'Careful now.
'We're dealing here with a myth.
'This city is a point upon a map of fog;
'Lemuria in a city unknown.
'Like us,
'It doesn't quite exist.' "
Ambrose Bierce,
San Francisco journalist, poet, and novelist at the turn of the 20th century
House Rules (mostly stolen from Thanqol)
• Can’t buy wyrd with merit dots. The xp is wonky and it makes your character boring.
• No fighting styles. Breaks the game in unpredictable ways.
• Willpower is not regained through rest. You’ll need to indulge your vices and pursue your virtues to your own detriment to regain willpower.
• Losing clarity due to degeneration during the course of play grants 5XP, identical to dropping clarity at character creation. Ideally, there should be no incentive to start out crazy, aside from the natural player incentive to start out crazy. This XP is not shared with the group and will only be for that character.
• Feel free to buy merits that don’t quite match with your backstory or time in Faerie. They will come swiftly upon your return to the mortal world.
• Minor pledges do not cost willpower. A minor pledge for this rule only is defined as: a pledge with a duration of 1 week or less that has no task, boon, or sanction (or combination thereof) exceeding +/- 2. (Note that this rule is experimental. I would like to encourage the use of pledges with friendly mortals and other changelings. Only positive Feedback would be appreciated.)
Posting and character rules
• Please try to post at least once per day. Even if your character has nothing to say at the moment, an OOC post saying, “I’m here, I’m reading, keep going” is extremely helpful.
• If you miss a day, we’ll try to slow down so you can catch up, but some events may happen without your character’s input.
• If you can’t be located after 3 days, your character will continue to accompany the party and fade into the background. To the extent the character can meaningfully assist the party, the players can ask for skills from that character and roll the dice for him/her. Control will immediately revert to you upon your return.
• If you know of any long absences in the future, please let us all know. I’ll do my best to make sure the character can conveniently be on vacation and can prepare several plans in advance for how to assist the party in his/her absence.
• There’s no maximum post limit. If I’m not online you can do all the secret planning you want or continue IC conversations on any topic.
• If the group splits up, I’ll do multiple threads. I may also do individual player info
On that note, a little about my own schedule. I’ll be working full-time starting at the end of May. Therefore I expect to be online after 6:00 PM PST for a couple hours each night. I’ll be attending my older brother’s wedding the week before July 1st, which may lead to spotty Internet and lack of time, and I will be in Japan for a little over a month from July 7th-August 18th. I will endeavor to continue checking the Internet during those times and should have access while I’m in Japan, but I may be unable to get online consistently, especially during the travel days. I’ll look into finding someone to take temporary charge of things if it turns out that I can’t get online for more than a couple days.
Dice Rolling
Every roll uses some number of d10s. 8-10 is a success, 1-7 is a failure and you have permission to summarily execute the die. 10s get rerolled and can generate an extra success on 8-10 as well as further rerolls if you keep on rolling 10 with your cheating loaded die.
-one success causes the action to succeed
-5+ success is a special, exceptional success
-You can still try an action if penalties reduce you to 0 dice, but you only succeed on a 10 and rolling a 1 means a dramatic failure
If you want to take an action, you should name the action, what attributes, skills and merits affect it, and list your dice pool. I will respond with appropriate bonuses and penalties, at which point you can roll the adjusted number of dice. I’m fine with use of forum rollers if you want, or with trusting you to roll your own dice. However, once you declare the action, you are committed to it, even if penalties end up being larger than you expect.
Example (again credit to Thanqol for making this much easier than it could have been):
You say [I want to use Presence+Persuasion to convince the man to step aside, my dice pool is 6, 7 with the Striking Looks merit].
I'll respond with a post along the lines of [Given the ridiculous nature of your outfit, -2 penalty to the roll]. Only then do you roll the dice; if you achieve a success feel free to narrate the nature of your victory (within reason).
XP (again with many thanks to Thanqol for discussions about why his house rules are good)
XP will be given out at the end of each day, so long as the party has a chance to rest and recuperate.
You get XP for
• Doing something risky or dangerous (if your plan involves slowly but surely working your way into a position of power with minimal risk, you may also get XP for each milestone you achieve)
• Your flaws, if you have any, work to your detriment
• Finishing a story
• Finishing a significant scene
• Great role-playing
• Overcoming a reasonably substantial challenge
• Discovering new sources of magic (wyrd)
Except for the Clarity XP noted above, the party shares all XP and all PCs should be at the same total. Going insane to outdo your buddies might be a poor long-term plan.
XP can be spent for any merits, attributes, skills, contracts, wyrd etc. However, if you buy a merit that requires storyteller character interaction (e.g. contacts, mantle etc.) the XP expenditure is provisionary. You’ll still need to interact with the relevant characters and role-play why you’re getting more help from them. The expenditure of XP in these cases represents an active commitment towards that cause or person(s) and will greatly smooth the acquisition of the merit. If you totally blow the scene, the XP will be refunded and the merit is lost.
Wyrd XP, gained from discovering new sources of magic, may only be spent to increase your wyrd. You should track this separately from other XP.
Dreaming
Quote:
Originally Posted by Thanqol
Ooo, a cool way to handle it would be to give people a theme/topic for the dreams and let us write our characters' own takes on it. Would give all the advantages of prophecy, mood and foreshadowing, keep the idea of lucid dreaming, and take advantage of the PBP format.
That is a cool enough idea that I am stealing it from myself for use immediately!
That is an excellent idea, though I'm going to slightly modify it. I'll list a setting and theme or item for each character as well as the rolled intensity for the dream and whether you're aware that it is prophetic or not. As lucid dreamers you can reshape your own dreams pretty freely and can write what you want past the first moment or two. I'm also going to list a spoiler for each character which lists a few other things that happen if you make no attempt to shape the dream at all.
If you're busy or don't want to write your own, let me know and I'll write an expanded dream instead or we can decide that for the evening you simply have a relative serene and pleasant dream instead. I'll also add this to the OP for future reference. For reference, the lucid dreaming merit is described on pg 195 of the main book.
The setting is going to be present-day San Francisco, slightly altered due to the existence of supernatural beings. Most general things are the same. Barack Obama and Mitt Romney are the presumptive candidates for president in American politics, the ace pitcher for the San Francisco Giants is having a bad season, Google and Oracle are in the middle of a major lawsuit over the Android OS, and the San Francisco head sheriff was recently fired amidst a scandal over abusing his wife. Having just returned, you don’t know how many of these things are influenced by the supernatural yet.
San Francisco History, Culture and Geography
The following is a comprehensive explanation of the setting and need not be read unless you’re interested. I was born and raised in San Francisco, so I have reasonably extensive knowledge of the whole city. The following info is intended as reference material for when you hear names and places later and want to use control+f to learn about where you are. In addition, it contains mistakes both intentional and accidental, so although you could use it as a real tourist guide, you do so at your own risk.
History
Spoiler
Although the Spanish had kept a mission on the location since the 18th century, San Francisco really grew into a city with the 1849 Gold Rush. The bay was naturally protected and San Francisco served as a port and supply center for all the gold miners. Several people settled in the area to sell clothes, food, and equipment to the miners and ended up making a great deal more money than the miners themselves. Levi’s blue jeans were invented during this time, and Wells Fargo bank was founded, among other notable businesses. The city also attracted a large Asian population starting with the Gold Rush and has the oldest and most famous Chinatown in the United States. The city established cable cars early on due to its extremely steep hills and continues to operate them to this day. It also established several religious congregations within a year of the Gold Rush, including congregation Emanu-el, the oldest Jewish community West of the Mississippi.
Although the city suffered with most of the country during the latter half of the 19th and early 20th centuries, it did not suffer from the same degree of class conflict that plagued other US population centers. It was well known at the time that city hall suffered from a great deal of political graft, and there were whispers that that unrest South of Market (described below) were kept in check by less than legal means. Some even said they were less than natural.
The city sent several of its young men to fight in both World War I and II, roared during the 20s, and benefitted from several public works projects during the Great Depression, including the building of the famous Golden Gate Bridge, which is about to celebrate its 75th anniversary.
The city became a Mecca of diversity after World War II, benefitting from returning soldiers and US population movements. It boasts the highest percentage of interracial and interreligious marriages for any location in the United States. To its chagrin, its mild weather also made it a Mecca for the homeless during the same period. The post-war baby boom affected San Francisco, which built several new schools to educate all the children. Although many of them have decreased in size since then, the city still boasts over 100 different elementary schools (both public and private) and close to 30 different high schools. Some of the schools are known to have…strange…happenings from time to time, but most people dismiss such things as well-executed student pranks.
In recent times, the presence of corporations such as Apple, Google, and Oracle has made San Francisco into a major technology center. The city also became host to one of the most vocal homosexual communities in the world, and the Castro neighborhood has adopted the rainbow flag as its emblem due to the concentration of LGBT residents. The city also legalized gay marriage temporarily a few years ago and, due to ongoing legal battles, continues to honor those marriages.
Climate
Spoiler
San Francisco doesn’t have the four seasons. Everyone pretends that it does because it makes people feel good, but it doesn’t. What it has are a wet season, a cold dry season, and a hot dry season. The wet season extends from late October/early November through late April. It can rain at almost any time during this season, although it rarely gets colder than 40 degrees F and is usually closer to 60 F. When not raining it tends to be either clear or foggy. It almost never snows and has only done so once in the past 30 years. The cold dry season extends from about May through early September. Although there can be short periods of warm weather, this season is characterized by frequent fog and temperatures ranging between 45 and 70 degrees F. The hot dry season lasts for about 2 months during September and October. This period is colloquially called “Indian Summer” and is often in-between 75-85 degrees F, although almost never warmer than that. The city can often have a 1 week or less heat wave during regular summer, and a cold week during fall, but the three general seasons characterize most of the year.
Culture and Academics
Spoiler
The city likes to pretend that it’s the equal of New York in culture. Although this is pointedly untrue, it does seem to have both high and low culture at least rivaling the city ten times its size. It hosts a ballet company, Opera Company, and a symphony as well as several musical theaters. Notable Museums include the MOMA (museum of modern art), De Young (old and new art), Legion of Honor (eclectic art and historical relics), Asian Art (both south and east), California academy of Sciences (natural history), Exploratorium (modern science), and the San Francisco Zoo.
The city is host to three large college campuses as well as several smaller schools. UCSF (University of California at San Francisco) is a medical school boasting its own hospital and a secondary research campus downtown. USF (University of San Francisco) is a Jesuit school located on a scenic hilltop near the park. SF State College is a public undergraduate school that offers degrees in science, math, engineering, and the humanities and is located close to the Pacific Ocean.
The city maintains Golden Gate Park: over 1,000 acres of natural land that includes some of the museums mentioned above, weekly concerts on Sundays, a Japanese Tea garden, a botanical garden, several tennis courts, a 9-hole golf course, a man-made lake, several smaller gardens, and a bison pen. Fisherman’s Wharf, Chinatown, the Haight-Ashbury, and Union Square all provide gathering and shopping locations for various segments of the population. The Castro is home to raucous parties and extremely good cuisine at a reasonable price. Alcatraz sits in the bay as a major tourist attraction, although it was only used as a prison for a short time. Despite being only a tourist attraction, there are rumors of strange people being seen there at night.
Politics
Spoiler
A mayor and a board of supervisors, each of who represents a district of the city, run San Francisco. The city is presently divided into 11 districts for 11 supervisors total. The city is also a county and therefore has its own Sheriff’s office in addition to city police. It hosts local courts, the Federal court for the Northern District of California, and the 9th Circuit Federal court of appeals. Several former San Francisco mayors have vaulted into state or national politics and continue to take a major behind the scenes role in the city’s management. Some people think the current mayor is himself merely a puppet for this cadre of experienced politicians.
Geography
Spoiler
Western San Francisco consists of districts 1, 4, and 7 from North to South. This part of the city is heavily dominated by Golden Gate Park, which sits prominently in the middle of the area. The far west includes the aptly named Ocean Beach running along the Coast.
District 1 is called the Richmond and is north of the park. It includes mostly medium to high-income housing, several very good restaurants, the Legion of Honor, and the USF campus.
The park itself houses the De Young Museum and the Academy of Sciences, as well as the various areas noted above.
Districts 4 and 7, south of the Park is referred to as the Sunset (or Sunset District). This area has become heavily Asian and includes somewhat smaller houses in a lower to medium income range. It also hosts the Zoo and the SF State campus. District 7 extends northeast to encompass Forest Hills, West Portal, and St. Francis woods, which are a wealthier area of the city with older money. This also includes the UCSF main campus and hospital, which dominates the hills around 6th avenue overlooking the park. The District 7 area is broken up by Twin peaks, a set of joined mountains in the middle of the city. They create a certain sort of chaos architecture for the streets. 9th and 12th avenues meet at a corner and several streets begin, hit a dead end wall, and then continue on another level 20 feet higher up
The remainder of San Francisco is best divided into two broad zones. North of Market and South of Market. Market Street itself runs diagonally through the city from southwest to northeast. The public transportation system runs underground beneath this street for most of its length before surfacing and diverging into various lines about 2/3 of the way toward the southwest end.
North of Market is the well off area of the city. It consists of districts 2, 3, 5, and part of 6.
District 2, called the Marina, houses several docks, some expensive ocean-view housing, the Presidio (previously a military fort, now housing and museums), and the Exploratorium. The eastern end overlapping with district 3 holds Fisherman’s Wharf, a raucous open air market of shops and restaurants.
District 3 is the heart of downtown San Francisco. It hosts the financial and business centers, including the Transamerica Pyramid and Bank of America buildings, which tie for tallest in the city. It also has the Ferry Building and the Embarcadero center directly on the water at the end of the subway line, which provide apartments, shopping, and some city history to residents and businesspeople. The UCSF research campus is located here, as is the MOMA. The southern part of the district holds Union Square, which is the center for the highest-end shopping in the city, including major designer labels. Chinatown borders directly on Union Square and contains both much cheaper shopping and very good restaurants.
North District 6 is better known as Civic Center. It includes City Hall, the courts, a culinary school, the main branch of the public library, the Asian Art Museum, the symphony, the ballet, and the opera. Despite the variety of culture here, the southern part of the district is much less nice, better known as the Tenderloin. It’s not terribly safe and attracts a large number of homeless and prostitutes. The fact that such people are within earshot of the city’s government is not lost on its supervisors. Nevertheless, someone asleep in the main library is just as likely to be a homeless man with nowhere to go as a researcher spending one too many late nights hitting the books.
District 5 is the inner sunset, very close to being in the exact middle of the city. It’s also split by Twin peaks to some extent. It contains the Haight-Ashbury, home of the hippie movement, and a relatively good place to find various drugs, if one were so inclined. It also contains part of the UCSF main campus, which extends into it from District 7. It also contains Japantown. The housing here consists of relatively modest Victorians.
South of Market is the more impoverished area of the city and consists of south district 6, and districts 8, 9, 10, and 11.
South District 6 is the Tenderloin. This area unfortunately has the highest crime rate in the city, despite bordering City Hall. It’s the easiest place to obtain drugs, and you can often find people simply sleeping on the streets, especially around 6th street and Mission Avenue, which looks more like a war zone than a street. The rats are the cleanest thing in the restaurants there. Ironically, it also contains the District Attorney’s office and the main police station, which border on district 10. This does not seem to help, at least so far. Despite its problems, the area does host a sort of insular artsy community, especially in its southwestern section, which hosts a number of small theaters. The eastern part of this district has actually been the subject of recent land development and is quite well off now. It houses several corporate research laboratories, a few hotels and restaurants, and the stadium for the San Francisco Giants baseball team. Before the last 10 years, however, the area was a place that the well off did not go, ever.
District 8 is the Castro. It contains the LGBT community, has wild and raucous parties, excellent gourmet cuisine, and is probably the single most popular subway stop. It’s pretty rough at night and if you mess with the wrong people. It also hosts several adult stores for people of various hobbies. Bordering neighborhoods such as diamond heights and Noe Valley are much quieter and tend to support a small artistic and acting community.
Districts 9, 10, and 11 include the Mission district, Bayview, Hunter’s Point and the Excelsior. Sadly, these districts have seen minimal development and together constitute the most impoverished area of the city. This area of the city also contains the greatest concentration of minority communities. There have also been racial tensions in the area as recently some Korean immigrants have tried to move into Hunter’s Point and displace local Latino residents.
__________________
Lawyer Pony Avatar by Dirtytabs, exalted as an Eclipse by Elemental, now with a fancy robe.
Quote:
Originally Posted by The Giant
Anarion's right on the money here.
Quotes
Spoiler
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tiki Snakes
Dulce Et Decorum Est Pro Anarion Mori?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tiki Snakes
You just highlandered an entire city block into a glass-filled storm by road-runnering down it in your underwear.
Google and Oracle are in the middle of a major lawsuit over the Android OS,
Actually, I heard that was settled, with Google only having to pay out $150,000 rather than the $1 billion Oracle was hoping for.
Also, hi, I'm Thanqol, and sometimes I'm a jerk.
A few other thoughts;
Quote:
XP
In general, how WoD XP tends to work in practise is that you get the 1 for showing up, 1 for roleplaying, and 1 for something you learned as virtually guaranteed XP for the session, meaning that as long as you attend and make an effort you get 3xp. It goes to 4 or 5 if you are particularly active or successful in that session.
Do note that this is the minimum rate of advancement suggested in the books. If you want the player characters to be able to significantly advance their skills, tweak some parameters so it steps up to 5-6 per session. This is pure thematics and tone, depending entirely on the power level you're shooting for. Also depends on how fast the thread is moving, or narrative concerns, or just your discretion.
Quote:
XP and Merits
I am really torn on how to do this, conceptually. There's two schools of thought; the thought where merits are easy-come, easy-go (which is what I went with for Waiting for Rain), or where merits need to be purchased with XP and, once purchased, are afforded a certain degree of narrative protection (i.e. your house probably won't get burned down but, if it does, you'll get the XP refunded), and this is my general practise approach.
Sounds like you've gone for the second, which is perfectly workable, but it means PC social power is a little outside the ST's ability to directly influence.
Quote:
Music
For some reason, my mind is suggesting jazz/swing as the key musical tone for this game.
Quote:
I’ll look into finding someone to take temporary charge of things if it turns out that I can’t get online for more than a couple days.
If the ST is going to have trouble being present, then you've got the easiest out in Changeling: Pick a character, say "Everyone is in that character's dream", and let them run it. Whenever the group enters a player's dream or Astral I just sit back and say, "This is your dream. You're in charge. Take us through it."
Quote:
Modern Day
Hmm, I'm going to have to look up 2007 politics, and then filter it through the lens of a person who knows absolutely nothing about politics.
Character sheet coming once I properly format it. Until then, think of my character as a combination of Daring Do, Batgirl and a Disney Princess.
EDIT:
Oh yes, one request.
Boon of the Scuttling Spider, my Darkness 4 contract, has as it's catch 'walls of wood or stone'. Could I change that to 'Glass or stone' to make Stephanie more effective at scaling skyscrapers instead?
__________________
"There may be no good reason for things to be the way they are."
Heyzas. After careful deliberation with a certain masked pony, my character unfolded: Marchande, a former gentleman's wolfhound who is rather ashamed of her bestial nature, with designs on getting involved with the goblin markets. Traders have very human power, and it's a power she envies and covets. A Truefriend of the Beast Seeming.
She used to be a business student at the University of San Fransisco, and was - to put it bluntly - rather naive and obedient towards authority. Sheltered childhood, used to obeying authority figures, and lacking a certain freedom of thought, she was easy to trick into a private meeting with a professor who happened to be a slavecatcher for the Hedge.
Her Durance was, to sum it up quickly, Jeeves and Wooster without any basic human decency, and with the racism/sexism/classism of Edwardian England turned up until the dial broke. She happened to get it lucky - she wasn't one of the brutally beaten, dehumanized servants, she was just the prized 'authentic Persian wolfhound' who got starved and kicked when Master was displeased with her. It was impossible for a dog to escape, so she did one day, as a human. She undid the latch of her kennel, and walked out on two feet, and managed to pass for a lady long enough to escape the Master's estate.
The only person I've collaborated with backstorywise was Thanqol; the intrepid young adventuress ended up treed by a familiar guard dog, only for them both to realize that they were trying to get home, via the most stretched-out, awkward conversation of all time.
Oh, and I wanted Marchande and Stephanie to run into goblin traders on their way to the hedge, during which Marchande would take her name (discarding "Princess") and sell her Keeper's collar in exchange for a map out of the Hedge, or something of that nature. It's a bit important, character-wise, that her first taste of power coming out of her durance is being able to sell something and being wily enough to get a good deal.
Oh, and she's probably Winter Court, given her self-loathing over her canine form and her desire to hide away from her keeper; then again, that desire to use the things of Faerie against Faerie, to become powerful, is very Autumn. Winter wins out, but she's very unconventional Winter.
And if you're familiar with the saluki, that's the breed of hound she was. Yes, that means her Mask has pigtails all the time. No, she doesn't like it. Yes, she has long, silky body hair, especially on her arms and tail. No, she can't really shave it.
Mechanics-wise, going for high Presence/Intelligence/Manipulation, heavy on the social skills and Academics/Occult/Politics. Will probably be very interested in whatever Goblin Market San Francisco has. Hearth, and possibly Dream Contracts, no Beast Contracts at all. If we don't have a leader at all, she might step up, but she'd naturally gravitate towards being number two - as long as they understand that her loyalty stops the minute she feels she's been betrayed by them.
Her theme is "Trust invites betrayal". The only reason she was in Arcadia at all was because she blindly trusted an authority figure, and she's not about to do so again. Love? Based on trust, and thus open for betrayal. Being a team player? Likewise. She could end up learning to build healthy relationships with people she knows she can trust, or she could end up a paranoid, backstabbing wreck who's out to get you before you can get her.
Either way, she intends to end up rich and respected. She has plans, and they involve the fact that there is so much connected to this magical world that people will pay through the nose to have.
__________________
-build that wall and build it strong-
Kasanip - best artist; Rarity - best smile; Thanqol - good Question
Spoiler
Quote:
Originally Posted by PhoeKun
Raz, you scoundrel! You planned this!
Quote:
Originally Posted by BladeofObliviom
Great, and now I'm imagining what Raz's profile on a dating site would look like. "Must be okay with veils."
Quote:
Originally Posted by Kasanip
I don't think there is such a time to have veils that it is not the fault of Raz_Fox.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dervag
It's a freaking Romulan dump truck. The Romulans are no more likely to build an unarmed warp-capable ship than they are to become a hippy commune.
Congisticate you, Thanqol!
On the one hand I'm relieved to not be the first post in this thread, but on the other, I now have a picture of icebreakers gum without a home.
On thanqol being torn: why not gestalt the two? If someone puts in the XP for merit dots, let them keep them. If they "only" come up in play, they're fluid and on loan. If you buy them off neat, if not they're fickle.
But my only other experience with world of darkness is happening in thanqol's game. So salt should be applied.
On modern day: so google politics and run them through me? =D
-
Changeling. Still perusing, unfortunately. Work is no fun like that. So let me see if I have the gist here. Heavy Mage comparison for generic understanding incoming.
Changelings have Wyrd. Which functions like gnosis. by observing scenes of emotion, they can revel in them, absorb them for glamour, which works like mana but is more necessary for magic. Magic comes in the way of Contracts, which resemble rote spells in a particular school rather than arcana. Pledges are less potent but more important, and cost willpower to enforce.
So far so good?
Also, I'm a touch embarrassed to have to go through character generation in front of Celestia and everypony. Ill try not to stall, though.
Congisticate you, Thanqol!
On the one hand I'm relieved to not be the first post in this thread, but on the other, I now have a picture of icebreakers gum without a home.
On thanqol being torn: why not gestalt the two? If someone puts in the XP for merit dots, let them keep them. If they "only" come up in play, they're fluid and on loan. If you buy them off neat, if not they're fickle.
That's option two with a 'temporary background' subsystem added that displeases me; I'd rather keep that as pure narrative influence rather than half-mechanics it.
Quote:
Changelings have Wyrd. Which functions like gnosis. by observing scenes of emotion, they can revel in them, absorb them for glamour, which works like mana but is more necessary for magic. Magic comes in the way of Contracts, which resemble rote spells in a particular school rather than arcana. Pledges are less potent but more important, and cost willpower to enforce.
So far so good?
Correct. A Contract is dramatically less potent than an Arcana. In Waiting for Rain, if I put the city's one Adamantine Arrow up against the entire Summer Court, my money's on the Mage.
__________________
"There may be no good reason for things to be the way they are."
Hi there. It occurs to me that I have no idea what I'm doing and I don't really feel like I belong here, but the thought of these specific faces gathered together for a single purpose is... just too tempting to slink away from. So I'm here now, hi. Teach me of your ways, space ponies.
__________________ Flowers blanket all the countryside like freshly fallen snow
I know the answer's waiting somewhere, as it was once long ago
Do you wait to cross the river from the shores of shallow tide?
And what will happen to your phantom if you reach the other side?
...Hear me crying...
Avatar by Kairaven.
Hi there. It occurs to me that I have no idea what I'm doing and I don't really feel like I belong here, but the thought of these specific faces gathered together for a single purpose is... just too tempting to slink away from. So I'm here now, hi. Teach me of your ways, space ponies.
ALL HAIL PHOE, QUEEN OF THE BONDAGEPONIES
Ahem. Got that out of my system. And trust me, I know only a little more than you. My advice is to talk to Thanqol once you have the inkling of an idea, set aside a few hours, and then wham, you'll have a character. At least, that's the way it worked with me, I dunno.
Also, how did you know we are space ponies.
How did you know.
I'm afraid you now know too much.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Thanqol
Correct. A Contract is dramatically less potent than an Arcana. In Waiting for Rain, if I put the city's one Adamantine Arrow up against the entire Summer Court, my money's on the Mage.
"I may have suffered horrible, inhuman torture that twisted me and took away my humanity, but I escaped, and now I have something to show for it - look, I can enter dreams, and turn invisible, secrets I jealously stole away from my masters!"
"I tripped walking down the stairs, had an epiphany, and got the ability to shoot laser beams with my eyes and control gravity."
"..."
"Are you looking at me funny? I will make you a smear, funny-looking guy."
__________________
-build that wall and build it strong-
Kasanip - best artist; Rarity - best smile; Thanqol - good Question
Spoiler
Quote:
Originally Posted by PhoeKun
Raz, you scoundrel! You planned this!
Quote:
Originally Posted by BladeofObliviom
Great, and now I'm imagining what Raz's profile on a dating site would look like. "Must be okay with veils."
Quote:
Originally Posted by Kasanip
I don't think there is such a time to have veils that it is not the fault of Raz_Fox.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dervag
It's a freaking Romulan dump truck. The Romulans are no more likely to build an unarmed warp-capable ship than they are to become a hippy commune.
Hi there. It occurs to me that I have no idea what I'm doing and I don't really feel like I belong here, but the thought of these specific faces gathered together for a single purpose is... just too tempting to slink away from. So I'm here now, hi. Teach me of your ways, space ponies.
I don't really have any ways. I just keep doing things and I get praise for them so I keep on doing 'em.
If you need character creation advice or tutorials, best shot at that is catching me when I'm next online (earliest looks to be Thursday), or talking through what you've got so far. Do you have access to the books? Do you have a theme in mind? Do you have a favourite fairy tale? Would you like to take that fairy tale to it's terrifying extremes?
It's great to have you aboard, by the way
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Ahem. Got that out of my system. And trust me, I know only a little more than you. My advice is to talk to Thanqol once you have the inkling of an idea, set aside a few hours, and then wham, you'll have a character. At least, that's the way it worked with me, I dunno.
I can't ever not be the mastermind behind every aspect of games I'm in.
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"I may have suffered horrible, inhuman torture that twisted me and took away my humanity, but I escaped, and now I have something to show for it - look, I can enter dreams, and turn invisible, secrets I jealously stole away from my masters!"
"I tripped walking down the stairs, had an epiphany, and got the ability to shoot laser beams with my eyes and control gravity."
"..."
"Are you looking at me funny? I will make you a smear, funny-looking guy."
The Theme of Changeling is coming to grips with what's happened to you and finding a new life, a new home.
The Theme of Mage is trying not to go mad with power.
__________________
"There may be no good reason for things to be the way they are."
Fleeting Spring 1: Cupid's Eye
Cost: 1G
Pool: Wits+Wyrd 5 v Composure+Wyrd
Catch: Kissed the subject, or subject desires the character
Effect: Tell me what you want, what you really really want
Elements (Darkness) 1: Cloak of the Elements
Cost: 2G
Catch: Wearing a symbolic representation of the element
Effect: Friends don't hurt friends.
Kith: Gargoyle’s Grace
Fall from 100 meters without damage
+2 on Balance checks
Darkling Blessing
Spend 1G for +1 Wits, Subterfuge, or Stealth
9 Again on Stealth
Darkling Curse
-1 to enact Contracts during daylight
-2 in direct sunlight
Short, cute and blonde, with striking orange eyes, Stephanie cuts a distinctly unintimidating figure (“She’s not scary – what’s the opposite of scary? She’s that”). She has the kind of flexibility that attracts alternating fascination and disgust, and possesses a skill at acrobatics and contortions that would make a Cirq De Soleil member gag. Stephanie is white and Jewish, and her ancestry is French.
Stephanie’s financial situation is relatively dire, meaning that her getup consists of a black hoodie and jeans. She wears sneakers and headphones attached to a scavenged walkman. She also wears a long scarf that trails behind her as she runs, with a collection of patches sewn into it. She tends to whistle a lot.
She approaches infiltration with long stillnesses followed by sudden bursts of movement.
It's really quite difficult to catch a distinct look at her Mein, but it's especially apparent when she's using her Contracts that Stephanie is actually an amorphous creature of shadows, with a consistency resembling tightly pressed mist. When she moves fast, stretches into unnatural positions, or takes cover in deep darkness, her form seems to slightly discorporate and drift apart and an abstract outline of violet lines takes shape in the centre of the mist. While running and jumping, purple tendrils lash out to help her along. When falling, they form into the shapes of long, trailing wings. The true extent of it is only really visible in the most extreme acts of magic.
Stephanie is bright and chipper, upbeat and optimistic, grounded and strong in her convictions. She’s moral and righteous, courageous and daring. She’s happy with herself and disturbingly well adjusted - mostly because all the downbeat and negative parts of her were magically removed. She is allergic to commitment, and super enthusiastic about needless risks.
During the day, Stephanie shuffles around with her hood up, her head down, and an incredibly grumpy attitude.
HISTORY
Spoiler
Stephanie grew up on adventure stories and action films. Thriller novels were a sixth food group for her, and she consumed endlessly. Batman, Indiana Jones, James Bond, any action story with daring heroes and clear villains excited her. She wanted to be an explorer when she grew up, or a vigilante – finding new places and new things, learning secrets and vanquishing evil.
She was always amazingly flexible and graceful, and the school gymnasium was nowhere near enough for her. She spent her childhood climbing into all the secret places she could find, never accepting the principles of ‘off limits’ or ‘out of bounds’. After some harsh words from the schoolteachers and her parents she took to hiding her expeditions with more care. She grew up in a rough neighbourhood and grew very practised at booking it when the gangers showed up.
Stephanie had a little sister named Helen, who she adored. She’d tell her all the made-up stories of her adventures, of the monsters she found on the rooftops she climbed to and the treasures she stole from fenced off junkyards. To Helen, Stephanie was a hero, and proof that all the stories and adventures could come true. Stephanie worked and studied hard, sure that someday she’d be able to go travel to distant lands and break into ancient tombs for herself.
But when Stephanie was fourteen, both her parents were murdered, and suddenly she was the sole carer of her little sister. She had to drop out of school, cancel her plans for travel, work full time in a KFC so that there’d be food on the table and that her sister could stay in school. Stephanie realised that she was going to have to watch every single one of her hopes and dreams die because she was stuck caring for another.
And that was when the offer came.
A well-dressed customer came in on the graveyard shift while Stephanie was mopping up. He said that he was a member of the Royal Museum’s Extreme Archaeology Department, and he was looking for an assistant to help him brave the perils of the Amazon in search of ancient treasure. Stephanie was extremely sceptical, but the stranger seemed compellingly honest. She told him she appreciated the offer but couldn’t go because she had a sister to look after.
The stranger said, “If I were to promise you that your sister would not even notice that you had gone, would you come with me?”
And Stephanie laughed and said yes.
*
Adventure followed.
It was like everything she'd ever dreamed - fighting the evil minions of her archnemesis, James McClaw, foiling the diabolical schemes of Doctor Darkstone, tussling with her rival, the Soviet explorer Tanya Redheart.
There were a few moments when she hesitated out of fear. Those moments... didn't end well. But those were her fault. Showing fear at all became something that had to be avoided at all costs.
Things were great.
*
THE FETCH
Stephanie Rosen’s Fetch was a soulless version of herself. She had no hopes, no dreams, no desires. She just worked, day in, day out, like a machine to provide for her sister. What would have happened to Stephanie if responsibility was allowed to kill her free spirit. It was compiled of all the negative, hateful and depressing parts of Stephanie's personality.
She applied this same remorseless responsibility to the care of her sister, telling her no stories, communicating only what she had to, shuffling from task to task with deadness in her eyes. The first time the Fetch felt an emotion was when Helen screamed at it, “I hate you! You’re not my real sister! I hate you!”
*
And Stephanie, in distant Arcadia, knew the deal was broken. She had to escape. She turned away from James McClaw's manor, broke cover, and started running. It was easy for her - her Keeper had broken it's promise and thus was unable to stop her, or force her to stay.
It was easy right up until a dog chased her up a tree. Being trapped, Stephanie's first reaction was to talk her way out of it. That particular conversation was so terrible that it defies transcription.
*
Instantly, the Fetch knew that the real Stephanie Rosen was on her way back.
And it felt rage.
That irresponsible, shiftless, lazy, runaway dreamer dared to come back here? That bitch dared to show her face here, in the house she had abandoned, to the responsibilities she had left behind? If that airheaded idiot came back here, took Helen back, both of them would starve on the street because the ‘real’ one would be unable to hold down a job.
Oh, no. She had worked hard for this life. She had sacrificed for this life. She wasn’t going to let anyone take it away.
ONGOING PLEDGES
Spoiler
Court Vassal: Tasks: fealty -3, some form of aid to those in dire need -1.
Boon: Adroitness +1 (socialize), blessing +1 (Contacts), glamour +2 (changeling may request glamour once per season. May come from ruler or high-ranking court members at their discretion), vassalage +3 (freehold blessing=fertility).
Sanction: Banishment -3, poisoning of boon -2 (betrayer immediately loses glamour to one betrayed).
Duration: Season +2]
__________________
"There may be no good reason for things to be the way they are."
Actually, I heard that was settled, with Google only having to pay out $150,000 rather than the $1 billion Oracle was hoping for.
Still going on, they only finished the copyright part, there's another 2 weeks at least for the patent stuff.
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Originally Posted by Thanqol
Sounds like you've gone for the second, which is perfectly workable, but it means PC social power is a little outside the ST's ability to directly influence.
That might be a good thing. Unless you guys go utterly wild in the first 5 minutes of starting (always a distinct possibility I admit) you're likely going to get involved with the San Francisco freehold(s). It's simply too dense and too populous to avoid getting caught up in that for long. So being able to make some choices on social power as a player will be valuable for everyone.
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For some reason, my mind is suggesting jazz/swing as the key musical tone for this game.
Noted.
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Hmm, I'm going to have to look up 2007 politics, and then filter it through the lens of a person who knows absolutely nothing about politics.
This is going to end up in an awkward "they elected a black man!?" joke, isn't it?
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Oh yes, one request.
Boon of the Scuttling Spider, my Darkness 4 contract, has as it's catch 'walls of wood or stone'. Could I change that to 'Glass or stone' to make Stephanie more effective at scaling skyscrapers instead?
This sounds fine to me. Let me double check with you that it's the wood part you want gone though. Stone is not a terribly common building material in San Francisco because it tends to break during earthquakes. Most houses are wood coated with chain and plaster. On the other hand, there are various stone monuments and marble interiors abound.
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Originally Posted by Raz_Fox
Oh, and I wanted Marchande and Stephanie to run into goblin traders on their way to the hedge, during which Marchande would take her name (discarding "Princess") and sell her Keeper's collar in exchange for a map out of the Hedge, or something of that nature. It's a bit important, character-wise, that her first taste of power coming out of her durance is being able to sell something and being wily enough to get a good deal.
I think we can make this happen. Goblin markets do tend to spring up randomly. Perhaps this would also make a good opportunity to meet one of the other party members. Just be aware that if you sold your Keeper's collar, that could end up in...places.
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Oh, and she's probably Winter Court, given her self-loathing over her canine form and her desire to hide away from her keeper; then again, that desire to use the things of Faerie against Faerie, to become powerful, is very Autumn. Winter wins out, but she's very unconventional Winter.
Interesting. Keep in mind a potential change of courts as Marchande grows. If she ever gets to the point where she would prefer to face her problems over hiding, it might be time to look into the Leaden Mirror.
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And if you're familiar with the saluki, that's the breed of hound she was. Yes, that means her Mask has pigtails all the time. No, she doesn't like it. Yes, she has long, silky body hair, especially on her arms and tail. No, she can't really shave it.
Heehee.
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Her theme is "Trust invites betrayal". The only reason she was in Arcadia at all was because she blindly trusted an authority figure, and she's not about to do so again. Love? Based on trust, and thus open for betrayal. Being a team player? Likewise. She could end up learning to build healthy relationships with people she knows she can trust, or she could end up a paranoid, backstabbing wreck who's out to get you before you can get her.
Either way, she intends to end up rich and respected. She has plans, and they involve the fact that there is so much connected to this magical world that people will pay through the nose to have.
Cool, cool. Be sure to try out the minor pledges house rule. Someone who can't trust seems like the kind of person who would want to make a lot of promises bound by wyrd and I want to see how that works out if the short and weak ones don't require willpower.
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Originally Posted by PhoeKun
Hi there. It occurs to me that I have no idea what I'm doing and I don't really feel like I belong here, but the thought of these specific faces gathered together for a single purpose is... just too tempting to slink away from. So I'm here now, hi. Teach me of your ways, space ponies.
Hi and welcome! Raz already got the formal greeting out of the way, so I'll just say that I'm very happy to have you.
In addition to Thanqol's very significant expertise, I've spent the last couple weeks thoroughly immersing myself in the rules and setting, so feel free to contact me for character creation help as well. I'm not on IRC though, but I answer e-mail and PMs pretty fast.
As Thanqol mentioned, I would suggest thinking about your favorite fairy tale or fictional character. Could be a pony if you want, could be a superhero, could be Hansel and Gretel, or a combo of all of them. The tagline for the game is "beautiful madness" so think of your character(s) as they would be viewed through that lens. Mechanics will follow from that baseline idea.
__________________
Lawyer Pony Avatar by Dirtytabs, exalted as an Eclipse by Elemental, now with a fancy robe.
Quote:
Originally Posted by The Giant
Anarion's right on the money here.
Quotes
Spoiler
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tiki Snakes
Dulce Et Decorum Est Pro Anarion Mori?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tiki Snakes
You just highlandered an entire city block into a glass-filled storm by road-runnering down it in your underwear.
This is going to end up in an awkward "they elected a black man!?" joke, isn't it?
Wow, that's way less offensive and awkward than my idea!
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This sounds fine to me. Let me double check with you that it's the wood part you want gone though. Stone is not a terribly common building material in San Francisco because it tends to break during earthquakes. Most houses are wood coated with chain and plaster. On the other hand, there are various stone monuments and marble interiors abound.
I admit, I'm mostly going off New York in having a lot of stone/glass/brick buildings. Would metal/glass be more appropriate for CBD-mobility?
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I think we can make this happen. Goblin markets do tend to spring up randomly. Perhaps this would also make a good opportunity to meet one of the other party members. Just be aware that if you sold your Keeper's collar, that could end up in...places.
Ooooo~
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Interesting. Keep in mind a potential change of courts as Marchande grows. If she ever gets to the point where she would prefer to face her problems over hiding, it might be time to look into the Leaden Mirror.
All of the Courts have ways which they can 'face your problems'. The Winter Court way involves being a remorseless realist. The Autumn court involves facing your fears. Summer is directing your wrath. Spring is building a brighter tomorrow. All of them also have ways they can horribly fall short of those ideals too.
__________________
"There may be no good reason for things to be the way they are."
I admit, I'm mostly going off New York in having a lot of stone/glass/brick buildings. Would metal/glass be more appropriate for CBD-mobility?
Yeah, West coast is on the ring of fire (which is neither a ring nor does it include any fire) so it gets a bunch of earthquakes. As such, brick is a facade at best and pure stone is quite rare. They're too rigid and if they crack during a quake, your whole building can fall. I'd say it depends on where you want to be climbing outdoors for your catch though. Downtown glass+metal gets you the furthest. If you're in the park, you definitely want wood in your catch. If you're climbing around people's private homes, I think cement would actually work well (since that's basically what plaster is). I do expect you to be moving downtown a fair bit, but you could easily be all over the city, so I'll leave the final call to you.
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All of the Courts have ways which they can 'face your problems'. The Winter Court way involves being a remorseless realist. The Autumn court involves facing your fears. Summer is directing your wrath. Spring is building a brighter tomorrow. All of them also have ways they can horribly fall short of those ideals too.
My read of Raz's concept is that the character is already on the borderline. Marchande is sort of autumn in wanting to acquire fae power and use it against the fae, but sort of winter in wanting to run and hide from her captor. If the instinct to fight via stealth fades and the character ends up being about confronting fae power with fae power, that sounds like a shift to autumn to me.
__________________
Lawyer Pony Avatar by Dirtytabs, exalted as an Eclipse by Elemental, now with a fancy robe.
Quote:
Originally Posted by The Giant
Anarion's right on the money here.
Quotes
Spoiler
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tiki Snakes
Dulce Et Decorum Est Pro Anarion Mori?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tiki Snakes
You just highlandered an entire city block into a glass-filled storm by road-runnering down it in your underwear.
That's option two with a 'temporary background' subsystem added that displeases me; I'd rather keep that as pure narrative influence rather than half-mechanics it.
Aye, I could taste the unsatisfactory nature when I phrased it, but stayed the course. I am too often Once Bitten to really feel comfortable giving the ST utter control over my career, skills, and friends. My character would probably benefit though.
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Correct. A Contract is dramatically less potent than an Arcana. In Waiting for Rain, if I put the city's one Adamantine Arrow up against the entire Summer Court, my money's on the Mage.
Oh goodness, yes. That's a selling point; Mage is not a game where I feel okay not waking the high road. Changeling is close, smaller, more... Intimate. Here I can dash about the web of my psyche, sometimes the spider, sometimes the fly.
-
Phoe: we all love you, you'll be okay
Personally, I responded to Thanqol with statements of colors and sensations until he stepped away and then everything he said prior clicked. I'm really just here because of the dream team we have assembled. Plus me, of course
PS I have all the trepidation and a whole lot of text that needs formatting and a whole lot of thought that needs text. And I may be too riled up to read soon, so tomorrow, I fear, is me destination.
Oh goodness, yes. That's a selling point; Mage is not a game where I feel okay not waking the high road. Changeling is close, smaller, more... Intimate. Here I can dash about the web of my psyche, sometimes the spider, sometimes the fly.
Oh yes. Heck, that could be an actual dream involving being spiders and flies if you wanted.
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Phoe: we all love you, you'll be okay
Personally, I responded to Thanqol with statements of colors and sensations until he stepped away and then everything he said prior clicked. I'm really just here because of the dream team we have assembled. Plus me, of course
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PS I have all the trepidation and a whole lot of text that needs formatting and a whole lot of thought that needs text. And I may be too riled up to read soon, so tomorrow, I fear, is me destination.
If you get concepts down, we can potentially save you a lot of reading. There are 44 pages of Contracts in the main book, but you'll only be getting a 4/1 split at character creation. If you say you want to shape dreams, then you can just cut right to the dream contracts and if you say that you want to be able to instill fear in others, just skip to fleeting autumn. Ends up being 2 pages instead of 44.
Edit: Actually, since you've already expressed an interest in being an oil painter who feeds off emotion by generating sorrow, you could probably look into fleeting winter contracts, since those directly relate to the manipulation of emotions. You would also want a high manipulation attribute in that case. Making art itself is an intelligence+craft roll, but that could potentially provide a situational advantage in later persuasion or subterfuge rolls.
__________________
Lawyer Pony Avatar by Dirtytabs, exalted as an Eclipse by Elemental, now with a fancy robe.
Quote:
Originally Posted by The Giant
Anarion's right on the money here.
Quotes
Spoiler
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tiki Snakes
Dulce Et Decorum Est Pro Anarion Mori?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tiki Snakes
You just highlandered an entire city block into a glass-filled storm by road-runnering down it in your underwear.
Wait what we are allowed to cross pollinate? Maybe I should make that post in Thanqol's OOC after all...
Spiders, flies... Might be literal. We shall see. I have no idea what I want to do for contracts yet, but the language in the book is wonderfully stimulating. I may take you up but I'll read it anyway.
Yeah, West coast is on the ring of fire (which is neither a ring nor does it include any fire) so it gets a bunch of earthquakes. As such, brick is a facade at best and pure stone is quite rare. They're too rigid and if they crack during a quake, your whole building can fall. I'd say it depends on where you want to be climbing outdoors for your catch though. Downtown glass+metal gets you the furthest. If you're in the park, you definitely want wood in your catch. If you're climbing around people's private homes, I think cement would actually work well (since that's basically what plaster is). I do expect you to be moving downtown a fair bit, but you could easily be all over the city, so I'll leave the final call to you.
After thinking about it, stone/glass is how it's gotta be. Her Durance was equal parts tomb raiding and climbing skyscrapers in ArcadiaGotham, and that's where she learned the contract. And there remains a pretty good chance of finding real caves in dreams/the hedge.
If she's really going to be running around in downtown SanFran there's probably enough people around to get a harvest out of if she really needs one, at any time of the night.
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Originally Posted by SiuiS
Aye, I could taste the unsatisfactory nature when I phrased it, but stayed the course. I am too often Once Bitten to really feel comfortable giving the ST utter control over my career, skills, and friends. My character would probably benefit though.
Depends on the ST more than anything else.
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Originally Posted by BlasTech
*Pulls out a bucket of popcorn*
This should be fun to watch.
Oh good, we have lurkers. I like lurkers. Honourable profession.
I am looking forwards to the inevitable crossover fight.
__________________
"There may be no good reason for things to be the way they are."
After thinking about it, stone/glass is how it's gotta be. Her Durance was equal parts tomb raiding and climbing skyscrapers in ArcadiaGotham, and that's where she learned the contract. And there remains a pretty good chance of finding real caves in dreams/the hedge.
If she's really going to be running around in downtown SanFran there's probably enough people around to get a harvest out of if she really needs one, at any time of the night.
Yeah that will get you around plenty of places. And there are buildings with stone around as well. Sounds good to me.
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Oh good, we have lurkers. I like lurkers. Honourable profession.
I am looking forwards to the inevitable crossover fight.
Oneiromachy? Sounds like oneiromachy to me. Also sounds like a good plan for what to do while I'm on a plane and unable to post.
__________________
Lawyer Pony Avatar by Dirtytabs, exalted as an Eclipse by Elemental, now with a fancy robe.
Quote:
Originally Posted by The Giant
Anarion's right on the money here.
Quotes
Spoiler
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tiki Snakes
Dulce Et Decorum Est Pro Anarion Mori?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tiki Snakes
You just highlandered an entire city block into a glass-filled storm by road-runnering down it in your underwear.
I think we can make this happen. Goblin markets do tend to spring up randomly. Perhaps this would also make a good opportunity to meet one of the other party members. Just be aware that if you sold your Keeper's collar, that could end up in...places.
Oh, I'm fully aware this will come back to bite her. Just when she thought it wouldn't.
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Interesting. Keep in mind a potential change of courts as Marchande grows. If she ever gets to the point where she would prefer to face her problems over hiding, it might be time to look into the Leaden Mirror.
Mmm-hmm. Marchande already Fears going back, being poor in the real world, being a powerless brute... it's just that her self-loathing Sorrow and her desire to 'hide in plain sight' by fitting into a role that her Keeper might respect - Gentlemen drive merchants out of business, but they don't just come rough them up, like they could poor people - is more Winter.
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Heehee.
BLOODY BUGGERED FLEAS.
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Cool, cool. Be sure to try out the minor pledges house rule. Someone who can't trust seems like the kind of person who would want to make a lot of promises bound by wyrd and I want to see how that works out if the short and weak ones don't require willpower.
I will be happy to be your test puppy.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Thanqol
All of the Courts have ways which they can 'face your problems'. The Winter Court way involves being a remorseless realist. The Autumn court involves facing your fears. Summer is directing your wrath. Spring is building a brighter tomorrow. All of them also have ways they can horribly fall short of those ideals too.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Anarion
My read of Raz's concept is that the character is already on the borderline. Marchande is sort of autumn in wanting to acquire fae power and use it against the fae, but sort of winter in wanting to run and hide from her captor. If the instinct to fight via stealth fades and the character ends up being about confronting fae power with fae power, that sounds like a shift to autumn to me.
Caught halfway between Autumn and Winter, the first tinges of frost on the orange leaves; the hound puts on a Master's suit and gathers a Master's things to sell respectably, so that the Master will pass her by on the road. The way to hide best is to blend in.
__________________
-build that wall and build it strong-
Kasanip - best artist; Rarity - best smile; Thanqol - good Question
Spoiler
Quote:
Originally Posted by PhoeKun
Raz, you scoundrel! You planned this!
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Originally Posted by BladeofObliviom
Great, and now I'm imagining what Raz's profile on a dating site would look like. "Must be okay with veils."
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Originally Posted by Kasanip
I don't think there is such a time to have veils that it is not the fault of Raz_Fox.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dervag
It's a freaking Romulan dump truck. The Romulans are no more likely to build an unarmed warp-capable ship than they are to become a hippy commune.
Wait what we are allowed to cross pollinate? Maybe I should make that post in Thanqol's OOC after all...
Could be awesome.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Thanqol
Oh good, we have lurkers. I like lurkers. Honourable profession.
I am looking forwards to the inevitable crossover fight.
Could be even more awesome.
On that note though, which side would you back Thanq? Or will it be your character here versus all the supporting characters you've developed on the other side?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Anarion
Share please.
*Passes the bucket of popcorn to Anarion*
*Produces a second bucket from hammerspace and continues nomming*
On that note though, which side would you back Thanq? Or will it be your character here versus all the supporting characters you've developed on the other side?
Nah, the Waiting for Rain NPCs would kick Stephanie's ass.
Honestly, all the characters in both games so far are pretty incompetent at violence. This whole thing would probably be better settled by a race.
__________________
"There may be no good reason for things to be the way they are."
Following a conversation with Phoe, I humbly suggest freedom and slavery as this game's core theme. Every single character concept suggested ties directly into it.
__________________
"There may be no good reason for things to be the way they are."
OP updated with some music and a map of the San Francisco districts under the geography spoiler.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Thanqol
Following a conversation with Phoe, I humbly suggest freedom and slavery as this game's core theme. Every single character concept suggested ties directly into it.
Okay this is super helpful. I've got about 8 different story ideas written down and I know exactly which one to flesh out for this. I don't want to spoil anything, but if you'd like more info than that I can provide cryptic hints or something.
Further discussion for the day. Would you like to know what location you'll be exiting the hedge from in advance or should I make that a surprise? If you want to know in advance, does anyone have a preference for where you'd like to show up?
__________________
Lawyer Pony Avatar by Dirtytabs, exalted as an Eclipse by Elemental, now with a fancy robe.
Quote:
Originally Posted by The Giant
Anarion's right on the money here.
Quotes
Spoiler
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tiki Snakes
Dulce Et Decorum Est Pro Anarion Mori?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tiki Snakes
You just highlandered an entire city block into a glass-filled storm by road-runnering down it in your underwear.
Today, I realized I had a choice to make. I could run with Marchande as being a goblin-merchant-wannabe, someone who had a lot of flexibility, might end up entangled in Freehold politics or being the brains of the operation, or even our social 'face' capable of honeyed words and reading people like a book... or I could give her Dreams, Hearth and Fleeting Winter contracts, high Empathy, Subterfuge and Wits, and then give her a job as a 'psychic' capable of talking to your family and guiding their departed spirit into your dreams, helping you forget your problems and feel refreshed, and 'unblocking your unfortunate chi'... for very affordable costs!
I just want to let you know how difficult it was to avoid the option that didn't have depth but did have so much potential for turning the game into a hilarious farce. So difficult.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Thanqol
Following a conversation with Phoe, I humbly suggest freedom and slavery as this game's core theme. Every single character concept suggested ties directly into it.
Freedom is not being on a leash. Freedom is not being beaten. Freedom is being able to speak. Freedom is having money and being respected.
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Originally Posted by Anarion
Further discussion for the day. Would you like to know what location you'll be exiting the hedge from in advance or should I make that a surprise? If you want to know in advance, does anyone have a preference for where you'd like to show up?
I like surprises!
__________________
-build that wall and build it strong-
Kasanip - best artist; Rarity - best smile; Thanqol - good Question
Spoiler
Quote:
Originally Posted by PhoeKun
Raz, you scoundrel! You planned this!
Quote:
Originally Posted by BladeofObliviom
Great, and now I'm imagining what Raz's profile on a dating site would look like. "Must be okay with veils."
Quote:
Originally Posted by Kasanip
I don't think there is such a time to have veils that it is not the fault of Raz_Fox.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dervag
It's a freaking Romulan dump truck. The Romulans are no more likely to build an unarmed warp-capable ship than they are to become a hippy commune.
Okay this is super helpful. I've got about 8 different story ideas written down and I know exactly which one to flesh out for this. I don't want to spoil anything, but if you'd like more info than that I can provide cryptic hints or something.
Further discussion for the day. Would you like to know what location you'll be exiting the hedge from in advance or should I make that a surprise? If you want to know in advance, does anyone have a preference for where you'd like to show up?
Surprise me. This isn't a vote for 'anything', this is a vote for the most surprising option.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Raz_Fox
Freedom is not being on a leash. Freedom is not being beaten. Freedom is being able to speak. Freedom is having money and being respected.
Freedom is being able to choose which burdens to bear.
__________________
"There may be no good reason for things to be the way they are."
Ahem. Got that out of my system. And trust me, I know only a little more than you. My advice is to talk to Thanqol once you have the inkling of an idea, set aside a few hours, and then wham, you'll have a character. At least, that's the way it worked with me, I dunno.
Talking to Thanqol usually turns out to be a panacea for most issues like this. I've done so, and while we've not yet progressed beyond vagaries and general "well this is sorta kinda what I want"ishness, it's a great sight better than the sort of "uhhhhhhhhh" in my head before, and in that vein also much more exciting than the hanging and slinking and "gee I want to hang out with and talk to these space ponies more" I came into this with.
Friendship Thanqol is Magic.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Raz_Fox
Also, how did you know we are space ponies.
How did you know.
I'm afraid you now know too much.
I read all about you guys in my Almanac of Space Ponies. I mean, that's not a crime is it? ...Right? Guys?
Aaaanyway, you're probably wondering about the character, insomuch as I can tell you. I'll say it with a picture for now:
Spoiler
Quote:
Originally Posted by Anarion
Freedom is being responsible for your own choices
Freedom is constraint.
__________________ Flowers blanket all the countryside like freshly fallen snow
I know the answer's waiting somewhere, as it was once long ago
Do you wait to cross the river from the shores of shallow tide?
And what will happen to your phantom if you reach the other side?
...Hear me crying...
Avatar by Kairaven.
Talking to Thanqol usually turns out to be a panacea for most issues like this. I've done so, and while we've not yet progressed beyond vagaries and general "well this is sorta kinda what I want"ishness, it's a great sight better than the sort of "uhhhhhhhhh" in my head before, and in that vein also much more exciting than the hanging and slinking and "gee I want to hang out with and talk to these space ponies more" I came into this with.
Friendship Thanqol is Magic.
Quote:
I read all about you guys in my Almanac of Space Ponies. I mean, that's not a crime is it? ...Right? Guys?
Space Pony law states that anypony who suspects that they are guilty of a crime is guilty of a crime, and a trial must be held to discern which crimes they are guilty of.
Space Pony society involves an elaborate social dance to trick other ponies into believing that they somehow did something wrong.
Quote:
Aaaanyway, you're probably wondering about the character, insomuch as I can tell you. I'll say it with a picture for now:
Spoiler
It's worth noting that Heroics as far as it was written could have word-for-word been a Changeling story.
__________________
"There may be no good reason for things to be the way they are."
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[Changeling] A Gathering of Mists (OOC)
