Madison Valley Role Play

There are many different people here, from many different worlds and cultures. And those people often hold conflicting sets of beliefs. What is right to one person may not necessarily be right to another. It does not make either belief wrong, in essence.

I am a Christian man, and as such I believe in certain things, and hold a certain world view. I do not expect others to believe as I do, nor will I necessarily judge you as an immoral person if you do not. I know that the world has moved to a point where it is not kind to a Christian world view, and I believe that a person's choices are theirs, and theirs alone to make. And what becomes of your soul is between yourself and your God.

And I am rambling. What I mean to say is that however you believe, however you behave in this place is no business of mine. It is only for God to judge. And the same is true for all here.

I'm wondering if with all the new people arriving, if it might be a good idea to hold another sex talk soon.

What do you think, Justine?

[Very painstakingly typed and spellchecked by Cuthbert]

Greetings to you all, long days and pleasant nights to you.

I'm writing this so as I can see how it looks to you all afore I send it. Writing with your letters is a thing I've had to learn since I came here. There's plenty I've had to learn in the time between then and now; four years by my reckoning though less by yours. The working of time in this place is a mystery, one of many.

My name is Cuthbert Allgood and I'm a gunslinger from Gilead in Mid-World. Some of you might not know exactly what that means. It's not that I'm just some fellow with a gun, say true. A gunslinger's duty, his entire purpose, is to uphold civilization and the Law, to protect the innocent and provide aid and succor to those in need of it. To stand for the White, which is to say all that is good and right in all the worlds, and to stop the worlds from moving on. To preserve what we have and not let chaos and destruction and death wreak havoc across the land. That's what I'm for, and that's what I believe.

I can't say for certain why we're here. I can say that I'll treat this place as any other, that I'll do what's right and not hesitate in it. I won't tolerate unfairness from this Council, nor the mistreatment of any one of us, you have my word upon it. I'm from a place very different to this America. Many of my customs aren't alike to yours, but it strikes me that the essentials don't change. That justice and truth, loyalty and courage, those qualities remain constant across worlds and times, and you having many sparklights and cars and drinking sugar-water doesn't change a bit of that.

There were some specific issues that folk asked to have addressed. I'll do that next, may it please you all.

Firearms: I'll say that I understand the concern folk have about guns in the hands of those who would use them for evil purpose. That's a concern we all have, say true. I wouldn't like to believe that any of our number might have such intent, however, and to restrict others on the basis that someone someday might break the Law? It strikes me as wrong. I'd be perfect against any ban on firearms. There are those of us for whom carrying a gun is a matter of tradition, or in the case of Americans, a matter of rights, and I'd not infringe upon that.

That said, it may be that incompetence is a greater danger than malice as guns are concerned. I'd consider the idea that for any new purchase of firearms, a basic safety and proficiency test might be set as requirement.

Magic: I'm an honest fellow and I'll be the first to tell you that I'm fair uncomfortable with magic. That said, as representative my duty would be to speak for people as need it, and that includes witches and wizards. I take my duty seriously. I'm not in support of the current ban. It's my belief that if someone's using magic and it isn't having any effect on or causing any harm to others? It does no good to restrict it. I hold the Council's action to be unfair and I'd see it overturned. Using magic maliciously, however, is a different proposition, and I'd see that dealt with swiftly under the Law.

Age Requirements: When I first arrived in this town, I was counted as underage. Now I'm not, and I've seen both sides. I hold that the system here was not set up to account for walk-ins from other times and worlds, it does not serve their needs, and an alternative is needed. There are children here in need of guidance and guardianship, but age alone is no way of determining that, not with the cultural variances within our population.

I'd suggest that every walk-in be treated as an individual, their capability to live independently and their status at home both taken into account. Those who are capable should be granted adult rights. Those still in need of guidance should be appointed a guardian - but one from among our number, a volunteer as it were, and one that's as good a fit as we can find for their own time and culture, that they might have proper assistance to adjust to life here.

Blood Samples: This is a straightforward matter as I see it. It's an unjust law and I'd call for its immediate removal. None of us walk-ins asked to be brought here and those as would work to earn their keep don't deserve punishment for it.

I've spent more time here than most, one way and another. I don't fully trust their Council, and I shan't. If I'm elected to it, it's us that I stand for, not them, and I shan't ever forget it. It may be that there's not a place in all the worlds without some element of corruption, but there are still people who stand for what's right and true, and I say to you that I'm one of them, as a gunslinger and mayhap as your representative, if you'll have me.

I'll take questions. Any that are reasonable, I'll answer.

| Written by Cuthbert Allgood, son of Robert |

Three doesn't seem like near enough people to me, but I suppose it's something we didn't have before. If we do this well and responsibly, maybe we'll be given more?

Anyway, I think we need to think carefully about who to send, and do this by consensus if at all possible.

To help out, I'll keep a list of nominations here, and you can discuss their merits and the drawbacks.

So at this point, who has been nominated? And what categories of people should we be certain to represent?

LIST OF NOMINEES

Cuthbert Allgood
Lissa Dragomir
Tony Stark
Georgia Mason

[Filtered against the Council]

Who among us has medical training of any sort? I think it would perhaps be prudent if we set up our own medical facility, perhaps in the church, in case these doctors tire of healing us as well.

[Filtered; Michael]
I think your prayer chain backfired, Michael. Suddenly that kid has everyone's attention and it's all bad.

Citizens and refugees,

I know that he is but newly arrived, but for those of you who know Valen, I took him to the hospital today. He seemed very ill, and he has been admitted and put under heavy sedation.

I hope that you will put him in your prayers during this time of great hardship for him, made even harder in that he is in a strange place with no family to care for him.

Who: Valen & Open
What: Giving into his disease
Where: St. Michael’s. --> the hospital
When: Monday night into Tuesday morning
Warnings | Status: Mentions of drug abuse | complete

( Read more... )

[Filtered to Valen]

You're the one who's just arrived, yes?

[Filtered; Michael]
I need advice, Michael. I don't think God can help with this one though.

I don't understand the difference between the witches here. Witch, arcanist, wizard what are those terms for? You do things I don't comprehend, I'm not ashamed to admit it. If deep knowledge makes you exceptional then everyone here is as you have knowledge others do not.

Georgia Mason has exceptional knowledge and does things I don't understand. Sybil Crawley too. Michael Carpenter.

You're all strange.

[Filtered to Harry Dresden]

Harry, I think we should talk.

The money we've received from the resistance has allowed us to put up cots in the church now, instead of just sleeping bags. We've also got a good deal more food available, and the teachers who have volunteered to teach are going to help a great deal.

I've been in touch with some members of the resistance, and they're doing all they can to make sure that we have everything we need, but it's dangerous for them too.

I sense no duplicity in them.

Anyone who needs shelter or asylum is welcome at St. Michael's.

Man struck by car in Madison August 28th, 2013 By David Johnson MADISON - A pedestrian was struck by an oncoming vehicle Thursday afternoon, according to police. The accident occurred around 4:30pm on Clifty Drive. Witnesses say the man, a reported refugee to Madison Valley, tried to cross the busy street when he was struck by the car. The driver of the vehicle claimed she had been blinded by sunlight and did not see him. She remained on the scene to speak with police after the accident. She was cited for failing to yield to a pedestrian. A worker at a nearby 7-11 says he saw the accident, and tried to help the man until he could be transported to the local hospital via ambulance. The man sustained arm and leg injuries but is reported in good condition, according to Kevin Greene, a public affairs officer at King's Daughters Hospital.

Who: Belle and Michael Carpenter
What: Belle decided to give up her job because of the council's treatment of others. She's having feelings about this.
When: Sunday morning
Where: St. Michael's
Rating: Probably low?

( It was difficult to remember that this was the brave thing )

Okay. Here's the deal. Vampires can influence your thoughts. It's called mind control and can really fuck you over if you let them. What that means is you need to practice control over your own thoughts. Most people suck at it, but it can be done.

I will not volunteer myself for this task because the Mantle in my current state. But if you want to practice, and you should, you can ask some of the other non-vampire creatures to help teach you. Those that come immediately mind include Carlos Ramirez, Fix, and Michael Carpenter.

If anyone else is okay at teaching this particular exercise volunteer, won't you? It'll help a bunch of people out.

Hi. My name is Harry Dresden, I'm a wizard - I've been a wizard since I was ten. I don't have a sober date from my magic use. But. There are supernatural presences in the city, I'm one of them. I know some stuff about the others. And I get why anyone would be afraid. The sane reaction is to be afraid. But you also have to be smart about it.

So here's some guidelines about those I know or suspect to be hanging around the city.

General rules:

1. Don't make yourself a target. What that means is you need to find a balance between aggression and submission. If you face a vampire or a werewolf and look overly aggressive while doing so it will cause tension and you may be tempting them to fight, even if you don't mean to. Alternately, if you show yourself as being weak you will paint yourself as a viable target. Predators pick the weak and dying. If you need help figuring this out, I will help you.

2. Wizards exist. Bad wizards are called warlocks. Bad wizards will use bad magic and try to hurt you. You can avoid this in the most basic ways by never leaving around nail clippings, hair, or blood. If you suspect someone is or may target you with bad magic tell me or Carlos Ramirez. We're trained to handle these situations.

3. Trust your instincts. Magic, the supernatural and the creatures therein leave a residue in the air and around them, and you can typically feel if something's off about a situation. Know your body, know it's reactions, and know what you'd do normally in situations in the event you start behaving differently.

4. Your home is your safehouse. Most of these creatures cannot cross thresholds unless they're invited. Be absolutely certain about the people you invite into your home. And if you're not certain, let them in without an invitation. It will cripple any supernatural creature to a fraction of what they're capable of. Which really pisses everyone off, but they'll not be able to hurt you.

Dealing with vampires:

1. To my knowledge there are three different types of vampires.

a. Red Court. - Reds are creatures that disguise themselves as humans, and prey upon actual humans. They drink blood. When they're in their natural forms they're these giant creepy looking bat-like things. They are really, really super fast and strong. And they can shrug off a massive amount of damage in a really unfair turn around time. But, they are vulnerable to sunlight, and if you cut open their bellies during an attack it will disable them, if not kill them. Their saliva has a narcotic in it, which will make you less and less inclined to resist them and is highly addictive.

b. Black Court. Blacks are creepy undead things that smell like rotting corpses and don't look much better. These are classic vampires and can be found in Dracula, since we published the book so everyone would know anyway. Their weaknesses are all of Dracula's. Garlic, tokens of faith (any faith), sunlight, running water and cutting their heads off. They're also super quick, superior and smarter than most humans. They also sleep during the day but their dens are not easily penetrable. If you suspect a Black is after you or someone you know Do Not go after them yourself. You will die.

c. White Court. Whites are the most human in appearance and nature. They feed on energy and human emotion - lust, fear, and despair. They're not as strong, fast or deadly as the other courts, but that also means they don't have the same weaknesses. Sunlight, tokens of faith, garlic etc. do not bother Whites at all. The best way to deal with Whites is not get involved with them if you can help it. They can cross thresholds uninvited, but it leaves their abilities at the door.

Faeries:

1. Do not make deals with faeries. Period. Do not talk to them, suggest anything to them or ask them questions. They cannot divulge information without you paying them back for it. They literally can't.

2. If you have a death wish and want to talk to them anyway and you're not certain what they're saying is true, compel them three times with the same question and they'll answer true. They can't lie, but they make a game of twisting words. Never trust what a faerie says, period.

3. You can't win against them in fights. They're immortal, they're nature itself and you'll only really piss them off if you try. But they're susceptible to iron and it really freaking hurts.

Werewolves:

1. There are two main uh... categories, with sub-categories. A werewolf is a person who can transform into a wolf with magic. That's the only magic they know how to use and only their bodies change. The rest of their minds stay human, so they know what they're doing the entire time, and can do it with the abilities of a wolf.

Wolven theriomorphs include hexenwolves, loup garous and lycanthropes. I have less information on these than I'd like, but it'd be easier to answer specific questions than giving general guideliens since they have specific details. There's no one way to fight these guys off other than not trying if you don't have the skill. Some of them are human some of them the wolf entirely. And it's hard to tell on a good day.

Angels & Demons:
Just don't.

Zombies:
No one kills Georgia Mason that doesn't know how to kill zombies or create their own hazmat zone. If you try to eat her, kill her, or do anything else that makes her die a little she'll die and kill the rest of us doing so. Okay?

added

Yeah, okay. I'm going to be the first one to bite the bullet and be honest. You know, as a show of faith, or whatever.

I've got this thing inside going on with me that's dangerous for everyone. It's called a Mantle, the Winter Mantle, and it makes me have some questionable motives. I'm working on containing it, but it's best if you just know how to handle it.

I'm highly allergic to iron, and it really really pisses me off when it touches me. But if you stick me properly it'll.. stop me in my tracks pretty effectively. Don't tell me what piece of iron you're carrying or where you have it because I'll know to be wary of it. Which is the exact opposite of this message.

And if you stick me just to see what happens you won't like it. Period.

And as Fix has said, if you're afraid of me, I do something bad, or questionable contact him or Michael Carpenter. They're the best bet you have of stopping me from being stupid.

[Filtered to the Refugees]

Anyone who has need of it may come to St. Michael's Cathedral on East Street, and find shelter there. Father Williams has granted asylum to all who have need.

If you could check in with me when you come by - no names necessary, just let me know you're here so I know how many of you there are - I'm going to the store later to get food and bedding. I've still got about $500 on my card, anyone who wants to donate what they have to the church, please do, so we can purchase appropriate supplies.

Please, don't be afraid. God will see us through.

[Molly]

Are you alright?

[Filtered; Ramirez]
Yeah, okay. We're done sitting around. Time to make an impression on the city council.

So here's the plan:

1. Dress fancy, El Dorado style (I got that one covered). You probably shouldn't carry grenades though, something about terrorists they'll try to use against you, probably.
2. We go down and have a nice chat with all the people.
3. Make an impression, ask them politely to stop being assholes.

Nobody dies. Got it?

[/]

[Filtered; Molly, Michael, Fix & Thomas]
Keep an eye on those kids. Some of them are heading up to St. Michael's, Michael. Ramirez and I are gonna have a chat with some people.

I don't want any of you coming along. If we spark the next witch trials none of you are going to be guilty by association.

Understood?
[/]

Father Williams at the Church is funding me to begin construction of emergency housing for those who have lost their jobs, and can no longer afford their rent. There's going to be food available, too, and clothing. We're working with the MVCADR to take care of those who find themselves unable to provide for themselves because of these measures.

If you find yourself in need, please contact me, or Father Williams at St. Michael's Cathedral.

God Bless.

[Filtered; Michael]
How prepared is the church to take in and feed a hundred freaking people? Assuming people get fired for being decent human beings.

WHO: Michael Carpenter and OPEN!
WHAT:
WHEN: Monday afternoon
WHERE:
WARNINGS: TBD
STATUS: Open/Ongoing

( ~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~ )

I need to find a decent bar. And I better not get any you're under 21 lectures. If I'm stuck here, I'd at least like to be perpetually drunk.

I asked for a Priest to see me on my sickbed. Though I am not dying I learned through the pastor the land is ripe with Protestants - I am told of the Protestant Reformation and Martin Luther, who inspired the true denial the authority of the Pope and led the reformation himself.

But God holds the papal legacy intact, though tarnished, even this far in the 21st century. They must be doing something right.

[...]

If the Church of Rome was ever not corrupt I'll be the first to cast a stone.

[...]

Who will be my confessor then?

[Filtered; Ramirez, Molly, Thomas and Michael]
Holy crap, the Inquisition is starting.

Head count and buddy system. Use it.
[/]

[Filtered; Ramirez]
We're going to assume it's Nineteen Eighty-Four. Let's meet, Casanova.

[/]

So. Justine's here. Anybody else from Chicago? Anybody? Bueller?

I wish to thank whoever left me the gift this morning. It was very kind. God Bless you.

[Filtered to Harry]

Is Molly going to be okay?

Well.

Not what I was expecting.

Harry, this is your fault entirely. Entirely.

Who: Michael and Molly Carpenter, Harry Dresden
What: Telling Michael about events in his future
Where: Michael's place
When: When Molly gets her nerve up
Warnings: Will update if necessary

( Read more... )

Whoa.

This is strange.

I didn't mean to come here.

Must have taken a wrong turn.

[After his conversation with Molly]

Harry.

Who: Molly Carpenter and OPEN
What: Arrival
Where: In town
When: Today
Warnings: Will update if necessary

( Read more... )

I probably have dozens of questions, but I suppose I'll start with two:

Is there anyone else here who hardly knows how to use these...things? And...is there anyone else who isn't in any real hurry to go back?