The Inspiration

Sixty Below Zero is a roleplay loosely inspired by the movie Eight Below; more accurately, it is inspired by the true events that lead to the creation of this movie. The main inspiration for Sixty Below Zero was the story of a 1958 Japanese Antarctic Expedition, in which seven of the nine dogs died either in the blizzard or afterward (the details are unknown). This roleplay is not fandom/movie-oriented, and is instead meant to turn one of history's less tragic/traumatizing events into something roleplayers can be creative and have fun with.

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The Story

The year is 1950. Scientist Lisandro Gama has been selected by his superiors to travel to the unfamiliar lands of Antarctica with a team of mushing experts from the icy lands of Russia: Shvedov Aleksei Kirillovich, the musher; Khanipova Albina Kirrilovna, the dog caretaker and Shvedov's wife. The trio was joined by Japanese cartographer, Kaneko Tsuneo. Their mission? To complete the first cross-continent exploration of Antarctica's frozen mass.

Discovered in 1773 by James Cook, the Antarctic is a land of great mystery to many countries; vast, frozen, and vastly untouched by the influence of man. Held in high regard in their respective fields, the team was specifically selected by their home governments to ensure the mission was carried out with minimal difficulties.

While stationed, a blizzard struck and gave the team little time to prepare. It was 2:36 in the morning when the storm hit, seemingly out of nowhere. The dogs were left outside, chained and with little protection from the storm beyond burying themselves in the snow for warmth, side by side.

The Kirillovich couple were unfortunate casualties in the blizzard in trying to help the dogs, as well as six of the team's dogs. Following the deaths, Lisandro and Tsuneo had to leave when the storm cleared; they had not bonded with the dogs, not having their trust, and therefore had to leave without them. No dog answered the calls of these unfavored voices, they're assumed to be dead.

Without the humans watching over them, can the team survive?

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The Current Plot

It is the first day that the dogs are alone on this unfamiliar continent, a vast expanse of nothing but ice and snow. It is early morning, and the dogs are covered in snow from the night before; they've yet to discover the deaths of their caretaker and musher, along with the majority of their team.

The dogs will be just rising from their snow "shelters", and are searching for each other. There is still a light flurry of snow, slightly lessening the distance the dogs can see; they must use the voices of those more than a foot away to guide them.

The dogs buried themselves in pairs for additional warmth and comfort beneath the snow; either with a companion now deceased, or one of their surviving teammates.

Roleplay Rules

1. Due to its small size, this roleplay will be literate to keep the story moving. I will not attach a word count because it can be intimidating; but you do need proper grammar, spelling, and pacing. Really, just proper general structure. We don't require a novel from you, just enough for people to play along!

2. All dogs, with no exceptions, are going to be purebred Siberian Huskies. There will be no wolf dogs, no mutts, no husky mixes. This is just to make things a lot easier to manage because there are mixes that simply would not survive a day in these conditions.

3. Please, do not clutter this thread with discussions of characters, plots, and questions. Please privately message me or the person you'd like to talk to, it needs to be as simple as possible to find the characters for later.

4. Characters must be between the ages of four and eight. They have all been on the team for at least two years, so they have the dynamic and their relationships all figured out by now (this makes things easier on the writers), and at the age of eight, any working dogs are preparing to retire.

5. There is no secret code, I'm trusting you. These are really simple and there aren't a lot of rules.

6. Characters can and will get injured, but this is on a volunteer basis and/or is not fatal unless the writer has agreed to it. There is only one character per person, so I won't be evil and be throwing out fatal events unless someone asks for their dog to be written off.

7. There is an unspoken hierarchy (not alpha, beta, omega; leader & subordinate) among the dogs. They acknowledge that the lead dogs are the leaders, the swing is their second, and the rest are simply subordinates. However, this can be challenged if the team feels the lead doesn't have their best interest in mind.

8. Obviously, follow all WolfPlay rules at all times.

9. Obviously because the dogs have been around each other for two years or longer, there can be pre-established relationships, I expect there to be pre-established relationships. If they're romantic somehow, they should be fleshed out instead of "they met and love each other".

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"Pack" Rules

1. The Lead dogs are in charge; in their absence, power will shift over to the Swing dog. This position has been granted to them by the musher and can be taken only by a challenge.

2. To challenge the leaders' decision is to challenge their rule; you must have the support of the team before making any attempt at taking over. To try and take over without the support of the majority is to face being sent out into the unknown, by yourself.

3. No dog is above another; no dog is inferior or superior, regardless of rank. Some hold more authority, but none are better than others. Protect the pack, they are all you have in this new life.

Pack rules may be added to as the dogs grow more experienced with their new home and deem it necessary.

Character Roles & Descriptions

Lead Dogs are the team's leadership; they are responsible for carrying out the musher's orders and being sure the team follows with no questions. These dogs set the pace of the team and work closely together to be sure things are done as they should be; without them, the team would lack guidance. One of these dogs died in the blizzard.

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Swing Dogs are the seconds; when pulling the sled, they pass on the orders of the lead dogs to the team behind them. They make sure turns and direction changes are carried out smoothly and as a unit; while unattached to the sled, they still hold the authority of a second in command. In the lead dog's absence, this dog will be in charge. One of these dogs died in the blizzard.

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Team Dogs make up the bulk of the team; without these dogs, there would be no team to lead and support. They are the subordinates; they hold no authority among the dogs they live with, but some may act more dominant over their companions than others. They follow the guidance of the swing and lead dogs on the sled, and off duty when it's necessary. Three of these dogs died in the blizzard.

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Wheel Dogs are positioned closest to the sled and pull the brunt of the weight; as a result, they are the strongest/bulkiest and often largest dogs on the team, carrying the most defined muscle under their fur. They function the same as a team dog when off duty, a subordinate. These dogs may act as a protector of the pack, using their strength to ward off predators or general dangers while the rest escape. One of these dogs died in the blizzard.