Miz
Level 20 Mizard
Children of London
A Miz & Pineapple Production
Children of London is a game where you play as young-adults in London during the Josephinian Era (an alternative Victorian Era) that have been bestowed a magical familiar at the time of your birth. This familiar fell from a magical rift that appeared over London in the 18th Century, and has been bound to you for all of your life. It is through this familiar that you have gained individualized magical powers that only you can develop. You attend the Ambrose Academy as a student in order to gain a better control of your magical powers. However because you have difficulties with developing your abilities you have been placed in a special study group by the Academy’s Rector, Sir Benjamin Reeds. This group is the first of its kind and was created as an experiment by Sir Reeds to test various Arcanamagicism Theories and in the hope that it might improve your performance.
This group is expected to meet each day to practice together and aid each other in their endeavor. It is a contrast to the more individualized system of study practiced at the Academy. You are now forced into a group of magical misfits, trying to get better and stronger. How will you develop? Where will you go with your life?
Currently we wish to only have a limited number of players to play the game. This is because the game will jump through many time periods in our character’s lives and because we wish to have a close-knit group to allow for collaborative writing. For this reason we will not be expecting character submissions in this thread and instead will make a thread to discuss character creation when the forum is up.
For those who are interested, please read the content below at some time and post that you are interested in this thread. While all of it will be present in the Forum, it is important for your understanding of the setting and the game itself. We hope to see you in our game!
The Rulebooks
Storyteller
There is no storyteller in this game, all players are equally responsible for controlling and using the various NCC (Neutrally Controlled Characters) in this game. All character who are not PC (player characters) are NCC. This also means there is no storyteller to say what can and cannot be done. However, every player has a voice, and can call a player out if they believe the persons actions were out of character, or influenced by outside knowledge.
Theatrical Release
This game follows the historical evolution of plot. This means that the game is broken up into Acts and Scenes. Scenes are events that occur, and Acts are periods of time. Each player will get a chance to determine the event in a scene per act. Meaning, each player is guaranteed to have control over four different scenes. There will be scenes where no one gets to determine the events, these scenes will be there to progress the overarching plot of the game.
It’s important to note that scenes need to stay focused. If someone decided the scene will be about their character getting into trouble with the church, that is what we are dealing with. Characters can talk about other issues, such as their issues with their parents, however, this scene is dedicated to specifically solving the scene, so characters should not try to take over a scene or spend the entire scene not getting involved in that scenes plot.
Victorian Setting
This game takes place during the mid 1800’s london in the Josephinian era which is a strong parallel to the Victorian era in feel and social stigma. This means that people wishing to play the game will need to understand and be willing to learn about Victorian England. Learn about the clothing, the mannerisms, the rules, and social rankings. The largest change will be that females and male characters have vastly different roles in society than normal. Players should research what they need to know, and should feel free to ask about Victorian era customs from Pineapple and I.
Classless Academy
This game takes place at the Ambrose Academy. This academy is a place for magicians to develop their magical powers through the help and guidance of skilled Magicians and revolutionary Arcanamagisists. Here students are expected to study and practice their magical powers so that they can best serve the Crown and it’s realms. There are no organized classes, as all magicians have already gone through basic education as wards of the state. Here they are to focus on developing their innate powers.
Magically Challenged
Your characters while magically gifted must have some difficulty that is inhibiting their magical ability. This difficulty can be expressed through a conflict between the character and the familiar or be a physical complication that is affecting your character’s use of magic. This difficulty is necessary to the game because it not only gives your character a goal to strive for but also gives you a reason to be with this group of students to begin with.
The Other Races
Orcs
At Best - Stereotypes:
Strong, Loyal, Fearless, Diligent
At Worst - Stereotypes:
Dumb, Gullible, Reckless, Aggressive
Key Features:
Enlarged Canines, Opaque Tinted Skin & Prehensile Tails
Additional Features (Optional):
Over Developed Muscles
Unusual eye colours (Red, Gold, Purple, Bronze)
Unusual Coloured Hair (Dark)
Claws
Increased Height
Thickened Skin
Social Stigma:
Seen as strong and determined, Orcs are viewed as champions of physique and discipline. But for every respect given to Orcs for their strength and perseverance, countless more insults go against their intelligence. Considered the dullest and most reckless of mutants, Orcs are regarded as dumb and gullible, many finding it easy to trick or surprise them. Even so, Orcs are highly prized in professions dealing with manual labor or protection, this is because of their enhanced strength but also the belief that Orcs are loyal and easy to discipline. Additionally Orcs are pushed into fields of combat and war because of their broad stature and intimidating nature, but rarely are Orcs ever promoted to the ranks of officers.
Development:
Like all mutant infants, Orc children can be easily identified as mutants upon their birth. This is because of both races unnatural eye and skin colours. However the knowledge of whether a child is an Orc or an Elf is unknown until around the age of two.
The first stages of mutation manifest while the orc child is only a few months old; the skin and hair begin to darken and become more imbued with colour. These first few characteristics are at first mild but become extremely prominent after the age of two. Around this time the first signs of Orc-hood emerge as the child’s tail begins to develop, starting as a small growth appearing on the coccyx (tail bone), the small tail will continue to grow throughout childhood.
Young orclings should expect to experience the growth of enlarged canines at approximately the age of seven (when their permanent teeth begin to surface). This process has been compared to ingrown wisdom teeth in pain, though it typically last no longer than two weeks. At first small, these canines may continue to grow in length far into adulthood. In a few cases, these teeth have been documented to grow indefinitely. In some cases young orclings maydevelop their claws at the same time as their canines. The process begins as the orclings fingernails begin to thicken as they grow out. This causes a constant stinging sensation around the cuticle, creating a painful sensitivity in their fingers for weeks. Once fully developed, these claws are comparable to stone in toughness and require iron filers to dull.
Adolescence is a time where additional Orc features can manifest. The first of these, is the thickening of a orcling’s skin. This process varies drastically in children, developing first in those who perform manual labor. An orc’s skin may never become thick, but this is usually because of social obligations. The most commonplace for thicker skin for any orc is the palm of their hands and the soles of their feet, allowing many Orcs to forego gloves and shoes in manual labor. Like normal children, orclings also grow in height around adolescence. Normally this is in the form of a growth spurt, however unlike other children, orclings may exceed the traditional range of height and have an elongated growth time where they can reach remarkable size; up to eight feet over several years. This growth in height is also matched by an orcling’s tail. However it is not uncommon for the tails to lengthen before an upcoming growth spurt. Leading to an awkward period of time in an orcling’s life where their tail is disproportional to their bodies. The last feature to develop is an Orc’s enlarged muscles. This can occur in some Orcs around late adolescence, and press into adulthood allowing for some Orcs to gain their renowned stature.
The History of Mutants & Magic
1732 - Rift Appears
Mass panic occurs in the city of London as a strange fissure appears in the skies over the city. What started as a strange astrologically phenomena - a small speck of purple light in the sky - developed into a large gash of swirling purple and pink hues over the course of a few months. Directly over the head of Buckingham House, the strange tear causes anxiety and worry for those in city.
1733 - King George II purchases Buckingham House
After several months of panic in London over the tear in the sky, King George II believes the tear is a sign from God and purchases the lands from the dying duchy of Buckingham so that he could build his new throne underneath the so-called “divine-marker”.
1734 - The First Mutations Appear
Unusual birth defects (which would later be found as Mutations) first appear in the neighborhood in London closest to the Rift. Parents and doctors alike are horrified and mass-panic of a new plague is spread throughout Britain via newspapers.
1736 - Buckingham Palace Completed
The Palace has finished being constructed, much smaller than its current state, King George II slowly moves his estate to the new Palace as it continues to expand and go through further renovations.
1739 - The Royal Proclamation of Segregation
As the birth effects become more and more prevalent, leading physicians have determined two new races of humans have developed. Uncertain what to do with these mysterious and terrifying developments, the Crown asserts a Proclamation that these mutants are not considered human and do not share the same rights as Humans. The proclamation is made in the hope that these measures might stop the spread of the mutations. This decree also makes mutants in between humans and animals legally, allowing parents to abandon or kill their mutant children without consequence.
1740 - First Familiars Descends (Preferring Mutant Children)
Strange shooting stars appeared to be fall out of the rift. The cause of this was unknown to astrologists until a fateful night at ---- hospital in London where three of the falling stars materialized as mysterious ghost-like creatures. These creatures hovered around the cribs of three separate infants and refused to leave. Bewildered, the physicians and midwives in the hospital tried to isolate the infant from the supposed monsters but to no avail. Any sort of separation or barrier between the monsters and the infants were easily bypassed by the creatures. Media sensationalism in London caused panic at first, and scientists and priests were sought in order to dispel the creatures. A debate began between enlightened thinkers and religious scholars on whether or not the children were possessed by a demonic force. Ultimately the hypotheses about these creatures only became evident when the quarantined children began possessing magical abilities. Scientists observing the children were amazed by the spectacle and theories of magic started circling. As the children grew older and learned to speak, the creatures began to speak, calling themselves Familiars. Further familiars would begin to appear to newborns as years progressed in areas around London.
1745 - Birth of Ambrose Bryan, the Orc Mage (Future King)
The Future King Ambrose is born to the scientist Earl Lewis Bryan and his wife: Countess Martha Bryan. Even though the child had a mutation and a strange familiar descended from the sky to the child, the two enlightened parents decide to keep their first-born son and hoped to raise him as a normal child. This event would begin Earl Lewis Bryan’s investigations into magic and the rift.
1752 - Earl Lewis Bryan discovers the Rift is growing in size
The famous scientist Earl Lewis Bryan determines that the Rift is growing rapidly in size. He publishes a book on his theories about the rift and its possible relationship to both Familiars and Mutants. He continues his findings by observing the rift for the next decades, becoming an expert on the Rift and gaining notoriety in the scientific community. However as years passed, Earl Bryan began to become mocked as his findings became less believable about the Rift. People asserted that the Earl lost his mind staring at the rift for too long.
1754 - The Hyde Park Massacre Occurs
Protests in London becomes a violent riot in Hyde Park. The protesters, all of whom are young adults with mutations, condemn the Royal Proclamation of Segregation and were angered by the common practice of killing or abandoning mutant children. They pleaded to parliament and the Crown to reinstate their rights as British citizens but were ignored by the government. In retaliation the protesters stormed Hyde Park and refused to leave, forcing the Crown and the military to act. Nicknamed the “Hyde Park Mutant Riots”, or the “Hyde Park Massacre”, thirty-five people on both sides would die in the brawls between the protesters and the military. Which side started the brawl is still unknown to this day.
1755 - The Act of Internment of 1755
As a reaction to incidents like the Hyde Park Riot, the Act of Internment is created by Parliament and endorsed by the Crown. The Act allows for the state to intern mutants that are either perceived as a threat to public safety or mutants that are abandoned by their families. Most of the mutants who are interned are expected to stay in the camps for the rest of their lives. As abandonment of mutants had reached epidemic levels in London, several internment camps are created outside of London to house London’s mutants. The camps are unruly places, and they help spread the notoriety of the many negative stereotypes that exist about mutants through incidents inside the camp. These incidents would be reported on in the Newspaper and later used as propaganda against mutants for the public.
1760 - Death of King George II & Succession of King George III
King George II dies at the Age 76, his grandson George, Prince of Wales, succeeds to the throne as King George III.
History Reference
For those who need a reference when it comes to Royal family members, you can also see the
http://www.rpdom.com/miz/bryan-house.htmlBryan Family Tree
http://www.rpdom.com/miz/bryan-house.htmlfor assistance.
Reminder
If you’ve gotten this far thanks for reading. Once again please post below if you are interested in this roleplay. As we said previously we will discuss characters with anyone who is interested once the forum is up and go from there.
!
