News Apps

From Masq

Masquerade does not have an open chargen. Characters must go through an approval process. Most characters going through chargen are statting out "unaware" mortals.

Super characters only go through chargen once their concept has been approved through email. Please read through all the files relevant to your concept.

Contents

Mortals: The quick and easy way to RP!

Basic mortal applications are a very simple process. Go through character generation (Chargen) to stat out your character and fill out a detailed background (see +help background and NEWS BACKGROUND). Further instructions are in Chargen to guide you along. Once you have reached the Waiting Room, you will be entered into the Approvals queue, which is the list of people currently waiting for approval. Your background will then be reviewed by the appropriate RP staffer.

On some MUSHes, a character's background is accessible by other characters. This is NOT the case on Masquerade. Here your background is only available to yourself and members of staff to read. Your background is the first glimpse a RP staffer has into your character. We love to pull out little bits of your past and bring them up to haunt you. So feel free to write as much as you like. It will help you know your character better and help staff work you into plots. Because of this, a background that is shorter than a page will rarely be approved.

Once you have a concept in mind, please also read NEWS RESTRICTED and NEWS APP HINTS. This will give you an idea of what we look for in backgrounds. This will also ensure you know the process if your concept requires special approval from mortal staff.


Restricted Apps: Some concepts require special approval.

** indicates new information!


Organized Crime

At this time we are not accepting any organized crime backgrounds. This includes the Mafia, Yakuza, Triad, Bratva, etc. This does not mean you can't be a criminal! Feel free to apply your regular street-level criminal. You can have contacts. You can have allies. However, backgrounds requiring a large organization behind it and running it are not accepted. Although street-level criminals do not require special approval, feel free to contact CRIMESTAFF for more help or information about anything.

If you are planning on creating a criminal be sure to read NEWS POLICE RECORD as well.


Police Apps

The law enforcement sphere here on Masquerade is one of the most active and dedicated. We're always looking for a few good men and women to fill a wide range of APD positions. And we're also looking for some bad, corrupt men and women to do the same! We're accepting entry-level Detectives in Major Crimes, the work-horse of the APD, and Organized Crime and Vice Division (OCVD). We are also accepting applications into the Crime Lab (CSI), Medical Examiner's Office (MEO), and the always- popular Internal Affairs Division (IAD). We are also accepting civilian non-sworn support personnel, such as clerks, dispatchers, aides, etc.

The Patrol Division and all Federal Law Enforcement Agencies (FBI, CIA, NSA) are currently: CLOSED.

If you are interested in applying for a law enforcement position, be sure to read NEWS BACKGROUND and NEWS FRANK STILES, which is a sample background of a law enforcement character. You can simply go through the regular Mortals character generation (chargen) to stat out your character and fill out the background. However, since your application must be approved by police sphere staff, be sure to +mail policestaff at some point during the process in order to expedite your application.

Type +mail policestaff=APD App <enter> and please include the following information in body of the +mail: 1) Any relevant RP experience (alt-characters optional) 2) Any RL law knowledge (not necessary but very helpful for RP) 3) Approximate amount of time you can RP per day/week. 4) Any other pertinent information not covered within the background. Remember that you must justify all combat/restricted abilities such as Firearms, etc.


The APD's Detective Bureau is made up of 4 Divisions.

1) Major Crimes Division (MCD): This is the work-horse of the APD where the majority of the detectives and cases reside. Most new Detectives will start their career here. 2) Organized Crime and Vice Division (OCVD): This is the traditional "Vice" division, dealing with narcotics, drugs, prostitution, organized crime, alcohol, and anything else that's fun. This is another where young Detectives can start their careers, though it attracts only a certain breed. 3) Robbery Homicide Division (RHD): These are the best and the brightest of the APD with the highest profile and most demanding cases. This is the most elite of the Divisions and where most Detectives strive to be assigned. 4) Detective HQ Division (DHQ): This division is responsible for city-wide management of logistics for investigations and detective resources. This is mainly an NPC division with 3 exceptions: Internal Affairs Division (IAD), Crime Scene Investigation (CSI), and the Medical Examiner's Office (MEO). IAD are the "cops of the cops." CSI and MEO are both civilian staffed without police powers.


In its simplest form, APD has the following ranks: Chief of Police, Deputy Chief, Commander, Captain, Lieutenant, Sergeant, and Detective. These ranks don't apply for civilian employees.

All new non-civilian police characters will start out at the rank "Detective" in either Major Crimes Division (MCD) or Organized Crime and Vice Division (OCVD). Preferably new characters will be rookie Detectives. This helps the player and the character get familiar with the role. You can still apply for a grizzled old detective, but will need some explanation for having never been promoted above Detective (and why you have new-character stats from chargen).

Having ranks and a hierarchy of divisions will, hopefully, encourage players to advance their character through police RP and case-activity.

We look forward to having you on board!

PI Apps

Registering with the state as a private investigator carries only a few tangible benefits, but those can prove valuable in this line of work. Primarily, it will give the holder a better chance of getting police cooperation. This is, of course, mostly dependent on how the investigator treats the police. Secondly, and nearly as important, it will prevent the holder from being arrested by the police for interfering in a case. Please note that being registered does /not/ allow the investigator to carry a concealed weapon. Those permits must be applied for separately. The final benefit, one mostly economic, is that only licensed investigators are allowed to advertise their services.

Please +mail policestaff to register.

Police Record

If your character has a police record and you have been approved by any required admin (or just been approved in general if you do not need special approval), please +mail your record to POLICESTAFF to be added to the files. It'll be much easier to include you into special plots then.

Mortal+: When looks can be deceiving.

What is mortal+? These are characters that blur the lines between the mundane and the supernatural. They have secrets and powers of their own that confuse and confound the supers and mundanes alike!

  • Numina It's not all natural.

Numina Apps

Psychic phenomena have fascinated mankind since the dawn of time. Our folklore, our literature, and our popular culture are all steeped in the belief -- or perhaps the hope -- that "something is out there." Well, in the World of Darkness, the Psychic hotline you just called or the Tarot card reader you just consulted might very well be legitimate! There are two general choices for the kind of Numina for which you can apply. The first choice is one of the various powers which can be grouped under the term "Psychic Phenomena." The second choice can include "Paths," and is the kind of linear magic commonly known as "Hedge Magic."

PSYCHIC PHENOMENA This is the list of the available phenomena: Animal Psychics, Biocontrol, Channeling, Cyberkinesis/Cyberpathy, Psychic Hypnosis, Ectoplasmic Generation, Mind Shields, Psychic Healing, Psychic Invisibility, Psychic Vampirism, Psychokinesis (also known as Telekinesis), Pyrokinesis, and Telepathy. If your desired type of psychic power is absent from this list, talk to Augury prior to sending in your application.

HEDGE MAGIC This is the list of available paths: Alchemy, Conjuration, Conveyance, Enchantment, Fascination, Fortune, Healing, Hellfire, Mana Manipulation, Oneiromancy, Shadowcasting, Shapeshifting, Summoning/Binding/Warding. We are not accepting the paths of Divination or Weather Control.

Applicants must have a firm understanding of the differences between linear and dynamic magic. While we are not accepting characters that to belong to a particular sorcerous group, they must be fully cognizant of their powers and have a well-documented "style" of using said powers. This style should generally be one of those described within the Sorcerer sourcebook (i.e. Mythic, Technocratic, Psychic); however, well-designed original "styles" will be considered.


APPLICATION GUIDELINES

  • All Numina Apps should be sent to mortalp-apps@masq.org, with an appropriate subject header, i.e. Numina App: <Phenomenon>. It should contain a background and and proposed stats in accordance with base character generation outlined in the book (see below).
  • For both types of Numina, the application must be a really strong, solid background that describes your character's history, personality, reasons for coming to Albuquerque, and goals for the future. In addition, the background must include a detailed accounting of how your character might have developed these powers, how they have used their abilities in the past, and how they have functioned within the framework of the World of Darkness. The app should also contain a character sheet proposal detailing the desired stats.
  • Hedge Magic - The sourcebook we use exclusively is Sorcerer (Revised Edition). Please use only the character guidelines described within Sorcerer in making your character.
  • Group apps are most welcome! Sorcerers often seek out others who practice magic in the same way they do, as they can combine power and learn from each other, plus... there's safety in numbers!
  • We are not currently accepting apps for Telepathy or Psychic Vampires, nor the merit Eidetic Memory or the Flaw: Haunted.

Super Applications: What's open and who to talk to about joining.

Players are limited to one Super (Vampire, Shifter) and one mortal+ character (Numina, Ghoul). However, these two characters can not be in the same sphere (e.g., you can not have both a Vampire and a ghoul). You may have as many mortal characters as you desire, but be careful -- the more characters you make, the harder it can be to follow our Alts policies (NEWS AUP).

To see what is required to play one of the supernaturals on here, look for the current openings in the MOTD and in the sphere wizards +finger.

  • Shifter The fast & the fur-ious
  • Vampire A creature of the night?

Shifter Applications

SPHERE THEME:

About 90 miles west of Albuquerque, over the small town of Grants, rises the blue cone of Mt. Taylor, Tsoodzil, the Turquoise Mountain. The Dineh people believe that when First Man and First Woman were building the seven sacred mountains of the Fifth World, the second one they made was Tsoodzil, the sacred mountain of the South. They fastened Tsoodzil to the earth with a stone knife, pinning her from top to bottom. All around Tsoodzil, they wove a tapestry of dark mist and female rain, and they filled her forests with game. First Man and First Woman placed two eggs of the Bluebird on the summit of Tsoodzil, inside a dish made of Turquoise and covered with sacred buckskin. Over all of this, they stretched a vast covering of blue sky. To this day, the Dineh believe that Turquoise Boy, Turquoise Girl, and the Girl Who Carries One Grain of Corn all live on top of Tsoodzil, along with other strange and unpredictable spirits.

The Garou know this to be true. For generations, the Sept of the Stone Knife made its home on and around Tsoodzil, defending her sacred caern from the Enemy. Largely comprised of Uktena, the Sept of the Stone Knife drew on the strength of the nearby Pueblos. The Garou called the Dineh, the Acoma, and the Zuni their Kin and they shared stories of Coyote and the Hero Twins with one another, dancing around the sacred fires. But times changed and the Sept of the Stone Knife weakened and could not protect Tsoodzil's natural resources from the greed and corruption of the modern world. Mt. Taylor proved to be rich in a uranium-bearing mineral, and was mined extensively for it during the 1980s and 1990s. As concern grew over the future of this most sacred of mountains, the mining activities did slow down at the turn of the 21st century, due to efforts by mortal activists, Native American leaders, and those working on behalf of the Garou Nation, both directly and indirectly.

Some years ago, the Elders of the Sept of the Stone Knife turned their attention toward Albuquerque. The last known caern within city limits had fallen in the 1960s, and many thought that the city was firmly entangled in the grasp of the Wyrm, with only the Fera fighting the good fight. Most of the Elders believed that the Sept of the Stone Knife needed to focus its efforts on protecting Tsoodzil locally. But one Elder, the Theurge "Child-of-Water" of the Uktena, thought differently. He told the others, "We can not afford to ignore the blight that seeks to encroach upon us. Even now, our young people look to the east and our Kin travel to the city to find work. Those Fera who are friendly to us tell us of great battles being fought. I have had a vision of a new caern born within the city limits. It has been too long since the Garou had a strong presence within Albuquerque and that must change. We must send our young warriors to battle the darkness and to protect this nascent caern. And we can not turn away the other Tribes who come to their aid. A new Sept will rise in Albuquerque!"

And thus it happened as "Child-of-Water" had foretold. The Sept of the Stone Knife sent a Cliath pack to Albuquerque and they were joined by other Garou. The Caern of Visions was fought for and won and the small Sept of Blue Water was formed in Albuquerque, as a sister Sept to the Sept of the Stone Knife. The original Cliath pack grew in rank and stayed in Albuquerque, ultimately looking toward the Elders in Grants for guidance and protection, but with the autonomy to oversee their own affairs. But many great battles were yet to be fought, and young Garou from across the Nation began to make their way to Albuquerque...


Your story takes place in Albuquerque. Here is your chance to make a difference.

If you are a Garou, you are a Cliath who has come to join the Sept of Blue Water. Your home Sept could have been the Sept of the Stone Knife in nearby Grants, or another Sept entirely. Either way, you are ready to take on the challenge of fighting to protect the young Caern of Visions. Glory, wisdom, and honor await you here!

If you are Kin to the Garou, your battles might be more subtle. Perhaps you are fighting to push through the legislature that will stop the mining of Mt. Taylor. Maybe you are an activist speaking out on behalf of the Native American people. But whatever your other pursuits, you are there to support your Garou family!

If you are one of the Fera, you might be a new arrival, or might have been here all along. For years, Albuquerque was ignored by the Garou - now they've finally taken notice and think to make this city their own. Will you work with them or pursue your own agenda?

SHIFTER SPHERE OPENINGS


Shifter Applications APPLICATION GUIDELINES:

  • Pack/Group apps are encouraged when appropriate. However, all individual apps within the group must be able to function on their own.
  • The following merits/flaws are banned: Danger Sense, Fair Glabro, Fast Learner, Jack-of-All-Trades, Luck/Lucky, Supernatural Companion, True Faith, Untameable.
  • For all shifter sphere character, please page Serendipity or submit a concept via +jobs prior to sending in your application. I will work closely with each applicant to ensure a speedy and stress-free application process.
  • Once your concept has been approved, you will be placed in our automated chargen to generate your basic +sheet. This will be adjusted as needed, depending on your background.
  • You must then email your character's background and the +sheet you generated in chargen to shifter-apps@masq.org and serendipitymasq@gmail.com. Barring unforeseen circumstances, your background will be reviewed within 24-48 hours. If any changes are needed, you will receive details via email and we will work together on getting your character approved.


GAROU backgrounds must include the following details:

  • Where are you from? If you would like your character to be from the Sept of the Stone Knife, I will give you additional information.
  • Some details about your character prior to their First Change
  • What your First Change was like
  • Details of your Rite of Passage, including the character's deed name
  • What brings you to Albuquerque?

KINFOLK backgrounds must include the following details:

  • Your character's attitude toward the Garou
  • Some details about your Garou family (e.g., brother, mother, etc.)
  • What brings you to Albuquerque?

FERA backgrounds must include the following details:

  • Where are you from?
  • Some details about your character prior to their First Change
  • What your First Change was like
  • Race-appropriate details about your mentoring, etc.
  • What brings you to Albuquerque?
  • Your character's attitude toward the Garou

ALL BACKGROUNDS:

Please review NEWS APP HINTS for additional guidelines. Any high/unusual stats should be explained in the background.

SPHERE RULES & REQUIREMENTS:

  • House Rules: We are allowing peeking from the Realm into the Umbra, but the difficulty of doing so is +3 of the local Gauntlet. For Rite of Talisman Dedication, we are allowing each Gnosis point to cover a dedicated "outfit" rather than single article of clothing.
  • All shifter sphere players are subject to the standard requirements as described in NEWS IDLE. In addition, there may be certain "IC" requirements for Garou characters such as attendance at Moots and other sphere functions.
  • All shifter sphere players are encouraged to clear any prolonged absences with staff prior to going on +vacation. In the case of Garou and Garou Kinfolk, players are also strongly encouraged to provide staff with an IC explanation for their absence that can be passed on to the Sept. The Sept is a close-knit community and IC absences are noted by the PCs who remain. If a player needs help coming up with IC reasons for a lengthy absence, staff will be glad to assist. Garou/Kinfolk who fail to provide an IC explanation for their absence and simply "vanish" may be written out of the story at staff's discretion, regardless of +vacation status.


Vampire Applications

Welcome to the Vampire Wild West.

In 1706, when Albuquerque was founded as the Spanish colonial outpost of Ranchos de Alburquerque, the Camarilla was there. A Prince was raised, Prince Alouicious St. Amant, of the Toreador. He ruled with a beautiful but iron fist until 2008, when his power and authority were undercut by Ventrue, and he was deposed for Timothy Smith.

Naturally, Clan Toreador did not take well to having their Prince and prestige so abused. Thanks to a well timed Sabbat invasion that had Timothy hunkered safely in his haven, he missed out on the manuevering of his political enemies, and lost his position due to cowardice and conniving in 2009.

Toreador wrenched back their City into the hands of Prince Allison Brightlight, who ruled with a loving but iron fist until 2010, supported by Clan Nosferatu, when she lost her pretty head.

Who better to pick up the reign of an embattled, divided city? Brujah. A self-claimed Ancilla who went only by the name Bernard, announced himself with the support of Clan Tremere and surprisingly, Clan Toreador. As these were the only clans with Primogen left in the city, there was no dissent.

However, too little too late. With the prolonged assault of the Sabbat and unfortunate breaks in the Masquerade, Albuquerque has become a fertile hunting ground for Hunters. Tremere have withdrawn to the safety of far off Chantries, until order can be restored. But will it be? Because in these nights, Prince Bernard and the Toreador Primogen have disappeared. Have they fled? Are they dead? No one knows.

Will someone rise up to this doomed Princedom and restore order? Will the Sabbat take hold? Will Hunters prevail in wiping the undead from the streets?

Will this be your Kindred's shot at living in freedom without the threat of a Sect to curtail your nightly moves?

There is no law in Albuquerque right now, except what you can call your own.

Current Guidelines for Applications:
The following Clans can be run through chargen, simply by entering it:
Brujah, Toreador, Tremere, Ventrue. Gangrel, Nosferatu, Malkavians and Caitiff

Your character can be Camarilla, Anarch, or Unaffiliated.
There will be no PC Sabbat.
Starting stats remain the same, regardless of how old your character may be.
Preference shown toward Neonates and Ancilla. Anything older than 200 may not be approved.

Vampire applications will be processed in the following way:
1. When you reach the end of Chargen, it will open a job for you to flag staff attention. (Be sure to set +files for your backgrounds! +help file)
2. If you need any merits or flaws, add them in a comment to the job.
3. Add the name of your character's sire and the date of your character's embrace to the job.
4. Add your timezone to the job, staff uses this to coordinate scenes.
5. Once your bg has been reviewed by Vampstaff then you will be approved for play.

The goal of vampstaff is to process concepts/bgs every day so that all characters can be approved for play in 24-48 hours.

Transfer Characters: When an elseMU* character moves to town.

We do accept transfer apps, but they are usually treated as if they were just regular starting level apps. This means that XP and stats you earned elseMUSH cannot be transferred over. Your stats will need to be adjusted to the starting levels being accepted and your background may have to be tweaked. While this can be frustrating, staff will do our best to ease your transition into our world. We're glad to have you!

Slot Reqs (Super/Mortal+ Reqs): With great power comes great responsibility.

Because super/mortal+ characters are in great demand but short in supply, to maintain a slot you must accept the certain responsibilities on the MUSH to ensure a quality RP experience for everyone.

Please see the following topics:

  • Idle Stay away too long, lose your super character.
  • Mortal RP Playing with mortals - it's fun!
  • Communication Let's keep the channels of communication open.
  • OOC Masq Shhh! Don't tell.
  • Retirement When you feel it's time to let go.

** indicates new information!

Idle Policy for Super Chars

Because super slots are highly in demand, and because supers are often key to major plots, we expect supers to be active and engaged players who put some level of effort into logging into the game. We realize that everyone has different priorities and time constraints, but when key characters suddenly vanish without warning, it makes it exceedingly difficult for storytellers to run plots. Simply put, it is not fair for someone to take up a super slot without actively using it.

To address this issue, we have instituted an idle policy for all supernatural and mortal+ characters. Characters who do not meet the idle policy's conditions may be placed on probation by their sphere wizard. If you continue to fail to meet the idle policy while on probation, your character is subject to forfeit, at the discretion of sphere staff. All supernatural characters are still subject to the 35 day idle purge, in addition to the conditions outlined below.

The best way to avoid probation and the risk of losing your character is to communicate with your staffer (NEWS COMMUNICATION). If you feel like you can't meet the minimum effort required to keep your super character active, perhaps it might be time to consider retiring (NEWS RETIREMENT).


You may be placed on probation if:

A) You go more than two weeks without logging in and do not set a &vacation nor give warning to your sphere staff before you leave.

B) You are active less than six hours per week for three weeks or more, without explaining to your super staff a valid reason for your absence. Being active means you are on the grid and involved in RP with other players.

C) You are a key figure in a plot but without advance notice you suddenly fail to appear, leaving holes or hindering the plot.

When your sphere staff sees that you are on the verge of probation, they will attempt to notify you to try to work things out so that probation can be avoided. Probation can last up to 2 months and may include certain penalties set at the discretion of your sphere wizard. For example, you might be restricted from participating in certain storylines until you can prove that you will actually show up for them.

If your unannounced absence was due to reasons beyond your control, you may explain that to your wizard and have the probation removed. However, repeated uncontrollable absences may still result in the loss of your character, at the discretion of staff.


Mortal RP (Supers and Mortals)

Playing outside your sphere can be a wonderful way to meet new characters, experience fresh storylines, and expand your RP circle. We especially encourage all Supers to find some new ways to involve mortals in your regular daily RP. Mortals comprise the largest "population" and they love the thrill of being close to something supernatural!

Involving mortals in your RP does not mean breaking the Masq or piercing the Veil, nor does it mean beating them up and eating them! Be mysterious and creepy. Hire some mortal employees and let them be confused by your odd behavior. Manipulate, scheme, and be the puppetmaster to your heart's content. Oh, all right, you can eat a couple of them. (Just kidding!)

For more RP suggestions, please feel free to talk to your super staff and/or the Mortal staff.

Supers and Staff - Communication

It is very important that you communicate with your staff. We work hard to create interesting roleplay for everyone here, but sometimes it is difficult to know the secret details of every character's life.

Items that we encourage you to discuss with your super staff on a regular basis:

  • Ongoing player-created plots.
  • Any merits or flaws that may lead to TPs. (such as the haunted flaw, or nightmares)
  • Your personal RP schedule so we can plan scenes with you (how much time you are available per week, specific hours you're on, etc.)

Get to know your staff and they'll be much better able to create exciting RP for you!


OOC Masq

Please note, OOCly revealing the super status of any other player is STRICTLY PROHIBITED. If they want people to know who and what they are, they will take it upon themselves.

App Hints: How to write a great background story.

On Masquerade we want you to build characters that you will enjoy playing for a long time. A solid base background is where good characters begin and the ground from which they grow. We've compiled some examples and suggestions we think will help you build just this type of character. Remember, staff is here to help you. Feel free to grab one to bounce a concept off of to see if it will work in our current game climate.

Background Some things to think about when writing one. Frank Stiles An example of one of the APD's finest.

Retirement

Sometimes, things just don't work out for whatever reason. If you wish to retire your character, please inform your sphere wizard of your intentions. Once declared, you will have one week to resolve any lingering obligations both IC and OOC before the character will be removed from play and unapproved.

Staff will be glad to help you exit gracefully. If you find that you need more time to coordinate with other players, staff can extend the time frame slightly. Once unapproved, your character will exist for one more week before being nuked.

Background

When applying for a character, regardless of race, the stats are important but they are only a small part of the whole. Concentrate on the who, what, why, when, and where!

WHO is this person? Start with a full name, they had to have some kind of family. Any siblings? Do they live with a relative? Think of three things that describe this person. Are they allergic to cats? What are their hobbies? What interests them?

WHAT are they and how did they get this way? What led to what they are? How well do they handle it? What do they do for a living? What do they hope to do? What do they dream of?

WHY? This is critical. Why do they react to things the way they do? Is there some trauma in their past? Some goal they must achieve? Why do they bother?

WHEN...how long has the character been this way? What changes have occurred since it happened. Or, when will they be ready and how will it affect them?

WHERE will this lead the character? How will they be changing over time and affecting things around them?

This wasn't intended as a laundry list to be followed when creating a character, but it is an example of the kinds of things you should be asking yourself. Every stat on your sheet should be explained in the background. How and why did they learn it? Be creative! This is a person's life you're going to be stepping into. And remember... the more thought you put into your character, the better the chance of getting some really exciting, in-depth RP.

Example Background: Frank Stiles