[we have reached a good number of participants -- sign-ups are now closed. LSUs, however, may be accepted in the future, assuming this RPG succeeds.]
WARNING: Assassins is an RPG about, bluntly, an organization that recruits young subjects and gives them a chance to rise out of poverty by gaining strange abilities and executing troublesome politicians and other important targets. Naturally, it will contain sizeable amounts of violence, although all sexual things will most probably be references and not actual happenings. It will also deal with some strong subjects, such as the recruiting of children. If you think you can deal with all of this--read on.
Also, please do not flame me on this. While it is based on historical events, it has been taken greatly out of proportion and is not to be considered a rendering of the real world, but rather an almost alternate universe.
A S S A S S I N S
December.
1991.
The entire country was quite sure that soon they would be sitting in families under a well-ornamented Christmas tree, opening costly presents and rejoicing in the glory of a beautiful night, a spectacular night of, finally, happiness.
However, their pride was destroyed and their lives collapsed with it.
December, 1991. One of the two world powers on the planet, the Soviet Union, has been completely dismantled. The greatest communist nation, potentially the most influent ammalgamation of countries in the entire world, has fallen apart, and with it, its millions of citizens have plunged into chaos.
After its destruction, the Union--or the USSR--separated into fifteen different republics, the Russian Federation being the largest of them. The new Russians were confused, certainly lost. With the end of the USSR came one of the greatest economical collapses that the world had ever seen, leaving vast millions of countrymen without the necessary money to maintain themselves, much less their families. After the USSR, Russia, like all the other nations that rested next to each other, had fallen into an economical abyss so deep that climbing out seemed like an impossible endeavor.
Perhaps you would like to know what happens to a small, abandoned village, with no money to feed oneself or others. Perhaps you would not. It would certainly be interesting to observe a population that has plunged into deep desperation--the alarming rise in murders and suicides. The incredible peak of alcohol-related deaths. The astounding growth of prostitution and rape, everywhere. The children of Russia were desolated, left to fend for themselves after everything that had held their fragile human lives up was, in one blow, diminished.
Two years passed and the situation was simply not recovering. Large cities became the final shelter for those citizens who managed to obtain some coins one way or another and survive, as well as feed their children. Of course, some children fed themselves as they could--one had to work to live. There would always be an old man thirsting for a good time in bed, or a photographer taking advantage of the situation, taking little boys and girls to ´pose for some photographs´ and then feed them something out of his pocket.
And yet, a ´savior´ always arives, like a phoenix from the ashes--or more accurately, like a vulture picking at the remains of corpse.
While survival was a possibility in large cities, the little villages scattered across what was once the USSR were essentially left to perish. Everybody painfully assumed that their end would arrive at some point or another. And yet, for every desperate group, there will always be someone--or something--that knows how to exploit it.
It first started in some villages, but soon expanded to dozens of abandoned towns all over the fifteen shattered countries. It was an enigmatic, low-profile organization that nobody detected until it had suddenly infiltrated your town, convinced your citizens and recruited your children. It was known as the Lupus Invicti.
In this time most people were prepared to do anything for the money necessary to survive, and the Lupus Invicti was one of the best options for this. A shadowy group that easily gained the confidence of townsfolk with swaying speeches of national pride, retaliation and a better tomorrow for the children--"for the future of Russia", they soon began to grow in numbers, as they would take the children of village families, and train them.
It was an effective process. If you gave your child to the Lupus Invicti, you and the rest of your family would be provided with a monthly payment, that, while modest, was greatly welcome among everyone. Meanwhile, you needn´t worry for your child--he or she was doing an important service to not only the country, but the entire world, and living a much better life, with good food, a roof over their head and a lot of friends to make.
Perhaps an important detail, however, is that what these children learned to do was kill.
At first this notion was introduced softly among the people of Russia and surrounding countries, and they, of course, did not accept it. But the persuasive ways of the Lupus Invicti eventually gained acceptance among the people. After all, their children were going to become people to be proud of. They were going to rid the world of "bad men". And, most importantly, they were going to have a future beyond their dying villages and forsaken homes. They were going to live. And thus, the Lupus Invicti began to grow. As it grew, it was contacted by nations all over the world, making under-the-table deals. The work of the Lupus Invicti rapidly became international; they averted crises and dismantled threats, silently and efficiently, by simply assassinating troublesome political and military leaders all over the globe, always making it appear like an accident. They were known worldwide--secretly of course--due to the efficience of their assassins.
So, how does an organization primarily consisting of untrained, poor children become the most important guild of assassins? It is rumored that the Lupus Invicti´s members are not normal in any way. It is rumored that they are in possession of something strange, something that defies everything that the entire world knows.
Within the chambers of the Lupus Invicti organization, exists a marvelous substance, heavily guarded. Every new recruit is brought to the room where it is contained, and exposed to it for a minute. This is what grants the subject a special ability beyond what anybody would ever think a human could possibly do. Every subject reacts differently to the substance, dubbed the ´Crystal Blood´, and therefore everyone obtains a different special ability. This is the Lupus Invicti: an organization, born out of poverty, raised in blood and now sending its offspring all over the globe, to kill.
***
Present days. The Lupus Invicti is not a Russian organization of silencers anymore; now it is a truly international organization of silencers. Instead of recruiting only the lost children of the Soviet Union, they have grown, expanded to many countries in Europe and Asia, entering the poorest, most marginal villages of each nation, and softly murmuring their plans in the audience´s ear. Each year they obtain hundreds of members, eager to be trained until they are skillful enough to participate in their first mission. The Lupus Invicti is still alive, and well, growing succesfully and killing efficiently. Through the years of its existence is has taken missions from every powerful country in the world, as well as many third-world nations putting themselves on debt in exchange for a swift assassination.
You.
You are one of the many members of Lupus Invicti, admitted into it only a couple months ago. While you know your way around the headquarters, you are still fresh, and your basic training is, while close to it, not complete yet. Once it is, you will be exposed to the famous Crystal Blood, receive your special ability, and shortly after that take on your first mission.
Currently one of the most alarming politicians is Iranian Yazir Midan, a congressman with a majority of the country backing him up. His violent speeches call for action, and demand the nation to re-initiate construction of nuclear weapons. "This must end now, and it must be ended swiftly", he claims.
The politician recently traveled to the United States of America for some discussions regarding his ideals, as the USA hopes to discourage him.
However peace talks have dragged on for over a month without concrete agreements, and the Lupus Invicti had been contacted. They are to send a team to America and quietly execute politican Yazir Midan, and, as ordered, make it appear as if an Iranian terrorist had been the culprit.
You have recently been assigned to this ´easy´ mission, and will be forming part of the team going to the USA and performing the job efficiently, once your training is over and you have acquired your special ability. If you succeed, a welcoming home awaits you along with friends, a good home and a good meal, until your next mission is ordered. If you fail, the only alternative is, of course, death.
This is the real Lupus Invicti; these are the real Assassins. It is your time to rise.
The Lupus Invicti: An Overview
This is some insight into how the Lupus Invicti works. It is not required to understand or sign up for the RPG; it simply provides a more detailed view of the actual headquarters and other aspects.
The main quarters of the Lupus Invicti, a colossal structure cleverly hidden among the snowy peaks of Asia, has an exact location that is not disclosed to anyone but the very highest officials of the organization. Some assure that it is in China, while some say that it borders the Himalaya line of mountains. Some say that the whole "HQ is in China" statement is meant to mislead people and it is on an entirely different continent; more radical theories claim that it is somewhere on the Moon or under a great ocean. In any case it is a subject of great speculation.
However, the Lupus Invicti quarters that you will be inhabiting consists of a large, black group of buildings in Russia, the nation where the organization was born. On the inside, the buildings are actually rather cozy; they consist mainly of offices on the first floors where the high-ranking executives and leaders work and discuss several matters. Heading to the higher floors you come across the rooms of the Assassins themselves; quite spacey, each room is shared by three members of the same age vicinity and gender, and for each floor there is a main room with sources of entertainment such as televisions, videogames, magazines, and even a few computers.
Not even Assassins can avoid attending class. All members under the age of eighteen regularly go to classes from 8 AM to 3 PM when they are not on a mission. However, their learning is divided into two large categories: the first half of the day is a mix of Language, History, Arithmetic and Science, while the second half is what you could call the Physical Education of the Lupus Invicti, or more accurately, the Assassin´s Education. It keeps the members both physically fit and trains them in many ways to prepare them for real missions, as well as orally demonstrate various strategies for assassination and everything you need to know to silence a human being in the shortest and least messy way.
Recruitment is fairly simple; villages that the Lupus Invicti is completely affiliated with are known as Fountains, and for each nation that the organization has entered, there is a Village of Assassins; a central town where all children that are be recruited gather before being let into the organization. This way the movement of children seems less suspicious, and doubts or questions are not raised.
There is Crystal Blood contained in a secret chamber within each quarters of the Lupus Invicti, and the source of it is believed to be in the HQ, naturally. Nobody knows the exact location of the Crystal Blood; when they are led to it, the adjacent rooms are usually pitch-black and only the experienced leader that guides them knows the way.
For travel, the group that will be going to a country to complete a mission poses as an average congregation of tourists, with false names, VISAs, and everything else required, then takes a normal method of transportation like everyone else does. Weapons and other things that would usually not go through your average Customs are taken care of under the table, by members of the organization working at most airports.
Finally, the uniforms of the Lupus Invicti. For males they consist of dark blue, long-sleeved shirts under sleeves, zip-up black vests. The pants are black as well, and they wear hardy but flexible boots and gloves that are designed to make no sound on any kind of surface. For certain missions they will be granted additional wear; a black mask with dot-like white see-through eyes and a wide, smiling face, as well as a draping, long coat that can be disposed of when necessary.
For females, uniforms are largely the same, but with important differences. The shirts are dark blue as well, but are short-sleeved. Where they end, begin long, black gloves that go up to the elbow. They have silver nails at the ends that serve as slashing claws and can be retracted. Over the shirt they also have a black sleevess vest, but it is not zipped-up and ends halfway down the belly. They wear a dark blue skirt with a silver zipper around the edge, meaning that it can be connected to a longer skirt that conceals the feet. Like males they wear black pants and boots.
Sign Ups
As explained in the plot, you have been recruited by the Lupus Invicti a relatively short time ago. When the RPG begins you will not have your special powers yet, but instead be taken to a couple training missions that will test your various skills, then obtain your power and go to America to complete your mission. Everyone who signs up will be part of the same team going to the US, and will be guided by a team leader--an NPC that I will introduce once the RPG starts.
Name: It should, of course, make sense with where you come from.
Codename: This is something that I will give you once you are approved, based on your powers and other characteristics. Most organization members will refer to you by your codename, unless they know you personally. Thus, don´t actually include Codename in your sign-up sheet.
Gender: Yay, a part of the sign-up that takes no effort.
Age: 14-19. Anyone younger is in training, and anyone older is a teacher or leader.
Home Nation: The Lupus Invicti generally gets members from Europe and Asia. However, you can also make your character come from another continent, as long as you provide a good explanation for it in your Background.
Physical Description: How your character looks physically. The uniforms used during missions and training are described on the last two paragraphs of The Lupus Invicti: An Insight, but you should also describe what does your character wear on a normal day.
Personality: Now, if you´re good enough to get into this I shouldn´t have to say anything about this section to you.
Special Ability: The special ability that you will obtain once you are exposed to the Crystal Blood. Everyone who is exposed to the Crystal Blood already becomes superhuman: they can jump higher, drop three stories and be unscathed as long as they land correctly, and run somewhat faster than the average human. But, aside from these things, you should have one special ability or power.
Modus Operandi: The general strategy that your character uses to take targets out, using your powers to your advantage. You don´t always take the same weapons to missions, but rather pick them up in the beginning. Here, you should also describe what kind of weapons you prefer to use. They can be as extravagant as you want, but nothing that could not exist in the real world. Furthermore, you can´t carry too many weapons or you´ll trip over yourself, and as of now only bring either two small firearms (handguns, revolvers) or one large firearm (shotgun, hunting rifle).
Background: Why did you join the Lupus Invicti? Were you forced? What were your first impressions? Is your character accustomed to the place, or does he/she secretly want out?
RPG Sample: An example of how you RPG, redundancy yay. It can be a training session, entering the Lupus Invicti, a memory of your hometown before this life, or anything you want. If you think you have good enough RPG skills and I am conscious of them, then you can skip this part, but that´s up to you.
Wow, you´re still with me? Wow. Here´s my sign-up:
Name: Aaron Mycenia
Codename: Delphos--friends refer to him as ´Delphi´
Gender: Male
Age: 15
Home Nation: Greece
Physical Description: Aaron is rather short, even being one of the youngest Assassins. He has ebony black, wavy hair that falls down to about his neck and dark eyes to match it. Like many who live under the soft sun of Greece, Aaron has lightly tanned skin. He has a lithe and slightly frail frame, but moderately toned due to required Lupus Invicti training. On normal days, Aaron wears light clothing as he isn´t used to the idea of cold days; unluckily, this often backfires against him in a place as cold as he is currently.
Personality: Really, you would never expect Aaron to be an Assassin. He is, generally speaking, quite a kind person willing to do favors or carry out errands for others without hesitations or complaints, as long as he is in a good mood himself. On the same note, however, he has no complaints regarding assassinations as long as he believes that the person he is killing deserves to be killed, or must be in order for a greater good to be achieved. This is, of course, something that the Lupus Invicti is always sure to convince him about. While Aaron is an efficient Assassin in almost every situation, he refuses to kill an animal; he is actually a big animal lover, and the rule that prohibits pets in Lupus Invicti greatly disheartens him for that very reason. He also enjoys the usual activities of an average teenager, such as television, videogames and generally being lazy.
Special Ability: Aaron has the capability of controlling the flow of all liquids; for example, he can make water flowing out of a sink to move upwards like a fountain, or reverse the flow of blood inside of a person. He cannot, however, do anything to a glass of water. His control is only over liquids that are already in movement.
Modus Operandi: Aaron is the medic of the group. He knows and understands all kinds of surgical procedures and can easily carry out an operation out in the open, although he admits that it might be rather painful for the patient. Futhermore, he doesn´t cringe at the sight of abundant blood or splattered grey matter, making him a highly effective surgeon and handyman in the battlefield.
This surgical knowledge, however, works both ways. Thanks to this knowledge Aaron also knows the most vulnerable parts in the human body and can effortlessly cut them up before their opponents know what hit them, as long as he is in the close range. Coupled with his ability, this makes Aaron a mainly up-close fighter able to knock opponents unconscious or simply kill them by controlling their blood flow, but he generally doesn´t use firearms since his accuracy is rather lackluster when compared to his other classmates. Thus, he concentrates on healing the hurt and only fights if it is completely necessary.
Regarding weapons, Aaron always carries a black box strapped to his lower back. It contains everything required for a surgical procedure: knives, gauze, thread, anesthetics and other chemicals--everything sterilized, obviously. For actual battle Aaron also likes to carry spare hunting or throwing knives to hit enemies with or simply cut them up. He rarely employs the use of guns.
Background: The village where Aaron originated was actually quite successful at one point--that was until Chernobyl, the German nuclear plant, had a meltdown in 1986. The resulting plume of radioactive falldown traveled all across Europe, and even managed to reach Greece. The small village that Aaron inhabited was full of agricultors who made a living out of selling fruits and vegetables. When their crops were deemed unsafe for consumption due to the radioactive clouds that descended upon the village and its surroundings, everyone suddenly plunged into poverty. The effects, however, were even more grim than that; the inhabitants were forced to eat their own fruit as importing any was economically impossible; this resulted in outbreaks of cancer, deformed babies and numerous other side-effects due the contaminated food.
The Mycenia family, however, previously an obscure bunch of doctors, was unaffected by Chernobyl´s legacy. The father, who was in good health no matter what he ate, thus used this apparent immunity that he had been lucky enough to possess and eventually became the village´s medic; his son also demonstrated a profficiency for this, and helped him with all kinds of medical procedures even when he was a child.
However, only so much can be done by one man, and by the time that the village´s fruits were declared safe again, the people had become so poor that it would take decades for the situation to even begin to recover. As always, that was when Lupus Invicti entered the scene. Passively and persuasively, they managed to convince the villagers that this was the only salvation, and the response was so overwhelming that what had once been a simple agricultural village became the Greek Village of Assassins. His parents, conscious of his vast potential in medicine, sent him to the Lupus Invicti in order to help in the relief and emergency treatment obviously needed in a guild of Assassins. And, like that, Aaron found himself in the depths of the dark organization.
Last edited: