Dark Blessings Moderator Account

Premise

2011-01-27T01:50:58Z

2005; New Orleans is struck by Hurricane Katrina. Considered the fifth worst natural disaster in the history of the United States, the hurricane claimed over a thousand lives, and caused over $81 billion dollars in damage. Reconstruction of the beloved port city would take years.

The vampires of the New Orleans coven - survivors of Queen Akasha's attempted genocide - were scattered. Some remained together, others traveled alone, but all were removed from the city that had become their home.

Present day; a few of the older vampires have returned to N.O. in an attempt to help with reconstruction. One such vampire is Marius de Romanus, posing as a man of wealth and leisure. He buys up properties, fixing them up and renting them to mortals. He also opens a book store and an art gallery, using both of these as a means by which to stay updated with the current day. He provides shelter for new vampires in the area, and seeks to recreate the city as it once was.

Slowly, the other vampires are returning as well, some through letters sent by Marius, some simply to see what has become of the city.

And some are drawn back by rumor. A myth that has been around for over 700 years speaks of a myriad of objects that can restore a vampire from monster to something closer to human. There has been little proof for this myth, and so many discount it - yet its telling persists. A local museum showing may offer more answers.

You are here, in New Orleans. Be you mortal or immortal (or something else entirely), you are welcome to join us in our quest - should it be for redemption, for immortality, or something else, we do not know. Each has their own motivation, each their own demons. Join us and find the truth.

---

Alchemy - the process by which things are studied, destroyed, and rebuilt into new and more fashionable forms. Those who practice this science strive to turn iron into gold and to seek the Philosopher's Stone, which promises immortality to the holder. Not all, however, made these goals their magnum opus.

In 1395, in a hamlet in England, an alchemist became a vampire. At first he gloried in his new strength, thinking that he would have all of time to perfect his craft and finally achieve that which he and his colleagues desired. But the act of nightly killing to survive took its toll, and the alchemist fell into despair.

Instead of consigning himself to flame or sun, he turned to alchemy, crafting seven objects with which to 'cure' himself of his malady; for he still was obsessed by the idea of immortality, but could not abide the weaknesses that came with it. The objects were of an everyday sort - rings, necklaces, a hairpin - thus easily hidden about his person and for three hundred years this man decided his own path instead of being dictated to by a bloodthirsty spirit.

But the objects had terrifying side-effects that drove the alchemist mad. He had no more living family, nor friends, nor anyone who knew him at all - he had no desire to give his curse to another, and thus he had no fledglings. Yet rumors of this man, and his wondrous creations, abounded through the mouths of both the dead and the living. Most counted it solely as myth, a mad man given to spinning tales in his old age.

The alchemist went mad, driven to insanity, lust, greed, and a thousand other curses worse than his vampirism; some say those aspects were hidden within him, while others claim the objects inspired such things. One day, he went out into the sun, removed the ring that allowed him to wake and walk in the daylight, and let himself burn to ash in the middle of the town square. No one speaks of that day, except to say that the devil came and took what belonged to him.

The objects were gathered up and sold; they have traveled about the world for years. Some found their way into the hands of the immortals once more, as they were meant to (some say the objects themselves even decide their own paths) - and these that did drove their wearers into fits and spells, each object different. Those that have discovered the objects' true powers have named them accordingly.

The date is the present day - the place, New Orleans, Louisiana. The Mother of all vampires is dead, her power and reign passed on to another. The vampires who were present for the Mother's genocide of her children have pressed on with their immortality. The older immortals are aware of these myths, but most do not believe.

Rules & FAQ

2011-01-27T01:50:41Z

FAQ

What is Dark Blessings?
Dark Blessings is a present day Vampire Chronicle role play game. We write in Anne Rice's sandbox (albeit against her will), using the characters from the books while making up our own storylines. We love the books so much that we wanted to continue the characters' stories. Everything in DB occurs after Blood Canticle and thus includes all events up to that point.

Some of the characters I see died in the Vampire Chronicles. How are you able to play them?
We have created objects that allow vampires to overcome some negative aspects of the Dark Gift. One object can bring back dead vampires, at a very steep cost. Thus vampires like Azim, who Akasha killed in Queen of the Damned, or Nicolas de Lenfent, who committed suicide in The Vampire Lestat, are able to walk this plane of existence once more in new forms.

Do you accept original characters?
We do. Please note that original characters will undergo a much harsher scrutiny than those who are canon to the Chronicles. Potentially more favor will be shown to human original characters because there are quite a number of semi-nameless Chronicle vampires with which you could do anything.

What sort of creatures do you accept?
At this time, we accept vampires, humans, witches, and spirits. We may accept Taltos, depending on your idea. We do not accept things like shape shifters (i.e. werewolves), fae, or other supernatural creatures not spoken of in the Chronicles.

So what's up with these objects? How do they work?
There are seven objects total, each with varying positives and negatives. For more information on them, please visit the objects page.

Can I bring someone back as an animal?
As cute and funny (only not) as that would be, no. Please keep everyone human.

Why can't I play the Twins, or the Pair?
At this time, we wish to focus on the other characters of the books (of which there are a multitude, not to mention we accept original characters as well) before considering these four.

What if someone wants to drop a character?
If a player desires to drop a character or needs to leave the game for any reason, the mods will work out a reason for the character's leaving. Picking that character up again is the tricky part.

Any new player who wishes to pick up that character will have two options - one, either continue that character within the same histories that were occurring before, or two, have that character die and come back in mortal form. The mortal will remember their history, but will be open for a different personality.

What are the communities?
We have three. The first is the OOC, db_ooc, where all of your plotting, introductions, and randomness will go. The second is the IC, darkblessings, where threads go. The third is a communications comm, db_comm, where things that don't need a full scene go.

What the heck is a communications comm?
A communications community is solely for either quick conversations, postings of notices, cell phone texting or calls (for those who are that technologically savvy), and anything of a similar nature. Say Santino leaves Jesse a brooch on her pillow, but doesn't want her to know about it - a post can go in here. Or Marius sends Armand a text message (not that he's that savvy about cell phones) - such a post would go here. Quick conversations can happen in here as well, ones that don't require writing out the scene entirely. Further questions about this community can be addressed to the mods here.

Is there a specific way to start a thread?
Not to start, necessarily, but we would like you to use this format for organization's sake:

Who: Who's involved in the thread.
What: What's going on in here? Is this a thread? A narrative? Explain yourself.
Where: Location, location, location.
When: Something as simple as 3 a.m. will suffice, or backdated to October 23rd, 2009. Just give us an idea of when this is taking place.
Warnings: Is this a G rated thread? Should we expect porn? Etc.
Notes: Anything else you'd like to add. You can also leave this blank.
Progress: Is this an ongoing thread? Is it complete?

Please place the actual starter under an LJ-cut, which you can do like this:

<*lj-cut text="TEXT HERE">

Thread starter.

<*/lj-cut>

Just remove the asterisks. All comments/replies in threads should be in third person, past tense.

What is the current character limit?
We currently have a limit of 4 characters. This may change in the future.

When can I apply?
If the application page says "OPEN", feel free to send an application on in.

What are "activity checks"?
Exactly what it says. The mods will do an activity check at the end of each month - you are required to post at least once within every two weeks in the IC community. This is the bare minimum, and you are encouraged to post as much as you like, both in the IC, the communications comm and in the character's own journals. If you need to go on hiatus for any reason, please contact the mods first so we can let people know that your character(s) will be MIA for a period of time, rather than simply dropping off the face of the earth.

First failure to meet these activity minimums will result in a warning. Second failure will result in expulsion.

Am I allowed to have fun?
No. RP is serious business.

RULES

1. Godmodding. Don't do it. It's just that simple.

2. DB is a game for those 18 and older, with no exceptions. You might be 17 and write prose similar to that of Oscar Wilde and we still can't accept you. DB contains erotica, slash, violence, and more.

3. Please create posts with content - replies should give your fellow RPers something to respond to. Please show thought and drive in each of your posts and comments in order to keep the integrity of DB.

4. Keep the OOC and the IC separate. This means:

Plotting that happens in the OOC should not be immediately available to characters; the whole point is to write a story where discoveries are made.
Drama that happens in the OOC will not affect the IC, and if it does, those who take part in it may face suspension or expulsion. There is zero tolerance for drama overflowing from the OOC to the IC.

5. Please keep canon characters as canon as possible. There's nothing wrong with updating them a little for the current day, but making Pandora into a business savvy, suit-wearing insurance broker is not OK. Stick to the foundations created in the Chronicles.

6. The password is "three headed monkey."

Have a question? Ask it in the comments below. Comments are NOT screened.

Mythical Objects

2011-01-27T01:50:20Z

All of these objects will affect their wearers differently, depending on the age or strength of the vampire. They will only affect vampires - if mortals were to wear them, they are nothing more than jewelry. All effects are instantaneous but unnoticeable by the wearer. Removal of the objects ends the positives immediately, but the negatives will take time to disperse.

The objects also move about on their own. Whether this is their creator's ghost attempting to maintain his possessions or that the objects themselves have minds of their own is unknown, but what is known is that they will leave and appear of their own volition. Some say that if an object dislikes an owner, it will find itself a new one; likewise, if it likes someone, there is nothing one can do to be rid of it.

	Superbia (ring) - "let the rays caress you and not send you into flame though your thirst will drive you insane..." Purpose: walk in sunlight Negative Affect: thirst multiplies Explanation: Allows the vampire to walk in sunlight unharmed - however, they still appear as vampires and have all of their powers/weaknesses otherwise. Their thirst, though, will increase slowly until it is unbearable. When removed, the vampire will need to find shelter immediately as the ring's effects will wear off instantaneously.
	Avaritia (cup) - "drink of me and desire more..." Purpose: resist urge for blood Negative Affect: obsessive nature Explanation: Drinking from the cup will satiate the thirst for blood for a period of time - anything can be in the cup, be it water, milk, or blood itself. The vampire who does this, however, may discover an obsession of some sort, be it with the cup or a person or anything. A stronger vampire who does not have to feed as often will in turn not have to drink from a cup often, while a weaker vampire will have to make sure he/she drinks from the cup nearly as often as they would if they were to feed in order to keep the resistance for blood away.
	Tristitia (knife) - "back into this monstrous play you are dragged, kicking and screaming as you were on the day you were born..." Purpose: reverses death Negative Affect: requires death to do this, character brought to life will experience a level of PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) Explanation: When the knife is used to commit a killing of any nature (homicide, suicide, etc), it allows incorporeal spirits to inhabit the body that have been vacated. Thus a vampire's spirit may enter the world in a new body - a male spirit could become infused in a female form, race can be changed, any number of things can be changed. However, this creates emotional disturbance in the personality that is now inhabiting the body, similar to PTSD. Some may eventually embrace their renewed, mortal existence while others may reject it. Questions or concerns can be directed to the mods here.
	Invidia (ring) - "for that which waxes, something must wane..." Purpose: magnify powers Negative Affect: control of powers wanes Explanation: The vampire's powers will amplify: the fire gift, flying, mind reading, all of this will become stronger depending on the vampire's age. For example, if Daniel had this object, he will not receive as much amplification as someone like Marius would receive. However, prolonged use will wear down the control of the wearer, to the point where others around them may combust instantaneously, they will not be able to block the thoughts of others, etc. This will manifest differently for each vampire.
	Gula (bracelet) - "the demands of the stomach are met, despite the knowledge of the mind..." Purpose: retain nourishment from mortal food Negative Affect: promotes greed/gluttony Explanation: The vampire can eat mortal food and take nourishment from it. The vampire may feel a compulsion to continue this, or feel an increase in greed. When removed, the vampire may need to vomit or otherwise remove the food from their bodies.
	Ira (brooch) - "moths to flame are burned one by one, and you will hold the torch..." Purpose: stronger allure to humans Negative Affect: increases paranoia Explanation: The vampire, despite their appearance or nature, will attract humans like flies to honey. However, the vampire will begin to suspect everyone around them, believing either someone wishes them harm.
	Vainglory (necklace) - "skin deep you will become, both in appearance and in nature..." Purpose: allows vampire to appear human Negative Affect: aggravate animalistic nature Explanation: The vampire appears human to everyone around them; they will feel human to the touch as well. The necklace will encourage an animalistic nature in the vampire, which can grow to the point of feral actions when worn too long.

Locations

2011-01-27T01:50:02Z

Locations

	Andrei's Gallery: Marius' gallery located on Royal street. A main room with two adjacent halls, the gallery is open from late afternoon and well into the evening, allowing a myriad of people to enjoy its eclectic offerings. It's namesake is fairly obvious.
	Modern Times: Marius' bookstore, so named for its purpose to pull Marius into the modern age. It offers a plethora of titles, but looks like an explosion of pages and leather bindings. Every available surface is a shelf and filled to the brim with materials, the organization of which is only known to Patrick, the manager.
	Lady Amalia's Spiritual Emporium: Amalia Ovidiu's shop, which she and Lusa live above. Here she gives tarot card and palm readings, along with the occasional seance. Very few are real, since tourists could care less for such things. However, Amalia is very protective of her craft, and is also very skilled - if you approach her in the right way, she can read your fortune, good or ill. Lusa sometimes assists when her grandmother is feeling poorly, but Amalia tries to not let this happen as the girl is not as frugal as her grandmother.

If you'd like to add a location, leave a comment below with the following details:

Location
What:
Where:
Purpose:
Image: (optional)

Taken & Held

2011-01-27T01:49:38Z

CANON
Character: Eleni Firenze observance	PB: Nina Dobrev
Character: Eudoxia ghostflowers	PB: Darla Baker
Character: Eugenie eternamente	PB: Holliday Grainger
Character: Felix carton_noir	PB: Francois Arnaud
Character: Louis de Pointe du Lac pointedulac	PB: Ben Barnes
Character: Mael sanheimfire	PB: Julian Sands
Character: Marius de Romanus bloodandgold	PB: Paul Bettany
Character: Zenobia tresses	PB: Lucy Hale

NPC PBs
Alan Tyduk
Boris Karloff
Ingrid Pitt
Katie McGrath

Held
TBA

To place a hold on a character or a PB, please make a comment below. Holds last for one week, and can be extended by three days.

Wanted

2011-01-27T01:49:14Z

Here you will find a list of playable characters, excluding Akasha, Amel, Enkil, Maharet and Mekare. This list is, unfortunately, incomplete, so if you have a character you'd like to play and don't see here, feel free to apply for them!

Black names = Alive
Red names = Dead
Blue names = Could be alive or dead

Vampires
Akbar- Fed from the living Pandora and nearly killed her, was killed by Akasha
Allesandra- Part of the Paris Coven.
Arion - Petronia's maker
Arjun - Pandora’s fledgling and companion for a few hundred years
Asphar- Member of Eudoxia’s coven, destroyed by Marius.
Avicus - Mael’s maker, fledgling to Akasha
Baby Jenks- Fang Gang; destroyed by Akasha
Benji - Marius’ fledgling, Armand’s companion
Bianca Solderini - Marius’ fledgling
Celeste- Theatres des Vampires
Daniel Molloy- Interviewer, later is turned by Armand
Davis- Fang Gang; destroyed by Akasha
Eric - Maharet’s fledgling
Estelle- Theatres des Vampires
Eugenie- Theatres des Vampires
Felix- Theatres des Vampires
Flavius - Pandora’s fledgling
Gabrielle de Lioncourt- Lestat’s mother and his first fledgling
Jesse Reeves - Maharet’s fledling?
Khayman- steward to Enkil, first vampire child of Akasha/Enkil, maker of Mekare/Maharet
Killer- Fang Gang; destroyed by Akasha
Laurent- Theatres des Vampires, finds Baby Jenks; destroyed by Akasha
Lestat de Lioncourt - if you don't know who this is, gtfo
Madeleine- Parisian doll maker/Louis fledgling; destroyed by the Theatres des Vampires
Manfred - Quin's grandfather, Petronia's fledgling
Nicolas de Lenfent (Nicki)- Lestat’s mortal lover and fledgling/ founder of Theatres des Vampires; committed suicide
Petronia - Hermaphrodite; Tarquin’s Maker
Rashid- member of Eudoxia’s coven. Marius kills Rashid when he discovers he has The Fire Gift.
Russ- Fang Gang; destroyed by Akasha
Santiago- Theatres des Vampires
Santino - dark haired vampire; controlled a satanic coven that attacked Marius and kidnapped Armand; slain by Thorne
Sybelle - Marius’ fledgling, Armand’s companion
Tarquin “Quinn” Blackwood - Mona’s Aberlard
Thorne - Maharet’s fledlging and companion; in compassion for Marius, he slew Santino and gave Maharet his eyes, and is forever bound in her hair.
Tim- Fang Gang; destroyed by Akasha
Ursula - Vittorio’s Maker
Vittorio - 16th century Tuscan vampire

Spirits (incomplete list)
Goblin - Tarquin’s dead twin brother
Honey - Merrick’s dead half sister
Lasher - spirit that haunts the Mayfairs
Miriam Reeves- Jesse’s teenage mother, haunts Jesse when she is in trouble as a mortal.
Roger - Drug dealing mobster, haunts Lestat asking him to care for his daughter Dora.

Witches (incomplete list)
Mona Mayfair - Tarquin’s Ophelia Immortal
Merrick Mayfair - cousin of Mona
Oncle Julian - the only male Witch of the Mayfair line
Rowan Mayfair - Aunt of Mona

Mortals (incomplete list)
Aaron Lightner -Talamascan
Aunt Queen - Tarquin’s caretaker
Theodora “Dora” - Roger’s daughter, knows of vampires and creates her own religion
Gretchen- nun that helps Lestat while he is a mortal
Lord Harlech- obsessed with Amadeo and killed by him.
Maria Godwin- Jesse’s relations/adopted mother
Matthew Godwin- Jesse’s relations/adopted father
Michael - Rowan’s husband
Raglan James - the body thief

If you are looking for someone to play a specific original character (your character's aunt, fledgling, second cousin twice removed), or even had a preference of PB for a canon character, post an ad in the comments below for others to see.

Advert
Who: Name, Relation, etc.
Suggested PB: (optional)
For: Do you have a plot in mind?
Requested by & Contact Info: Your name and how to get in touch with you.