The Ikebukuro Guidebook [[OOC]]

[Kadotachin]

Welcome to Ikebukuro, Japan. A city where everything always changes, where everything stays the same and where life is always connected, where you will always be connected, and you simply being affects the city, an impact that may be small or large.

This city always changes, and in that sense, it’s always the same. But this world is full of dangers and happenings, events beyond measure. So that is why this book, this guide, this dictionary, bible, way of life, encyclopedia, what have you, is being made. To help you figure out how to live a safe and peaceful(or dangerous and chaotic, your choice) life, what to do, who to avoid…

…No. Scratch that. This isn’t about helping others. This is just me, and my need to continue what my father began, my own selfish need to satisfy my curiosity and my need to know. My need to understand, my need to comprehend why the world is like this, why Ikebukuro always changes and stays the same. I may fail, but by god I’ll try.

I will watch this time, this new conflict arising, and record it all, to catalogue for my own sake and selfish reasoning… And watch what will happen next.

--Intro to the Ikebukuro Guidebook



Right of the bat, I should mention no need of any previous knowledge of the series is needed, because the ‘guide’(which will be continuously updated as the RP goes on) will tell you all you need to know, though I do suggest you watch the anime just for the pure awesome.

Durarara!! (デュラララ!!) is a light novel written by Ryohgo Narita and illustrated by Suzuhito Yasuda. There is both a manga (illustrated by Akiyo Satorigi) and anime (director Takahiro Omori studio Brain's Base) adaptation. It has a large cast of main characters including Mikado Ryūgamine (who is new to Ikebukuro), an anonymous gang called Dollars, and a modern Dullahan.

--Durarara!! Wikia

That should have taken care of what Durarara!!(DRRR) is and the disclaimers.

The guide takes care of most of this in greater detail, but to briefly explain, Ikebukuro IS a real place in Japan, however, it is still a city. There are slums, parks, buildings and shopping areas. Simply put, it’s a city that often gets tourists, so you can pretend it is like your generic tourist city as well, only with a urban legend that is quite real, the ‘Headless Rider’, who has a black motorcycle that neighs like a horse. Rumors here spread like it’s a small town, so be careful.

Strange and phenomenal people and characters are quite normal, but not THAT normal. To put Shizuo Heiwajima as an example of the phenomenal, he is a human being, purely so, however, has supernormal strength of titanic proportions, and can get three bullets in the chest and think he tripped. To put Celty Sturluson(The Headless Rider) as an example of the strange, she is, quite simply, a Dullahan, a more known example as such being the Headless Horesman.

Now, I’m alright with people creating characters that count as phenomenal, but I must put a tight reign on characters that count as strange(ie: Urban legends, fairies, demons, supernatural things), but even with phenomenal characters I have to limit it to a ratio of 2:5 in comparison to normal people. Besides, some of the greatest characters are normal humans, and my god they kick ass.

In a couple posts down, you will see the beginnings of the guidebook. It will be constantly updated and terminology will be listed in alphabetical order. Your character, should they be deemed notable, will be given their place in the book. However, it will be written as to the Writer's point of view, who will be a character, so they are entitled to their opinions.

[Kadotachin]

Rules


I am the GM. My word is law. An easily negotiated law, but a law none the less. Old Spice also counts as a GM, but she's kinda injured, so her authority won't kick in until she can type herself.
Follow RPA's rules
Up to two characters per person. A third may be negotiable, depending on reason
You are free to do as you wish, and have your own sub-plot, but it must be approved by me or Old Spice first so we can calculate how much of teh main plot we can tie it into. Everything's connected, remember?
If you have questions, PM Old Spice. She can't type back, but I type for her because of her broken arm, so you're effectively PMing us both.
Feel free to chat up the OOC, but if you have problems with the other player, resolve it yourselves. I'm not fixing your fights for you, I only intervene when someone crosses a line.
Do not PM your profiles. Post them in the OOC and wait for approval.
Probably more here when I feel the need to update.






Name: Senmiki Gokuryo
Nickname/Title: 'Sengoku', to friends, which she doesn't like
Race: Human
Age: 16
Gender: Female
Occupation: Highschool Student, Raira Academy
Appearance: X (http://www.jeevansathibd.com/member/images/anime_girl12.jpg)
First Impression of Character: Ugh, yet another kid dying their hair and that crap.
Personality: Pretty emotionless, or at least, seems to be, and quite content to watch on the side lines. Usually quiet, but when she does speak, she's both rude and oddly direct, though if need be can change to more polite. Can be quite cunning and manipulative, and is very stealthy.
Hobbies: Writing, listing things, putting things in order, watching and updating the Ikebukuro Guidebook
Phobias: Spiders and getting sick
Organization/Group: None
Brief Biography: Actually, this would be a spoiler for future RP events, so... I can't.

I suggest reading what we have so far in the guide before you fill out your character sheet.


Name:
Nickname/Title: What are they known by to the world?
Race: Human or non(if non, I will decide purely if its interesting. So, Kitsune, elves, vampires, angels, and other cliches won't be welcome)
Age: How old are you? Be reasonable, dammit. Nothing younger than 15.
Gender: Pretty easy... Unless your character is a creature that has no gender. Then its not.
Occupation: Highschool student? Bum? Assassin for the Yakuza?(If high school student, say what school. Raira academy is generally the common choice)
Appearance: Link or description
First Impression of Character: Those judgements people make the first time they lay eyes on you, from your demenor, attitude and the way you dress.
Personality: A brief, overall coverage of your character's initial personality, no more than a paragraph, due to how your character is liable to change in the future. However, not everything will change, so a few steadfast things about them will work.
Hobbies: What do they do during free time? If nothing signifigant, put something they happen to like.
Phobias: Any fears/hatreds? If not, then just put any dislikes.
Organization/Group: Are they part of the Yakuza? Part of the Dollars? Any Color Gang? Maybe a fanclub? PETA? (must be first approved by GM before you do)
Brief Biography:Two or three paragraphs, telling what their life was like, what happened, and why they are wherever they are now.

[Kadotachin]

NPCs

NPCs are playable by GMs only, meaning only Old Spice and myself can post these. They will pop up and interact with you so they can move the story as the plot demands.

...This means all characters that are in Durarara!! will be played by me.

They will be listed here as they appear in the RP, as will their information in teh guidebook.

[Kadotachin]

THE IKEBUKURO GUIDEBOOK

Referred to in alphabetacal order, last names first in referring to people. Some topic may seem to have nothing to do with anything, but watch, you'll see why. Non-Cannon characters, ie, characters specifially existing only in this RP, will be colored yellow.

A

B

Black Rider, The: A mysterious motorcyclist with no head, riding a bike which seems to emit horse-like whinnies, has been riding about committing acts of vigilante justice in a spectacularly violent fashion. It has been confirmed as of last year that, yes, it is indeed headless, and seems to control shadows. Has a bad relationship with the Police.

Blue Squares, The: A color gang that used to be pretty big before they and the Yellow Scarves wiped each other out. Around a year ago, it revived, but was completely destroyed by the Dollars after they used terribly cruel and underhanded tactics against the Yellow Scarves and attempting to start a one-sided annihilation of the Dollars. Most of the major players in the city had a hand in their demise. The original leader was Izumi Ran, who is in prison doing time for the first was being the Scarves and the Squares.

Brezhnev, "Simon" Semyon : A black Russian sushi hawker. Yes, you read that right. Being an immigrant, his Japanese isn't very good and his physical appearance actually frightens some people. Despite, he's a kind and intelligent man who only wants customers to visit the restaurant. However, push comes to shove, and he WILL kick your ass. He had some connection in the past to the Russian military, although not much is known about it. Possibly the only man alive able to stop a punch from Shizuo with one hand, and also punched Izaya across a street.

C

Color Gangs: Small gangs known by the color they have, and while they are big, are no where like the Mafia or Yakuza. Often, the item symbolizing your color would be a scarf or cloth, or some other noticable accessory. Two notable gangs, the Yellow Scarves and the Blue Squares, used yellow and blue respectively. The Dollars has no color.

D

E

F

Fujoshi: A female otaku with a fetish for handsome men engaged in explicitly homosexual activity, also known as Yaoi. Not much else to say.

G

H

Hanejima, Yuuhei: See Heiwajima Kasuka

Headless Rider, The: See The Black Rider.

Heiwajima, Kasuka: Brilliant (he managed to turn a million yen into 1.2 billion in a month just from smart investing), talented, does his own stunts, looks like he walked out of a shojo manga, and can even sing, he's a famous model and actor, going by the name Hanejima Yuuhei, who got his start after saving a talent scout who made the mistake of attempting to scout his older brother Shizuo. While amazingly talented as an actor, Kasuka's natural demeanor is very robotic and unemotional. With the occasional mention of his brother aside, Kasuka usually keeps his personal and family life under wraps. Journalists who insist on interviewing his family usually find their cars mysteriously overturned. Apart from being unnervingly stoic, there have been anecdotes of strange behavior such as nonchalantly attempting to sever his own pinky finger or unnerving a stalker badly enough to turn themselves in to the police.

Heiwajima, Shizuo: The most fearsome man in Ikebukuro and rage in human form. Shizuo has a hair trigger temper and a tendency to react to anything that sets him off with uncontrollable violence, which is only made worse by the fact that he also has super strength. Expect to see flying vending machines. When he's not raging uncontrollably he's... Actually, he's a pretty normal - if quiet and socially inexperienced - young man who only wishes to be able to keep control of himself so he can stop hurting everyone around him. Except for Izaya. He will hurt Izaya if he can, and will drop everything to do so. Cue Fujoshi. Also the older brother of famous Actor Yuuhei Hanejima(Kasuka Heiwajima)

I

Ikebukuro: A district of Tokyo. It's a busy metropolis with many dark secrets. There are gang wars, kidnappings, back-alley doctors, conspiracies, stalkers and suicide pacts, too. Color Gangs are frequent these days, and often prone to wild events and situations.

J

Johnson, Olivia: An African woman who moved to Ikebukuro about six months ago, she's a famous fashion designer that is also a successful manga artist, though she goes by the name of Izuo Shizaya. Frequently draws yaoi manga, but has been known to do all types of genres. Possibly the only being who can tell if Izaya is making shit up or not. How she does so is unknown, but has been rumored to be an excellent psychoanalysis simply by observing movement and words, thus often called a 'mind reader'. Extremely perceptive and intuitive. Fujoshi.

K

L

M

N

O

Orihara, Izaya: Ikebukuro's mysterious knowledge broker and ultimate troll. Claims to love all humanity (except Shizuo) — love which he expresses by fucking with people at every opportunity he gets. He loves playing mind games and seems to be one step ahead of everybody else at times. Izaya has the appearance and expression of one who is extremely crafty and confident, an appearance which he lives up to. He enjoys stirring up trouble, and manipulating other with a level of ease that frightens many. He looks unable to take hits, but I assure you, he is plenty a fighter, being skilled with a pocket knife, also able to take hits from vending machines thrown by Shizuo and stand up. As such, is known as someone to stay far away from, and extremely dangerous. Fortunately, he lives outside of Ikebukuro. Unfortunately, he visits often, causing fights with Shizuo and chaos for the city once again.

Otaku: They come in many flavors, but one thing can be said for each and every one of them. They've each staked out their own favorite thing, and they obsess over it relentlessly. Regardless of other intelligence, an otaku will have an obsessive, unhealthy, and almost encyclopedic knowledge of their chosen topic.

P

Police: Your general law enforcement. Have a vendetta against the Black Rider simply because they believe its looking down on them

Q

R

S

Shizaya, Izuo: A popular manga artist who excels in all genres, particularly yaoi. See Olivia Johnson. If you get the joke in the name, you are awesome.

T

Takana, Tom: Ikebukuro's resident "Debt Collector" and apparently was Shizuo's upperclassman in middle school. He's a pretty nice and normal guy that keeps Shizuo under control when he rages. He's also one of the few 'ambigeously brown' residents of Ikebukuro, along with Simon and Olivia.

U

V

W

X

Y

Yaoi: Love between men, also known as homosexuality. There are far too many fangirls of this, see Fujoshi. Izaya and Shizuo are often considered to have this by said fangirls, and thought hate each other due to unresolved sexual tension. These are lies. Blatant lies.

Yellow Scarves, The: A gang that used to be pretty big, years ago, but they and the Blue Squares wiped eachother out. They revived and grew pretty big before it turned out they had been mostly infiltrated by the Blue Squares before being destroyed inside out. They have come back, but are pretty small. The original leader's name is unknown, as is their location.

Z

[Kadotachin]

more reservation

[Kadotachin]

final reserve point

[G]

Looks interesting. I'll be back when your 'reserved stuff' is complete XD
I haven't seen the anime or anything related though, but it sounds cool.

[Kadotachin]

Sweet! Putting in the guide info now~!

Once that's set, you basically know all you need to know for now~!

[Kadotachin]

Alright, all necessary info is up!

[Kris]

Is this RP still on?

If so why not put it in the Roleplaying Games Directory (http://www.role-player.net/forum/showthread.php?t=2304) or click here (http://www.role-player.net/forum/showthread.php?t=3975) to help attract players?

[thesouleater]

I'd be interested in joining if this is still going. I just started watching Durarara a while ago. Unfortunately I haven't finished it yet because of homework, but I'm about half-way in. =)