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groundrules) wrote2021-01-08 03:30 pm
groundrules) wrote2021-01-08 03:30 pm
Entry tags:
applications
Eastbound is primarily an invite-only game — each existing player can currently invite up to one person per month, or get in touch about further invites. Existing players can hold two characters in game. A third character can be applied, if players can prove they have met activity requirements for two consecutive months with their existing two characters and have stayed engaged with the game. If you don't have an invite, somehow stumbled upon this neck of the woods, and you’d like to stay, drop the mod journal a line — we'll try to figure it out.
As of Oct. 1, cast/game caps are off. Please note, as of Dec. 1, Eastbound only has 3-4 months of gameplay left.
WHAT CHARACTERS CAN BE APPLIED?
YES: canon and original characters, if they have a solid and consistent personality and background. Characters brought in after they've died are a-okay. For characters taken from a time point just as they're in the process of dying, please read below on meeting medical requirements.
NO (at this time): real people, original characters set in a canon environment, characters from canons or canon instalments that have been released for less than one month, characters with imported development from other games (CRAU), alternate universe, or gender-swapped versions of canon characters.
Children or characters with very specific medical/magical/environment needs: appable, but please make a note of how your character will ICly meet their requirements and stay alive. Likewise, if you are applying for a character taken just as they're dying, provide a suggestion for how they can be kept alive on arrival (this might be easier in some app cycles than others). You can bend the world a little to make miracles happen (ex: a substitute for the medication your character needs to survive can be found for a high price at certain apothecaries, etc.)
Characters that were dropped or swept by activity checks: yes, but they’ll come back without their previous memories, if they are applied in by a different player.
APPLICATIONS CLOSED
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Re: Regulus Black | Harry Potter
As the time drew near for Regulus to prove he was worthy to take the Mark (the summer after his sixth year), the more apprehensive and ill he became, and with good reason. He had to finally acknowledge what it took to be a Death Eater, and what the organization truly represented: the oppression and destruction of (quite possibly) innocent people, at least undeserving of torture and death. This, murdering and torturing people, was not what Regulus wanted to do. But do not mistake Regulus’ intentions: he certainly believed in the superiority of pureblood wizards - muggles had, after all, caused the death and harm of many wizards in the past due to their adherences to stultifying religions and beliefs and fears against magic - but he didn’t want to kill or torture anyone. And that “quite possibly innocent” nagged his mind enough to turn his logic into knots. But the simple truth was, whatever the reason, he didn't have the stomach for torture and murder. However, by this time, it was too late to back out. Or he'd risk his own death. And he wasn't ready to die yet. It was him, or a muggle stranger that night in early summer of 1978, just after the end of Hogwart's school year, in front of fellow Death Eaters and Death Eater hopefuls. In the end, Regulus placed the value of his own life before doing the right thing and imperioused the man to stand in front of a train.
His soul was shattered, having traded one tyrant in his life for another, but he had earned his Mark.
Consumed by the guilt of what he’d done, Regulus now started withdrawing from those he knew and the activities he once enjoyed. He avoided participating in Death Eater things as much as possible the rest of that summer, though he could not do so completely. When he had to join in, he tried to avoid killing anyone else, but torturing people… there were just some things you couldn’t shy way from when you were a member of the Death Eaters. He did what he had to, but he already wanted out.
He had one more year at Hogwarts and it was a blessed relief to be heading back to the confines of the castle where he could try to block out the war and his involvement in it. But the memories never left him and every part of him suffered for it: the quality of his schoolwork plummeted, and he stopped participating socially altogether. He could have been captain of the Quidditch team, but he passed on it. And his performances in practice and games were dismal. None of his teachers seemed to be aware of this dramatic change, but those that might have cared about such things were focused on exams, a thousand other students, and a brewing war. His classmates noticed, but one dark look from him and they left him alone. The only area of magic he strove to be better at was Occlumency and Legilmency, and that was for self-preservation.
He wondered where his brother might be (Sirius had completed his schooling by then), but quickly pushed aside any ideas about contacting his brother. It was well known among the Death Eaters that Aurors were granted permission to kill Death Eaters on sight. And Regulus didn't know if the tenuous threads of childhood memories would be enough to make Sirius look past the Mark and see his brother once again and not just outright turn him over to the Aurors. Regulus was sure attempting a meeting would only result in his death. The majority of his time was spent trying to forget his horrendous mistakes or trying to figure out how to extricate himself from the mire he’d willingly run into.
But there were breaks from classes throughout the year, and during those periods he was expected to be at Lord Voldemort's disposal, like any of the other Death Eaters. Regulus learned to fear Voldemort’s wrath more than anything else. He didn't need to know what being crucio'ed felt like to know he didn't want it. But not a single Death Eater (not even his cousin Bella) hadn't displeased Lord Voldemort at least once, so they all knew what it felt like firsthand. Reuglus ostensibly kept his regret and self-loathing over his choice to join the Death Eaters to himself. And to stave off any suspicion about his diminishing loyalty, he tucked his chin in and played the part he'd pledge himself to. He lied to their faces and hoped they never notice. Over time, his biggest fear morphed to include the fear of being discovered as a Death Eater fraud. One didn't just leave the group - it was a lifetime commitment, whether that death came sooner or later, naturally, or in retribution for disloyalty.
At this point, with the looming end of his schooling career, Hogwarts ceased to be the sanctuary it once was. Regulus was filled with dread for what was coming next.
To say the summer after Hogwarts was difficult for Regulus would be an understatement. He had no classes to hide behind to excuse himself from Death Eater activities. His composure was slipping, each time he was required to do more Death Eater things was just another chance for another Death Eater to learn his desire to get out. He learned Death Eaters didn't just prey on muggles and muggle-borns: anything "weak" would do, even if that weak thing was among their own ranks. And every day was a chance for Regulus' facade to crumble and his weakness to show. And it did, in fact, show sometimes, and it was sometimes noticed, and he suffered for that slip. He would then have to rededicate himself to end the unwelcome attention. Rededication came usually came in the form of showing just how useful he could be to the organization. With a sharp aptitude with Arithmancy and Charms, he proved just how valuable he was when it came to wards, more specifically, unraveling wards. He would have been a brilliant curse breaker if circumstance and poor choices hadn’t ruined his life.
He grasped at anything to help keep him above water during this period. And he did discover an outlet that not only let him forget his circumstances and what he’d done for a moment but punished him as well. He experimented with potions, and when he didn’t have access to those he turned to alcohol and old-fashioned opioids - surprisingly not that hard to find, Laudanum had been a staple in his mother's personal stores since before he could remember. But he kept that latter part a secret. He couldn’t free himself physically, but he could escape mentally.
His survival during this period can only be attributed to Kreacher. The last dutiful Black Family house-elf. Kreacher truly cared for Regulus by this point, as Regulus was the only person in the family who showed him kindness. Kreacher looked after Regulus when he was in his worst moments and never told a soul.
All this time spent with the Death Eaters, Regulus had come to one glaring conclusion he should have reached years before: Lord Voldemort was wrong, the Death Eaters were wrong, his parents and family were wrong. He was wrong. He did not have the clarity to trace the threads of his mistake back to their origins, but it was a start.
Eventually, Regulus found an opportunity to get out of the organization while also trying to hurt Lord Voldemort in the process.
Voldemort was always casually dropped hints about his brilliance, how he was greater than any wizard ever born. One day, the Dark Lord dropped a hint about making Horcruxes. This was the first key to unlocking Regulus’ prison.
Regulus' knowledge of Horcruxes was more innocent than it seems on the surface. He knew the etymology of his name - Latin for "little king," Latin for the Greek word "Basilisk.” In learning that, he also learned about the king of serpents and naturally, the benefits of basilisk venom - one of which was destroying horcruxes. The Black Family library was ancient and full of dark magic, and in a dusty old book that everyone had forgotten about, but, nonetheless, one that Regulus had idly read at some point previous to hearing Lord Voldemort’s hint, there was a very brief description of what a Horcurx was. That Horcruxes happen to be horrific dark magic was coincidental to Regulus knowing about them, but even Regulus knew not to talk about them because of how very evil they were. It almost surprised him that the Dark Lord would just let that information slip around anyone - but on deep review of the evidence, Regulus had to acknowledge not many other witches or wizards knew about them, ancient and forbidden magic as they were. And, after all, the Death Eaters ranks were not bursting at the seams with staggering geniuses. Regulus quietly tucked away knowledge of Voldemort's secret and didn’t share it with anyone else. Because who else could he trust?
When Voldemort summoned him in the fall of 1979, this was when Regulus was handed by Fate the second key. Regulus first assumed his lack of commitment had been finally noticed by the Dark Lord, and this would be the end. But, instead of being met with torture, Voldemort simply requested the use of a house-elf. And thinking Voldemort only wanted someone serving him food or, at worst, disposing of a few bodies, Regulus offered the use of Kreacher. However, when Kreacher returned to the hall of Grimmauld Place, barely hanging onto life, it was clear Regulus had been gravely mistaken. After helping Kreacher recover, Regulus made him explain what happened. Regulus added two and two and got four this time: Voldemort had hidden a Horcurx in that cave. And from that information, Regulus formulated an end-game plan.
He knew going into that cave to retrieve the Horcrux he would not be coming out again, but he would finally kick back at Lord Voldemort. He’d figured that if Kreacher’s magic could get the elf out of the cave, then the elf could be entrusted with destroying the locket. He ordered Kreacher to take him to the cave and he also ordered the house-elf to give him, Regulus, the potion guarding the Horcrux, because he wouldn’t put Kreacher through that ordeal again. It was the most painful and horrifying experience of Regulus’ life, as not only did the potion seem to boil his very essence but every memory of his past misdeeds was called forward and paraded around his mind over and over. When it was finished and the inferi were summoned from their underwater grave, Regulus ordered Kreacher to go home and destroy the locket, and to tell no one what had transpired. This was the end, and Regulus slipped down into that murky water willingly.