horrormu.com 1880
www.horrormu.com
Horror MUX is a game of mortal horror set in a variety of rotating settings and themes, using different versions of the same characters, and with an underlying connection running throughout.
This is not your normal MU*. You don't write a background and 'make' a character. Players choose an Archetype for their character to embody, and that Archetype takes on a new character/role in each story, given to them by The Director. You decide their gender, name, age, ethnicity and appearance, as well as their personality (informed by the chosen Archetype), but the role they play in each story is assigned by The Director (again, informed by the chosen Archetype), along with hooks for the current story and often some supporting characters you can emit. This way, you get to play who you want to play, but you also play what the story needs played. Stories run as long as they take - each has a specific 'ending', often involving escaping an area, surviving until a certain time, or in rare cases defeating the danger(s). Fighting or killing the danger is rarely a good idea and simply surviving is usually the best strategy. It will usually - but not always! - be clear what the goal is. Examples include getting off a xenomorph-infested space station, surviving on an island until rescue comes, escaping a haunted house that's trapped its inhabitants, and so on. A story can also end with the deaths of all active Archetypes. In this game, there CAN be unhappy endings.
In between stories (or upon death in a story), Archetypes find themselves trapped in a sterile, lifeless place known only as The Facility, with no memory of who they are - or if they're real people at all! - but full memory of each story they've experienced and the role they played. There are no other people in the facility outside of the Archetypes, no cameras seem to watch them, food is provided by dispensers, and there is no exit or any windows. Each Archetype has a personal quarters consisting of a bedroom and bathroom, and clean clothes befitting the Archetype are provided daily, also by dispensers in their rooms. All of their needs are taken care of by unseen benefactors - or jailers, depending on point of view. This existence goes on without any clue as to day or night, season, or year. They can do as they please while in the facility - eating, sleeping, recreation - whenever they please. Sometimes new Archetypes show up, and sometimes old ones just disappear.
Without warning, all current Archetypes will eventually become sleepy at the same time, and once asleep, find themselves in a new story. Once inside, they remember nothing of the facility or past stories, and simply become the role they are assigned. The only ways to leave the story are to die in it or to finish it. Upon death or completion of the story, they wake up back in the facility. The rest of the Archetypes are nowhere to be found until they, too, die or finish the story.
To allow players a way to continue within the story in the event their Archetype dies, they may continue to play any surviving Supporting Roles they have. Their Archetype, now back in the facility, has no knowledge or memory of those events, however. Archetypes may also resume facility RP with any other Archetypes that have died if they wish. A player whose Archetype has died in the story, has no remaining Supporting Roles, and no fellow dead Archetypes with them in the facility may be given a Central Casting character to play. This way there should always be something to do.
Over time, your Archetype will begin to evolve and flesh out, becoming more of a person as the stories and experiences shape them. Facility RP will become more interesting as the Archetypes turn to each other to try and make sense of it all and figure out what's really going on. There IS a deeper meta-story, and things WILL slowly unravel over time.
We employ a modified version of the Slasher Flick system which emphasizes personal horror and cinematic narrative over stats and combat, and this very simple game system is explained on the wiki. There is no need to purchase any books.
WE ARE GETTING READY TO START OUR FIRST STORY IN THE NEXT 2 WEEKS. THIS IS YOUR CHANCE TO GET IN AT THE BEGINNING OF EVERYTHING.
@botulism said in Horror MUX:
This looks like something I've wanted to try for a long time. I may... dip a toe out of retirement land to try this out, though can't peek around until Thursday. (The husband's home today and tomorrow and I need Strong Back Tall Man to help with moving some heavy things and things on high shelves while I can.) The setup alone seems like there are good times to 'step out' for a story cycle if/as needed, which would be helpful right now.
(And the wiki looks seriously gorgeous, btw. Very nice design, images, and color scheme! Pretty and easily readable is double extra 
)
Um... wow?
I'm checkin' it out. I like murder and mayhem.
sold.
I am the Avant-Garde.
Wow! So we got a BUNCH of people right out of the gate, and rather than make everyone wait and keep open voting, I'm going to call it since one has started to run away with it.
Isle of Dread is the first story for Horror MUX.
Isle of Dread. A month long music festival on an isolated, exclusive island filled with wealthy millennials, poor local employees, and various performers takes a dark turn when all communication is cut and no one is coming for them for 30 days. Survival/slasher on a tropical island.
The voting may be over, but there's still lots of Archetypes to be claimed! Come join us and I'll try to get roles assigned by Sunday so we can start by - fittingly - Friday the 13th!
If anyone is curious how this goes who hasn't showed up yet (I can't imagine there are any!):
I picked The Avant-Garde, and then wrote my interpretation of what that means. A bit later, The Director gave him an occupation in this upcoming story -- Social Media Star.
Then she went and wrote out his actual story-- a couple paragraphs to give guidance.
Then I went in and chargened based on that guidance.
And then I made three Supporting Characters to go along with my guy.
And voila, character: http://horrormu.com/index.php/The_Avant-Garde (I wrote Overview, she wrote Current Story)
Why is the facility a part of this? Why not just have accounts and people can chat oocly then, , when a story starts, they get a character name, described, etc. for the character they are going to play. Unless there is a metaplot involving the facility and why the archetypes are there, it seems unnecessary fluff and sounds like it could lead to crossover as players drag events from one story into another. (You didn't save me in the last story, so I am going to fire my shotgun at you in this story, even if it doesn't make sense in this story.)
Ceterum autem censeo Carthaginem esse delendam
@ominous We're like Dolls from Dollhouse. Or, an American Horror Story. Our Archetypes are people, kinda. And over time I'm going to enjoy most of all figuring out what parts of my character are really him and what is his programming, no matter the form. The Facility allows long term character growth.
Note that once a new story starts we do not remember anything of the old story. Its only during the interludes that we remember everything.
@Ominous You have no memory of the facility or past stories while in a story, only while in the facility between stories. So yes, there is a meta story underneath it all.
I might not shoot you in the next story but I will totally go up and smack you in the face in the facility. >.>
If you claimed an Archetype and idled to await opening, you probably want to come back now.
We are now open for soft RP in the temproom nexus. Back-scenes before the island, or early, pre-open days on the island if you're working for the festival. Those of you just attending can do RP on the main island in the lead-up to the festival, too. Basically anything before the actual first day of the event.
Everything for the current setting is up and can be found at http://horrormu.com/index.php/Current_Setting. We have less than 10 Archetypes left, so if you want to join, now's the time!
Our big opening event is Friday, July 13th.
Will you be adding new archetypes? If so, will you wait until all of the Archetypes are claimed, or add them in before then?
Is there any way the voyeur types can read logs and watch it unfold? Asking for a friend, as some of us (me) can't commit to playing (yet).
@seraphim73 Not sure? I made 54. That's a lot. I'm sure there will be turnover, too.
@sincerely There will be logs, yeah. May work something out for watching, too.
@botulism said in Horror MUX:
@seraphim73 Not sure? I made 54. That's a lot. I'm sure there will be turnover, too.
@sincerely There will be logs, yeah. May work something out for watching, too.
YAAAAAY!
@botulism If you can get it to run, SceneSyS is great for logging/observing. 
@botulism Just thinking that if you only have fewer than 10 left, they may not be ones that people particularly want to play.
@valkyrie said in Horror MUX:
@botulism If you can get it to run, SceneSyS is great for logging/observing.
Yeah, nooo.
We'll have loggers like on m1963, though.
@seraphim73 said in Horror MUX:
@botulism Just thinking that if you only have fewer than 10 left, they may not be ones that people particularly want to play.
Well, different things appeal to different people. At this very moment, they are:
The Adjudicator: Conflict - it's what makes a story go. You are always trying to solve them, to get everyone to work together and be on the same page. You know what's fair, and that's what matters.
The Bon-Vivant: Today you shall party, for tomorrow you'll probably die. Live life to the fullest, enjoy every last thing you can, and always leave a fabulous corpse. The world is ending - drink up!
The Caregiver: You nurture, protect and guide those who need it most, and nothing makes you happier than being needed. You're always ready with a shoulder to cry on, some bandages and a few encouraging words.
The Confidant: There's always that one person that people just innately trust and can talk to about pretty much anything, and you're that person. You help them with their problems and share the weight of their burdens.
The Healer: You're driven to fix others, body, mind or spirit. You can't stand to see others suffer or in distress. Do what you can for those in need and make the world a better place one person at a time.
The Idealist: Every story has a moral, and finding and furthering it is what you do. You believe firmly in something and you seek to show others that truth, no matter the cost.
The Innocent: You're in over your head and not prepared for any of this. You look for others to protect you and keep you safe, and your naivete only makes that harder.
The Optimist: The world can be a better place. It has to be possible, or why even bother? You know you can pull it off, whatever it is, and things will be all right in the end.
The Perfectionist: Nothing is ever good enough, and no one is perfect. It drives you crazy. The perfect isn't the enemy of the good, it's superior to it. Always expect more of yourself and others.
