Casting Call

"With this character's death, the thread of prophecy is severed. Restore a saved game to restore the weave of fate, or persist in the doomed world you have created." — Pop-up message, The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind

The premise is fairly simple: ten hunters, twenty hunted, and a rather elaborate hunting party where the quarry happens to be human. The cast will consist of thirty characters from various walks of life, each with their own backgrounds, personalities, and reasons for being there. Some are wealthy and influential, others are ordinary people who have found themselves in a particularly unfortunate situation. Not everyone knows each other, and not everyone will get along. The idea is to have a relatively contained scenario with a large, varied cast. Characters will have their own interests and behave independently of {{user}}, meaning things can happen whether or not you're there to witness them.

Premise Nerve, nerve, nerve! In 1924, Count Zaroff of the Frisian Principalities hosted the first of his famous hunting parties. His guests were drawn from the highest echelons of society: princes, dukes, and kings from across the continent. The prey was less so. They were taken from their homes without warning, transported to the island, and released into the wild. There, the nobles waited for them to panic, to make mistakes, to become easy prey. The first hunt lasted almost two months. Only three of the sixty-four hunters survived. None of the three hundred prey did. But that was not the end of the hunt. It would go on for decades. It continues still. The rules are simple: if you're a hunter, then you hunt. If you're prey, then you run. No one will help you. No one will save you. And when you die, it'll be forgotten. You'll be left behind to rot in the mud. The latest hunt, 1985, is now underway. Things have condensed since Count Zaroff's death. Ten hunters to twenty prey, and a much shorter time frame. But the stakes are as high as ever. After all, it isn't a war. It's a sporting event. Roster Hunters — 10 characters The hunters are the privileged participants in this rather unpleasant event. Aristocrats, wealthy businessmen, influential public figures, and other individuals who have somehow earned themselves a place at the hunting party. They aren't necessarily friends, nor do they necessarily share the same motivations. Some might take the whole thing terribly seriously. Others might consider it a rather extravagant form of entertainment. And being a hunter doesn't necessarily mean being invincible. Prey — 20 characters The prey are the unfortunate people selected as quarry. They can come from just about anywhere and from virtually any walk of life. A soldier, a doctor, a student, a criminal, an ordinary civilian—whatever fits. Some might be perfectly capable of defending themselves. Others might have no idea what they're doing. The hunted aren't required to be helpless. In fact, it's not much of a hunt if they are.

Wider World Not gonna dramatize the history, just give a brief overview and such. The technological landscape is similarly uneven. Industrial cities possess modern infrastructure, but many technologies familiar to us remain underdeveloped or entirely undiscovered. Personal computers are still highly experimental, spaceflight remains a distant dream, and nuclear physics is largely theoretical. Outside the cities, particularly in more isolated regions, everyday life can look downright medieval. There were no Great Wars to accelerate technological development, after all. America

The United States never ratified its Constitution. Instead, the country remains a loose confederation of forty-three semi-sovereign states, each retaining considerable authority over its own affairs. Laws, governments, and social conditions can differ enormously from one state to another. Europe

The continent is dominated by three competing powers. The French Republic emerged from the Jacobin takeover during the French Revolution. Fiercely materialistic and dangerously subversive, it remains a major revolutionary influence throughout Europe. The Union of Russia is a democratic constitutional monarchy established following the successful Decembrist revolt of 1825. Representing a rather different political tradition, Russia maintains its own international sphere of influence through the League of Nations. Meanwhile, the former British state has become the United Kingdom of Ephraim, a philosemitic, colonialist, Christian supremacist theocracy. Its origins lie in more than a century of British Israelist infiltration of political, religious, and cultural institutions, culminating in a soft coup during the 1960s. The resulting state bears little resemblance to the Britain of our own timeline. Elsewhere, the German Republic, Austrian Empire, and Kingdom of Prussia dominate Central Europe. The German city-states remain important centers of maritime commerce, while the North Sea continues to attract the commercial and political interests of the continent's larger powers. Frisia-Ruritania

The Dual Monarchy of Frisia-Ruritania is a European state comprising Frisia and the island kingdom of Ruritania. The latter occupies the largest island of the Dogger Archipelago, a surviving remnant of Doggerland in the North Sea. The Dual Monarchy is ruled by two sovereigns: Kaiser Alaric I Stellheim and Queen Elske I Bootsma, whose marriage unites the two crowns. The monarchy is a union of distinct territories and legal traditions rather than a single, completely uniform state. The aristocracy remains influential, and many noble families claim lineages stretching back centuries, sometimes considerably further. Ruritania's capital is Ljochtstad, while Havenna serves as an important international harbor connecting the country to the wider North Sea. Its position has encouraged trade, travel, and migration, bringing people from neighboring European states into contact with the local population. The successful Hungarian Revolution of 1848 prompted a mass migration of displaced nobility to the Frisian Principalities. Many settled permanently, bringing their families, retainers, and traditions with them. Over time, this migration contributed to the establishment of a significant Carpathian minority population, whose descendants remain part of the country's social and cultural landscape. Much of Frisia-Ruritania's countryside consists of fens, marshes, moors, and sparsely populated agricultural land. Villages and old estates are separated by considerable stretches of difficult terrain, and attempts at land reclamation have met with mixed success. Social conditions vary accordingly. Life in a prosperous port or city can be very different from life in an isolated rural community. Much of the countryside remains organized around manorial estates, with land still tended by serfs under the authority of hereditary lords. Despite the existence of modern industry and international commerce, feudal institutions continue to shape everyday life for a substantial portion of the population. Religion is another distinguishing feature. The Eigenkerk, a religious tradition combining elements of Christianity with older Germanic and Norse beliefs, has exerted a lasting influence on the country's culture. Its customs coexist with local folklore, superstitions, and practices that outsiders might find rather peculiar. Frisia-Ruritania is not entirely removed from the political affairs of its neighbors, either. Its proximity to Ephraim, the Low Countries, and the German states places it within an active network of trade, migration, and diplomatic relations. France and Russia, meanwhile, maintain competing interests across continental Europe, and the Dual Monarchy's enduring aristocratic institutions make it a rather peculiar presence in an increasingly contested political landscape.

Character Submissions I'm opening a Google Form for anyone interested in submitting an original character for consideration. https://forms.gle/yuniYpqHqRPqiYQK7 You can submit a character for either side of the hunt. They don't have to be from Frisia-Ruritania, and you don't need to memorize the setting's history to participate. I'm interested in seeing what kinds of characters you guys have come up with. They can be serious, eccentric, tragic, unpleasant, ordinary, or downright bizarre. The important thing is whether I can make them work within the RPG. A few things to keep in mind: All characters must be 18 or older. No exceptions.

Submitting does not guarantee inclusion. This is a casting call, not a reservation system.

Selection isn't based on popularity or submission order. I'll be making the decisions myself.

Some details may need to be changed to fit the setting. I'll discuss significant changes with the contributor before accepting their character.

Accepted characters are not guaranteed to survive. This is a survival-horror RPG, after all.

You retain ownership of your OC. Selection means granting permission for that character to appear in this particular bot, not handing over ownership of the character.

And please, don't feel obligated to write an entire novel for your submission. A reasonably clear character description is perfectly fine. I'll contact contributors whose characters I'm interested in accepting.

Cast This section will be updated as characters are confirmed. Each accepted character will receive a graphic made by yours truly (or maybe not, I'm lazy), along with a short description. Community-submitted characters will also be credited to their respective creators, unless they'd prefer otherwise. THE HUNTERS Confirmed: 7/10 Remaining unfilled positions: 3 Queen Elske I Bootsma Queen of Frisia. Where her husband is the velvet glove, she is the iron fist. Her reign has seen unprecedented stability throughout the Frisian Principalities, achieved through careful political maneuvering and an uncompromising approach to government. She has been particularly attentive to the balance of power between the monarchy, the aristocracy, and the institutions that serve them. Unlike her more accommodating husband, Elske has little patience for dissent, and even less for those who mistake her restraint for weakness.

Reinhardt fan Nachtgael Aristocrat and member of De Lange Hoeden. A notorious hedonist whose extravagant parties have earned him a reputation throughout the Principalities. His gatherings attract everyone from fellow aristocrats to decidedly less respectable company, and he has never been particularly concerned with the distinction. Reinhardt lives according to his own whims, with little regard for convention or propriety. His participation in the hunt is something of an open secret among his acquaintances, although he makes little effort to conceal his enthusiasm for the occasion.

Artur Winstead Radio host from Oostengelland and member of De Rosencrafts. Widely regarded as the Fred Rogers of Ruritania, Artur has built his reputation on warmth, patience, and an apparently inexhaustible affection for his listeners. His broadcasts have made him a familiar and reassuring presence in households throughout the country. Away from the microphone, however, he is an altogether different man. The same gentle manner that has earned him the public's trust conceals a disposition considerably less charitable than his listeners might imagine. A wolf in sheep's clothing, in every sense of the expression.

Hannibal Lecter Lithuanian nobleman and personal guest of Queen Elske I Bootsma. A cultivated gentleman of refined tastes, Hannibal is known for his impeccable manners, formidable intellect, and appreciation of the finer things in life. He is particularly fond of music, fine dining, and the company of those he considers intellectually stimulating. His courtesy is genuine enough, though it should not be mistaken for kindness. Hannibal has rather particular standards regarding the people with whom he associates, and an equally particular appetite for those who fail to meet them.

Harke Setter CEO of Premium Oil Pentex, a multinational conglomerate with interests ranging from petroleum and industrial manufacturing to consumer goods and entertainment. Under his leadership, the corporation has expanded its influence across Europe, establishing connections with governments, financial institutions, and aristocratic families alike. Harke himself is an elusive figure, rarely appearing in public despite the enormous reach of his company. His dealings with the Frisian nobility have made him a familiar presence in certain exclusive circles, although the precise nature of those relationships remains unclear. Behind Pentex's respectable corporate image lies an organization whose activities extend considerably beyond ordinary business.

Báthori Erzsébet Hungarian countess ousted following the Revolutions of 1848. With her position in Hungary no longer secure, Erzsébet fled to the Frisian Principalities, where she found refuge among an aristocracy considerably more accommodating of her reputation. She has since established herself as a fixture of the country's upper society, although her origins and unusually long residence have attracted their share of rumors. Proud of her lineage and accustomed to privilege, Erzsébet regards the hunt as a continuation of traditions that the modern world has become increasingly reluctant to tolerate.

Kaarel Feigebam Duke of Oostengelland, formerly known as Carl Feigenbaum. A seaman by trade, Kaarel spent much of his earlier life traveling between ports before circumstances brought him into the service of the Frisian aristocracy. His subsequent elevation to nobility was accompanied by the adoption of his present name, though neither his title nor his newfound respectability has entirely erased his past. His rise through the social hierarchy remains a subject of speculation, as do certain incidents associated with his years at sea. Kaarel himself has never been particularly forthcoming about either.

THE HUNTED Confirmed: 0/20 Remaining unfilled positions: 20

All maps made by u/Leodemerak on Reddit.