Urban fantasy, a world of magic hidden right in front of our eyes

Project Brazen II

Project Brazen II

Qi Collector
So I punted this idea around the shoutbox a bit and I’m thinking I should start formalizing it now.


Imagine a completely different city hidden away within the city you walk through daily. A city of people and monsters and magic and a culture all its own. Where walking down an alley way and down into the sewer then up a ladder can leave you on the rooftop of a high rise. Or entering the right subway car can leave you in what seems to be a medieval court. But most people belong to one world or the other and while members of different worlds may cross each other’s paths they rarely interact and people of the overworld almost never notice aspects of the underworld that occur right under their noses.


The proposed idea borrows from ideas from Neil Gaiman’s Neverwhere. Though the actual roleplay may end up closer in tone than in content unless I see demand leaning more towards something fandom oriented. At the moment I have three core concepts that I am trying to choose between.


Overworlders stumble into the underworld: This would in essence mimic Neverwhere though adapted for group play and completely different plot of course. Player characters would be either overworlders or underworlders and the core plot would be that a small number of overworlders have found themselves unexpectedly drawn into the underworld.


Life of the underworld: Player characters would be strictly underworlders and roleplay would be focused on their daily lives, possibly with some chance for adventure. I have to admit I’ve put less thought into what a plot for this might be compared to the other two but it’s also possible that I may just leave it completely open world and simply play host to the random inclinations of players.


Worlds collide: The separation between the overworld and underworld slowly fades and people from both worlds need to learn to cope as the rules as they know them change. I have ideas for a story driven roleplay for this but it may be more fun to run this as open world and see where chaos leads.


Additionally there is a question of location. Setting the story in London would be easiest as it would allow me to import characters, factions and cultures from the book. However, I’ve also considered setting it in Toronto to allow for a bit more freedom in the story and setting as well as giving me the opportunity to actually produce something new. I’m also open to suggestions for other cities but really Toronto is the only city I know well enough to do a roleplay like this one comfortably without help from someone else.


I believe that @Grin, @The Pooka and @King of Imagination expressed at least moderate interest in this idea but I would enjoy feedback from anyone who may be interested.
 
It's a fantastic idea. I've never read Neverwhere, but something probably similiar to it called "Nightside". the setting is also London, which I figure many authors use because of its age and relative ease to set fictional worlds in. Toronto'd be easier for you but the character range and characteristics would be slightly changed, since it's a newer city and the climate can make whole lot of different circumstances from Europe. Imagine a mermaid in Toronto's lake. But as you point out, if setting it up in Toronto can help you produce something new, I suggest you take it, because fandom settings are familiar, and a change of scenary might just be what we need. Urban supernatural stories have always been my favorite.


The story seems open enough even without you standing aside playing just the host, so no problem there. But I think you should clarify which type of races would be in your RP, because it's easy to get mixed up between supernatural (werewolf, vampire, ...) and fantasy creatures (elf, elementals, orcs,...). I'd definitely be interested. Good luck and hope you kick it off soon bro.


Jason.
 
Gaiman laid out a groundwork that suggested he thought about the world a lot more than he actually wrote about it. I'm inclined to say anything goes but there are reasonable limits. He has vampire like people in his book but if someone wanted to play a more conventional vampire I wouldn't deny it. There are no elves but that doesn't mean that there can't be.


If there is an interest in playing non-human, I will make the stipulation that you run the race by me first so we can discuss it and no more than two characters per non-human race. While I may be fine with elves or fae or whatever else I don't want almost everyone submitting an elven character and turning this into an elf roleplay.
 
Oh, I do love Neverwhere. I love it muchly.


I have a similar project about a fairy city underneath a Massachusetts metropolis called Haven.
 
Wow, Pooka, Haven looks much more extensive that anything I am I planning to come up with right now. I need to make some time for myself to read that in full but I would be very interested in seeing where you decide to take this. I am not very well versed in fairy folklore but I do enjoy it.


Also I've been thinking a bit more about Jason's location comment. I have to admit that I considered possibly using other major cities, New York or Seattle stand out at the moment. However, for either of those cities or any other, I don't know them extensively enough to give nods to for example, minor landmarks such as Toronto's Casaloma or properly comment on the subtleties of daily life there. Alternatively, old Paris for example is full of beautiful landmarks and I would love to do a roleplay set there some time. However, I am quite confident that I would butcher both the modern and historic cultures and daily life. Ultimately the intimate knowledge of London that Gaiman has contributes to the tone that I wish to emulate in this roleplay.
 
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Then pick somewhere you have intimate knowledge, or otherwise invent a fictional city and create aforesaid intimate knowledge out of whole-cloth.
 
I don't know, perhaps I'm voicing too much of the thought process and trying to design a centrally run roleplay by committee. This will be the first group roleplay I've ever started so I'm a little more nervous about it than I should be.
 
Thanks, I'm going to leave this open to discussion for the next or two to see if any good ideas come out of the discussion while I start to formalize this on the side.
 
Keep us in the loop, there's nothing more fun than seeing a world come together. The first seeds of a new flower, springing forth such shoots as the sun has never shone on before. 
My suggestion is not to make it into too much of a hodge-podge. Have this undercity attract types from all over, but allow that their origins are not so diverse as to imply a setting where aliens, vampires, mummies, leprechauns, gods, angels, wookiees and chupacabras all exist in the same continuity, with vastly incompatible cosmologies. This is called a Fantasy Kitchen Sink, and I have always found it lazy.
 
Thank you Pooka. I may have said anything goes but what you outlined is reason I expressed that any non-human characters should be discussed with me before someone starts to contemplate a sheet. With every fantasy race or type involved it will require me to consider a corresponding faction for them and how this faction will fit in with the overall world. Jason mentioned werewolves and in the terms of a werewolf being person that has been bitten by a werewolf and now has uncontrollable transformations and urges, I will not allow werewolf player characters. Not because I can't see werewolves existing this world but because given the layout I have in mind, I don't see a player being able play such a werewolf in satisfying manner. On the other hand if someone were interested in playing a person that comes from a tribe of people that shapeshift into animal forms they have full control of, I think that would work quite nicely.


To look at your extreme example. a wookie seems like a stupid thing to have in Toronto below but if someone were to propose being a member of sasquatch colony and in their mind a sasquatch communicates through bleats and roars, I would consider it a tough character to play but I would be inclined to allow it. While I'm inclined to work with almost any idea to try to make it work for someone who shows interest, I will say the moment that sasquatch tries to fashion a laser pistol will likely be the same moment that a slab of concrete comes loose from the ceiling. NPCs will be appalled by the tragedy but then they will comment that city maintenance is not what it should be and the roleplay will move on for all but one player.


Also, I do hope that there will be people who will be interested in taking up a human character from the overworld. These characters will be disadvantaged compared to others in a number of ways but they will have unique opportunities as well and more potential for growth compared to others. This is ultimately going be a roleplay where player characters have the potential to start out with very unequal strengths. That being said in a smaller community where I know people's roleplay styles I would reserve the ability to create stronger characters for people who I knew from experience could handle them. But for the current situation I will have to settle to for making estimates based on my limited history with whoever may apply and the quality of the character sheet offered. That is to say, some who suggest exceptionally strong characters may get them while others may not but nonetheless it is my intention to offer every character an opportunity to shine in their own way.
 
Hmm...very neat idea,I like it. I would give you more input but I'm currently running around town lol
 
Well I would prefer if you find another context to be uncontrollable if that's you're desire. I fear that having everyone hunt you down would prove a distraction.
 
What if I were a child werewolf? I'd be like a pup and couldn't cause much damage. JS


I like your idea. I've had similar concepts and they have been entertaining to myself at least. Btw I think you're thinking too small with one town or something. Say Big cities are like hotspots or something, they drew the otherside (or whatever) and the otherside draws the humans (i had it so that there were compulsions to those 'lost' so that they would come. cuz who doesn't like delivery?
 
Like I said I'm fine with skewed power, that's not really the issue. It's more the fact that being a werewolf would make you pretty much an outsider. You'd spend the bulk of the roleplay either hiding your condition or being in conflict with most everyone else. If that appeals to you then I suppose I can let you have a go at it but my recommendation remains with shapeshifter if you really want to go that route. Perhaps one that over indulges in his animal side.
 
I thought I did a good job with my wookie/sasquatch stand in but I can admit when I am outclassed, Pooka. I'd be happy to consult you should any other difficult substitutions be required.
 
:P I am at your service.


Other places you might look to for inspiration...the movie Nightbreed, based on the short story Cabal by Clive Barker. About a city called Midian, where monsters can live in peace away from humanity.
 
Have fun, spend some time on it nad make your own species, using samplings from whichever inspiration, then you can have your system preset (you are of course able to get work on this) but everything is done prior so theres guidelines people have to follow. can and can not dos, factions, whichever.
 
Some options you could go with:


Faeries, obviously. Treading on my own toes, heh. :P


Biblical demons, or the Nephilim offpsring of demons, who just want to be left alone instead of fighting in the war between God and Satan.


The Undead. Revenants, vampires, what-have-you.


Mythical creatures empowered by and sheltered within the prison/tomb of some ancient forgotten god or nature spirit.


Tribes and families and people from many different eras of history, dislodged and dislocated from time through some distortion of reality.


Artificial lifeforms created through powerful alchemies, like golems, homunculi and anthroparions.


A collection of fabulous tribes like in the accounts of Pliny's Natural History. Like the dog-headed Cynocephali or cyclopean Arimaspians.


Humans transformed into mutants via some otherworldly meteorite or scientific catastrophe or similar archetypal catalyst.


A species of photosensitive Morlock or Ghoul analogues who must live underground away from the sunlight.


The denizens of some Hollow Earth city like mythical Agartha or Nidavellir.


Dwindled, obsolescent gods who have lost most of their power and prestige after their religious veneration fell out of practice.


Furries. *shrugs*
 
Thank you for the suggestions, Pooka. At the moment I am currently looking through the fauna of Toronto and trying to decide which may take a prominent role. At the moment I am leaning toward mice, foxes and sparrows. I'm hoping you don't take this a snub to coyotes but foxes seem to be more widespread in the city.
 
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