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Notice:

This is a modern realistic, advanced/literate, character-driven, crime roleplay.

Players must be mature enough to handle, discuss, and portray some controversial and potentially inflammatory themes with sensitivity, discretion, and thoughtfulness.

Introduction

Co-ed fraternity Epsilon Tau Zeta at liberal arts school Davenport University in Minneapolis, Minnesota has a history of hazing its pledges, but recently, it seems the Epsilons have gone too far. Pledges have been disappearing, and campus security has begun to question the Epsilons' practices. Until now, some turned a blind eye to what they deemed essentially harmless fun. "They'll learn the hard way that their behavior won't be acceptable in the real world," one said.

That's when the first body turned up. Identified as Katie Harmon, a sophomore who had few friends and participated in fewer on-campus activities. The symbol for Epsilon Tau Zeta was inked on her body, in her own blood. The investigation turned up no witnesses or camera footage. No one willing to come forward with any information. And the only genetic evidence belongs to the victim.

Now, Davenport University officials will clamor to shut down all fraternities, to detain and question every member of Epsilon Tau Zeta. The fraternity will claim it has nothing to do with the death. And still, it will recruit new pledges. Epsilon Tau Zeta's alumni have gone on to become powerful politicians, wealthy business magnates, and internationally known artists. Their draw and influence has never been greater.

Students attend classes, grief counseling, and secret initiations. All the while, the sinister wheels of time turn. They will be forced to discover what Epsilon Tau Zeta really is, and what they themselves are capable of doing... or watching. They will question who they are, and why they do the things they do. And in the interim, they will discover that to trust anyone is a death sentence. Because Katie Harmon is the first.

US Legal wrote:Hazing is defined as an abusive, often humiliating form of initiation into or affiliation with a group, including:

Any willful action taken or situation created which recklessly or intentionally endangers the mental or physical health of another.

Any willful act by any person alone or acting with others in striking, beating, bruising, or maiming; or seriously offering, threatening, or attempting to strike, beat, bruise, or maim, or to do or seriously offer, threaten, or attempt to do physical violence to another made for the purpose of committing any of the acts.

Rules

1.) Follow basic roleplay etiquette. This is with respect to things such as god-modding, metagaming, and the like.

2.) Post as often as you can. Your real life comes first, so don't feel overly pressured. (Minimum is once every two weeks; but less is acceptable, if you speak to me about it.)

3.) Characters should be unique, realistic, believable, and dynamic. This means Mary Sues will not be permitted, and that all characters should be developed dynamically and believably.

4.) Literacy is required. There is no minimum post length, but good form, style, and presentation are expected.

5.) Violence and swearing (IC only, please) are obviously permitted due to the nature of the themes. Keep romance/sexual content to PG-13 (this one is a rule of the site as well).

6.) Despite the setting, this is NOT a school roleplay. Be forewarned. You will not be making lists of schedules, anything like that.

7.) Subscribe to the OOC and IC threads (using the neat little Subscribe to Thread button on the post) so you can keep up with new posts in the disabling of View Your Posts. *NEW*

Character Submissions

You can submit them to the official roleplay tab page. . . thing. . . on here. OOC discussion will go in this thread, but submit characters that way, and I'll edit them into the roster. . . thing.

Be sure to mention what organization your character represents. You may create characters affiliated with any imaginable organization, agency, institution, etc. provided that your character meets the following three criteria: a.) the character is appropriate for the modern/realistic setting. b.) the character has something to add to the story of the roleplay. c.) the character otherwise meets the criteria set forth in the roleplay's rules. For example, it would be nice to have characters who are members of Epsilon Tau Zeta or pledges of it, as well as other students and possibly faculty at Davenport University, and law enforcement (campus police, Minneapolis Police Department, etc.). Of course, others are welcome provided they may be integrated into the storyline.

Do not feel constrained by the introduction to the roleplay (once it is posted). All players in this roleplay are encouraged to develop their own backstories with one another, to develop their own plots and subplots with one another, and to develop their characters with one another - not merely on their own (though you can, if you choose). Nevertheless, characters are expected to have something to do with the plot outlined here in the introductory piece.

I honestly don't care whether you use a picture reference for your character (as long as it's realistic), but please use your description and history as a chance to showcase your writing ability. Premade or pre-existing characters are welcome, provided they are your creation. Also, be realistic about ages of characters, especially with respect to relevant skills, experience, and education. University students are likely to be between the ages of 17 - 26. Faculty ought to be older than 40 (although graduate lecturers could be as young as 30). Law enforcement is upwards of 20; detectives upwards of 30.

Please PM me when you submit a profile so it can be approved.

If they are usually interesting for you (and they almost all have something to do with crime), why haven't you joined another one?
... I'm just having some fun with asking you. :) No hard feelings.

I can't wait to see your character profile, so be sure to PM me or post here with a link. And drag anyone else into it who you think might be interested.

I look forward to reading both of your profiles! If you know anyone else who you think would be interested, please, please, please pass along the link to them.

I hope to be making a character for this, depending on how well my schooling works out (Which will show soon) so my charcter I put in (of do. D=) will be low-level key, probably a student who was looking into pledging (? if that's okay, of course) and perhaps if my schooling allows it becomes a more..in depth character(?).

Yup, that's okay. Look forward to reading your profile!

Solamente_mismo, you may also be interested in my other roleplay (link below in my signature, When the Lion Wakes), which is also in the modern realistic setting, although it deals with terrorism rather than hazing on a college campus. Feel free to take a look on that one; it has similar rules, and the same lenient posting requirement.

Also, to everyone who hasn't yet submitted a character - please do so within the next week, if you can. I would appreciate having those profiles so I can start work on the introduction to the IC thread, so we can all begin. If you have questions, please don't hesitate to ask, either here or via PMs.

Jehanne, I'm sorry to hear that about the last few months.... The college in the roleplay is Davenport, so you'll have to figure out a way to integrate a Cambridge student. Also, if there's anything I can do for you, please let me know,

Sounds good, Jehanne. Katie's profile should reveal all you need to know about her, since there is also a completed Common App in there.

If you need any other questions answered, regarding what else your character might have known about her, simply ask, and I'll answer. And yes, the roleplay opens shortly after her death.

I would love to have you. Please follow the instructions in the first post on submitting characters, and let me know by posting here or however once you have done so.