Wild Beasts of the Earth (Gothic Horror|OOC|Open)

[Dyelli Beybi]

“I looked, and there before me was a pale horse! Its rider was named Death, and Hades was following close behind him. They were given power over a fourth of the earth to kill by sword, famine and plague, and by the wild beasts of the earth.”

IC | Discord

Note that we are sharing a Discord with some other RPs from the same creators... purely to make it possible to administer.
Co-OPed by Bingellia

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December 1918:
The Great War has come to an end, but the world seems as much on a precipice as it did a year ago. The Russian Czar and his family have been executed by Bolsheviks while the flames of revolution have spread to Germany as well; only a few days ago, German soldiers in Brussels mutinied against their officers and briefly tried to convince the civilian population to join them in setting up a Communist Government.

Even where the stories aren’t doom and gloom, change is afoot. In Great Britain, suffrage has been extended to women over the age of thirty, along with the right to stand in Parliamentary elections.

Behind all of this a deadly disease stalks Europe, killing people faster than the bullets ever did in the war.

Against this backdrop, you have received a mysterious letter inviting you to a meeting of the ‘Order of Saint Thomas of Canterbury’ at the Four-Horse Club in London. Apparently, someone has recommended you to them, though who that was, is a mystery…

Welcome to the Wild Beast of the Earth, a Gothic Horror inspired RP set in England in the early 20th century, against the backdrop of the 1918 Flu Pandemic. In this RP, you will take on the role of one of the ‘Order of Saint Thomas’s’ newest recruits, tasked with investigating paranormal and occult phenomena and putting a stop to them.

Over the course of this RP you will slowly unravel the mysteries behind some of what is occurring in the world around you.

Character death will be a real thing. While I don’t intend to play this unfairly, if you make a suicidal decision, the results will be predictable and, as such, I will recommend that people consider making a second character, just in case number one ends up getting eaten by an eldritch horror.

You will be outclassed by most, if not all, of the creatures you encounter, but you have a team at your back and by working together you should be able to prevail. There will also, usually, be more than one possible way to tackle the beast… provided you have investigated thoroughly.

Finally, if you aren't quite sure about what you want to do in the RP, feel free to join the Discord and throw some ideas about!

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WHO ARE YOU?

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You can be anyone you want to be, provided the person is someone who could have existed in 1918. Perhaps your character is a big-game-hunter? A reporter? A demobbed soldier? A nurse? A member of the clergy?

The RP is set in London though I am very flexible about backgrounds. If you can write a reasonably sensible reason for them to be there, I’m even open for you to have a character from the Central Powers in the RP (just bear in mind the section on early 20th century attitudes).

I’m assuming everyone is generally competent, but depending upon your background, at certain points, I may give you with additional information that other people might not be able to glean on their own, so a mix of different backgrounds will make the team stronger.

The only limits to your character are:

• You are not a child. It doesn’t make sense for the setting – this is gothic horror, not an anime or YA novel.
• Magic users/carriers of magical artefacts are currently not allowed, though I do intend to open these apps up later in the thread.
• You are not a supernatural creature. The supernatural monsters you will encounter are not misunderstood or secretly nice, they are hard-wired to want to kill you in creative and horrible ways.
• If you create multiple characters, make them separate, not people with pre-existing relationships. Feel absolutely feel free to make a pre-existing relationship with someone else’s character though!

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THE SECRETS OF THE WORLD, KNOWN ONLY TO A FEW...

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This section will be expanded as the RP goes on and you discover more about the world.

Monsters
There are monsters in the world. They want to kill you.

This section will be expanded with the information you learn from the various things you encounter in your travels.

Demons
Demons exist in Wild Beasts of the Earth and they are extremely dangerous. Demons cannot be killed though you can exorcise them or kill the host body. The exact wording of the exorcism is unimportant, though it’s likelihood of success depends upon the righteousness of the person attempting it.

Magic
Magic similarly exists in the setting and can, theoretically, be learned by people, though the spells are subtle and generally involve gathering ingredients before they can be cast. Similarly there are magical artefacts in the world, most of which are extremely dangerous to people unfamiliar with the mystic arts.

Religion
The existence of demons and hell is established in the setting and some characters may decide that this implies the existence of a deity/force for good as well. That being said, there is no direct IC evidence for or against the existence of a benevolent higher power and you may realistically write a character of any religion or philosophical belief.

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EARLY 20TH CENTURY ATTITUDES

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While OOC, racism, sexism etc. is definitely NOT, in any way shape or form, ok, many forms of bigotry were alive and well 100 years ago.

While I do not, in any way, condone any of them, I also don’t think it is helpful to sanitise the setting and pretend they didn’t exist; that does a great disservice to all the people who campaigned against them over the last century. While the Order, in this RP, is an egalitarian society, and the world is increasingly as well, some of the NPCs you encounter may display bigotry of one form or another (which might well be exploitable to a cunning character). Similarly, if you want to explore those topics in your own characters (an older gentleman being opposed to women’s suffrage, for instance), I’m not going to censor that, provided you do it sensitively.

NB: This is not an invitation for you to spout hate speech. Remember that you are still writing in the 21st century, on a PG13 forum, and some words are ALWAYS unacceptable. If you have any doubts, ask on the Discord.

The bigotry you almost certainly see in the thread is classism and (if someone brings in a character from the Central Powers) hatred of Germans and Austrians; the British population has spent the last four years being told that Germans are inhuman murderers and rapists and they know people who died in the trenches of France and Belgium. It will take a while for that hatred to break down.

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CHARACTER APPLICATION

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You will notice some things about this character application form aren’t normal.

First, I haven’t asked for equipment. When you go into a mission you will be given equipment from the Order armoury, so there is no need to say you have a pistol and six bandages before the thread starts up. The Order don’t want you to die and will give you the stuff you need to stay alive, if you ask for it. That being said, there is the option to list some personal effects, to help develop your character.

I also haven’t asked what your skills are. As I said previously, I’m assuming all characters are generally competent, however, what you’ve written in your background will determine whether I make things easier for you, or not, if you attempt something. For instance, a librarian might know how to use a rifle, but probably won’t be as good at hitting a moving or distant target as a former Ottoman sniper.

Finally, there is no personality section. Your backstory should give a good idea of how your character is going to behave, but more importantly, I don’t want you to feel like your character is fixed. In a good RP, characters grow and develop over the course of the story and might end up being totally different from how they started.

All of this is intended to make it easier for you to write an app… while also allowing me to throw an occasional plot curve-ball your way!

When filling this out, delete the bits in parentheses - they are there to give you guidance.

Code: Select all

[box]
[size=150][b]Character Description[/b][/size]
[list][b]Name:[/b]
[b]Gender:[/b]
[b]Age:[/b]
[b]Nationality:[/b]
[b]Appearance:[/b] [spoiler](Feel free to describe with text or put pictures in here.  If you are using a picture, owing to the general high quality of what people have done so far, I will ask you to change it if it is blatantly anachronistic.)[/spoiler]
[/list]
[b]Personal Effects[/b]: (Any personal belongings you have in your suitcase.  No magical artefacts and if you want to include a weapon, limit it to something small and concealable such as a pistol/revolver/derringer… anything bigger and you’ll be in prison, not at the Club.)

[hr][/hr][size=150][b]Background:[/b][/size]
[list][b]What is your job[/b](Are you a soldier returning home?  A poacher?  A singer?)
[b]Backstory[/b]:(How did you come to be here?  Feel free to reference an encounter with the occult, though if it doesn’t work with the plot I will ask you to make modifications)
[/list][/box]

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THE RULES

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And because it seems important to state these, here are my few rules for keeping the peace:

• Decisions
  My word and the word Bingellia (and anyone else who gets appointed as a Co-OP) is binding. If you don’t like a decision, you can, of course, ask for us to reconsider it. Once. If we made a decision you don’t like, complaining for pages and pages is not going to endear you to anyone. Not me, not the Co-OPs and not your fellow writers.
  On that note, I intend to run this thread as an anarcho-communist cooperative. This is an unnecessarily complicated way of saying that my word DOES NOT overrule theirs. If there is an appeal and a dispute amongst the Co-OPs we will take a vote on the matter.
• Post Quality
  I don’t have a problem with short posts but please use proper spelling (I don’t care what regional variant), grammar etc.
  Ideally also try to include a 'hook' when you write a post, which is to say something that gives other people something to respond to. If your post is something along the lines of 'Bilbo Baggins stayed in his room and read a book while the world was ending', don't be surprised if nobody responds to you.
• Posting Commitment
  Nothing is worse than making an RP only for it to die. Please try to make at least one post every 48 hours or so. If you find yourself unable to post, please let me know in the OOC thread or Discord. If it looks like you've abandoned a character in the middle of a fight scene I might decide to kill them off.
• Posting Speed
  On the flip side, blitz posting can also be infuriating. So, especially during the important scenes, I recommend giving your fellow players a reasonable time to make a reply. We all have real lives. That being said, if someone leaves everyone waiting for over 48 hours, and the rest of the writers are rearing to go, feel free to carry on the scene without them.
• OOC thread Manners
  Nothing annoys me more than bad manners on an OOC thread/the Discord. Swearing, passive-aggressive sniping or any other rude behaviour are not welcome. You will be warned once. If you can’t control yourself, slow-downs, temporary bans etc. may be applied on the Discord. If you continue to cause problems these may be made permanent. I don't want to do that, so play nice!
• IC thread Manners
  Remember, we are writing a story together, not playing to win.
• Character Death
  Player death is possible in this RP, though it will be avoidable if you play to your character's strengths, work with the team, investigate a situation thoroughly before running in and don't do anything too stupid. Likewise, if someone goes inactive in the middle of a fight scene without explanation and cannot be raised, I may decide to kill your character off.
• Godmodding
  In general the enemies in this thread should be treated as major threats, write that you took the shot on the vampire, not that you took the shot, killed it and everyone went home for tea and medals. I will, however, write damage for you if you get into a bad situation with a eldritch horror.
• Keep it PG13
  Shouldn’t need to be telling you this really but keep the erotica and gorn off the thread. Hopefully you all know how to write forum-safe stuff. I will be extremely disappointed if the mods have to pay us a visit.
• Banning Players
  I really don’t want to be doing that but reserve the right to do so if you cannot follow the (hopefully, rather simple) rules above.

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CHARACTER LIST

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Edwin Abernathy - Discharged British Soldier (Nachfolgia)

Narek Ashjian - Armenian Physiologist (Europa Undivided)

Rémy Battier - French Private Detective / Crippled Veteran (Endem)

Luis Cargotta - Discharged Italian Soldier (Romextly)

Dragoslav Čarapić - Jeweller/Demobbed Serbian Sniper (Europa Undivided)

Jean-Martin de Florac - Pied-Noir (Franco-Angerian) Doctor (Reverend Norv)

Gordon Graham - American Con Artist (Scurvy Sea)

Aleyn Deyne - Discharged British Soldier (Theyra)

Jesse Dredlen - American Gambler (Lessoni)

Kazamir Durnovo III - Exiled Russian Noble (Lavan Tiri)

Frank Martelli - American Engineer and Gunsmith (Sarderia)

Eleanor Martin - Order Librarian (Dyelli Beybi)

Cowal Mulloy - Irish Factory Worker (New Udonia)

Quinn O'Hearn - Demobbed Tanker with a secret (Demencia)

Ciaran O'Sullivan - Irish Undertaker (Kylantha)

Eric Liu - Former Chinese Police Officer and Martial Artist (Kowloon-California)

Ismail Rasimoğlu - Woodworker/Demobbed Ottoman Soldier (Miekzhemy)

Viviette Sinclair - British Actress (Bingellia)

Zacharias Uhrman - Swiss Watchmaker (Sudbrazil)

Sabina Vallée-Masson - French Zoologist and Taxidermist (Kylantha)

Renier van der Valk - Acting Master of the Order (Dyelli Beybi)

Victoria Wasserman - Retired British Adventurer (Voxija)

Lady Yalin - Quing Socialite (Khasinkonia)

[Nachfolgia]

Tag for interest.

[Lessoni]

Character Description

Name: Jesse Dredlen
Gender: Male
Age: 22
Nationality: American
Appearance:
5'10 (177 cm), 166 lbs (75 kg)

Personal Effects: Weighted dice near guaranteed to shoot a 7 or 11, specially crafted 1851 Navy revolver

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Background:

What is your job: Gambler/charlatan
Backstory: Sometimes a gamble goes bad. Dice make a bad roll, the dealer puts out a bad hand, the wheel stops spinning a moment too soon. None knew this better than Jesse Dredlen, the luckiest bastard in New Orleans, or so he liked to claim. He was a gambler at heart, even if soldiering had taken him away from the tables for a year or so. What he calls his jaunt into France was a breeze compared to some soldiers; his experience had mostly been french maidens and angry husbands, even as a pilot with the Lafayette Escadrille. He'd always found a way to weasel out of the dangerous work, though he had suffered a stab wound in the gut from a german prisoner. Upon his return to his hometown, he was back to his old ways, cheating just enough to get rich, never enough to get kicked out. His usual casinos quickly wised up to his tricks, and before long his old stomping grounds had stomped him out. Desperate for another roll of the dice, he found his way to a shadier casino than he usually dealt with, one where he was given a gamble he couldn’t refuse. Getting stabbed in the gut rarely agrees with a man, and ever since he’d gotten back his stomach would keep him awake to the small hours of the night, moaning and bitching for another bottle of whiskey. At this casino, named simply “Dark Dreams”, he was offered peace and freedom, from the hole festering in his stomach. Luckily, he’d brought his own dice.

He quickly came to regret his cure. It was a simple thing, a dark crystal, one a jeweler couldn’t identify for a fortune. He slept, but it was a pale imitation of the rest he once had, plagued with terrible nightmares, ones that woke him up screaming without fail. In the day figures stalked the corners of his eyes, seeming to get closer every moment he wasn't watching them.

He tried desperately to rid himself of the crystal, first by going back to the casino. It had burned the night he left, no more than an ashen husk. Next he simply threw it into the bayou. It came back to him, like a dog returning to its master. Finally, he realized the simple truth. To get rid of this thing, he’d have to lose his first gamble in years. At the poker table, he bet it all, his whole fortune, purposefully throwing, until all he had left was the crystal and his underwear. Then, he placed the crystal on the table, weaving a tale of redemption to the man sitting across from him. The fool accepted, taking pity on what he saw as a drunken idiot. He won handily, his broad grin the biggest relief Jesse had seen in his life. At that moment, he pulled out his revolver, hand crafted especially for him. It was an ornate thing, pearl handled with gold inlays. He shot the man who’d taken his burden, six times. He reloaded, a mad look in his eyes, and shot him another six. No one dared called the police, for fear of losing out on a big payday. His plan had gone without a hitch.

His near broken mind had raced to a few conclusions. That he'd have to gamble away the crystal, that the crystal was bound to him in some way, that the crystal could never be destroyed, not that he'd tried. He realized, or perhaps hoped, that he could kill the owner of the crystal, and end the cycle. But Jesse Dredlen had a dirty secret. He was a coward. He wasn't willing to kill himself, not even to rid himself of a curse like this. So he schemed, and he found just the right man. A drunkard, a fool, someone no one would miss. He brought him to a dark casino where details could be muddled and men bought for a reasonable price. And he carried out a plan that would turn into his only regret. But that didn't matter to him, not in the moment, at least.

He was free.

[Romextly]

Character Description

Name:Luis Cargotta
Gender:Male
Age:23
Nationality:Italian
Appearance:
Tanned man, mostly white, dark green eyes, black hair, 5 feet, 9 inches, black trench coat)

Personal Effects: Black trench coat, crucifix, Italian pistol, leather gloves

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Background:

What is your jobFormer soldier in the army
Backstory:He was a deeply religous person. So after the great war, he was approached by mysterious men.

[Nachfolgia]

Character Description

Name: Edwin Abernathy
Gender: Male
Age: 35
Nationality: British
Appearance:

Personal Effects: Civilian clothes, personal medals, Journal with pictures, Webley Revolver, box of cigars, trench lighter.

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Background:

What is your job Soon to be discharged Sergeant in the British Army.

Backstory: Meet Edwin Abernathy, a 35 year old Sergeant recently discharged from the British Army. He stands at 5'10" and weighs 185 lbs. He served in the London City regiment, the Fusiliers, during the Great War. As such, he saw plenty of combat, most notably the battle of Somme and the battle of the Passchendaele. Edwin claimed the title of Sergeant in November of 1913, just before the start of the Great War.

He enlisted at the age of 18 during a time of peace in order to make a better life for himself and his family. His father, a British citizen, worked as a Journeyman blacksmith making horse shoes and gun parts for the war effort. His mother, originally from Scotland, worked in the hospitals as a nurses assistant. Edwin was born in 1883 and grew up rather poor, living in a one bedroom apartment with his mother, father, and younger sister. His sister died during a typhoid outbreak in 1890 at the age of three. This tragedy greatly influenced Edwin and gave him the drive he needed to enlist.

Edwin married shortly after enlisting at the age of 19 and had a daughter at the age of 20. His son was born shortly after he was named Sergeant. His wife and children live in Robin Hood's Bay in Yorkshire.

Having survived the war and returned to London, Edwin has decided to retire from the Army, having seen his fill of war and death. Although with logistics being tired up with getting everyone and everything back home, his discharge papers have been delayed. As he waits to get released, Edwin's thoughts now turn to home and his family.

[Endem]

I'm interested

[Lavan Tiri]

I was just thinking of how nice a Gothic horror RP would be.

[Theyra]

Character Description

Name: Aleyn Deyne
Gender: Male
Age: 28
Nationality: British(Manx)
Appearance: Aleyn

Personal Effects: Pocket watch, Colt Model 1908 Pocket Hammerless, flask(Filled with gin), A locket with a portrait of his family and a lighter

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Background:

What is your job Former Soldier
Backstory: Born on the Isle of Man in Douglas and the first of four. Aleyn had a normal life growing up in Douglas and grew close to his family. Planning on being a craftsman like his father and to inherit the family business. It was while working at his father's store when he would meet his future wife, Paaie Hendull. Which the two were married in 1908 and moved out into the countryside. There Aleyn would have three children and lived a happy life. Then World War One reared its ugly head. Aleyn was among the first to be drafted for the war and would greatly miss his family while deployed on the continent. Four years on the western front proved to be a challenging experience for him. After seeing the horrors of war and would fight in several battles. The biggest being the Battle of the Somme and would later fight in the second battle of the Somme.

When the war was over and Aleyn was sent back to Britain. He was allowed to leave the army and return back to his home on the Isle of Man. Joyfully returning to his family and thought that life would return to normal. That only lasted two months, for one day as the family was having dinner. The only warning they had was two loud knocks on the door before it was forced open. Soon a creature attacked them and Aleyn tried to protect his family only to be sliced up and tossed aside. Knocking him out and the next thing he knew, he woke up in a hospital. Turns out one of his sisters was going to surprise Aleyn and his family with gifts that night. She would find him barely alive and rushed him to a hospital. When he inquired about his family, Aleyn was told that only he survived and he was devastated by the news. Not sure of what attacked his family and sounded kinda crazy on how he described the attacker. Aleyn tried to find any information he could find about what killed his family.

So far into his search, Aleyn could not find what killed his family and it was during a bout of drinking alcohol at his home did a message come for him. A letter that told him that he was invited to a meeting of the Order of Saint Thomas of Canterbury in the Four-Horse Club in London. Curious about who would invite him and the nature of the meeting. Aleyn would travel to London to find out more about this order and see what they have to offer him.

[Lavan Tiri]

Character Description

Name: Kazamir Durnovo III

Gender: Male

Age: 27

Nationality: Russian

Appearance:


Tall and wiry, with jaw-length dark brown hair and dark blue eyes. He is missing the ring finger on his right hand and has a thin scar above his upper lip.

Personal Effects: Several sets of western-style suits, plus fine Russian-style clothes and a less-expensive set of Russian peasant clothes. A silver cigarette lighter engraved with the phrase Non est lux sine tenebris. A short dagger and a derringer.

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Background:

What is your job

Prior to fleeing Russia, Kazamir had no real "job": he flitted about high society, picking up bits and pieces of his father's occupation as a diplomat to France for the Tsar, and spending a great deal of time hunting with other idle sons of nobility. He is reasonably talented with a rifle, well-read, personable and charming, and speaks five languages fluently--those being Russian, French, English, German, and Polish. He also possess a respectable amount of money, which was stashed away in English banks and the family's London townhouse by his father.

Backstory: Kazamir grew up in Moscow, his father and grandfather and innumerable generations of men before them servants and aides to the Tsar and the royal family. His mother was the second cousin to the Tsarina, and his father served in t he court of the Tsar--first as a military advisor, and later as the official Russian ambassador to France.

Kazamir II was a harsh, demanding man, who often dragged his son along with him on his months-long diplomatic tours of France and the rest of Europe. Although as a boy Kazamir despised these trips, he grew to love them as a young man, using any excuse available to slip away from his father and the national business being conducted and frolic about the capitals of Europe. He made a great deal of friends and connections among the young nobility and the artistic classes, particularly in Paris, Berlin, and London.

However, this reasonably happy existence was interrupted by the Great War. As tensions enflamed across Europe, sparked by the assassination of Franz Ferdinand in Serbia, Kazamir's father ceased taking his foppish son along with him on his business trips, and returned haggard and worn. Despite Kazamir II's best efforts on behalf of the Tsar, war had broken out.

Kazamir's friends in Berlin and Vienna stopped speaking to him, sending letters and telegrams filled with vile insults for the Russian. At home, tensions were rising, the peasantry growing infuriated by the slogging war and the fields of blood and the reign of the Tsar.

Kazamir was asleep in his bed in Moscow in 1917 when his mother Katerina awakened him and his sister Svetlana. She forced her sleepy children into ragged peasant-wear and shooed them out of the house with only sacks of clothes and supplies, and enough money for a train out of Russia.

Confused and frightened, Svetlana and Kazamir fled, only turning back when they'd crested a hill and heard a cry.

They saw their house, their beloved old family estate, go up in flames. A mob had surrounded the building, chanting and laughing and mocking. The siblings fled, leaving behind a Russia consumed by a brutal civil war between Red and White.

The train, the only one running at that late hour, departed posthaste, conveying them to Berlin. The Kaiser had been welcoming to the Russian nobles fleeing Lenin's war, although the nations were enemies. Svetlana and Kazamir spent the rest of 1917 in Berlin, while Svetlana--eminently practical--prepared to liquidate the family's remaining assets and move to their family's townhome in London. Preparations began in earnest after the Armistice was signed, and brother and sister boarded the train to the coast of France. After taking a ship across the English channel, they moved into the townhouse, and began searching for employment while burning through their remaining funds.

It was a dark, stormy night in the winter, when Kazmir was awoken by a cry from outside. Still in his night things, he stumbled downstairs, finding the door hanging open and a thick blanket of snow covering the ground. More snow was falling, obscuring the tracks he could barely see. He followed the footprints around the back of the house, and saw something he has spent every day trying to forget.

His sister, his beloved Svetlana, bleeding out onto the snowy ground, a shadowy figure bent over her. Kazamir, paralyzed by terror, watched as the figure dragged Svetlana away, into the snow and dark, while he was unable to even cry out for help.

He has spent his time since moping about his home, drinking heavily, and reading every book about murder and the occult he can lay hands on. The invitation to the Four-Horse Club is the first bit of true excitement and intrigue he's had, and he hopes he can find some information about Svetlanas death at the club or with the mysterious Order.

A WIP application.

[Dyelli Beybi]

Character Description

Name: Jesse Dredlen
Gender: Male
Age: 22
Nationality: American
Appearance:
(Image)

Personal Effects: Weighted dice near guaranteed to shoot a 7 or 11

---

Background:

What is your job: Gambler/charlatan
Backstory: *snip*

Not sure if you're quite done, but I love this app! He's accepted.

Character Description

Name:Luis Cargotta
Gender:Male
Age:23
Nationality:Italian
Appearance:
Tanned man, mostly white, dark green eyes, black hair, 5 feet, 9 inches, black trench coat)

Personal Effects: Black trench coat, crucifix, Italian pistol, leather gloves

---

Background:

What is your jobFormer soldier in the army
Backstory:He was a deeply religous person. So after the great war, he was approached by mysterious men.

This app is far too short and doesn't really tell me anything about Luis (if you're looking for an idea of what an excellent app looks like, look at Lessoni's one). I'd like you to expand on this a bit before we accept you. Here are some ideas.

• Luis is from Italy. Where abouts? What did he do before the war? Was he from a wealthy or poor family?
• You say he's a soldier. Did he volunteer or was he conscripted? Did he fight in the horrific battles against Austria in early 1915?
• Kinda tying the two together. What was his rank during the war?
• You've said he's religious. What religion does he follow? Being an Italian I'd assume he's an RC, but he could also be Jewish, an Italo-Albanian Catholic, a Waldensian or some other historic minority religion.
• Following on from that, what did he do to mark himself as especially religious? If he is particularly interested in his religion, does he have a good grasp of the liturgical language?

Character Description

Name: Edwin Abernathy
Gender: Male
Age: 35
Nationality: British
Appearance:
(Image)

Personal Effects: Civilian clothes, personal medals, Journal with pictures, Webley Revolver, box of cigars, trench lighter.

---

Background:

What is your job Soon to be discharged Sergeant in the British Army.

Backstory: *snip*

Looks good to me. As he's not an officer, I'm assuming he's a working class lad.

Character Description

Name: Aleyn Deyne
Gender: Male
Age: 28
Nationality: British(Manx)
Appearance: Aleyn

Personal Effects: Pocket watch, Colt Model 1908 Pocket Hammerless, flask(Filled with gin), A locket with a portrait of his family and a lighter

---

Background:

What is your job Former Soldier
Backstory: *snip*

[/list]

Looks grand. Based on the backstory, I'm assuming he was a private soldier who had become an NCO of some description by the war's end... though feel free to amend and make him more gentrified if you would prefer.

[Dyelli Beybi]

I think I've addressed everyone apart from Lavan's WIP app; when you're done just leave a note to tell me to go back. It's a solid concept so far and look forward to seeing him in the thread!

If I've missed anyone, let me know.

I will also create a couple of my own characters who will be the pre-existing face of the Order when your team show up.

[Sarderia]

Character Description

Name: Francesco "Frank" Piero Martelli
Gender: M
Age: 32 (born New Haven, Connecticut, 28th of January 1886)
Nationality: Italian-American from Federal Hill, Providence, Rhode Island
Appearance:
WIP

Personal Effects: 1867 Longines pocket watch, a pack of Cuban Cigars, Webley Mk.VI Revolver, Winchester M1911 Shotgun (painted Red, White and Blue).

---

Background:

What is your job U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (former), U.S Army 1st Expeditionary Division (former), Webley&Scott Gunsmith Birmigham (currently)
Backstory:
Early Years: New Haven and Providence
Francesco "Frank" P. Martelli was born on 1886 on New Haven, Connecticut. His father Guido Martelli was an Italian immigrant from Bergamo, Lombardy, who came to Connecticut after Garibaldi's Expedition of the Thousand concluded - as he was a soldier in the Expedition, and the political and economic instability in the newly-declared Italian Kingdom forced many to seek better life elsewhere. In 1862, Connecticut was still recruiting men to serve in the 14th Infantry Regiment. Guido, as a war veteran and saw little to no economic opportunity in the crowded New England area, enlisted in the 2nd Battalion. He quickly rose into the rank of Sergeant - having participated in battles such as Antietam. Charlottesville, and Gettysburg. Guido amassed a significant fortune after the end of the war, and married Mary McCulloch, the daughter of his Irish superior in the 2nd Battalion. They returned to New Haven and managed to acquire a new home in the city's little Italy neighborhood, as many more Italian immigrants began arriving in the United States in those years.

Before being a soldier, Frank's father worked as a blacksmith and gunsmith under the apprenticeship of his grandfather - the occupation is referenced in the surname Martelli being Italian for "smith". Guido Martelli was employed in the Winchester Repeating Arms Factory, where he worked specially to bulid custom models of the famous Winchester Hotchkiss and Model 1894, for example. Frank was the 5th and last child of Guido and Mary Martelli's marriage; he had three older brothers and a sister. Frank's brothers never had any penchant for their father's gunsmith and engineering business; the family fortune was enough to educate them to become respected lawyers, bankers, and businessmen. Guido Martelli was a known craftsman in the Winchester company, and he apperenticed Frank throughout the years of his work. On 1901 however Guido decided to resign from Winchester, having amassing a large amount of wealth and acquiring a new factory to start his own metalworking business, where the main products are watches, ornate pieces of lockets and blades, and other expensive antiques the rich of New Haven flocked to.

While the rest of his family continued on in the white-collar occupations throughout Connecticut, Frank decided to embrace his father's works instead. On 1907, Frank moved to Federal Hill in Providence - where Guido's cousin Leonardo Martelli has just moved from Milan - and started a branch of the famous Martelli works in the city. He worked at the Providence workshop only for four years, though, before deciding to enlist in the U.S Army on 1911. President William H. Taft, facing a Mexican political conflict and the Banana Wars, wanted construction of the Panama Canal be finished as soon as possible - Frank's previous occupation as a blacksmith made him eligible for stationing in the Army Corps of Engineers.

U.S. Army Career and the Great War
Not long after the Panama Canal was completed in 1914, the Great War erupted in Europe; however, the United States kept its neutrality for the first years. As an Army Corps of Engineers servicemen, Frank was stationed first in Wyoming to help the construction of several bridges crossing the state's gorges and valleys, and then stationed in the Mexican border. Occassionally during break days he would return to Providence and helped with his uncle Leonardo's business in the Martelli workshop. On 8 June, 1917, Frank's battalion received a command that summoned them to Fort Jay, New York City, where the battalion would be one of the many Engineer units that formed the U.S. 1st Expeditionary Division; America has declared war on Germany. They departed from Hoboken on 10th of June; the unit arrived at Le Havre a week later.

Frank's first assignment was artillery training in Le Valdahon. Most of the French and British troops present were using American-produced armaments back then, because the French industry itself has already been very strained courtesy of the war. The meager Engineer battalions could not address the problems in all Entente forces present at Le Valdahon at once, so the Engineer corps were divided. However, Frank still found himself serving with the 16th Infantry corps - the force that would parade around Paris to bolster the French people's morale. Coincidentally, his battalion were also the first American unit to fire upon German forces in the war. Frank himself saw little action; his job was primarily tending to the Army's vehicles and guns - but he manned several artilleries and followed charges in Soissons, because the 16th Infantry has been so strained that medic and engineers were required to defend themselves. Frank participated in the Meuse-Argonne offensive as a mechanic and a gunman. He was carried out by a medic battalion halfway through the offensive - a German sharpnel stuck in his right leg, but he managed to avoid amputation. Frank returned as an Engineer corps sergeant in the Battle of Montfaucon and capture of German defenses at Buzancy.

Post-War Years: Birmingham
Following the German armistice, the 1st Infantry Division was sent home to New York - however, there are options available if its members wanted to resign on the war's immediate aftermath. Frank met Catherine Haroway, a Royal Army nurse from Birmingham, in Paris after the war. He applied for resignation - being awarded several war honors from the Army, the resignation was quickly affected, and Frank granted a pension. Though Catherine and Frank haven't married yet, they decided to move into Birmingham, Catherine's hometown, to settle there. In addition to the pension, Frank earned his money through Leonardo Martelli's workshop, which was recently booming in Providence. The British industry were in for a year of massive job-recruiting following the war's aftermath. Frank's previous background as a gunsmith and in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers earned him a decent position in Birmingham's local gunsmith Webley & Scott, enough to give the engaged couple more cash to buy a larger home in West Midlands countryside after they married. However, a month after, Frank found two letters in his townhouse's mailbox - one from Webley & Scott regarding several ornate design orders... and another, from the ‘Order of Saint Thomas of Canterbury’ at the Four-Horse Club in London. Apparently, he's been invited to some sort of secret meeting, and Frank arrives in London with much curiosity.

[Dyelli Beybi]

Nice to see another WIP

For people thinking of creating a second character or who might be in the background considering joining in, I would suggest looking at roles like Zoologist, Doctor, Nurse, Detective (private or otherwise), Cleric, Poacher etc. etc.

[Sarderia]

Nice to see another WIP

For people thinking of creating a second character or who might be in the background considering joining in, I would suggest looking at roles like Zoologist, Doctor, Nurse, Detective (private or otherwise), Cleric, Poacher etc. etc.

Frank Martelli is an Engineer, where would he fit in the scenario?
I'd think a sceptic who for the first time is introduced to the occult aspects of society, which could be interesting

[Dyelli Beybi]

Nice to see another WIP

For people thinking of creating a second character or who might be in the background considering joining in, I would suggest looking at roles like Zoologist, Doctor, Nurse, Detective (private or otherwise), Cleric, Poacher etc. etc.

Frank Martelli is an Engineer, where would he fit in the scenario?
I'd think a sceptic who for the first time is introduced to the occult aspects of society, which could be interesting

Engineer is a pretty broad term, but since you've got him working at Webley and Scott atm, I'm assume he might have background skills that would allow him to create exotic weapon or ammunition designs (which would then take time to make, depending upon just how weird and wonderful the weapon is), which could prove handy. I'd also assume that he would be able to help in ballistics related detective work.

I also like the idea of a sceptic. It's good for the story to have a few Scullys along with the Mulders!

[Sarderia]

Frank Martelli is an Engineer, where would he fit in the scenario?
I'd think a sceptic who for the first time is introduced to the occult aspects of society, which could be interesting

Engineer is a pretty broad term, but since you've got him working at Webley and Scott atm, I'm assume he might have background skills that would allow him to create exotic weapon or ammunition designs (which would then take time to make, depending upon just how weird and wonderful the weapon is), which could prove handy. I'd also assume that he would be able to help in ballistics related detective work.

I also like the idea of a sceptic. It's good for the story to have a few Scullys along with the Mulders!

Yeah. Originally I plan for his backstory coming from Connecticut (because Winchester is HQed there), but I don't know if Connecticut have a significant Italian-American community (such as Providence's Federal Hill which is known as little Italy in New England), so Rhode Island is where he's coming from.

But his first job in the Army is the Corps of Engineers (which constructed bridges, repair vehicles etc) before being transferred to the Infantry, so he does have a good engineering background.

Also I've joined the Discord!

[Somerania]

Gives me Vampyr vibes

[Dyelli Beybi]

The Characters I am bringing in will be ones who are in the Order already and join with the 'newbies'. Here is the first one.

Character Description

Name: Renier van der Valk
Gender: Male
Age: 46
Nationality: Dominion of South Africa (originally from the conquered Orange Free State)
Appearance: A short but muscular man, Renier van der Valk is only 5'9'', with dark eyes and hair which is now mostly grey. He has a full beard which with keeps neatly trimmed.

(Image)

Personal Effects: Assorted practical outdoor clothing including a well worn leather duster and campaign hat.

---

Background:

What is your job Farmer, hunter and retired commando. Now Acting Master of the Order of Saint Thomas of Canterbury
Backstory: Renier van der Valk was born to a relatively poor Afrikaner farming family in the Orange Free State, in 1872. Like most boys from his area, Renier learned to hunt and track game from a young age, however, unlike the other boys in his area, Renier learned it was not just the lions and leopards that preyed on the unwary at night. After a close call, at the age of 16, with a creature Renier later discovered to be an 'Impundulu', he was recruited to the small outpost the Order of Saint Thomas maintained in the Free State.

Like most able-bodied men, Renier was also a part of a 'Commando' and when war broke out between the Boer Republics and the British Empire in 1899, he was conscripted, taking part in the Battle of Magersfontein before being captured by the Royal Canadian Regiment of Infantry at the Battle of Paardeberg the following year. The war was over for Renier, though the British use of scorched earth tactics and civilian concentration camps left Renier with a deep seated dislike of the British, and all their imperial lackeys, which took him years to overcome.

Renier was far from the only one who bore a grudge against the British and following the war the Chapter of the Order of Saint Thomas in the former Boer Republics unofficially schismed from the main Order in London and, for the first few years, struggled to hold back the tide of darkness in their part of Africa. Renier devoted himself more and more to the Order, never finding time to settle down and start a family, though he has three brothers, two sisters and a whole host of nieces and nephews.

Renier was raised in the traditions of the South African Dutch Reformed Church and Afrikanernasionalisme, though the answer for the the Chapter in the former Boer Republics (which had, due to nationalist prejudice, become a Boer-only institution) was to work with the local Basotho people, bringing them in to Order to fill the gaps left by wartime dead. Working with the Basotho has softened Renier's attitudes considerably to the point where he is seen as a bit of a radical liberal in his own homeland, though he still holds to the idea of the 'Promised Land of the Boer Republics'.

By 1916, with the ongoing war in Europe, the situation for the order was shifting and the manpower shortage was now in Britain. Renier's attitude had also softened towards the British (he now blames individual people, particularly Lord Kitchener, for what happened in South Africa, rather than the British generally) and when he was asked to come to London to help bolster the Order at it's Headquarters, he accepted, albeit somewhat reluctantly, seeing it as his duty to fight the good fight, no matter which continent it took him to.

Despite having only been in the country for two years, due to several recent disastrous missions and a number of missing senior officers, Renier van der Valk is now Acting Master of the Order. This is purely a matter of convenience and once the Order is in a position to elect a new Master, it is unthinkable that Renier will continue in the role.

[Endem]

Character Description

Name: Rémy Battier
Gender: M
Age: 43
Nationality:
Appearance: He basically looks like this stands at 5 feet and 9 inches, and weights 165 pounds

Personal Effects: couple of sets of suits, photos of his fellow pilots from the war, a MAS 1873 Revolver, a walking cane that doubles as a blunt weapon.

---

Background:

What is your job Private Detective, also a Pilot
Backstory:
Rémy was born in 1875 to a somewhat wealthy, yet slowly declining family, he received a good education and enjoyed what other children and teens from such families do, such as hunting and other esteemed activities, yet, this was all in the countryside, his life changed once he needed to move from his family's estate to pursue an education in the university.

He soon moved to Paris, where his logical personality and ability to deduce excelled as soon as he finished his studies, he found a new home in Paris as a detective, he became quite renowned In what he did, arresting some semi-famous criminals and solving a few cases which previously had gone cold, and he enjoyed it.

However, his prosperous career, and detective work, in which he practiced for 20 or so years needed to wait, Rémy was conscripted into the military, and assigned to operate an invention which had less age than him, or in other words, he was assigned to the French Airforce, in which he piloted a Nieuport 10.

Due to an unfortunate injury, he was discharged to recuperate in 1917, however, he now required a walking cane and was not called back to the front due to this, and thus he was free to come back to his favorite craft, and just in time, as a series of seemingly unrelated murders swept Paris, and Rémy was hired to take a look at it, he soon managed to trace this murders to a group of individuals that regularly met in the Catacombs of Paris.

He wanted to confront them, and thus capture them with a squad of police, and that would be his end, if only by a lucky occurrence, on the day before the planned confrontation, a book in the evidence locker which previously was disregarded as having little value caught his interest, and it was only because of the disturbing contents of the book did he bring a priest with him.

On the site, in one of the myriad chambers of the catacombs, they found a congregation of hooded figures, surrounding a terrified looking fellow, at first sight of the party of the policeman, Rémy, and the priest, the figures fled, yet the person remained, and was seemingly overcome by some force stronger than any man.

The priest did not manage to free the man of it, but distracted the being for long enough so that Rémy could shoot him, which saved all their lifes, the policeman, as well as the priest exhibited signs of shellshock and were admitted to a mental institution, however, Rémy had no such symptoms, and thus he was invited to the Four-Horse Club in London.

[Dyelli Beybi]

Engineer is a pretty broad term, but since you've got him working at Webley and Scott atm, I'm assume he might have background skills that would allow him to create exotic weapon or ammunition designs (which would then take time to make, depending upon just how weird and wonderful the weapon is), which could prove handy. I'd also assume that he would be able to help in ballistics related detective work.

I also like the idea of a sceptic. It's good for the story to have a few Scullys along with the Mulders!

Yeah. Originally I plan for his backstory coming from Connecticut (because Winchester is HQed there), but I don't know if Connecticut have a significant Italian-American community (such as Providence's Federal Hill which is known as little Italy in New England), so Rhode Island is where he's coming from.

But his first job in the Army is the Corps of Engineers (which constructed bridges, repair vehicles etc) before being transferred to the Infantry, so he does have a good engineering background.

Also I've joined the Discord!

Vehicle repair might be useful, though there probably won't be much need to build bridges!

I've given you a role etc on the Discord... hopefully that was actually you, otherwise someone will be very confused.

[Romextly]

Character Description

Name:Luis Cargotta
Gender:Male
Age:23
Nationality:Italian
Appearance:
Tanned man, mostly white, dark green eyes, black hair, 5 feet, 9 inches, black trench coat)

Personal Effects: Black trench coat, crucifix, Italian pistol, leather gloves

---

Background:

What is your jobFormer soldier in the army
Backstory:Luis was born in 1895 to Luigi Cargotta and Maria Cargotta. He was a farmhand on the family farm and was known to be religious and a strong teen. His family could belt out a living but were not a wealthy family. In 1915 he was swept up by the patriotic fever and signed up in the army. He participated in the misplanned battles for the Izonzo. All 11 of them. In the retreat back to Venice, He held off an Austrian Platoon and was given a medal. His rank by the End of the war was Sargent. He regularly goes to any Catholic church and was excited to go to Peters Basilica in the Vatican City. He regularly was found in the church between attacks, prayed the Rosary often, and before the war, dreamed of being a priest. He can speak some Latin. He was starting to return to his home when his squad was attacked by beasts. He survived but was scarred. His testimony was questioned and some thought he should go to a Mental Ward. He escaped Italy and in Czechia, was approached by the mysterious group

*Edited

[Dyelli Beybi]

Character Description

Name:Luis Cargotta
Gender:Male
Age:23
Nationality:Italian
Appearance:
Tanned man, mostly white, dark green eyes, black hair, 5 feet, 9 inches, black trench coat)

Personal Effects: Black trench coat, crucifix, Italian pistol, leather gloves

---

Background:

What is your jobFormer soldier in the army
Backstory:Luis was born in 1895 to Luigi Cargotta and Maria Cargotta. He was a farmhand on the family farm and was known to be religious and a strong teen. His family could belt out a living but were not a wealthy family. In 1915 he was swept up by the patriotic fever and signed up in the army. He participated in the misplanned battles for the Izonzo. All 11 of them. In the retreat back to Venice, He held off an Austrian Platoon and was given a medal. His rank by the End of the war was Sargent. He regularly goes to any Catholic church and was excited to go to Peters Basilica in the Vatican City. He regularly was found in the church between attacks, prayed the Rosary often, and before the war, dreamed of being a priest. He can speak some Latin. He was starting to return to his home when his squad was attacked by beasts. He survived but was scarred. His testimony was questioned and some thought he should go to a Mental Ward. He escaped Italy and in Czechia, was approached by the mysterious group

*Edited

Grand, he's accepted.

Hop on the discord if you want to join in with the planning

[Dyelli Beybi]

Character Description

Name: Rémy Battier
Gender: M
Age: 43
Nationality:
Appearance: He basically looks like this stands at 5 feet and 9 inches, and weights 165 pounds

Personal Effects: couple of sets of suits, photos of his fellow pilots from the war, a MAS 1873 Revolver, a walking cane that doubles as a blunt weapon.

---

Background:

What is your job Private Detective, also a Pilot
Backstory:
*snip*

He's accepted as well.

[New Udonia]

Character Description

Name: Cowal Fergal Mulloy
Gender: Male
Age: 19
Nationality: Irish
Appearance:

Personal Effects: A monochrome (black and white photograph) with him and Sibéal.

---

Background:

What is your job: Factory Worker
Backstory: Cowal F. Mulloy grew up on an Irish farm. His family had supported his decision to move to Dublin in 1914 at the age of 15 after the outbreak of war. Easily winning a factory position, Mulloy threw himself into his work. He was the model worker, caring more about his paycheck than politics. By 1918 that had changed. On the 23rd of April, Mulloy and the rest of Ireland stopped working to protest conscription. Cowal, someone who wouldn't have known his Catholic from his Protestant finally had something to care about.
He continued to participate in the anti-conscription movements. He watched as both sides of the Irish turmoil joined together in a common cause.
At the end of the war, the temporary alliance began to fracture with whispers of rebellion. Cowal tried to distance himself by spending time with the girl he liked, Sibéal.

One night, Sibéal had convinced him to wait outside for her shift to end. Cowal wasn't nyctophobic, but something felt amiss. All of the other factory girls had left one by one, and when the night manager began locking up he shoved past her, oblivious to her shouts. Whether it was intuition or insanity he bounded up those dark stairs. The room was so black he couldn't make out a roller from a wall. The manager had followed him up the stairs, with her lamp. "Boy, what are you doing!" He had been calling out for her but there was no response. Desperate he shook the manager furiously, "Where is she!" When the manager inquired about the girl's identity he nearly lost it. "Sibéal, where is Sibéal!"

The manager's face blanched. "What- what did she look like?"
Cowal's face was reddened with rage. "You don't know? She has brown hair, freckles, and always wears a green scarf!"
The manager's voice was barely above a whisper. "Boy, you are too late, Sibéal is gone." Cowal's face was reddened by rage. "Where did she go! What did you do!"
"Sibéal died in the Easter Rebellion, two years ago."

He silently left the factory, refusing to answer her follow-up questions. Turning the corner he caught a glimpse of a green scarf, trailing behind its wearer. "Oi, stop!"
Dashing around the corner, he watched as they matched the speed of their pursuer, without a sound. Forcing himself to continue on he followed them for over an hour, they always kept the same distance between them. When he paused to rest, they froze. He saw them pass by a gate and disappear. Without looking at where he was going, Cowal kept moving.

A tip of a person's shadow was looming from behind a tall shrub. Without thinking, he turned the corner and didn't see anyone. Then he looked down.
A tombstone greeted his eyes and the inscription confirmed the manager's tale. The next week he received a mysterious invitation to London.

[Europa Undivided]

Character Description

Name: Narek Ashjian
Gender: A Man
Age: 32
Nationality: Armenian
Appearance:

Personal Effects: A frying pan (yes, a frying pan), a little magnifying glass, two changes of clothes, a notebook and pen, and a revolver. Plus a black trench coat.

Other than these, he also keeps old photos of everyone he had lost in the Armenian Genocide.

---

Background:

What is your job: Physiologist
Backstory:

Narek Ashjian was born into the wealthy Armenian urban class of Europe, living out his early life in relative luxury amongst his fellow elites in London. Of course, he and his family always remembered their less adventurous brothers and sisters that remained across the Mediterranean, and they often waited for months at a time, exchanging letters, affirming one another and ensuring that they were all well. In particular, Narek's father's cousin was a customs official in the Ottoman Empire, and so on. The Armenians have been a trusted part of the Empire for quite some time.

This would seem to last, they all thought. As Narek finished his medical studies in London, specializing in the art of examining the bodies of both living and dead, he would immediately return to his ancestral homeland in modern day northeast Turkey, where he utilized his skills as a physiologist to help in his community. Everything was idyllic and good during those days. Perhaps the two empires of Russia and Turkey seemed to be at odds, but there would be no war, at least for the time being, right?

The assumption that peace would last was soon shattered, however. In 1914, a driver took a wrong turn and brought the Archduke of Austria-Hungary right to the hands of his killer, sparking the Great War. At first, it did not seem that the Ottomans had their ire against the Armenian people; after all, they have always been a trusted part of it. However, Narek was amongst those that feared that the fact that Armenian troops were also fighting alongside the Russians would spark the Ottomans to act against them. He did not wait for anything to happen, and prepared a plan of escape in case anything happened.

And something did happen. In 1915, the Armenian Genocide was in full swing; Narek would see many of his relatives and friends and his wife dragged away and murdered en masse whilst he hid under that haystack. From that day on, his blood boiled with hatred and fury against the ones that sought to wipe his people out. As soon as all was clear, Narek, along with his last remaining friend on Ottoman soil, Ardavast, fled North towards Georgia, evading Ottoman patrols and Kurdish militias along the way. Their journey was made difficult by the active warfront, but the two of them persevered… until Ardavast got shot by a Turkish sniper while crossing unto Russian lines.

Narek was never able to bury Ardavast, as his corpse would be buried under soil dug up by artillery shells. This only made his spite against the Turks burn ever greater even as he was dragged towards safety by the battalion of Kartvelian and Armenian troops that he just ran into.

Distraught and excessively saddened by his utter loss, he travelled to Britain as soon as the war ended. He had just retired for the night at his old home when a letter was slipped under the door...