The Tavern Chronicle

[a_bert]

In the bustling Gothbeef City, a place where crime is high, the days are long and humid, and the police often commit brutality on the public, a new newspaper has emerged. The 'Tavern Chronicle' is a small project headed by one man, known as 'The Governor'. With the funds to only accept volunteer stories and print, it's struggling to get off the ground against the more widespread 'The Moonrune'. Owned by the gigantic 'Lies Corporation', Moonrune has a circulation of 5 million and pays serious money for the best stories, and isn't worried how it acquires them.

 

The Chronicle is a more moral outfit, with its volunteers searching around local communities for the stories that sell to the people who they care about. The Governor is popular in small cafes on street corners, is a vocal fan of an amateur football team in a low income sector of the city - Hegemony FC. He's looking for adventurous reporters who want to find out the real news, the real injustice. But he wants something more than someone who is willing to interview an old lady about her cat that just died; he wants boldness, bravery, stupidity.

 

Your task is to find the biggest story, explore the tiniest clues, follow the trail and bust the criminal. You can work as a team or on your own to increase the circulation of the Chronicle, bit by bit. While your adventures must start small, as you progress you will find obstacles in your path from the tyrannical Moonrune, and more tools available to help you as you enter the dangerous criminal underground of Gothbeef.

 

--

 

So the basic plan is it's gonna be like kinda like murder mysteries type thing (i guess someone has prob done an RP like this before???) but you are gonna have to do a little bit more RP and little less solving clues. Basically you need to write a few stories after you collect information from random people in the city and as your stories get bigger/more successful you will be able to do more. You don't have to spend ages writing a story, even if all you wanna do is bullet point it that is cool. Just thought it would be fun to try something like this out.

 

Anyway bros I'll be posting fairly often in response to your posts, but I might make real long posts so they might be a little infrequent (like 1 or 2 a day, if I can keep that up). So just post your characters, maybe an area you wanna write in, and we'll get started I guess??? Also the quality of your posts, and how indepth you research the story is relevant to how well your story is gonna sell but bear I will also roll a die. Cheers.

 

any questions just ask

 

please post else i'll feel dumb

[Leiana]

Count me in! I'm good at mysteries and shtuff.

 

Name: Celeste Beauchesne

Age: Mid-thirties

Gender: Female

Bio: <something casual and boring>

[Nexaduro]

 

Frederick Beaumont, known to his closest friends and drinking buddies as 'The Slender Man' (a nickname acquired as a result his infiltration of and report on an all-male cult of bulimics), is a top-notch tabloid writer with an eye for the bizarre, an ear for hidden truths, and teeth for balancing motorcycles on. He has extensive familiarity with both the mental and martial aspects of high profile info-gathering and mud-slinging, having become a master acrobat and freerunner as well as the first man to be diagnosed with 'Late-Onset Photographic Memory.' Some editors question his dedication, at which point he will usually jump out the nearest window with his trusty parachute and be back up the stairs with a headline story in ten seconds flat! This, however, often leads to further questions on the subject of his sanity, and lacking witty responses for such an occasion Frederick has often found himself interred in the local asylum. Nothing that could keep a good reporter down, as he also possesses an extensive familiarity with the layouts of such buildings, having spent a good deal of his junior years climbing around the vents of two notable institutions for the insane (namely those that housed his late mother and younger sister). Where was I going with this...? Ah yes, that's it. Having been fired from his most recent job after a scandalous exposé on his boss's secret underground hogfighting arena, Frederick has found himself a new, more open employer in The Governor and is currently languishing at the local bar between jobs.

[Grim_]

Righto.

Nom/Name: Jean Pierre Poirot (J.P. Poirot)

Domaine de ses activités journalistiques/Area of journalistic interest: Criminal reporter/activités criminels.

Bio/Biographie: Jean Pierre Poirot is, for lack of a better term, a gumshoe (in all connotations of the word). He got his private eye license shortly after graduating from high school and tried to break into the business of investigation. Jean did well, at least as well as could be expected in a city like gothbeef, which was filled to the brim with like minded PIs all looking to become rich and famous from the next big story. For a time he was satisfied with the life he led, living out of his office and working as effectively a spy for jealous husbands, wives, children and all other people of differing creeds. It didn't take long, however for him to chafe at doing the same old job (occasionally for the same damned stupid client) again and again (not to mention the distinct lack of dames). The one upside of the years spent as a PI was that it helped him get a job (low paying as it was) with the Governor (or Gov as he has taken to calling him) as well as giving him the skill set and just as importantly, the contacts to do the job well. He is currently sitting in his office apartment, smoking a cigar, wearing jeans, a grey t shirt, his usual trenchcoat with his .38 magnum six shooter in one pocket and his old camera in the other, waiting for news from any number of associates.

[Icuownage]

Leaving post to say I'm interested, but can't think of a character, will edit one in

[Resistance]

Many people would spend a lifetime in prison for the crimes committed by Tommy Campbell, the former Irish gang hitman never spent a day behind bars his evidence helped put away some of the most prominent figures of crime and he was granted a full pardon. The man used various methods of killing his targets, the figure nicknamed 'The Shadow' earned notoriety through the high-profile assassinations of eighteen police officials who had wronged a gang. A master of stealth and disguise capable of convincing and fooling even the most worldwise.

His experience of assassinations has left him with multiple ways to kill me, in peak physical condition he is a force to be reckoned with.

He dons the typical PI combination of a trench coat,   hat and tie but completely black, he wears a black mask which protects the front and back of his head from damage - he is capable of withstanding a punch to head. His shoes have padded soles which makes him adept at sneaking.

Weapons - Small SMG with double barrel clip (1.5 mins constant fire)

10" knife

[Nexaduro]

Why do we need weapons? The British police don't have guns, right? So why would we need them?

[Icuownage]

Certain police have guns

 

And the police are armed with an array of other weapons.

 

Oh and other criminals.

[Grim_]

Part of the PI image mostly. Honestly resistance that smg has to have both an insanely large clip and a relatively slow rate of fire if it's fully automatic. Icu, just go with a concept you think is cool, like I intend to play mine as a mixture of inspector Hercule Poirot, Rockford from the Rockford files, Jules from Pulp fiction and Hunter S Thompson.

[Nexaduro]

Ok, but no.

 

We're news reporters. Our characters probably have no idea that we'll be tracking down a criminal ourselves, if we even do that.

 

Also I think this is supposed to be, I dunno, a teensy bit realistic no matter how silly. There is no such thing as a double-barreled SMG available for civilian use. I'm pretty sure a criminal would get their gun license revoked or something anyways.

 

I mean, I suppose we all have a right to be ridiculous here, but a gun like that is over-the-top.

[Icuownage]

Yeah the gun is over the top I agree, but I guess criminals with have guns.

 

Oh and if you read the opening post

 

'High crime rate' I guess the police will have guns too, as this does not take place in Britain.

 

Furthermore to get news we'll probably have to do some illegal things.

[Nexaduro]

Yes, well, I'm going to rely on my wits. Guns are for sissies.

[Resistance]

Its a double drum magazine fitted onto a normal gun, the uzi is compatible so lets assume that I'm using an uzi. I decided upon a gun because it both fits my character and means that I'm not going to have to risk being utterly destroyed when investigating the criminal underworld.

[Grim_]

Suit yourself, I intend to go a slightly different route though (as in having 1,000 or so pounds set aside as "wheel greasing money"). I find it mildly disturbing that I'm the only one of the reporters who actually has a camera though.

[Resistance]

Camera pfffft, all I need is a net.

 

:P

[Nexaduro]

I think a camera is a given. I guess I was kinda assuming that A_bert would allow us to retrieve necessary supplies from, like, a general store or our offices or something.

[Alg]

Leaving post to say I'm interested, but can't think of a character, will edit one in

This

[a_bert]

Count me in! I'm good at mysteries and shtuff.

 

Name: Celeste Beauchesne

Age: Mid-thirties

Gender: Female

Bio: <something casual and boring>

 

The Governor: "Ah, come in Ms Beauchesne. It's a pleasure you've decided to come forth and join our team here at the Chronicle! There is a story developing at the pond in Roundtree Park I'd like you to research. The ducks in the pond are disappearing, and there doesn't seem to be any clue as to why. Try to be quick on this one, the people need answers!"

 

- There were about 40 ducks at the pond in the month of May earlier this year, however the number has now dwindled to 23. Nobody has seen the ducks leave, and members of the local community are quite worried for their little flock!

- The park has the pond, several benches, a playing field and a fenced off building, officially being renovated for use as a public toilet but no progress has been seen to be made in the last few months.

- Go to the park and begin your investigation! Feed the ducks!

 

Frederick Beaumont

 

The Governor: "Mr Beaumont, you are a welcome member of our crew... Your prowess is legendary, I dare say. I'm sorry to say I don't have anything lined up for you that is quite as exciting as the tales on your resumé, all I have is an eighteenth century building that used to be a public hall has been bought from the council and is being turned into a block of flats. Do your best to make a story out of this if you would, there is a small group of protesters who are trying to protect the building - The Arcadian - and I'd like to show that our paper represents any minority."

 

- The protesters are camped outside the building and preventing building work from starting, but the council is preparing an edict that will force them to move on.

- The development firm are called 'Robinsons' and appear to have no ties to the squash manufacturer, however it's still worth looking into the firm as they appear to be newly formed.

- Try to use some of that insanity to think of another lead that might be worth following up?

 

Jean Pierre Poirot

 

The phone rings in Poirot's apartment, and it's The Gov who is calling. "Ahoy ahoy Poirot, that can't be your real name can it? Ah, anyway. I've got something juicy for you. There's a new ship in at the docks called The Marien, it's a large freighter but I can't seem to find out what they're bringing in. All the information that is normally free to the public is hidden for some reason, can you go down there and see what you can smell out? Cheers."

 

- The ship is much larger than those that normally come to the docks, and it's crew are remaining onboard. The only person to have been seen to disembark from the ship wears a jet black suit with shades and a hat.

- All of the cargo containers are unmarked.

- The dock is a dangerous place, there is little security aside from that paid for by ship owners and being mugged is common.

 

Tommy Campbell

 

The Governor:"Welcome to our establishment Mr Campbell, I hope you will find your time here enjoyable, for both of us.. I want you to interview members of the retirement home on Elm Street to find out if rumours of mistreatment are true. I know it's a small job, but someone has to do it and this is important to our readers. Thank you."

 

- The retirement home was established some years ago by the council, but was privatized at the beginning of this year. There are around 110 elderly people living there, under the care of some 25 nurses and volunteers. You won't need to interview them all, but make a note of the state of the home as you visit it.

- It might be worth investigating the company who bought the home and see if they have a track record in this kind of thing.

 

----

 

Anyway dudes, I'm gonna try my best to mod this with respect to your characters, if Res wants to use a gun then he will have to act different to Nex who uses his wits, even if they are put in the same situation. Yeah obv, 'standard' reporter equipment is a given. Hope this is a cool start, and you're all cool with your assignments! The Governor doesn't like layabouts!

[Icuownage]

Name: Rupert Dancy

 

Bio:

Rupert, once a British spy who once fought undercover to keep things secret thought the world needs to know what goes on behind the shadows of the state. His inquisitive nature did him well as a spy, but his beliefs got him fired. Narrowly escaping death from would be assassins sent by high ranking officials of states around the world, Rupert is undercover, his real name you may never know, and if you did know, he would have to kill you.

 

He found his way to the chronicle to make a good living and to follow his dream

 

Specialises in: Political news, governmental cover-ups exposé and state secrets.

 

Inventory:

Wits

Charm

A silenced dart pistol inscribed on the side "For emergency use only"

[Leiana]

*Celeste goes to the pond and checks to see what the Governer said was true about the ducks and such. In addition, she also asks people about what they know about the recent duck problem and if anyone has been around the fenced off building lately. She asks kindly, of course, to avoid serious commotion.*

[Resistance]

"Thankyou governor" he said quickly as he exited the building. As he exited the cold winter air pierced him as if it was a knife, he did not suspect it.

Tommy knew that it was hard to detect this type of injustice he knew how easy it would be for nurses to cover up if they faced and inspection, they could have already told the residents to lie about treatment under threat of punishment.

He needed to do things subtly, this was a delicate trail that could dry so quickly. 

He took off his mask to reveal a clean shaven man, he didn't need his mask for this sort of job although he knew that the nurses were unjust he felt safe knowing that he wouldn't be at the same risk as he was with gangs.

Placing his gun into his coat along with the heavy drum barrel he hailed a passing taxi and gave him the address of small apartment.

After half an hour of strained discussion he left the car and began his ascent up twelve flights of stairs, he didn't trust lifts.

Opening up the apartment door with his key he found his dusty desktop left on in the middle of the room, there was not much else in the room but neatly folded clothes and a dictaphone. Tommy approached the computer, logged in and purchased ten small pinhole cameras - wireless, live, cheap and with good reviews.