Sign Up The Mansion

[Shy]

[center][IMG]http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e366/nifty_fifty/mansion%20cards/mansion.jpg[/IMG][/center]
[indent][i]The stately Rosengard Manor sits abandoned on this cold winter night. The looming iron gates and lavish exterior are slowly fading away into oblivion, a reminder of lost providence from so long ago. Once home to the most powerful family in the land, Rosengardâ??s fate changed forever with a mysterious killing spree that took place within its walls one terrible evening.

Some say the familyâ??s matriarch went mad, others say the Rosengard family fell victim to a curse, the result of their own careless greed. Stories tell that the spirits of those killed remain to haunt the estate until their murder is solved. Those stories are true. The game of souls is about to begin: One spirit will be freed from their eternal prison and allowed to pass on into the next life, but it wonâ??t be easy.[/i][/indent]

[size=6][b][font="book antiqua"]Life and Death[/font][/b][/size]

[indent]Welcome to [b]The Mansion[/b]. You will be playing as the spirits of those murdered so long ago, as well as the mortals who have been unknowingly summoned to the estate for a game of survival. Each spirit will secretly choose two mortals to enter the mansion as their champions. Throughout the game traps, magic and deceit will push each of the champions to their limits, until only one remains. That champion and their accompanying spirit win the game. I, The Gravedigger, serve as steward to this mansion and referee for the game:

[list][*] Each player will create several characters who are controlled by everyone participating in the game.

[*] Only the player and the gamemaster know which characters belong to him or her, and itâ??s essential that the secret is kept for as long as possible.

[*] The players try to kill off each otherâ??s characters with [b]Death Cards[/b], and revive their own dead characters with [b]Life Cards[/b]. Additionally, there will be many other cards that affect the flow of the game. They include (but are not limited to) [b]Creation Cards[/b] where a player can add a new character to his or her roster, and [b]Shield Cards[/b], which protect a specific character from Death Cards for one round. Cards handed out by the gamemaster at the beginning of the round must be used by the end of the round.

[*] Cards are dealt by the gamemaster at random and in secrecy at the beginning of each â??Round.â?? A round lasts for as long as it takes for each player to use all of their cards. At the end of a round posting ends until the gamemaster deals out cards again.

[*][b]Bonus Cards[/b] (Fate Cards, Poison Cards, etc.) will be awarded to players after they complete certain actions using any character within the story. For example: A character who drinks alcohol within the story might award their player a Poison Card to use. All Bonus Cards are unique and can only be earned/used once. Bonus Cards can be used immediately or saved for later rounds.

[*]Players are eliminated at the end of the round if they have no remaining characters.

[*] The winner is the player whose character (or several characters) is the last one alive.[/list][/indent]

[size=6][b][font="book antiqua"]Power Cards[/font][/b][/size]

[indent]As mentioned earlier, the players will play both as ghosts and as the mortals chosen to represent them. While the mortals can be controlled by any player, the ghosts are player-specific, and will not be affected by any cards: They act merely as your avatars in this game. Each ghost will also have one unique [b]Power Card[/b] that they can use on the mortals to give them special powers. Hereâ??s the rules specific to this card:

[list][*]The power can help the soul to survive, or send it to an early grave. For example, the power of flying can be used to allow the soul to escape a dire situation, or to make it suddenly plummet to itâ??s death (by using a Death Card on the character).

[*]When the mortal with the Power Card â??equippedâ? is killed, the card will be [B]returned[/B] to the ghost to be used on a different character. The ghost may also opt to suddenly [B]remove[/B] the Power Card from the soul and give it to someone else.

[*]One character may have [B]several[/B] Power Cards invested to it, but there is only one Power Card per ghost, so one power cannot be shared.[/list][/indent]

[size=6][b][font="book antiqua"]Sign-Ups[/font][/b][/size]

[indent]Now, hereâ??s the sign-up sheet for your ghosts:

[INDENT][b]Ghostâ??s Name:[/b] It can be a proper name (Buddy) or a nickname (The Gravedigger)

[b]Manifestations:[/b] What your ghost looks like. No pictures necessary.

[b]Personal Description:[/b] Brief history of your character. Why they were in the mansion when the killings took place, or at least their alibi.

[b]Power Card:[/b] Describe the unique power that the ghost possesses (see the rules on Power Cards above.)[/INDENT]

To give you an idea on what Iâ??m looking for, here is my ghost, the judge of the game:

[INDENT][b]Ghost Name:[/b] The Gravedigger

[b]Manifestations:[/b] He is an older man whose dress and demeanor are straight out of the Wild West. He wears a solid black coat and pants, but has no eyes. He carries a shovel with him at all times.

[b]Personal Description:[/b] After decades of restlessness Gravedigger appeared before the spirits of Rosengard to make a bargain: They would participate in what he refers to as the 'Game of Souls,' and in exchange one of their spirits would be allowed to break their curse and pass into the ether. The remaining souls, both of those losing the game and of the newly-murdered victims, would become his property for all time. He is a grim presence, but a fair one. He will ensure that his game is run fairly, no matter what the cost.

[b]Power Card:[/b] CURSE: This character loses the power of sight and is rendered blind.[/indent]
You can post these in this thread, and once chosen I will require that each player create two characters to represent them within the game. Those characters will be sent to me via PM. Any questions, comments or concerns you have can be posted here.

Also: Special thanks to [i]Sandy[/i], and everyone who has helped to develop the concept of Death Card RPGs on this site!

- Shy[/indent] Edited August 5, 2010 by Shy

[CaNz]

I happen to be a card game enthusiast and would love to be able to play. I could go on for hours but I'll just say this is right up my alley.

~if anything is completely wrong please let me know.
[b]Ghost Name: [/b][font="Arial, Helvetica"][size="2"][color="black"][font="arial, Helvetica"][size="2"]The[/size][/font][/color][/size][/font] Bandit
[b]Manifestations:[/b] He is scruffy man wrapped in a lavish suit. his jet black hair is slicked back, and he wears a gray striped three piece suit, a black tie over is visible over a white collared shirt. Additionally, he has a silver pocket watch and chain, as well as silver and ruby cufflinks and a matching tie bar. The elegant attire is a vast contradiction to his face, which is badly scarred. the most prominent of which is his left eye: a gash running from his forehead to his cheekbone, clipping a portion of his eyebrow. the eye however remains though it is completely pale and cloudy. his other eye has a coal black iris. Somehow this eye is much more frightening.
[b]Personal Description:[/b] Randall the Bandit was a wealthy swindler, known for extortion, blackmail as well as general deception. He was only caught once. While he was laundering money from a local business. he was greeted by hired help. he was tortured for the location of the money, which he eventually convinced the men he would give back, but not before his eye was blinded. this did not stop him from pursing what he felt he was good at. After leaving his old location and the local business owner empty handed, his greed led him to the Rosengard's mansion, were he met his doom.
[b]Power Card:[/b] SWIPE: Steal one item in another characters possession. if he or she is not currently holding the item, it goes unnoticed. Edited August 1, 2010 by CaNz

[Sandy]

Thanks for bringing me back for another game of Death Card! ;D

[color="#008000"][b]Ghostâ??s Name:[/b][/color] The Green Lady

[color="#008000"][b]Manifestation:[/b][/color] She appears as a tall, lanky, elderly woman with a flowing white hair and hollow, teary eyes. She wears a pale green gown and a long-fringed shawl around her shoulders. Wherever she passes, she leaves a faint trail of a fragrance of rotting roses.

[color="#008000"][b]Personal Description:[/b][/color] She was once the matriarch of the family that inhabited Rosengard, and the rose garden that gave the mansion its name was her pride and treasure. She had a way of playing favorites with her numerous offspring, pampering others while neglecting the rest. She was also extremely capricious, and one could fall from her favor from the slightest misconduct. To the guests of the mansion she was always polite and generous, but that was merely a facade she maintained to protect the privacy of her family.

[color="#008000"][b]Power Card:[/b][/color] [i]ROSE BRIARS[/i] - holding this power card allows the mortal to grow a thick hedge of roses anywhere to block entrances or corridors, or to cover them up to shield them from physical harm. Edited August 1, 2010 by Sandy

[Ellerby]

[color="#696969"][font="Tahoma"]Yay another one! I was always bummed out that I missed The Labyrinth. I guess this would be a sort of... [i]spiritual[/i] successor. Ohohohoho.

[b]Ghostâ??s Name:[/b] The Detective

[b]Manifestation:[/b] A determined looking middle-aged man with a thick sheriff's mustache and combed back blonde hair topped with a grey fedora. He wears a white dress shirt tucked into dark grey dress pants with a black trench coat over top. A chronic smoker, he's never caught without a cigarette in his mouth so you will often smell him before you see him.

[b]Personal Description:[/b] One of the eldest sons of the Rosengard family, he didn't actually reside in the manor but a few hours away in a nearby town. He worked there for nearly 3 years without returning to his family but eventually he found himself homesick and had to go back for a visit. Unfortunately it would be the death of him.

[b]Power Card:[/b] SMOKESCREEN: Using this card creates a thick cloud of poisonous smoke that is nearly impossible to see through.[/font][/color] Edited August 1, 2010 by White

[Heaven's Cloud]

[color=indigo][b]Ghost's Name:[/b] Byron

[b]Manifestation:[/b] In death, as in life, Byron looks like someone who puts tremendous thought into his appearance. His perfectly tailored navy suit hides his slight belly; his crisp white french-cuffed shirt is contrasted by a dimpled red and navy club tie and flashy ruby cuff-links. Byron's cherubic face is clean shaven, his eyes the color of the ocean and his perfectly coiffed mane the color of salt. Offsetting his natty attire, Byron's trousers are rolled up to mid-calf. His ankles and bare feet are covered in what looks to be gray clay.

[b]Personal Description:[/b] For years Byron was a successful stock broker who specialized in earning high returns for unsavory individuals. He thought he would die on the exchange floor, taken by a heart attack. He thought wrong.

[b]Power Card:[/b] GLOOM: The character becomes horribly depressed and is filled with a sense of self-doubt and paranoia. [/color] Edited August 1, 2010 by Heaven's Cloud

[Inuyasha Fandom]

Name: The Twins Rin and Len

Manifestations: They hold dominion over the Mansion's Play Room, and it is here they are most often seen. They appear as an eight year old pair of twins, and are always together, Rin with her teddy bear and Len with his white ball. They are usually heard before seen, as they often giggle before making themselves known. The little girl appears wearing a frilly, laced, poofy, and extravagant white dress, her bright blonde hair in pigtails, and always with a barette in the likeness of a rose. Her feet are clad in black mary kay shoes, and her stockings are decorated with pink bows. The little boy appears wearing a white dress shirt and slacks, with penny loafers and his hair in a ponytail with matching facial features and blue eyes. These two also hold evidence of the brutal murders that took place within the once stately manor. Rin and Len both bear the evidence of ligature marks on their necks.

Personal Description: These two were the children of family freinds of the Rosengards, left in their care when the twins' parents decided to take a second honeymoon cruise. Delighted to have such youthful guests, they were doted on by the Rosengards. But, saddly, a month after they had been at the home, they and all inside the home met their fate.

Power Card: PLAYTIME: When this card is activated, the room in which the card bearer stands becomes a nightmarish version of itself, with the twins themselves appearing personally to annouce 'a game' to be played,and one where the twins make all the rules. The bearer of the card is not immune to this, and so must also play. But, these games are anything but child's play. One wrong move might get you killed. Edited August 2, 2010 by Inuyasha Fandom

[OMNOMNOMALY]

[font="Garamond"]Ghost's Name: Diana

Manifestation: Diana appears as a young woman, in her early twenties. She's conservative in appearance, a simple high ruffled button-up collared shirt, her long light blonde wavy hair is styled neatly in a low bun, a few tendrils drift around her face. She wears a long deep crimson coloured skirt. Her face is set in a kind and forlorn expression, large bright green eyes offset by pale pink cheeks.

Personal Description: A servant of the mansion, specializing mainly in nanny jobs. She was strict but fair, taking her duties seriously and trying to make sure things were always in order. Diana came from a poor family in a nearby town and felt as though her life was to turn around after she was chosen for the job among many other girls. She was fatally mistaken.

Powercard: HUSH - renders one character mute - silent and deaf - of the player's choosing.[/font] Edited August 2, 2010 by Anomaly

[James]

[indent][font=palatino linotype][b]GHOST'S NAME[/b][hr]20[/hr]
The Librarian


[b]MANIFESTATION[/b][hr]30[/hr]
Having only ever been sighted in [i]The Great Library of Rosengard[/i], The Librarian has not been encountered often. Various sightings over several years portray The Librarian somewhat differently; while it is certain that she is female, one witness may describe her as being young and beautiful, while another will describe her as being of very advanced age.

Other than gender, there are several prominent features of The Librarian that [i]are[/i] consistently mentioned. Arguably the most prominent is that, when spotted, she is reading a heavy book entitled [i]Knights of the Old Globe[/i]. At one moment she is sobbing quietly, at another moment she is laughing hysterically and - when at her most dangerous - she is crying out in anger, tearing pages from the book and searing them with fire.

Very few who have encountered The Librarian have survived to speak of it; those who did survive either passed away shortly afterwards or went mad. As a result, the description above is about all anybody knows of her. Even her garments are said to change with each unique encounter.

[b]PERSONAL DESCRIPTION[/b][hr]40[/hr]
As per the description of The Librarian's many manifestations, it is true to say that very little is known about her history. Over the years, many different people have joined the staff to run [i]The Great Library of Rosengard[/i].

What is known is that on the night of the murders, there were no less than three librarians working in Rosengard. Usually, the librarians would have been sent home hours prior - but for some reason, three of the staff were still present late at night. The reason for this is not clear, although some historians suggest that the family's matriarch was desperately trying to sell Rosengard to a secret buyer. The rumor goes that, in preparation for this, she ordered her librarians to find a particular book and remove it from the library before the sale was confirmed. Perhaps that book was [i]Knights of the Old Globe[/i]? Nobody knows for sure.

Of the three librarians on duty that night, one was a middle-aged woman named Helena Lockmere. Most rumors suggest that Helena Lockmere is, in fact, The Librarian, however there is almost no evidence to support this claim, except for actual witness reports (which themselves vary so greatly).

[b]POWER CARD[/b][hr]50[/hr]
[b]EMPATHY:[/b] Allows one character to look and sound identical to another character for a limited time (i.e. shape shifting).

[/font][/indent]

[Shy]

Great sign-ups everyone! I'm really pleased with what has been posted so far, but of course there is room for more if someone else if more people are interested in participating. I'll leave sign-ups open for another few days, and hopefully launch the RPG sometime on [b]August 5th.[/b]

A minor note about sign-ups: I'm pushing for a more timeless and fantastical feel to this story, so please try to keep any specific references to real cities or historical events out of your posts. Heaven's Cloud using the stock market is perfectly fine, though. Many countries have a stock market, so it's not a big deal. Let me know if there are any questions.

[b]Edit:[/b] I figure I might as well include the information about what to send me in regards to your secret characters. I may ask some players to alter their Power Cards, but everyone so far will be accepted. PM me the following information about the [i]TWO[/i] characters that will be your champions within the game. Remember that from the following details these characters are blank slates; their personalities and backstories will be created by all of the players over the course of the story.


[indent][B]Picture:[/B] Include a PHOTOGRAPH of your character. I will modify this image to create a posting avatar.

[B]Name:[/B] first name and family name

[B]Gender:[/B] male or female

[B]Age:[/B]

[B]Occupation:[/B] if the character is still a child or has retired from some job, mention that as well[/indent]

-Shy Edited August 2, 2010 by Shy

[Gavin]

[indent][font="Tahoma"][size="2"][b]Ghostâ??s Name:[/b] The Butler

[b]Manifestations:[/b] Once chief servant to the Manor of Rosengard, the Butler is a stern, officious poltergeist still consumed by his duty to the maintenance of the estate. Garbed in a crisp black suit and finely polished shoes off-set by a stark white shirt, bow and gloves. From the descriptions of those who have encountered the house steward he is a tall, thin man in his mid forties with dark combed-back hair showing the first signs of grey, a neatly trimmed moustache and a pair of small golden framed glasses which hide his eyes. Those who observe proper etiquette and protocol within his gaze are said to be safe, and the spirit is often found tutting quietly to himself as the roams the vast manor's vast hallways.

[b]Personal Description:[/b] Holder of one the most trusted position of service within Rosengard the Butler has continued a hereditary legacy left to him by his father and his father's father going back several generations, having succeeded his elderly parent only a decade prior to the ghastly events that would unfold. Prim and proper to a fault, the Butler was a rigid but not unfair taskmaster in seeing to the daily affairs of the manor for his mistress and her family with mechanical precision. Reputed to have served in the armed forces for several years in order to properly understand discipline and absolute loyalty.

[b]Power Card:[/b] [b]HALT![/b] - The Character is frozen with fright from the authoritarian shout and unable move. [/size][/font][/indent]

[Nathan]

[font="Arial"]I'd like to express an interest in this. However I don't have time before work to finish preparing a sign up. I will be able to do that via editing this post tomorrow evening. Provided you are still accepting applicants at that time.

[b]Ghostâ??s Name[/b]: Angel

[b]Manifestations[/b]: She looks like a young teenager. Depending on her mood she is either in a old fashioned proper dress or a simple pair of jeans and white t-shirt. She has brown eyes and her dark brown hair is always pulled up in twin pony tails.

[b]Personal Description[/b]: She was attending school to prepare for becoming a lady as befitting her social status or to work as a nurse. Angel was a lonely young lady and often spent her evenings in the library either reading or doing homework.

[b]Power Card[/b]: Ghost. This card grants the bearer the ability to move through solid objects. How long it lasts or how often they can do so depends on their current level of alertness.
[/font] Edited August 6, 2010 by Nathan

[Shy]

[quote name='Nathan' date='04 August 2010 - 04:46 PM' timestamp='1280965594' post='698863']
[font="Arial"]I'd like to express an interest in this. However I don't have time before work to finish preparing a sign up. I will be able to do that via editing this post tomorrow evening. Provided you are still accepting applicants at that time. [/font]
[/quote]
For you, anything! That goes double for anyone else who might be interested: I probably won't be able to get the first post up until the weekend, so by all means sign-up.

Some of the players who signed-up for the RPG haven't sent me their characters. I don't have a set number of players in mind, but once I have a sufficient group I'm launching things. It's better to get things sent to me sooner rather than later.

- Shy

[ExcelExcel]

Name: The Drowned Lady

Manifestations: This particular spirit is still a force of mystery surrounding her identity. Always seen as a sopping wet female figure with a terrible wound across the side of her forehead, the Drowned Lady appears to be more of a freshly animated corpse that has just crawled from the briny deeps. She still bears a striking semblence to her former body, it barely having had a chance to bloat and disfigure her fine curves. Her skin is a mottled blueish grey, dark purple veins rippling visibly just beneathe her skin. She is apparent to be a woman of great beauty, her lips full and lush, her lashes long, and her nose small and delicate. Her deep red hued hair was in a bun, though now it hangs streaked about her face, clinging stringily. Her lipstick is faded, and her mascara has bled down her face like tear trails. Her black dress is tight, and clings to her body, soaking wet and leaving nothing to the imagination. The bottom of this dress is comprised of a mass of ribboned bows, curls, and waves of fabric, dingy white in color. The very air around her is think and cloying, exuding the essence of her watery death.

Personal Description: When the discovery of the tragedy took place, the Poolhouse contained one body. It was a woman's body, though the water had already taken its toll upon her flesh, rendering her unidentifiable. What's more, the grand piano housed within the poolhouse for the parties held in the summer was found to have been pushed into the pool to weigh the body down. Because of this fact, as well as a few noted documents and knowledge of the family, the Drowned Lady is thought to be the spirit of Rolina De Fonte, a young up and coming female pianist and wife of the youngest son of the Rosengard family. Before and after her marriage to Reston Rosengard, she was often an invited perdormer to the almost legendary balls and parties the Rosengards held, and always played sitting at the very piano found in the pool. According to many people questioned, it was well known that the Rosengards weren't to be having another of these parties for some time. It was this and the fact her husband's body was not among those found that begged the question as to why Rolina would even be at the Rosengard estate.

Power Card: WATERWORKS: Once this card is activated, heavily chlorined and putrid water floods into the room via any means nessassary, spraying from broken pipes, gurgling up from sinks and toilets, raining down from chandeliers, or blasting through holes in the walls. It has not been unknown for the water to simply bubble up from the floorboards and carpet. The water always appears regardless of the fixtures in the room. If the door into the room is shut, the room will flood to capacity with water, allowing the Drowned Lady to share with the occupants her watery, gasping death. Edited August 7, 2010 by ExcelExcel

[Shy]

Sign-ups are closed, and I just started the Backstage thread. I expect the RPG to launch within the next day or so.

Thank you again to everyone for your interest so far!

- Shy

Edit: We're up!