Bookwyrm's Horror-esque RP: Interest, Planning, and Sign Ups

[The Bookwyrm he/him]

Welp, let's give this a go. 

I have an idea for an RP based in a world I've been making in my head (as I tend to do). The essential premise is that there's a highly classified and secretive government agency tasked with protecting the country from supernatural threats, and otherwise keeping anomalous objects and events hidden from the public. There's a whole bunch of nuance to that, but that's the overview.

I wanted to make an RP where the players, you all, roleplay a group of people who stumble upon one of these anomalies for whatever reason and have to survive it. It would be in structure similar to the Hunger Games RPs we've been doing; one or more people would be Game Masters, roleplaying the environment and the threats it contains, leading the characters along and guiding the story, while the rest would be those characters, interacting with the environment and working to both survive and also accomplish specific tasks. In my mind, this would be a bounded RP, too; there would be an end. Either all the survivors complete whatever objectives the story gives them and they escape, or everyone dies. That would keep it from stagnating at some point down the line (hopefully), because there's a concrete end.

I have a few ideas on what this would look like, but I also want to open it up to whoever might be interested. (If it's literally just @J. Magi and me then...what the heck, why not.) But, if other people want to participate, I want you guys to help decide what the setting, premise, and story of the RP acutally end up being.

I have a document that should be anonymous for us to figure this all out. If you guys would rather just discuss it in the thread, or if the anonymous stuff doesn't work, let me know, and I'll add the discussion points to this post. 

If you're interested, just say something, or get on the doc and share some ideas!

EDIT: PLEASE READ

@J. Magi @SpiritOfWrath @Through The Living Glass @Wittles the DoomFrog

Here is the current synopsis, based on our planning. This is still subject to change:

The ARC had constructed a facility around an anomaly, or series of anomalies, located in a forested  area somewhere in the continental U.S. (Either in the Pacific Northwest or Appalachia; I'm still deciding.) This was a facility run jointly by the Department of Research and Records, the Department of Control and Protection, and the Department of Anomaly Utilization. However, at some point, something occurred there, and contact with the facility was lost. Action was not immediatley taken in case it was just a routine effect of the anomaly, but after over a month had passed without contact, the ARC began to investigate.

A team of investigators, dispatched by the Department of Control and Protection (though other Departments had some input into it's operation), was sent to investigate the site, determine what had happened, and, if neccessary, re-contain the anomaly the facility had been researching.

You are that team.

 

I think you are all okay to start planning out characters. However, I would use PMs to coordinate on how you assemble the team. This is a team, after all, and your characters already know each other. They have skills and specialties that play off each other and cover each other's weaknesses. So do some planning together to figure out how you want it to fit.

Before you go ahead, please read this document on the ARC's structure and operations if you haven't already, for some background. The google doc version, which reads better, is here.

Spoiler

Federal Agency of Research and Control

Department of Operation Oversight

 

Subject: On the Agency’s Structure and Operations

 

The Federal Agency of Research and Control (ARC) operates, at least on paper, as a service of the United States Government. Funding for many of the Agency’s operations come from government funds, and high ranking government officials are made aware of our existence. Additionally, the U.S.’s national security in regards to anomalies is a priority of the agency, whether threats arise from the anomalies themselves or from persons or groups that utilize them. 

 

However, despite this technical classification, the ARC does not operate entirely under the jurisdiction of the U.S. government. The mission and nature of the ARC, and the nature of the world it hides from the general public, is highly classified, and obscured by more than just confidentiality. Due to the ARC’s confidential nature, and due to the great importance of its mission, the ARC is overseen and directed by itself. Even the office of President has no true control over the ARC’s actions, and no legislation is passed regarding its operation.

 

The ARC is run by a Board of Directors. The process by which an individual is appointed or the Board is highly classified, though it involves some measure of anomalous influence. The Board is responsible for the general oversight and direction of the ARC, though other decisions are left to the Heads of the Departments.

 

The ARC consists of 7 Departments:

• The Department of Operations Oversight

• The Department of Domestic Affairs

• The Department of International Affairs

• The Department of Research and Records

• The Department of Containment and Protection

• The Department of Anomaly Utilization

• The Department of Paramilitary Operations

While these departments do not necessarily cover every aspect of the ARC’s operations on their own, they are the structure that the ARC utilizes to achieve its baseline goals. In instances where an operation does not fall neatly into any department, multiple departments will work on it, or form a new division to handle the objective.

 

Due to the Agency’s position within the U.S. government, it often relies on other government groups and services in order to aid in achieving its goals. Information gathered by the FBI, CIA, NASA, NOAA, and various other government organizations is constantly being monitored by the ARC for anomalous activity. Additionally, many ARC agents are embedded in these other government agencies, serving in standard capacity until anomalous activity requires their special services. Partnerships and joint operations with various government organizations are also run as needed by personnel aware of the Agency’s existence.

 

The ARC has a widespread and influential international presence. Usually, integration in the CIA is utilized in order to establish this presence, though in some cases the ARC has independent bases of operation. 

 

While some other nations have their own organizations serving similar roles to the ARC, others rely on the ARC to perform the service for them. So, while primarily a U.S. agency, the ARC also provides services to these smaller countries in lieu of them developing their own. 

 

The ARC’s interactions with the anomaly-focused agencies of other nations is inconsistent, at best. While the ARC has friendly relationships with several of these agencies, it lies in direct conflict with others, due to the U.S.’s complicated international relations. These conflicts and alliances are not always consistent; organizations once in opposition to the ARC can become temporary allies, and vice versa. Often, an organization will be both an ally and an enemy at the same time, due to the Dampening of the ARC’s wider operations and the changing necessities of various relevant scenarios.

 

While the ARC does keep the U.S.’s national interests and safety a high priority, its true devotion is to the defense of humanity as a whole from dangerous anomalies, and the defense of benign anomalies from humanity, when necessary. This mission transcends national interests, and may take priority depending on the situation. 

 

It has been proposed on several occasions that the Agency cut ties with the U.S. government and begin operating as an entirely independent agency, such as other independent anomaly-aware organizations that have been documented. However, such proposals have not been followed, by the Board’s decision, likely due to the various benefits and information that are granted by association with the U.S. government and connected agencies. It is also likely that there are other reasons for this, possibly related to whatever anomalous force Dampens information regarding the Agency, or whatever influence is responsible for guiding the choosing of new Board members.

Character sheet:

Spoiler

Name:

Gender/Pronouns:

Age:

Physical Description:

Personality:

Backstory: (How did they come to find out about the ASC? Why were they recruited?)

Skills and Speciality: (What do they bring to the agency? Why were they chosen for this operation?)

Quirks/Misc:

 

Edited November 18, 2024 by The Bookwyrm

[Through the Living Wrath he/him]

5 minutes ago, The Bookwyrm said:

Welp, let's give this a go. 

I have an idea for an RP based in a world I've been making in my head (as I tend to do). The essential premise is that there's a highly classified and secretive government agency tasked with protecting the country from supernatural threats, and otherwise keeping anomalous objects and events hidden from the public. There's a whole bunch of nuance to that, but that's the overview.

I wanted to make an RP where the players, you all, roleplay a group of people who stumble upon one of these anomalies for whatever reason and have to survive it. It would be in structure similar to the Hunger Games RPs we've been doing; one or more people would be Game Masters, roleplaying the environment and the threats it contains, leading the characters along and guiding the story, while the rest would be those characters, interacting with the environment and working to both survive and also accomplish specific tasks. In my mind, this would be a bounded RP, too; there would be an end. Either all the survivors complete whatever objectives the story gives them and they escape, or everyone dies. That would keep it from stagnating at some point down the line (hopefully), because there's a concrete end.

I have a few ideas on what this would look like, but I also want to open it up to whoever might be interested. (If it's literally just @J. Magi and me then...what the heck, why not.) But, if other people want to participate, I want you guys to help decide what the setting, premise, and story of the RP acutally end up being.

I have a document that should be anonymous for us to figure this all out. If you guys would rather just discuss it in the thread, or if the anonymous stuff doesn't work, let me know, and I'll add the discussion points to this post. 

If you're interested, just say something, or get on the doc and share some ideas!

Ohohohoh I’m interested!

[Through The Living Glass She/They]

I AM IN

OH MY GOODNESS

I HAVE A HORROR ADDICTION-YOU HAD ME WHEN I SAW THE TITLE

[The Wandering Wizard he/him]

51 minutes ago, Through The Living Glass said:

I AM IN

OH MY GOODNESS

I HAVE A HORROR ADDICTION-YOU HAD ME WHEN I SAW THE TITLE

WANT TO TALK HORROR I'VE BEEN ADDICTED LATELY TOO

[Through The Living Glass She/They]

1 minute ago, The Wandering Wizard said:

WANT TO TALK HORROR I'VE BEEN ADDICTED LATELY TOO

GASP

YES

WHAT SPECIFICALLY?!?!

[The Bookwyrm he/him]

...Do we need to make a horror discussion thread?

Also, @Through The Living Glass, if you're interested in the RP you should check out the document. We've layed out some ideas of what we've been planning.

@The Wandering Wizard did you want to join the RP or are you just popping in?

[Through The Living Glass She/They]

Just now, The Bookwyrm said:

...Do we need to make a horror discussion thread?

Also, @Through The Living Glass, if you're interested in the RP you should check out the document. We've layed out some ideas of what we've been planning.

@The Wandering Wizard did you want to join the RP or are you just popping in?

ummmmmm yeahhhhhh so about that . . .

I have no way to access the document . . . 

It's been a whole thing, I don't want to get into it.

What've y'all been talking about on there?

[Mags she/they]

Spoiler

Me when the scariest movie I've ever seen is Beetlejuice 

[Through the Living Wrath he/him]

Just now, J. Magi said:

  Hide contents

Me when the scariest movie I've ever seen is Beetlejuice 

Spoiler

 I liked the first but the second was over the top.

 

2 minutes ago, Through The Living Glass said:

ummmmmm yeahhhhhh so about that . . .

I have no way to access the document . . . 

It's been a whole thing, I don't want to get into it.

What've y'all been talking about on there?

Perhaps we should PM the most relevant modifications...

[Mags she/they]

Just now, SpiritOfWrath said:

  Hide contents

 I liked the first but the second was over the top.

 

Perhaps we should PM the most relevant modifications...

Quote

Never seen the second because my parent's made me watch the first one and I didn't really like it loll

[The Bookwyrm he/him]

2 minutes ago, Through The Living Glass said:

ummmmmm yeahhhhhh so about that . . .

I have no way to access the document . . . 

It's been a whole thing, I don't want to get into it.

What've y'all been talking about on there?

Basically, we've decided that the players are going to RP a team of this organization (called the Federal Agency of Research and Control, or ARC), and go into an abandoned facility in the woods somewhere that has a bunch of dangerous anomalies that have breached containment.

2 minutes ago, J. Magi said:

  Hide contents

Me when the scariest movie I've ever seen is Beetlejuice 

Heh. My deepest delve into horror was when I recently watched a playthrough of a horror game called Alan Wake II, which is part of a connected universe that spurred this whole idea anyway.

...But other than that I have no background, so we're in the same boat.

[Through The Living Glass She/They]

1 minute ago, The Bookwyrm said:

Basically, we've decided that the players are going to RP a team of this organization (called the Federal Agency of Research and Control, or ARC), and go into an abandoned facility in the woods somewhere that has a bunch of dangerous anomalies that have breached containment.

Heh. My deepest delve into horror was when I recently watched a playthrough of a horror game called Alan Wake II, which is part of a connected universe that spurred this whole idea anyway.

...But other than that I have no background, so we're in the same boat.

YOOOOOO ALAN WAKE II IS SO GOOOOOOD

so is the first but like

IT'S SO GOOOOOD

And, uh, thanks XD

[Mags she/they]

Just now, The Bookwyrm said:

Basically, we've decided that the players are going to RP a team of this organization (called the Federal Agency of Research and Control, or ARC), and go into an abandoned facility in the woods somewhere that has a bunch of dangerous anomalies that have breached containment.

Heh. My deepest delve into horror was when I recently watched a playthrough of a horror game called Alan Wake II, which is part of a connected universe that spurred this whole idea anyway.

...But other than that I have no background, so we're in the same boat.

I've also watched a bit of horror gaming, because watching someone else play a scary game is enough of a disconnect that it limits how scared I get. Specifically I've watched a little bit of fnaf stuff, and a lot of Phasmophobia stuff.

I've also seen some indie analogue horror stuff on youtube because for a while there my friend and I would watch it together at lunch. We quickly stopped though because neither of us could sleep lolll

[Through The Living Glass She/They]

Just now, J. Magi said:

I've also watched a bit of horror gaming, because watching someone else play a scary game is enough of a disconnect that it limits how scared I get. Specifically I've watched a little bit of fnaf stuff, and a lot of Phasmophobia stuff.

I've also seen some indie analogue horror stuff on youtube because for a while there my friend and I would watch it together at lunch. We quickly stopped though because neither of us could sleep lolll

FNaF is not scary. *pout*

I was sorely disappointed, let me just say.

[Mags she/they]

Just now, Through The Living Glass said:

FNaF is not scary. *pout*

I was sorely disappointed, let me just say.

BRO HAS NERVES OF STEEL HOW IS THAT NOT SCARY (the first game specifically)

[Through The Living Glass She/They]

Just now, J. Magi said:

BRO HAS NERVES OF STEEL HOW IS THAT NOT SCARY (the first game specifically)

Because- because it's not?????

I don't understand why you were scared-

Soma ON THE OTHER HAND

OHOHO

THAT'S A GOOOOOOD ONE

[The Bookwyrm he/him]

4 minutes ago, Through The Living Glass said:

YOOOOOO ALAN WAKE II IS SO GOOOOOOD

so is the first but like

IT'S SO GOOOOOD

And, uh, thanks XD

I did enjoy the story. A lot. Even if I was mostly watching it for the Control references.

Spoiler

Also Herald of Darkness is a banger I was not expecting to like.

Spoiler

...And that is literally the first time I have ever used the word banger.

 

 

4 minutes ago, J. Magi said:

I've also watched a bit of horror gaming, because watching someone else play a scary game is enough of a disconnect that it limits how scared I get. Specifically I've watched a little bit of fnaf stuff, and a lot of Phasmophobia stuff.

I've also seen some indie analogue horror stuff on youtube because for a while there my friend and I would watch it together at lunch. We quickly stopped though because neither of us could sleep lolll

I've watched stuff about analog horror but am too scared to watch the actual analog horror. I like the concepts, I like the aesthetic, but...I'm too scared to actually watch them. Because I hate nightmares.

I haven't had a real nighmare since I was like 5 and I'm not about to start now.

[Mags she/they]

2 minutes ago, Through The Living Glass said:

Because- because it's not?????

I don't understand why you were scared-

Soma ON THE OTHER HAND

OHOHO

THAT'S A GOOOOOOD ONE

BECAUSE IT'S DARK

AND YOU'RE ALL ALONE

AND THERE ARE GIANT METAL THINGS CREEPING UP ON YOU STUFFED WITH DECAYING CORPESES THAT WANT TO BITE YOUR HEAD OFF.

The jump scares aren't the scary part, it's the suspense.

Just now, The Bookwyrm said:

I did enjoy the story. A lot. Even if I was mostly watching it for the Control references.

  Hide contents

Also Herald of Darkness is a banger I was not expecting to like.

  Hide contents

...And that is literally the first time I have ever used the word banger.

 

 

I've watched stuff about analog horror but am too scared to watch the actual analog horror. I like the concepts, I like the aesthetic, but...I'm too scared to actually watch them. Because I hate nightmares.

I haven't had a real nighmare since I was like 5 and I'm not about to start now.

I don't ever really have nightmares after watching it, I just lie awake thinking about it lolll. From what I've seen, some is better then others but it can be really spooky.

[Through the Living Wrath he/him]

Just now, J. Magi said:

BECAUSE IT'S DARK

AND YOU'RE ALL ALONE

AND THERE ARE GIANT METAL THINGS CREEPING UP ON YOU STUFFED WITH DECAYING CORPESES THAT WANT TO BITE YOUR HEAD OFF.

The jump scares aren't the scary part, it's the suspense.

I don't ever really have nightmares after watching it, I just lie awake thinking about it lolll. From what I've seen, some is better then others but it can be really spooky.

I watched some gameplay of dead space, seems like that would be similar to this.

[The Bookwyrm he/him]

Just now, J. Magi said:

BECAUSE IT'S DARK

AND YOU'RE ALL ALONE

AND THERE ARE GIANT METAL THINGS CREEPING UP ON YOU STUFFED WITH DECAYING CORPESES THAT WANT TO BITE YOUR HEAD OFF.

The jump scares aren't the scary part, it's the suspense.

I don't ever really have nightmares after watching it, I just lie awake thinking about it lolll. From what I've seen, some is better then others but it can be really spooky.

I've mostly looked a little bit into the whole Backrooms thing. Nothing much beyond that.

...My YouTube feed kept trying to show me stuff about the Mandela Catalouge and all I had to see was a few images of it to be like nope.

Of course then I also fell down the SCP rabbit hole a little bit which also inspired the ARC.

[Through The Living Glass She/They]

Just now, J. Magi said:

BECAUSE IT'S DARK

AND YOU'RE ALL ALONE

AND THERE ARE GIANT METAL THINGS CREEPING UP ON YOU STUFFED WITH DECAYING CORPESES THAT WANT TO BITE YOUR HEAD OFF.

The jump scares aren't the scary part, it's the suspense.

Yeah, and?

YOU SHOULD WATCH Soma

IT'S A MASTERPIECE

Never got into the SCP stuff. Ever.

Not the Mandela Catalog, either.

'ts not my style, ig.

[Mags she/they]

Just now, The Bookwyrm said:

I've mostly looked a little bit into the whole Backrooms thing. Nothing much beyond that.

...My YouTube feed kept trying to show me stuff about the Mandela Catalouge and all I had to see was a few images of it to be like nope.

Of course then I also fell down the SCP rabbit hole a little bit which also inspired the ARC.

Yeah, I don't remember what the one my friend and I watched but it wasn't backrooms related.

Spoiler

It was about the spirit of a dead child (?) that haunted an online space. It would make friends with people online, and then request to videochat them late at night. When the person accepted and the web-cam came on, it would slowly crack the computer screen while staring out you, and then kill you when it got out.

[Through The Living Glass She/They]

Just now, J. Magi said:

Yeah, I don't remember what the one my friend and I watched but it wasn't backrooms related.

  Reveal hidden contents

It was about the spirit of a dead child (?) that haunted an online space. It would make friends with people online, and then request to videochat them late at night. When the person accepted and the web-cam came on, it would slowly crack the computer screen while staring out you, and then kill you when it got out.

Oo that sounds cool

[Mags she/they]

1 minute ago, Through The Living Glass said:

Yeah, and?

YOU SHOULD WATCH Soma

IT'S A MASTERPIECE

Never got into the SCP stuff. Ever.

Not the Mandela Catalog, either.

'ts not my style, ig.

AND THATS SCARY

THAT SITUATION IS SCARY

SO IM SCARED.

I also find the way their eyes look particularly scary, human eyes on things that aren't human really scare me idk why.

[The Bookwyrm he/him]

1 minute ago, Through The Living Glass said:

Yeah, and?

YOU SHOULD WATCH Soma

IT'S A MASTERPIECE

Never got into the SCP stuff. Ever.

Not the Mandela Catalog, either.

'ts not my style, ig.

Makes sense.

A lot of the actual SCP stuff kind of rubs me the wrong way. I kind of started building this world that the RP happens in so I could have an organization and world that was like SCP but without the constant sense of nihilism and existential dread. And also an organization with at least some moral compass.

Not that there isn't dark stuff in this universe (that's what this RP is about) but...I want there to be some light in a story like that, you know?