Okay so my character isn't quite done yet. I feel that I've hit a stump in the backstory and I'd like some help with it if that's alright. Here's what I have right now.
Drallic stands at 8' 4'' with his horns adding another 8''; a height considered above average for a minotaur. His fur shows a dirty brown color and shows clear signs of age. Numerous scars and ages-old injuries show on his body; none are bigger than the one on his face. A very noticeable scar appears on the right side of his face. The cut runs very deep down the side of his face. His other, working eye has a green-tinted iris. A black eyepatch is worn to cover his right eye which the cut goes right through. His other eye For gear, Drallic usually prefers wearing his leggings that are added with iron scales for protection. In the case he wears a top, it will usually be a lightweight vest or short coat. The leggings are armored to keep it's damage minimal while he prefers wearing a top for more formal occasions... If the chance even comes.
Personality:
Spoiler
Drallic can fit well into the typical minotaur types of being both gruff and stubborn. Despite that, he is more disciplined and knowledgeable than the average thugs of his kind. Past his rough and hard exterior is a somewhat jovial person who hasn't forgotten about the past joys of being a pirate. His preference of the seas makes him a little grumpy on the land. Despite his large build, Drallic isn't a fighter who completely relies on brute force. He can be a surprisingly evasive and agile opponent up close.
As a mercenary, Drallic prefers gold over mostly everything else. Artifacts of unique and rare quality are of little interest to him. Those that can pay Drallic well will find a loyal ally. Once accepted a contract, he will not betray those he works for unless he is aware that he is being manipulated or betrayed. While he will accept most tasks, he will not comply with those that come off as suicidal or otherwise pointless. Despite his interest in gold, Drallic looks to travel the high seas again and would be offering a 'discount' of sorts to those that might offer it. He would prefer not to join Pirate Lords however. Becoming the enemy of nearby countries is bad for business in the minotaur's opinion.
Backstory:
Spoiler
Among the many of minotaurs who lived in the southern, tropical continent, Drallic was one of those who left out to sea. If you asked him back then, he'd say that he left in search of trials and challenges. He was always one of the bigger minotaurs back then and had strength to match his size. His hardiness was even greater than He was a competitive minotaur who always looked for something to test himself on and overcome it. Eventually it had reached a time when he felt that he could not find challenge where he had lived. With little hesitation, Drallic took his leave of his home continent. His courage and confidence surpassing whatever regrets he may have had then.
Despite his strength, he never realized the importance of wealth until it was almost too late. His times on the sea made him come off as a thug of sorts. Not the kind that would attack one on sight but enough of one to be considered uncivilized. Drallic had little in the way of the common tongue at that point. While he had shown his strength to the awe of sailors, they were more in fear of him for his lack of social abilities and difficulty in getting him to understand. He probably would have ended up being another grubby thug had a certain organization not take interest in him.
During one night, Drallic was contacted via letter by an unknown individual. The message detailed him to sail to the Isle of Blades alone. Only rumors and haunting mysterious surround such a land and the minotaur had the directions to it right in his hands. Borrowing a used sailboat, Drallic ventured off to the isle. He was unknowing of how long it would take; the trip took 3 days total. Most people would have given up or expired by that point. Drallic was a different creature. He saw this as another challenge which was his reason for coming to sea in the first place.
It took a maelstrom of a storm and a torture of starvation to power through, but Drallic had made it to the Isle of Blades. Already there were 3 people, two humans and an elf, waiting for him. As he made it to shore, they offered Drallic an offer that could not be rejected. "Do you wish to join the Blades of Bhūta?" The people there had heard of the minotaur's feats of strength and fortitude; his arrival here proved it. Drallic took wonder at what these people offered before accepting in curiosity.
As he learned, the Blades of Bhūta are a group of mercenary pirates who accept the strong into their group. Drallic was welcomed greatly and was trained in the Common tongue while coming to understand the ways of mercenary and pirate life. The minotaur was one of the most enthusiastic of the members, almost always willing to accept a task or job if it was worth his time. Over time he had learned to make more strategic use of his strength while growing tougher over his years as a member of the Blades. As a result, Drallic rose up in the ranks quickly in 8 years. He became the leader of his own ship and crew; the 12th platoon of the Blades of Bhūta.
One day, the guild leader of the Blades, Etinvo, announced a job for them. Sasana and it's orkish navy had hired them in assistance in bringing down the recently new Pirate Lord known as Captain Oscon Alfando. An incredible count of gold would be given to the mercenaries for their success along with the While the blades have dealt with pirates and other outlaws in the past, they have never taken on something as great as a Pirate Lord before. Numerous members were worried, anxious, scared, or a combination of the three. Drallic however was excited and confident; a trait shared with the elven guild leader.
The guild leader devised the plan. A royal shipment would be moving through one of the occupied islands in Sasana territory. A small part of the navy would be there while the Blades lie in contention to surprise the Pirate Lord from behind. Nine of the twelve platoons would be a part of the assault, including Drallic's platoon. The navy "escort" is under the command of the navy's second-in-command, Orc Commander Grevil.
The plan was performed with very few hitches. The pirates spotted the Blades a little earlier than planned and two platoons were lost, along with all but two of the available navy ships. The number of casualties were higher amongst the pirates. Grevil demanded as few survivors as possible and his orcs were glad to oblige. Drallic saw a little less action than he had liked. Most of the Blades' work was artillery strikes. The minotaur didn't get on Alfando's ship until the battle was almost finished. Grevil himself executed the Pirate Lord after a dishonorable duel in the orc's favor. Despite that, Drallic watched Alfando's last actions being to look at the minotaur and loudly cursed in a foreign language. At the end there was very little left of Captain Oscon Alfando's ships and crew. They were removed off the faces of the isles and would never return in flesh.
However he did not simply need to return in flesh. A few weeks had passed since that battle; the Blades' bond with Sasana grew stronger since then. The 12th platoon was ordered to patrol an area of Sasana which had recently come under their. A thick fog came through that day. Drallic was about to write off the day as tranquil when the now ghostly figure of Oscon Alfando appeared suddenly in front of him. The sounds of the ocean splashed and waved as the fallen ships of the Pirate Lord appeared in now-perfect condition. The platoon scrambled into battle as they were always prepared for; here it was of little use. As Drallic quickly realized, the 'revived' pirates are now ghostly apparitions, still able to come in contact and use the human world mostly as normal. Normal weapons such as fists, blades, and guns did nothing to them even if their ships could be damaged as normal.
The fight was a hopeless end for the 12th platoon. Without a proper way to combat the ghosts, each member of the Blades were killed. Drallic himself was blasted overboard head-first after a cannonball collided directly with the ship. All he felt was an incredibly sharp pain on his face as he passed out on the jagged rocks in the sea.
When he awoke, Drallic found himself on a small area of rocky land, close by the Crossroad Isles. He came to find numerous injuries gained in that last fight; including a massive wound on the right side of his face. His right eye is damaged beyond repair even if he had come out alive. Drallic took a moment to think on what to do. The 12th platoon was decimated, probably considered KIA or MIA by the Blades. To lose his crew is a failure to his abilities and with that Drallic had no motivation to return to the Blades.
With all but his life lost to him, Drallic used his strength and endurance to swim to the Crossroad Isles. He had much he needed to make up for after his failure. Of now he is working as a single mercenary; not aligned with any groups or allies. His goal at this point is to simply survive, learn about the mysteries of the supernatural, and work his way to take down the ghostly pirate Alfando for good. He saw the ghost pirate as a challenge he had failed to match. He won't make that mistake a second time now that he has another chance.
Advantages:
Spoiler
Strength II: (Common) Drallic doesn't disappoint when it comes to showing the strength that minotaurs have. His strength is very well known among seafarers. Those who have seen him make use of it are usually very impressed.
Toughness III: (Common) While minotaurs are also considered to be very tough creatures, Drallic is infamous for his ability to survive attacks and situations what would outright kill any other living creature. His innate willpower combined with that of his minotaur resilience has sparked rumors of him being immortal or immune to gunfire; having a hide as tough as a dragon turtle. While the rumors do stretch the truth a bit, they're easy to believe them when one sees him in the field of battle.
Brawler II: (Uncommon) Those who have gone into battle against Drallic and lived will say that his fists are deadlier than his charge. Drallic's hands have surprisingly keen skill beyond simply smashing an enemy. He is skilled in taking advantage of an enemy's positioning and pose in unbalancing his opponent. His fists are also used to set up feints and surprise his opponent with blows considered less than straightforward. His horns definitely will gore an unprepared mortal easily; his brawling ability can outmaneuver and take down even the most well-fortified of warriors.
Iron Will I: (Rare) Along with his amazing resilience, Drallic is one of the hardest people to break among the world. It's widely considered that it's better to let him go than to try and torture him for any reason. Any attempts to get information out of him would result in an angry minotaur at best; a rampaging juggernaut at worst. Seduction doesn't fare much better. Drallic has little interest in love and is usually well aware of attempts to try and manipulatively seduce him.
Intimidate II: (Uncommon) Drallic is not known for being a kind individual. While hardly not being murderous, he has had quite the streak of terror and is a frightening person to meet. His tales and achievements he had rumored to earn during his pirate days are also well known on the seas and it's nearby places.
Story Elements:
Spoiler
Ghost Pirates:
From the supernatural rumors that spread throughout the Crossroad Isles, none have been more long-lived as the dead rising from their aquatic slumber. An old saying states that "A pirate captain never dies without fulfillment." Death sometimes comes too quickly for those who scour the seas; it cares not whether it's a venturing sailor or a pirate lord. For the ambitious however, they will not rest when it is supposed to be their time. They will rise up past their sunken corpse. They will awaken in spirit form; his crew and army forced back at his command. The drive of the fallen keeps them bound to the world until they reach their goal. And sometimes, that goal is neverending. No one understands how the dead's spirits keep sailing the seas. Some believe the old saying is actually a law of reality. Others think that it is through the use of forbidden magic. When one sets their eyes on the ghosts of fallen pirates however, 'why' is the least important question on their minds.
Obviously I need to finish the last third or so of my backstory and fill in the story elements (of which I have ideas for) but I'd like some opinions on a certain part of the backstory that I have yet to write up. (shown in the spoiler below)
Spoiler
See what I'm thinking of including next is a point where my character and his platoon, along with 2-3 other platoons, (and probably also the group or navy that hired them) take down a pirate or someone else of high authority/power together. The targeted person who was killed would later come back along with his crew as ghost pirates for revenge. The problem is what kind of person/pirate specifically. For a moment I had thought about a Pirate Lord but considering their power at the seas it might be a bit... Unrealistic to say the least. However I'm not too sure on what else could be of note that would be impressive for a mercenary group to take down; that and I figured a ghost pirate lord would be awesome
Anyone have any suggestions or ideas? I would be very glad to hear them.
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Alright, I got off of my lazy butt & put her to... well, not paper, whatever you consider an electronic document to be.
Ladies and Gentlemen, my character, with mood setting music.
Name: Cirophi Dal Nejem Age: 19
Physical Description:
Spoiler
She has never considered herself an athlete in any way, shape, or form, with perhaps the exception of the mind. She is skinny and light of build, and typically dons the clothing of her culture. She wears a turban around her head, with streams of red wavy hear streaming out. Embedded into the turban is an ancient diadem, with a singular crystal embedded into its center. Wrapped around her neck is a light cloth which catches the wind, an ascot of sparkling pearl white. Resting on her shoulders is a long poncho, with the patterns and styles of her people woven within it. Beneath is a white shirt covering her torso, and a skirt made from materials similar to her poncho. Her feet are wrapped in shoes that curl up at their tips. Save for the decorative headdress, the majority of her clothing seems rather plain, though elegant and beautiful in its own way, just as the sandy, pale deserts of her homeland are.
Personality:
Spoiler
Her mind is sharp and collected, which often conflicts with her fun and easy-going personality. Though she may seem to be a risk taker and perhaps a bit brash at times, she has the intellectual confidence to take the situation at hand and control it like a chess mistress. If anything were to be said about her, it is her fierce dedication to her people. She wants to reclaim the ancient lineage of royalty flowing within her blood, re-inspiring her people and ascending both her culture and herself back to golden eras, before the Psionic monsters came crawling out of the mind. She wants to find ways to contain these beasts, and if possible destroy them entirely, or at least cripple them severely so they may not come back. It gives her the strength to look fear in the eye, and greet it pleasantly with a warm smile as her Ectoplasmic Constructs beat it to a pulp.
Backstory:
Spoiler
In ancient lands, where torrential deserts and titanic dunes sweep over the landscape, there once existed a lush, beautiful land. This land was inhabited by a people who unlocked the powers tucked away in their subconscious minds, evolving themselves into a powerhouse of culture and society. The people elevated themselves through a series of powerful Psionic rituals, transforming themselves into living, breathing fonts of Psionic energies. These people, as well as many other cultures of the time, were a part of and colloquially dubbed the Ancients: their real name are the Miishlanni; their massive, floating crystal cities dotted the landscape back in this golden era. However, this perfect society was simply not able to last. What erupted in the deep recesses of the mind was something terrible, and it grew, coalescing into a Psionic monstrosity that should not have been. This creature consumed entire cities in whole fell swoops, with maddened, gibbering survivors recounting the horrors they had just seen. As this mass of ectoplasm and madness made its way across the land, the Psions who remained gathered what strength they had left, and battled this compressed legion of horror. This battle spanned for months, and many Psions fell to its might. In a last ditch effort, they empowered the whole cities this ectoplasmic monstrosity consumed, and were able to lock the titanic horror deep beneath the earth, imprisoning it within itself… but at a terrible cost. The spell they wove with their combined might drained on the land itself, quenching it of all life and encasing the remaining Miishlanni in Temporal Stasis. Over the span of a single night, the prison of the four cities sank deep into what would become the ever reaching desert of their once lush lands, with only the tallest of the cities crystal spires prodding from the sand. The desert expanse reached the full girth of their lands, and swept over everything in sight.
…these are the tales that Cirophi grew up with as a little girl, as well as the fragments of her past. She and her kin are who remain of the ancient line of kings and queens of this lost world, where now their royal might means little amidst their desert-fairing compatriots. Riding the sea with vast ships of crystal, her people now move across the desert expanse, foraging for lost bits and pieces of the cities beneath the sands as well as shipping goods across the desert. Psionics is still a strong part of their lives, though it is now cautioned that when societies weave the powers of the mind into every facet of their lives, unforeseen tragedies such as the fall of the floating cities can take place, and monstrous abominations can suddenly coalesce into existence. Cirophi has wandered the deserts before, and found for herself the crystal spires of the four cities of old. Passages beneath the sands still existed near the sight, and exploring the ruins for herself, what she found… was unexpected. As well as the fully intact cities of old, the monstrous beast of legend was still there, but it didn't resonate with Psionic energy at all. It was as if it were dead, and all that was left of its once terrible might now remained in a giant husk of solidified ectoplasm. Nevertheless, the find was interesting, and Cirophi returned home with a sizable chunk which had fallen from the titanic beast, retelling what she discovered and showing them the proof. Her people were enthralled, astonished, and at the same time, curious; where exactly did the power of the beast go? Well, one day out of boredom, Cirophi decided to test a theory of hers. Collecting together the powers of her mind, she poured her mental prowess into the piece she took from the city ruins. The chunk of ectoplasm glowed silver, collapsed into a pile of goo, and reformed into an automaton-like structure, controllable at her beck and call. She was amazed at this, and soon discovered she could create more of this ectoplasmic putty without the piece. At that moment, she realized what she wanted to do.
She would travel the lands away from her home, and amass both strength and power of the mind within herself, developing this strange power of shape and creation. When her unique discipline had become sufficiently developed through travel, exploration, and adventure, she would return to her homeland, and raise the four cities from beneath the sands with the very creature which once destroyed their lives.
With Psionics, she will rebuild the world of her dreams and childhood, and start a new chapter for her people, and herself.
Advantages:
Spoiler
Cunning I (common): Cirophi has a quick mind, able to change and anticipate like water.
Intelligence I (common): Her intellect is one of her few prides. She is very smart, and can easily analyze and absorb information.
Psionically Empowered (trait): Her body has been filled and connected to the powers of the mind, granting her physical form immortality.
Psionic Sustenance I (special): Due to Psionic Empowerment, she can sustain the needs of her body with her own mind. She can still physically eat, and often prefers to, but can sustain her own body mentally if need be.
Psion (trait): Cirophi is a master of the mind, and a wielder of mental energies.
-Telepathy I (common): Cirophi can send and receive thoughts as a form of communication, allowing her to communicate without having to hurdle through language as a barrier, as well as the ability to feel and listen to the mental thoughts of others.
-Levitation II (common): Cirophi can levitate objects with sheer willpower. The bigger the object, the harder it is to move.
-Astral Construct III (uncommon): Cirophi can create a Psionic Construct, fighting for her in physical combat rather than herself. These constructs take a vaguely human shape, forming from energy, ectoplasm, crystal, or any combination of the three.
-Entangle I (uncommon): Summoning a great blob of Ectoplasm in her hands, Cirophi can launch it at her enemies, coating them in the sticky substance to nullify and stop their movement.
Story Elements:
Spoiler
Ancient Lands: She comes from lands which were once a part of the mighty empire of the Miishlanni; it was a green and lush land, full of resources and plenty, before it was turned into a barren, sandy desert. Still, the people there have adapted the best they could, utilizing ships powered by Psionic energies, growing food and sustaining themselves with the power of the mind. Their former lands lie deep behind the lands of Lahja, where even then they are rarely mentioned, edging slightly on the boundaries of myth to the Lahja's.
Ancient Ruins: Many of the ancient structures of her culture's ancient floating cities now lie beneath the sands, creating an environment of hostility and danger, but treasure and bounty if these dangers are faced, met, and overcome. Many old and ancient, but still potentially useful artifacts, as well as treasure, still lies deep beneath the desert sands.
Psionic Empowerment: The Miishlanni are not a birthed race persay, for one was never born a Miishanni: one became Miishanni. The Miishanni is technically more a culture, completely subverting the aspect of race as a determinant factor of one's character through their ancient rituals of Psionic Empowerment. This ancient ritual allows one to sustain their life force with nothing but their mind, expanding their thoughts and empowering them with Psionic energy, granting them immortality as well as mental sustenance. The only physical change is one to the eyes; they take on a shimmering Golden hue. The children of the Miishlanni were sent through rites of passage before they were blessed with this gift, for becoming Miishlanni is not just about one's self desire, it is also a decision formerly made by the elders of the Miishlanni society of old. However... those days are long gone. Cirophi was the last Miishlanni to be created, before the great Tragedy of the Four Cities befell them, making her special amongst her culture. The ability to create new Miishlanni has thankfully not been lost in the great cataclysm of the past, it simply cannot be performed. Their numbers are much fewer, and their ancient mastery over the mind is not as powerful as it used to be. They fear that by gathering and expending the vast amounts of Psionic Energy required to create one of their kind would bring about another titanic monster, which is something Cirophi's people are not willing to risk. She wants to change this, but not before she has instilled hope back into her people.
Alright, sorry for disappearing there, catching up in hopes of posting tonight.
As for the loss of Lucrezia...well, it's unfortunate, but I understand.
Well, she's not entirely gone. I like Kasanip's idea of just making her an NPC that I can roleplay as, but I don't think I could focus everything I have solely on her. With Cirophi, I think I could do that.
Well, she's not entirely gone. I like Kasanip's idea of just making her an NPC that I can roleplay as, but I don't think I could focus everything I have solely on her. With Cirophi, I think I could do that.
P.S. Can I get a mod to look at her, please?
I'm not a mod (in this game), but the problem I'm noticing with her advantages is that they're laid out a bit confusingly. I'm not sure what the "trait" heading is, and that "astral construct" also seems a bit problematic in a game where magic is regarded with such suspicion. I know there are other mage characters, but I can't help but feel that you've built a very powerfully psionic character in a game which...sort of discourages that. Also...Levitation giving flight. Flight has been a big issue in past games, and I'm not sure that levitation and flight can be construed as the same advantage...levitation is largely "lifting and occasionally moving a short distance" whereas flight is...well...flying. Again, I'm not a mod, but those are the issues I'm seeing currently, based on past playground experience. However, I do like the overall character design; I feel she could be an interesting addition to the game.
I'm not a mod (in this game), but the problem I'm noticing with her advantages is that they're laid out a bit confusingly. I'm not sure what the "trait" heading is, and that "astral construct" also seems a bit problematic in a game where magic is regarded with such suspicion. I know there are other mage characters, but I can't help but feel that you've built a very powerfully psionic character in a game which...sort of discourages that. Also...Levitation giving flight. Flight has been a big issue in past games, and I'm not sure that levitation and flight can be construed as the same advantage...levitation is largely "lifting and occasionally moving a short distance" whereas flight is...well...flying. Again, I'm not a mod, but those are the issues I'm seeing currently, based on past playground experience. However, I do like the overall character design; I feel she could be an interesting addition to the game.
I was worried about the Advantages bit. Well, I was looking at Kasanip's character sheet from the previous Playground game, and it had the Trait (immortailty) thing, so I thought that was how to handle it. And I will agree that levitation granting flight is a bit of a stretch, but logically it makes sense. If you can levitate other objects, wouldn't you be easily able to levitate yourself? Looking at it a second time, I agree that levitation granting flight is a bit of a stretch, but wouldn't it be able to allow very short-distance flight, if only temporarily?
@TechnOkami: Playing your psion character is fine if you're willing to deal with the social fallout and for the majority of people to not be able to tell the difference between what she's doing and every other kind of magic.
However! Hi-mi is correct in that you cannot levitate yourself, even though it seems like you should be able to from a logical standpoint. Flight of any kind cannot be attained without the Flight advantage. The ability to levitate objects like that is still a common advantage, though.
I'm also curious as to what "trait" means in terms of rarity. Please define it within the established contexts - Special, Common, Uncommon, Rare, Exceptional, or Legendary, with a Profession, Item, or Vehicle modifier.
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Last edited by Jade_Tarem : 06-24-2012 at 08:40 PM.
Well, if Levitation was re-worded so that it had a limitation on distance I think that might be okay. For instance, if she could only move herself 100 yards max or something. Just because using the word "flight" implies unlimited movement, but it stands to reason that if weight effects her ability to lift something, distance or length of time the power is used would as well.
Well, if Levitation was re-worded so that it had a limitation on distance I think that might be okay. For instance, if she could only move herself 100 yards max or something. Just because using the word "flight" implies unlimited movement, but it stands to reason that if weight effects her ability to lift something, distance or length of time the power is used would as well.
Actually, this got 'nerfed' from previous playgrounds, what you've described there is actually Flight Rank 1. We have very deliberately made it hard to obtain functional flight or teleportation.
__________________ "Never pick a fight with people who buy ink by the barrel."
- Mark Twain
"Life is too short for [manuals], but occasionally much too short without them."
- Randall Munroe, xkcd.com (paraphrased)
Oooh, that's right. I forgot about the nerfing. Yeeah. That's gonna be problematic. Maybe do Flight I, Levitation I? Or get some sort of imbued artifact with a set number of levitation/flight charges?
@TechnOkami: Playing your psion character is fine if you're willing to deal with the social fallout and for the majority of people to not be able to tell the difference between what she's doing and every other kind of magic.
However! Hi-mi is correct in that you cannot levitate yourself, even though it seems like you should be able to from a logical standpoint. Flight of any kind cannot be attained without the Flight advantage. The ability to levitate objects like that is still a common advantage, though.
I'm also curious as to what "trait" means in terms of rarity. Please define it within the established contexts - Special, Common, Uncommon, Rare, Exceptional, or Legendary, with a Profession, Item, or Vehicle modifier.
Ok, no I don't need flight, I was just seeing if I could with Levitation, which basically sounds like I can't, so I'll remove it after this post. Now that I'm on the topic though, I do have an Advantage question. I have one Advantage which allows me to obviously create an Astral Construct, which gives me a Psionic Golem to do my will. What kind of advantage would I need to be able to apply some kind of extra trait to it? For instance: Say I wanted to allow it to fly, or give it a bonus to speed or strength, or even increase its size. What kind of Advantage would that require?
Also: the whole "trait system" I'm not even sure if it applies to this game (it was used in the previous Playground game), so I made her the best way I could with what I knew. Looking at the Trait, it would grant her immortality and the ability to sustain herself with her mind, if necessary. It's a personal trait, and if it were an advantage... it would be either Rare or Special I think.
Just a note: I believe immortality came up last game, and got transferred from an Advantage to a trait.
That would be a follower so it's rarity would be increased correct? And immortality is a trait because it doesn't actually change anything within the timeframe of the game.
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Also: the whole "trait system" I'm not even sure if it applies to this game (it was used in the previous Playground game), so I made her the best way I could with what I knew. Looking at the Trait, it would grant her immortality and the ability to sustain herself with her mind, if necessary. It's a personal trait, and if it were an advantage... it would be either Rare or Special I think.
As I understand it, this is what Special advantages are for: things that are too useful to get for free, but unlikely to ever apply to a roll. Like Xondoure says, being ageless probably doesn't warrant one because this game isn't going to last long enough that characters need to worry about dying from old age (probably). Not needing to eat, drink, breathe or sleep probably does call for a Special advantage, though. Those could come in handy.
Moving on to the story: I like the idea of tying these guys in with Lahja legends and history (prehistory?), and would love to collaborate with you some more on that. Might I ask how long ago the cataclysm happened? I had the impression that it was a very long time ago, long enough that the Miishlanni might have existed alongside the ancients... but then there's a line about how Cirophi was the last Miishlanni made before the fall, and she's only 19.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Xondoure
That would be a follower so its rarity would be increased correct?
Normally, yes, but I think the reasoning behind that rule is that it compensates for the fact that followers aren't always available. A follower that you can literally conjure out of thin air on command doesn't really fit the bill...
(Mods, feel free to correct me if I'm reading the intent of the rule wrong.)
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Last edited by The_Snark : 06-24-2012 at 10:07 PM.
As I understand it, this is what Special advantages are for: things that are too useful to get for free, but unlikely to ever apply to a roll. Like Xondoure says, being ageless probably doesn't warrant one because this game isn't going to last long enough that characters need to worry about dying from old age (probably). Not needing to eat, drink, breathe or sleep probably does call for a Special advantage, though. Those could come in handy.
Moving on to the story: I like the idea of tying these guys in with Lahja legends and history (prehistory?), and would love to collaborate with you some more on that. Might I ask how long ago the cataclysm happened? I had the impression that it was a very long time ago, long enough that the Miishlanni might have existed alongside the ancients... but then there's a line about how Cirophi was the last Miishlanni made before the fall, and she's only 19.
Normally, yes, but I think the reasoning behind that rule is that it compensates for the fact that followers aren't always available. A follower that you can literally conjure out of thin air on command doesn't really fit the bill...
(Mods, feel free to correct me if I'm reading the intent of the rule wrong.)
Ah, alright. Then I'll take away a point from her Intelligence and use it for a Special Advantage, "Psionic Sustenance". As for her confusing backstory... well, I need to make another edit to her. It's not that she is 19, but rather that she looks about the age of 19. In actuality, she's been living for thousands of years due to the Miishlanni's Psionic Empowerment Ritual, which has been effectively lost. So, the nomadic people who live far and deep within the desert are actually the remnants of the ancient Miishlanni, and everyone of their culture who still exists. They cannot make more Miishlanni because of the lack of Psionic power necessary to do so, and they don't want to risk accidentally bringing in another colossal eldritch monstrosity like they did thousands of years ago. Cirophi, however, has effectively left to explore, gain power, and restore hope to her broken people by raising one/all of the four cities from the sands. Her next big project would be for a way to contain this Eldritch Abomination of sorts, defeating it in some climactic way.
I... am now making that edit.
P.S.: the Miishlanni were a distinct subset of the Ancients.
Ah, alright. Then I'll take away a point from her Intelligence and use it for a Special Advantage, "Psionic Sustenance". As for her confusing backstory... well, I need to make another edit to her. It's not that she is 19, but rather that she looks about the age of 19. In actuality, she's been living for thousands of years due to the Miishlanni's Psionic Empowerment Ritual, which has been effectively lost. So, the nomadic people who live far and deep within the desert are actually the remnants of the ancient Miishlanni, and everyone of their culture who still exists. They cannot make more Miishlanni because of the lack of Psionic power necessary to do so, and they don't want to risk accidentally bringing in another colossal eldritch monstrosity like they did thousands of years ago. Cirophi, however, has effectively left to explore, gain power, and restore hope to her broken people by raising one/all of the four cities from the sands. Her next big project would be for a way to contain this Eldritch Abomination of sorts, defeating it in some climactic way.
I... am now making that edit.
P.S.: the Miishlanni were a distinct subset of the Ancients.
No, let's not make that a P.S. The Ancients are sort of a big deal, and up until now it was assumed that the Compass Rose Swords and maybe one or two other special entities were left from that time.
The Drift Folk and Kodari are different, as they're the descendents of a group left over from the timeline recycle. The swords themselves have halfway or completely forgotten that time.
Warning: Opinion Rant Incoming
The 'thousands of years old' thing gets thrown out too quickly and too often in fantasy these days. Try to imagine what being that old would actually be like. Your wife of 70 years would be no more special to you than that girl you dated once. You would have seen enough governments rise and fall to sincerely doubt that any civic project could endure for long without significant changes. You would need to be constantly learning new languages, adjusting to new music, new cultural taboos, and of course, new people who are constantly dropping dead around you after a mere few decades, so why bother getting to know them?
Imagine learning of a new undiscovered country, full of people who are born, grow old, and die within a week. Are you going to be friends with any of them? Could any of them possibly get to know you well enough to be considered a friend or romantic interest? Of course not! Even conducting business or research with people from that area would be a headache, since you would call back to follow up on something only to find out that your contact in that area is dead and his descendents joined the circus. And naturally, none of them want to help you with your long-term plans, since any such plans won't bear fruit until they're long dead. Your four-year plan to finish college sounds great to you, with obvious benefits, but you won't be able to convince anyone from that country to do it because getting a degree takes 200 times longer than they have to live.
Or imagine instead if what was cool and kosher where you lived changed every week. For last week, the words floop, bangitywham, and snooble were considered the dirtiest of words, women had no civil rights, and you could get hanged for eating whole grain bread. This week, floop is now socially acceptable as long as you're not near children and Bangitywham is the name of a musical group. Women are legally equal to men but now everyone hates elves and people with exceptionally pointy ears, and whole grain bread is awesome but you can be shot for making toast with it. Next week? Snooble is considered quaint but still offensive, something that only racist old people say, Bangitywham's songs are considered 'oldies,' elves have successfully won back their civil rights but now there's a backlash against their original oppressors - people who favor pointy shoes and sugar cookies. And now toast is in, but you can't put butter AND jam on it at the same time or you'll be excommunicated by all the Popes that got elected since you last checked. What, you mean you didn't know there are fifty elected Popes? Come on, everyone knows that!
That's what the mortal world looks like to an immortal character who is thousands of years old. You would have to start looking for governments or other immortal creatures to secure cooperation with any plans that would make sense to you - and even governments are going to look shaky and uncertain after you've seen once-"invincible" empires topple. And the flippancy with which you treat such transient social and legal rules will of course make you come off as cold, apathetic, and even insane.
My two cents.
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Last edited by Jade_Tarem : 06-25-2012 at 12:53 AM.
Ah! That makes more sense. I usually have reservations about playing millennia-old characters, simply because it's a challenge to present them as believably that old, but it's your character.
You may want to talk with Jade a bit about the Ancients, seeing as he's responsible for that story element, and I think some of his plans involve exploring the mysteries behind them. One of the key ideas is that while there are a lot of archeological fragments, lost artifacts, and other traces left behind by the Ancients, nothing is whole. So, having a bunch of immortals who can remember perfectly well what the previous era was like may be... problematic.
I'd suggest including some reason for their memories and records to be vague—maybe the psychic monstrosity scarred the minds of everyone present at that battle, or maybe the cataclysm that destroyed the rest of the Ancients affected them as well. Maybe it's just that their memories aren't much better than humans, forcing them to rely on historical records, oral histories and their own muddied recollections. (Which would also mitigate the age issue.)
Edit - I see Jade's gotten here ahead of me, but since I went and dug it up already, here's the original post describing the Ancients and what's going on there.
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Last edited by The_Snark : 06-25-2012 at 12:57 AM.
Mmk... then I will not have the Miishlanni be a subsect of the Ancients, though I like the idea that they were once neighbors to the Ancients.
How about this: why don't I say that when the cataclysm happened to stop the rampaging terror, the Psionic energies released were so strong and powerful that it caused everyone to go into a Temporal Stasis? Say, one minute the monster was being destroyed right before their eyes, the next they're standing on the ruins of one of their cities, in the middle of a desert. That way, we can preserve the whole "ancient beyond ancient" aspect and not have Cirophi be an anti-social pessimist. Thoughts?
Also, on the topic of "the Miishlanni will spoil everything in terms of plot", Cirophi has not gone outside of her former lands, and her people are all remaining in the desert out of shame/misery/the desire to not repeat the terrible mistake they've done. So, Cirophi can certainly talk about her own ancient lands before it was blasted into a desert, but she couldn't comment on the Ancients or their key locations of civilization. At best, she would recognize something as the work of the Ancients, but that's really about it.
P.S. Starsign, your character looks generally good as far as I can tell. Can I get a Mod to double check that he's good to go please?
Alright something I have never understood is what exactly is the difference between Psionics and Magic?
Psionics is Magic, but it runs on a different system so that Wizards of the Coast can sell more rulebooks. Also everything is made of crystals for some reason.
__________________ "Never pick a fight with people who buy ink by the barrel."
- Mark Twain
"Life is too short for [manuals], but occasionally much too short without them."
- Randall Munroe, xkcd.com (paraphrased)
Psionics comes from the mind while Magic comes from, well, the universe, is a simple way to put it.
Well in that case... would it be alright if Psionics was a specific form of High Magic? It ties in well with the whole ancient civilizations (while not Ancient) using it to their ultimate destruction. And honestly psionic empowerment is a lot like the parts of enchantment that lead to being magic addicted and the Fae. Obviously there would be differences but it would be based around two cultures studying the same branch of power in different ways. Anyways I thought it might be cool.
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Starsign - I don't understand how you can run a mercenary company and a ship... without the company and the ship. You didn't explain where they are at the moment or why he doesn't have access to them.
LongVin - Interesting proposition, but no. The Duke is a very wealthy man and not indebted to anyone.
Starsign - I don't understand how you can run a mercenary company and a ship... without the company and the ship. You didn't explain where they are at the moment or why he doesn't have access to them..
Well I actually have yet to write that, my backstory isn't finished yet since I got a problem with an earlier part of the backstory (which I believe I mentioned on my post) He lacks the advantages for the mercenary group and the ship because he isn't with them anymore, I just need to write that up first once I got some help regarding my writing block which I'd like some help with if that's alright.
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About Traits: The reason Eris' sheet is like this is because I used TRPG system for organize, and translate and copy-paste for thread. I am sorry for confusion. I don't think other player used this style.
The only purpose of [Trait] was to organize by meaning.
The situation of Eris, it only was useful I think to show reasons for ability. For example, [Fire Resistance] is good and bad name of advantage. It easily can be known purpose, but doesn't tell about character relationship.
The situation of Eris, it isn't [fireproof skin]. It is [mastery of fire magic so much that she can effortlessly control fire]. To such a meaning, only a more powerful fire magic can hurt her (maybe a very very powerful dragon). If Eris was to fight another Fire Sorcerer, it show her superiority to such a sorcerer to effortlessly counter their battle magic.
For her Knowledge (History), of course a 14 year old cannot know history like she can, so it must be because of her Immortality experience that she can.
For example:
Spoiler
Advantages:
Cunning II
Deceitful These advantages are just style of character of Eris. If this was normal TRPG, this is her [Personality Traits].
Immortality (trait):Eternal Youth is a blessing and a curse. Eris is stopped at age 14, though it makes her easy to underestimate, it has downsides too. This describes advantages that are due to her immortality. If this was normal TRPG, this is her [Race Characteristics].
Knowledge: History (rare)
Fire Witch (trait):Eris is a master of fire element magic. This describes advantages that are due to her Fire Witch nature. If this was normal TRPG, this is her [Class] bonuses.
Fire Resistance II
Battle Magic (Fire Sorcery) III
Fire Sorcery (Fox Fire) II
About the Cataclysm: If you are talking about my Story Element, it is the end of the Ancient Civilization. I introduced it to describe history of Artifact Spirits of that time. I don't know about [colossal psychic monstrosity] or [rampaging terror] though. I haven't read the sheet of TechnOkami yet. Are you adding these to the Cataclysm at the end of the Ancients?
@Jade Tarem:
I had enjoyed time to balance these kind of thoughts with Eris' story. Her opinion of Alchemists and Sorcerers and government of Taelarys was very influence of her experience.
But this is also why I only offered a few option of memory of artifact spirits and compass rose swords. I was surprised there was some suggestion they should remember such a long time.
Oooooh... okay. I was wondering how the trait thing came about. Well, nevertheless, it came in handy describing my Advantages, despite causing a little bit of confusion, so thanks.
And to clarify things: the cataclysm which happened with the Miishlanni and the cataclysm which happened with the Ancients are two separate events. The Miishlani cataclysm happened before the Ancients' own downfall, but the two events were very close to each other in terms of time. Practically, the Ancient's Catacysm happened right on top of the Miishlanni Cataclysm.
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I don't think other player used this style. 
