The Fourth Wall Sign up and OoC

[Mr Director]

Would you like me tell you a story?
Why?
Well, um, don’t… don’t you like stories?
I guess… What’s it about?
Well, this story is… an epic.
I like “epic”.

Ok well, first of i've been away from the forum for a long time, but thought this rp would be appreciated by the creative minds here at Bitey castle. Secondly, inspired by other rp forums, where I gained a lot more experience, this rp (if it goes ahead) will have two threads one for sign up and OoC and one for pure IC. This doesn't need to start any time soon, honestly I'm easy either way, so if those who jump on board right away can be patient then the rest can join when ready.

Welcome to The Fourth Wall!

A young girl wakes in a small room with man in his late twenties. He tells her that she must stay in the room at all times. When she becomes restless, he decides to entertain her with a story, an epic tale of love, loss and comradeship. However, as we learn more about the pair, the biased mind of the man and the wild imagination of the girl blur the boundaries of reality and fantasy, as the truth of the girl’s isolation is revealed.

The Story

Whilst I wish to maintain a sense of immediate inventiveness in the story (by not revealing too much) the basic premise is that all your characters are made up by the man, but they each have a dream (or something very important to them) which they either lost or never found to begin with. You are united in the common goal of searching for a way to take your fate into your own hands (oh the irony – GM). However, that is only half of the story. The other half is in my hands and follows the man (the storyteller) and young girl (the listener) as they learn about each other and express their hopes, fears and general point-of-view of the world. As players, you must react to the atmosphere in these posts (very important), as the mood of the characters is the mood of the story while the whims of the characters can be beneficial or life threatening for your character. Of course, if you do not play nicely or try something stupid (like taking your fate into your own hands) then I will use my powers to punish you!

Even though I am telling the story and you are reacting to my prompts the personalities, actions and interactions of your characters is what will really make the story gripping.

Setting

The setting (time and place) is a total (to the extent of what is desirable) amalgamation of history. You may find yourself in a desert, speaking with Alexander the Great and next thing you know you’re being chased by Nazi-like soldiers in the Antarctica. It’s a bit of a mixer, where nothing is truly historically accurate, but everything is based, albeit very loosely, on reality. All in all you will live in an interpretation, that is founded on the characters’ (man and girl) knowledge and imagination.

Note on recruiting and playing style

Below is the character profile template. However, unlike most (if not all) RPs, the details of your character’s details will not be public. You can give a very brief synopsis of your character in the OoC thread, but you will PM me the full profile. You will NOT post it in the OoC thread. Also, you will not introduce your character, as such. In my first post, I will start the story, which will include the man telling the story introducing each character (he did create you after all). At the end of the first post a situation will have been established and you will be free to carry on from there. When I feel you have progressed enough (or if things slow down) I will inject a post continuing the main plot. It is then when I may change the setting/situation all together leaving you to continue on from then as if nothing drastic has happened (though the setting will jump and things may take drastic changes you should still try and maintain a sense of linear development).

Note: In your posts, actions and speech is more important than hearing the details of every inner thought and feeling of your character. Treat it like a script, and remember that you are a part of a story, so 3rd person please and be creative.

One of the benefits of this system is that if no one is posting or if we are all waiting for someone to reply to an important post, I can continue the story from my side (conversations, etc between the man and girl). I could even make an excuse to move on without resolving something, to keep things moving (if you take so long to post the man will forget he ever made you up and move on without you).

Character profile

Your character can be just about anyone (but still primarily a person). You could choose a historical figure like Genghis Khan, General Patton, Julius Caesar, J.R.R. Tolkien, Leonardo Davinci or James Gatz (oh wait). If you do so I would appreciate it if you use your imagination to give them a twist, like J.R.R Tolkien carries a book of Elfish, wears a green and silver suit and is about 20 years old. Break down the stereotypes and see the symbolic significance of your character. Even someone who is not famous can be iconic or symbolic; The Indian, who grew up a slum dog and refused to show his face to the woman he was selected to marry, the Confederate soldier who lost both his legs to a war he was convinced he’d won or the African doctor who always wished he was born Irish. Anything!

As much detail as possible please, to give me enough material to work with in integrating your character into the overall story. Also keep in mind that this story in being told by an adult to “appeal” to a child.

Hint: The man is not the biggest optimist, but he does have links with the theatrical. So just take that into account.

Name: Name and/or alias
Origin: Country/s of origin
Gender: male/female
Age: Average allowed

Physical appearance/features: Please have at least one distinguishing feature. Something as simple as a wide mouth, mole, thin eyebrows or a particular image they convey (face like a mouse, etc)
Personality: Characters attitude and principles
Apparel: clothing, armour, accessories, anything that is a part of their appearance
Equipment: Weapons, luggage, property, tokens, pets, etc. Weapons are not compulsory, but at least a majority of the group should be able to defend themselves in a fight.

Abilities: Careful. Something like a subject or discipline they are well versed in or a talent or skill they possess.

Quirks: Simple things the character does or enjoys. You know, those little things like skipping stones, breaking fresh bread or going to the theatre the exact same time every Thursday night. You can afford to be playful with this one.

Fears: Nice and imaginative with this one, but keep in mind that the character should still appeal to a child, but be born from the mind of a man in his late twenties.

Priorities: What does the character value most, what motivates them and what is their goal (remember; childhood dreams, adult ambitions and human desires)

Background: Anything that should be noted about the life of your character up till now; their reputation, family, friends, jobs, masters, servants, pets, acts committed, mistakes, triumphs, relationships, places visited and most importantly the event that lead them to loose their dream, possibly for good, and desire to change their fate.

One thing you should be aware of when making the character is he/she may change during the story, as the girl may decide she doesn't like something or the man's attitude changes. You can of course pm me with any desired changes any time and I'll integrate them accordingly.

Inspiration

Some may recognise this idea. It is heavily inspired by Tarsem Singh's "The Fall". I would urge anyone to see, but those doing the rp should use it as a point of reference to understand how this rp will work.

Film Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Saeavj0b37Y
Story character example: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I79BF9ttmuw
Character interaction and effect on story: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dXC46cM7lHU&feature=related

Sorry dearly for this being so long, but I hope everything is clear. Any questions PM me and remember to PM me character profiles, not post them here.

Regards.

Mr Director