: This is Daikon's greatest passion! She's probably memorized a few dozen recipes in her pursuit of gustatory perfection. Learning how to cook has given Daikon some skill in handling knives and hot materials. That might be useful.
  • Sewing: Something that Daikon used to like, but her passion in it has faded after she was ridiculed by bullies. Nevertheless, it's a good skill to have, especially when going on adventures might tear clothing.
• Equipment:
  • Box of Bandages: This is a permanent fixture in Daikon's pockets, as she never knows when she or someone else might need one. If twisted together, they might also make a rope of decent length.
  • Sewing Kit: This is also a permanent fixture in her pockets—you never know when your clothes might tear, and that might be embarrassing. It could also be employed to sew up bigger wounds, if Daikon gets over her squeamishness.
• Appearance: 4'8" and 80 lbs. That coat has only two pockets, but at least they're bigger than the ones on a hoodie.
• Personality: Daikon is usually very easygoing and laid-back, but can turn hot-blooded whenever someone makes fun of her name. She is intelligent, but hides it for fear of being made fun of. She is also easily excited when learning something new. She really doesn't like seeing people in pain.
• Background:
  • Daikon was supposed to be named something else, but due to a freak accident involving the doctor's grocery list and the naming forms, she got named after a root vegetable. This garnered much ridicule from her older brothers throughout most of her life. Since her parents wanted boys, they let them get away with it and made it clear to her that they favored them over her.
  • She coped by imagining herself as various types of prodigies, outdoing her brothers in every aspect, but eventually came into her own and constructed her "Chef Daikon" alias. Now that she's stopped trying to surpass them, her brothers have backed off somewhat. However, she is still considered beneath notice by her family.
  • This lessening of harassment gave her time to notice the other weirdos in her school, so she set out to create a club where all of them could be welcome. Hopefully, the school administration won't get in the way...

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• Guise Name: Chef Daikon
• Foci: Daikon's dual desire to be noticed and to help others motivated her to construct her Guise. Plus, chefs chop up "vegetables," which used to be a common insult directed at her.
• Modum:
  • Daikon murmurs "The great chef has arrived!" into her right hand and strikes a pose. A swath of white cloth swishes around Daikon, transforming her.
  • To untransform, she murmurs "The great chef is leaving!" into her left hand. After the white cloth disappears, Daikon is her normal self again.
• Powers:
  • Ingredient/Kitchen Tool Summoning: Daikon can summon any ingredient to anywhere as long as she knows at least one recipe that uses it. She can do the same with any kitchen tool as long as she has seen it in person and knows how to use it. This is limited by Daikon's willpower, as overuse of this will cause headaches and eventually, fainting.
  • A Dash of Steam: Daikon can temporarily turn into steam to dodge incoming attacks, which is a godsend when Daikon can't perform that many acrobatic moves beyond a few basic ones. Her movement speed while she is in her steam form is double her running speed, and she can maintain it for up to 2.5 seconds.
• Weaknesses:
  • Preparation Time Needed: It is generally common knowledge that cooking requires time and effort. This still applies to Daikon, even though her cooking abilities are greatly boosted. To prepare her special food, Daikon needs time. Therefore, there's a significant amount of cooldown time if she tries to prepare food in the middle of a fight.
• Skills:
  • Cooking: Daikon's cooking can grant a variety of positive effects to their consumer, including slow regeneration and various buffs. She is very fast when cooking—time is warped and bent so that dishes that take hours to make only need several minutes' worth of attention. This is somewhat of a hassle in combat, as she can't attack and cook at the same time. She can also improvise startlingly effective weapons out of kitchen tools.
• Equipment:
  • Chef's Knife: This is a large chef's knife about as long as Daikon's forearm. Its sides are engraved with images of tangled vines and flowers. It seems not to do that much damage at first (After all, long and "shallow" cuts aren't that much of a concern, right?), but Daikon can make lightning-fast attacks with it, making accumulated damage deadly. If she takes the time to sharpen it, it will temporarily gain extra sharpness on top of its inherently acerbic nature.
  • Chef's Steel: This is a sharpening rod engraved with the same tangled vines and flowers on the Chef's Knife, and it's also as long as Daikon's forearm. It ends in a sharp point, so it can be used as a piercing weapon as opposed to the slashing properties of the Chef's Knife. When Daikon sharpens her Chef's Knife with this rod, blue sparks fly, casting a sinister shadow on her face and temporarily making the Chef's Knife even sharper.
  • Pea-Shooters: These are a pair of antique six-shooters engraved with images of various pea vines. They shoot small, round bullets and they do not need to be reloaded. The advantage of these guns is that they can fire quickly, dealing minor damage that eventually adds up.
  • Armored Apron: This thin, flimsy-looking apron is able to somehow withstand moderate amounts of damage and slowly regenerate afterwards. It's even fireproof and waterproof! Too bad it only covers Daikon's front...
• Appearance: Order up!
• Personality: Chef Daikon's personality is an exaggerated, cutesier version of Daikon's normal self. She acts hyper-cheery and dramatic, but is still fundamentally the same person underneath. When the situation is sufficiently dire, Chef Daikon will drop most of it to focus on the crux of the issue.

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• Miscellaneous: N/A

Edited by JumpingFruit on Dec 29th 2018 at 6:55:19 AM

I wear the skin of the Elder Things, having come unto my own.

~Enirboreh Lydia Bates/Ember is accepted.

And my character's up too.

Edited by JumpingFruit on Dec 30th 2018 at 7:01:37 AM

I wear the skin of the Elder Things, having come unto my own.

Fuck it, I'm in. Shoggoth time!

• Name: Uria Fitzgerald
• Gender: Female
• Age: 14
• Skills:
  • Occult Knowledge: A passion for unknowable things had led Uria to amass a small collection of books about dark and twisted subjects. As a result, she's quite knowledgeable about folklore, mythology, and mythical creatures, especially of the 'eldritch horror' variety.
  • Bookworm: Uria is a skilled writer and reader, good at summarizing information and well-read. She can speed-read at over 500 words a minute. Knows quite a few literary classics, and the Bible, by heart.
  • Insight: She considers herself a fairly decent detective, and is good at thinking outside-the-box, as it were. Her rather unorthodox manner of thinking makes her very good at solving puzzles and putting information together.
• Equipment: Uria carries a can of pepper spray for self defense, and always has a spare notebook and pencil to record things.
• Appearance: Small and waifish, Uria stands 4' 10" tall. She's quite pale, accentuating her long, straight blonde hair and green eyes. Uria prefers dresses for comfort and ease of motion, though she usually wears short shorts underneath them.
• Personality: A curious chid, Uria comes across as an easily-distracted daydreamer. In actuality, she's much more perceptive than people give her credit for. She doesn't have a good grasp of social behaviors, however, and this can make her appear rude - for instance, she doesn't look people in the eyes when they speak to her, sits next to people without asking, etc. Despite this, Uria is very soft and kind towards others, under the mentality of 'live and let live'.
• Background: Raised as the only child in a very religious household, Uria was taught to strictly follow the Scripture. Her parents were not cruel or harsh, but were not very tolerant of those outside their church. Uria had memorized most of the Bible before she was ten, and didn't care for it, for the most part. She was fascinated by the descriptions of angels, however: great flaming wheels with many eyes and three faces, elder beings beyond mortal comprehension. She desired to learn more, and began reading the works of HP Lovecraft. Vivid descriptions of the bizarre and unknowable filled her dreams, making her grow ever more distant from reality. While her grades weren't affected by this, it left her with very little in the way of social interaction, until she met the 'club'. Since she remained academically in good standing, her parents didn't seem to care, but Uria was overjoyed to find people who understood why she got lost in her own headspace.

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• Guise Name: Urugoth the Unspeakable
• Foci: Uria's alternate identity comes from her desire to see 'something that God could not have created.' All of her wonder at the unknowable led her to make a pact with the unspeakable thing within her dreams.
• Modum: A simple chant: Uru Uru Malak'dal, she shall rise, the fake shall fall. Her body appears to melt into a puddle of pure blackness, from which the Elder Thing emerges. To return to her normal form, the chant is Uru Uru Malak'dor, facade, facade, arise once more. Urugoth melts away, dissolving and leaving her human body behind.
• Powers:
  • Slime Time: Urugoth is a blob of gelatinous slime, enabling her to swell and bend her body into any shape she desires, though she must remain as one continuous mass. Also grants her resistance against most piercing attacks. Any part of her that is cut off or removed from her main mass will rapidly dissolve.
  • Strength From Beyond: Being several times larger than a normal human, Urugoth is superhumanly strong and durable. Also much faster than you'd expect, despite her bulbous body. If damaged, she heals much faster than a human, able to replenish half her intial mass within an hour. She lacks any kind of internal organs, making her significantly harder to kill.
  • Many-Limbed, Many-Eyed: Urugoth can extend up to a dozen tendrils from any point on her body, each of which can stretch to three meters long and adhere to surfaces, allowing her to crawl up walls. Numerous eyestalks that shift around her body effectively grant her 360 degree vision, and she can see heat signatures, as well as infrared and UV light.
  • Stomach Storage: She can carry people and objects inside her protoplasm. This doesn't harm the person or object, however, if she wills it she can crush anything inside of her body with her strength, or expel things from her body at high speed.
• Weaknesses:
  • The Horror: It is something that should not be. Urugoth is horrifying to look at, and as such is highly noticable. Her large size also makes it hard for her to hide. Additionally, she causes unease in all who aren't aware of and comfortable with her true form, an 'aura of horror' that reflexively repulses people. This carries over to Uria's human form as well, making it both easier to identify her alternate, and making it hard for her to have friends that don't know her secret.
• Skills:
  • Grant Us Eyes: Uria's ability to see what others cannot becomes Urugoth's ability to see the truth of things. Urugoth is very good at seeing through deception or trickery, almost always knowing when she is being lied to. Additionally, things that would assault her mind find it very difficult to do so.
• Equipment: N/A
• Appearance: A blob of greyish-green ooze about the size of a small car, comprised of slime, tentacles, and eyes.
• Personality: If Uria is curious and dreamy-eyed, Urugoth is confident and all-knowing. An enigmatic creature who loves to speak in riddles, but who nonetheless shares Uria's care for her companions. However, Urugoth is more willing to fight for the sake of what she believes is right. Essentially, she is what Uria imagines she will be when she is older. Despite her monstrous appearance, her voice is that of a mature, older woman, albeit overlaid with whispers of itself several times.

What is so amusing about this? Why do you take lives? How can you forget?

~Kagescorpionakki Uria Fitzgerald is accepted.

Edited by JumpingFruit on Dec 30th 2018 at 7:01:43 AM

I wear the skin of the Elder Things, having come unto my own.

The DT will be up tomorrow, and the OP will be launched a few days after that.

I will be willing to wait if requested.

Edited by JumpingFruit on Dec 30th 2018 at 7:01:48 AM

I wear the skin of the Elder Things, having come unto my own.

Name: Jamie Singh

Gender: Male

Age: 16

Skills: Jamie is an inquisitive kid, always poking into a new place or talking to new faces. This has given him a knack for maps in his head, a deep knowledge of local flora and fauna and a working acquaintance with (mostly vulgar) French and Spanish. And he’s very good at pool and knows his way around a bar.

Equipment: A heavy flashlight, useful as illumination and a club. Thick gloves used for climbing or investigating dark spaces. Small first aid kit. A well-worn bike. A strangely-shaped piece of reddish wood that he uses as a bookmark, prying tool, and general handy tool or fidget (it’s never even been chipped and has a faintly unpleasant odor).

Appearance: Jamie sports longish reddish hair, brown skin, a broken nose (stray baseball) and clever hazel eyes. He usually wears a favorite t-shirt over a long-sleeved one, a chain and padlock for a belt, jeans with hiking boots, and a canvas satchel for his things or fun finds. Jamie's a big guy with more weight than muscle due to his easygoing ways as opposed to a serious workout regime.

Personality: A person who doesn't know him well might call him a gentle giant, and indeed Jamie seems to have a very calm demeanor and seeming unending patience. He's generally considered a polite and friendly boy by townsfolk and often laughs at some silly thought that’s just came into his head. That being said, he does have a temper if you push him far enough, and he does enjoy his natural size and strength. He's also noted for having an insatiable taste for knowledge-he can often be found in the town’s historical society poking through records or wandering through the cemetery. Jamie's equally happy talking to familiar people in town or looking at old maps as exchanging insults with the rough characters in his mother’s bar, where the pool table always provides a story (or extra money).

Background: Jamie moved to Marshton from the UK while his father was working overseas. Mom found work in his uncle’s bar called the “Cellar Door” and eventually took it over after he retired. Jamie himself practically grew up there, running in between the tables and playing darts and later pool with the regulars. It was a general unspoken rule that if he was around as a kid all shady activities or fights went outside, and even today while it is not a safe place overall, he would trust her life to most of the folks there.

For the most part at school he flits from social group to social group; fit enough to hang with the jocks, smart enough to talk to the "geeks", and affable not to get called on it. He spends a lot of time working for the school paper and even interns at the local on on occasion. His real passion is the local history and happenings.

He’s been poking around the town for years, treating school as a fun hobby rather than a requirement. The place he’d always heard the most rumors about was the Majestic Silver sugar works. Not buried treasure rumors, but “historical scandal and horror” rumors. Naturally this intrigued him, and Jamie clearly remembers entering the building and exploring the first floor. The next thing he knew, he was lying on the sidewalk outside with several fresh scars beneath a newly broken fire escape.

Edited by Booky on Dec 31st 2018 at 3:23:10 PM

Name: Zerah Harris
Gender:Female
Age:13
Skills:: Zerah is a thief of epic proportions and extremely good at it as well. If something is missing, it's more than likely that she took it. Zerah is also a skilled acrobat and contortionist. It comes in handy during conflicts.\\

Equipment: A few firecrackers, a lighter and some rope.
Appearance:Right Here.
Personality: Zerah is spirited and gets bored easily to the point that she can barely sit still. She looks for every opportunity to gain an edge in virtually every aspect of life. She also enjoys causing conflict between others just to watch what ensues and has a penchant for vengeance regarding any slight (Real or perceived). Due to the nature of her parent's careers and her love of the arts, she rarely wears what would be considered “normal clothing” and instead dresses up as some obscure character from whatever work tickles her fancy. This is especially true of the ones starring one or both of her parents. She is far more clever than wise.
Background: Zerah was born to Derek and Anna Harris; both had a passion for acting and the theater. They gained a surprising amount of renown for the production of films, literature and plays. They were thrilled to discover that their child had a knack for the arts as well. When their popularity as actors, producers and writers increased, Derek and Anna decided to take a little time to enjoy their wealth (and gain a little distance from the spotlight). They sent her to live with her grandfather in Marshton while they toured the world together on what amounted to a very extended vacation. Much of Zerah's time is spent looking after her aging grandfather.

Guise Name:The Desert Jewel
Foci: A combination of boredom, self-preservation and the desire to remain unhurt
Modum:: A phrase. "The sands reveal their queen"....I couldn't think of anything else ok??
Powers:\\

• Sand Control: She can freely manipulate and change the properties of sand in all its forms. Even glass.
  ** Charm Knell: The music produced from her flute is very pleasing to the ear and alluring to the intended target at first , however, it causes an immense amount of pain to the listener that is said to feel like shards of glass. Lasting damage can occur but for that to happen, the listener would have to be exposed for at least a few minutes.
  ** Flight: She can float on her own but prefers to convert her coat into something of a magic carpet for Rule of Cool.
  ** Snake shifting: She can turn into a snake.
  Weaknesses:
  Fighting for a long time naturally weakens her. She thrives in heat far more than cold and is at quite the disadvantage regarding large amounts of water.\\

Skills:
** Eerily Persuasive: She can be remarkably persuasive whether she is stating something profound or even an Ice-Cream Koan.

Equipment:
** Coat: It's long and white. It doubles as a Magic Carpet
** Flute:: It's bound to its owner.\\

Appearance:Right Here
Personality: When in disguise, her personality is very much the same save for being a lot quieter and more inclined to think. There's also a hint of overconfidence sprinkled in.
Miscellaneous:N/A\\

Edited by Benthelame on Dec 30th 2018 at 12:14:41 PM

~Booky Jaime Singh is accepted.

~Benthelame Zerah Harris is accepted.

Edited by JumpingFruit on Dec 30th 2018 at 7:01:56 AM

I wear the skin of the Elder Things, having come unto my own.

Discussion & worldbuilding thread is up.

Edit: So is the Discord Server!

Edited by JumpingFruit on Dec 30th 2018 at 7:03:18 AM

I wear the skin of the Elder Things, having come unto my own.

Name: William "Will" Masterson

Gender: Male

Age: 15

Skills: High School Science, Comic Book and Cartoon Trivia

Equipment: a wooden staff (see Guise)

Appearance: Imagine your average white geek kid, complete with glasses. That's him.

Personality: Introverted most of the time. Among those he feels accept him however he's more extroverted.

Background: Will was always a bright kid with a wide imagination. He got straight A's and became a "teacher's pet". And of course, it got him bullied. He became shy and retreated into fantasy.

He also developed the habit of sleeping in class (because he had already studied the day's lesson ahead); it was this that lead to the discovery of his ability: that he was a lucid dreamer.

Guise Name: Sea Hunter

Foci: Escapism

Modum: The "Staff of Power" (a wooden stick he used to play with. The staff itself has no powers; it just helps him focus)

Powers: Lucid Dreaming- Will can fall asleep or wake up at will. He can always tell a dream or illusion from reality. He can control his own dreams, and often becomes a superhero called Sea Hunter in them. If any supernatural force is active in his town, he will be aware of it in his dreams, though he might not recognize what it means.

Weaknesses: At first, his Guise is limited to manifesting in the Dream World. This will later change.

Skills: Sea Hunter is a nearly unbeatable warrior, at least in the Dream World. How good he will be in the real world remains to be seen.

Equipment: Sea Hunter carries a more powerful (and cooler looking) version of the Staff of Power.

Appearance: Imagine Captain Marvel (the SHAZAM! one) but with a green costume.

Personality: Sea Hunter is boisterous and fearless.

Miscellaneous: TBD

Edited by Sijo on Jan 3rd 2019 at 3:29:45 AM

~Sijo William "Will" Masterson is accepted.

I wear the skin of the Elder Things, having come unto my own.

It has begun.

I wear the skin of the Elder Things, having come unto my own.

Well look who came craaawling back.

---

• Name: Lucy Melanie Livingston
• Gender: Female
• Age: 16
• Skills:
  • Insight: Despite her meek tendencies, Lucy is constantly taking in notable snippets of information and collecting them into an inward map of not-necessarily-connected but not-entirely-nonsensical understanding. Her cautious and empathetic demeanour means that she is usually walking on eggshells around people anyway, and so in any event she ends up thinking primarily for the feelings of anyone involved over the actual structure and planning—and indeed all of her organization is based around people instead of pure efficiency. Though this is all assuming she has the courage to speak up to actually organize something in the first place.
  • Painting: Lucy has quite an artistic mind, and her perfectionism and innate sense of order usually keeps her working up until ridiculous hours just to get every single detail perfect. She has a great appreciation for aesthetic as a result, and can often zone out if she spots something distinct or interesting enough. Notably, she focuses on portraits in particular—environmental art and landscapes are usually avoided unless she feels it has ‘personality.’
  • Empathy: By far her most prominent trait. No matter who the person is—even if they are directly in opposition to her—Lucy always approaches them with genuine concern when they show even the slightest hint of vulnerability. Even in the case she's being assaulted she still tries to talk her would-be attackers down and try to judge whether they're doing this for some other reason. Lucy's forwardness regarding her strange need to comfort others in need is in stark contrast to her usual timidity—and it isn't unusual for the girl to flit from a reserved state to a fawning worry as soon as the time arises.
• Equipment:
  • Painting Equipment: Lucy takes art classes, so she usually isn't far from the required tools anyway. She carries her art equipment in a rather oversized sports bag—the sheer weight from the multiple portable canvases and the superfluous amounts of ink and paint cans meaning that it is more accurate to say she drags the thing around instead of carrying it. Still, it's weighty for people other than her as well—enough for her not to feel too worried about it being stolen. Usually. She tends to worry about it anyway.
• Appearance: 5'2".◊ Of apparently mixed Asian descent. Very thin in appearance, almost undergrown—with her pallid complexion, often mussed hair, and tired eyes clearly displaying her exhaustion and poor emotional state. Usually averts her gaze when looked at—prefers to hide her face in thick or baggy clothing such as hoodies. Blushes often. Habit of staring into space.
• Personality: A naturally softspoken, shy, and gentle individual, Lucy's apparently meek and occasionally stammering outward appearance does not give justice to her sheer willpower and tenacity when it comes to fulfilling her own idealism and moral standards. Patient almost to a fault, Lucy still isn't afraid to vocalize when she feels as if someone's crossed the line, but when she's not actively in ‘mother-mode’ she's mostly attempting to keep her thoughts in check and her tendency to furiously blush at the slightest compliment or positive attention under control. Lucy is selfless to the point that she doesn't even acknowledge her own personal mental health, and as such is pushing herself so hard and so often out of her naturally introverted nature that it tends to make her fatigued and emotionally drained all too often. While doubtful of her own abilities and often feeling inadequate even on her best days, Lucy is stubborn enough not to let anyone around her fall into sadness for very long despite her own, and she is always ready with a warm hug on hand for whomever needs it.
• Background: Born to Jane and Lucius Livingston as their middle child—before the latter left them behind, of course—Lucy was raised alongside her older sister Hannah and younger brother David, being given the best upbringing and education possible by Jane despite her now technical nature as a single mother (‘technical’ since Lucius never filed a divorce officially). Being home-taught and generally isolated from socialization had left the already shy Lucy extremely anxious and reluctant to meet with other people excluding her family, which culminated especially when she and her brother became old enough to properly attend high school.^note  Mostly through governmental support and Hannah's own income were they able to get the resources needed. Hannah herself had merely been raised under her mother's tuition. After a particular incident involving her lashing out after harassment from a group of bullies, however, Lucy was rendered morally confused—becoming even more withdrawn and reluctant for socialization out of shame and uncertainty as to her own self. But now, after a recent reprimanding from her mother due to her self-confidence hitting a dangerously low point, Lucy is starting to finally find the drive to improve herself even if it's just by one small step at a time; all while attempting to keep that certain tenderness in her heart intact despite a certain little voice in her brain telling her that it won't be worth it in the long run.

---

• Guise Name: The Wraith
• Foci: The result of suppressed negative thoughts and a defense mechanism against Lucy's own nightmares. The Wraith is a being of perseverance and pragmatism above all else—the latent desire to fix things her own way culminating into a Guise so determined to achieve its current goals it becomes lost towards common sense and rationality.
• Modum: Frustration and pure tenacity—as her kindness begins to falter the Wraith becomes ever closer to manifesting. Imminent change is heralded by a brightening glint of white light reflecting off of her retinas, and the transformation itself is done by the rapid production of ink from the pores—to which her form will be covered in a solid, ovular cocoon. After a few moments, the cocoon cracks and shatters, under which the Wraith will be manifested. When changing back, the Wraith's form simply recedes—pigmentation reverting to inky black as it's absorbed back through Lucy's skin.
• Powers:
  • Melanogenesis: The ability to generate large quantities of ink. The Wraith does so from beneath the folds of its robes—though in actuality the substance is directly produced from Lucy's pores. Colossal amounts of the stuff generated in a rapid manner fatigues her tremendously, and it usually leaves her extremely weak and noticeably thinner after mass production. On the contrary, however, The Wraith (and Lucy by extension even after turning back) can reabsorb her own ink—to which it will energize and strengthen her back to her normal state again. As such, the more ink she has on hand as the Wraith, the more tired and sluggish she becomes unless she absorbs it back into her body.
  • Melanokinesis: The Wraith has the equivalent amount of precise control over its own ink as Lucy does her own arms and fingers. With sufficient concentration, the ink can be moulded into shapes of a fairly complex nature; nets, whips, and standard tendrils along with more rudimentary claws and knuckledusters—and it can even alter the colouration of these constructs by affecting their pigmentation. It is with this ability that Lucy's Guise is constructed in the first place—mass generation of ink from her skin and forming it into a large, wraith-like figure.
  • Melanokinetic Transformation: The ability to transform into a form of pure ink. In this state, Lucy's Guise is temporarily rendered completely deaf, blind, and mute (moreso than usual at least), up until it reforms itself back into its normal state. The Wraith usually uses this ability either in short bursts in combat for dodging or in a prolonged fashion for getting the drop on potential enemies—that and for making dramatic and mildly unnerving entrances. Consecutive usage of this ability starts to degrade Lucy's grip on her Guise and causes it to begin to fray—meaning she often has to take pauses to regain her bearings after frequent transformations. It is also to be noted that any damage to this state will still painfully register to The Wraith even though it is extraordinarily hard to hurt a puddle of ink—and may cause enough stagger for it to revert back to its solid form.
• Weaknesses: Water tends to mix poorly with the Wraith's form and usually causes it to freeze up and peel away as the ink making it up is distilled. Another vulnerability is the fact that it acts much like oobleck in viscosity—any violent contact will be treated to an equivalent force of concrete while a slow and careful touch will render Lucy as vulnerable as if she was wearing armour made of wet paper. This means the Wraith has to constantly match velocities with whatever is about to hit it in order to protect itself—any foes with enough smarts and patience to figure out this weakness will soon discover that it isn't as well-protected as one might initially think.
• Appearance: A seven-foot tall, faceless being that takes on the form of a tattered brown cloak with a shadowy hood. The ‘fabric’ is of a rough, worn brown construction like burlap—tattered and torn towards the bottom and especially around the sleeves. Oily black, lumpen and veiny skin can be seen underneath the cloak in certain spots; the arms most prominently turning into dripping sharp talons that almost scrape against the ground with their length. Lucy's face is impossible to see beneath the hood—the shadows are artificially enhanced with ink.
• Personality: The textbook definition of a creepy watcher. The Wraith is stoic and has an aura of coldness about it—never vocalising beyond an eerie rattle of a breathing cycle and communicating entirely through blank looks, points of its talons, and the occasional one-word message formed out of its ink when it is truly tired of its messages not getting across. It remains silent and neutral whenever outside of intense situations; rarely contributing and simply following the leader—but once the chips are down the Wraith becomes a vicious and unrelenting combatant with the snap of a finger. Lucy's altruism is in stark contrast to this Guise's brutal and efficient nature; though rarely the odd hand on the shoulder or assisting tendril can showcase that it isn't entirely devoid of Lucy's empathy. For the most part, though, it is the silent observer who is concentrated on the task ahead—and anything who dares to oppose it or its allies will be cut down on the spot with extreme prejudice.

---

• Miscellaneous: Leitmotif.

Edited by Enirboreh on Jan 8th 2019 at 1:12:27 PM

bork

~Enirboreh Lucy Melanie Livingston is accepted.

God help us all.

I wear the skin of the Elder Things, having come unto my own.

Can I join in or is it too late?

Just an adorable fan girl and cosplayer ヾ(*・ω・)ノ💝💟

Yeah, you can still join.

I wear the skin of the Elder Things, having come unto my own.

Alright, here's mine. Hope she is not confusing or OP

Name: Alice Goodwin

Gender: Female

Age: 12

Skills:

Memorization - She can remember things very well, even down the finest details.

Support - Even though she is young, she can be supportive and kind to her fellow members.

Small: Due to her age and height, she can crawl into smaller areas that others may have difficulty with.

Equipment:

Ms. Bun: Alice's stuffed bunny who she never leaves the house with. It is a source of comfort and security for her.

Appearance: She is 5 feet tall with blue eyes and long light brown hair with a heart hair clip. She wears casual clothes such as a red jacket, pink shirt, a skirt and frog rain boots.

Personality: Alice is a shy and quiet girl. She often has a hard time talking to others and often speaks through Ms. Bun. She is kind and quite cutesy. She is also smarter than she looks. She can often get lost in her own fantasies and is a dreamer.

Background: Alice has not had it easy. Thanks to her being smarter than most kids her age due to her memorization skill, her parents and teachers have been pushing her hard despite her young age. Because of this, Alice has a hard time making new friends and the adults in her life don't get it and tell her only to look to the future. Because of this, Alice's main escape is fairy tales and other fictional stories.

Guise Name: Fairy-Tale

Foci: Fairy-Tale is based off of Alice's love for fairytales and the like. It represents her desire to be seen as the young girl she is. It also represents the bolder side of Alice she keeps underwraps.

Modum: For her, it is pressing Ms. Bun's chest which glows, turning her into Fairy-Tale.

Powers:

Living Doll: She has the power to bring Ms. Bun to life. Ms. Bun primarily does the fighting for her.

Decipher: She has the power to read any foreign text or symbols.

Heal: After fights, she can heal others wounds.

Weaknesses: She is rather physically weak and has to be more on the sidelines.

Skills:

Fast: She is rather fast due to her small size.

Equipment:

Live Ms. Bun: As Fairy-Tale, Ms. Bun becomes a live rabbit that sits on Alice’s Shoulder. She becomes her protector and main mode of attack.

Basket: She gets a wooden basket that can carry many things.

Appearance: Her hair is done up in black-purple pigtails with a star hair clip. Her eyes become purple. She wears a red hood, a strawberry print dress, white rose print tights and red mary janes.

Personality: Fairy-Tale is more upbeat and adorable acting than Alice. She is still sweet, to an almost extreme. She is up for any adventure.

Miscellaneous: None at the moment.

Just an adorable fan girl and cosplayer ヾ(*・ω・)ノ💝💟

~LovelyMagicianSavvy Alice Goodwin is accepted.

I wear the skin of the Elder Things, having come unto my own.