RwG Presents: Malleus Maleficarum

[Random_White_Guy]

Malleus Maleficarum

In a practice we joked in the Striders as "Creating the worlds longest Prelude" allowing some of our members to return to Ring 99 with a great adventure under their belts in returning from the deep rings I'm hoping to duplicate the process with a different genre of play.

During and after the adventures of the Seven Striders I received a fair deal of interest from people who were inclined to make a different sort of run on the Rings. While I vehemently cannot promise the same kind of success that was had by the last crew after a much needed few weeks break I'm very interested in trying again with a new crop of players and a new story to tell. Where the Striders were my take on a LOTR Fantasy/Pirate adventure I intend to use Ring Running to shift genres to Dark Fantasy/Horror motif.

There will be a limit of Six PCs allowed to join the company and those will be chosen primarily based on overlapping timezones. At present there's no solid timezone but over the next few days if people are interested i'll update the post.

Genre wise pick the staple of your choosing be it the Witcher, Hellboy, Penny Dreadful, etc.

Personally i'm more partial to the World of Darkness/Vampire the Masquerade so I'm all about that Hunter the Reckoning.

There is evil everywhere. Unknown to most humans the world is ruled and directed by supernatural forces beyond their comprehension. Vampires and Werewolves see humans as pawns in an endless battle for control. All of this is hidden from humanity. Vampire Feedings are explained as gang violence, werewolf attacks explained as animal mauling. But now a mysterious force has imbued a chosen few humans with not just the knowledge of the evil but the power to do something about it.

These imbued have become... Hunters. Those rare mortal who seek to take back the night from age old horrors...

[hide=Character background, non-vital] Born of Lord Norbert Velstra and an attractive young gardening servant of the Vale, Beauxregard Winespill lived a rather charmed life. In the wake of their tryst a life was eked out in combination dwelling of his mother's roots in Willowgrove Park and his Father's obvious ties to the Peerage Ward. The young man not the strongest, nor the swiftest, but where the lust for flesh and wine exists in the House of Velstra his replaced with an intense appetite for learning. By his mother's teachings he became a Physician. Lacking his brother Nicholas' gusto and stomach for the dueling pitch, his brother Ruul's talents for Magic, and his sister Natasha's vigor for social manipulation he found his own niche. With the decline of Willowgrove Park and the rise of the Mongrelwoods the Silver Hat Mercenary Company became something of hero worship. To face that which bumps in the night.

When he came of age rather than entering into Politics he was fortunate enough that his Father's charms and name mixed his Mother's intellect enough to secure him passage in the Silver Hats. A fresh faced youth he faced unmitigated horrors as he learned what bumps in the Night is feared for a reason. A war time doctor not in a fight between two Houses but thrown head first into the darkest curse - Treating his friends, brothers and sisters in the Hats, from Werewolves.

While the Silver Hats went to join the Blade Boom he remained at an outpost in the Mongrelwoods for a time confidential project recently taken public - A Cure for Lycanthropy.

Upon return from campaign he had a short tenured stay in Ticker Square before strife with a local bouncer of the Open Door saw him banished from the Square. Drifting listless in the Casino he found himself with a dangerous cocktail as declaration of War came down from the Merchant's Guild of Ticker Square. Resources, Knowledge of terrible dangers, and wanderlust. He needed only a team be they Mercenary, Retainer, or Refugee fleeing the coming strife.[/hide]

In short - I'm looking to put together a team of guards and guides to help my PC on his journey. My relatively novice PC who is more book-smart than field tested transitioning from the life of a charismatic and traumatized Gentleman-Physician to an elite Hunter of all things Supernatural.

As such a Public Flyer has been raised looking for experienced help as well as a Valet and Cook because the Peerage always travels in ~style~

Rather than racing to Ring One I've come up with some micro-goals in different Rings for helping lay the groundwork of establishing a PC Faction of supernatural hunters in the Peerage, replacing the Silver Hats who have abandoned for Ticker. Think of it as less a race for the King but more as a grueling training mission for facing the worst things the dark can throw. The success of which would have a crew of Deep-Rings familiar specialists returning to the Outrings.

At the end of our "Long prelude", if we survive reaching the deeper rings of the Grey Keep or Baz'eel the PCs involved would have great potential footing be it for earning a PRC, becoming Knights of their Houses, pursue their own Ring Running adventures, or joining my PC if he survives in attempting to operate and maintain a semi-secret society PC Faction in the City of Rings that hunt supernatural creatures.

Alignment: Any
Race: Human Majority as this is Peerage adjacent. Though a Halfbreed Orc or Elf/Planetouched could find passage as a more servile Valet or Cook.
Class: Non-Paladin.

Interested parties I welcome to leave word in the IC Letters thread or contact me on Discord as RwG

[Random_White_Guy]

As per tradition I would be glad to welcome people who have NEVER done ring running or PCs who are veterans looking for a fresh take on it.

Existing PCs are of course welcome to reach out of the concept fits your current character or new created PCS will have around a week's time to get their footing and get squared away before we "Embark".

As always some potential concept ideas:

- A Fighter with the Witch Hunter Perk on a mission to pursue Seamsick Wizards and curb the plague of Wizard Madness, helping my PC with combat training and survival skills in an Obiwan type role.

- A Sorceror who secretly possesses with the Maiden of Woe perk who seeks to use her talents as a Medium to help in my PC's understanding of the spirit world and laying spirits to rest ultimately seeking break her own afflicted bloodline's curse.

-A grizzled Ranger with FE: Outsiders and Fey to help my PC learn more of The Blood War, Demons and Devils, Exorcism, and combating the beguiling glamours of the Fey in harsh tutelage against high-magical foes.

- An Archaeologist and Explorer type Rogue seeking to serve as Valet to sneak passage into the deepest rings to see the wonders of the realm and deepest secrets.

- A Squire of one of the Great Houses embarking on a journey of proving to fight and train and tackle the Deep Rings to become a true Knight with the PRC and everything

- A savvy Sorceror seeking to become a Minor Lord by partaking in high adventure, facing dark threats, and earning Prestige of the deepest rings.

- Half Orc seeking to flee the War in Ticker and finding a better life as our band's Valet and packmule carrying our supplies and similar in exchange for passage away from 99

- A treasure-focused Mercenary who wants to see just how much fat contracts he can earn in the City of Gold, offering his talents free of charge in exchange for companions and passage to his destination

- A Vampire's blood-slave seeking to infiltrate and report to his Master to dstroy our company from within turning us all into horrific undead companions.

- A Minstrel looking for a front row seat to the greatest Ghost Story of all time to share at campfires throughout the Rings.

- A Weapon Master of the Whip who may or may not be loosely based on the acclaimed Belmont Family of Castlevania Fame

- A young acolyte Priest seeking to prove his faith by unarmed and without weapons using only the power of his prayer and keeping our company going through belief

- An Oathsworn who does not yet have his Oath and seeks to travel into the deep rings to find one of EFU's custom oaths only to wrestle with the fact he's been traveling thus far with some unsavory characters.

- A secret lycanthrope looking for a cure to Lycanthropy while hiding his affliction from our company

- A famed cook of Ticker Square who fears the War to come and wishes to open a pastry shop in Baz'eel.

[Random_White_Guy]

Just to update

1) Per this Posting The positions of Sorcerous Practicioner and Bodyguard have been filled.

2) We will be operating in the Eurocentric Timezones for this undertaking, anyone outside those playtimes will sadly be unable to participate.