Welcome to Into the Whirlpool, my Unknown Armies game. Feel free to chat and plot and plan here.
Please post character sheets before posting anything else. Players are not allowed to look at each other's sheets, and you are on the honor system for this. If you want to discuss something with your fellow players, and leave me in the dark, post it here, in spoilers, preceded by "Players Only." I'll respect you more for it.
Note that while you will use the dice roller for your rolls, all GM rolls are secret, and will be done elsewhere. If I roll the dice using the roller, it will be because I am rolling for one of you, giving you lot Notice checks and the like. If something is in spoilers under another character's name, it's private information, and the player does not need to share it.
Now that all the boring and cruel miscellania is out of the way, let's enjoy the game. I hope you'll like it. I think it'll be fun.
Occupation: Construction Worker/Architecture Consultant Appearance:
Spoiler
A rugby player in his younger days, Jacques has retained roughly most of his former physique. Late nights and infrequent meals have drained his youthful vitality from his body, yet not from his piercing stare. His form stands tall at 5'11" with burnt brown hair, grey is faintly beginning to sprout from the edges of his hairline, yet it remains barely noticeable.
Personality:
Spoiler
(Libra) Jacques presents a reserved attitude as early on he knew little English and spoke with a slight accent. Recently his work had taken toll to his natural attitude and his patience often tested with issues he finds petty and insignificant with superficial issues dominating the spectrum of work. As such, he continues with a sigh. (Often blowing off steam at bars in the off-hours) Before acting as de facto consultant for a architectural firm, he drifted from job to job, bearing his cross of free will with an light wallet. His experience with hammering rocks in a quarry, loading docks, or even construction had paid off when he moved up the ladder and demonstrated the potential that others saw. Yet, he feels out of place in "upper-class" society as the values people have at the top differ from the ones the hauling marble or welding the steel girders that bare bones of their lives. With that in mind, money earned and morals aside, it wasn't too bad having either in his pocket for once.
Passions:
Spoiler
Obsession: The Trade-Off (Carcinomancy) A man doesn't get paid for having a hands or a head, only for using them. Jacques feels his morals erode with each passing day spent slaving and working for these people, yet it means a hot meal, hot water, and hot coffee every morning. Fear Passion:Weakness (Helplessness) Jacques has yet to experience the day when his strength fails him, for Jacques it is a fate worse than death. He feels should one limit or water down anything, it ultimately ruins the experience. To truly experience something, one must take in all benefits and penalties for the genuine article. Rage Passion:(Arrogance) Breaking rocks in the hot sun and welding girders has forged Jacques into a man of humility. Seeing high class life has only made him resent the modern "bourgeoise", as money doesn't entail on to walk all over others. Noble Passion:Honesty/Innocence
As a simple man, Jacques respects the few in his work environment with the money and honesty whom get things done. These rare individuals see others for what they are truly worth, and Jacques tries the same. Toward others, Jacques goes the extra mile and bears any burden for those whom proven themselves honest and dependable as the steel girders that line the endless skyscrapers in Chicago.
Stats and Skills.
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Body: 60, Full-Bodied
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General Athletics 20%
Brawling (Struggle) 30%
Pull an All-Nighter 25%
Large and Hard to Move 30%
Speed: 55, Sharp
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Dodge 40%
Driving 25%
Initiative 35%
Do Two Things at Once: 20%
Mind: 50, Shifty
Spoiler
On the Job Knowledge (Architecture): 35%
Sharp Eyes: 15%
Conceal: 15%
Corporate Doublethink: 40%
Authority (Architecture): 25%
-Flask of scotch
-Zippo lighter
-2 unopened packs of Lucky Strikes
-Leather "Mailbag" Filled with folders, papers, pens, pencils, etc. (Architect supplies)
-Cigarette case filled with self-rolled cigarettes
Clothing [denim jacket, red flannel shirt, grey and white horizontally striped shirt, white thermal, dark brown boots, grandfather's pocket-watch from France, old gloves, wool socks, spare suit]
Magick
Spoiler
School/Archetype:Carcinomancer(unaware): 40% Charges: 0, for now. Taboo: - Light 'em up. If you succeed at rolling Addiction, you must smoke at least one cigarette or lose all your charges.
-Can ya spare one? If anyone ever asks you for a cigarette, or something to light it with, you must comply, though you are not obligated to perform magick to meet his request. Spells Known: 1) (later to be wrote)
Some stuff he owns but aren't on his person. A house, car, and his personal firearm. A glock 17 that he keeps unloaded (two clips next to it though) in his car's glovebox.
Background
Spoiler
BACKGROUND
*Knock Knock*
After a short pause a throaty voices reaches through the door, "Come in."
The officer quietly opens the door, makes his way in and closes it just the same.
"Please take a seat," a hand gestures towards one of the two seats in front of him. "Would you like a drink or maybe a sweet?"
Richard makes his way farther into the office towards the suggested chair, "No, sir. I'm alright." He shuffles around his pockets for a bit; producing a fresh packet of Starbursts. "I brought my own."
"I see...", the doctor flips a couple pages on his clipboard, makes a note or two then begins to read from it. "Born and raised in Chicago, father was a cop, mother was a housewife. Grew up without too much incident, was a good student making high marks and keeping out of trouble. Looks like your brother followed a similar pattern." The doctor looks up as if wanting a confirmation.
The gumshoe pushes a red starburst into his mouth and rolls it around a bit, "Look here doc. I've got cases to close and I don't exactly have time to walk down memory lane with you."
A brief sign of annoyance crosses his face but he quickly corrects it. Shifting back into his seating and making himself more comfortable, "Fine, let’s just get right down to business then. Tell me about May 6th; start with the beginning of the day."
His hand reaches up for his chin and he massages his soul patch with his thumb, "Well let’s see I guess the day started like any other day. I got up, prepped myself for work and looked over a couple cases while I was eating my Cheerios."
"Do you normally look over case files in the morning?"
"..Yeah I guess. More so now days but yeah I normally do."
He scribbles a couple more notes down, "Continue please."
"Let’s see nothing really out of the ordinary for my morning. I got ready for work headed out to the office and met up with Ted. He and I have been partners for quite some time, going on ten years now. We had just cleared up most of our case work so we were expecting something new that day. Must of been a slow day or something we got a missing case report, no signs of foul play."
"I see, I see. You've been part of the force for some time. So he wasn't your first partner, how did the others fair."
Rich sits up some and gives his new starburst a big bite as he clenches his jaw, "I don't know what your suggesting bud. But I would watch it." He lets the awkward pause last before he continues, "So we headed over to the mother of the missing girl. She was the one that filed the missing persons report. We had a lengthy discussion over cookies, but, well it didn't pan out. We didn't really get any new information, so we got some info on her friends and decided to try that approach.
"I see, and how did that go?"
"Better in a way. I'm not really use to talking to kids or schools so that was unpleasant, but we did get a new lead. Apparently the girl had a boyfriend that the mother was unaware of. They didn't really know much about the kid besides his name. We did some digging at the school, got his address and such. He seemed like a good enough kid, not the sleaze you see out on the streets sometimes." Taking a small break in the story, Richard replaced the starburst in his mouth.
"Hmm, I see."
...."So we went to check him out. I was driving that day. As we walked up to the front door we were still carrying on a conversation about our planned fishing trip. Me and his family were going to take a boat out onto lake Michigan and spend the entire day fishing. I knocked on the door and the kid we were looking creaks open the door to greet us, I start on with the usually. How we needed to talk and seeing if we could come in without an issue. Wood goes flying everywhere as a shotgun slug blows a hole through the front door. My partner goes down and the little chicken **** drops the gun soon as he fires one off. I tackle the kid hard and cuff him up nice and tight. Then I called in the 10-53 Code 10....
The doc. sets his pen down and moves his clipboard off to his coffee table, "Your handling this all pretty well, or at least that's the appearance you give off. I've been told that you haven't taken a day off since and that your refusing to take any stress leave.
"..."
I'm going to suggest to your superiors that you need some time off. You would be wise to take it, go somewhere nice. I hear Las Vegas is a good vacation spot.
Black frame glasses, academic hipster clothing, artfully disheveled hair, piercing grey eyes, a day or two's worth of stubble, ironic smirk
Personality:
Spoiler
Ellis is a graduate student in the History department of (SEMI-PRESTIGIOUS UNIVERSITY OF GM'S CHOICE APPROPRIATE FOR THE GAME). He takes his work seriously, but realizes that not everyone has an interest in the academic debates of obscure and long-dead French and German guys. Thus, he isn't affronted when someone deems his work irrelevant, and will happily change the conversation to something more mundane and mainstream in content. His attitude tends toward the sarcastic and ironic, though he lets his guard down a bit among his friends. When engaged in serious intellectual conversation, he takes great interest, and is forthright and impartial in his judgments. While he often plays at "serious academic," he is more content to simply take notes an make informed observations, taking it all down for posterity. He secretly hopes to cement his position as an historian by witnessing some momentous event, or by establishing correspondence with some significant figure.
Passions:
Spoiler
Obsession: Publish or Perish. Ellis is obsessed with making a mark in academia. Fear Passion: (Isolation) Heartbreak. Ellis' sarcastic demeanor is the result of several failed romantic relationships. His dedication to his intellectual pursuits has made it tough to keep a girlfriend, let alone any close friendships. Rage Passion: Poseurs. Whether it's plagiarism, academic BS artists, or fakers of style, Ellis despises inauthenticity. It's fine not to be or understand something, but there's nothing worse than pretending that you're cooler than you are or know something you don't. Noble Passion: Education. Ellis believes that knowledge and power mutually reinforce one another, and that mankind has no higher aspiration. He hopes to contribute, if only in some small way, to the sum total of human knowledge.
Stats and Skills. [please put obsession skill in bold]
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Body: 40, Skinny
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General Athletics 20%
Struggle 20%
Pull an All-Nighter 30%
Mind: 70, Sharp eyes, sharp tongue, sharp wit Paradigm: Academic (Hardened Isolation, Failed Self: Long hours in the stacks makes Ellis used to being alone, but the more he researches, the less certain he is that he knows anything.)
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Know-it-all (History) 40%
Sharp Eyes 30%
Conceal 15%
Insightful Research: 20% (Used to uncover something unusual about a subject/person with some research)
Authority (academic): 10%
Soul: 65, Intuitive [The Chronicler, Unwitting]
Spoiler
Charm 25%
Lying 25%
The Chronicler: 45%
Damage:
Spoiler
Wound Points: 40
Spoiler
Permanent Wound Points: Current Estimated Total: [this is your estimate of your current total. I will not tell you what you are at. This is totally up to you.]
Madness: Sane. Enough. For now.
Ellis has spent long hours alone (Hardened: Isolation), but is never sure about how thoroughly he knows himself or anything (Failed: Self). He's definitely a lover and not a fighter (Failed: Violence), and once got his arm broken in a fight he thoroughly lost. His research has uncovered some really weird stuff and he has an open mind, so he's not thrown by the inexplicable (Hardened: Unnatural). Stress:
School/Archetype:The Chronicler (unaware): 45% Charges: 0, for now. Taboo: - must observe. If the Channeler actively takes part in an event or if she purposely tries to avoid witnessing an event then she brakes her taboo.
- must record. What good is a Chronicler if she leaves no record of what she witnessed? Spells Known: 1) 1%-50% flip-flop on information gathering
Character Background: Raised in Texas, I had a pretty average childhood; I was never picked first for gym, a little better than the rest in school (information tended to stick, but I got lost with details). I didn't have many friends either, until I realised I could lie my way to the top. It started with exaggeration then moved to downright fantasy - I was the guy who went out with the cheerleaders, could play three instruments, was being considered for the state baseball team... at least, so long as no one asked me to prove it. That was just it, though. I'm only as good as I can convince someone I am.
Practice made (more) perfect, and soon lies rolled off my tongue. What do I do for a living? Depends who you ask; to some I'm a lawyer, others an accountant, others an engineer. To all of them I'm a liar. I'm what you'd call a "generalist" when it comes to knowing things. I can bull**** with the best; I read magazines, journals, keep up with current affairs. I even managed to hold down a job in business for two years - I guess that tells you what you need to know about that sort of career - but damn it was dull.
You could say I became a con artist at a young age, but I never really went anywhere with it until the rent cheques started glaring at me. What began as a not-so-honest living became lucrative very quickly. Within a year I was moving all over the country, staying in fancy hotels. I picked up forgery quickly - a story and a smile only get you so far. With the small array of I.D.s I've got I can probably get in to most buildings in the US, if only for a little while.
My parents think I'm flying up the corporate ladder. I call them now and then, spin them some story, but I keep pretty distant. I don't want them getting pulled in if things go bad, better to let them live happy that their son's doing so well. Nothing says "don't worry, you were good parents and I turned out alright" like a successful businessman.
Obsession (Cryptomancy) "Live to Lie; Don't Just Lie to Live": I can become anyone you want - power, wealth, influence, it was all there for the taking - all I have to do is convince others of my false identity and the doors that a lesser man - someone like the real me - could never walk through swing open. A white lie is fine, but why not make it something more interesting? If I wanted a dull life I could be sitting in an office.
Rage "The Aloof": No one knows everything, and wealth is fleeting. I don't care if you've two doctorates and a plethora of other degrees, that doesn't make you better than me. I can talk that money right out of your hands, make you want me to take it. And you know what? Keep insulting that waitress for doing her job and I'll take you for everything you've got.
Fear (Self) "Others Knowing What I Am": I live a lie - lots, in fact - people don't need to know the real me. Everything I do, everything I say, it's an act. The second the mask is removed, I am nothing. What if word were to spread? Even a little truth in the wrong hands can be my downfall. Once one thread snaps, the web of lies and deception I've cast collapses in on itself. No... better they know nothing about the real me...
Noble "Generous With Money": Money's not everything, not when I've got it made. Beggars asking for coins, people wondering who's getting the next round of drinks, even someone who left their purse at home and can't pay for the coffee they just ordered. It's the little contributions that make a difference, and while I'll happily rob a rich person for a hefty sum of money, I've always got a few dollars to spare for brightening others' days. Money is only for spending, after all.
Personality "Who Am I Today?": If I'm a businessman or salesperson I'm confident and formal. If I'm an ex-marine I've got a limp, I curse, and I'm loud. If I'm an actor I'm... well, I suppose I'm always an actor. I've taken on so many roles it's hard to remember what the real me is like.
I guess you could work it out from my preferences; I'd rather be someone with influence than someone without. There's all that separates you and I from them, really... sure, they've got the know-how, but it's the air of authority that keeps them up high. There's no fun in being a nobody, Joe Average... but that doesn't mean I want you to remember me.
Whoever I am, I'm an adapter. Situations change, if you count on otherwise you're in for a nasty shock, so I spot when things are going awry and I either up my game or get out of there. I'm not afraid to back down when I know I'm beat, but that doesn't mean I won't give something a try. Life's for living, in my case I get a lot of lives to choose from.
CHARACTER INFORMATION
Name
Michael Voit
Player
Amanil
Campaign
Into the Whirlpool
Occupation
Con Artist
Personality
Who Am I Today?
Obsession
(Cryptomancy) Live to Lie; Don't Just Lie to Live
Rage
The Aloof
Fear
(Self) Others Knowing What I Am
Noble
Generous With Money
Appearance
Average build, dark hair, brown eyes. Clothing is generically business-like due to the look's adaptability.
Wound Points
40
ATTRIBUTES
BODY40
SPEED50
MIND60
SOUL70
BODY SKILL
%
Forgettable Face
25
General Athletics
25
When Words Aren't Workin' (Struggle)
20
SPEED SKILL
%
Drivin'
15
Dodge
25
Initiative
25
Lightenin' Burdens (Pick Pockets)
40
MIND SKILL
%
Conceal
15
Forgin' I.D.s
30
Knowin' Just Enough (General Education)
45
Notice
15
SOUL SKILL
%
Smooth Talkin' (Charm)
30
Takin' Charge
30
Bendin' the Truth (Lie)
40
Magick: Cryptomancy*
15
MADNESS
VIOLENCE
UNNATURAL
HELPLESSNESS
ISOLATION
SELF
HARDENED
FAILED
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HARDENED
FAILED
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HARDENED
FAILED
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HARDENED
FAILED
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HARDENED
FAILED
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•◌◌◌◌
EQUIPMENT
GEAR
LOCATION
Suit, Business
[Worn]
Briefcase
[Carried]
Journals, Scientific (Electronics)
[Briefcase]
Journals, Accountancy
[Briefcase]
Book, An Introduction to Woodwork
[Briefcase]
Notepad
[Briefcase]
Pens, Ballpoint
[Briefcase]
Pen, Ballpoint
[Pocket]
Cell Phone
[Pocket]
Passport (Fake, "Anthony Warner")
[Pocket]
Wallet #1
[Pocket]
Credit Card (Under Fake Name, "Anthony Warner")
[Wallet #1]
Driver's License (Fake, "Anthony Warner")
[Wallet #1]
Business Cards ("Anthony Warner, Software Consultant")
[Wallet #1]
Money ($360.29)
[Wallet #1]
Wallet #2
[Briefcase]
Credit Card (Recently Stolen)
[Wallet #2]
College Professor I.D. (Fake, "Ethan Shore")
[Wallet #2]
FBI I.D. (Fake, "Agent Matthew Wright")
[Wallet #2]
Money ($805.11)
[Wallet #2]
Suitcase
[Pulled/On Plane]
Clothes
[Suitcase]
Washing Kit
[Suitcase]
MAGICK
CHARGES
Minor
7
Significant
0
Major
0
ADEPT:Cryptomancy (Eastern)
Taboo
Eastern Cryptomancers can only tell the truth if they know their listener already knows or strongly suspects it. Saying "the sky is blue" won’t rob an Eastern crypt of his charges, for example. However, they cannot tell the truth to someone who is completely ignorant of it, unless that person is known to them as another Cryptomancer.
Frank is a former mechanic who lost everything dear to him, including his wife and baby daughter, when he was sentenced to fifteen years in a state prison for having lent the mob after-hours access to his garage for them to use as a chop-shop. Now once again a free man following his much-anticipated release, Frank is desperately searching for his missing family. After confronting his wife’s relatives, he’s learned that she was last seen in the city of Chicago, and so he immediately purchased a plane ticket.
General Information:
Spoiler
Occupation:
Formerly an automotive mechanic, now currently unemployed. Appearance:
Spoiler
Frank is a large man, tall and broad-shouldered, with thinning hair and the beginnings of a paunch around his middle, padding the muscle underneath. His hair was black in his youth but went salt-and-pepper during his imprisonment, and he wears a horseshoe mustache. His eyes are a blue-gray color, like worn metal, and they tend to stare right through you. He wears clothes for their comfort and utility. He has a very elaborate and unusual tattoo that spirals down his right arm and terminates at his wrist.
Personality:
Spoiler
Before prison, Frank was as friendly a guy as they come. He was open, outgoing, quick with a joke, and always willing to lend a hand to someone who needed it. Prison has a way of changing people, though, and the open, outgoing types quickly have it ground out of them. Having lost everything and wanting it back, Frank is obsessed with finding his wife and teenage daughter, no matter how long it takes him.
Passions:
Spoiler
Obsession: Fixing Things. Fear Passion: Incarceration. Rage Passion: Snobs. Noble Passion: Women and Children.
Stats and Skills.
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Body: 65, Hard Knocks
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Prison Tatts {Distracting Physique} 20%
General Athletics 20%
Large and Hard to Move 20%
Dirty Fighting {Struggle} 25%
Clothing [A pair of faded blue jeans, a worn flannel shirt, an old leather belt, and his father's wristwatch.]
A battered suitcase so used that it's needed to have been patched with duct-tape, stocked with as many clothes and toiletries as he could cram inside it.
A wallet [Contains some cash, his driver's license, and a picture of he and his wife holding their newborn baby daughter.]
A modified cellphone provided by Frank's 'Uncle Louie'.
I'm happy to bold my character's actual speech. I'd rather not do colours as well for me, as I tend to go in and out of speech quite a bit in my writing, so faffing with all of the colour tags would get irritating. You're all welcome to use them, though, I'm just lazy.
__________________ Campaigns:
Dungeon Crawl! - IC / OOC
I'm eager to begin, though I might not be able to cobble a post until tomorrow. Any particular narrative protocol you want us to observe, industrious? Anything like italics for thoughts, colors for speech, spoilers, whatever? I'm assuming pretty standard stuff, but I'd like to know if you have any preferences.
So far, my understanding with regards to seating is that Richard is in the leftmost, Anthony is in the 2nd from the right, and presumably Jack is to the right if he's able to doze while Richard and Anthony have a conversation.
Just making that a little more formal, for the sake of consistency.
__________________ Campaigns:
Dungeon Crawl! - IC / OOC
Seems like we got some grumpy people. Not sure why people wouldn't be cheery when they get to wake up early, watch some interesting videos and have their breakfast canceled.
So did the guy actually change (or appear to change)? Did he go from balding shamrock-tatted white dude to something else entirely? What's up with the gun's weird appearance? Is Ellis even rudimentarily aware of what happened?
The shamrock guy is at the border between First class and coach. There wasn't any change; someone else (Apu) is at the front of the plane making announcements. As for the gun...I'm describing it the way I understand it.
Given the 2-5-2 arrangement, what side is the gun-holding guy on? Left or right? To confirm, I'm assuming it's the guy we recognise as Apu Al-Mohammed on the intercom, as I can't feel that the physical description doesn't quite match the name.
GM only:
Spoiler
Given how well Anthony tries to keep up with current affairs in order to be always appear knowledgeable, does the name ring any bells with him? Obviously he's heard of it, but what's this guy infamous for? Hijackings? Bomb threats? Has he had any real successes or failures of note (e.g. is he an ex-con?)
"Knowin' Just Enough - (1d100)[70]
__________________ Campaigns:
Dungeon Crawl! - IC / OOC
One person makes for the gun while the rest gang up on him
The "armed" pen men make quick work of this unlucky individual
Then we continue the ruse until the other hijackers are dispatched, the ringleader taken down, and the plane manned while we "arm" ourselves
Side note: should another come in from first class, dispatch as seen fit?
Just thinking if others had a similar plan in mind...
I'm in no way sure that this constitutes the "only plan," in fact, I suspect it's a quick way to end the game. Gunshots in Unknown Armies are FATAL. I say we wait, and find out what this guy wants. We have no idea how many hijackers there are, what their goals are, or what they're armed with. I want to further check out the guy my character saw, and determine if he's a co-conspirator or someone who can help us.
Given the 2-5-2 arrangement, what side is the gun-holding guy on? Left or right? To confirm, I'm assuming it's the guy we recognise as Apu Al-Mohammed on the intercom, as I can't feel that the physical description doesn't quite match the name.
GM only:
Spoiler
Given how well Anthony tries to keep up with current affairs in order to be always appear knowledgeable, does the name ring any bells with him? Obviously he's heard of it, but what's this guy infamous for? Hijackings? Bomb threats? Has he had any real successes or failures of note (e.g. is he an ex-con?)
[roll0]
Gun-holding guy is on the left. He is not currently on the intercom, so there is at least one other guy there.
You don't know where Apu Al-Mohammed is exactly; you can't see him.
Spoiler
Sorry, bud. Nothing in particular is coming to mind.
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