Detectives of Daleburg

Lighthearter · Jul 5, 2015

Fair Warning: this is an LHAC that will be 99.9% RP. Combat will be rare, and handled quickly and simply if it does happen.

The city of Daleburg lies in an indeterminate location in the Southeastern United States, and you're a local. Somehow or another, you fell in with a group of amateur sleuths and detectives, and together you banded together to solve crimes and mysteries pretty much for the heck of it. After a couple impressive successes, you attracted the attention of the Daleburg Police, who have you on call as assistant sleuths if they're overstretched or stumped.

And that's your mission statement: solve the crimes, figure out who's in the monster suit, and have a good time doing it.

The chat is SSDchat, right here.

Character creation is really simple, in line with the aesthetic of this AC in general: give me a gender, a name, a bio that's as detailed or as generic as you like, and a description of what your character looks like. Your character must be between the ages of 17 and 40. Add whatever relevant skills you have in list form. Be reasonable(no Mary Sues who know everything about everything), but I'm willing to work with you. Also list that your character has 3 Intuition Points(IP).

Intuition Points are the only hard stat of the game: you earn them at the end of cases, awarded based on good RP, participation in the case, and whether you successfully solved the case and how well you did. What they do is simple: if you're stuck and want a shortcut, state that you're using an IP and I'll privately message you a hint. Use more IP to get a clearer hint, or even an outright solution - but you'd miss all the fun that way, wouldn't you?

That's it. Next post reserved for place and character list, and then you're free to post. Missions will run on Thursday nights at 5PM EST for the foreseeable future, however this game is a beta test until after the first mission. If our pilot goes well, we'll continue onward from there. If not, I'll start something different in a bit.

I only have 2 1/2 cases on file at the moment, so any ideas, concepts or suggestions are appreciated.

Case History:

Spoiler :

Lighthearter · Jul 5, 2015

Character List:

The Main Cast(PCs):

Spoiler :

Recurring NPCs:

Spoiler :

Single-Case NPCs:

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Places:

Spoiler :

Let the games begin!

Dem Taqat · Jul 5, 2015

Name: Alexander Anderson
Gender: Male
Age: 26
Description: A short, solidly-built Scotsman, Alex' close-cut red hair is often hidden by a worn old Rangers woolly hat. His eyes are a light hazel colour, but his seemingly-permanent stubble and the numerous small scars on his left cheek are far more prominent on his face. Alex' customary black leather jacket shows several signs of wear, and adds significantly to the aura of menace he seems to exude.
Bio:

Spoiler The Past :

Born in the Scottish city of Glasgow, Alex' early life was rather uneventful. His most notable achievement was taking up a place on his school Rugby team, which he held too even when it became clear that the majority of his classmates were surpassing him in size. This became a rather touchy subject, and one his fellow players soon learned to avoid for fear of sparking his quick temper.

This particular trait would be the cause of numerous problems later in Alex' life, especially when paired with a period of vocal support for the 'Old Firm' Rangers football team. This period was marked by numerous short brawls, memorable largely for providing him with the scars that grace his cheek courtesy of a broken bottle. Fortunately his later years of education forced him to put this particular pastime behind him in order to complete his history degree, moving to Daleburg for his final years of studies.

Upon completing his time in University, Alex found himself with the ongoing economic problems still plaguing the country. Having some difficulty finding a proper job, he was forced to settle for low-end employment, alternating around a series of dead-end jobs for several years. During this time he picked up a handful of friends, most notably college-drop-out Signan Originam, who was also rotating through the local employers with a smile and an unquenchable optimism.

This arrangement continued for a couple of years, but Signan's chance meeting with and eventual engagement to wealthy Heiress Jessica Meriam drew the two friends apart as their paths diverged. This increasingly tense relationship was rudely interrupted when, during one of their rare reunions, Signan was shot.

At first, the police jumped on the obvious conclusion that Alex was involved, but found themselves lacking in hard evidence. Local investigator Winston Payne was brought in to help, but when his forensics proved not to help, they were forced to alter their tactics. Persuading Alex that the evidence had cleared him, they enlisted his help with the investigation, hoping that in his work with Payne and Detective Sirius he would slip up and prove his guilt. Instead he proved to be surprisingly useful, helping track down the man whose gun had accidentally discharged in a nearby building, and, in an astonishing display of bad luck, sent a bullet through the window into Signan's back.

Resolving to make the best of the situation, Alex took a stab at writing a short thriller novel about the experience. Although it wasn't particularly good, Signan's Sister Jan offered to lend her skills as an editor to the project, and the finished product proved surprisingly successful. Thinking it a far more interesting prospect than attempting to return to the drudgery of his previous work, Alex decided to write more such stories, but found them to be rather less engaging than his original work.

Thus he took it upon himself to involve himself in another case, drawing the inspiration of its events into his writing and finding that it proved much easier that way. This would be the path down which he continued, involving himself in various cases with surprising effect, and then writing a short piece on the events in order to pay the bills. For just over a year the pattern continued with little interruption, until he was contacted by Investigator Payne who invited him to assist with his impromptu team of detectives.

IP: 3

Skills:
Angr'eh Sc'tsm'n - For all his short stature, Alex' prominent scars, dark jacket, and almost incomprehensible speech have often proved rather intimidating.
Ge' me'ah fullun' Laddie - Alex has built up an impressive tolerance to alcohol over the years, and its effects are only felt in large quantities.
Why'd'ya care'boot tha'? - Although he seldom mentions it, Alex has done a degree course in classical History, and is surprisingly knowledgeable on the subject.
Frum Gl'as'goo - Alex has been in a number of fights, despite lacking formal education, and has a certain amount of talent for it.
Ih's'a Livin' - Alex has a certain experience with writing, although most would agree he is far from talented at it, relying heavily on his adventures for inspiration.
Jus'ah Sp'er' Reh'leh - Alex experience at Rugby has developed his stamina, strength, and left him surprisingly fast over short distances.

DT

KaiserElectric · Jul 5, 2015

Name: Ninochka "Nina" Kovalski
Gender: Female
Age: 20
Description: Athletic, but a little on the thin and short side. She has been described as having a "sharkish" look to her. Her hazel eyes give her a good-natured albeit mischievous look, and she possesses Jet black hair that hangs past her shoulders with a dyed-blue fringe that is visible under her lucky black newsboy cap. She almost always wears a gray-blue field jacket with plenty of pockets, scuffed but sturdy boots, and jeans occasionally wrapped around the knees with duct tape. Along with her hat, she's never seen without her trusty satchel, a device of legendary power whose existence is said to bind the universe together. Okay so it's not a cosmic cube knockoff, but the satchel, also gray-blue with the Valiant Comics logo embossed on the side, is a handy little carrying case that contains mini-toolkits, crafting supplies, electronics, and a stash of comic books, among other things.

Bio: Ninochka Kovalski was born in Kursk, Russia to Luka, a respectable police detective and officer of the law, and Anya, a government clerical worker. Nina was born with an insatiable sense of curiosity, a zany and mischievous demeanor, and a perpetual knack for getting in trouble, much to the delight and consternation of her extended family, many of whom possessed equally colorful character traits. Despite many of them insisting that she would make a brilliant inventor or mechanic, she was always interested in police work, often staying up all night watching American detective shows, trying to give her input on the cases that her father poured over night after night, and scouring the neighborhood for clues on the whereabouts of lost pets and missing cell phones.

Things weren't all sunshine and roses however. Within the span of a year, Nina's mother suffered a heart attack and died suddenly, and her father, who coincidentally was working on a case connected to an important politician, vanished without a trace. Nina was devastated, to the point that not even the many offers from her relatives to take her in managed to cheer her up. Nina was even too depressed to protest when the authorities, in accordance with her mother's will and considering the mysterious circumstances of her father's disappearance, decreed that she would be taken care of by her mother's brother, the only one of her uncles to have left Russia, Yuri Belevich, who worked as a Detective for the Daleburg police department.

Detective Belevich, a middling but competent officer and a bachelor in his thirties, was more then happy to take care of his niece, whom he had heard so much about from his late sister. He took good care of her, and she seemed to be getting better, but was still too depressed to pursue her old passions. Later, Belevich was stuck on a particularly difficult case, when he was approached by an old friend of his whom he attended and dropped out of law school with, Winston Payne. Remembering what his sister had said about his niece's love of "those American detective stories", he persuaded Payne to include Nina in the investigation. Quiet and subdued at first, the success of the investigation rekindled her old passions, and soon the old Nina Kovalski, and all her peculiarities, was back and here to stay.

IP: 3

Skills:
-Creative Application of Tools: With a handy mini-toolkit and a Swiss army knife at her disposal, Nina has turned the act of macgyvering into an art form. She's pretty handy at making and occasionally breaking crude devices in a pinch.
-Moscow Calling: If her noticeable accent didn't clue you in, she is Russian, and can speak her native tongue fluently.
-Disgustingly Perky: Her goofball attitude is infectious. Even when she's poking her nose around where it shouldn't be it's hard to stay mad at her.
-Physics Focus: "I took ballistics in school! Fascinating subject! Things go up, things go down!"
-Snooping as Usual: Nina is pretty good at squeezing through tight spaces and accessing places where she isn't exactly supposed to be.

Patchy · Jul 5, 2015

Name: Winston Payne
Gender: Male
Age: 40
Description:

Bio: Winston Payne is a Daleburg man born and bred, growing up in the city he often spent his childhood running around the place in the good-ol-days when helicopter parents didn't exist. Although his dream was to become a trial lawyer he failed to get into law school and settled for teaching introduction to law at a local high school. Even though he managed to make a good career of his job as a teacher it was never enough for him, so Winston began to work as an amateur investigator on the side and searched, and just as often walked into, crime scenes where he offered what little help he could to the police.

As the years went by Winston began to become more familiar with the job and the investigators making friends and acquaintances, and the enmity of a particular Detective Sirius who he never got along with right from the start. Eventually he decided to start working as an amateur investigator full time on his own, until his good friend Detective Yuri Belevich asked him to keep an eye on his niece Nina Kovalski who had been showing an interest in becoming an amateur investigator. Winston accepted and soon began working alongside Nina, it quickly occurred to him that it might be easier for the both of them if the group expanded to include some more people as the age gap occasionally made working together awkward. Soon people like Charles Sage ended up joining, very odd people yes but still good kids for the most part, and Winston saw his one time hobby expand into a proper group.

IP: 2

Skills:
-Old Dog: Winston has been an amateur investigator for long enough that he is well familiar with the police force and they with him.
-Local Familiarity: You don't live in a place for almost half a century and end up not knowing the place like the back of you're hand.
-Forensics by Experience: Since he usually showed up to murder crimes before the amateur group formed up properly Winston learned how to conduct some basic forensic tests and observations by watching the police.
-God of Misfortune: Winston's ability to attract all the worst types of luck to himself and occasionally those around him is well known. Among the police force he is known as Corpse Magnet due to usually being nearby when a murder or suicide occurs.

Red_Spy · Jul 5, 2015

Name: Phillip McQueen
Gender: Male
Age: 24
Desc: Short and round. Long and messy black hair and small brown eyes. Face always looks like it hasn't had a good shave in weeks. Always wears the same red hoodie to hide his rather dirty and torn t shirts. Final touches are khaki shorts and white tennis shoes.
Bio: At the end of his high school career it looked like he had a promising start. Got in a good college, had more than just good grades, and had plans to work in the growing field of technology. Alas, sometime during Phillip's first year he, well, bored. He dropped out, got all his money, and went on a long road trip around the country. He saw all the sights, tried new things, and generally had fun. However, when he got back he hadn't a penny to his name nor a roof over his head. While he managed to pick up a part-time job as a cashier at a convenience store, so far he has blown most of his money on some rather illicit substances for some, as he puts it, "alone time". Currently lives outside of his car, due to his rather unfortunate lack of housing.

Phillip has known the eccentric Charles Sage since the early days of childhood. Many days have been spent listening to, and sometimes humoring, Charles's excessive ramblings.

IP: 3
Skills:
Must Be Something in the Air: Even when not, well you get the point, he always has this slightly carefree demeanor. Pretty hard to faze.
"Agricultural" Knowledge: Heeeeeeeeeeeeeh
Born in the Wrong Generation: Area of expertise is obscure bands from the 1970s.
BASIC Programming Skills: While he has been out of college for some time, he might still have some information left over from his compsci days.

Connection to Group: Long time friend of Charles Sage. Will update more as things are discussed.

Celticfury · Jul 5, 2015

Name: Charles Sage
Gender: Male
Age: 24
Description: Tall, average build. Short, brown hair. Tends to wear t-shirts or polos and pants with mismatched buttons. Always wears loafers, never anything with laces. Can often be seen scribbling in his pocket notebook.
Background: Charles Sage had always had a penchant for the odd and obscure. When he was younger, he could often be found breaking into abandoned stores and overgrown houses, determined to uncover some strange myth or treasure. His parents worked hard to temper this enthusiasm, directing his energy towards his studies. Even as he became more focused on school, he never lost his inquisitive spark.

It was during his college years that Charles was introduced to the world of conspiracy theories by an activist railing against the supposed use of "chem trails" by the government. Though he would come to disagree with the man, the discussion they had had renewed Charles' old interests. This soon grew into an obsession, as Charles devoted an increasing amount of time towards uncovering secret plots and hidden cabals. This obsession inevitably got in the way of his studies, and Charles was soon forced to abandon his education due to poor grades (though he insists that it was an act of retaliation by the Service Employees International Union).

After failing to hold several jobs, Charles eventually learned about a group of amateur sleuths which had formed in town. Charles decided that a man of his mindset would function best in such an environment, and promptly joined up.

Charles is the long time friend of Philip McQueen, whom he's known since childhood. Philip has been the only one truly capable of tolerating Charles ramblings, and likewise, Charles has found it easy to trust his carefree companion.
IP: 3
Skills/Knowledge:
-Conspiracy Theories and Urban Legends: Duh.
-Cryptography: Charles has spent a great deal of time studying the secret codes and messages that fill the world, both real and imagined.
-Squirrel-like Grace: Charles is adept at scaling walls and getting into hard to reach areas, a skill set honed during his younger years.

Detectives of Daleburg

Lighthearter

President of the United States

Lighthearter

President of the United States

Dem Taqat

Bladespawn

KaiserElectric

Total Freakin Besties

Patchy

Emperor

Red_Spy

Surprised

Celticfury

King

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