A seed without roots may wither and wither.
A leaf with no sun may despair.
A branch that is hewn may never recover.
They bloom in the crystalline air…
Introduction
Wake up.
The air carries the scent of ice. It’s the kind of cold that stings your skin, burns your lungs, and creeps into your bones. There’s a dusting of snow on the ground. It crunches with each step you take.
A house sprawls before you. Its classic architecture is painted soft cream and roofed in brown. With the snow, it resembles a sugar-frosted gingerbread house. Then again, at three stories, it's more of a gingerbread manor.
Should you turn around, you’ll see something else – something as red as fresh-spilled blood. The clearing is surrounded by a briar ring abloom with roses. The bushes are entangled, choked so tight and so thick you can’t see beyond. If you crane your head, giant pines loom overhead. But the roses – the roses have no end. No entry. No opening.
What is this? Why are you here?
No answer comes.
Explanation
This is the interest check for Winter Rose: the garden of a wish.... Inspired by j-horror, the gothic genre, fairy tales, and all things creepy, this game will tell the tale of three to five strangers trapped on the grounds of a mysterious house (perhaps more, if necessary, but five is a nice number). Not one remembers how they got here, and it doesn't look like they'll be leaving anytime soon. Although it's the dead of winter, this place - Rose Manor - is surrounded by a circle of roses in full, luscious bloom. But with roses come thorns, and these are no exception. The brambles are so thick and so strong, it's impossible to enter. Your would bleed as red as the roses themselves. No matter how many are cut down, more seem to spring in the way.
(The guests will be staying for tea...)
With a focus on exploration, the goal of the game will be to unravel the secrets of Rose Manor, but the task won't be easy. Although it looks normal - if lavish - inside, this house doesn't play by the rules. Strange presences, secret passages, and spectacles straight out of dreams...
But it's not a dream. This world is as real as the harm it can do. Perhaps these guests can find a way to return, but first they'll have to survive.
Characters
What does it take to get on the guest list? Player characters will be modern humans from a world much like our own. They will be perfectly aware of who they are but, as noted, no idea how they got to Rose Manor. Their possessions will be limited to what one might reasonably carry on their person on an average day. The clothes on their backs should follow suit -- office clothes, evening dress, pajamas, it's all fair game, for no one knows when they came, either. Any cellphones or networked devices will not function (at least not in the normal way), and there's no electricity in the manor anyway. All in all, no magic, no scifi, just ordinary people.
Or... perhaps not so ordinary. Well-developed, fully realized characters are encouraged. It's perfectly acceptable to get to know your character as things progress, but you should have at least a basic idea of their background. It could be important. It is quite acceptable - even encouraged - for your character to have something in their past that may haunt them. This is far from a requirement, but sometimes the most frightening demons are the ones we harbor, hmm?
At any rate, I would like to know your character's past (including any major skeletons in their closet) before we begin. If you wish to keep it a secret, feel free to PM me. Secrets are also encouraged. Keeps people your characters can't necessarily trust guessing, doesn't it? But trust will be valuable when they can get it or fake it. After all, safety in numbers.
Play Style and Expectations
This will be freeform, but my GMing will have elements of tabletop style. As always, I'm looking for people with a decent grasp of the English language that will be creative and dedicated! It's nice if everyone can post at least once a week, but that's not a strict requirement. Life gets in the way, oh yes it does. There is no minimum or maximum post length; the main thing I'm looking for is your ability to move the RP forward and give others something to respond to.
Your characters will generally have all the free will in the world. However,things may happen to your character that are beyond the character’s immediate control. Given the strange and unpredictable nature of the house, even the simplest of actions could bear consequences. Remember this as your character explores and interacts with objects. Rose Manor's reality is its own.
It will work as follows: if it’s something other characters can perceive (e.g. your character begins to float off the ground in front of everyone), I’ll simply write it in the RP text. If it’s something only your character can perceive (e.g. your character alone hears a deep moan), I’ll PM you the information.
This will not be an excuse to maim or kill your character unfairly (as usual, your character will be able to take any reasonable action to avoid attacks). The goal is to provide challenges for characters to solve or work around – challenges that are hopefully fun, surprising, and maybe even a little unsettling. Some events may also provide hints to the mysteries of Rose Manor. Please only join if you’re okay with this kind of GM input.
Status
I have the basic framework for the plot down, but I still have a lot of work to do. This is pretty ambitious compared to my normal GMing style. I've started mapping the house, and that shouldn't take more than a few days to finish; I'll need to know its structure before play can begin. However, the story itself will require a lot of careful thought. I want you all to have fun without ever getting totally stuck, and I certainly don't want to railroad you.
Thus, this may take a bit of time... but it will happen. (My boyfriend will probably cry if it doesn't. Do you think I'm heartless? :v) For now, I'd like to hear feedback, suggestions, and if you want, we can start discussing character concepts!
... forgive me for all the clichés, by the way. I could not resist.
