Guard Dogs 2.0 | sign-ups, open

"As dogs, our job is to protect the humans. Whether it be from each other, or from outside forces, we are their defense and protection. They do not control us, and we do not control them. This is our duty, and we do not abandon them, you understand?"

The town of Hollowood is an odd one. It is a small, run-down place void of modern technology which can only be described as a village or small town, placed in the heart of a strange, undeveloped land. The weather is almost always cold, with only a couple months of good, warm weather, and the humans depend greatly on farming (both crops and animals) for their survival. The people here are a quiet and hardy group, known for their love of dogs and exceptional baking skills. Strays have always been a huge part of their society, and were never truly kept as 'pets'; the Hollowood people view dogs as more than that. And, admittedly, the Hollowood dogs are much more intelligent than those from other regions. In this town, man and dog lived as partners, and life was good. Well, that was before the Rift.

The Rift, as the Hollowood people call it, was an terrible event unlike any other. Life changed for every creature on earth when it happened. It was a fairly normal day, when gradually dark clouds of fire and ash claimed the entire sky. The days became shorter, providing only a handful of hours of light during the day. At night, shadows and mist seemed to shroud everything and terrifying creatures of all kind began to appear in the distance; hyenas with black blood dripping from their mouths; wolves as big as horses; strange, many-legged scaly creatures that would scuttle across the ground and seemed to disappear into thin air. No one knew where these things came from or why. Some say it is the day of reckoning, or Armageddon, when the gods decided to wipe the earth of all life for the wrongdoings of its people.

Whatever the case, the creatures needed to defend itself. Hollowood, being closed off from the rest of the world, was left to fend for itself with no knowledge of or help from the rest of the world. The many dogs of the town stepped up as the defenders of humanity, putting more meaning to their previous partnership and working together more closely with the humans to ensure their survival. Some dogs have learned the human language enough to understand them, and some humans have tuned in to the body language and implications of the dogs. Here, they say men are a dog's best friend.

So, it's up to you. Will your dog fight like a warrior of earth, or die by the jaws of hell?

Climate/landscape: Mostly cold, foggy autumns, dark springs, short summers, and snowy winters. I will notify of time skips, and designate the season in my first rp post. The town is placed in the middle of a vast stretch of plains with a handful of scots pine trees and marshy flats to adorn it. Water is not hard to find, as there is a well in the center of the town as well as a slow moving stream that runs from east to west through the plain, and can be found by walking 5 minutes north of the village. There is a dense, dark forest far west of the village, used by only the quickest hunters and bravest guards: the shadows hide many terrors here.

Human society: Hollowood is very removed from the rest of the world, and rarely had visitors before the Rift. They have no electricity and get by by hunting and farming, mostly. The town is run the by head church, of which the bishop is the leader and considered the highest position in the human ranks. They are very religious; they see the Rift as the apocalypse, and the dogs to be the offspring of angels and gods, given mortal lives on earth to protect humans. You may hear particularly religious humans to refer to the dogs as Nephilim.

Battle master (1/1): Head of the dogs. Coordinates the different sections, has the most constant contact with humans aside from the police and healers. Can lead from a distance, or choose to go on expeditions with the other dogs if they please. This dog has the final word and is generally widely respected. Known for leadership and respect.

Town Guards (1/6): Guardians of the town of Hollowood, and the first line of defense. They protect everyone inside by patrolling the safe boundaries of the village, and are set out (sometimes with human warriors) to defeat the more dangerous creatures that repeatedly attack the town. Known for their incredible strength and courage.

Herders (1/4): These dogs are very in tune with humans. Herders participate in the town farming, helping to drive away pests in the fields and direct the livestock to and from pastures and barns. Known for their speed and balance.

Scouts (3/4): The spies of the dog world. These dogs patrol the town unseen and unheard, and sneak silently through the streets to gather and deliver information to whoever it pertains to. Most are fluent in the human language so they can keep tabs on them for the police and battle master. Sometimes assigned as messengers by the more powerful dogs. Known for stealth and memory.

Police (2/5): Quite simply, the police. These dogs keep order and peace within human and dog society. They are sometimes bonded to members of the town church. They enforce the rules and intervene where necessary, as fighting within the town ranks is not allowed; the demons are our enemies, not each other. Known for their strength and loyalty.

Hunters (2/5): Dogs that are allowed to leave the safety boundary in search of food for the town. The prey these dogs bring back is eaten along with the scraps and bones the humans cannot eat, and the prey that normal dogs can find within the village. As a great deal of their time is spent in demon territory, they are required to be fearless and able to evade the monsters. Known for their stamina and hunting prowess.

Healers (0/2): Often bonded with the town herbalist, or at least respect them. These dogs work closely with the human to gather medicinal ingredients and treat wounds, human or canine. Known for their intelligence and patience.

Citizens (0/-): They often wander the town among the humans and help where they can and want to, but do not have a defined job. Some become more comfortable around humans and sleep in their homes, but some do not. This position is mostly for old dogs that cannot work anymore, dogs recovering from an injury, or mothers that are soon expecting or have pups under 6 months old.

Pups (1/5): The young dogs of Hollowood, 0-12 months old. They are never allowed to leave the safe boundaries under 6 months, and shadow their mother until then. 6-12 month pups are considered station pups, and shadow the position they plan to take (specify this in occupation description). Station pups are allowed to leave the boundaries only if they have a senior member of that position with them. They are taught by the whole rank, and are not assigned a single mentor.

Town rules:

- No fighting with each other.

- Obey your superiors.

- Humans do not harm dogs, and dogs do not harm humans.

- Going beyond the safety boundary without explicit permission from the battle master is prohibited.

- Do not make friends with the demons. They have shifty and inviting words, but they cannot be trusted.

- Battle master's word is law.

- Don't be a hero. Do not try to fight a demon alone unless you are a guard or it is in self defense.

- Pups eat first.

Player rules:

- Please no wolfdogs. Wolves are our enemies.

- Be creative with your character, try to diversify them. What is their motivation? Why do they stay in the town? Do they have doubts?

- Cursing is allowed.

- You may only have 1 character in any position except for citizens, which are unlimited. (for example, you can't play 2 guards)

- Dogs can understand humans if they have dedicated themselves to learning the language. Herders, police, scouts, and healers are most likely to be these dogs. However, dogs can't speak to humans and humans don't hear a bark as a sentence; they have to rely on body language.

- I require good grammar, and appreciate good spelling. Typos are alright, I'm not a hard-ass.

- If you reserve a position, please have a form finished within a week or discuss with me if you need more time.

- Please be active at least once a week and/or keep up with role play. Your character's positions may be opened again for registration if you are constantly inactive.

- Feel free to add on to the character form if you want.

- At least a good paragraph of writing each post. Low muse is perfectly okay, just try to match who you're replying to.

- This thread is apocalyptic and there will be lots of fighting for survival. Keep it within the site rules, but be aware that there will be violence.