“Do good,” Flynn’s mother said to him the day she died. “Stand in the light.”
He’d hardly understood what doing good meant at six years old. He wasn’t sure he was much closer at eighteen. Here he was, after all, wasting what should have been his proudest moment, still trying to puzzle out the good thing to do.
Joining the police academy was supposed to be the honorable thing. There weren’t many options available for a street urchin like him, and this was far preferable to slowly rotting away begging for scraps like so many others in the city. As long as Flynn could remember, it had been his dream to stand armed among his brothers in uniform.
But he didn’t feel like he was standing in the light. All he could think of now was Thomas with the gaping hole through his neck, drooling red as he made that honking pig sound. The last he’d ever make. And Eddie, laid on the ground with blood smeared across his face, jaw-hanging open as the others named him a murderer. And the other thing he saw last night…that abomination. He should’ve told the truth, but who would believe him?
Thomas was a good man, who stood for those beside him just as a member of the police squad was supposed to. Surely he hadn’t deserved to die for that?
Eddie cared for nothing past the end of his own nose. Flynn still bore bruises from the last time he had to help calm Eddie’s drunken rage. Even so, surely he didn’t deserve to be named murderer for that?
Flynn glanced guiltily up at the statue of the scales, the emblem of Penumbra’s police force. Towering in judgment over him. He squirmed as though he was the one who’d killed Thomas and named Eddie a murderer. All he’d done was watch.
Watch and do nothing.
The Captain was always first to arrive and last to leave. Flynn had waited until all the others had gone for the evening before approaching his office. Flynn’s heart beat loud in his ears. His mouth opened.
“Captain Elliot!” he blurted, far too loud, and then, as the police captain turned toward him, croaked far too soft, “I need to speak to you.”
“What about, Flynn?” That gave him pause. The department was huge, he hadn’t thought the Captain would even know his name.
“About Edward Blake.”
A long silence. The captain might only have been a few years older than Flynn, pale-skinned and pale-haired as if the color was washed out of him, so gaunt a stiff breeze might blow him away, but close up there was something chilling in the captain’s eye. Something that caused Flynn to wilt under his gaze.
But there was no going back now. “He’s no murderer,” he muttered.
“The others think he is.”
His throat felt dry, but Flynn pressed on. “The others weren’t there. They didn’t see what I saw.”
“What did you see?”
“It was our day off. We were sharing drinks at the Rat’s Nest-“
“Yes I already know all this. Get on with it.”
This wasn’t going as well as Flynn had hoped. “Eddie and Thomas got into an argument, something about Eddie’s drinking habits. They took it to the alley outside…they started fighting. But then, there was something else there. It was- It was a monster!”
Captain Elliot glanced toward the office window, and eased a little closer. “But Flynn,” he whispered, “I already knew this as well.”
Flynn tripped backwards, gaping in horror at the nightmare that had suddenly appeared before him. The captain was covered slowly by a wispy shadow, his head arched forward and he grinned revealing a bright set of razor sharp teeth. It was the creature from last night, and up close it was even more terrible than he remembered. “You! But—“ he began to shout out for help but found he could not speak with the monster’s jaws clamped onto his neck.
It didn’t take longer than a few minutes for the beast to finish its meal. He gave a satisfied burp as the last traces of officer Flynn Avery melted away in his stomach, cut his contentment was cut short by the shadow that suddenly flashed in front of him.
“So, it was the captain all along? This city never ceases to amaze me,” came a stranger’s voice.
“Who are you?” The captain snarled, still in his monster form. The man that stood before him looked like a genuine mortal. How could he have snuck up on him so easily?
“I am the hunter,” the man said calmly as his silver blade sunk into the captain’s chest. “And you are my prey.”
Penumbra
Spoiler
Welcome, Hunter
Penumbra - the city that never sleeps. Always moving forward, like a well-oiled clock with all of its gears in place. It is without a doubt the largest, wealthiest, most progressive city in the world. Everyone does as they are supposed to: the aristocracy forever dither on at their socialite gatherings, the artificers hustle in their shops during the day conducting their business, and the impoverished scatter throughout the streets and alleyways forgotten by everyone else.
But where there are the masses there must also be massive ignorance. Rich, poor, young, old, from the noblest of lords to the lowliest of vagabonds, they’re all the same really. Sacks of flesh and blood, lambs to the slaughter, blind to the horrors of the night. Of course there are rumors that pop up now and again; stories of monsters living in the shadows, or friends possessed by demons. Most regard them as low class folklore, carrying on with their lives without giving a second thought to supposed sightings of beastmen or the walking dead. A natural response I suppose, though rationale and skepticism make for poor defenses against the razor sharp claws of a lycanthrope or a gang of bloodsucking imps.
The more superstitious among the city’s populace simply refer to it as the Dark – a tad unimaginative, but a fitting enough term. They are the outsiders. The strange. The monsters mothers tell stories of to frighten their children. They feed off of confusion, despair, and loneliness. But they mostly feed on us.
But you’re not like the rest, are you? You are not the sheep destined to fall to the wolf. No, you are a Hunter…and soon the creatures of the Dark will learn that they too should fear the night.
A Brief History...
Originally a small mining town, Penumbra experienced an industrial boom with the discovery of the world’s most precious resource – duskstone. The dark crystal was initially sought out as material for jewelry, though it’s commonness made it far less valuable than rubies or gold. It wasn’t until a hundred years ago when the scientific genius, Leviticus Blue discovered how to use duskstone as a source of energy. His breakthrough pushed Penumbra into an industrial age powered by the duskstone crystals.
A hundred years later, Penumbra has become one of the richest and most populous city-states in the regions. Though the Great Plague had attempted to decimate the city's population, even it would eventually fade away into the city's history. Immigrants pack themselves onto tiny boats along the Denied, hoping to find a life for themselves in Penumbra.
Though Penumbra is a Republic with a government headed by parliament, it is still essentially in the complete control of the city's aristocracy. Most of the large families had earned their name and reputation several generations prior with the discovery of the Duskstone, and earned their vast fortunes in the energy and technology market. However, they mostly all live in mansions along the city's Estate District. Talents and personalities of all kinds can be discovered littered throughout the rest of the city from artists to scholars to madmen.
Important Locations
Mining District – Duskstone Mines – Ancient Ruins –
Estate District – Huxley Manor – Smith & Engall – The University –
Dowd Manor –
Central District – Police Headquarters –
Parliament –
Safety – The Clocktower –
Mercy Hospital –
National Park –
Port District – The Denied –
The Marketplace –
Tartarus Energy Co. –
Braumhill Brewery – Sparrow’s Bridge –
Abandoned Wares –
Rogue District – The Rat’s Nest –
St. Augustine's Cathedral –
The Undercity –
The Glass Slipper –
The Outsiders
Spoiler
The Dark
Even among the Hunters with their vast network of knowledge and resources, much remains unknown about the Dark. However, it is largely agreed upon that the first appearance of the Dark came in the form of the Great Plague fifty years ago. The disease wiped out nearly fifty percent of the city’s population, mostly the poor and working class. The Forsaken crawled out onto the streets, crying for help as they bled out of every orifice. It was only through swift and ruthless action that the first Hunter, Eamon Dowd, managed to purge the city of its affliction – by completely annihilating all the Forsaken and all those who had come into contact to them. The smell of burnt flesh and smoke filled the city as piles of bodies were thrown onto the pyre.
While most of the city believes their ordeal is of the past, the members of the Fraternity know that it was just the beginning. Since then all sorts of monsters and demons have appeared within Penumbra. The city’s police usually find some excuse or another for all the mysterious murders and disappearances, and like the creatures of the Dark the work of the Hunters remains largely unacknowledged.
Even the more inquiring Hunters can only hazard a guess of where they actually come from. The hordes of bloodthirsty imps, the curse of the lycanthrope, the faceless one, the creatures of the Dark come in many forms.
The Fraternity
Formed fifty years ago by the first Hunter, Lord Eamon Dowd, the Fraternity is the secretive organization of the Hunters, monster slayers attuned with the dark said to be blessed with extraordinary strength and skill. Their existence is as much a myth as the creatures they hunt.
All members of the Fraternity are born with the Sigil of the Hunter, a symbol of their affiliation with the Dark. Each are granted a unique ability that reflects their true nature, varying widely from Hunter to Hunter. Before the Fraternity finds them, those who bear the Sigil often lead hard lives as outsiders, keeping their powers hidden to avoid persecution. By the time they are discovered and taken under the tutelage of their fellow hunters, those marked usually have nowhere else to turn to.
Character Sheet
Spoiler
[Appearance] Name: Though most will call you by your hunter’s name, at one time we all had another. Title: Same name as your Hunter's Aspect Age: Do you prefer cane or rattle? Sex: Either you have it or you don’t
Backstory: Remember to include when and how you joined the Fraternity.
Aspect of the Hunter: This will be given to you based on your character backstory, or can be requested at random before you start your CS.
Stats: Rank them A through E. Average denizens of Penumbra have a rank of E in everything.
Strength – Physical capabilities, lifting strength, running speed Vitality – Endurance, Darkness resistance, regeneration Skill – Dexterity, stealth, weapon proficiency Knowledge – Tool usage and creation, adaptability Bloodlust – Ferocity, madness Darkness – Attunement with and power level of your aspect
Skills: List any noteworthy abilities here that aren’t covered by Stats. For example something like "animal affinity" would be applicable while something like "marksmanship" would fall under the Skill stat.
Inventory: Everything you are carrying at this moment, you may change out your inventory between missions. Remember that Hunters are far stronger than average humans and can wield rather unconventional weaponry (be creative with it).
Are we allowed to create our own ideas of an Aspect, and hopefully get it approved by you? Unless you're going to just rip them out of Bloodborne and modify them a bit, and then slap them on our characters?
Unfortunately, because these forums are so slow right now I opened this RP in another forums. If you are still interested, send me a pm and I'll drop you a link.
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