[Changeling] A Gathering of Mists (OOC) - Page 3

Thanqol · 05-19-2012, 01:06 AM

Dare Master Thanqol Retains His Title

Spoiler

Thanqol · 05-19-2012, 01:08 AM

Woo forum error party hour!

SiuiS · 05-19-2012, 01:55 AM

Boy am I glad I checked the prior posts after I finally fit the respond button to work.
Note that despite my line up, I am trying to make this a non-sexuàlly oriented character. Haha.

-

Two ideas present themselves strongly. The first requires knowledge, the second permission.

First, what merits would represent an indie artist getting local exhibitions? In thinking Rarity in the beret standing around, only having been the artist who painted everything, drinking in what the audience experiences. Fame? Resources? A retainer who works as my agent, keeping me obscure while I, insane visionary that I am, forsake the world of high society to paint (and to muddle any Fae who might find me thereby)? It would keep me somewhat starved for merits at the get-go in exchange for a wish list of a solid background career that doubles as a plot hook. I couldn't get mantle, goodwill, or quick healer as intended though, without having a purposefully shoddy career that takes off - which is fine, but I see 'Charlotte' as having the necessities to be a backbone for our band of hobos.

Input and insight appreciated.

Second! I'm a mad painter who's grasp is tenuous at best and who really, really needs some grounding. So I am considering dropping 2 points of clarity, buying an extra point of Wyrd, and starting with two kiths, Artist and Chatelaine. Thingies against the implied spirit of the ban on using merits for starting Wyrd though, despite falling in line under the rules.

-

I am also considering not getting striking looks (le gasp!) and getting stillness instead, to go unnoticed. Especially against such a bevy of beauties as this squad, here. And I'm no better off with skills yet today has been painfully unproductive.

-

Seeing my post previewed, and not in green, is sublimely depressing for some reason.

Thanqol · 05-19-2012, 02:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SiuiS

Boy am I glad I checked the prior posts after I finally fit the respond button to work.
Note that despite my line up, I am trying to make this a non-sexuàlly oriented character. Haha.

-

Two ideas present themselves strongly. The first requires knowledge, the second permission.

First, what merits would represent an indie artist getting local exhibitions? In thinking Rarity in the beret standing around, only having been the artist who painted everything, drinking in what the audience experiences. Fame? Resources? A retainer who works as my agent, keeping me obscure while I, insane visionary that I am, forsake the world of high society to paint (and to muddle any Fae who might find me thereby)? It would keep me somewhat starved for merits at the get-go in exchange for a wish list of a solid background career that doubles as a plot hook. I couldn't get mantle, goodwill, or quick healer as intended though, without having a purposefully shoddy career that takes off - which is fine, but I see 'Charlotte' as having the necessities to be a backbone for our band of hobos.

Resources, connections (art, high society), perhaps a dot of fame. Remember Fame 3 is 'queen of england' so each dot is a big jump.

Socialize skill, especially.

Quote:

Input and insight appreciated.

Second! I'm a mad painter who's grasp is tenuous at best and who really, really needs some grounding. So I am considering dropping 2 points of clarity, buying an extra point of Wyrd, and starting with two kiths, Artist and Chatelaine. Thingies against the implied spirit of the ban on using merits for starting Wyrd though, despite falling in line under the rules.

How? Wyrd 2 costs 16XP. Losing 2 points of clarity would give you 10xp. Where are you getting the remainder?

Quote:

I am also considering not getting striking looks (le gasp!)

You're off the team.

SiuiS · 05-19-2012, 02:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Thanqol

Resources, connections (art, high society), perhaps a dot of fame. Remember Fame 3 is 'queen of england' so each dot is a big jump.

Socialize skill, especially.

Aha! Connections. Knew there was another, but when I get to the "• through •••••" merits, I have to force myself not to skim. Took me three passes to find resources...

Quote:

How? Wyrd 2 costs 16XP. Losing 2 points of clarity would give you 10xp. Where are you getting the remainder?

By forgetting that the first dot counted as one, so going from one to two was one dot and only cost 8 points.

What do you mean, "cheating"?

Quote:

You're off the team.

Good news! With the extra dots I won't be spending for a second Kith, I can get Striking Looks! Hurray~!

Thanqol · 05-19-2012, 04:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SiuiS

Good news! With the extra dots I won't be spending for a second Kith, I can get Striking Looks! Hurray~!

Good news everyone! SiuiS is our friend again!

SiuiS · 05-19-2012, 04:07 PM

Contracts. Start with five dots, 2 of which must come from a court or seeming.
Does it say anywhere it has to be the affiliated Seeming contract, or could a Fairest drop 4 points in contracts of stone?

Mantles. Source says the first dot is free. Sources also lists the Stillness merit as being on page 94, and I'm positive that merit isn't in either of the books I have with me. And well, books don't do so well at windy bus stops.

-

Tentatively, I have this;

ATTRIBUTES (1 point Mental or Social)

Intelligence 2
Wits 3
Resolve 2

Strength 1
Dexterity 2
Stamina 3

Presence 1
Manipulation 4
Composure 2

MENTAL (2 points left)
Academics
Computer
Crafts 3 (oil paints)
Investigation 1
Occult
Politics 1
Medicine
Science

PHYSICAL
Athletics
Brawl
Drive
Firearms
Larceny 1
Stealth 3 (don't mind me, I just work here)
Survival
Weaponry

SOCIAL
Animal Ken
Empathy 3
Expression
Intimidation
Persuasion 3 (I'm glad you thought of it)
Socialize 1
Streetwise 1 (transient locales)
Subterfuge 3

MERITS
Striking Looks 2
Token 1 (Hedgespun cape (Inverness cape)) gift to Stephanie
Quick Healer 4

I broke up the social skills a bit, but now they REALLY feel generic. Skills aren't too bad though, since they are a sight easier to improve than attributes. I think. I haven't actually played a non-D&D game far enough to see what advancement is like. Heheheh.

Attributes I waffle on, trying to find something indicative of the character as a whole. I'm leaning somewhat towards composure, but we shall see.

For specialties, I kind of played fast and loose.
Stealth involves not being sneaky, but going unnoticed. Hiding in plain sight (which may be a better way to put it?) and being a mobile part of the scenery.
Persuasion is the art of getting people to think that what I convince them of was their idea all along.

Streetwise requires special mention. There is a club in San Francisco, that two years ago was in Oakland, and was in San Francisco three years before that. Death Guild, a black metal/goth/industrial club open one day a week. They don't advertise heavily, and what they do advertise is word of mouth. Only my pseudo accent and three inch Heels got the bloke who was at the old site to te us where the new one was. While there, I heard about two invitation-only dungeons, and the proper name drops to get into Sean's surprise party (Sean seemingly being a very popular bloke that night).

Three months later the club had moved again, temporarily. That sort of in-the-loop knowledge is what I'm focusing on.

Again, thoughts?

Anarion · 05-19-2012, 06:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Thanqol

Faeries lie.

And are also horrendously misinformed.

All the Changeling books are filled with contradictory answers to the questions of what are the gentry, what's real and what's myth, what different true fae have as their Bans, where the courts are from, if fairies are actually aliens...

Without Occult, you do not know any of those things. Or you know a bunch of things but have no idea if they're right or wrong. If you ask someone they'll either be an ally on your character sheet, ask for payment, or lie to you.

I'm not saying you need to have it, but the idea that Occult is somehow not useful in a Changeling game is outright wrong.

Further thought. Occult is one of those skills that you can choose to call upon if you have it for general problem solving.

Here's a pretty general scenario. The Spring court is trying to get 1-up over those sorrowful winter fellows. For some reason you get involved and need to trick some other changeling. You could do it conventionally, but occult could easily tell you all sorts of stuff about the fellow based on anything from seeming, to name, to dress or token, not to mention if you actually did research and asked around.

Edit: I don't know why I wrote one up as the video game extra life version, but I'm just going to leave that there.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Thanqol

Dare Master Thanqol Retains His Title

Spoiler

<_< >_>
Make sure to have the clients park a few blocks away and walk to avoid rousing the suspicion of the neighbors.

I was not here and you did not read this section of the post.

Quote:

Originally Posted by SiuiS

Aha! Connections. Knew there was another, but when I get to the "• through •••••" merits, I have to force myself not to skim. Took me three passes to find resources...

Also note that you could have a pseudonym and if you buy 1 dot of fame, it might attach to the pseudonym rather than the character if you wanted. I'm willing to be pretty flexible with that sort of thing.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Thanqol

Good news everyone! SiuiS is our friend again!

...What am I supposed to do with all these "goodbye forever" streamers and the cake we made?

Quote:

Originally Posted by SiuiS

Contracts. Start with five dots, 2 of which must come from a court or seeming.
Does it say anywhere it has to be the affiliated Seeming contract, or could a Fairest drop 4 points in contracts of stone?

Mantles. Source says the first dot is free. Sources also lists the Stillness merit as being on page 94, and I'm positive that merit isn't in either of the books I have with me. And well, books don't do so well at windy bus stops.

-

Tentatively, I have this;

ATTRIBUTES (1 point Mental or Social)

Intelligence 2
Wits 3
Resolve 2

Strength 1
Dexterity 2
Stamina 3

Presence 1
Manipulation 4
Composure 2

MENTAL (2 points left)
Academics
Computer
Crafts 3 (oil paints)
Investigation 1
Occult
Politics 1
Medicine
Science

PHYSICAL
Athletics
Brawl
Drive
Firearms
Larceny 1
Stealth 3 (don't mind me, I just work here)
Survival
Weaponry

SOCIAL
Animal Ken
Empathy 3
Expression
Intimidation
Persuasion 3 (I'm glad you thought of it)
Socialize 1
Streetwise 1 (transient locales)
Subterfuge 3

MERITS
Striking Looks 2
Token 1 (Hedgespun cape (Inverness cape)) gift to Stephanie
Quick Healer 4

I broke up the social skills a bit, but now they REALLY feel generic. Skills aren't too bad though, since they are a sight easier to improve than attributes. I think. I haven't actually played a non-D&D game far enough to see what advancement is like. Heheheh.

Attributes I waffle on, trying to find something indicative of the character as a whole. I'm leaning somewhat towards composure, but we shall see.

For specialties, I kind of played fast and loose.
Stealth involves not being sneaky, but going unnoticed. Hiding in plain sight (which may be a better way to put it?) and being a mobile part of the scenery.
Persuasion is the art of getting people to think that what I convince them of was their idea all along.

Streetwise requires special mention. There is a club in San Francisco, that two years ago was in Oakland, and was in San Francisco three years before that. Death Guild, a black metal/goth/industrial club open one day a week. They don't advertise heavily, and what they do advertise is word of mouth. Only my pseudo accent and three inch Heels got the bloke who was at the old site to te us where the new one was. While there, I heard about two invitation-only dungeons, and the proper name drops to get into Sean's surprise party (Sean seemingly being a very popular bloke that night).

Three months later the club had moved again, temporarily. That sort of in-the-loop knowledge is what I'm focusing on.

Again, thoughts?

According to the reference guide on page 76, at least two of your five contract dots have to be spent on your character's court or seeming, meaning the one that she is associated with, not some random other seeming.

Not sure about the mantle dot being free. I vaguely recall noticing that, but character creation doesn't mention it on the reference on pg 77, the description of the mantle merit on pg 97-98, or pg 74 about selecting your court. Cite where it says first dot was free?

Stats look fine. Your floating point in attributes could go a lot of places, depending on whether you want more defenses and willpower, better wits, or a boost in intelligence to do some different things like occult and academics research.

With the one point in streetwise you can definitely find such places as you mention (was that real by the way, or did you make it up? I couldn't tell, so props for writing it well). You might feel a little out of place there or rouse suspicion from the regulars though, as 1 point in streetwise might not be enough to know the proper greetings and customs to make yourself look like a regular. At least not without further checks.

As far as advancement, it sort of goes like the following. Attributes are the broadest in application, but the most expensive to raise, meaning that often don't get changed. Skills are cheaper and more focused, and middling expensive. Skill specialties are one of the cheapest ways of getting extra dice on your rolls, but have the most narrow focus. Merits are also cheaper than skills and attributes, but tend to be specialized in some way.

Wyrd, and Contracts are more of an alternate thing (and note that there's experience that will be separate just for your Wyrd, which can be combined with normal xp to advance Wyrd as fast as possible if you want). Though being a Changeling, you'll probably want Wyrd and Contracts. Especially since 5 dot contracts are awesome.

Finally, raising Clarity or Willpower will probably be a more RP-focused thing.

SiuiS · 05-19-2012, 08:24 PM

I dunno, I poured over that section a lot, and it never says anything about which seemings, just seeming and court. The intent is pretty on though, and I danger what I want anyway, I think.

I'm looking at contract of the Den, which would make me a pretty decent Alfred.
1 dot lets me alarm an entrance. 2 conceals an entrance. 3 is blegh, allowing me to enter somewhere unbound by hospitality. 4 let's me conjure a random magic hidey hole!

Of course, there is also contract of the forge, which at level 3 let's me pull a cellphone out of an empty pocket. Or a gun. Or a can of bat shark repellent. Yay utility belt! 4 let's me basically use Fate 2, saying 'this window is loose, we can open it' or 'there was a power outlet behind this table the whole time!' which I would probably use as s magic liquor cabinet for treating guests.

And seeing as only up to 2 on dens id worthwhile anyway, I can do both...
Forge is a wizened contract, by the bye...

Pretty close to done now. Just wanna see what Phoe has so we can interweave some more. Perhaps I shall read Heroics to get a feel for her possible background?

EDIT: page 74, character creation step six; "if your character belongs to a court, you automatically gain one free dot in the appropriate mantle merit" with apologies for possible paraphrasing.

Raz_Fox · 05-19-2012, 08:24 PM

Quote:

Oh, I'd absolutely trust a Princess of the Night with intelligence 1. She wouldn't be up to anything. She'd take guidance from the smart people and filter it through a fairly direct and unambiguous moral lens. You'd know exactly what she was going to do.

Bah. You just don't want the possible Glamour junkie with a neurotic need to be human and respectable to be in charge, admit it. She's smart, and she's got a strong personality! What more do you need in a Princess of the Market?

Quote:

Who I'd trust more? I'd trust the one who doesn't know what she's doing, has a clear moral compass, explicitly does not want the position and has had all the negative aspects of her personality magically removed. That's who I'd trust.

Who'd be competent is entirely different, and only relevant if Stephanie wasn't delegating a lot.

Who ever said Princesses had to be smart?

Point, point. Although I'd argue Marchande's moral compass is pretty on-the-button, usually. A bit shaken, faithwise, but she's not about to sell Stephanie's kidneys on the black market so she can have a bit more power.

I don't even know what I'm arguing now. Marchande has her own agenda, will probably pursue it while trying to care for the other three simultaneously (gotta love Charity), and will step up to the leadership plate naturally, although she might not do the best job under pressure.

Quote:

Originally Posted by SiuiS

Good news! With the extra dots I won't be spending for a second Kith, I can get Striking Looks! Hurray~!

And thus we cement our reputation as the Beautiful Motley, to be added to the Stereotype-Breakers and the Fetish Fuelettes.

Quote:

Originally Posted by SiuiS

Again, thoughts?

I already shared my thoughts via AIM; to bring a few salient points back up, I greatly approve of trying to get her loaded up with Den contracts and later Forge contracts, and I'm fine with having both of us with Empathy/Persuasion 3, given the very different ways that we'll be using those skills.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Anarion

Further thought. Occult is one of those skills that you can choose to call upon if you have it for general problem solving.

Excellent. Our resident smart merchant will be using Occult to be clued in on things, then.

Quote:

<_< >_>
Make sure to have the clients park a few blocks away and walk to avoid rousing the suspicion of the neighbors.

I was not here and you did not read this section of the post.

Now that I have the Storyteller on my side, we can bring this to general vote!

WHAT HAVE I DONE

SiuiS · 05-19-2012, 09:57 PM

Aha. 74 says seeming. 76 says 'your seeming'. And here I thought I'd win against the lawyer pony ;)

That was a true tale, as well. Most people get blinkered at three inch heels, but don't bat an eyelash at black metal or dungeon. Funny what hangs some folks up, really. The best part was my Santero friend, who always wears white. Always. He was the talk of the goth-town for a bit there. Pity we never went back...

Spring, joy, desire. Fitting. Of all the courts, only winter has anything to rival spring, and only spring resembles the south enough to fit easily. In fact, spring is a much nicer fit as a court, though I prefer the vermillion's associated emotion.

Quick healer... Still. Feels good but not cost effective... Yeah, I'll stick with it.
Okay. I'll just mosey on over to my write-up and make it official, I suppose. Do a right good thanqol esque character sheet.

SiuiS · 05-19-2012, 11:14 PM

Huh. Thanqol, ofthe first dot of a Mantke is free, you've got one more merit dot to spend.

The joys of flipping around, comparing characters.

Anarion · 05-20-2012, 12:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SiuiS

I'm looking at contract of the Den, which would make me a pretty decent Alfred.
1 dot lets me alarm an entrance. 2 conceals an entrance. 3 is blegh, allowing me to enter somewhere unbound by hospitality. 4 let's me conjure a random magic hidey hole!

Of course, there is also contract of the forge, which at level 3 let's me pull a cellphone out of an empty pocket. Or a gun. Or a can of bat shark repellent. Yay utility belt! 4 let's me basically use Fate 2, saying 'this window is loose, we can open it' or 'there was a power outlet behind this table the whole time!' which I would probably use as s magic liquor cabinet for treating guests.

And seeing as only up to 2 on dens id worthwhile anyway, I can do both...
Forge is a wizened contract, by the bye...

Pretty close to done now. Just wanna see what Phoe has so we can interweave some more. Perhaps I shall read Heroics to get a feel for her possible background?

EDIT: page 74, character creation step six; "if your character belongs to a court, you automatically gain one free dot in the appropriate mantle merit" with apologies for possible paraphrasing.

Sounds good. To the extent you're picking stuff not from the main changeling book, can you post me a link?

And yes I see that line on page 74. Genius of them to put it under merits and then never mention it on any page that the index lists under "mantle." Sounds good though, 1 free court merit dot for everyone but the courtless (and if you join a court mid-game I'd give the free merit at that time to keep it consistent).

Quote:

Originally Posted by SiuiS

Aha. 74 says seeming. 76 says 'your seeming'. And here I thought I'd win against the lawyer pony ;)

I did cite a page when I said that.

Thanqol · 05-20-2012, 12:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SiuiS

Huh. Thanqol, ofthe first dot of a Mantke is free, you've got one more merit dot to spend.

The joys of flipping around, comparing characters.

Hurray! I buy another dot of Mantle!

Also, Anarion, would you mind linking everyone's character sheets as they come in the first post? It'd be a handy reference.

No other thoughts right now because I'm full of meaningless rage. Looking forwards to channelling it into Easy as Lying.

SiuiS · 05-20-2012, 12:57 AM

Anarion: sure.
Contracts of the Den
Contracts of the Forge

And as these give the gist, I'm going to write out the whole boldly things later out of spite and malice. I'll learn you to withhold information, Internet!

And you did cite that page! I flipped to it,helped a customer, and uh page turned. I had to go back and double check to see it. Hee.

Thanqol: I've got baseless depression if you want any. Spirits know I don't want or need it.

Anarion · 05-20-2012, 01:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Thanqol

Hurray! I buy another dot of Mantle!

Also, Anarion, would you mind linking everyone's character sheets as they come in the first post? It'd be a handy reference.

I'll go put those in for Stephanie and Marchande. Enjoy your extra dot of mantle.

Quote:

Originally Posted by SiuiS

Anarion: sure.
Contracts of the Den
Contracts of the Forge

What's up with those urls? It's just xxx and they don't go anywhere. Was it blocked or something when you were posting?

SiuiS · 05-20-2012, 02:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Anarion

I'll go put those in for Stephanie and Marchande. Enjoy your extra dot of mantle.

What's up with those urls? It's just xxx and they don't go anywhere. Was it blocked or something when you were posting?

Nope! I just apply bungled copy/pasting in the URL and then saving it.on it now.
That should do it.

Anarion · 05-20-2012, 02:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SiuiS

Nope! I just apply bungled copy/pasting in the URL and then saving it.on it now.
That should do it.

Okay, taking a look.

Some thoughts. Is there a mistake with Discreet Conjuration? It's catch is paying an enemy for valuable info with a valuable object. But the description says that any items you make with it disappear as soon as they leave the changeling's hand. So uh, what kind of enemy just gives you the valuable info before payment, rather than spreading out info and payment or demanding some part of it upfront? And even if they do tell you the info first, it's going to result in that enemy trying to kill you immediately because you can't let go of the payment. That seems odd and perhaps unintended.

Den contracts look cool. If you also take the hollow merit, I think using a bunch of den contracts could be considered as a way to add a dot or two of wards to the hollow.

I find a certain vague irony in the fact that Hidden Reality is the sort of thing that Exalted can basically do for free, but it's actually my favorite of the contracts you linked and seems powerful.

Raz_Fox · 05-20-2012, 10:06 PM

Oh, a few questions to our Storyteller!

- How vivid are our memories of Arcadia? And as a subquestion, how vivid will our memories be of our escape? Will Marchande remember the circumstances under which she got her suit, or will she simply remember, "Suit and name important, not originally mine"?
- How addictive is Glamour? Not that I'm planning to have Marchande get addicted or anything. Nosiree.
- What, well, horror level are we going for, here? Are we going to have a backstabbing, feet-of-clay motley that disintegrates under its own weight or a band-of-sisters who end up helping each other heal? Is the default assumption that we'll make things worse, or that we'll make things better?
- Is there any significance to the fact that four beautiful women fell out of Arcadia together? And to the other players - do the characters believe there is significance to that?

Thanqol · 05-20-2012, 10:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Raz_Fox

Oh, a few questions to our Storyteller!

I am going to provide my unsolicited opinion on these.

Quote:

- How vivid are our memories of Arcadia? And as a subquestion, how vivid will our memories be of our escape? Will Marchande remember the circumstances under which she got her suit, or will she simply remember, "Suit and name important, not originally mine"?

I personally like Stephanie remembering enough of Arcadia to be able to tell stories about it, or brush away concerns about a villain by comparing them unfavourably to James McClaw. Otherwise in favour of player discretion.

Quote:

- How addictive is Glamour? Not that I'm planning to have Marchande get addicted or anything. Nosiree.

I favour player discretion because it's an idea I might like to flirt with but it's not a core concept for me.

Quote:

- What, well, horror level are we going for, here? Are we going to have a backstabbing, feet-of-clay motley that disintegrates under its own weight or a band-of-sisters who end up helping each other heal? Is the default assumption that we'll make things worse, or that we'll make things better?

I am in favour of a basically upwards trajectory because predestined doom bores the hell out of me. This is not requesting or advocating a happy ending, or a stay from insanity, addiction or romancing the gutter. I am happy to walk through dark places as long as there's at least some hope of redemption. Even if we chose to squander that hope, it has to be there.

Quote:

- Is there any significance to the fact that four beautiful women fell out of Arcadia together? And to the other players - do the characters believe there is significance to that?

Stephanie, personally, is too dumb to read conspiracy or meaning into anything. If you suggested that there was something untoward happening there her reaction would be "Whoa,"

Anarion · 05-20-2012, 11:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Raz_Fox

Oh, a few questions to our Storyteller!

Oh I like questions. This will be fun.

Quote:

- How vivid are our memories of Arcadia? And as a subquestion, how vivid will our memories be of our escape? Will Marchande remember the circumstances under which she got her suit, or will she simply remember, "Suit and name important, not originally mine"?

Fairly vivid up to a limit. You can't remember the exact route in and out of Faerie, and drawing a floor-plan of your keeper's estate is probably not going to happen, even if you have eidetic memory. I mean, you could draw the plan, but it wouldn't match the estate. Past that though, I leave this one to character discretion. If you want Faerie to be vague images and painful emotions, that's fine. If, as Thanqol noted, you want to tell stories of your escapades in Faerie, that's okay too.

Quote:

- How addictive is Glamour? Not that I'm planning to have Marchande get addicted or anything. Nosiree.

More than sugar and less than cigarettes. It feels really good in most cases. Like that moment when you're out running, feeling tired, and then suddenly hit your second wind. But it's not physically addictive and there's no dependency in this version of the world. It just feels great.

Quote:

- What, well, horror level are we going for, here? Are we going to have a backstabbing, feet-of-clay motley that disintegrates under its own weight or a band-of-sisters who end up helping each other heal? Is the default assumption that we'll make things worse, or that we'll make things better?

Well, I can't stop you guys from stabbing each others backs if you feel like it. But San Francisco is going to be an uplifting place. It's very dense, has a relatively high number of changelings relative to the overall population, and is an extremely tolerant city. As a result, the freehold(s) and court(s) are highly functional and there is a lot of opportunity for aspiring changelings to find a place in the world. However, there's also plenty of crazy, politics, and potentially underhanded things going on. You'll have a chance to choose where you want to involve yourselves once the opening chapter is done.

Quote:

- Is there any significance to the fact that four beautiful women fell out of Arcadia together? And to the other players - do the characters believe there is significance to that?

Sounds like somebody wants to join the College of Worms.

But really, do you actually want me to answer this question, rather than see it work out in play?

Thanqol · 05-21-2012, 12:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Anarion

More than sugar and less than cigarettes. It feels really good in most cases. Like that moment when you're out running, feeling tired, and then suddenly hit your second wind. But it's not physically addictive and there's no dependency in this version of the world. It just feels great.

Should be noted that there is an actual flaw for Glamour Addiction which represents a more extreme attachment to the stuff.

Quote:

Sounds like somebody wants to join the College of Worms.

But really, do you actually want me to answer this question, rather than see it work out in play?

On the topic of entitlements, I haven't seen anything in the books that particularly grabs me for Stephanie so I'll likely wind up making something up. Provisional concept is "Rooftop Warden", with a magical grappling hook as it's benefit item. That's weighted by the Blood development path, the Tears one is harder to judge, more variables, but it has to do with moon/starlight perhaps.

SiuiS · 05-21-2012, 01:54 AM

10:34, thanqol?
The speed with which thanqol reads email is legendary. I can only assume there is no actual thanqol at gmail, and some schmuck is reading something and wondering what sort of kinks this Stephanie chick has with the Charlotte one. So I'll post it here, in a spoiler because I said so.

Spoiler

Quote:

Originally Posted by Raz_Fox

Oh, a few questions to our Storyteller!

- How vivid are our memories of Arcadia? And as a subquestion, how vivid will our memories be of our escape? Will Marchande remember the circumstances under which she got her suit, or will she simply remember, "Suit and name important, not originally mine"?

Snatches, glimpses and emotions are central to character expression here, but that's less how unvivid the memories are, and more that I'm not yet comfortable enough with lucidity to slow dance. It's currently teaching me the electric slide, though.

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- How addictive is Glamour? Not that I'm planning to have Marchande get addicted or anything. Nosiree.

About as addictive as sex. So not very, but some people are just that short-sighted.

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- do the characters believe there is significance to that?

"Merci, but I'm not beautiful, miss."

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Originally Posted by Anarion

Okay, taking a look.

Some thoughts. Is there a mistake with Discreet Conjuration? It's catch is paying an enemy for valuable info with a valuable object. But the description says that any items you make with it disappear as soon as they leave the changeling's hand. So uh, what kind of enemy just gives you the valuable info before payment, rather than spreading out info and payment or demanding some part of it upfront? And even if they do tell you the info first, it's going to result in that enemy trying to kill you immediately because you can't let go of the payment. That seems odd and perhaps unintended.

Reading it in the actual book, I get the distinct impression that it's reverse solipsism. The object will still function and exist out of hand, if there is attention. I could pull a knife, and thros it; it wouldn't dissapear immediately upon release. I'd also like to think I could pull out a pair of sandals or flats, since my usual footwear isn't very good for adventuring. Would b a shame if they didn't last long enough to go I my feet~

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Den contracts look cool. If you also take the hollow merit, I think using a bunch of den contracts could be considered as a way to add a dot or two of wards to the hollow.

I find a certain vague irony in the fact that Hidden Reality is the sort of thing that Exalted can basically do for free, but it's actually my favorite of the contracts you linked and seems powerful.

I like the idea of it, and it fits the Alfred sub theme. I'm try big to find a way to use Discrete Conjuration to make Batgirl here a utility belt.

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Originally Posted by Thanqol

On the topic of entitlements, I haven't seen anything in the books that particularly grabs me for Stephanie so I'll likely wind up making something up. Provisional concept is "Rooftop Warden", with a magical grappling hook as it's benefit item. That's weighted by the Blood development path, the Tears one is harder to judge, more variables, but it has to do with moon/starlight perhaps.

didn't understand a luck of that. Time to hit the appendix!

-

Character is "done". Waiting for Thanqol-feedback, need to write out a history that isn't meh (selfnote: either stop RPing with professional writers or get better @ writing), and need some okay from the ST.

I reduced clarity to 6, and used the XP for Perfect Stillness, and to learn French. Those are just icing though; I'm actually after the reduced clarity. Being more off-kilter than everyone else is part of my design goal. Is that alright?

Added a Point to composure, improved craft to 4. Need to add my spring mantle though... At this juncture I've got it ready to copy/paste as soon as I get the green light.

Thanqol · 05-21-2012, 02:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SiuiS

10:34, thanqol?
The speed with which thanqol reads email is legendary. I can only assume there is no actual thanqol at gmail, and some schmuck is reading something and wondering what sort of kinks this Stephanie chick has with the Charlotte one. So I'll post it here, in a spoiler because I said so.

My gmail account is an unmonitored spam bin which I use for AIM compatibility and signing up for dodgy websites. I check my hotmail with disturbing regularity so for responses check that.

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Spoiler

Actually remarkably cool, has my approval. Gives me a cool in to weave Elemental Darkness contracts into use of the cape - someone else's shadow. I might wind up getting some Elemental Light as well, maybe, depending on arc.

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I like the idea of it, and it fits the Alfred sub theme. I'm try big to find a way to use Discrete Conjuration to make Batgirl here a utility belt.

Doubly cool and clever.

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didn't understand a luck of that. Time to hit the appendix!

Changelings of sufficient Wyrd can claim for themselves noble titles, like duke or count or shogun or whatever.

The Gentry think this is hilarious.

They'll treat someone with a title as a person. A really, really crap person who they're free to be incredibly awful to. But a person.

SiuiS · 05-21-2012, 02:54 AM

Tentatively, Charlotte Blanc.

Charlotte Blanc

Formerly Franklin Weisocki
Female Spring Court Chatelaine Wizened
"The ties that Bind"

STATBLOCK

Spoiler

DESCRIPTION

Spoiler

Charlotte Blanc is perfectly nondescript. Perfectly. She stands at around five feet, and wears platform heels to be more of an average height. Her hair is neither brown nor black, neither vey long nore describabl short, nor is it straight, wavy, course or fine. Her eyes are a mellow brown, with *subtle purple tint, but they fit perectly at an almond slant into a face that is, if one were to see her in passing, best described as beautiful but not noteworthy. This is of course, until you ask someone about her, and they begin to think. Charlotte has a sort of je ne sais quoi, an indescribable appeal. In truth, she has very many beautiful features she strives to kep in balance. Usually.

Charlotte is a stunning social chameleon. Her hair back in a ponytail, a tight fit turtleneck and calf-length skirt make her the typical beatnick socialite, all beautiful cheelkbones and lavender eyes over a subtle, Mona Lisa smile. Bloused sleeves and an empire waist, head down ever so slightly eand she becomes a lolita french maid, dark eyes and framing bangs over a somehow both voluptuous and petit frame. A scandinavian dress with woven belt and touch of wind in her hair, she is the cover of a romance novel, statuesque marble shoulders and hopeful, pouting lips parted just so.

Beneath the mask is an equally plain chatelaine, like a figure from an abstract painting. Her eyes have no pupil, and her nose almost blends into the flatness of her face, being present enough to be charming rather than disturbing. Her hair is a milky blond, like straw, and the sides of her mouth are stitched shut with creamy silk cord, too large to be surgical - indeed, it looks more like a doll's mouth sewn shut and writ large. Of all her features there is only one thing that truly stands out. Charlotte is yellow.

All of Charlotte's natural palette is the soft white-yellow of butter and cream, of the moon both gilded and silver. even her blood seems made of milk and honey, her tears amber or the soft gold of beer. Yet somehow, whatever she wears and wherever she stands, she manages to blend. The effects of her chameleon looks likewise extend to her mien, the colors of her clothing and even the shades of gold and ivory she presents shifting with presentation.

Charlotte's mannerisms likewise are smooth, and blend into her surroundings. She tends to stand with her hands clasped low and her feet turned slightly inward. Her posture is fantastic, but still seems like she slouches. Only her voice throws people off. She speaks in an almost rasp, a spidery whisper. Her voice is almost always reverent, awe-filled, and sounds like something Charlotte almost lost through lack of use.

((for those with Skype, she sounds three shades more orange than Lix Lorn.

Yes, my response upon hearing her speak was "you sound like my changeling but not yellow-y enough"))
Charlotte spent her time in Arcadia doing things in the background, to make the foreground smoother. Her perceptions reflect this. Actions that don't enter the public consciousness don't count, if they shape the obvious appropriately. She cannot see things from her own point of view without effort.

Pulling her own essence destroyed her body, over and over. The number of times Charlotte stripped herself to the bones only to grow back is too high to recall, and each time she regrew it was more how she saw herself and less how she was. Her mouth is seen half-shut because narratively, she was a silent plaything. Her masculinity was taken away and what grew in its place was what was more natural for her. Even her name is an affectation; she tore the memory of it from her ears and tongue to make a sickle for one of her keeper's psychodramas.

Charlotte was, if not demure, giving to a fault. Breaking free of her durance has allowed her to restablish some of her sense of self, but it only shows in her sudden, introverted attitude.

HISTORY

Spoiler

As a child, Charlotte was withdrawn, somber and prone to nightmares and internal distress. Being part of the foster care system did not help matters, nor did being in the care of foster parents who worked the system for funding and ran their home like a boarding school.

Charlotte made Otto her early teens with very little trouble with the outside world, mostly because she ignored it. Whether her foster parents were kind or cruel didn't matter; she thought of herself as an orphan, felt she was treated like an orphan, and acted like an orphan, running off to be on her lonesome whenever she could, playing at running away, or finding a secret passage to freedom, or coming through a door and being someplace new and wonderful. She doesn't remember any details of the night and even less from before, but after fourteen years, Charlotte got her wish.

Running from some feigned trouble of another, she ran through the house into a darkened room to sulk at her silhouette, until her silhouette grew into the form of something else. Turning, she caught just a hint of movement and chased it into a drawing room she had never seen before. Touched now by a dark fear, Charlotte turned and ran back through the door... Into a hallway lined with candles and waxen statues of grotesqueries. Traveling back and forth across that threshold, she wound herself deeper and deeper into Arcadia, until she fell afoul of a net.

So began her Durance.

Charlotte at first treated these experiences as she did the sojourns into her own mind, pulling what she needed from space, her surroundings or even her own body when required. But over time, just traveling through this maze of rooms and traps finding food and shelter became mor difficult, more perverse. Trading her thumbs for chopsticks. Hanging suspended from her heels for a week to earn new shoes. Working her hands bloody to carve a key to the door before her. She never questioned any of it, because she knew it was what she was supposed to do. She could feel him - her? It? - the entire time, waiting for Charlotte to make her way to him. And eventually, she did.

Meeting her keeper did nothing for her comfort. Every success just increased the horribleness of her surroundings, as if he were trying to chase her away. Charlotte quickly learned to withstand the worst of it, if only because eventually 'breaking' allowed her to relax into the relatively minor discomforts that followed the initial onslaught. Through the years that followed, she worked her way from amusement to affectation, sometimes being the the object of sport, other times being the bait, the snare or the spit. It always ended the same; Charlotte, beaten and wounded, working her way back into the manor to find her chambers and sleep. Charlotte, arising to some unknowable sign, donning the clothes she found laid around for her, and checking her surroundings for clues as to what the day's challenge would be. Charlotte, hanging by a thread over a volcano or set precariously over a pit or holding a dagger behind her back and pretending the be stuck or trying to climb through to thorn patch towards the crying...

Until one time, secured for days in a net of mesh and glitter, she was cut free by a shining maiden who braved the poisoned strands and slew the spider-wolves, and left with nary a word once seeing she was fine.

Charlotte sought the manor, and could not find it. For a fortnight, she wandered, growing ever more desperate - food and shelter were scarcer in Arcadia without her keeper. Freed prematurely, she stumbled through sets now dusty with quiescence, venues that hosted any matter of terrible and noble feeds, now little more that cardboard and paper mâché without their protagonists. And in this state she heard a hound in the distance, barking ferociously...

Charlotte found and followed Marchande and Stephanie because she has no other aim. On their way through, the sets once dry and unused now seem overturned and hastily activated, as though someone has gone through them. One, a crystal garden of prison cells and spotlights, almost tears Stephanie apart as they flee. Another, a thicket of spices, nearly overwhelms Marchande. And still, they cannot slow, they cannot tarry, as the sense of something grows in their wake. Desperation. Urgency. The tale comes to a close, someway or another, soon...

Charlotte is a special case in that she hasn't "broken" in the acute sense. Her Durabce was like prison time; she acclimated. Charlotte is breaking now in the real world. She will heal, but the shape she takes while in pieces will stay with her. She is not, and cannot be who she was before her Durance, but she does not know this yet.

-

History is hard for me to write, oddly. Or, well, hard to write coherently. It's a boringly stark and isolationist view of an orphanage or foster house through the eyes of a child off kilter; then, It's a nightmarish swirl of traps and puzzles, where she was alternately player or puppeteer, having to navigate insane scenarios and detail horrific and beatific scenes by tearing away her own mind and flesh for materials; then a twisted journey through surreality following a hound and a shadow through lands of twisting logic she finds far more understandable and relatable than the people she travels with; then a pained slog through thorns and finding herself on the streets with hollow freedom that slips away, leaving an odd ache and the pain of loss of something, of je ne sais quoi, then; finding her old life, maybe, and wondering why her fetch has short hair, deep voice, a girlfriend.

MUSIC
A night at the coffee house

Anarion · 05-21-2012, 05:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Thanqol

Changelings of sufficient Wyrd can claim for themselves noble titles, like duke or count or shogun or whatever.

The Gentry think this is hilarious.

They'll treat someone with a title as a person. A really, really crap person who they're free to be incredibly awful to. But a person.

The flip side of this being that if a member of the Gentry happens to be around and there's a noble, they always deal with the noble first and never ignore the noble. It's like, sometimes if you're busy, you don't really mind if there's a fly in your house somewhere. But you're not going to entirely ignore another person, even if they're utterly ridiculous.

Quote:

Originally Posted by SiuiS

Tentatively, Charlotte Blanc.

Charlotte Blanc

Formerly
Female Winter Court Chatelaine Wizened
"The ties that Bind

STATBLOCK

Spoiler

DESCRIPTION

Spoiler

-

History is hard for me to write, oddly. Or, well, hard to write coherently. It's a boringly stark and isolationist view of an orphanage or foster house through the eyes of a child off kilter; then, It's a nightmarish swirl of traps and puzzles, where she was alternately player or puppeteer, having to navigate insane scenarios and detail horrific and beatific scenes by tearing away her own mind and flesh for materials; then a twisted journey through surreality following a hound and a shadow through lands of twisting logic she finds far more understandable and relatable than the people she travels with; then a pained slog through thorns and finding herself on the streets with hollow freedom that slips away, leaving an odd ache and the pain of loss of something, of je ne sais quoi, then; finding her old life, maybe, and wondering why her has short hair, deep voice, a girlfriend.

Stats look reasonable. Loss of clarity is okay and oddly fitting with your description and difficulty describing her history. This also means she can take psychotropic drugs, commit petty theft, and experience serious unexpected life changes without it really bothering her.

One issue between sheet and description though. Striking Looks is cool and we wouldn't want Thanqol to do anything drastic, but I find the description a bit of a stretch.

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Charlotte Blanc is a nondescript, almost petit haf-Chinese woman with soft features and a pleasantly plain geometry...She is, overall, hard to notice.

That's not striking looks. She can be the kind of person that nobody notices and is capable of totally blending in and still have striking looks, but there needs to be something unique about her. Something that people later remember and maybe say to themselves "huh, how come I didn't notice her? That feature was so distinct." It could be the fact that her geometry and facial proportions are actually perfect, which could definitely be something that people don't notice.

Also, you guys and your inefficient 3/2 Contract splits. *shakes head.* Anyway, this has my approval barring a slight description change to explain how a totally unremarkable person has striking looks.

SiuiS · 05-21-2012, 05:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Anarion

Stats look reasonable. Loss of clarity is okay and oddly fitting with your description and difficulty describing her history. This also means she can take psychotropic drugs, commit petty theft, and experience serious unexpected life changes without it really bothering her.

One issue between sheet and description though. Striking Looks is cool and we wouldn't want Thanqol to do anything drastic, but I find the description a bit of a stretch.

That's not striking looks. She can be the kind of person that nobody notices and is capable of totally blending in and still have striking looks, but there needs to be something unique about her. Something that people later remember and maybe say to themselves "huh, how come I didn't notice her? That feature was so distinct." It could be the fact that her geometry and facial proportions are actually perfect, which could definitely be something that people don't notice.

It's not a proper OOC thread unless I incite my filly to berserker rage.

Aye, that doesn't sound striking at all (ooh, I get it!), because my descriptive skills are still in their infancy. I contest that plain and striking are mutually exclusive however. I have seen many women, and one man, who had no one trait that did anything but were so well put together as a whole that once I did see them, I couldn't stop gawking. Saw one today in fact! I am envious of such seemingly incidental physical perfection, but bodyswapping is in fact not possible, so she gets to continue her life I suppose.

Where was I? Ah yes, hawking at short-shorts. The description was supposed to be three things. One, "plain", or generic. A subtle nod towards the blank slate attributes of her character. Two, speak of someone with a nice appearance who strives to keep it reigned in. I can't remember how my word choice was to affect that, however... Will need to redress. Three, be about Charlotte in the company of Stephanie, Marchande and Kalia(?), and so downplay her, since the other three are more overt than covert with their charms. That last one is, however, a bias on the part of the writer and is a terrible accidental goal.
So I will see what I can do. My kneejerk response of striking fashion sense must wait, as I don't want to play Rarity just now.

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Also, you guys and your inefficient 3/2 Contract splits. *shakes head.* Anyway, this has my approval barring a slight description change to explain how a totally unremarkable person has striking looks.

Hey, if I could get Trapdoor Spider's trick for one dot, I would. And I'd have done a 2/1/1/1 just to tease you, but couldn't find enough fluff to justify it.

*dances* I have MSN messenger again~!
Sleep time now. Missed my big lucidity window... By Krogan-ing. All the things. With my face.

Thanqol · 05-21-2012, 07:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Anarion

The flip side of this being that if a member of the Gentry happens to be around and there's a noble, they always deal with the noble first and never ignore the noble. It's like, sometimes if you're busy, you don't really mind if there's a fly in your house somewhere. But you're not going to entirely ignore another person, even if they're utterly ridiculous.

It's like standing up tall and saying, "I demand you treat me like an adult!"

And they say, "Okay, we will treat you like an adult"

And they're smiling when they say it.

EDIT: Oh, Anarion, minor stylistic request. Can I have the Hedgespun cape SiuiS is gifting me capable of shapeshifting between the cape and a scarf? It would help me structure the character's visual design better.

Raz_Fox · 05-21-2012, 11:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Anarion

Fairly vivid up to a limit. You can't remember the exact route in and out of Faerie, and drawing a floor-plan of your keeper's estate is probably not going to happen, even if you have eidetic memory. I mean, you could draw the plan, but it wouldn't match the estate. Past that though, I leave this one to character discretion. If you want Faerie to be vague images and painful emotions, that's fine. If, as Thanqol noted, you want to tell stories of your escapades in Faerie, that's okay too.

Ace. It's the experience that, well, defined a lot of what Marchande will be - being beaten and starved and less-than-human, remembering the insane racism/sexism/classism of her Master (who incidentally, in my head, looks a lot like a very well-dressed Flam), and remembering running into the market and thinking, "This is human power".

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More than sugar and less than cigarettes. It feels really good in most cases. Like that moment when you're out running, feeling tired, and then suddenly hit your second wind. But it's not physically addictive and there's no dependency in this version of the world. It just feels great.

Ah. Well, that removes one of the darker avenues that Marchande was going to go down; if it just feels good, she's going to indulge whenever possible, but she's not going to start going into mad withdrawal if she doesn't get enough.

Although she might get very antsy when she's low, because her power revolves pretty much around Glamour. Without Glamour, she's only got her smarts and her persuasive powers to rely on, without much leverage at all.

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Well, I can't stop you guys from stabbing each others backs if you feel like it. But San Francisco is going to be an uplifting place. It's very dense, has a relatively high number of changelings relative to the overall population, and is an extremely tolerant city. As a result, the freehold(s) and court(s) are highly functional and there is a lot of opportunity for aspiring changelings to find a place in the world. However, there's also plenty of crazy, politics, and potentially underhanded things going on. You'll have a chance to choose where you want to involve yourselves once the opening chapter is done.

Ace ace ace. I like this.

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Sounds like somebody wants to join the College of Worms.

But really, do you actually want me to answer this question, rather than see it work out in play?

That question was actually just to get that thought into everyone's heads. Just like the question of how many fetishes we can possibly pack into a four-person party. I'm at six now.

Also, Marchande can't join the College of Worms, or she'll have to go see a veterinarian to help her with the worms under her skin. Ewww, no thank you.

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Originally Posted by Thanqol

Should be noted that there is an actual flaw for Glamour Addiction which represents a more extreme attachment to the stuff.

I'll have to take a looksee at that, then.

Quote:

Originally Posted by SiuiS

Spoiler

Seriously cool. I approve; anything that you'd want Charlotte to do for Marchande, or vice versa?

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"Merci, but I'm not beautiful, miss."

"Don't give me that. You're prettier than half the actresses in Hollywood, and if you could project, you'd put them out of a job in ten seconds."

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I like the idea of it, and it fits the Alfred sub theme. I'm try big to find a way to use Discrete Conjuration to make Batgirl here a utility belt.

If Charlotte is Alfred, and Stephanie is Batgirl, Marchande is Lucius Fox.

PhoeKun · 05-21-2012, 12:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Raz_Fox

If Charlotte is Alfred, and Stephanie is Batgirl, Marchande is Lucius Fox.

Aww, how come I have to be Nightwing? It's because I'm never around, isn't it?

...Full character coming shortly, later today if all goes well.