Charming is a Victorian Era Harry Potter roleplay set primarily in the village of Hogsmeade, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and the non-canon village of Irvingly. Characters of all classes, both magical and muggle — and even non-human! — are welcome.
With a member driven story line, monthly games and events, and a friendly and drama-free community focused on quality over quantity, the only thing you can be sure of is fun!
"Are you always this forward?" He asked teasingly since it would be a very short thread if he just ignored her entirely. — Tobin Cartwright in Take A Peek
Did you know? Churchgoers and worshippers had to endure a foul stench during prayers due to the amount of bodies often stored within the vaults of churches and chapels.
EVENT ANNOUNCER - ROUND 1
After spending three and three-quarters hours wandering through the maze of the Ministry with several cramped lift rides (at least one having been uncomfortably haunted by a grumpy and blood purist old ghost), you have been given your supplies and map stuffed into a grey knapsack. If you are the first group member, you have also been given the responsibility of caring for a Ministry owl and are told to keep it with you at all times - you don't need to worry about feeding it, as it can hunt for itself. Then, you are shown the door and instructed to meet with your group members at a designated spot. You are also issued a harsh reminder of the consequences of being a deserter before you're shoved out into the spring's early morning sunlight.
The adventure has begun.
You have been informed that your group members are:
Mariana Macnair, 41, Assistant Head of Potion and Plant Poisoning, Upper Class
Elladora Black, 31, Volunteer Nurse, Upperclass.
Christine Dovery, 21, Lower Class, Actress and Singer at de Montfault Theatre,
Griselda MacFusty, 50, Dragon Healer Specialist & Magical Creature Healer, upper,
Josephine Lovelace, 22, Welcome Witch, Middle Class
You introduce yourselves, review your maps, and then must come to a decision of which direction you need to start in.
Which part of Hogsmeade do you disembark from?
a. West Slums
b. East Slums
c. South Slums
OOC DIRECTIONS:
1.) Have your character introduce themselves. Mention in their post (doesn't have to spoken aloud) what else, if anything, they have brought with them. If it isn't mentioned here, then they won't have it later on in the trail unless it is found/made. Those who post first will be assumed to have spoken first.
2.) Assume all introductions have been made and then have them choose a direction/remain neutral. Points 1 and 2 should both be included in your character's first post.
3.) If the group comes to a decision before the round ends, you can have your group head in that direction. (Decisions will be made when all characters have had a turn to state their choice or the three days are up. Special instances are allowed and must be discussed with Lola.)
Elladora put the owl down and allowed it to perch on the head of the small mountain pony that she had procured for this rather annoying expedition. She would rather be at home in her laboratory or working in the hospital wing. She did not like the idea of being outside for such an extended period of time. She was not, as people would've called it, an 'outdoorsy sort of person.' She rather preferred to be inside and away from the elements.
The fact that she'd been conscripted to this event did not please her in the slightest but she'd made sure to go do her research. She did not like to be unaware so she'd gone to get advice from one of the men who spent a greater part of the year travelling and collecting herbs in the area. He'd told her that a fine lady like herself would need something to carry her gear - "not a horse mind, they are made for open terrain and, begging your ma'ams pardon but a mountain pony should do the job just right. Not as noble as a horse but into the mountains and the forest they be much surer footed." The pony looked amiable enough and huffed it's long hair out his eyes. It certainly wasn't dignified looking. Elladora looked away feeling a triffle embarrassed for it.
It carried in it's supply bags enough food for itself, as well as enough to last Elladora for two extra weeks. She'd also managed to fit in one of her notebooks - filled in tiny letters with anything she thought might come in handy. She'd included her potion kit, and a small cauldron, (though her advisor had laughed at her for doing so). Under the horse's saddle were two large folded blankets, and she'd been told to include a canteen of water and some rope. He'd told her that rope was forever useful.... though she couldn't for the life think how.
She'd bought an extra set of robes as well, and stood there now feeling slightly foolish with her hat poised over her head and her hands holding the reigns of the little equine. She should've perhaps requested to be in the same group as her sister-in-law and her sister but she hadn't wanted to be around them in a situation where she was unsure. It would be a sign of weakness which she did not want to show.
"Please to meet you ladies," she said in greeting to the women. "I am Elladora Black." She coughed slightly. "I suggest heading East."
Josephine was dreading this expedition, as she had been for weeks since the blasted letter arrived in her window at the crack of dawn. She had only told Kitty and Jed she was leaving a little while ago. The letters she was surely going to receive in return only broke her heart further. Kitty needed help now more than ever, and Jed, Jo would've been dead by now had she not been engaged to such a brilliant man.
With her pack securely strapped to her back and all the ministry given supplies stored inside, Jo stepped closer to a woman she knew to be a nurse at Hogwarts. Inwardly, she was extremely relieved to be with someone adequately skilled in the arts of healing; for while Josephine was skilled at protecting herself and others, she couldn't even fathom the many charms and spells that would mend cuts and bruises. "Josephine Lovelace," she smiled while eyeing the owl, "I've heard many groups suggest going south, so if we wish to avoid company going east is probably our best option." She wasn't one to lie about eavesdropping. In many ways this was a competition, they were competing for land and a small sum of money, may the best soldiers win.
In her small, black, leather satchel, a selection of knives, a journal paired with ink and her favorite quill, all the food she had stored in her house, as well as five canteens all filled to the prim with fresh water. She had also been wise enough to pack two extra sets of clothing, and a pair of Jed's breeches for when the terrain got to be too challenging. She did not, however regrettably, did not pack any alcohol. There was only one goal in mind, to get back to Hogsmeade alive and well, she couldn't do that drunk.
Mariana had actually been delighted to receive her letter 'inviting' her to go on an expedition. It meant she could spend a vast amount of time away from Eustace and have some excitement while she was at it. Yes, she thought this would be a most refreshing change from the monotonous continuation life seemed to have slumped into since the dueling tournament had ended. She thrived on excitement and while some might call the scandal with her sister's eldest daughter excitement, Mariana couldn't claim to be interested enough to see it as such.
She had packed thoroughly for her trip - she hated being separated from her beloved serpents and other creatures but she trusted they would be well cared for in her absence. However, she had taken her most trusted companion along with her; an unusually large specimen of boomslang that went by the name of Acantha who was currently draped lazily around her shoulders. As well as her trusty reptilian friend, she had brought with her various small samples of poisons and antidotes - just in case she either felt inclined to poison someone or someone needed curing. She had brought some of the lighter, more transportable equipment from home with which she could brew potions and the likes. Mariana had also brought with her a few books, her wand of course and several dresses all of her own preference in style rather than society's. She had packed a pair of practical and light shoes though she didn't intend to wear them the entire time, she liked the sensation of the ground under her feet.
Having collected her standard supplies - and received some disapproving stares in the process - she promptly left to find her group. She was surprised to realize that her group consisted purely of females, she had subconsciously been hoping to make the acquaintance of a man or two. Ah well, there was nothing to be done for it now. Lifting her free hand to pet her legless companion, she gave a rather creepy smile to her group. "I'm Mariana Macnair," she began, her eyes circulating the group and pausing at faces to see if she recognized any who were there so far. "East sounds brilliant if that's the general consensus." Her eyes fell to Elladora and her brow furrowed for a moment; she certainly knew of her and had crossed paths with the woman from time to time but she couldn't claim to be well acquainted with her at all and she new nothing of Miss Lovelace. She hoped they would both prove to be excellent company and highly entertaining.
Christine felt scared when she received a letter announcing that she was drafted for this Hogsmeade expedition. She? A woman, who knew nothing about self-defence and exploring new lands? She was an artist for Merlins sake!
When the day came Christine packed everything that she thought will be useful, although she didnt own much. It was strange for her she never go anywhere for too long. She woke up early and couldnt fall asleep again. It was madness for her. How was it possible that the Ministry made such a mistake?
It was relief when Christine found out that her group was mainly female. It would be awkward for her if there was a man among them. The woman wasnt used to male company, especially for such a long time.
"Im Christine Dovery" she introduced herself just like any other member of their group, however, she didnt speak about direction they should chose. It was after all safer not to speak about it and let other decide.
EVENT ANNOUNCER - ROUND 2
You spend all day traveling east through the forest. The trees are comfortably placed and you seem to make good timing. The shade and sun are dappled, so you may receive sun burns, but are not too warm. When the sun begins to fall, the trees finally thin out and you reach a meadow. You have the options to camp for the night there at the edge of the treeline, or you can continue following the meadow to see what's on the other side of it.
What do you choose?
a. Camp for the night and follow the meadow in the morning
b. Follow the meadow now and worry about camping later
OOC DIRECTIONS
1.) Have your character vote which route they are to take.
Elladora pulled tilted her hat upwards and shaded her eyes with her hand as she gazed upwards at the falling sun and the sunset which had only just began to shade the trees. She let out a heavy sigh as she tried to decide to continue forwards or set up camp on the spot. There were positives to staying where they were. It was getting dark after all and that meant they couldn't be able to see clearly. They wouldn't be able to see problems that arose, rough terrain or anything at all. She glanced side ways at her companions. "I don't see any problem with camping here... unless anybody is in a particular rush to do anything stupid." She said after some thought. "We aren't rushing towards anything afterall lets take our leisurely time." She leaned against the mountain pony and waited for the other women to discuss their own opinions.
Josephine was grateful that the group had gotten an easy path thus far. The ground was mostly flat, with a slight rise or fall every so often. The route they had chosen was scenic actually for the most part. The scattered trees, bushes of berries and wild flowers, the vibrant green grass under her feet, even the way the sky was practically cloudless. It caused such a feeling of serenity that Jo was able to forget about her growing sense of dread.
Josephine, however, hadn't wanted to stop at the close edge of the meadow. They still had an hour or two of sunlight left, and the meadow rose slightly so that they couldn't see what resided on the far side of it. So why stop? If they got to the bulge of the hill of the meadow and saw an impossible trail, them they could walk back to this tree line and set up camp for the night. But if there was a denser amount of trees, they would be safer to set up camp.
"I would like to push forward a little bit longer if you all are up to it. There could be denser trees on the other side of the meadow, which would give more protection and a better chance of shade." Jo then turned to Elladora, "And seeing how you are the only one of us wealthy enough to be on horseback, perhaps you ought to ride ahead and scout?" Josephine's tone was strictly curious and suggesting. She was only thinking in efforts to save time.
Elladora stared at the pony which she held by its tether. It stared back at her for a moment and then resumed eating the meadow grass. It's mane feel into it's face for probably the thousandth time that day. She was close to getting out the provided blade and giving it a hair cut but resisted her urge. She'd have to search through her packs for the knife and it was probably best to wait until later that evening when they were sat down and had everything at hand. She raised her eyebrows at Josephine Lovelace suggestion. She had never had any intentions of riding the pony - if she'd had those sort of intentions she would've joined her sister who had provided horses for her entire group. She turned to her other group members to see their reactions or indeed their decisions.
Mariana raised an eyebrow as it seemed she had been ranked as 'less affluent' than Miss Black. Whether there was any truth in that assumption, she doubted anyone present knew but she did not appreciate being automatically assumed as 'poor' or rather, 'poorer' than anyone present. The fact that the conclusion could simply have been drawn from her choice of dress did not occur to Mariana and had it done, she would likely not have dwelt long on it anyhow.
While Mariana was not overly exhausted by the journey so far, she wasn't of the mind to object to stopping for the day. "I think we should stop for now," she stated simply. Acantha had long ago grown bored with the monotony of humans walking and fallen asleep coiled comfortably around Mariana's neck but now she woke and decided to reinforce her presence with a loud hiss, which prompted Mariana to make the creature a promise of food. "Are we all agreed then?" she asked once she was finished paying attention to the serpent.
EVENT ANNOUNCER - ROUND 3
Your group decides that it is best to camp where you are for the evening and then follow the meadow in the morning. It's an uneventful evening and though the forest is rather noisy with critters, none seem to come bother you (though the feeling of being watched is apparent.) It's a chilly morning when you set off across the meadow once more, but quickly warms up so that by noon you're sweating without a single tree for shade. As you near the end of the meadow, you can see the shape of a mountain begin to form. The closer you get, the higher they become until you see that there are two different paths you can take. You could either try and climb the mountain, though it looks fairly steep and would not allow for the horse to be able to make it. The other option is to go to the West to go around the mountain, or at least until you find an easier place to climb.
Which do you choose?
a. Climb the mountain
b. Go around the mountain
OOC DIRECTIONS
1. Make a decision
Round 4 begins May 26th If Griselda MacFusty does not post in this round, she will be injured and sent home by the 4th event announcer.
Elladora stared at both trails and got the distinct impression she would probably end up having to change the pony into something more manageable for the trip. Her advisor hadtold her that ponies were hardy animals who could ride on steep and uneven ground but she wasn't too sure if she trusted it... or her group members enough to not force her to leave it. There was of course the option of turning the horse into something else... a dog perhaps.... or maybe a sort of bird... mayhap a mouse or something small enough to fit in her pocket. She eyed Mariana's snake and decided that a mouse was probably out of the question but their were so many possibilities. "I think we should go around the mountain." She said, her group was probably one of the luckier ones - they had two certified healers and, of course, herself, but she believed that the safer route was probably the better route.
The night's rest was very much needed despite Jo's earlier wishes of exploring further ahead before settling in for the night. She ate from her packed food sparingly, refilled her canteen a few times, and settled into Jed's clothes for the night.
She hadn't even thought there would be a mountain to climb.
Nodding at Elladora's suggestion, she came to the conclusion that Miss Black was probably correct in most of her choices. Their group, full solely of women, needed a solid leader. "I agree with Miss Black, going west is probably our best option."
Mariana didn't really mind which way they went. A mountain was a mountain in the end, wasn't it? They could either tackle the mountain now or possibly just delay doing so unless they were fortunate to avoid it altogether. Upon second thought, going around might be the best way if there was a chance of avoiding mountaineering. "Yes, let's go around it," she agreed from where she sat perched on a tree stump, a dead rat dangling between her thumb and forefinger over the snake who abruptly snatched it and proceeded to consume it.
With a satisfied smile to herself, she stroked the creature fondly before getting to her feet and draped the snake back around her shoulders.
EVENT ANNOUNCER - ROUND 4
You choose to go around the mountain. As you go around, you see a mysterious rainbow hanging in the air farther ahead - which means that there is fresh water. The rainbow seems to be located inside a valley between two steep mountains. Do you go to the rainbow, or continue on your way around the side of the mountain?
What do you decide?
a. Go to the rainbow
b. Continue around the other side
.mandypost { font-size:12px; font-family:'Merriweather',serif; line-height:110%; text-align:justify; margin-top:15px; }.mandypost:first-letter { display:block; float:left; margin-top:3px; margin-right:3px; font-size:45px; font-family:'Fondamento',cursive; font-weight:bold; }Tag: Group 21Outfit: Speak softly to a wounded dragon, For it may open its heart to you...Grizzly had spent the better part of the journey mother henning the girls. She'd help where she could and kept a certain degree of maternally nature around her but really, she was dreadfully worried about her children. The ones that had been recruited as well and the ones that hadn't. It had been a long, long time since Grizzly had been away from any of them for this long and her maternal heart was aching for a glimpse of even just one of them. "Ah, well now lassies, I've always thought a rainbow was a bonnie braw sign to follow, ken?| She smirked, glancing from each woman and back to the directions of choice. There had been only two and Grizzly was rather fond of rainbows after all. It seemed an easy choice to make but it wasn't entirely up to her, so she waited respectively in silence for the other ladies to offer up their thoughts as well. "What do ye think, lasses? Towards or keep to the path around?"TEMPLATE coded by EMILY
![[-]](https://old.charmingrp.com/images/collapse.png)
