Maelstrom-- A post-survival-horror story

Captain James Har… Harrin… Captain James of the Hyperion, at your service. Not that it means very much now. Captain, passengers, crew, this damn storm doesn't distinguish between us. Neither do They. You know, Them. They Who Come With The Wind, They Who Come With The Waves, They Who Are The Storm. They! They are everywhere! You can't fight Them, They always win! They… They…

I'm sorry. This must all be terribly confusing to you. It's been so long since I've talked with someone who wasn't on that damn ship. I don't remember where we were going to… hell, I don't even remember where we were from. Hell… That sounds familiar. Maybe we were sailing there. Or maybe that's where we went. That'd sure explain a lot.

Everything's all washed together… I can't remember what goes when. We ran out of food. But we didn't. Only six months supplies. Been years. Couldn't have lasted. Then the storm hit. No, then They came. The storm is what started this mess. That damn storm… It was like nothing I'd ever seen. Storm… That storm…

It came from nowhere. We were just sailing along under clear… clear skies, and then it hit. Waves everywhere. Threatened to swamp us. Barely kept us upright. Got better after a while. Maybe we just got used to it. All the systems went crazy in it though. Couldn't navigate by the stars. Couldn't see the sky. Couldn't even navigate by the horizon. Rain everywhere. Water, everywhere. So much.

Then They came. Yes, that fits. It all fits into place, like… like a jigsaw. God, it's been so long since I've seen one of those… seems like years. Couldn't have been. Not enough supplies…

They were everywhere. The sea, the rain, the wind-- They were the storm. Like nothing I'd ever seen… They weren't human… They were… They were… I don't even know. Tentacles, fins, scales, They must have been sea creatures. But their faces… Oh God, their faces…

I think I was the last of us. The last of the original crew. The kids are on their own now. No… No… They can't be on their own. They're too young to face all that on their own… I need to go back! Please! I need to go back! There's so much I never was able to explain! So much more they need to know! I need to go!

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I realize that that intro left quite a bit of detail out. I'll attempt to summarize what I have envisioned for this RP here-- if you have any other questions, please feel free to ask me them in this thread, via PM, or via IRC.

The Hyperion is a cruise ship that sailed into a storm long ago, and never really sailed back out. The storm never truly breaks, just abates for brief periods before returning with vengeance. The supplies on board the ship never really ran out… they were only enough for a six month cruise, but the pantries have been "almost empty" for as long as everyone on the ship can remember.

"They" are the real danger to the crew and passengers… I don't want to go into too much detail on what exactly They are quite yet, but know this: They are most definitely supernatural, They are monstrous, They will kill anyone that they can.

But through some twist of fate, many of the passengers and crew survived onboard the Hyperion, withstanding attacks by Them and keeping the ship repaired and functional with the seemingly never-ending supplies. They adapted to this new life, and it eventually became the norm. And, as humans do when they grow comfortable, the survivors built a small civilization within the Hyperion. Schools were formed, businesses set up, and the money from the ship's shops provided a currency for their economy. They even had children, who have since grown into adulthood themselves, never knowing what the world outside the storm was like. Some of these children have even had children of their own, who are just hitting their early twenties now. A handful of the second generation was born with… inhuman characteristics. Traits from animals. The third generation has an even higher number of these individuals.

Recently, Captain James, the last of the original passengers (or Founders as they are now called), passed away. Nobody knows the color of a clear sky, nobody remembers the feel of solid ground. The new generation vies for leadership, all offering solutions for expanding the metaphorical horizons of life on the Hyperion. More importantly, without the memories of the Founders to guide them, the population of the Hyperion has begun to accept even the unnatural births as normal. But even as the winds of change blow softly through the belly of the Hyperion, an even bigger shift is coming on the horizon, hidden in the chaos of the Maelstrom.

I might be interested. I'm just not that charmed by the idea of having characters with animal traits...

It's not exactly a common trait, I wouldn't be surprised if none of the player characters have them. It's mostly just a point that needs to be there for later bits to make sense.

Anyway, hopefully I'll get a little more interest than this. Maybe one more person, and I'll draw up an OOC with some more details, as well as a modification suggested by the all-knowing god of tricksters. >.>

Ah, glad to hear that. Sounds more appealing to me

Loki?

Yes Copper. That's very perceptive of you.

he he smart is I XD

I'm expressing interest.

Yeah.

I'll probably not sign up, as per usual, but interest is expressed.

Know what? Sure. Count meh in.

Just a quick update:

Life's been busy. I AM working on the OOC, but, well, I tend to overdo them. And the map of the Hyperion is being a BIIIIITCH. Anyway, I felt guilty delaying other posts so long, so yesterday I got my other posts out of the way, and now I just need to wrap up some real-life issues and I should get the OOC out sometime between this Friday and this Sunday. If I can get some more pressing matters done tonight, I'll draw up a quick character skeleton for you guys to start working on, but I make no promises.