InsaneJournal

Vampires. Vampires in this world are made through a transfusion of blood; a single bite cannot turn them or the world would be overpopulated with them. The victim must be drained to the point of death, then given some of the vampire's own blood. The initial transformation is very painful, as the new vampire's cells will be rearranging and their entire DNA reformatting itself. Fledgling vampires will be extremely sensitive to light, including artificial light, and while they are stronger and faster than a mere mortal, they are not able to outrun a speeding car or rip a tree out of the ground. Their fangs are permanent but grow longer when the vampire is about to feed; there are tiny recessed grooves in their lower gumline to make room for the elongated teeth. They can see well in the dark and have special hearing. They find it difficult to resist the blood hunger; usually they must feed at least once a day to keep their strength up, then can wean it back. Animal blood will suit their needs though most find it distasteful and unappealing. When a vampire creates a wound, their body fluids can heal it; therefore, a human victim should not be found with a bite mark unless the vampire is careless or intentionally leaving evidence of their feeding.

Werewolves. Werewolves are made through a transfusion of body fluid. Lycanthropy is treated like a communicable disease; bites, scratches, open wounds, even unprotected sex can lead to someone being infected with it. Only humans can be affected. It takes one full month to come to fruition, though the newly infected will see signs beforehand. They will feel an intense craving for meat and will usually shun any other kind of food, as wolves are carnivorous by nature. They often seek companionship, carnal or otherwise, as most wolves are not lone by choice. They can transform at will during the entire month, but some werewolves may lose control in times of extreme anger or emotional instability and change against their will. Some may only half-transform in these times, resulting in extended claws, teeth, tails, paws, sprouting fur, etc while retaining basic human characteristics. When the full moon is in the sky, however, no werewolf can deny their nature, and they do turn. On these nights, the carnival requires the wolves to either leave the grounds entirely until dawn or lock themselves in management-approved quarters during their transformations, as werewolves are NOT capable of self-control when they are transformed. They are violent, volatile, and have no recollection of their humanity while in wolf form. They prefer to run on all fours but can walk upright in a hunched, malformed posture for very short distances. They retain no knowledge of their wolfen activites upon returning to human form at dawn. Werewolf males CAN impregnate a female of another species, but the offspring will not be a werewolf. Werewolf females cannot become pregnant under any circumstances; their bodies go through too much trauma during the transformations and it would destroy any fetus in their body at the time. The transformations are very painful and uncomfortable for the wolves, as every bone and muscle in their body is rearranging and reforming itself in a very short amount of time. The werewolves also age slower and heal faster; their life spans are about double a normal human's, and thus most wolves look very young and healthy for their age. They also have insanely fast metabolisms, which make them constantly hungry and energetic.

Succubi / Incubi. These creatures are known for their otherworldly sexual appetites; insatiable lovers who have no qualms about morality, they often pursue lovers simply for the sport of it or with the exact goal in mind of impregnation to further their species. Many a marriage has ended because of a wayward succubi's whim. They are also capable of genetically switching genders in some cases, able to change between male and female at will depending on their intended target for lovemaking. They are thought to be demons, but most of them are born to mortal mothers. They tend to 'come into their own' when they become sexually active or reach an age where their hormones take control; they can feel drained or weak if they go too long without 'feeding' after their change begins. Their 'victims' are not usually harmed by their feeding, though some may feel exhausted or emotionally drained afterward.

Changelings. Changelings are fairy babies who were switched at birth with regular mortal babies, often during the first night of the infant's life. They grow up raised by mortal parents who believe they are raising a normal human baby, but when the children are pre-teens their powers begin to manifest themselves. The changeling children may not know why they are different, but by the time they are adults their powers will be at their peak performance. Changelings are often very athletic or acrobatic, or stronger than normal humans; they may possess more speed or agility, and be excellent at things like sleight of hand or thievery. They often have tricky or deceitful natures, and are quite commonly skilled at musical pursuits of one variation or another. Most changelings are unable to return to the fae realm without consequence; they've been sent away for so long and tainted by human influence, and many are considered unwanted and unwelcome in their native lands.

Sirens. Sirens are based on the Greek mythology, and usually hail from that region of the world; they are in beautiful physical form and some can turn, either completely or partially, into birds. They have indescribable singing voices that are particularly potent when used on weak-willed creatures; some supernatural creatures are less vulnerable to the siren's call, depending on many factors including their age and species. Sirens feed on the flesh of their prey, and their cannibalistic rituals are carefully monitored by the carnival to ensure that they do not bring undue attention from local authorities.

Shifters. Shifters, in contrast to werewolves, were either born with this ability or gained it through a magical means, such as rituals or spells. They often have one 'totem animal' that they are closest to, but some have a small menagerie of animals they can shift into. Their shifting is generally not as painful as that of a werewolf, and they are not out of control or bloodthirsty when in their animal forms. Several of them perform in the animal show.

Demons. There are thousands of demons in the world, some walking among us, others trapped in the circles of Hell and looking for their ticket out. They possess human bodies and affect human mannerisms to better pass among the herd; some are malicious and homicidal, others are mischievous or impish, and some just want to get by unnoticed to avoid returning to Hell. They are often multilingual and versed in magic or occult matters, and can do minor things like telepathy/impressing, illusions, etc. These work best when directed at weak minds, although stronger demons can project their desires onto stronger opponents. MODERATOR NOTE: Demons will be allowed in this game, but omnipotence and other such powers will not be tolerated without mod approval and permission. We reserve the right to ask you to tone down your demon's powers to some degree if we feel you are making them too powerful--- Arkady would not allow a dangerous, all-powerful being to roam unchecked in the carnival, after all.

Fae. The Carnival has quite a few fae in its ranks, and they hail from different courts and lineages. Most are European in some form, though a few are very different. They are often mischievous or playful in personality and find joy in things like petty theft or vandalism, pranks, pickpocketing, etc. Most have a natural gift for sleight of hand or glamours. Many are gifted with 'silver tongues' and are very persuasive and clever little things. Some have wings they cannot hide, while others look mostly human in appearance, though they tend to be slight and petite of build in general. Their powers vary greatly depending on their age, race, origin, and more. They are very sensitive to things like cold iron, and if you slight one or get on their bad side, their retribution can be harsh and long-lasting. The Seelie fae enjoy humans and can be helpful, playful, and engaging to them. They tend to be the 'good' faeries. The Unseelie, on the contrast, are often darker and have more sinister intent; they like to sabotage or ruin someone's good fun and it's in their nature to be distasteful and loathsome. Please specify which court your character is aligned with when you apply.

Gremlins. Gremlins are very handy with mechanical things, though they can either be completely genius inventors or awful vandals depending on their skill level and mindset. Some enjoy helping while others prefer to be destructive for the sport of it. They are often charming, playful, unreliable and untrustworthy, but can be amusing companions if they feel sociable.

Ghosts/poltergeists. Bound to the physical realm but without their bodies, spirits in this game are intangible unless they possess a body. Some of them can be seen when they wish to be, but they are still not corporeal; usually they vanish or flicker like an old film reel, and some of them blink out of existence without warning or desire. They are always seen in the apparition as the last time they were alive, their clothing and hair unchanging. They can focus their wills to move objects, slam doors, etc and if they come into contact with a human being, it sends a chill down their back and can raise gooseflesh. The ghosts have to focus intense amounts of psychic energy to make sound of their own accord. However, they can communicate via 'ghost writing', Ouija boards, etc, or through a 'mouthpiece' during a meditation or seance ritual (such as a medium, fortune-teller, or just a willing party). They can also possess people's bodies for a short amount of time, though if the person is conscious and/or unwilling it's much harder for them to maintain.

Supernaturally-inclined Humans. Not all humans are normal, and these are the ones that go far beyond your "average Joe." Gifted with various powers and/or traits, their skills can range from telepathy, telekinesis, precognition, etc. Depending on their gift, their powers and weaknesses will be different, and their positions in the carnival will be varied.

Other. These are the beings that don't quite fit into any of the above categories. We're talking ghouls, monsters, other werecreatures, etc. Those that can pass for human will have jobs that range from barkers to performers, and those whose appearances forbid them from passing as 'normal' will either be placed behind the scenes or asked to perform in the freak tent.


rules

001. This game will be dealing with things of adult nature. Expect to see murder, mayhem, sex, drugs, and all that good stuff. For this reason, we ask that you be over 18 AND mature enough to handle these themes. All posts with controversial content must have a warning tag, and the more specific the better so that people understand that your post may have triggering content inside. All major dramatic plot points must be cleared with mod approval. This means that topics like rape, kidnapping/abduction, murder (of an in-game character--- NPCs/original background characters are usually fine), torture, severe injury, property damage on carnival grounds, or basically anything else that you're unsure if it's okay or not, ask first in the dropbox or via AIM. Chances are we'll say yes, but we are huge on consent here and we don't tolerate people being railroaded or cornered into storylines or plots they didn't want to be a part of. 002. If you cause drama, we will chew you up and spit you out. We're all here to have fun, so keep your angst and drama in character. If you have a problem with someone, contact the mods. Any player found to be instigating drama OOC will be banned on a first offense. We have NO tolerance for high-school dramatics. Just treat others as you wish to be treated - it's that simple. 003. Be active. We're not going to hold your hands, but we will expect you to interact with your fellow players. We will do periodic activity checks, usually every 2-3 weeks. If you are put on the list, you will have one week to pick your activity back up, or you will be removed. 004. Try to be at least somewhat realistic in your depiction of the characters. We know it's a supernatural-based game, but do some research on the type of being you apply with. Werewolves can't fly and vampires don't sparkle. Please use basic folklore and mythology to back up your characters' abilities, and if it's something very obscure, links in your app are helpful. ;) If you are unsure of your creature's abilities or limitations, please ask a mod in the dropbox. We will confer with you to figure out what's most likely to fit with the game. There is no 'canon' since so many mythologies contradict each other, but we do try to stay consistent across the board as much as we can. 005. On a similar note, keep your play-by as realistic as possible. If you're playing a thirty-year-old, your play-by can't be someone who barely looks legal. On the flip side, your twenty-year-old character shouldn't be played by someone in their forties. Use common sense. The mods reserve the right to ask you to change your play-by when you apply. We do not allow cartoon characters, anime characters, inanimate objects, etc as PBs. 006. Certain things are just basic RP etiquette. We do activity checks periodically just to make sure you're being active. We know real life is a priority, and we're pretty lenient, but we're not going to let you go on hiatus for a month straight or take two weeks to tag someone's post back without a good reason. ASK PERMISSION before you do anything that will impact another player's gaming experience. Play your characters true to their design; Mary Sues and Gary Stus will not be tolerated, nor will people who come here solely to play out hookups/sex scenes. 007. Intolerance will not be permitted. This can be as narrow as "I don't want to play with her" (didn't we get past that part in kindergarten, right around the time we all got our cootie shots?) or as broad as having issues with a character or player's race, sexuality, religion, etc. We're equal opportunity RPers here and we celebrate all walks of life. Also, please keep in mind that OOC and IC are not the same thing--- a character can eb a misogynist, a racist, a homophobe, etc, and the player's personal preference should have no impact on how the character is played. 008. Character caps are enforced here. It's on a flexible basis, but in general we only allow players to take on four characters, five on some occasions. We will allow you to exceed four at our own discretion based on your activity level--- if you can keep up with more then we will consider it. We know the temptation to create multiple muses is great in a game like this, but please think your characters through and apply with a developed, three-dimensional idea. If you begin to get over your head and activity wanes, we may ask you to consider cutting back on your character list or deny you an application for a new muse until activity picks back up. application ( OUT OF CHARACTER ) Name: (or alias) Age: (18+ is required) Roleplaying experience: Email or AIM: ( IN CHARACTER ) Name: Nickname: (this can be their performing name or just a nickname; you can find examples here.) Age: Stage name: (for performers only) Job: (look at the cast list to see what's taken; some jobs allow multiples, such as bartenders and burlesque dancers, but we do ask for some variety in other areas) Played by: Species: (find the list here or link us to your own source!) Personality: (at least one informative paragraph) History: (be sure to tell us how and when they joined the carnival. Unless you have been approved personally by a mod, all characters are new to the carnival at the time of your application's submission.) Roleplaying sample: (third person, past tense) Please post your applications here.