erusian
Really Really Experienced
- Joined
- Jan 26, 2005
- Posts
- 390
I've had some success with this in SRP, so I'd like to give this a go in ORP...
Hell. We're all headed that way, we might as well warm up to the idea.
In this incarnation, Hell is set in an endlessly twisting and swirling miasma of chaotic landscapes, dreamscapes, nightmares, and debaucheries. Your surroundings may shift from stark, wind-blown plains of ash to writhing, bacchanalian orgies in be-silked marble halls.
Just over twenty years ago, Hell witnessed its greatest civil war. In the aftermath of that war, 'The Sundering', much of Hell's heirarchy is in disorder. As it is slowly rebuilt and restructured, much opportunity exists for those strong and quick enough to seize it.
You are demons, vampires, witches, blasphemers, warlocks, sinners, succubi - you are the damned. You are in a society ruled by those strong enough (or crafty enough) to strike fear in the hearts of their peers. Those positions are ever tenuous, though. A master or mistress may well become a slave, should they lose their footing in this treacherous land.
Beware of trust. There is no more ready host to betrayal.
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The Hierarchy of Hell:
Lucifer - Rules over all fiefdoms of Hell. This position is reserved to the Lord Lucifer and cannot be attained by another. He is Papa Satan, after all. He rules from the seventh level of Hell.
Below Lucifer are the monarchs, the underkings (or queens) of Hell. There are three of these positions, initially ruling over two principalities each. The underkings are constantly at war, each vying for the holdings of the others.
Each principality is overseen by a prince, or princess. There are six principalities representing the upper six levels of Hell. Lucifer rules the seventh and final province. The environment of each level is up to the whim of the prince. He or she may set the tone as they wish.
Beholden to the princes are, in order of prestige and power, the dukes and duchesses, counts and countesses, knights and ladies, and finally, the common rabble.
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Prestige and 'Soulstones':
You may begin at any point in the hierarchy that you like, from underking down. However, you begin with only 1 point of prestige. Each point of prestige is represented in the form of a 'Soulstone'. These jewels may be worn in any fashion you like. The more you have, the better you will fare.
Prestige is what determines the strength of your position. If you start low and work your way up, you are better able to gain the prestige needed to hold on to your position at the top.
Lucifer will grant one point of prestige once every week.
Prestige is awarded according to how Lucifer judges your style. Are you sly? Devious? Ruthless? Seductive? Menacing? The better you describe and define your character and surroundings, the better off you'll do in this milieu. Of course, sometimes he awards based on entirely on political expediency. It's all up to the Devil's whim. His word is final.
Prestige can also be gained or lost by moving up (or down) the ranks of Hell. If you feel that you are strong enough to usurp your liege, you may attempt a coup. When that happens, please PM me before joining the battle. I will determine the outcome of the battle as described below in Combat.
The winner of a coup, be they attacker or defender, strips a Soulstone from the loser. This means that you can even lose the single point of prestige that you begin with. But then, of course, you may be victorious and make a slave of your master. Gaining power and position in Hell is a risky proposition. Do you have the mettle for it?
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Attributes
As characters, you will start with 6 points to apply to four categories:
Strength: Raw physical power. This will factor into confrontations of the flesh, weighed against your opponent's Evasion.
Cunning: Mental agility. This will factor into battles of mind, weighed against your opponent's Will.
Evasion: Physical dexterity/toughness. This will factor into confrontations of the flesh, weighed against your oppornents Strength.
Will: Mental fortitude. This will factor into the battles of mind, weighed against your opponent's Cunning.
Attributes are directly affected by Prestige points. The power of Soulstones, gained by either by reward or battle, may be harnessed to increase any of the four attributes. Inversely, should you lose a Soulstone in combat, you must choose which of the four attributes will be diminished!
These attributes will not be known to your peers. When you have decided on what you want your scores to be, simply send them to me via PM. Any time you receive a Soulstone, let me know which attribute you would like to bump.
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Combat
The nature of combat has a certain random element to it. Things do not always work as intended. And then, sometimes, things work exceptionally well. One can only affect the outcome by honing their skills in attack and defense. This is accomplished by applying awarded prestige to your attributes.
Any time that you're affecting someone against their will - mesmerizing them, throwing them around, breaking their arm, focusing the agonies of a thousand martyrs into them... it's unfair to assume that they will fall prey to your intentions.
Thus, I've had to devise something that will make it a bit more judicious:
To initiate combat, the attacker must PM me and the defender of their intent. The attacker will declare the nature of the attack as physical or mental.
Combat will be settled in five 'rounds'. I will begin with a random value 1-10 and add the value of your attacking attribute (Strength or Cunning) against a random value 1-10, plus your opponent's defending attribute (Evasion or Will). Whichever result is higher wins that 'round'. I'll do this five times to determine who wins the majority of the rounds.
Once I have resolved combat, I will notify them both attacker and defender of the outcome.
It will then be the task of the attacker to detail the battle, whether they win or lose. Being the aggressor, they have a better sense of where they wanted it to go. It will be up to them to consider the results of combat when writing the outcome.
When writing the outcome, it is very important to remember that the attempt has already been made. Whether you have succeeded or failed, you tried to grab/throw/dominate/burn/overthrow your target. The writing of the outcome should include the attempt and the results!
Of course, if another arrangement is made between the combatants, either or both can write the details of the fray.
Death can happen, but it will be rare. Most often, losing combat will result in the vanquished retreating to lick their wounds. Death can happen only if a character loses combat in a coup attempt and has no Soulstones left. In that case, the victor may claim the very soul of the vanquished!
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Miscellaneous
As for seduction, well, that will be entirely up to you. What are you willing to trade for the demon's caress? Sex is power, and letting yourself fall sway to the charms of an underling yields some of your power to them. Is it worth it? Well, maybe...
You may employ magic and powers as you like, but I warn against trying to make yourself too 'uber'. We all have weaknesses and faults. These aspects follow into the netherworld as well. If you cross the line too drastically, the devil may have his way with you. And besides, everyone will hate you. Oh, and bad spelling and grammar is a sure ticket to the devil's wrath. Take care to proofread!
In the interest of keeping the storyline flowing, if you are absent from the thread for over 7 days with no prior warning, your character will be destroyed by Lucifer (or some representative thereof. Lucifer gets kinda busy sometimes.) If you wish to return thereafter, you will need to create a new character and begin again. As long as you let us know if you're going somewhere or cannot contribute for a given amount of time, just let us know in the OOC thread and your character will be preserved during your absence.
If anyone has any suggestions on ways to improve this scenario, please make your suggestions on The Hallowed Halls of Hell OOC thread.
Let's give it a shot and see how it goes
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The Who's Who of Hell
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The first kingdom - Limbo
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Sovereign: Unclaimed!
- First Circle
Sovereign: Unclaimed!
- Second Circle
Sovereign: Unclaimed!
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The second kingdom - Gahenna
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Sovereign: Unclaimed!
- Third Circle
Sovereign: Unclaimed!
- Fourth Circle
Sovereign: Unclaimed!
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The third kingdom - Tartarus
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Sovereign: Unclaimed!
- Fifth Circle
Sovereign: Unclaimed!
- Sixth Circle
Sovereign: Unclaimed!
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The Seventh Circle - The Abyss
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Sovereign: Lucifer - erusian
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