The Benthic Zone (Mystery Horror) OOC/OPEN

[Kentucky Fried Land]

Theme

Co-OPs: Hastur, New Grestin

IC

“We are tied to the ocean. And when we go back to the sea, whether it is to sail or to watch - we are going back from whence we came.” - John F. Kennedy

It is the Fall of 2016. A coastal breeze sweeps across your face, chilling your bones in and causing your body to shake in the cold. You gaze out into the ocean; the ocean only gazes back.

Four bodies found across the state of Massachusetts. Four people dead; whether by a terrible accident, a crime of passion, or a twisted pre-mediated murder, they’re all gone one way or another. You remember the voices of those who found the bodies, crying as they tried to describe the visceral scenes of blood, gore, and terror. You’re one of the police officers being sent out to investigate these bodies, with your two partners. The departments decided to run in teams of three for this assignment, an unusual case if any but that’s no trouble to you.

It’s just the three of you now; the crime scene photographers are gone (or never were there) and this is your first time looking at them. Your hands shake, as you approach the scene of the crime, fear engulfing you in its grasp. You feel scared. Anxious. Tortured. Primal.

Most of all, you feel very, very small.

The Benthic Zone is a mystery-horror RP based on True Detective, the works of H.P. Lovecraft, and various sea related history and legends. While some supernatural elements are implied, the RP will attempt to be as grounded as possible when possible. You'll travel to many different locales on the coast (and inner regions) of Massachusetts, investigating four mysterious deaths across the state. The story will be open-ended. Players are allowed to attempt to unravel the mysteries behind the four bodies in any way they want, provided it’s realistic, doesn’t break site rules, and doesn’t contradict anything previously said. You will be required to use your wits, your intuition, and your overall knowledge to be able to track the killer(s). It will not be an easy ride to that destination, and characters do have the potential to be maimed, killed, fired, or even arrested. In the events of something like this happening, you will be allowed a new app to replace your old character if you wish, or continue playing as your character provided they are still alive. Objectives of the characters will be updated as they move along, as will character profiles and other related items.

1. Don’t be a dick, in OOC at least. Seriously, don't. Constant fighting is not good, and will result in your kicking from the RP. 2. Don’t godmod, don’t metagame, you get the idea. All the in general RP rules. 3. If you are going to be away for some time, please tell me, either in OOC or by TG. If you just go and disappear with no words spoken, I’ll assume you aren't coming back and let your character go. 4. Your character should act like a human being. You are playing the “heroes” of this story, and as such your characters shouldn't be Mary Sues that only brood and whine about how miserable they are, nor should they believe they are in a land of rainbows and puppies. Be realistic. 5. Characters who have absolutely no hardships are not allowed. That means those with infallible aim, those who can’t take a hit, and those who can find a lead from nothing. Character Limits One character per player. Once they’re dead, they’re dead. If we end up having a shortage of players, extensions to two characters may be allowed. Character Sheet Note: Lines with stars (*) before them are optional to fill out. If you don’t fill out one of the optional sheets, delete that category entirely from the sheet. Note 2: Please delete everything in parentheses after filling out the character sheet, for cleanliness' sake. Note 3: If you apply for State, your character MUST be a detective. Code: Select all [b]Name:[/b] [b]Age:[/b] [b]Govt. Level (State or Local):[/b] [b]Sex:[/b] [b]Appearance:[/b] [b]Personality:[/b] [b]Bio (one paragraph at least):[/b] [b]Strengths:[/b] [b]Weaknesses:[/b] *[b]Quirks:[/b] *[b]Likes:[/b] *[b]Dislikes:[/b] *[b]Worst Fears:[/b] *[b]Miscellaneous (anything else you’d like to add):[/b] [b]RP Examples:[/b]

Massachusetts State Police Det. Paul Devon - Great Confederacy of Commonwealth States Det. Leanne "Lea" Deckard - New Grestin Det. James Bowen - Arengin Union Det. Alexander Park - The Knockout Gun Gals Det. Michael Holloway - Anowa Det. Charlotte Sunderland - Hastur Det. Robert "Rob" Cross - The Grand Rift Det. David McNamara - Pacific Brotherhood of Steel Plymouth Police Department Officer Gabriel Vaz - Insaeldor Officer James Uradel - The Holy Empire of Steel Det. Thomas "Tom" Frey - Cylarn Forensics Investigator Sabrina Nithko - Beiarusia Det. Philip J. Orden - Skarten RESERVED - The Armed Republic of Dutch Coolness RESERVED - Lavan Tiri Officer Matt Harlowe - Mizrad RESERVED - Elerian SPOT OPEN

Credit to Galdius for the banner image and OOC formatting.

[Kentucky Fried Land]

Objectives

Massachusetts State Police Unit 1

• Investigate a corpse found off the coast of Rockport.
  
  • Question scuba divers Eddie Tucker and Josh Doris.
  • Search for any clues on the scene.
  • Determine cause of death.

Massachusetts State Police Unit 2

• Investigate Duxbury Pier Light, where a body of a young adult female was found.
  
  • Question lighthouse volunteer Cecil S. Lyle.
  • Search for any clues on the scene.
  • Determine cause of death.

Plymouth Police Department Unit 1

• Elderly widow Martha Speece hasn't been seen out of her apartment in two months. However, neighbors have reported figures seen inside her home. Investigate her apartment, with the help of her landlord.
  
  • Make sure Ms. Speece is okay.

Plymouth Police Department Unit 2

• Seventeen year old Katherine Sparks went missing after leaving work at a local Wendy's tonight. Her abandoned car was found in front of Chiltonville Congregational Church. Investigate.
  
  • Question co-workers.
  • Investigate abandoned car.
  • Question pastor of Chiltonville Congregational Church.
  • Question Sparks' family.

[Pacific Brotherhood of Steel]

Reserve a Massachusetts State Police app

[Monarchy of Japanada]

Name: Albert L. Johnson.
Age: 20.
Govt. Level (State or Local): Local.
Sex: Male.
Appearance: https://pbs.twimg.com/media/C90TAmyUwAAR9Ud.jpg

I'll obviously find a better image.

Personality:
Bio: Albert was born in Plymouth WIP
Strengths: - He has more strength than an average human being, and can move at a relatively good speed.
- Is intelligent, but as mentioned below, not very good with complex or complicated things.
Weaknesses: - Albert is not very agile or 'acrobatic' despite his physical strength and speed he is not good with balancing, gymnastics and climbing, things of that subject.
- He is inexperienced and naive due to being new on the job, not showing the 'wisdom' or maturity of older, more experienced officers, not to mention he is more prone to mistakes or accidents due to this.
- Albert is not good with complex problems yet is still intelligent otherwise. To elaborate, though he does poorly in mathematics, brain teasers and investigations he has an enhanced knowledge of geography, decision-making and trivia.
I may not join but just in case..and if you know who he is, you are a good human? being.

[Kentucky Fried Land]

Name: Albert L. Johnson.
Age: 20.
Govt. Level (State or Local): Local.
Sex: Male.
Appearance: https://pbs.twimg.com/media/C90TAmyUwAAR9Ud.jpg

I'll obviously find a better image.

Personal Belongings:
Personality:
Bio (one paragraph at least):
Strengths: He is stronger than average, can move at a good speed and is intelligent, but as mentioned below, not very good with complex or complicated things.
Weaknesses: Albert is not very agile or 'acrobatic' and is pretty inexperienced and naive due to being new on the job. He also is not good with complex problems yet is still intelligent otherwise.
Relations (your relationship with the other characters): Pretty..uh..impossible now.
I may not join but just in case..and if you know who he is, you are a good human? being.

Few things real quick.

You can go ahead and get rid of the Personal Belongings and Relationships, accidentally left them in from a previous RP. Regardless of that, I think you should elaborate a bit more on your strengths and weaknesses, as of right now they're fairly generic and simple.

[Arctica-Aleutia]

Tag. I have an idea for this.

[Danceria]

Tag, Detective Genre Savvy shall roll to seduce the Cthulu.

[Beiarusia]

I'm still debating on joining, but regardless I'll stick my head in to see where this goes.

[Ruskland-Preuben]

Fhtagn? Fhtagn.

[The Armed Republic of Dutch Coolness]

Get hyped!

[Great Confederacy of Commonwealth States]

Name: Paul Devon
Age: 48
Govt. Level:State
Sex: Male
Appearance:

Personality: Paul is a man of little patience. Too little, most of the time. He likes quiet places, libraries and such, and abhors public places. Although he vehemently opposes any form of contact with a psychiatrist, there has been speculation that he suffers from a light form of social phobia. In any case, he is afraid of his own weakness, and does his best to remove any trace of those. This has led him to become a kind of workaholic, obsessed with being the best in his field. It has not made him many friends, but it has made him a respected asset of the Massachusetts State Police force.
Bio: Paul Devon always was a closed kid. He grew up in a conservative Catholic family, which was not really open to progressive ideals. From an early age, Paul learned to hide his fear for social interaction is something ‘not normal’. In his suburban family, anything that was out of the ordinary was wrong. His two older brothers, Peter and Simon, were semi-professional athletes, something Paul just couldn’t compete in. There was no sport that made him feel comfortable, every sport had some level of social interaction. Even more of a constraint was his fear of losing. So, in order to find himself something to excel in, Paul went down the road of reading and academics. Getting good grades in school was his way of presenting himself favorably to his parents. His parents, however, always had more attention for his older brothers. No matter how hard Paul tried, no matter how many A’s he got, he would never surpass the athletic talent of his brothers.

So, he decided to do something manly. He joined the Massachusetts police force. He was trained as a detective, followed a few law courses, and after a lengthy physical training he was allowed to join the force. It wasn’t long before his superiors found out what Paul was good at: violent crime and murder cases. Most officers had problems dealing with these crimes, often forming emotional connections with victims, leading them astray during an investigation. Paul didn’t seem to form these connections, which allowed him to follow his objectives without many scruples. It was as if the death of the victim was invisible to him, like the death was meaningless. He solved a few cold cases, and was sent in if normal detectives got stuck. As he became older and more experienced, Paul also joined the academy to teach young detectives about the secrets of murder investigation. He was not liked that much, and his students were certainly afraid of him, but he did train a new generation of competent detectives.

Five years ago, Paul got into a disagreement with his superiors. A family had filed a public complaint against him, citing his harsh and unfriendly methods of interviewing. Just two days after the death of her loving husband, the mother of three was cross-examined by Paul, who had some leads that she might have done it. After the interview, he concluded that she was blameless, but the interrogation had left plenty of scars wide open. Not once had Paul taken the time to comfort the grieving widow. The complaint was published in the Boston Herald, and many public figures cried for investigations into the ‘heartless state police’. It even got a bit of national coverage, albeit small. As a result, Paul was moved to the Marine Unit of the State Police, a relatively small branch of the state police forces. There, he could cause little trouble. At first Paul objected, but after spending a day in isolation on the Charles river, he fell in love with his new job. He even got to drag a body out of the Bay every once in a while.

Now, Paul has been dragged from his isolation. The brutal murder of four across the state, in the most horrid forms, are exactly the kind of case Paul excels at. His partners might not be happy to be in his vicinity, of course, but his superiors are certain he will get the job done.
Strengths: Paul is one of the best in his field. He has a knack for autopsies and solving complex murders, and unlike most people, he is not uncomfortable around dead bodies. As long as they are really dead, of course. He has a systematic approach to solving crimes, one which can be seen as heartless by many, and he is often criticized for not including the human element of a crime. Paul is not a man who will comfort and inform family and friends, unless it is absolutely necessary. His interviews with witnesses and victim’s relatives can be less than comfortable. Despite all his flaws, he gets the job done, which is enough for his supervisors to keep assigning him cases. While he is a PR nightmare, he does keep strictly to the law, and will not cross any legal lines.
Weaknesses: Suffers from a social phobia, is afraid to show weakness, resents the company of others. Is bad at cooperation and communication, likes to keep things to himself. He has traces of megalomania.
Quirks: He does not smoke, drink coffee or alcohol, and has very strict bedtimes.
Likes: Loneliness, birds, gardening and botanic sciences, bodies of water, whales
Dislikes: Public spaces, offices, cities, tourists, people who talk too much
Worst Fears: Presenting his weakness for all to see.

[Kentucky Fried Land]

Name: Paul Devon

Nice work, I actually like this character a lot. ACCEPTED.

[Great Confederacy of Commonwealth States]

Name: Paul Devon

Nice work, I actually like this character a lot. ACCEPTED.

I hope you like him as character and not as a person, or we're going to have to have a talk.

[The Holy Empire of Steel]

Tag, thinking of making a brand spanking new officer right out of the academy, with as many stereotypes as possible. I'm thinking overly happy/jokey/etc.

Every good horror story needs to have at least *one* character suffer immensely yeah?

[Kentucky Fried Land]

I'm still debating on joining, but regardless I'll stick my head in to see where this goes.

Get hyped!

Ayyyy

Nice work, I actually like this character a lot. ACCEPTED.

I hope you like him as character and not as a person, or we're going to have to have a talk.

Just as a character. Guy's a bit of a dick to be honest.

Tag, thinking of making a brand spanking new officer right out of the academy, with as many stereotypes as possible. I'm thinking overly happy/jokey/etc.

Every good horror story needs to have at least *one* character suffer immensely yeah?

It could work out in the end. But obviously like you said, he won't remain happy for long.

Tag, Detective Genre Savvy shall roll to seduce the Cthulu.

Implying things will go well for you guys at all

[Anowa]

Tag.

How's a crime savvy, middle aged, overweight, detective sound?

[Kentucky Fried Land]

Tag.

How's a crime savvy, middle aged, overweight, detective sound?

Sure. I don't see why not, at least.

[The Armed Republic of Dutch Coolness]

I'll be working on an app for one of the local officers.

[Danceria]

Tag.

How's a crime savvy, middle aged, overweight, detective sound?

Side with the nerdy genre savvy dude from plymouth. Snark and snipe.

I'm still debating on joining, but regardless I'll stick my head in to see where this goes.

Get hyped!

Ayyyy

I hope you like him as character and not as a person, or we're going to have to have a talk.

Just as a character. Guy's a bit of a dick to be honest.

Tag, thinking of making a brand spanking new officer right out of the academy, with as many stereotypes as possible. I'm thinking overly happy/jokey/etc.

Every good horror story needs to have at least *one* character suffer immensely yeah?

It could work out in the end. But obviously like you said, he won't remain happy for long.

Tag, Detective Genre Savvy shall roll to seduce the Cthulu.

Implying things will go well for you guys at all

> implying implications that I am unable to imply a relationship with an otherworldly being.
Hold my cocoa.

Can anyone have any knowledge of the occult?

[Kentucky Fried Land]

Can anyone have any knowledge of the occult?

Nah. It'd ruin the surprise. Maybe like, very little occult stuff, like the basic info that everyone knows about.

[Arengin Union]

Swigitty swooty in tagging for that booty!

[Insaeldor]

Name: Gabriel Vaz
Age: 49
Govt. Level (State or Local): Local
Sex: M
Appearance:

Personality: very cool and collected individual, he takes his job seriously but always attempts to keep things calm and serine.
Bio: Born to Cape Verdean immigrants in New Bedford Gabriel grew up relatively impoverished but always in a happy enviorment. He remembers fondly of his mom and grandma cooking food like Cachupa and Couscous, his dad worked at a fishery. Once out if high school he found himself without many employable skills and worked at the fishery with his dad. Early on however he felt the need to get out of the city, crime was starting to become a major issue issue in the community, so he packed up and moved north to Plymouth. Initially taking on a job working at a liquor store he found his way to the police force, looking to make a stable and steady career for himself. He graduated from the police academy in 1979 and has been on the force ever since.
Strengths: Very good at his job, able to tell if someone is lying or being generally dishonest thanks to nearly 25 year of constant police work. His calm and somewhat soft spoken nature has also helped him in being good at talking with people and opening up people through conversation.
Weaknesses: Hes only ever felt with petty crimes given the nature of his employment and where his located. The worst he's seen have been things like rape, murders are vertically unknown in the community and the few that have occurred haven been taken in by him. He's also very attached to his family both back home in New Bedford and at home with his wife Mariah and their daughter Natalie.
RP Examples:do I have too? :^ )

[South Vict]

This kinda reminds me of Battlefield: Hardline but Tag.

[Anowa]

Name: Michael Holloway
Age: 53
Govt. Level: State
Sex: Male
Appearance: Visual Aid. Standing at 6'3 and weighing close to 240 pounds, Michael is far from a man who can be ignored or unnoticed in any situation.
Personality: Amiable, fatherly, and notably optimistic, Michael is oddly a happy man despite how often his job deals with the absolute worst of humanity. While that doesn't mean he sin't capable of snark and sarcasm, it's just more often than not he says something in the positive rather than the negative.
Bio: Michael was born in the mid sixties in a normal Boston suburb, his father was a sales manager, and his mother was a stay at home mom, who loved him more than anything else under the sun. His early life was dotted with mischief and activity, focusing more on fun and play than his academic skills. And while his father gave him a bit of a hard time, his mother let him do what he wanted for the most part.

This changed when he was 13. One night he came home as per usual after a rather long game of baseball down the road, though instead of a closed door and the smell of a roast and supper, he walked through a smashed open and fractured doorframe, and smelled the rank of death. His mother, so sweet and caring had been killed, stripped naked, and decapitated in the kitchen. A horrible act for the eyes of anyone, let alone a 13 year old child. So shocked was the boy that he stood stock still in place until his father came home from his job, also behind schedule.

After that the household changed, Michael become withdrawn, no longer was he a socialite, instead becoming the academic self his father always pushed towards, while his father fell into the grasp of alcohol. While not an abusive man, his night were usually occupied by the crying of his father and his wails of agony. Those events only pushed Michael further towards his goal in life.

After high school, he enrolled into the police academy, intent on becoming the guy who stopped whatever happened to his mother from happening to others. And that he did for nearly a decade, before he eventually decided that simply stopping people in the act wasn't enough, and so he started the fast track to becoming a detective. It's a position he obtained, and held with distinction, and now, he has served over two decades with the Massachusetts state police as a detective. And he shows no signs of slowing on his self evident crusade on crime.
Strengths: Eye for detail, good shot, knows the ins and outs of police (and FBI) business.
Weaknesses: Out of shape, Up there in his age, becomes overly focused on some things.
RP Examples:boi

[Harkback Union]

Surveillance probe deployed...