One quick note - if the Mishlanni were from the time of the Ancients, then the Mishlanni were the Ancients, in sort of the same way that the current citizens of England, Saudi Arabia, and Japan are all "people who lived in the year 2012." It's an all-inclusive term for people of the last temporal iteration.
@Kasanip - At the time of the original writing for the Ancients, I had been planning to make the Compass Rose Swords a much more alien and unknowable group of personalities - essentially faking any semblance of normality. Your suggestion and decisions concerning memory damage allows for the Swords to be easier to relate to, as their lives and experiences are effectively "shortened" because of it.
Eris was a different case - she may have been immortal, but she was only a couple hundred years old. That's pretty old, but not old enough to see dozens of generations go by, or to see every government on the planet rise and fall at least half a dozen times, so she avoided many of the immortal character pitfalls. It was the same with Maranis from Playground 1 or Raina from Playground 3 - both elves who could live to be 500, but weren't older than 100. Again, old enough to be different, not old enough to be ultra-jaded.
__________________ "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)
@Kasanip - At the time of the original writing for the Ancients, I had been planning to make the Compass Rose Swords a much more alien and unknowable group of personalities - essentially faking any semblance of normality. Your suggestion and decisions concerning memory damage allows for the Swords to be easier to relate to, as their lives and experiences are effectively "shortened" because of it.
Eris was a different case - she may have been immortal, but she was only a couple hundred years old. That's pretty old, but not old enough to see dozens of generations go by, or to see every government on the planet rise and fall at least half a dozen times, so she avoided many of the immortal character pitfalls. It was the same with Maranis from Playground 1 or Raina from Playground 3 - both elves who could live to be 500, but weren't older than 100. Again, old enough to be different, not old enough to be ultra-jaded.
Yes, I know.
I was very against changing the Compass Rose Swords into alien and unknowable personalities because that would ruin my ideas for them, and artifact spirits, and for my character Mystletinn. I already had planned to be a Compass Rose Sword, and who is an Artifact Spirit.
I want them to be sympathetic characters. If someone mistreats their sword, doesn't think about it's feelings, then that should be seen as [monstrous] action.
They are different, and will certainly have very [inhuman] characteristics. And each one can be very different too, because to have had very different experiences. That is why I let the player to choose memory style, so it can be used in convenient way.
But that is the way a good supernatural character should be played, I think. If it isn't sympathetic, it isn't a good character I think. No one will care about the character. Or maybe it is just a villain.
Playing alien and unknowable personalities is very boring, don't you think?
Of Eris, I wasn't disagreeing, but to agree it is important to consider how time affects a character.
One quick note - if the Mishlanni were from the time of the Ancients, then the Mishlanni were the Ancients, in sort of the same way that the current citizens of England, Saudi Arabia, and Japan are all "people who lived in the year 2012." It's an all-inclusive term for people of the last temporal iteration.
I don't know what that face is for. Jade made the Ancients his story element...it doesn't mean that your people can't be their own named people, but it does mean that they'd also fall under the banner of "Ancients" if they came from the same time period. Perhaps go back and re-read his story element, and figure out how to more appropriately work with it and your story?
Team Elf is kinda stuck until Blade posts. What would you like us to do in the mean time Xondoure?
Hmmm... well, Team Elf is free to do other things in the days in-between. Rest assured that take off won't happen till we have everyone on the right page, and if Blade needs help keeping up we can simply work out the details OOC. That sound good?
__________________
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sir Professor Terry Pratchett
"It is said that your life flashes before your eyes just before you die. That is true, it's called Life."
Hmmm... well, Team Elf is free to do other things in the days in-between. Rest assured that take off won't happen till we have everyone on the right page, and if Blade needs help keeping up we can simply work out the details OOC. That sound good?
I don't know what that face is for. Jade made the Ancients his story element...it doesn't mean that your people can't be their own named people, but it does mean that they'd also fall under the banner of "Ancients" if they came from the same time period. Perhaps go back and re-read his story element, and figure out how to more appropriately work with it and your story?
Ok, so the issue is that they're not going to be tagged with the "ancients" line. Therefore...
Well, what if the Miishlanni were the first to reach this technological height after the Ancients? Would that simplify things or complicate them even more?
Ok, so the issue is that they're not going to be tagged with the "ancients" line. Therefore...
Well, what if the Miishlanni were the first to reach this technological height after the Ancients? Would that simplify things or complicate them even more?
It would, in a manner, conflict with the Elves who were taught by...one race of the Ancients and didn't get wiped during the magic time thingy. Their whole religion is founded on it in fact. That however doesn't mean another species couldn't advance alongside the Elves or anything. Hence the "in a manner" bit.
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.
Hey TechnOkami any chance I might get an answer to this?
__________________
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sir Professor Terry Pratchett
"It is said that your life flashes before your eyes just before you die. That is true, it's called Life."
Ok, so the issue is that they're not going to be tagged with the "ancients" line. Therefore...
Well, what if the Miishlanni were the first to reach this technological height after the Ancients? Would that simplify things or complicate them even more?
The issue isn't whether or not they're actually Ancients - although I'm getting the impression that you didn't actually read the Story Element before you made the decision that these nomadic dudesmen would be Ancients - we have ancient remnants all over the place, from the Driftfolk to whoever taught the elves their stuff to the Kodari. The issue is that you have a race of people who live forever but aren't impacted by this in any meaningful way.
On top of that, it's difficult to explain what can only be severe deficiencies for such a character. Let me put it this way: If your character has spent 1% of a five-thousand year lifespan as a warrior and 5% observing history as it happens in between her other pursuits, then that would still be 50 years of combat experience and 250 years of historical knowledge accumulation, yet the 29 year old Rayle Bancross is a better fighter and historian. This more or less applies to any character, and it means that all attempts at in-story justifications for why you're not awesome at everything are kind of a stretch.
So you have a group of immortal people that don't act their age, who have turned thought into a weapon but weren't smart enough to not kill themselves with it - nor were they smart enough to develop a method of exercising their power that wouldn't summon Cthulhu. Nor in all these thousands of years did they say "You know what? We could probably just buy another kingdom if we each opened a casino and saved up money for a thousand years." And yes, I know that money doesn't work like that in this setting (or quite like that in real life), but my point remains that the immortal remnant of an ultra-advanced intellectual society should probably have a better endgame than sending one girl to pirate town for the lulz.
Most of your adjustments have come in within minutes, and usually involve a fast answer to a random sentence in the post of someone who brought up an issue, just throwing out backstory mad-libs and hoping one will stick. "Okay, now they're Ancients. Okay, now they're not Ancients. Okay, now they're in Stasis! Now they're out of stasis but have terrible memories (and apparently no system of written record keeping). Now they're mentally scarred! Now they're hermits who had the Ancients on speed-dial but then the Jabberwock chewed up their psychic hotline. They're Nomadic Brian-Damaged Immortal Psychic Hermits!" It's the character generation equivalent of button-mashing.
Slow down. Breathe. Think. We aren't going to boot you if you don't have an answer for us right the hell now.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Kasanip
Playing alien and unknowable personalities is very boring, don't you think?
For long stretches it can be, but if you're only doing it for a short time it can be an interesting writing challenge, approaching something from a twisted and insane mindset. It makes for a good one-time antagonist, since such a being is intelligent in its own way, but can't be intimidated or reasoned with.
__________________ "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)
Amazing Zealot avatar by Elder Tsofu
Last edited by Jade_Tarem : 06-25-2012 at 07:33 PM.
In other news, it would be good to have such encompassing story elements as the Ancients in the Wiki now for ease of access, yes? As well as info on the big factions, like the Pirate Lords, Tirac, etc.
In other news, it would be good to have such encompassing story elements as the Ancients in the Wiki now for ease of access, yes? As well as info on the big factions, like the Pirate Lords, Tirac, etc.
I second this notion, especially since I can't seem to find the Story Elements about the Ancients.
Um, Jade... could I have a link to those story elements please?
By the way, do we want to put an explicit date on when this last activation of the forge happened? Or maybe just an estimate on how long ago it has been at least, just to give players a guide to making future story elements based on this?
@TheDarkDM Actually Clive was still wearing his cloak around that time so you should not have seen his pistol. He has this cloak wrapping around his entire body so he could conceal his weapons. Usually when reacting to fast attacks he does not reach inside his coat but grabs them over the cloak and shoots through it. The same would have happened at that situation.
Buut, I do like the thought of the Captain having desires to acquire the pistol. Sooo, I could maybe redo my post and say somehow he had taken it out or his quick turn had somehow displaced his cloak, revealing the pistol? Or maybe just have the Captain see it at a later time? Thoughts?
@TheDarkDM Actually Clive was still wearing his cloak around that time so you should not have seen his pistol. He has this cloak wrapping around his entire body so he could conceal his weapons. Usually when reacting to fast attacks he does not reach inside his coat but grabs them over the cloak and shoots through it. The same would have happened at that situation.
Buut, I do like the thought of the Captain having desires to acquire the pistol. Sooo, I could maybe redo my post and say somehow he had taken it out or his quick turn had somehow displaced his cloak, revealing the pistol? Or maybe just have the Captain see it at a later time? Thoughts?
If no one minds me saying, I think in a case like this would be good to make a roll for, to see whether Blake saw the pistol or not. We have advantages for a reason. Just my suggestion.
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Sharkguard avatar done by Darth Raynn!
Alright... I took another, harder, longer look at the various story elements and, I'll admit, I let my ideas & thoughts come off like an assembly line. Like Jade said, I neglected to look at story elements in detail before essentially copying and pasting her background onto my character sheet.
I done goofed.
As per the background I wrote for Cirophi, I obviously did not adapt it well enough to this setting. Here are my thoughts:
I am going to rid them of their immortal trait entirely. Originally, I derived their race as the "Elans" from D&D, which I obviously had to change for the Playground game. I, of course, thought that giving them immortality would be fine and without ramifications. I believe I was proven wrong. I've decided to handle the cataclysm then as thus. They were experimenting on how to enhance the body with Psionics, which lead to the Psionic Empowerment ritual. It still fills and permeates the body with Psionic energy, allowing it to effectively run on pure thought, but that body's life force will eventually give way and die. The cataclysm was caused because they were experimenting, which created the mind-based eldritch horror formed from the subconscious (note: I think I took inspiration from Forbidden Planet). There, they proceed to effectively destroy their small section of civilization, just as the other Ancients slam the big red button of the Forge Resplendent. The two calamities happening roughly at the same time is for several reasons: a.) I need to make the Miishlanni much less powerful than they were, so though they will still exist from ancient times, most of their civilization as well as their vast knowledge over the mind will vanish, leaving them very crippled, but not entirely. They will still have a good understanding over Psionics, but not nearly to the level they had. b.) I'm thinking that the vast amounts of Psionic Energy the eldritch horror-thing was emanating at the time would have been enough to, say, shield the Miishlanni from the Forge Resplendent. Now, they will still lose their civilization as it was because of what they did to themselves, but they will still be alive because of what happened. So, it's one massive two edged sword.
And I'm sorry Jade that I just "made them ancients" and didn't come to you about it first. However... calling them Ancients would be the easiest way to figure out how they fit in. I realize it's far too late to ask something like this, but can I have the Miishlanni be former Ancients?
Alright, there it is. Sorry again for the frustrations.
No... that is not going to be done. I need to explain myself.
At the concept idea of this game... I'll be frank, I wasn't enthusiastic at all. In fact, I was trying to downplay the idea of playing a game with this kind of setting because... well, I didn't think I could take it seriously. I couldn't think of anyone else good enough at the time, so I expanded and fluffed out Lucrezia initially. However, that didn't go over well with me, partially because I felt like I couldn't faithfully play as her because the whole revenge aspect was already putting me to sleep. And so, without thinking, I interjected my own character from a completely different campaign (Cirophi) in the hope that it would remedy whatever issue I'm having with this game. And, well, I poked and prodded things which didn't need prodding. Basically what I'm getting at is I've been a frustrating thorn in everyone's side, and I need to apologize for that. I am not going to push Cirophi on you guys, and I am going to look at Lucrezia and replace her with someone more becoming this game. Whatever the character, her last name will remain Chevalier (since it's the only true facet which other people have anchored in place). I am going to do a revision of her and make a different character entirely. I am going to make whoever she will be with this game and its setting in mind, something worth people's time in roleplaying with.
Again, I'm sorry for being frustrating and stepping on people's toes.
So, since Blade hasn't responded so Team Elf is just going to write up a mega post when we're all on skype covering the rest of the days so as not to hold this all up.
@Gekus- If you'd like to come along with Team Elf let me know, the more the merrier!
Rachede Navarre's story is well-known throughout the Crossroads Isles and beyond. The basics are the same in nearly every telling: a young Lahja heiress, on her way home from one of the colonies, is abducted by an up-and-coming pirate captain. He at first intends to ransom her, but finds himself pursued not by his captives family but by her enemies. As they elude their pursuers, the two fall in love and eventually elope. It is the subject of several popular songs, ranging from formal verse in the old Floran style to tavern ditties and at least one bawdy limerick.
The particulars, however, vary from tale to tale. Sometimes she is headed for an unwelcome arranged marriage back home, and their pursuer is her betrothed (often made out to be ugly, greedy or otherwise villainous). Sometimes her family's rivals are plotting to kill her to make a political point, or kidnap her to force a marriage. There's even a version that casts her as an exile, fleeing the wrath of an offended Lahja empress. The tales have multiplied until nobody hardly anyone but those involved are sure what the real story was… and Rachede, at least, doesn't seem interested in setting the record straight.
Also, writing up my post I realized I'd like to establish some sort of relationship to Captain Blake; Rachede's husband was one of the Pirate Lords and it's hard to imagine two prominent figures like that not having strong opinions of one another.
Well, it's possible they didn't, but wouldn't it be much more interesting if they did?
So! My thinking is that either Blake and the late Captain Navarre were friends/good-natured rivals, in which case Rachede thinks of him like an old friend... or they were deadly enemies and she's inherited the distaste to a degree. Blake might even be responsible for his death, in which case Rachede definitely holds a grudge.
Any feelings on which you'd prefer, Dark?
__________________
Avatar by Kasanip; see her sketchbook here!
No... that is not going to be done. I need to explain myself.
At the concept idea of this game... I'll be frank, I wasn't enthusiastic at all. In fact, I was trying to downplay the idea of playing a game with this kind of setting because... well, I didn't think I could take it seriously. I couldn't think of anyone else good enough at the time, so I expanded and fluffed out Lucrezia initially. However, that didn't go over well with me, partially because I felt like I couldn't faithfully play as her because the whole revenge aspect was already putting me to sleep. And so, without thinking, I interjected my own character from a completely different campaign (Cirophi) in the hope that it would remedy whatever issue I'm having with this game. And, well, I poked and prodded things which didn't need prodding. Basically what I'm getting at is I've been a frustrating thorn in everyone's side, and I need to apologize for that. I am not going to push Cirophi on you guys, and I am going to look at Lucrezia and replace her with someone more becoming this game. Whatever the character, her last name will remain Chevalier (since it's the only true facet which other people have anchored in place). I am going to do a revision of her and make a different character entirely. I am going to make whoever she will be with this game and its setting in mind, something worth people's time in roleplaying with.
Again, I'm sorry for being frustrating and stepping on people's toes.
Please relax! I don't think players are angry at you. What kind of character do you enjoy to play the best? Actually, I am very curious for all players!
Maybe trying [Player Self Introduction]:
Hello! My name is Kasanip! I like to play [Supportive] and [Heroine] characters the best. I cannot play [Villain] characters.
About Style: I like to change suddenly from [comedic duo] to [serious story].
I like to play [Magic] and [Supernatural] style characters the best. [Human] is most often play, but also to enjoy to play [Non-Human] characters too.
For Heroine style characters, I also like [Close Range] fighting too.
The themes I want to show for this game are [Bonds, Adventure and Heartwarming].
Please relax! I don't think players are angry at you. What kind of character do you enjoy to play the best? Actually, I am very curious for all players!
Maybe trying [Player Self Introduction]:
Hello! My name is Kasanip! I like to play [Supportive] and [Heroine] characters the best. I cannot play [Villain] characters.
About Style: I like to change suddenly from [comedic duo] to [serious story].
I like to play [Magic] and [Supernatural] style characters the best. [Human] is most often play, but also to enjoy to play [Non-Human] characters too.
For Heroine style characters, I also like [Close Range] fighting too.
The themes I want to show for this game are [Bonds, Adventure and Heartwarming].
Hum...
What I like is a difficult question, because I like playing lots of different things.
However...
I have actually thought of a new character. It unfortunately won't replace Lucrezia, but that also has the good flipside meaning I don't need to change anything about her. I can still characterize her when need be.
I don't have any of his advantages or main story worked anywhere near completion yet, but I do have the gist of him down, and something he can do.
He's a wereshark who worked as a sailor. His wereshark side ate people there, so he now works as a fisherman living out of a lighthouse. He's far away from the town, so he's not about to go kill people on a full moon rampage. However, he does have some control over his lycanthropy and can shapeshift. This is how he fishes so effectively.
Future endeavors for this guy includes meeting hi-mi's mermaid character by chance, becoming a regular at Kasanip's tavern (specifically the bar) and discovering some of Jade's underwater Ancient cities (something about a major city sunk 3 miles down below the island).
The only problem which I'm immediately seeing is how exactly his advantages are going to work, but other than that, I'm actually kind of excited by this character.
Hey everyone sorry I've been absent. Turns out there's this weird thing called a social life that people are expected to maintain when they're in relationships. Who knew? Anyways I have the adventure mostly mapped out, so next moment I have a big enough time block I should have us swinging into full gear!
Okay so I wanted to brag a little bit.
__________________
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sir Professor Terry Pratchett
"It is said that your life flashes before your eyes just before you die. That is true, it's called Life."
This is going to be completed tomorrow. I am tired, and will be heading to bed now.
Spoiler
Spoiler
Name: Jethro Requin
Age: 60
Affiliations: The Fishermen of Wayfarer's point.
Physical Description:
Spoiler
As a human, he is your quintessential grizzled old sailor man. He's been sailing for a good long time now, evident due to his sun baked skin. Long lines run across his face and his forehead, with lighter lines covering the rest of his body. Despite his age however, he gives off a feeling of strength, one that has been earned through years of sailing, something respectable and honorable for a man such as Jethro. His eyes give off a silver sheen. He dons a Greek fisherman's hat, and if in town covers himself up with a sleeveless white shirt with a long, worn out black coat. White chest hair pokes out just above his neckline. Below the belt are shorts and a pair of sandals, with little white curls of hair covering his legs. He has taken up smoking as a habit, and is hardly ever seen without his pipe.
As a man-shark, he takes on more shark-like qualities. Fins form out of his forearms, and his fingers and toes become longer, and webbed. His skin turns to a dark steel grey, with a lighter shade covering his stomach. His entire head elongates, and looks like the head of a great white shark. His eyes become as black as night. A massive fin erupts from his lower back, and a massive tail forms behind him. His muscles increase in size. He is truly monstrous in this form.
As a shark, he is no bigger than your average great white. However... that's still saying something.
History:
Spoiler
Jethro Requin was, at a time, not a wereshark. He was your average every day sailor, and still a young seapup on the ship he was working on. On one of the nights while out at sea, there was a wild storm, nothing they couldn't handle of course. The captain of the ship stayed at the helm, navigating as necessary. Meanwhile, the young Jethro was out on the maindeck, watching the tumultuous waves clash and leap about. For a second, he thought he saw a shape amidst the waves. It was late, however, and he had just woken up for his rounds, so
Advantages:
Spoiler
Lycanthropy III (: Jethro Requin is a lycanthrope. He can transform into a man-shark and full shark form at will, gaining the aquatic trait in either of these two forms. During the full moon, he is forced to change, and has no control over his actions. Because of the lack of control during this time, certain Advantages increase by a single grade. However, he is vulnerable to silver, and takes more damage from silver weapons and implements.
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Re: Playground 4 OOC
The issue isn't whether or not they're actually Ancients - although I'm getting the impression that you didn't actually read the Story Element before you made the decision that these nomadic dudesmen would be Ancients - we have ancient remnants all over the place, from the Driftfolk to whoever taught the elves their stuff to the Kodari. The issue is that you have a race of people who live forever but aren't impacted by this in any meaningful way.
Rycon done by 
Galdr avatar done by 
Who knew? Anyways I have the adventure mostly mapped out, so next moment I have a big enough time block I should have us swinging into full gear!
