That Which Goes Bump In the Night
IC
"The oldest and strongest emotion of mankind is fear, and the oldest and strongest kind of fear is fear of the unknown."--HP Lovecraft, 1933
Introduction:
It is 1910, twelve years after the incredibly destructive Great War, which goes by as many names as there are people. The Great Shame to the shattered remnants of the Drachenstaat theocracy in honor of their overthrow and exile as a result of their defeat at the hands of their former colony -- while at the same time, People's Union of Drachenstaat celebrates it as the Workers’ Birthday, the dawn of their new communist era. The Mendeans had no fewer than three names for it, depending on who you discussed it with: the Eiren Winter, the Great People’s War, or the Continuation War. To the Rothians, it was simply ‘the Great War’, and to the Fanaglians it was ‘the Upheaval’ in honor of the collapse of their monarchy and the establishment of the Republic. Regardless of the semantics of the naming, all agreed -- it was a War to End All Wars. And so it had been, as for twelve years, the world had enjoyed a degree of peace unheard of in prior decades. There were always some minor conflicts raging in Nill, of course, and bush conflicts in Pahada, and the latest rebellion in the Clockwork Empire, but sustained conflict was a thing of the past. The Eiren nations, it seemed, had no more appetite for war, and instead turned to the business of peace.
Free from the horrors of war at last, people lept into anything, everything that could provide a degree of escapism from the last half-decade of terror and destruction. Culture flourished, as scandalous new dances spread from Fanaglia to the rest of Eiren, along with the brass undertones of a hopping new genre of music that sent chaperones the world-over swooning in dismay. Museums grew crowded once more, buoyed by a new generation of schoolchildren, and Eiren expeditions fanned out across the globe to hunt, find, and buy exotic new artifacts from foreign cultures for the amusement of those at home. Airships, once weapons of destruction and bombardment, now carried all manner of goods and passengers faster than ever, and the sprawling networks of railroads expanded and grew with each passing month. Telegraph poles spread up and down the continent, carrying news in a matter of days, not months or even years, and faster ships now cruised the seas. The world had never seemed so interconnected as now.
That was not to say that this new era was without issue or problems, not at all. The New Order had toppled the Old Order, but the newfound reign of Ibrahama, Menid, and Varenhold is threatened and undermined without and within. Dangerous new ideologies, born from the destruction of the Drachenstaat order, or arising from Ibrahamic philosophical debates, have the potential to destroy this era’s powers as assuredly as they overthrew the Old Order. Where the sparks of liberation and free-thought were lit, now lies the potential for a overwhelming and powerful revolution. Old grievances within society lurk underneath the facade of gilt and glory of post-war euphoria, and only time will tell if stability can be achieved…. Or if the cycle must begin anew. So it is in Rothia, where bitter reactionaries and militant youths meet in secret societies in catacombs and churches, plotting how best to restore their humbled nation’s glory. So too is it in the Clockwork Empire, where a beaten Aianrida licks his wounds even as rebel armies rise in the south, calling for the return of the exiled Protector. The world passed through fire and destruction, but not all share in the glory and prosperity of this new order. Those who have, must fight to keep what they have seized, and those who have nothing, must fight to survive.
Free from the horrors of war at last, people lept into anything, everything that could provide a degree of escapism from the last half-decade of terror and destruction. Culture flourished, as scandalous new dances spread from Fanaglia to the rest of Eiren, along with the brass undertones of a hopping new genre of music that sent chaperones the world-over swooning in dismay. Museums grew crowded once more, buoyed by a new generation of schoolchildren, and Eiren expeditions fanned out across the globe to hunt, find, and buy exotic new artifacts from foreign cultures for the amusement of those at home. Airships, once weapons of destruction and bombardment, now carried all manner of goods and passengers faster than ever, and the sprawling networks of railroads expanded and grew with each passing month. Telegraph poles spread up and down the continent, carrying news in a matter of days, not months or even years, and faster ships now cruised the seas. The world had never seemed so interconnected as now.
That was not to say that this new era was without issue or problems, not at all. The New Order had toppled the Old Order, but the newfound reign of Ibrahama, Menid, and Varenhold is threatened and undermined without and within. Dangerous new ideologies, born from the destruction of the Drachenstaat order, or arising from Ibrahamic philosophical debates, have the potential to destroy this era’s powers as assuredly as they overthrew the Old Order. Where the sparks of liberation and free-thought were lit, now lies the potential for a overwhelming and powerful revolution. Old grievances within society lurk underneath the facade of gilt and glory of post-war euphoria, and only time will tell if stability can be achieved…. Or if the cycle must begin anew. So it is in Rothia, where bitter reactionaries and militant youths meet in secret societies in catacombs and churches, plotting how best to restore their humbled nation’s glory. So too is it in the Clockwork Empire, where a beaten Aianrida licks his wounds even as rebel armies rise in the south, calling for the return of the exiled Protector. The world passed through fire and destruction, but not all share in the glory and prosperity of this new order. Those who have, must fight to keep what they have seized, and those who have nothing, must fight to survive.
“We sometimes congratulate ourselves at the moment of waking from a troubled dream; it may be so the moment after death.”--Nathaniel Hawthorne, The American Notebooks
It is often said by post-war poets and authors that man made the world hell for himself during the Great War. In such a destructive conflict, where millions had perished in seemingly fruitless and unnecessary battles, and new and ever-more dastardly weapons were deployed on a near-monthly basis, this is not surprising. The world tasted poison gas en masse for the first time, and walkers and landships crushed crumbling buildings underfoot. The spectre of Famine walked the countryside, hand-in-hand with the pale figure of Pestilence as hundreds of thousands perished due to starvation, or the pandemics that swept in armies’ wake. The aphorism, ‘war is hell,’ took on a deeper, more personal meaning to the millions that suffered through the Great War. Yet, greater threats lurked - and continue to lurk - unseen and unknown by most. Forces so terrifying, so unthinkable, as to drive the most battle-hardened veteran insane in an eyeblink, or to make the most traumatized civilian long for the privations and desperation of war once more. Select few are dimly aware of the unseen horrors behind the metaphorical cosmic curtains, but most dismiss them as superstition, or native nonsense, lending them no credence or further thoughts. Fewer still have seen the supernatural in motion and lived to tell the tale -- and the rarest few do so with their sanity preserved.
This is a story about those unlucky few, the more fools they, who sought to part the nebulous curtain of ignorance and to lift the veil of confusion. In doing so, they desired to glimpse that which, perhaps, was best left unseen, and gain knowledge of the unknowable…
Will you survive this story? Or will you end up disemboweled by murderous cultists in Klippenstaad that daub your blood on the walls of your hotel as a warning to your friends and family -- to avoid the path that you took? Will you survive that, only to find yourself consumed alive by savage riverine gharials, deep in the murky swamps of Menid, your screams swallowed by the empty jungles with not a soul for miles? Or will you survive everything you encounter and succeed in your quest, only to finally succumb to the madness that gnaws at your mind, driven to mindless gibbering by that which cannot be understood, forcing your family to leave you, restrained and helpless, in an asylum in the Volksunion?
Only time will tell.
This is a story about those unlucky few, the more fools they, who sought to part the nebulous curtain of ignorance and to lift the veil of confusion. In doing so, they desired to glimpse that which, perhaps, was best left unseen, and gain knowledge of the unknowable…
Will you survive this story? Or will you end up disemboweled by murderous cultists in Klippenstaad that daub your blood on the walls of your hotel as a warning to your friends and family -- to avoid the path that you took? Will you survive that, only to find yourself consumed alive by savage riverine gharials, deep in the murky swamps of Menid, your screams swallowed by the empty jungles with not a soul for miles? Or will you survive everything you encounter and succeed in your quest, only to finally succumb to the madness that gnaws at your mind, driven to mindless gibbering by that which cannot be understood, forcing your family to leave you, restrained and helpless, in an asylum in the Volksunion?
Only time will tell.
“Slowly but inexorably crawling upon my consciousness and rising above every other impression, came a dizzying fear of the unknown; a fear all the greater because I could not analyse it, and seeming to concern a stealthily approaching menace; not death, but some nameless, unheard-of thing inexpressibly more ghastly and abhorrent.”--HP Lovecraft, The Crawling Chaos
IC Knowledge:
"It is for this reason that I urge, with all the force of my being, final abandonment of all the attempts at unearthing those fragments of unknown, primordial masonry which my expedition set out to investigate."--Nathaniel Wingate Peaslee, Family Letters, 1913
Jackson Elias
Jackson Elias is 38, of medium height and build, and dark-complexioned. He has a feisty, friendly air about him and, as an orphan in Kuffurt, Varenhold, he learned to make his own way early in life. He has no living relatives, and no permanent address. Although born a Drachenvolk, he has since discarded Drachenvolk culture and the masks that go with it, eschewing them as outdated and obsolete. He is an avowed atheist.
You like him, and value his friendship, even though months and sometimes years separate one meeting from the next. You'd be upset and probably crave vengeance if anything happened to your friend. The world is better for having Jackson Elias in it.
His writings characterize and analyze death cults. His best-known book is Sons of Death, exposing contemporary Khalees in Parthan. He speaks several languages fluently, and is constantly traveling. He is social, and enjoys an occasional drink. He smokes a pipe. Elias is tough, stable, and punctual, unafraid of brawls or officials. He is mostly self-educated. His well-researched works always seem to reflect first-hand experience. He is secretive and never discusses a project until he has a final draft in hand.
All of his books illustrate how cults manipulate the fears of their followers. A skeptic, Elias has never found proof of supernatural powers, magic, beings, or dark gods. Insanity and feelings of inadequacy characterize death cultists, feelings for which they compensate by slaughtering innocents to make themselves feel powerful or chosen. Cults draw the weak-minded, though cult leaders are usually clever and manipulative. When fear of a cult stops, the cult tends to vanish.
Skulls Along the River -- written in 1901, this exposes headhunter cults in Oulous.
Masters of the Black Arts -- Written in 1903, surveys supposed sorcerous cults throughout history.
The Way of Terror -- Written in 1904, it analyzes systemization of fear through cult organization. Warmly reviewed by renowned Mendean socialist, Dzhorzh Sorel.
The Smoking Heart -- Written in 1906, the book details the historical practices of the Dødsfolket, an ethnic group within the Volksunion, including no-longer practiced dark rituals involving sacrifice and skull masks that honored the death god Sifyr.
Sons of Death -- Written in 1908, discusses modern-day Khalees in Parthan; Elias infiltrated the cult and wrote a book about it.
Witch Cults of Varenhold -- Written in 1909, summarizes covens in nine Varenholt counties; interviews practicing witches.
The Black Power -- Written in late 1909, expands on The Way of Terror and includes supplementary material and interviews with cultists and cult leaders.
All of you have, in some way or another, a connection to the intrepid reporter and author, Jackson Elias. Some of you have become fast friends with him over the course of his travels, to the point where he makes a point of coming to visit while passing by, or even - more rarely - altering his itinerary so that he might pay you a call. A couple may have had a chance with him at something more than a passing dalliance, but those futures were dashed by Jackson's incessant wanderlust and drive. Others are friendly, but impersonally so, maintaining a friendship over radiograms and telegrams, communiques that are lengthy, but few and far between due to Jackson's travels into poorly-mapped areas. Some are more passive, responding to his updates on the Oulen death cults at their leisure, while others write regularly, regardless of a response or not. All of you, however, have heard of Jackson Elias, and have read at least one of his books. You all know that he is, for lack of a better word, a 'debunker' of superstition and a devout opponent of all things 'supernatural,' eschewing both as mere avenues for the cunning to control the gullible, and by doing so, gain power and wealth for themselves. You know that he is a hardy man, possessed with a great deal of determination, an even greater amount of wanderlust, and a ferocious independence.
Jackson Elias works alone.
Oh, he works with people when he's in a specific area or city, but he doesn't have a team. He has no partners, he has no sidekicks. He travels to a place, works largely on his own or with a handful of close allies, and - once done - departs on another adventure, leaving his friends and coworkers behind as he gallivants off to the opposite end of the world. It's part of his appeal, really, to the public - this charismatic, handsome man, traveling the world unfettered by the restraints of friends or family, his job taking him to odd and exotic locales, where he brings a scientific mind to the matter at hand and by doing so, educates the wider world. A contemporary Bill Nye meets Indiana Jones, really. His closest connection is perhaps his publisher, Johann Kinder, who often is in charge of handling Jackson's fan-mail and other personal communiques, sending messages around the world without judgment, and passing on the choicer messages to Jackson at the site of his latest obsession.
Which is why Mireille Delatte, a Fanaglian balloonist and aviator, found it odd when she received a communique from Klippenstaad - from Johann Kinder, on behalf of Jackson Elias.
The Carlyle Expedition lingers in the memory of most Eirens and other Mizrics, given that it had only happened four years prior. The expedition, setting out from Varenholt, was led by a millionaire playboy who sought to spend his summer playing at being a Mehmetologist. After spending a month in Rothia where the more serious academics accompanying the playboy nobles and magnates were able to study and consult various documents and artifacts, the expedition set out for Asterdan - former southern Mehmet. There, after only two months, the Carlyle Expedition suddenly abandoned their dig site and took ship south, to Eastern Parthan. Rumors swirled that the Expedition had found some clue to the vast treasures of the lost Pharaoh Teklemet, but they were never confirmed. Then, a month into their supposed safari, the entire Carlyle expedition vanished, with telegrams going uncollected, and money no longer being withdrawn. Half a year passed, and the distraught sister - and heir - of Rutpert Carlyle set out to Parthan to uncover what happened to the expedition and to rescue her brother.
With the help of local guides, her expedition uncovered a number of mass graves that contained the bearers and many of the academics accompanying the expedition. All the bodies bore signs of mutilation and heavy abuse, but there was no sign of the bodies of Rutpert Carlyle or a number of other expedition leaders. Distraught, Erika Carlyle returned to Klippenstaad to throw herself into the family business, while local authorities hunted for - and ultimately hanged - a number of natives accused of the murders. Rumors still swirl, however, that the Expedition did indeed find the vast wealth of Pharaoh Teklemet, but fell afoul of some curse placed upon his final resting place, a curse that brought doom to every man and woman of the Expedition. Others claim that Rutpert Carlyle was brutally murdered by agents of his sister, in an internal family coup d'etat that saw her become the sole heir and owner of the vast Carlyle family fortune. Regardless of what one believes, there are a number of questions and mysteries that surround the Expedition that remain unresolved or unanswered even to this day.
It seems Jackson Elias took it upon himself to find out more. But why does he need your help?
Notable NPCs:
Timeline:
"The names are the first things to go, after the breath has gone, and the beating of the heart. We keep our memories longer than our names."-- Neil Gaiman, Coraline
- 1898 - Great War ends
- 1898 - Drachenstaat Civil War begins during the tail of the Great War
- 1899 - Nova Centuria World's Fair held in Rothia, one of the largest gatherings of people in Inorothian history, millions of tourists flood the capitol every day from August to December to see attractions like "Paiese 1999", an ambitious mock-up of an imagined Inorothian town in the year 1999, "Mondetto", or "Little World", where nations across Atlia operate a spaces with their local food, art, culture, fashion, etc..., and the similar "Siamo tutti Rothi", or "We are all Rothians, where each Province has a space.
- 1899 - Quibellan Civil War begins.
- 1901 - Drachenstaat Civil War ends in a Communist victory; small remnant fascist and theocrat attacks continue into 1903, however.
- 1901 - Quibellan Civil War ends in a victory for the Loyalist Forces though further infighting between Republicans and Monarchists last until 1904
- 1902 - A 7.6 Magnitude earthquake strikes Nord Verdo, killing an estimated 50,000 - 60,000 people in the initial shake, aftershocks, and landslides that follow. Worse, most of the damage is concentrated in one valley, and whole towns and villages are completely wiped out.
- 1902 - State-owned Radio Menid begins operations, broadcasting both domestic and international news to all.
- 1903 - The Culvisian and Solvirian Genocide begins as a response to the recent attempts by the two minorities at secession. These genocides will lead to the deaths of millions in Quibella through further minor revolts and actual genocide by the Astruc Government.
- 1904 - First Rothian Airship to reach the North Pole (possibly first Airship in the world), plant flags, measure data, take photos, return home.
- 1905 - The Grand Council of Worker's finalize the new Drachenstaat constitution, thus officially beginning the Volksunion.
- 1905 - Carlyle Expedition sets out
- 1906 - Carlyle Expedition vanishes, rescue expedition sent by Erika Carlyle
- 1906-7 - Fate of Carlyle Expedition uncovered, local natives hanged for presumed murder of Rutpert Carlyle and others, despite not finding his body
- 1907 - The Science and Industry Research Development Agency, or SIRDA, is commissioned to gather scientific and industrial information from around the world, in order to make up for technical progress lost during the Great War and Civil War.
- 1907 - In Menid, the Transmendean Express opens, connecting direct freight transit from the East to West.
- 1908 - The tragic Pelgis Massacre in Quibella marks the end of the Culvisian and Solvirian genocide and the end of the Astruc Government. This event, a massacre of Solvirians, directly led to protests across the nation and threats of rebellion. As a result, Astruc was eventually forced to step down by the King even though this leads to the election of Abraham Vasseur of the Socialist Union to the position of Prime Minister.
- 1910 - The Conservationist Movement topples the Alban Government (Menid) after a month of protests.
Character Applications:
"If I am mad, it is mercy! May the gods pity the man who in his callousness can remain sane to the hideous end!"-- HP Lovecraft, The Temple
So, the key to the RP is the character you create to help write the story. The application is below, but I want to offer some context or advice first to help you craft your character. First and foremost, create a character you’re invested and interested in, but don’t get settled with that character. Be willing to move on or sacrifice them if the plot calls for it. Your investigator should not be a superman or superwoman, surviving without issues until the end of the RP. You should very much expect to have to create at least another character by the end of the RP. That doesn’t mean that your character’s death, maiming, or descent into insanity has to be pointless, however.
Secondly, your character is not a superman or superwoman when it comes to the various tasks involved in the RP. If your character is a conman, they shouldn’t be even attempting to read Ancient Mehmetian unless it’s a running joke. Know your character’s limitations -- IC action can be taken to develop more skills or overcome them, but your character can’t be an expert in everything. Let other characters shine when the time comes. Find your character’s niche in the story, and build from there. Characters that are Mary Sues or Gary Stus are…. Boring, really. Unless it’s a satire and they’re actually the most incompetent people to walk the planet, but even so…
As for ground rules:
Secondly, your character is not a superman or superwoman when it comes to the various tasks involved in the RP. If your character is a conman, they shouldn’t be even attempting to read Ancient Mehmetian unless it’s a running joke. Know your character’s limitations -- IC action can be taken to develop more skills or overcome them, but your character can’t be an expert in everything. Let other characters shine when the time comes. Find your character’s niche in the story, and build from there. Characters that are Mary Sues or Gary Stus are…. Boring, really. Unless it’s a satire and they’re actually the most incompetent people to walk the planet, but even so…
As for ground rules:
- Be reasonable with backstory; again, your character can’t be perfect at everything
- Most people have no detailed knowledge or experience with the supernatural, beyond soirees that dabble with fortune-telling. Understand that your characters will probably be skeptical of actual voodoo and witchcraft and other things that go on in the RP at first.
- Your characters MUST have a connection to Jackson Elias in some way, shape, or form. This is to tie you to the RP introduction. This can be as simple as being an obsessive reader of his books, or encountering him on a train to Menid and being enraptured by his jocular but distant manner, or even simply being pen-pals with him for years since you were a child.
Additionally, you may not want to RP a character from your nation, which is entirely your right. I've drafted a list of towns and colleges from a number of other nations so that you can perhaps incorporate them into your backstories, or even mention them casually in your background as a way to deepen your character's history or potential connection with other characters. If your character is an academic - and many people will likely play academics in order to have a background with multiple languages and a knowledge of the occult - then you'll need to have information about your college and other such things. The following list is by no means exhaustive, but simply an ongoing effort to provide additional information for people as needed.
Background Colleges & Towns:
| Country: | List of Towns: | List of Colleges: |
| Volksunion |
|
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| Inoroth |
|
|
| Fanaglia |
| |
| Varenhold |
| |
| Menid |
|
|
Premade Character Samples:
Since not everyone has the energy or inclination to come up with completely unique character concepts each and every time, I took the liberty of using some pre-made character sheets, adapted for Vaporverse backgrounds. This way, if someone doesn't want to craft their own character from scratch, they can use the examples below for their own, or they can build a modified version. Alternatively, these can serve as back-up characters, should the player's character die or go insane as a result of IC actions.
Further samples forthcoming.
Accepted Characters:
Lord Luciano Errante Raminotto
Mireille Delatte
Anders
OOC Introduction:
Hello. This is the OOC thread for a Lovecraft-themed RP based around the regional canon of Vapor, a Steampunk region with its own map, cultures, religion, and history. As a result, the RP is closed to everyone except for members of Vapor. If you’re interested in participating in this RP, or joining Vapor overall, please head over to the Vapor OOC thread! We’re always looking for additional recruits.
For those who are already members of Vapor, and are here because I’ve nagged them enough on the Discord, welcome to the long-awaited OOC thread for the HP Lovecraft-themed RP set in the canon we’ve lovingly created for the past year or so. This RP will be based around a Dungeons and Dragons module, adapted heavily to fit the Vapor canon and history. Cities such as New York, London, and Cairo, will instead be replaced with alternative cities from Roth, Varenhold, or southern Mehmet. Similarly, the cultures mentioned in the module will be replaced with their close equivalent, and real-life names will either be scrapped entirely or replaced with an appropriate alternative from our histories.
I’m not an expert in Dungeons and Dragons by any means, but from my understanding, dice-based games don’t translate well to forum-based RP. This means that instead of me or you rolling dice obsessively to determine success or failure, we’ll instead be going with a more appropriate narrative flow, where the story and your level of detail and engagement are more important than dictating actions or failures. At certain points in the story, I may well flip a coin to determine what happens according to things laid out in the module, but I don’t plan to do this for every single thing. This means that you, dear reader, guide things -- not the dice, not Lady Luck, but you, and the posts you make.
However, I have a favor to ask. I’m working from a script, essentially, to make this RP run smoothly. You all have access to the internet; you can easily look up the script out of curiosity or a desire to be prepared. I simply ask that you not do that; I think this RP will be more entertaining or fun if none of us know what specifically is about to happen next.
Please, use this thread as a normal OOC thread to post character applications, ask questions, comments, concerns, etc. Feel free to chat with other players about your planned actions, or use this thread to make collaborative posts together!
For those who are already members of Vapor, and are here because I’ve nagged them enough on the Discord, welcome to the long-awaited OOC thread for the HP Lovecraft-themed RP set in the canon we’ve lovingly created for the past year or so. This RP will be based around a Dungeons and Dragons module, adapted heavily to fit the Vapor canon and history. Cities such as New York, London, and Cairo, will instead be replaced with alternative cities from Roth, Varenhold, or southern Mehmet. Similarly, the cultures mentioned in the module will be replaced with their close equivalent, and real-life names will either be scrapped entirely or replaced with an appropriate alternative from our histories.
I’m not an expert in Dungeons and Dragons by any means, but from my understanding, dice-based games don’t translate well to forum-based RP. This means that instead of me or you rolling dice obsessively to determine success or failure, we’ll instead be going with a more appropriate narrative flow, where the story and your level of detail and engagement are more important than dictating actions or failures. At certain points in the story, I may well flip a coin to determine what happens according to things laid out in the module, but I don’t plan to do this for every single thing. This means that you, dear reader, guide things -- not the dice, not Lady Luck, but you, and the posts you make.
However, I have a favor to ask. I’m working from a script, essentially, to make this RP run smoothly. You all have access to the internet; you can easily look up the script out of curiosity or a desire to be prepared. I simply ask that you not do that; I think this RP will be more entertaining or fun if none of us know what specifically is about to happen next.
Please, use this thread as a normal OOC thread to post character applications, ask questions, comments, concerns, etc. Feel free to chat with other players about your planned actions, or use this thread to make collaborative posts together!
OOC Rules:
You’re all adults (or at least mature teenagers). The rules are fairly simple.
- Be civil to other players OOCly. Being mean IC? Absolutely. Don’t bring it into real life.
- Post consistently. We can’t build suspense well if half the players only post once every two weeks.
- If you have disputes over the way I handled or responded to your character, and you’re not satisfied with an explanation I gave you in this thread? TG me or DM me on Discord. Talk it out with me and we’ll see how to rectify things.
- Your characters may very well die; that’s fine. Don’t get emotionally attached to your characters! Be invested enough to build good characters, but not attached enough that their death might upset you!
- Suspension of disbelief is kinda needed for a Lovecraftian RP; be nice about it.
)
