We were all locked away like animals...well, some of us were animals...
Forced to live in cages or small rooms that kept us weak and scared. We learned to live in fear; it was our way of life in order to stay alive. Most of us know nothing else.
Some of us were normal at some point, regular people we only heard about, then captured for no reason and forced to change. To become something none of us ever dreamed would be possible to become.
Now that we took the chance to be free, how are we supposed to survive...? Why did they do this to us…?


The Lab

History: Throughout time there has always been stories of hybrids, demigods with unnatural abilities, and mutants. The majority of the population is taught to believe these stories to be pure imagination, the works of ancient people explaining their world without science.
Nowadays science dominates the scene, giving the populace the facts; also stating that these old stories to be false. However, governments also have their secrets that they keep from the people. Some are kept longer than others; others didn’t even start out as secrets. Nearly everyone has heard of the horrific experiments that occurred during the holocaust. Many involved twins, the mental capacity of people, the search for telepathy and many others that may be too numerous to list. One that has been forgotten and erased from all record was the experimentation in creating mutants to the government’s advantage.
The Germans (Nazis) started mild testing with increasing the normal human capabilities, strength, healing, the senses, etc. Their unwilling victims became confined to the camps and tested on in order for the success to be replicated. The willing victims were usually soldiers and were sent to keep control or tear down the areas that resisted. The United States, wanting to have the upper hand, countered with their own experimentation practices. They only used willing volunteers, wounded military personnel, and criminals sentenced for death given the chance to live longer. They learned to improve the body, make it more resilient and hardened to the environment. Once they perfected a technique they sent it out into the public for hospitals to begin using on the sick and injured civilians. During this time the Lab produced many vaccines and steroids with positive effects that hospitals still use.
Despite their progress, the ideals and goals began changing in order to have more pronounced improvements. It was searching for more, using harsher methods, using healthier people, sometimes obtaining subjects against their will, and introducing animals into the experiments. These changes gave them better results, with stronger and more submissive subjects at the cost of using almost torturous testing and experiments. Their methods eventually resulted in the deterioration of the mind. Subjects were becoming unstable, going insane, or having a pure animalistic mentality. From the increasing amount of these results the government ordered the facilities to shut down and dismiss their workers. On the outside it did seem they had done so and with the passage of time the knowledge of the Lab has been lost. Now only a select few in the government, with their own ulterior motives, know of the Lab’s existence and provide it’s funding; in return they receive exotic pets or challenging game for hunting.
No one on the outside knows that the Lab is still fully functional with its facilities spread throughout the country in rural, well hidden areas. *Tell me where you would place a facility in your character profile Can be general place or a specific city.*

Purpose: The Lab is exactly that, a lab. No one knows its name because officially it doesn't exist, not even the ones in charge remember what it used to be called. They find workers on the edges of society. Those with little family ties, needing money, perhaps arrested a few times, people that could drop out of their lives and not be missed. The scientists were enticed with the promises of creatures they had never seen, medical innovations that they could only dream of. Others were contacted because they had been reprimanded for misconduct in using methods deemed inhumane. Once each person saw the facility they were never allowed out of the influence of it. Even if they did attempt to bring public notice the government officials made sure any trace was eradicated. Only the badly wounded or those becoming unable to perform their duties properly were released from their jobs. They would be monitored for years to make sure they kept their secrets. Eventually the surveillance ended and they were left in peace in their old age.
A special group of guards was established and given the task of finding random people they know the world wouldn't miss, or those who had happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. They drag them in, strap them down, and the scientists are allowed to do whatever experiments they want. Some involve elements like fire, shadow, water and any others. Sometimes they would include animals, created the fabled animal shifters, or maybe just a true mutant with a mix of both human and animal properties. Lastly the senses are tampered with; most often in the guards to make sure they can keep the subjects in line. The age of the subject generally determined the severity of the experiments and the extent of which the mutations took hold. The younger are so much more resilient, withstanding the most in the ways of mutation resulting in successful shifters and adept mages if they were given an element. The older the subject the mutations became more unstable and unpredictable, resulting in severe deteriorations in either the mind or body.
Each one is put through various tests to determine how much their altered bodies can take, how far their muscles could be pushed to work, how much their minds can take before they're completely broken. It is all tested in one way or another; not everyone can withstand it.
A large amount dies from the initial experiments alone, then a portion are lost to the tests, some from the frequent beatings given by the guards, and three die in each of the Games. The horrible 'Games' a semi-regular event where the guards are able to pick their favorite and least favorite subjects. Sometimes the scientists will pick experiments gone wrong that are too dangerous to keep or ones that are too close to death and don’t want to waste any more sedatives and pain killers on. Generally two elementals and two animals are put in one large, four acre pit in the ground. Set loose on each other to fight to the death, for the entertainment of the staff. The one survivor given a short reprieve of the harsh life and cared for properly for a time.

Mutants

Most experiments are done on younger children because they are less likely to die in the process of changing. The older the person the less likely the mutation will take, or the weaker the effects will be. However, due to their improving technology and methods some older subjects have been able to have strong mutations. Each one will have an outward manifestation of the mutation that will not change; something that makes the person stand out in a crowd or brings attention to themselves. *Add in your favorite mutation to your character sheet.* Often the scientists will take the stronger mutants and attempt to make them loyal to the Lab. Either through brainwashing or promises of a more comfortable type of living.
Modifications: In the beginning the Lab only did experiments on improving the human body. They were able to increase physical strength, eye sight and hearing. Later they began to work on regeneration of limbs, perhaps adding limbs or other features to a person. These types are now the easiest to produce and are not the first choice of the scientists as they can be done to anyone at any age with great success. These modifications are generally made to most of the guards upon their arrival to make sure they have the capabilities to keep up with the mutants and keep them in check. These mutations have no physical appearance to them besides the occasional pointed ears, eye color change, or larger body mass.
Animal Mutations: This is the most common mutation choice of the scientists. They begin by adding in a low percent of animal DNA to a person. The results often take several weeks or months to manifest and settle down. This process also increases their senses, makes their instincts become more animal-like, and force them to take on quirks of that animal. (Ex: Bird types might be jittery, felines might move a lot more fluidly than normal, ect.). These mutations are a bit harder on the body and less effective the older the subject is. Each still receives the outward effects no matter the age but the improvements are not as strong or pronounced when initiated at an age above ten or fifteen. The younger the person is, generally infant to ten years old, have a more likely chance of becoming a shifter; someone who can change their whole body to become the animal they are mixed with. This case is most successful when the embryo of an animal is combined with the embryo of a human. They most often have tails or ears that they can't shift away or sometimes patterns on their faces that look like tattoos. Or appearances include feathers in their hair, reptilian scales on the skin, patches of fur, and claws instead of nails.
Elemental Mutations: These mutations are harder to apply with success. It is best these are done on infants or added to the DNA of a test tube embryo. (Yes they often grow their own children in order to try these.) These people are what the ancient people believed to be sorcerers or mages. They have the essence of an element embedded into their DNA which often results in their emotions manifesting physically in the form of that element. (Ex: Fire types might have high tempers and cause fires because of them, shadows might be dark and brooding, staying in the dark.) Older subjects with elemental mutations have been known to have almost no control of their element and have trouble controlling their emotions. Scientists are still unsure exactly how these mutations are possible; these mutants are the most tested on. The appearance of this mutation causes the skin or hair to be affected most. Most often drastic changes in color of the afore mentioned or perhaps patterns that look like their element.
Mental Mutations: Mental mutations work on any age, but the younger the subject is the more chance they have for improvement and increased control over their ability. The older the subject is they are more likely to only have the basic traits associated with it. (Older Telepaths may only hear what is going on, younger ones may be able to mind-speak and/or control minds.) These ones are often paired with another mutation because of a lack of physical improvement. Testing is geared more towards their mental capabilities and many of them become broken from the harshness of it. The outward appearances are generally discolored eyes and blindness.

The Story Now
I will use this section as an update area. It will be a basic summary of has happened so far in the posts and I will add to this either every few weeks or once a month, depending on how many posts have been made with significant action taking place. *Add the worst torture you can think of to your character sheet.*

Most of us born in the Lab have never seen the outside; never stepped foot on grass, been told what a tree is, or given the knowledge that there are other animals outside, even cities full of normal people who look like them. At the start of the Games a new guard, Max Bast, could no longer take the pressure of keeping what she could only see as other human beings. She then went to the basement and cut the power, leaving the entire facility in chaos. The lights went off, the door locks opened, and the mutants were free into the surrounding area; if they could get passed the tall fence and guard towers. The guard Olek Barrow had been working the cells for years and finally gave in to his conscious. He released the mutants Edur, Chris and Kisa from their confined cells and lead them towards an exit; gunning down comrades in the process.
Max managed to stop the Games mid-way through and save Dray and Hawke, meeting up with the others near the exit. Once outside of the building Dray in his dragon form took down the fence and a few nearby guard towers. Hawke managed to call help from the local wolves to keep the pursuing guards busy while their entire group took to the forest to escape. After running for miles, encountering bear traps along the way, they managed to make it to the docks and into a warehouse office by nightfall.
The next morning the dock worker Eric Taylor came and found the group. Noticing their wounds he called in his friend Aileen Tracey to come and help them. She showed up not too long later to save a near death Olek, Kisa, and Hawke by using her healing abilities inherited by her grandmother.
Unbeknownst to them the other facilities were quickly informed on what had happened, and don't want their merchandise in the public eye. They've sent guards and loyal hunting mutants to track them down and bring them back.

If anyone wants to check out The Outside just follow the link (gives a bit more detail on the Lab though I am not bringing in the Institution into this one).

Posting Rules
1.) I will only allow a seven day inactivity. Unless you have PM'd me and told me a reason for your absence and how long you will be gone.
2.) At three days I will send a PM asking you to post.
3.) If there is no post by the sixth day I will send a warning PM.
4.) At seven days I will find a creative and/or(mostly 'and') graphic way for the character to die.
5.) If you are consistently posting with a several day gap I will send a PM asking for that to change.
6.) For my other rules read to the bottom.

.:[Character Slots]:.
*Will hold reservations for one week.* Will accept characters even after we start.

Mutants
(I won't accept anymore Feline mixes)
~Dray - Reptile/Bird Mix :*: yogitheambrangyl
~Hawke - Failed animal mix :*: WriteLive
~Edur - Snow Leopard :*: afreerobin
~Kisa - Jaguar :*: BlueWind_22
~Chris - Canine :*: Blueshadow
~Aramay - Chimera, Lab affiliated :*: Aramay
~Kyra - Tiger, Lab affiliated :*: BlueWind_22

Lab Workers
~Olek Barrow - No enhancements :*: Guardian Angel
~Oren Holmes - Shadow mutant :*: Aramay

Normals
~Aileen Tracey - Unaffiliated :*: WriteLive