Within These Walls ((Open 9/28/12))

[Silas Parrish]

--NEWS--
May 5
None as of yet. I'm just starting. =D This'll be my first attempt at survival-horror.
May 8
Open now!
July
Closed. XP See the beginning of the thread in MFeV for details.
September 28
Open again! But for how long? ninja
Closed again. Permanently. ******** people that disagree.  

[Silas Parrish]

--The Setup--
The year is not known, exactly. It is near the end of the late medieval period, and time is not kept by the gentry.
Our heroes are trapped within the walls of a rather extensive complex of buildings, each one housing something unspeakable. At the heart of this impenetrable and inescapable keep, there rests a dusty, ancient insane asylum.
It has been long closed down due to the grisly nature of the killings and cruel experimentations performed there by the old doctors. No one has been inside for half a century. Now, for reasons no one yet understands, the gates have opened and permitted visitors inside, only to snap shut again and trap everyone inside.
Some are thrill-seekers, some are constables investigating, some are looking for answers to unasked questions, and some are seeking dark power. All are in mortal peril.  

[Silas Parrish]

--Dangers--
Aside from the oppressive, insanity-inducing atmosphere within the walls of the asylum, there are numerous enemies and hazards to watch out for:
-Wild animals, driven to murderous extents by the lack of food in their prison.
-Living dead wander the grounds between the buildings and the massive courtyard of the asylum proper.
-Each building houses at least one unspeakable monstrosity. These things were once thought to be myth and legend alone...but our heroes will discover that they are very real. Each one serves some dark purpose.
-The asylum proper is haunted by vengeful spirits. Little can be done about them but avoid their gaze.
-Most terrifying of all is the Shadow. Reality--space and time--warp around it. Looking upon it threatens to beckon it closer. Thinking of it might just summon it. It is formless, shapeless, and does not belong in this world. It is bound to the asylum for reasons no one yet knows, and it is master of everything within the walls. If the Shadow catches you...then unspeakable horrors are sure to come. If you survive an encounter with it, you will never be the same, and its mark on you will surely remain until time itself dies.
It comes suddenly from the darkness, and can only be banished by the falling rain. Unfortunately, the asylum is situated in an area known for its dry spells. Perhaps there is something to be done about that, however...?
-Also. a second recurring apparition can sometimes be found. This presence seems to lurk about then true danger is afoot. Its purpose is unknown, as is its origin. Its appearance is much less frightening than that of the Shadow--it manifests as a humanoid shape in the dark--but it is infinitely more unsettling in a way that cannot be comprehended.  

[Silas Parrish]

--Rules--
As far as etiquette and such goes, everything's the same as always, you guys know the drill.
Here's the RP-specific stuff, though:
The undead (zombies, ghouls, wights, walkers, whatever you decide to call 'em) can be hurt and killed, but remember that these things are not exactly old hat for our heroes...this'll be the first time any of them have encountered any of the horrible things waiting for them in the asylum! twisted
At any rate...conventional weapons are all we'll have, so that'll be all it takes to kill the undead. Headshots and immolation work best.
Spectres, however, cannot be fought and must be avoided. We'll come up with a way to fight them later on. 3nodding
The Shadow will be defeated eventually, but for now it can't be fought either.
To begin with, everyone is on the same side, mostly. We can have internal squabbles and such, but we're still united. If you want to be evil, you can of course allow the Shadow to mark you. 3nodding  

[Silas Parrish]

--Characters--

Also...we need legions of disposable characters! If you want, send me as a many simple profiles as you can. It'll help ratchet up the horror aspect, without us having to kill off our beloved MC's. Here's a prototypical main character profile skeleton. You lot are all privileged enough to post it yourselves, so feel free to add your character whenever you like.

Username: name
Character Name: name
Race: Human, elf, whatever. Just no demons or perky goth sorceresses who are also dragons.
Appearance: what your guy/girl looks like
Weapon of Choice: don't go nuts, please
Special Skills or Know-how: see above
Brief Bio: do your thing
Status: Alive, deceased, or marked by the Shadow
Anything Else: you know the drill. :XD

Some guidelines here:
No super-powers.
No magic usage beyond enchanted objects like tokens or weapons.
No invincibility. I'll go over PvP combat below. mrgreen
No prior knowledge of the asylum or anything about it. We're all in it for our own reasons, but none of us know the exact nature of any of the scary s**t. (I'm trying to avoid those "I know just what to do! Hop aboard, as I steer this RP right into the realm of the ridiculous and boring!")

~~~

Username: Silas Parrish
Character Name: Tobias Forthwind
Race: Human
Appearance: Tall, thin, and wiry. Wears thick coats of furs to protect against the weather. Keeps hair shoulder-length, and beard close-trimmed.
Weapon of Choice: Longbow, bodkin arrows, and a small, hooked hunting knife.
Special Skills or Know-how: Has impeccable aim with the longbow, and great calm in the face of what might cause another man to panic and miss the shot. Tobias is very lithe and agile, and takes to climbing to escape danger or provide a vantage point.
Brief Bio: Was once the Lord of a manor in his homeland. He favored his subjects greatly, and finally decided to join them in their plight, rather than rule over them. Became a skilled hunter and tracker. He says little, and when he does speak, he prefers to get to the point quickly.
Status: Alive
Anything Else: This guy is a main character in a short story I once wrote. I'll provide links for those that care to read it. 3nodding

~~~

Username: Chibi Kitsune Warrior
Character Name: The Shadow
Race: Unknown
Appearance: Manifests as something that is equal parts water, fire, smoke, quicksilver, light, unlight, death, hand, tendril, wing, fang, and stinger.
Weapon of Choice: Unknown, Insanity
Special Skills or Know-how: Unknown
Brief Bio: Origins unknown
Status: Unspeakable
Anything Else: One bad mamma-jamma.

~~~

Username: Chibi Kitsune Warrior
Character Name: Eve Wyte
Race: Human
Appearance: Quite short, but very thin and surprisingly lithe and nimble. She has long, dark brown hair that she usually keeps pulled back in a braid. Her eyes are deep green and she has a scattering of freckles across her cheeks.
She wears a white short sleeved shirt with a brown vest, brown close-fitting pants, and knee high boots with soft felt soles (For sneaking!)
Weapon of Choice: A broad sword that she keeps strapped across her back and a set of throwing knives strapped at her waist.
Special Skills or Know-how: She has above average night vision and quite a knack for sneaking and hiding.
Brief Bio: Eve is an orphan who was raised by her uncle. He was an impressive hunter and tracker and passed many of his skills down to her. When she was in her early teens, her uncle died in a hunting trip, leaving her to fend for herself. Over the years, she has continued to hone her skills and is quite an impressive hunter herself.
Status: Alive
Anything Else: Her companions are: Tesra (Female/healer), Mikah (Male/historian), Galiel (Male/warrior), Feylan ((Male/hunter) Deceased)

~~~

Username: Chibi Kitsune Warrior
Character Name: Pyr Levlon
Race: Human
Appearance: Average height, a little stocky. Silver hair and black eyes. He has a series of three scars across his lower jaw area. He wears loose dark grey pants with a black belt, a dark grey tunic, and quite substantial black boots.
Weapon of Choice: Cross-bow, broadsword, hunting knife
Special Skills or Know-how: He's an expert swordsman and is extremely handy with a crossbow.
Brief Bio: Pyr Levlon is the son of the mayor of a near-by village sent to inspect the asylum with hopes of claiming the land for use by the village.
Status: Alive
Anything Else: Companions: None

~~~

Username: Ty Gwynnia
Character Name: Daniel Goldenlyre
Race: Human
Appearance: Tall and built, Daniel is more than often in a full suit of armor that has seen more than its fair share of battles. The leather belt about his waist holds his helm when not upon its owners head. Underneath, he wears a leather jerkin, faded pants, and a ring on his finger. Despite his youngish appearance, his pale chestnut hair and the short beard he sports are both salt-and-pepper, and his blue eyes are solemn.
Weapon of Choice: Longsword and heater shield. The longsword has a bright steel blade with many dings and scratches, and hilt of worn, dark leather. The crossguard lays straight across the top of the blade and bears no ornamental details of any kind. The shield is mostly composite wood braced with iron, and bears a many-petaled pink rose on a field of deep purple.
Special Skills or Know-how: Bold and grim in the face of danger, he is more than willing to take another man's, or woman's, place if given the chance. Although his metal gear prevents him from being silent or sneaky, his inguenity with it more than makes up for the disadvantage.
Brief Bio: Daniel hails from a far off land as a knight. He prefers not to go much further than that, other than the fact that his years there caused a great amount of stress on himself.
Status: Alive
Anything Else: Daniel struggles internally with the darken side of his human nature, and is deathly afraid of losing himself to it.

~~~

Username: Ty Gwynnia
Character Name: Shania Goldenlyre
Race: Wandering dryad
Appearance: Small in size and average in proportions, but still very alluring to the eyes. Shania is clothed in a white priestess garb: a simplistic, slightly low-cut dress with long, voluminous sleeves, and the hem brushing the tops of her toes. She wears an ankh on a silver chain about her neck and a ring flashes brightly on her right hand. Her hair is a sandy combination of blonde and brown, and her eyes are a deep teal.
Weapon of Choice: Enchanted oaken staff (immune to breaking), an ankh of the goddess of tranquilty, and a flail.
Special Skills or Know-how: Shania has an impeccable sense of direction and rarely ever gets lost.
Brief Bio: Shania was once a bound dryad, a sort of nymph that is tied to a home tree. When her tree was struck by lightning and she was on the verge of dying, she was given a chance to live without it if she found someone willing to take the place of the tree. That someone was Daniel, a man who'd often taken to laying beneath the oak as he rested and dreamt of a beautiful woman. The two fell in love. She became a priestess of the goddess that had allowed her to live among humans, and has since become a wandering dryad, staying by the side of her beloved.
Status: Alive
Anything Else: She constantly worries about Daniel and grows panicky if not with or near him.

~~~

Username: Orcus Fieres
Character Name: Dæmon Alsk
Race: Well-sized Giant (e.i Not “Jack and the Bean Stalk”)
Appearance: Dæmon is burly, rough skinned and of great height—easily identifiable as a giant. He does well to cover himself with fitted cloths and a leather coat. His hair is thick, but his hair line is slightly receding which, despite refutation, he believes suits him. His eyes and hair are both a dark brown tinged with dull and dark yellows.
Weapon of Choice: Dæmon’s fists usually fit his needs, but he does carry a hooked cane with him that can double as a weapon and a set of brass knuckles.
Special Skills or Know-how: Besides his great strength, Dæmon has experience with policing around city streets. He’s well known for his ability to memorize and connect bits of information—though he isn’t considered intellectual, he does understand that he posses abilities not even most high elves posses: common sense.
Brief Bio: Dæmon was born during a time of great reform among races, his parents did well in introducing him to as many ideas as possible, in part so that he was able to conform to different societies and also so that he wouldn’t get caught up in the muck of power hungry men. He was raised near a city (or more of a commune) far from even the countryside of the bigger empires and was aware of many different cultures there. He grew up with peace in mind, even if it meant tossing a few people across town to get it.
Status: Alive.
Anything Else: He wears a ward for physical pain. It allows him to take more pain than most. The ward might not be real, but having it allows him to suppress pain subconsciously.

~~~

Username: Ty Gwynnia
Character Name: Ruskie Terragut
Race: Halfing
Appearance: Standing at 4 feet and 2 inches tall, Ruskie's deep auburn hair is tousled on his head and held down by a forest green cap, a blue feather sticking out artfully. He wears a chainmail shirt underneath a leather tunic, dark pants, scuffed boots, a faded yellow cape, leather gloves, and a rope that serves as a belt holds up his minor girth.
Weapon of Choice: Short, iron sword and a lute.
Special Skills or Know-how: Ruskie is a masterful bard, entrancing his enemies and emboldening his fellows with his raucous songs.
Brief Bio: Ruskie had always been an adventure seeker, and upon scanning through one of his favorite books on heroic tales, he pulled himself away from his safe home to earn his place in such a book as well.
Status: Alive
Anything Else: BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARD!

~~~

Username: Ty Gwynnia
Character Name: Tarnbel'en "Knife-Ears" Lianse
Race: Elf
Appearance: Very tall and very lean, Tarnbel's sharp green eyes bore into others as if he knows everything about them. His black hair is streaked with silver and pulled into a tight ponytail revealing a widow's peak, and two small, silver hoops decorate the tops of his pointed ears. His weatherworn and lined face, an oddity among most of his kin, as well as arms are a healthy tan. He wears a simple dark green tunic, lather bracers, deep brown pants, a sturdy belt, and goes barefoot.
Weapon of Choice: Twin silver-bladed daggers called Lunafern and Lunasern, translated as Moonflash and Moonsear and a yew bow.
Special Skills or Know-how: He is an excellent duelist, tracker and archer, and his accuracy is unparalleled.
Brief Bio: Tarnbel went on a spiritual journey to the sea from his people and their home in the forest half a decade before the present. Upon reaching it, he knew that his heart would forever be for the sea and would find no rest underneath the trees ever again. Having no other plans apart from his journey, he continued his wandering and eventually became interested in eliminating any evil whose rumors came to his ears.
Status: Alive
Anything Else: He took the insult of "Knife-Ears" from humans as his last name in defiance of their name calling and in homage of his blade skills. Also, he's sometimes a bit of a racist towards said humans.

~~~

Username: Silas Parrish
Character Name: Jon Wardroth
Race: Human
Appearance: Thick, heavyset. Usually seen in chainmail with a few plates over the most vital spots. Face is round, ruddy, and often scowling. A thick mustache adorns his lip.
Weapon of Choice: Scissor-and-shield combo, most of the time. Carries a shortsword for dueling.
Special Skills or Know-how: Quite skilled in close combat--the closer the better. His size belies his surprising speed. He can also take a hit with the best o'them. Also has a bit of an affinity for architecture, and can usually provide insight regarding the layouts of a structure.
Brief Bio: Began life as an architect and carpenter. Was swept up into a war between two nations that were not his own. When the smoke cleared, he was captured by the victors, and forced to become a gladiator in their arenas. Won his freedom, and went on to faithfully serve Tobias Forthwind's father as captain of the guard. Now pursues Tobias, in an attempt to convince him to return home and take his place at the head of his dead father's house.
Status: Deceased
Anything Else: Doesn't believe in elves.

~~~

Username: Mr_BlueCamo
Character Name: Araion Tradenale
Race: Elf.
Appearance: Tall at 6'3 and skinny due to his exercise and vegan diet. Unlike other elves he has short blond hair so it is not a hindrance to him when he is using his bow and has blue eyes. Wears green and brown tunic and short pants, has tall brown leather boots, and wears a green cloak pinned together by a golden oak leaf pin given to him by his father.
Weapon of Choice: Has a beautiful elven bow made out of white wood with vines carvings painted gold. It has numerous element enchant gems embedded into the sides of the bow. For Araion to use the enchantments he say "element" then whatever element he needs in order to change the normal arrow into a elemental arrow of some kind. And for close up battles he has two elven short swords.
Special Skills or Know-how: Expert marksmen with his elven bow. Well versed in hunting and tracking.
Brief Bio: Araion lives in a Wood Elf region not far from the dreaded place and he has been charged with finding out what is going on and put a stop to it. Little did he know that he would not be alone in his quest to get rid of the darkness.
Status: Alive
Anything Else: Even though elves are discriminated against by humans Araion still tries to befriend any humans that cross his path.

~~~

Username: Mr_BlueCamo
Character Name: Atura Truesdale
Race: Human.
Appearance: Short at 5'2 and skinny though she uses her small stature to her advantage and has green eyes. She has long brown hair that is a little past the shoulders that she usually wears in a ponytail. Wears a black tank top which is covered by a black cloth jacket which has her guild's emblem on the back along with short black pants and small black shoes.
Weapon of Choice: Mainly uses her wrist blades for her assassin jobs. But for close combat she uses two Tantō swords and for far range she keeps a far amount of throwing knives on hand.
Special Skills or Know-how: Expert hand to hand combat skilled in various martial arts. Expert swordsman and marksman with throwing knives. Skilled in pick locking, persuasion, manipulation, tracking, and blending in to where she is almost invisible.
Brief Bio: Atura is second in command of a rather different assassin guild where instead of taking every job whether taking out good targets or bad targets like every other assassin guild, her guild takes out only bad and corrupt targets. Her guild was hired by a high ranking official in a region close to where the events are happening and the guild master choose Atura to go. She accepted the job and now she is there going to uncover what is happening and assassinate whoever or whatever is reasponsible.
Status: Alive
Anything Else: Pie and noodles???

~~~

 

[Silas Parrish]

--Combat--
Okay, we're gonna try something new. In cases of PvP combat where we can't agree on who takes the hits and who dodges, and all that jazz...we'll roll for it. In the event of a players-at-odds encounter, we'd roll before we start writing for the combat.
For example...A wild Orcus appears! What will Strider do?
==>Fight --->Run

--->Item --->Magic

(You don't have to do the menu thing. I just thought it's be funny. xd )
So, Strider and Orcus's next posts would be each of them rolling dice via the Post Action thing, down there. You all know how to do that, right?
Let's say Orcus rolls five, and Strider three.

Orcus wins, and gets to do the next combat action, and land a hit. If both roll the same number, then the hit was blocked or avoided. Simple, right? Right! So...combat is over when ten hits have been delivered. After ten total actions are taken, whoever scored the most direct hits wins.

Easy! If Strider wins the roll four times, Orcus wins the roll three times, and they rolled the same number three times, then the winner of this bout is Strider. If we've got an even number of hits, it's considered a draw.

After you roll, you can just make another post with your action, or edit the post with the roll. Whatever is easier.

If this doesn't work out, we can refine this system or abandon it. My feelings won't be hurt in any case. xd  

[Silas Parrish]

--Map--
Got a great design underway! Floorplan's done. Just gotta label the buildings and add creepy bloodsplats and such. =3

North of the Asylum proper we have a disposal/ crematorium with ash chutes that lead to the ocean below. (The north walls are perched precariously on a sheer cliff.) The bigger building in the central courtyard is the furnace/ coal storage. There's an underground river running beneath the top left smaller building--there's a water wheel inside that runs crude electric lights. The other three buildings are supply rooms for the gardeners, the guards, and the groundskeepers. The south walls are surrounded by nigh-impenetrable forests.  

[Chibi Kitsune Warrior]

((I do the first post, yay! =D))

The asylum had been abandoned for years. Nothing stirred within it's confines; nothing living, anyway. But in the deepest shadows something begins to stir. You can feel it. A prickling on the back of your neck, a chill running up your spine. Sensations of raw fear. Something terrible is coming, they seem to tell you.
The large wrought iron gates swing lazily open, beckoning to any unwary traveler. You can almost hear them speaking:

Come in. We've been expecting you.

~~~

Eve Wyte rode leisurely along the overgrown path leading to the abandoned complex. She could already see the buildings rising over the outer wall though she was still a ways off. Her companions rode beside her, staring in awe at their destination.
"I wonder if the stories about the old place are true..." Galiel remarked, mostly speaking to himself.
"Doubt it. Just tales the village folk tell around while gathered around the fire most likely," responded Feylan, shaking his head in disdain.
"They say the last group that passed through that gate were never seen again," added Mikah. "I was unable to find any records that would confirm the legends. But I would think that the stories are based partially on fact, but have been embroidered since their first telling."
"Well, that's what we're here to discover, isn't it? Whether or not the stories and legends are true. Let's think no more of the subject until we arrive. We don't want to work ourselves into a fright before we even get there." said Eve, effectively silencing everyone.

Within a few minutes, they were approaching the wide gates. Eve dismounted her horse outside and peered in at the buildings. The complex seemed empty. Leading her horse by the reins, she approached the gate, but before she could even pass, her horse gave a startled whinny and reared up, ripping the reins from her hands. Before she could even react, the horse turned the other way and bolted.
"Damned thing...!" she exclaimed, holding her hand where the reins had cut into her flesh.
The others horses stamped and snorted nervously, but did not break away from their riders. Eve cursed her bad luck, but followed her companions as they entered the compound.  

[Silas Parrish]

The distraught cries of several horses caught Tobias's attention. The grounds had more visitors, it seemed.
He willed himself to relax, but only a little. A series of running jumps carried his supple frame across a few more tree branches, and he at last came to rest out of the range of the newcomers' senses.
Tobias sympathized with the horses; there was undoubtedly something evil about the place. That strange feeling...a black sense of other.
He subconsciously drew his coat more tightly about him, as his hair began to dance as if by a stiff breeze. He realized with mild alarm that there was no wind in the asylum grounds. He surveyed his surroundings for several long moments, mapping the grounds in his mind. Satisfied that he could not get lost, he dropped to ground level, and slinked into the shadows, out of sight, waiting for the rest of the visitors to pass him by.  

[Ty Gwynnia]

The sound of a horse's cry made Shania look up from her hands in her lap, a mixture of confusion and curiosity playing across her face. Everything had been strangely silent before that sound, and very unnerving to her. The thought that animals were actually about in such a desolate seeming place calmed her heart. Even if it was someone else's mount, that meant that surely she and Daniel were not alone. She stretched a hand out to her beloved, setting it to rest on his armored shoulder as he marched alongside the white steed that she sat side-saddle on.

"Yes, I heard it too." He mumbled out of the corner of his mouth to her. "We are not alone, it seems." Shania nodded, then gasped in surprise as the top of their destination rose up before them a few moments before more of the structure was revealed. A large, metal gate glimmered dully as they closed the distance. The sight of it instantly filled the pair with dread, the hairs on their arms and necks standing up straight.

"I do not like this feeling..." Shania muttered with a barely suppressed shiver. "Mm."  

[Silas Parrish]

Tobias jolted violently as a sudden sound filled his ears. It came from everywhere and nowhere all at once. The noise reminded him of some beast's roar, shaking the ground, walls, and stones of the enclosure. The roar was more than just a sound...a physical shockwave rocked the asylum to its foundations. The sound carried one or many voices; Tobias was not sure.

He flattened himself against a nearby wall, dagger in hand, for all the good it would do him. The cry continued, echoing across the courtyard and piercing through him. The voice or voices sounded almost...happy. Or angry. Perhaps even both. In any case, something knew that the asylum had visitors.

The next sound Tobias heard was the sound of the massive gate crashing closed, and locking, all of its own accord. Everyone that was inside, was now stuck inside, and everyone out, out. The hunter sighed deeply, and made his way to the nearest group of travelers.

((We'll say that everyone who plans to join later is already inside. XP We won't be entering the asylum proper without Orcus, as I promised him, but I think we can do plenty on the grounds, if you guys like that. Oh, and the "nearest group of travelers" can be whoever decides to speak to my charrie. xd ))  

[Frog Apocalypse]

((Question! Are there limits on races or is it all fair game as long as it is not over powered for what it is? Like if I wanted to make a humanoid frog person, is that good?))  

[Silas Parrish]

((Sure, if you want to. Just a few unbreakable rules: No retardedly advantageous bodily strengths, no escaping the asylum, and no prior knowledge of the asylum's true nature. mrgreen ))  

[Frog Apocalypse]

((MMkay, Ima think it over a bit, it is interesting but knowing my sporadic schedule I may have to just watch))  

[Mr_BlueCamo]

Araion had already entered the compound and was overlooking the area in a guard tower(tell me if there are actual guards right now and i will change it) when he heard a group of horses followed by the loud clang of the gates closing. "Well now there is no turning back I got to find out what is going on here. Maybe it be better if I team up with those who have arrived." Araion said as he looked down at the group.

Atura was about to enter one of the side buildings when she heard horses so she faded into the darkness of the wall. She saw that more people have arrived to check out the anonymity here then she saw the gates close behind them by themselves. That was odd, there is defiantly something going on here. I might have to approach these visitors with caution. She thought as she stayed as a shade watching what the visitors were going to do.