Pulp Era -- The Tomb of Talmeria

[Exodus]

Pulp Era -- The Tomb of Talmeria

Introduction:
The year is 1927, and the Great War has been replaced by the greater roar of Jazz, prosperity, and opportunity. The world was recovering, new states were taking hold in the wreckage of empires past. The Old Order was over, America was a world power, Britain's sunset was on the horizon, and at the edge of Europe, a red dawn rising. Amidst all this is a discovery practically a millenium in the making:

The Sheik of Talmeria welcomes you to his Golden Kingdom, Talmeria, to help Dr. George Thoroughwell and Dr. Percy Gilart in the excavation of a lost Caliphate Tomb. Wealth, treasure, hedonism and intrigue await you as you make your way to the TGS Castle On The Sea, a luxurious steam ship off the coast of Talmeria, and take part in what Dr. Thoroughwell is calling a 'gateway to the distant past'.

Meta Stuff
We would like to emphasize that this is the roaring 20s and operates from a plausible notion. We're aiming for an RP centered on character interaction using the dig site as less an 'over-arching' device and more as the spring point to launch scenes marginally related but mostly coordinated within the main room, or within pre-arranged rooms. The goal is to create a coordinated and compelling character driven RP. It's a new setting that borrows from Indiana Jones, old pulp adventure stories, and intrigue without being terribly mopey. Upbeat, but dangerous is the goal here.

[Thomas_III]

How "pulp-y" will it be? Will it borrow exclusively from Indiana Jones-type characters, or other pulp adventure characters, like inventors?

[Exodus]

We're borrowing heavily from pulp era stories and characters. Indiana Jones is obviously a throwback, but the sensibilities of his movies are very true to the feel of what we are trying to establish. Other characters that fit would be taken from Doc Savage, Old and Young King Brady: Detectives, The Phantom(iffy), Nancy Drew, Sgt. Rock, and related. The goal is for human, plausible characters. N̶i̶k̶o̶l̶a̶ ̶T̶e̶s̶l̶a̶ ̶w̶i̶l̶l̶ ̶n̶o̶t̶ ̶b̶e̶ ̶i̶n̶v̶i̶t̶e̶d̶ ̶t̶o̶ ̶t̶h̶i̶s̶ ̶e̶x̶c̶a̶v̶a̶t̶i̶o̶n̶.

[Thomas_III]

Nothing Rocketeer-ish, then. Gotcha.

[Exodus]

Honestly, if you want to make a goofy gear-cobbled steam gun with which to shoot ladies upon the bottom with, or clockwork mecha-hands for digging? I wont' say no to 'harmless' inventions. I'll allow exceptions that are provocatively thoughtful.

[Ellen]

What will be the name of the chatroom?

[Peeker]

Name: Jane Penelope Thoroughwell

Age: 18

Elevator Pitch: The dynamic and daring Miss Thoroughwell, daughter of the good Dr. Thoroughwell, is eager to be on her first 'real' adventure -- after years chasing her globetrotting father around the world on digs and explorations (when not recieving her proper education from the very best schools, of course) this is her first chance to show herself as a grown woman of talent and intellect, and to really and truly spend some time in 'the family business' taking on the responsibility of helping unearth the secrets of the Tomb.

Appearance: Brown-haired, blue-eyed, fit, and shapely, Miss Thoroughwell is in the full desert bloom of her womanhood now, a tanned, trim 5'6", Jane keeps her hair as short as she dares only for practical purposes - she likes having a way to show off her dark brunette locks when she explores his Highness the Shiek's Most Magnificent City, or when there's fancy parties at his palace for the Company. She will most often be seen around the dig site in rough khaki clothes and a wide-brimmed hat to keep off the sun and protect her from scrapes and sandburns as she unearths ancient treasures, but she has a wide steamer trunk full of much more fashionable options which she eagerly awaits opportunities to try on.

Duties: Member of the archeological dig; student of anthropology, history, and foreign cultural studies at Harvard, being supervised by her father, Dr. Thoroughwell, of the same.

In-Game Roles: Switch, Ingenue, Heroine; a good contact if you want to be in-touch with an adventurous character, the 'power base' of NPC dig-leaders Thoroughwell & Gilart, or a cute girl.

Likes: Ancient history, fancy things, snooping around, red bottoms

Merits: Junior Detective First Class, Multicultural Chameleon, Schoolgirl Scholar, Charming Heroine

Name: Cassidy o'Canon
Occupation: Mercenary
Nationality: American, Texan
Race: Caucasian, Irish descent
Sex: Female
Age: 24
Hair: Red
Build: Toned
Height: 5'9
Weight: 139
Description: Cassidy grew up on a ranch in Texas - you'd think she'd be tanned, but her irish turned up and she sports fair skin and a dash of freckles across the bridge of her nose and under her eyes. Her red hair is styled in a short, boyish pixie cut. Her personal attire varies, but usually includes a leather duster a leather wide-brimmed hat, with chaps over her jeans and a vest over her blouse, plus a solid pair of well-worn boots. Cass almost always looks like there's something weighing heavily on her shoulders, and if you catch her in a private moment you might find her staring blankly ahead, eyes unfocused, lost in faraway memories.
Merits: Shotgunner, Crack Shot, Moxie, Trauma Surgeon, Will Drink You Under The Table Or Pass Out Trying, Her Word is Her Bond
History: Cassidy was never really the girly-girl her momma was hoping for. Her papa didn't mind the extra pair of hands at all, her big brother looked out for her. She was always a better shot than he was, too, and did her fair share of making sure the coyotes didn't make off with the livestock. When the war kicked up and her brother shipped off to Europe, she signed on with the Red Cross as a nurse and followed him over, eager to help out in any way she could. She had a real knock for keeping soldiers alive and helping wounds heal, and also a real knack for delivering unholy vengeance upon any damn kraut who took a shot at a Red Cross nurse or anyone she was trying to treat. Long story short, turns out she was better than her brother at staying alive, too. Cassidy couldn't bear to return home without him, or look her parents in the eye after that failure, so she wandered Europe a while, helping folk along the way in exchange for lodging, food, and good old-fashioned cash. Now she finds herself here, and oddly doesn't much feel like moving on anytime soon. Cassidy may not be the deadliest mercenary, or the most skilled, or the toughest - but she's affordable and, more importantly, trustworthy.

---------- Post added at 08:40 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:31 PM ----------

Name: Nasira
Occupation: Guide, Street Scamp
Nationality: Talmerian
Race: Arabic
Sex: Female
Age: 14
Hair: Brown
Build: Light
Height: 4'11
Weight: 104
Description:

Merits: Acrobat, Fleet Foot, Impeccable Sense of Direction, Sleight of Hand
History: Narisa calls the streets of the city and the dark holds of the riverboats home. An orphan for as long as she can remember, she quickly learned the best way to survive was to be fast and to know where she was going. As she got older, she figured out that foreigners would pay her to be their guide, and life's gotten a little better since. She still steals most of what she gets to survive, which often lands her - or more accurately, her bottom - in hot water.

[Blahdy]

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Name: Harriet Millston
Occupation: Vizier of Talmeria
Nationality: British
Race: Caucasian
Sex: Female
Age: 34
Hair: Blonde
Build: Slender
Height: 5'8"
Weight: 142 lbs.
Description: Harriet is a severe looking woman. Beneath her suit, she is a well-toned form of efficiency and lethality.
Merits: Superior intelligence, tactician, martial artist, well-educated, calculating and ruthless.

History: Born to Simon and Olivia Millston Fifth of October, 1892, Calcutta, India. Olivia tragically died giving birth to Harriet. Simon Millston was a prominent antiquities dealer, based in British India. His daughter accompanied him on many of his trips across Asia, exposing Harriet to a multitude of cultures, and customs. She was privately tutored, and spent much of her free time delving into the mysticism and martial arts of the region. In 1914, she left her home for England, and enrolled in Lady Margaret Hall at Oxford. After studying, and waiting until women had won the right to earn degrees at Oxford, six years later, Harriet returned home to assist her father in the family business.

As a well-known expert, Simon was accustomed to invitations to view private collections. It was on one such trip in 1923, to view the collection of the Sheik of Talmeria, that the Sheik saw Harriet, and admired her intelligence, knowledge, and other attributes. She was made a generous offer to remain as his Vizier, overseeing the administration of Talmeria. Harriet politely declined, and would have returned peacefully to India, had they made it to the plane the next morning.

On the ride to the airstrip, their car was set upon by bandits. In the whirl of dust, and gunfire, Simon was killed, and all of their belongings were taken. It was only Harriet's command of self-defense that allowed her to escape, and not be sold into slavery. After a three month trip back to India, to bury her father, and settle his affairs, she returned to Talmeria, and accepted the Sheik's offer. In the years since, Harriet has orchestrated the best security she can manage under the circumstances, keeping Talmeria from descending into chaos under the Sheik's hedonistic rule.

Thoughts from Sheik Hasim al Hadaj: "I have plenty of men who would kill for your position. They would glady take my [Golden Scimitar] and chop that pretty little head right off of your shoulders. But then, they are hungry. Starving men seldom know when they are full. I need a man born with a small stomach. Look at you. You're a beautiful flower that longs to be ugly. You dress like a man, you shoot like a man, you even eye my harem with the same eyes as a man. But you are aware that you are a woman. A woman in a man's world. And as a bonus, you are as pale as a pearl. The Britons will covet you as much as they covet my oil and my gold. They will see you as a daughter of their horrible kingdom rather than as my steady Hand. And they will dismiss you only to be ensnared by whatever trap you lay. And for this, you have been awarded this post, and will live with real power while they greedily scramble for pittances."

[Blahdy]

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Name: Amisi
Occupation: Hostess at TGS Castle on the Sea
Nationality: Talmerian
Race: Arabic
Sex: Female
Age: 22
Hair: Bright Red(colored)
Height: 5'6"
Weight: 123 lbs.
Description: Amisi is a creature seemingly molded from sexuality and wiles. Her voice is dark, rippling, and flowing like hookah smoke. She smells of exotic oils, and her skin feels of satin and rose petals.
Merits: Amisi can arrange for most anything a guest of the Castle on the Sea desires. Rare delicacies, luxuries, spectacles, and pleasure of the flesh can be had...at a price, of course. She holds her finger on the pulse of Talmeria, and knows all of the best rumor and gossip. some of it may even be true.

History: Very little is known of Amisi, beneath her bare exterior, and she's pleased to keep it that way. A talented courtesan, such as herself knows that the the illusion is the thing. Any personal life she has, is simply that: Personal.