[Mage: the Awakening] "Manhattan's Angel" game archival/discussion thread

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Crion: Sep 30, 2004; baseball.

in this game as a changeling. soon. heres a bio.

quote:

I want to be clear: the thing that took me was not Stephen Hawking.

It looked like him, sure. It talked like him. Or like it thought Stephen Hawking talks. It even rode around in a wheelchair. But those wheels never turned; he rode on the million tiny scampering feet that poked out of the hem of the cloth that covered the space beneath the wheelchair's seat. And the voice from that strange computerized voicebox was far crueler than any mass market model would use. And when was the last time Stephen Hawking smiled like that?

No, it was not Stephen Hawking, but it sure looked like him at times. Why, I don't know. Perhaps because Stephen represents the ultimate triumph of the mind over the body. Perhaps because it really is crippled somehow, and its awful thirst for knowledge is aimed at getting that small part of itself back. Perhaps it just likes tooling around in creepy wheelchairs. It doesn't really matter.

What it wanted was knowledge. All of it. It wanted to know everything about everything. That's why it took me. I'd just finished my doctoral thesis and was looking at private sector research positions when I walked into my office and there he was, in his loving wheelchair. "Stephen Hawking?" I said, awestruck. "Not. Quite," replied the voicebox with what sounded like a smirk.

I don't remember too much after that. I remember the dragging, yeah. Through the Hedge. You wonder why we capitalize it? That's because you've never been there. I remember some kind of bizarre, hell research university, with lecture halls with no ceilings, office space that went on forever, and planetariums with starfields that could never exist. I reiterate: it wants to know everything. Everything. It wants to know everything that IS, everything that WAS, everything that WILL BE, and especially everything that COULD have been, but WASN'T. There are strange worlds locked up in its filing cabinets and mainframes, and terrible secrets to be found on its overhead projector flimsies.

It forced me to teach classes of students that all had the same eyes as it did. When I failed them all for their complete inability to think critically and synthesize new solutions to problems, he dragged me before a review board of those same-eyed monsters, and they put me on Administrative Leave. I spent that in the engineering building basement, doing things I barely remember -- and I like it like that.

I don't know how I escaped, and that is precisely how I did it. At some point in my "research" -- generally pointless experimentation structured around insane and capricious goals it set for me -- I discovered two things: there was a Contract that underpinned linguistic comprehension in its domain, and there existed means by which to break it. The next day, I gave my last lecture. I looked each of these "students" in its eyes and told them exactly what I'd discovered, and exactly how I could turn this entire madhouse of its devising into a vast expanse of nothing. What good is knowledge if you cannot use it, or even interpret it in order to appreciate it? The students faded away, and after a moment, it rolled down the center aisle. It no longer smiled.

It offered me a simple deal: my freedom for my knowledge. I rushed to agree like a fool. The last thing I remember of Academia is those eyes...and then I was back in Brooklyn. And true to its word, it had taken my knowledge -- almost all of it.

It wasn't able to steal all of my memories, thank God, and I found that relearning language was like getting back on a bicycle -- but everything I'd done in my post-undergraduate career was lost. I didn't even remember what I'd written my thesis on. I broke into the graduate offices at my old university awhile back -- turns out it was something about the ecological ramifications of the use of weaponized white phosphorus. I briefly considered returning to school and trying to relearn what I'd lost, but things had changed -- I had changed -- too much. There was a new world open to me now, a stranger world outside the halls of the institutions that had shaped me; something new between the Hedge and here. I would learn all about that world. And then, maybe, I'll think about returning from sabbatical.

char sheet

code:

======================================
Paul Archimedes

Lord Sage of the Unknown Reaches,
Witch of the Bitter Wind,
Courtier of the Leaden Palace of Dust
in the Freehold of New York City
======================================
* Fortitude, Envy
* Autumn Court
* Darkling, Antiquarian

==========
ATTRIBUTES
==========
MENTAL                  PHYSICAL                SOCIAL
------                  --------                ------
Intell.:        4       Strength:       2       Presence:       2
Wits:           3       Dexterity:      4       Manipulation:   3
Resolve:        3       Stamina:        2       Composure:      3

Mental (Primary): 70 base xp + 25
Secondary (Social): 55 base xp + 5
Tertiary (Physical): 45 base xp + 20

======
SKILLS
======
MENTAL (-3 Unskilled)   PHYSICAL (-1 Unskilled) SOCIAL (-1 Unskilled)
------                  --------                ------
Academics:      5       Athletics:  0           Animal Ken:     0
Computer:       1       Brawl:      0           Empathy:        0
Crafts:         1       Drive:      1           Expression:     4
Investigation:  4       Firearms:   2           Intimidation:   0
Medicine:       1       Larceny:    0           Persuasion:     2
Occult:         3       Stealth:    2           Socialize:      1
Politics:       1       Survival:   0           Streetwise:     1
Science:        2       Weaponry:   2           Subterfuge:     2

Primary (Mental): 78 base xp + 38
Secondary (Social): 48 base xp + 6
Tertiary (Physical): 30 base xp

SPECIALTIES
-----------
* Expression: Teaching
* Occult: The Hedge
* Occult: True Fae
* Weaponry: Cold Iron

==========
ADVANTAGES
==========

Seeming (Darkling)
   Blessing: May spend Glamour points to add bonus dice to rolls
   involving Wits, Subterfuge, or Stealth. Also, all Stealth rolls
   are 9-Again. Curse: All Contract activation rolls made during
   daylight hours suffer -1 penalty; any such rolls made in direct
   view of sun suffer -2.

Kith (Antiquarian): Keys of Knowledge
   9-Again on all rolls involving Academics and Investigation.
   Spend a point of Glamour to gain bonus of the Encyclopedic
   Knowledge Merit on one question; if character has this Merit,
   add 3 dice to the pool.
   
Noble Order (Lord Sages of the Unknown Reaches):
   +1 to all Persuasion and Socialize rolls when interacting
   with mages. May take the Merits Enhanced Item, Imbued Item,
   Library, or Outsider Fetish.

MERITS
------

Contacts * (New York Freehold)
Fighting Finesse (Blades) **
Harvest (Emotion) *
Hollow ****
   Hollow Amenities *
   Hollow Size **
   Hollow Wards *
Mantle (Autumn) *****
   *: +2 bonus die to all Contract activation rolls involving Occult
   ***: +1 to all Empathy and Investigation rolls involving True Fae
   *****: Reroll any failed Occult roll dealing with magic, but not activating a power.
Resources ***
Token (The Hungry Arrow) ****
   Upgrade the damage type of any attack performed by a weapon in the hand holding the
   arrow from bashing to lethal, or from lethal to aggravated. Lasts only one turn, but
   may be used repeatedly without limitation. Drawback: Does one point of bashing damage
   to user every time activated. Catch: Sacrifice half of character's initiative (round
   down) for a scene.
Quick Draw (Blades) *

2 XP on Contacts
6 XP on Fighting Finesse
2 XP on Harvest
18 XP on Mantle
20 XP on Token (The Hungry Arrow)
12 XP on Resources
2 XP on Quick Draw


CONTRACTS
------

WYRD: 3

Hearth **

   * Fickle Fate (1 Glamour, Instant)
        The subject of Fickle Fate makes the roll for his next attempted
        instant action, whatever it is, at a -2 dice penalty. Ban: The
        character invoking Fickle Fate may not use it on the same subject
        more than once an hour. If he does, Fickle Fate visits his next
        action, instead of the subject's.
   ** Favored Fate (1 Glamour, Instant)
        The subject of Favored Fate makes the roll for his next attempted
        instant action, whatever it is, at a +4 dice bonus. Ban: The
        character invoking Fickle Fate may not use it on the same type of
        action a second time until the sun next rises or sets. If he does,
        an action in the near future automatically fails, with no dice
        roll. The action is chosen at the Storyteller's discretion, and is
        always a standard failure, never a dramatic one.
        
Hours ***

   * Restoration of Dawn Beauty (1 Glamour, Instant, Wyrd + Craft)
        Cause any object up to Size 3 to become as if the object were
        newly made. Does not repair any damage or wear except that done
        by age. No effect on living creatures; however, may make plant
        and animal bodies appear freshly dead. Catch: Changeling or
        member of his family owned this object before his abduction.
   ** Frozen Moment (2 Glamour, Instant, Wits + Wyrd)
        The changeling touches an object and freezes it in time and
        space for as long as one scene. The object is outside of time
        for the duration of the contract -- it cannot be moved and takes
        no damage of any kind. No time passes for the suspended. Can
        be used on objects up to Size 3; cannot be used on living or
        undead creatures. Catch: Performed at sunrise or sunset.
   *** Thief of Days (2 Glamour, Instant, Wyrd + Investigation)
        By staring at an object no less than a number of yards equal to
        the character's Wyrd away, the changeling can cause the object
        to corrode and decay. Each success on this clause causes one
        point of damage to the object, ignoring its Durability. The
        clause may be used on objects up to Size 10, but not on living
        or undead targets. Tokens and other fae objects may not be
        targeted. Catch: The changeling knows the name of the object's
        former owner, now dead.

Spellbound Autumn ***

   * Warlock's Gaze (2 Glamour, Instant [Contests are Reflexive], Wyrd +
     Occult [vs. Composure + Wyrd to contest])
        The changeling detects the presence of the supernatural, including
        those objects or effects being deliberately concealed. Catch: The
        changeling is making physical contact with a non-allied supernatural
        being while invoking the clause.
   ** Barrow-Whisper (1 Glamour, Instant, Expression + Wyrd)
        The changeling learns the tongue of the unquiet dead -- to hear and
        be heard by ghosts. Catch: A ghost in the area wants to communicate,
        either specifically with the changeling or anyone who will listen.
   *** Smith's Wisdom (3 Glamour, Extended, Intelligence + Occult + Autumn Mantle)
        The changeling studies an unknown item of magical power to learn the
        objects supernatural capabilities; note that success here does not
        necessarily translate into being able to use the item. Catch: The
        changeling has stolen the item from a friend or been freely given it
        by an enemy.


DERIVED TRAITS
--------------
* Health:       7
* Willpower:    6

* Initiative:   7
* Size:         5
* Speed:        10
* Defense:      3

* Clarity:      4

============================
EXPERIENCE POINT EXPENDITURE
============================

Points Spent Marked Above

139 GENERAL XP + 38 MERIT XP

9 REMAINING XP

==============
CURRENT STATUS
==============
* Health:       [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ]
* Willpower:    6/6
* Glamour:      12/12

COMBAT VALUES
-------------
* Initiative:   7

* Defense:      3
* Armor:        0/0

* Speed:        10
* Size:         5

ATTACK STATISTICS
-----------------
* Rapier               10 Dice
* Main Gauche          8 Dice
     (Offhand)         6 Dice

* Thunder 5 (.410)     9 Dice, 9-Again
* Thunder 5 (.45 Long) 10 Dice

RESISTANCE DICEPOOLS
--------------------
* Stamina:             5 Dice
* Resolve:             6 Dice
* Composure:           6 Dice

OTHER DICEPOOLS
---------------
* Perception:          6 Dice

* Encyc. Knowledge:    7 Dice, Glamour Pump

* Dawn Beauty:         4 Dice
* Frozen Moment:       6 Dice, Glamour Pump
* Thief of Days:       7 Dice, 9-Again

* Warlock's Gaze:      8 Dice
* Barrow-Whisper:      7 Dice
* Smith's Wisdom:      14 Dice

INVENTORY
---------

Cold Iron Rapier (3L, Size 2/L, Cost **)
Cold Iron Main Gauche (1L, Size 1/S, Cost *, +1 to Def when wielded w/other weapon)

Thunder 5 (Capacity 5, Size 1/J, Cost **)
   with .410 gauge: Damage 2 (9-Again), Range 15/30/60
   with .45 Long Colt: Damage 3, Range 20/40/60
(Paul's Thunder 5 is always chambered with .410 gauge unless otherwise noted)

10 additional rounds .410 gauge buckshot in quickloaders (100 more boxed in Hollow)
5 rounds custom Cold Iron .45 Long Colt in quickloader (40 more boxed in Hollow)

The Hungry Arrow
Journal with Clasp
Ink Pen

Heavy Clothing

Crion fucked around with this message at 09:53 on Aug 9, 2009

# ¿ Jun 26, 2009 02:32

Adbot: ADBOT LOVES YOU

# ¿ Apr 27, 2024 13:11

Crion: Sep 30, 2004; baseball.

the technocracy was a "great" antagonist in the same way nazis are in that you could never feel bad about anything you did to a member of the technocracy because they were such hilariously monstrous fascists

oWoD Mage's setting ruled btw but it was the only book of the line I ever read and I never played it so I never cared at all how things tied together or about any overplot or any of that nonsense

the werewolf stuff described in the book sounded lame as hell though

edit: missing a crucial word

Crion fucked around with this message at 00:20 on Jul 7, 2009

# ¿ Jul 6, 2009 19:58

Crion: Sep 30, 2004; baseball.

DOCTOR ZIMBARDO posted:

the technocracy was the good guys in a world where consensus determines reality free thought is disastrous ps are we playing tonight

lmao

you guys better play tonight, I want to join this game some time before The Literal Heat Death of the Universe

# ¿ Jul 7, 2009 00:26

Crion: Sep 30, 2004; baseball.

if you're literally canceling my game by fiat you best get back to nyc by the end of the session

# ¿ Jul 22, 2009 09:14

Crion: Sep 30, 2004; baseball.

Meanwhile, Paul Archimedes just walks into a fuckin wall. Over and over again

forever

# ¿ Jul 29, 2009 09:51

Crion: Sep 30, 2004; baseball.

reposting character sheet. not because you people might need to see it because i'm joining the game. but so when more xp gets handed out i can further modify paul without having to go back to page 28. i am never joining the game. Forever Trolled

code:

======================================
Paul Archimedes

Lord Sage of the Unknown Reaches,
Witch of the Bitter Wind,
Courtier of the Leaden Palace of Dust
in the Freehold of New York City
======================================
* Fortitude, Envy
* Autumn Court
* Wizened, Antiquarian

==========
ATTRIBUTES
==========
MENTAL                  PHYSICAL                SOCIAL
------                  --------                ------
Intell.:        4       Strength:       2       Presence:       2
Wits:           3       Dexterity:      4       Manipulation:   3
Resolve:        3       Stamina:        2       Composure:      3

Mental (Primary): 70 base xp + 25
Secondary (Social): 55 base xp + 5
Tertiary (Physical): 45 base xp + 20

======
SKILLS
======
MENTAL (-3 Unskilled)   PHYSICAL (-1 Unskilled) SOCIAL (-2 Unskilled)
------                  --------                ------
Academics:      5       Athletics:  0           Animal Ken:     0
Computer:       1       Brawl:      0           Empathy:        0
Crafts:         1       Drive:      1           Expression:     4
Investigation:  4       Firearms:   2           Intimidation:   1
Medicine:       1       Larceny:    0           Persuasion:     2
Occult:         3       Stealth:    2           Socialize:      1
Politics:       1       Survival:   0           Streetwise:     1
Science:        2       Weaponry:   2           Subterfuge:     2

Primary (Mental): 78 base xp + 38
Secondary (Social): 48 base xp + 15
Tertiary (Physical): 30 base xp

SPECIALTIES
-----------
* Expression: Teaching
* Occult: The Hedge
* Occult: True Fae
* Weaponry: Cold Iron

==========
ADVANTAGES
==========

Seeming (Wizened)
   Blessing: May spend a point of Glamour to make all Dexterity
   rolls at 9-Again until end of scene. Curse: Does not have the
   benefit of 10-Again on Presence rolls. Unskilled Social rolls
   are made at -2 instead of -1.

Kith (Antiquarian): Keys of Knowledge
   9-Again on all rolls involving Academics and Investigation.
   Spend a point of Glamour to gain bonus of the Encyclopedic
   Knowledge Merit on one question; if character has this Merit,
   add 3 dice to the pool.
   
Noble Order (Lord Sages of the Unknown Reaches):
   +1 to all Persuasion and Socialize rolls when interacting
   with mages. May take the Merits Enhanced Item, Imbued Item,
   Library, or Outsider Fetish.

MERITS
------

Contacts * (New York Freehold)
Fighting Finesse (Rapier) **
Harvest (Emotion) ***
Hollow ****
   Hollow Amenities *
   Hollow Size **
   Hollow Wards *
Mantle (Autumn) *****
   *: +2 bonus die to all Contract activation rolls involving Occult
   ***: +1 to all Empathy and Investigation rolls involving True Fae
   *****: Reroll any failed Occult roll dealing with magic, but not activating a power.
Resources ***
Quick Draw (Melee) *
Quick Draw (Handgun) *

2 Starting MXP on Contacts
20 Starting MXP on Hollow
10 Starting MXP on Mantle (Mantle * Free)

6 MXP on Fighting Finesse (Rapier)
12 MXP on Harvest
18 MXP on Mantle
12 GXP on Resources
2 MXP on Quick Draw (Melee)
2 GXP on Quick Draw (Handgun)


CONTRACTS
------

WYRD: 3

Fleeting Autumn **

   * Witches' Intuition (1 Glamour, Instant, Wits + Wyrd - Composure)
        The changeling learns the nature of one of the subject's fears.
   ** Tale of the Baba Yaga (1 Glamour, Instant, Manipulation +
      Intimidation + Autumn Mantle - Subjects' Highest Composure)
        The changeling induces a supernatural fear of a concept into
        a person or crowd of people; if faced with a believable
        manifestation of the concept, they flee it for one turn per
        success, or if unable to flee, cower from it (though they
        are not denied their Defense).

Hearth **

   * Fickle Fate (1 Glamour, Instant)
        The subject of Fickle Fate makes the roll for his next attempted
        instant action, whatever it is, at a -2 dice penalty. Ban: The
        character invoking Fickle Fate may not use it on the same subject
        more than once an hour. If he does, Fickle Fate visits his next
        action, instead of the subject's.
   ** Favored Fate (1 Glamour, Instant)
        The subject of Favored Fate makes the roll for his next attempted
        instant action, whatever it is, at a +4 dice bonus. Ban: The
        character invoking Fickle Fate may not use it on the same type of
        action a second time until the sun next rises or sets. If he does,
        an action in the near future automatically fails, with no dice
        roll. The action is chosen at the Storyteller's discretion, and is
        always a standard failure, never a dramatic one.
        
Hours ***

   * Restoration of Dawn Beauty (1 Glamour, Instant, Wyrd + Craft)
        Cause any object up to Size 3 to become as if the object were
        newly made. Does not repair any damage or wear except that done
        by age. No effect on living creatures; however, may make plant
        and animal bodies appear freshly dead. Catch: Changeling or
        member of his family owned this object before his abduction.
   ** Frozen Moment (2 Glamour, Instant, Wits + Wyrd)
        The changeling touches an object and freezes it in time and
        space for as long as one scene. The object is outside of time
        for the duration of the contract -- it cannot be moved and takes
        no damage of any kind. No time passes for the suspended. Can
        be used on objects up to Size 3; cannot be used on living or
        undead creatures. Catch: Performed at sunrise or sunset.
   *** Thief of Days (2 Glamour, Instant, Wyrd + Investigation)
        By staring at an object no less than a number of yards equal to
        the character's Wyrd away, the changeling can cause the object
        to corrode and decay. Each success on this clause causes one
        point of damage to the object, ignoring its Durability. The
        clause may be used on objects up to Size 10, but not on living
        or undead targets. Tokens and other fae objects may not be
        targeted. Catch: The changeling knows the name of the object's
        former owner, now dead.

Spellbound Autumn ***

   * Warlock's Gaze (2 Glamour, Instant [Contests are Reflexive], Wyrd +
     Occult [vs. Composure + Wyrd to contest])
        The changeling detects the presence of the supernatural, including
        those objects or effects being deliberately concealed. Catch: The
        changeling is making physical contact with a non-allied supernatural
        being while invoking the clause.
   ** Barrow-Whisper (1 Glamour, Instant, Expression + Wyrd)
        The changeling learns the tongue of the unquiet dead -- to hear and
        be heard by ghosts. Catch: A ghost in the area wants to communicate,
        either specifically with the changeling or anyone who will listen.
   *** Smith's Wisdom (3 Glamour, Extended, Intelligence + Occult + Autumn Mantle)
        The changeling studies an unknown item of magical power to learn the
        objects supernatural capabilities; note that success here does not
        necessarily translate into being able to use the item. Catch: The
        changeling has stolen the item from a friend or been freely given it
        by an enemy.


DERIVED TRAITS
--------------
* Health:       7
* Willpower:    6

* Initiative:   7
* Size:         5
* Speed:        10
* Defense:      3

* Clarity:      4

============================
EXPERIENCE POINT EXPENDITURE
============================

Points Spent Marked Above

139 GENERAL XP + 38 MERIT XP

0 REMAINING MERIT XP

2 REMAINING GENERAL XP

==============
CURRENT STATUS
==============
* Health:       [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ]
* Willpower:    6/6
* Glamour:      12/12

COMBAT VALUES
-------------
* Initiative:   7

* Defense:      3
* Armor:        0/0

* Speed:        10
* Size:         5

ATTACK STATISTICS
-----------------
* Rapier               10 Dice
* Main Gauche          8 Dice
     (Offhand)         6 Dice

* Thunder 5 (.410)     9 Dice, 9-Again
* Thunder 5 (.45 Long) 10 Dice

RESISTANCE DICEPOOLS
--------------------
* Stamina:             5 Dice
* Resolve:             6 Dice
* Composure:           6 Dice

OTHER DICEPOOLS
---------------
* Perception:          6 Dice

* Encyc. Knowledge:    7 Dice

* Witches' Intuition:  6 Dice
* Tale of Baba Yaga:   9 Dice

* Dawn Beauty:         4 Dice
* Frozen Moment:       6 Dice
* Thief of Days:       7 Dice, 9-Again

* Warlock's Gaze:      8 Dice
* Barrow-Whisper:      7 Dice
* Smith's Wisdom:      14 Dice

INVENTORY
---------

Cold Iron Rapier (3L, Size 2/L, Cost **)
Cold Iron Main Gauche (1L, Size 1/S, Cost *, +1 to Def when wielded w/other weapon)

Thunder 5 (Capacity 5, Size 1/J, Cost **)
   with .410 gauge: Damage 2 (9-Again), Range 15/30/60
   with .45 Long Colt: Damage 3, Range 20/40/60
(Paul's Thunder 5 is always chambered with .410 gauge unless otherwise noted)

10 additional rounds .410 gauge buckshot in quickloaders (100 more boxed in Hollow)
5 rounds custom Cold Iron .45 Long Colt in quickloader (40 more boxed in Hollow)

Journal with Clasp
Ink Pen

Heavy Clothing

Crion fucked around with this message at 02:33 on Aug 11, 2009

# ¿ Aug 9, 2009 09:55

Crion: Sep 30, 2004; baseball.

check out the hungry arrow. it Owns

# ¿ Aug 9, 2009 10:03

Crion: Sep 30, 2004; baseball.

ignore everything that was here. things are changing...

Crion fucked around with this message at 03:46 on Aug 13, 2009

# ¿ Aug 12, 2009 05:07

Crion: Sep 30, 2004; baseball.

quote:

The man sits in the chair wearing his charcoal grey suit and polished wingtips and sips the tea almost boiling from his cup. "Did you know I was in the neighborhood last night?" he asks.

His name is Tattervane. He is not well-known. When he arrived he was wearing a porkpie hat, but he removed it when he came in. When he is spoken of at all, it is because he is both an Acanthus and a Guardian of the Veil, and thus a mild curiosity. He is not a young man. He is not an old man. His hair is also grey, and on some days his eyes are blue, and on others they are green. In Atlanta, in the late eighties, there had been an Acanthus of moderate stature who had gone mad, declared himself a "servant of the True Fae," and thrown in with some rather amusing local creatures calling themselves "changelings," so Tattervane killed him. You've been told he smiles when reminded of this, and perhaps that is why he is smiling now. Perhaps not.

"No," you say, though you doubt he really expected an answer.

"I was on a spot of business for the Consilium," he says in a cultured New England accent he is almost certainly affecting. "Guardian business, you understand. Wink-wink, nudge-nudge, all that." There's a certain chummy humor in his tone, but an edge, too; you remember a fellow novice once saying of Tattervane that he took both his irony and his job very, very seriously, and woe betide those who got in the way of either. And now as he sits across from you begin to wonder what, precisely, his job entails. What does Tattervane do for the Guardians of the Veil? Here he sits in your study just before midnight after materializing at your door with nothing more than a chipper knock and a smile and a "I thought we might have a word." Is he on a spot of business for the Consilium now?

"You do understand, don't you?" Tattervane says, fingers steepled, the cup of tea now set aside, and you realize you've been staring.

"Of course," you say.

"You know, I always find it funny how coincidence works. Last night I was following this charming young lady by the name of...well, you probably know her as 'Kasia.' I believe the two of you have met?" he asks, virginally innocent. He knows you're not. Your throat goes dry and you blink, twice. Like you, Kasia is one of the recently Awakened and a novice in your conspiracy; like you, she's a Thrysus trying to become a Guardian of the Veil. She chose 'Kasia' as her Shadow name because it was the name of a cat she had as a little girl that she loved very dearly; her true name is Lauren. She's twenty-six years old, divorced, beautiful, a single mother, owner of a small bookstore in Brooklyn that used to be her father's. She spent last night in your bed for the first time, because she finally found a sitter. The leftovers of the Persian rice and falafel the two of you made together for dinner are still in your fridge.

"What's this about?" you ask.

"Kasia is, unfortunately, neither as inexperienced nor as right-minded as she would have you, I, or the Guardians believe," says Tattervane. "Though, perhaps, we owe her grudging respect for her abilities as a liar, betrayer, and spy. She is in fact a Seer. She serves the Lie." He pauses, considering you with a sorrow that doesn't seem to fit his face, and you look back at him blankly, then nearly dry heave. You hear him say, "I know there's nothing I can say here to make this better for you, but I am truly sorry," and by God, he sounds like he actually means it; meanwhile you feel like you're losing yourself, gripping the arms of your grandfather's ancient armchair to keep from floating away. First shock, then anger, then pain roll through you. Tattervane picks up his cup of tea again, stands, and walks to your study window, studiously examining the night outside. After a time, he says, "Something must be done."

"You don't know her," you manage to croak.

"Oh, we know Lauren quite well," says Tattervane, still looking out the window. "And we believe we know you quite well, too. That was a nifty bit of work you did, lifting your Crimson Veil."

You nod with your head in your hands. Driving a serial killer to commit suicide by appearing to him in his dreams as his disappointed father had felt inspired at time, though Lauren told you later she'd found it a bit distasteful. You say, "Thank you. I suppose."

Tattervane turns back. "So this morning, I had a chat with my elders and my betters -- and I assure you, you'll grow to realize those are two entirely different groups of people -- and we came to a consensus." Now he's smiling again, if a bit grimly, and he sounds downright chipper. "We want you to kill her daughter."

You stare at him. "I don't think I heard you right," you say.

"Oh, no, you did, you did." He sets the cup of tea back down on your coffee table. He doesn't very much sound as if he's joking, but with Tattervane, who can ever really tell?

They'd told you they expected ruthlessness, yes, but -- "The girl's four years old!"

"Yes, well, Sleepers." The Acanthus shrugs, as if that explains it. "The great thing about them is there's always more." He reaches for the teapot then stops. "Do you mind if I...?" When you shake your head, he pours himself another cup. "In any event, the Guardians are interested in sending a message. No more of this dreamwalking business; make it something bloody. Perverted, even. Something that screams 'crime of passion' to the Sleeper constabulary, but with hints of the magical, so that when the mother's handlers start poking about they'll know without a doubt that we've found their mole out, and are displeased. Of course, they'll assume it was the Arrows that did it, but they'll know a Guardian had to have pulled the strings."

"What? But I'm not a Guardian yet, I thought, I mean I've still got so much left to learn, with the language and the rotes and everything," you say, rambling, stalling for time to think as a great gasping horror creeps over you.

"But of course you do. We all do when we join, and you'll learn all of that, and more, as a Guardian. Consider this your initiation; your final test, as it were." Tattervane took a sip, frowned, and reached for the milk and sugar. "And once it's done, that's it -- you're in. You're one of us."

"Oh," you say.

"Now if I recall correctly, both of you are Thrysus. It would perhaps be bit below your abilities. as I understand them, for you to just make the child boil up and..." Here he pantomimes an explosion with his hands. "...like a little four year old hand grenade, but perhaps something similar, with mundane help. Just spatter the lifeblood everywhere; make a mess of things. Leave the toes all about the kitchen, an arm in the vase of flowers in the foyer. Feed the head to the dog." He ticks the grotesqueries off on his fingers as he speaks. "I'm just brainstorming here; feel free to contribute ideas of your own."

You try very hard to remember exactly what arcana you'd heard the Acanthus Guardian preferred. Time, that novice had said. That was it. Time. You close your eyes. That would make him a very hard man to surprise, and honestly, even if you did you probably couldn't take him. Maybe when you open your eyes he'll magically be gone. You do. He isn't. Twenty-four hours ago, looking up at the bedroom ceiling with Lauren curled up beside you, you'd told yourself joining the Guardians was the best decision you'd ever made. Now she was the enemy, and this snappily-dressed, faux-prim killer was very casually discussing the mutilation of her child in between sips of his Earl Grey with sugar and skim. "I won't do it," you say, and you feel your stomach gutter out.

"Excuse me?" Tattervane asks. The prattling stops. His smile is gone. "Now I don't think I've heard you correctly."

"No, you did," you say, and you think of the picture Lauren keeps in her purse of that little girl. "You did."

"You would turn your back on the Guardians for the sake of a Seer's child."

"I'm not that kind of person."

Tattervane's eyes narrow. They've gotten greener since he arrived. "Yes you are. We made very certain when we chose you to join that you were exactly that kind of person."

"I will not dismember a child."

"Please. It's not a child; it's nothing more than a collection of flesh and bone and other trivial mortal clay. Its soul Sleeps. Honestly, considering the body's parent, putting it back in queue would probably be doing it a favor." Tattervane's sneer bares his teeth and his eyes are wheeling madly. He leaned in. "I suggested to my superiors we make you this offer because I felt you were one of us. I thought that when you found out you'd been duped, betrayed, played for a fool, and laughed at -- and oh my lord, how your precious Lauren laughs at you when she's with her confederates, her very close Seer confederates -- you would seize not only the revenge you were due but a new station in this world, a greater hold on the very Mysteries themselves."

"And I think you're dangerously insane," you say. It briefly crosses your mind that no one's ever told you what happens to an Awakened soul when its body dies, but no matter; you suppose you'll soon find out. You push every thought away and, staring into the crazed Acanthus's eyes, you turn your mind down into your chest, becoming your heart's drumbeat, drawing the magic to you one last time.

"Good," says Tattervane, and then he sighs, suddenly looking exhausted. He sinks back in his chair. "Good. You can put the spell away, you won't be needing it tonight."

You frown on the threshold of manifestation, the power arcane still thrumming in your ribcage.

The Guardian sips his tea and smiles ruefully. "You know, that never gets any easier."

"What doesn't?" you ask, reluctantly letting the magic slip away.

"Lifting the Black Veil," he says. "The final test. You passed. Welcome to the Guardians of the Veil, Initiate."

"Are you serious?"

"Of course I am. You can't honestly believe that the Guardians of the Veil would ever want to murder a Sleeper and leave behind magical fingerprints linking us to the crime, can you? The notion is preposterous. Intentionally so."

"So...Lauren isn't a Seer?"

Tattervane laughs. "Not only isn't Lauren a Seer, Lauren isn't even Lauren. Nor has she ever been married. She certainly doesn't have a child. No, that particular young lady has been one of us for going on five years now -- she Awakened on Prom Night, if I recall correctly -- and she goes by the Shadow name Lamia." He takes another sip. "Mind you, in the future I would be less than trusting of any mage who purports to tell you her true name after the third date. And while you're to be given marks for not only giving her a first name in return, you should be grateful that after you invited her here she resisted the urge to hunt through your trash to find the name on the bills. A Seer would not have been so considerate."

"My true name's never been within a mile of this place," you say, still understandably distracted. "So what, I'm in? Just like that?"

"Just like that," replies Tattervane, standing. "As of...this moment, actually, the relevant Powers That Be have been notified. You start today." You glance at the clock. Two seconds past midnight. Time mages.

"You realize if your test had lasted any longer, I would have attacked you?"

Tattervane chuckles. "Wouldn't want that. I'm sure with your deep understanding of the secrets of Life I was risking all manner of skin irritation." Then seeing the look on your face, he says, "Oh, cheer up. You've made the team, won the respect of your colleagues, and best of all, you didn't even have to dismember a preschooler to do so; I can't think of any greater cause for celebration."

"Yeah," you say, but your thoughts drift back to last night and Lauren -- Lamia -- whoever she really was. "Right."

You walk Tattervane to the door. Outside, the night is warm and empty. No stars. "So that's it then," you say again. "The whole last two months have just been...one elaborate test."

The Acanthus perches the porkpie hat on his head and takes a couple steps down the stoop. "Yes. We do apologize, really. All new Guardians have to go through it. Yours was particularly cruel, and you handled it far better than some." Then he turns back. "And I do believe I was given a message to deliver, in the event you passed. How just because everything about it was a test doesn't necessarily mean everything about it was a lie; something like that."

"What do you mean?" you ask, staring at the buildings across the street, idly wondering what to do with the movie she'd brought over and left in your DVD player. In the house, the phone starts to ring.

"And there she is now," says Tattervane, little bit of the mad twinkling back in his eyes. "I'd get that, if I were you."

So you do.

* * *

Two weeks later, it's Lamia's turn to make breakfast in the morning, so you indulge a Sleeper habit you haven't quite kicked: making a pot of coffee, grabbing the paper, and seeing how the Mets did last night.

But when Lamia asks from the other room how you want your eggs, you don't reply. You're fixated not on the sports section, but on Metro, front page, reading an article across the bottom that caught your eye as you were putting it aside. You see, last night in Queens, the four year old daughter of a single mother was brutally murdered in her own home. The police refused to comment officially, but sources familiar with the investigation say that they think it might be the work of a serial killer or other deranged individual. They were, however, unable to confirm reports that one of the girl's severed arms was found in the flower vase in the foyer...

stats soon

Crion fucked around with this message at 09:14 on Aug 13, 2009

# ¿ Aug 13, 2009 08:38

Crion: Sep 30, 2004; baseball.

Nicolae Carpathia posted:

yeah it was written by a sleepwalker whose mother was a diamond-hating councilor if i remember correctly, the guardians were fuckin' pissed, like this rates about 100 kilotombhearts

tattervane's library is literally just copy after copy of these books

tattervane never goes into his library because writing freely gives its secrets to all who can read.

# ¿ Aug 14, 2009 00:45

Crion: Sep 30, 2004; baseball.

Nicolae Carpathia posted:

so what the gently caress was the deal with the girl getting murdered at the end of your story, did tattervane do it

nah, True Fae. it was just some servants of the True Fae. Nothing to worry about nothing to see

# ¿ Aug 14, 2009 00:49

Crion: Sep 30, 2004; baseball.

Still have to do merits and some other minor stuff but here's dude

code:

======================================
Nathan Scotsdale, "Tattervane"

======================================
* Justice, Pride
* Guardians of the Veil
* Acanthus

==========
ATTRIBUTES
==========
MENTAL                  PHYSICAL                SOCIAL
------                  --------                ------
Intell.:        2       Strength:       2       Presence:       2
Wits:           4       Dexterity:      3       Manipulation:   3
Resolve:        2       Stamina:        2       Composure:      4

Primary (Social): 70 base xp + 10 starting Attribute XP
Secondary (Mental): 55 base xp + 10 starting Attribute XP
Tertiary (Physical): 45 base xp

======
SKILLS
======
MENTAL (-3 Unskilled)   PHYSICAL (-1 Unskilled) SOCIAL (-1 Unskilled)
------                  --------                ------
Academics:      1       Athletics:  1           Animal Ken:     0
Computer:       0       Brawl:      0           Empathy:        2
Crafts:         0       Drive:      0           Expression:     1
Investigation:  3       Firearms:   2           Intimidation:   3
Medicine:       0       Larceny:    2           Persuasion:     2
Occult:         3       Stealth:    2           Socialize:      2
Politics:       3       Survival:   0           Streetwise:     1
Science:        1       Weaponry:   0           Subterfuge:     4

Primary (Social): 78 base xp + 3 GXP
Secondary (Mental): 48 base xp + 12 GXP
Tertiary (Physical): 30 base xp

SPECIALTIES
-----------
Investigation: The Seers of the Throne
Politics: The Guardians of the Veil
Intimidation: Ruthless Lunacy

==========
ADVANTAGES
==========

MERITS
------

Fast Reflexes **
Hallow (Sundown) **
High Speech *
Masque: The Eye of Mars (Firearms) *
   +2 to Firearms; -1 to Manipulation
Masque: The Good Death *
   +2 to Stealth; -2 to Empathy
Masque: The Runehold *
   +2 to Occult, Investigation; -2 to Empathy, Socialize
Masque: The Scepter *
   +1 to Manipulation; -1 to Composure (except to def. contested rolls)
Occultation **
Resources ***
Sanctum ***
   Size *
   Security **
Status (Consilium) **
Status (Guardians of the Veil) ***
Quick Draw (Pistols) *

4 starting Merit XP on Fast Reflexes
12 starting Merit XP on Resources
4 starting Merit XP on Status (Consilium) (Level * free)
12 starting Merit XP on Sanctum

2 MXP on Fast Reflexes
6 MXP on Hallow
2 MXP on Masque: The Eye of Mars
2 MXP on Masque: The Good Death
2 MXP on Masque: The Runehold
2 MXP on Masque: The Scepter
6 MXP on Occultation
12 MXP on Status (Guardians of the Veil)
2 MXP on Quick Draw (Pistols)

High Speech free


ARCANA
------

GNOSIS ***

Time *****
Fate ***
Prime ***

36 starting Arcana XP on Time
36 starting Arcana XP on Fate

54 GXP on Time
42 GXP on Prime

ROTES
-----

Interconnections * - Gnosis + Investigation + Fate = 9 Dice (Covert)
Temporal Wrinkles * - Gnosis + Occult + Time = 11 Dice (Covert)
Counterspell Prime ** - Gnosis + Occult + Prime = 9 Dice (Covert)
Exceptional Luck ** - Gnosis + Occult + Fate = 9 Dice (Covert)
Postcognition ** - Gnosis + Investigation + Time = 11 Dice (Covert)
Shield of Cronos ** - Gnosis + Stealth + Time = 10 Dice (Covert)
Temporal Dodge ** - Gnosis + Athletics + Time = 9 Dice (Covert)
Transform Aura ** - Gnosis + Occult + Prime = 9 Dice (Covert)
Unseen Spy ** - Gnosis + Subterfuge + Prime = 10 Dice (Covert)
Shifting Sands *** - Gnosis + Occult + Time = 11 Dice (Vulgar)
Time Stop ***** - Gnosis + Occult + Time = 11 Dice (Vulgar)

2 starting Rote XP on Interconnections
4 starting Rote XP on Counterspell Prime
6 starting Rote XP on Shifting Sands

4 GXP on Exceptional Luck
4 GXP on Postcognition
4 GXP on Shield of Cronos
4 GXP on Temporal Dodge
10 GXP on Time Stop
4 GXP on Transform Aura
4 GXP on Unseen Spy

============================
EXPERIENCE POINT EXPENDITURE
============================

Points Spent Marked Above

139 GENERAL XP + 38 MERIT XP

0 REMAINING GENERAL XP

0 REMAINING MERIT XP

==============
CURRENT STATUS
==============
* Health:       [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ]
* Willpower:    7/7
* Mana:         12/12

COMBAT VALUES
-------------
* Initiative:   7

* Defense:      3
* Armor:        1/0

* Speed:        10
* Size:         5

ATTACK STATISTICS
-----------------

Colt M1911      7 Dice
  (Eye of Mars) 9 Dice    


RESISTANCE DICEPOOLS
--------------------
* Stamina:      5 Dice       
* Resolve:      6 Dice        
* Composure:    7 Dice        

OTHER DICEPOOLS
---------------
* Perception:   8 Dice
* Res. Anal.:   4 Dice

INVENTORY
---------

Heavy Clothes

Colt M1911 (Token: The Eye of Mars)

Finger of a Healthcare CEO (Token: The Good Death)
Old Magnifying Glass (Token: The Runehold)

Crion fucked around with this message at 08:55 on Sep 6, 2009

# ¿ Aug 14, 2009 18:00

Crion: Sep 30, 2004; baseball.

brennon posted:

spending every game exp point on just arcana? *snaps fingers* Ferrinus

im going to have to fight all the mage bros at once, i need to be Prepared

# ¿ Aug 14, 2009 18:37

Crion: Sep 30, 2004; baseball.

Nicolae Carpathia posted:

god i hate your guy already

wait until i get 10 more xp Ba Ha Ha Ha Ha

# ¿ Aug 14, 2009 20:10

Crion: Sep 30, 2004; baseball.

Chernobyl Peace Prize posted:

Crion Really Likes Changeling Okay (not that there's anything wrong w/that)

Correct.

# ¿ Aug 15, 2009 01:29

Crion: Sep 30, 2004; baseball.

Chernobyl Peace Prize posted:

it's called having Will, son

changelings can't awaken, they souls is buttons and thread

# ¿ Aug 15, 2009 01:36

Crion: Sep 30, 2004; baseball.

Chernobyl Peace Prize posted:

yep, no Will.

nwod mages are green lanterns dwi

green lanterns are uninteresting alcoholics, child rapists and fascists. this is acceptable

# ¿ Aug 15, 2009 01:41

Crion: Sep 30, 2004; baseball.

Nicolae Carpathia posted:

i can't do mage tonight just fyi

considering happyelf is running tonight i doubt ferrinus can either

# ¿ Aug 16, 2009 21:06

Crion: Sep 30, 2004; baseball.

added rotes to the character sheet, currently figuring out merits

# ¿ Aug 17, 2009 00:12

Crion: Sep 30, 2004; baseball.

Young Tattervane

code:

======================================
Nathan Scotsdale, "Tattervane"

======================================
* Justice, Wrath
* Guardians of the Veil
* Acanthus

==========
ATTRIBUTES
==========
MENTAL                  PHYSICAL                SOCIAL
------                  --------                ------
Intell.:        2       Strength:       2       Presence:       2
Wits:           4       Dexterity:      3       Manipulation:   3
Resolve:        2       Stamina:        2       Composure:      4

Primary (Social): 70 base xp + 10 starting Attribute XP
Secondary (Mental): 55 base xp + 10 starting Attribute XP
Tertiary (Physical): 45 base xp

======
SKILLS
======
MENTAL (-3 Unskilled)   PHYSICAL (-1 Unskilled) SOCIAL (-1 Unskilled)
------                  --------                ------
Academics:      1       Athletics:  1           Animal Ken:     0
Computer:       0       Brawl:      0           Empathy:        2
Crafts:         0       Drive:      0           Expression:     1
Investigation:  3       Firearms:   2           Intimidation:   3
Medicine:       0       Larceny:    2           Persuasion:     2
Occult:         3       Stealth:    2           Socialize:      2
Politics:       3       Survival:   0           Streetwise:     1
Science:        1       Weaponry:   0           Subterfuge:     4

Primary (Social): 78 base xp + 3 XP
Secondary (Mental): 48 base xp + 12 XP
Tertiary (Physical): 30 base xp

SPECIALTIES
-----------
Investigation: The Seers of the Throne
Politics: The Guardians of the Veil
Intimidation: Ruthless Lunacy

==========
ADVANTAGES
==========

MERITS
------

Fast Reflexes **
High Speech *
Masque: The Eye of Mars (Firearms) *
   +2 to Firearms; -1 to Manipulation
Occultation **
Resources **
Sanctum **
   Size *
   Security *
Status (Consilium) **
Status (Guardians of the Veil) **
Quick Draw (Pistols) *

6 starting Merit XP on Fast Reflexes
2 starting Merit XP on Masque: The Eye of Mars
6 starting Merit XP on Occultation
6 starting Merit XP on Resources
4 starting Merit XP on Status (Consilium) (Level * free)
6 starting Merit XP on Sanctum
2 starting Merit XP on Quick Draw

High Speech free


ARCANA
------

GNOSIS *

Time ***
Fate **
Prime **

36 starting Arcana XP on Time
18 starting Arcana XP on Fate
18 starting Arcana XP on Prime

3 XP on Prime


ROTES
-----

Interconnections * - Gnosis + Investigation + Fate = 9 Dice (Covert)
Counterspell Prime ** - Gnosis + Occult + Prime = 9 Dice (Cove
Shifting Sands *** - Gnosis + Occult + Time = 11 Dice (Vulgar)

2 starting Rote XP on Interconnections
4 starting Rote XP on Counterspell Prime
6 starting Rote XP on Shifting Sands


============================
EXPERIENCE POINT EXPENDITURE
============================

Points Spent Marked Above

5 REMAINING ATTRIBUTE XP

==============
CURRENT STATUS
==============
* Health:       [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ]
* Willpower:    7/7
* Mana:         12/12

COMBAT VALUES
-------------
* Initiative:   7

* Defense:      3
* Armor:        1/0

* Speed:        10
* Size:         5

ATTACK STATISTICS
-----------------


RESISTANCE DICEPOOLS
--------------------
* Stamina:      5 Dice       
* Resolve:      6 Dice        
* Composure:    7 Dice        

OTHER DICEPOOLS
---------------
* Perception:   8 Dice
* Res. Anal.:   4 Dice

INVENTORY
---------

Colt M1911 (Token: The Eye of Mars)

# ¿ Jul 9, 2010 03:35

Crion: Sep 30, 2004; baseball.

I can burn everything

# ¿ Jul 18, 2010 05:14

Crion: Sep 30, 2004; baseball.

what night you're running. i've started running changeling on thurs and vox is in that game....................

i can prob move it to Wednesday but i'd have to also discuss it with cbn, ill, and dwho

# ¿ Oct 14, 2010 07:04

Crion: Sep 30, 2004; baseball.

THURSDAY OR SATURDAY WOULD OWN follow me online @twittervane

# ¿ Dec 24, 2011 15:47

Crion: Sep 30, 2004; baseball.

"When I give food to the poor, they call me a saint. When I ask why they are poor, they call me a communist." - Archbishop H�lder C�mara

"If they can find meat to eat, which is rare, they should eat it, and do some good work to mark the day, because not eating meat is not the point." - Cardinal Paulo Evarito Arns, on Ash Wednesday

code:

==============================
Father Avisail "Rojas" Lis
==============================
* Ventrue
* Lancea Sanctum
* Virtue: We Are All God's Children; Vice: But I Am His Favorite Son

==========
ATTRIBUTES
==========
MENTAL                  PHYSICAL                SOCIAL
------                  --------                ------
Intelligence:   5       Strength:       4       Presence:       4
Wits:           2       Dexterity:      2       Manipulation:   2
Resolve:        3       Stamina:        3       Composure:      3

Mental: 70 + 10 = 80 (5)
Physical: 45 + 10 + 25 = 80 (35)
Social: 45 + 10 + 25 = 80 (20)

======
SKILLS
======
MENTAL (-3 Unskilled)   PHYSICAL (-1 Unskilled) SOCIAL (-1 Unskilled)
------                  --------                ------
Academics:      5       Athletics:      2       Animal Ken:     0
Computer:       2       Brawl:          1       Empathy:        0
Crafts:         0       Drive:          2       Expression:     4
Investigation:  1       Firearms:       0       Intimidation:   1
Medicine:       0       Larceny:        0       Persuasion:     3
Occult:         2       Stealth:        1       Socialize:      0
Politics:       4       Survival:       1       Streetwise:     0
Science:        0       Weaponry:       4       Subterfuge:     1

Mental: 45 + 3 + 9 + 9 + 30 = 96 (9)
Physical: 9 + 3 + 9 + 3 + 30 = 54
Social: 30 + 3 + 18 + 3 = 54

SPECIALTIES
-----------
* Academics: Theology
* Politics: Lancea Sanctum
* Weaponry: Hammer and Sickle 


==========
ADVANTAGES
==========
MERITS
------
Dodge ** (2)
Fighting Style: Hammer and Sickle ***
Status: Lancea Sanctum **
Language: Latin *
Language: English * 
Language: Spanish *
Weapon Parry **


DERIVED TRAITS
--------------
* Health:       (8)
* Willpower:    (6)

* Initiative:   (5)
* Defense:      (4)

==============
CURRENT STATUS
==============
* Health:       [ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ]
* Willpower:    6/6
* Vitae:	11/11

Blood Potency **

COMBAT VALUES
-------------
* Initiative:   6
* Defense:      4
* Armor:        1/2

DISCIPLINE DICEPOOLS
--------------------

* Theban Sorcery **
  * Theme: Transmutation **
  * Theme: Divination *
  * Theme: Destruction *
  * Theme: Protection *
* Dominate ***
* Resilience **
* Auspex *

21 + 30 + 15 + 5 + 7 = 78 (48)

RITUALS
-------

* Blood Scourge * (Destruction *, Trasmutation *)
* Vitae Reliquary * (Transmutation *) (2)
* Curse of Babel ** (Transmutation **) (6)
* Resilience of Discipline * (Protection *) (2) (VS. BLOOD SORCERY ONLY)
* Tempter's Eye * (Divination *) (2)


ATTACK STATISTICS
-----------------
* Hammer and Sickle: 14L

OTHER DICEPOOLS
---------------
* Perception:           (5)
* Pierce Obfuscate:     (4)
* Resist Auspex:        (4)
* Resist Frenzy:        (6)


XP USAGE
--------

Pool: 30 XP + 160 XP

Attributes:  65 XP
Skills:      9  XP
Merits:      2  XP
Disciplines: 48 XP
Rituals:     12 XP

65 + 9 + 2 + 48 + 12 = 136 XP

154 XP - 30 XP = 124 Post Char-Gen XP Spent

89 XP REMAIN



=========
INVENTORY
=========
GENERAL
-------


WEAPONS
-------

ARMOR
-----

Crion fucked around with this message at 02:49 on Jun 13, 2013

# ¿ Mar 23, 2013 07:36

Crion: Sep 30, 2004; baseball.

quote:

1. How would (or did) his obituary read? What are its highlights? What would it leave out?

Notes of good works in the local community; testimonials from the elderly Catholics about town. Not published anywhere but the back of a small-circulation town gazette. Perhaps a mention or two of a brief theological career derailed by...well, it will say something like God's will guiding him to minister to a small-town flock, or speak of his devotion to practice above preaching. It will not mention the wholly secular nature of modern clerical politics. The only mention of his native Colombia will be to note he was born in Medell�n, and it will not speak of the the Latin American Episcopal Conference.

quote:

2. What are the things he likes most and least about vampirism?

The equality of blood was a revelation. Finally, a Godly faith that reasonably approximates meritocracy--and disposes with the mortal Church's old colonialist trappings. Of course, it brings new, more challenging structures in their place--there is a whole new history, a new theological liturgy and a new canon of thought to learn, and he is still absorbing it even tonight. And with that equality comes another, darker satisfaction: the freedom of anger. In life, in the mortal Church, he bowed to the whims of men insulated by birth and circumstance, men seated by privilege above him; men he could never touch or tear down. This is no longer so. All the Church of the damned asks of a man is that he have conviction and the will to work. And there is nothing wrong with the Sanctum Lancea that Father Rojas cannot fix with his bare hands.

quote:

3. Name two people whose lives will be directly affected by your departure, and explain why.

In the suburbs--the close suburbs, though you still need a car to get there quickly--a church went out of business ten years back. The property was bought by Angelos & Spears, Ltd. and rezoned commercial--but then the company went under. Since then the church, still standing, passed through a number of holding companies (none so brazenly named as the first) until the city council moved it be marked a historic landmark. The current company that owns the property has technically filed suit--and then motions to postpone every three months following. The church is not abandoned, of course. The old sign outside might say something about Methodists, but it is in fact christened St. Madeline, Church of the Holy Sin, and it is a charity. A Kindred charity. And what charity can a Kindred offer but the same as any other shepherd: sheep.

The four square miles around the abandoned church is dense (for Arizona) residential neighborhood, and in that zone, with St. Madeline in the center, any Kindred regardless of status, clan or covenant may feed so long as they do not injure, rape, kill, or embrace any of the kine within. Theban sorcery enchants the ground and air itself: the Sanctum will know. There is no leniency; a Kindred that breaks any of the rules is banished from St. Madeline Parish on pain of Final Death.

The Laceans charged with tending to the public flock and, at least in theory, enforcing this rather ambitious mandate are known as the Novices of St. Madeline; with exceptions for their leadership, they are almost all young Kindred for whom upholding the order in the parish is a way to pay their early dues as a Spear. One of these Kindred is Jennifer Gonzales, apparent age 16, actual age about twice that. She was embraced in the Nineties; she looks much like Rojas's dead younger sister. He tries to teach and guide Jennifer where he is able, and help when patrons of the Church get unruly. With the current unrest in the Sanctum, the Church's operations are suspended and Jennifer undoubtedly pressed into duty with the other Novices elsewhere; he is concerned but certain he has taught her well. And unlike poor Catarina, Jennifer is far tougher than she looks. God has seen to that through the power of the blood.

There is an old man, senile, shrunken and slumping, who walks the half-wooded paths near the place where Father Rojas takes his daily rest. The two pass each other infrequently as Rojas goes to and from his crypt and the old man walks, his reasons his own, but often enough that the man in the throes of his senility has come to believe that Father Rojas is his grandson, who was a priest of about his age and is now (Father Rojas presumes) dead. He doesn't know the old man's name--he calls him "Abuelo" when he must, and is called "Enrique" in return--but has sat down with him on the side of the path many times in the hours before dawn or after sunset, talking of football and the north of Mexico and a family that Rojas was never part of. He knows the old man does not have long to live; he knows that every time he sees him, it might be the last. But he rejoices in this, for he knows that Abuelo is bound for Heaven just as certainly as he is bound for Hell.

quote:

4. What's your best-case scenario? If you had no external pressures and no question of lack of resources or survival, how would you be spending your time?

Hell need not come too quickly. Rojas embraces every dogmatic argument put forth by the Sanctum's learned scholars, but rejects their final conclusion: that the purpose of the Church is to be put against the kine as warnings and fearful mysteries. He rejects that Kindred are but the gilded scarecrows of Christ, and rejects even more that damnation frees them from the moral obligations to the meek and downtrodden they at least paid lip service to in life. Most of all, however, he rejects the opulence with which the Sanctum's higher authorities "live"--like the Popes and Cardinals of old, whoremongers and murderers, rapists and gluttons, liars and cowards armed with symbols instead of faith. With no question of lack of resources or survival, Avisail Lis would tear the Princes and Bishops from their thrones and remind them as they lay in the dirt that they be not the kings of this world, merely peasants of a different breed--eternal monks charged with the herding of man: shepherds, not wolves. Must herds be culled? Yes. But no shepherd takes joy in it. At least for the Lancea Sanctum, if not all Kindred, Rojas envisions a simple Church, strong in number and tied firmly to the earth--as the shepherd is; as is his flock.

Left to his own devices, Father Rojas would tear down the Lancea Sanctum or die trying as a heretic. Luckily for him, he hasn't been--and while his unique worldview so far has merely been censured and frowned upon instead of branded heresy, that's only because he's kept some of the more extreme provisions of his unique take on Liberation Theology to himself. He likes Flagstaff. He's been in Flagstaff for years, now. But if he must leave it all behind to better serve the ideals of a wayward corpse, he is prepared. The Lord didn't abandon the Sanctum. The Sanctum has abandoned the Lord.

quote:

5. What's your favorite song? (alternately select a theme song that you feel reflects some key aspect of your character)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O7YQR27lykA

Crion fucked around with this message at 01:07 on Mar 31, 2013

# ¿ Mar 31, 2013 00:54

Crion: Sep 30, 2004; baseball.

Miami Vamp

quote:

Miami. Crown jewel of the Sunshine State. The so-called "Capital of Latin America." The city of people whose roots are always somewhere else.

It is January 1st, 1982, little more than a year after the Mariel Boatlift, when Fidel Castro sent 125,000 refugees out of Cuba and to Florida's shores; little less than two years after the race riots of 1980 that followed the brutal murder of Arthur McDuffie, an African-American, by eight white police officers in broad daylight and their subsequent acquittal on all charges. Roadwork extending I-95 into the city has been completed, and Miami finally has its very own highway system; the state Department of Transportation built it right through the historic African-American Liberty City neighborhood, where no one had to worry about angering voters. The good white folk of southern Florida have enough on their minds already: Miami and two of its outlying environs, West Palm Beach and Fort Lauderdale, made the FBI's annual list of the top ten most violent cities in America. Miami, population 347,000, won the gold medal, edging out New York City, population 7,000,000. The biggest industry in the region is drug-smuggling, and it's a growth industry: cocaine is sweeping through the country, especially to its coastal cities, and almost all of it enters the United States through Miami. And the drug industry's captains are staunch proponents of horizontal integration: the real estate, tourism, and hospitality industries have swelled as dealers try to launder their money clean. It is estimated that the Miami branch of the Federal Reserve has a currency surplus of over $5 billion, more than the other twelve Federal Reserve banks combined, the vast majority of it coming at some point from the drug trade.

The city itself is a war zone. No one family or group controls the city; there are too many drugs for that. Things are happening too fast for tradition. Miami is the site of the first large-scale, almost industrialized drug distribution network in the United States since the end of Prohibition. Like everything in American history, however, there are some commonalities that break down along racial lines: white dealers had controlled the action since the 60s when marijuana hit the scene, but had always been fragmented; they still control most of the marijuana business, as they lack the contacts to set up cocaine distribution. The Colombians, who arrived in the late 70s and introduced cocaine to the city, mostly allow the whites to have the weed market; they have their hands full with a much more lucrative product. Primarily representatives of the cartels who produce the cocaine, they are close-knit and professional; the FBI and DEA have made no major arrests or won any major victories against them. The Cubans, their already-respectable ranks swelled with the cast-offs of Mariel, are a different matter entirely. Cocaine has turned a number of them from insanely poor men to insanely rich men, and like any lottery winner, their first instinct is to splurge. Some of them see themselves as the next Al Capone; some prefer the more modern Don Corleone. What they lack in organization and pipeline, they make up for in tenacity and numbers, and as certain Colombian lieutenants found out to their very short-lived dismay, the cartels will work with any distributor in Miami regardless of race so long as he can do two things: pay his debts, and sell massive amounts of cocaine.

And where are the police in all of this? On the streets, of course. Or in jail. Or dead. With the Colombians, at least three different Cuban kingpins, and the fragmented but still heavily-armed white weed dealers locked in a eight to ten way war for control of South Florida, police recruitment has been in the toilet since the late Seventies. One of the reasons is that the Application for Employment to be a police officer in Miami-Dade county requires the applicant have not used drugs in the past ten years. Confronted with no recuits in early 1980, the police board lowered this to five years. Then two years. Then they informally told recruiters to stop caring about the provision at all. By the end of the decade, Miami's entire police academy class of 1981 will be either be dead or in jail. So the answer to "where are the police" is: they're running drugs, killing people, and getting shot just like everyone else in Miami.

Then CENTAC 26 came to town. Like its 25 predecessors across the United States, Miami's "Central Tactical Unit" was a joint task force composed of federal agents and resources on loan from the FBI and DEA along with local detectives and officers handpicked by the unit's founder and commanding officer, Lt. Raul Diaz, previously the head of the city's homicide division. The unit's first order of business was to locate a mass-market distributor with a taste for excessive violence by the name of Rafael Leon Amilcar. CENTAC located Amilcar, who had over a dozen aliases, was constantly moving from place to place, and owned no car or anything that could be traced to him, in under 24 hours. They arrested him the following morning, hiding in the laundry room of an apartment complex into which they had chased him.

In the year since its inauguration, CENTAC 26 has proven itself competent, relentless, and utterly without mercy. Officially, all law enforcement policies that apply to the Miami Police Department also apply to them. In practice, they've carved their own sigil of death and blood into the streets of Miami, executing drug dealers, civilians, even other police officers when it suits them. They've closed cases at such a ridiculous rate since their inception that at least three national law enforcement conferences have had Diaz visit as keynote speaker in the last year. But a closure doesn't require a conviction, merely an arrest or a corpse. And regardless where they were that night, the first suspect in a CENTAC investigation always seems to get found with a murder weapon or some coke on him. They're different from the usual corrupt cops, though: very professional, very nice. Very calm and distant, up until the M-16s come out. None of them seem to be drug users, which is almost unheard of these days. In the lawless cauldron of Miami, CENTAC 26 is bizarrely out of place.

None of this really bothered the Kindred of Miami all that much, though. They'd viewed the Mariel Boatlift with some mild interest and amusement, and some of older Ventrue grumbled about what was happening to "the quality of blood in this city," but like the race riots, neither of these things really concerned them all that much. Due to the strong Invictus presence and tradition in the Miami Court's history, the trappings of medieval feudalism were well and alive in South Beach; every court noble had his own territory clearly laid out--Elysium had a giant map of it, hand-drawn and inlaid with rare metallic leaf like an illuminated manuscript, that had to be pain-stakingly recreated in its entirety every time a city street changed hands. The Prince, Jebediah Cone, had settled in Miami after the American Civil War, disillusioned by his own court in Richmond and desirous of a city uninclined to involve itself in the major mortal issues of the day; he claimed Miami-Dade County as his domain and cared very little what happened outside of it. The prevailing view in the court of Jebediah Cone as midnight approached on December 31st, 1981 was that the mortal war in the streets was a diversion of scenary, like how one's estate is landscaped. It was occasionally interesting, sometimes entertaining and only really bothersome in that more and more younger vampires from "abroad" were making their way to Miami, seeking permission and privilege to indulge in the bloodshed--or not seeking permission, and being exiled or exterminated by the Sheriff and his Hounds. But prevailing opinion held that this war and the cocaine that drove it were just a fad, regardless of how the neonates raved about the stuff. With a little time and vigilance, all the nobles agreed, everything in Miami would soon be back to normal.

But that was last night. It's January 1st, 1982 now, and the court of Jebediah Cone is gone.

This is an open-ended, sandbox-type VtR game using the current nomadgame iteration. Can support 4-6 players to start with, though more can be added if there's interest.

Character creation is the standard XP allotment +30. We're using GMC social merits as well, so you can get that from the updated rules core. For Neonates, the first dot of status for their own Covenant is free, but it cannot start higher than 1 and no status in any other Covenant is allowed at all; Petitioners will gain a free dot of status in their Covenant at the end of the first session.

There are two different kind of PCs that could walk into court the night of January 1st 1982.

CHOOSE ONE:

quote:

THE PETITIONER

You arrived in Miami anywhere from two to four weeks ago and wisely sought out the Prince at his court in Elysium to present yourself and offer fealty, at which point you discovered that while the Miami police department might accept any drat drunk or drug fiend off the street, things are done with a bit more rigor in the house of Jebediah Cone, a bit more rigor indeed. That, or something to that effect, was imparted to you by a harried-looking Southern-gentleman sort named Marshalls who holds the title Commissioner. If you're Invictus, you will already know that makes him something of a city-planner and chamber of commerce member rolled into one; if you're not, he'll be sure to explain it to you as condescendingly as he can. Either way, Marshalls will inform you that he has been -- dramatically tedious sigh -- reassigned to processing, housing, and accounting for all the new arrivals at Court recently seeking membership. It is no small feat, you are assured, to keep track of anywhere from eight to eighteen drifters at a time, making sure they do not break Masquerade, or disrupt any official functions or -- heaven forfend -- trespass on claimed territory and taint a noble's herd by feeding from it ("Think of the map!" the Commissioner cries, and then continues on without explaining the map).

Put shortly (also his words), the point is that you have to prove yourself to the Prince before he will grant an audience, nevermind accept an oath of sworn service. "Southern hospitality" only implies social obligation to other landowners, you see; a gentleman owes no obligation to sharecroppers. And how will you prove yourself? With a positive contribution to the Prince's library. The Prince is an avid collector of arts and dabbles in the majority of the natural sciences; he embodies "the philosophy that a gentleman should be conversational about everything, rather than educated in one," Marshalls says with satisfied nod. The Prince doesn't expect much, of course (he smirks briefly), but a work of your own creation on any topic in the arts or sciences is required for your presentation, and he advises that you put all of your labors until then into the project. "In our world you get second chances on many things--even death--but you only ever get one first impression."

Until you are presented to the court, you will be staying in Liberty City, "where the Negroes are," with all the other landless, unvassaled, or otherwise out of favor Kindred. You may feed as you wish in the neighborhood--and at this point he precisely recites the relevant cross-streets that define it--so long as you remember you're not the only vagrant in the soup line, so to speak. Every week you will have to check in with one of the Sheriff's Hounds to confirm that you're feeding and sleeping in your proper place. Then, after taking down your name and very basic resume of sorts, Marshalls hands you a dollar for a cab and quite literally points you at the door back to the street.

When posting your character, in addition to a general history, provide answers to the following questions:

1) What sort of creative or scientific work does he or she make for the Prince?

2) How does he or she pass the time in Liberty City?

--OR--

quote:

THE NEONATE

You were embraced by a Kindred of the Miami court. This was a rigorous, taxing process on both your sire and yourself--nothing like the trivialities that idiot Marshalls keeps heaping on the out-of-town applicants to keep them occupied and in line while the court's diviners and detectives figure out their real worth. In fact, it was even worse for you: they get to be out in the slums abducting and murdering the poor while a special committee of elders highlights their flaws, dismisses their skills, and downplays their accomplishments. You had to be in the room.

Spontaneous embraces have always been banned in Cone's Miami, his argument being that "the contract between childe and sire is not unlike the contract of marriage in that it is the fundamental moral underpinning of our society" and that he would not "stand idly by while the community was overrun by blooded-up strumpets and neonates of low character." It's not a mistake that the process feels like a courtship from Hell, with the court itself in the role of overbearing family patriarch.

Before anyone even broaches the topic of embracing, the prospective sire must first get permission from his convenant's Primogen to take the candidate as a ghoul. If permission is granted (and oftentimes it is not), the sire is ordered to spend the next six months teaching the prospective child proper etiquette and manners in preparation for the Midsummer's Debut held on the summer solstice, when all the new ghouls in the domain are formally introduced to the court. Did permission to take the candidate as a ghoul arrive after a day after the winter solstice? Yes? Then the candidate has to wait until the summer solstice afterwards to debut.

The name isn't a mistake; like upper-class young women of marriagable age in Jebediah Cone's American South, the candidates are expected to smile, look their best, and keep their mouths shut unless directly asked a question. A few months after the Debut, a council appointed by the Prince from the court's nobility will review each candidate that was presented and give an up or down, straight majority vote on whether he or she should be considered further. Of those that pass muster, both prospective childe and sire are run through a ringer of tests and examinations, from extensive divining work by Cruac ritualists to a full, vetted background check courtesy of the Sheriff's Hounds and Archon. Cue more secret deliberations, usually twice a month. During this time, the sire and childe are expected to live together and the sire watch over and educate the ghoul like an actual minor.

Then, finally, sometime around November at the earliest, the prospective sires are summoned and given a choice: they can undergo a review by the Prince's council within the next fortnight, or they demur for a year. A sire can demur three times before the council stops asking and requires a tedious resubmission process if at some point in the future they're to consider the candidate again, but once a sire and his candidate are reviewed, that's it: the council's decision, up or down, is final. No review, no appeal, no nothing.

Your sire chose not to demur this year, either with or without your input, feeling you were ready to face an accounting of your history, skills, and abilities. The session lasted a grueling seven hours, from just past sunset to a few hours before dawn, and was physically and emotionally exhausted. More than once you feared some councillor or another was going to not only denying your sire's petition but recommend you for exile or worse based on some meaningless triviality or spite. Afterwards you realized, with or without your sire's help, that the session is as much a test to see how much unfair, hurtful abuse you can take from your elders without losing your temper or disrespecting them. Somehow, you passed.

Once a sire and childe are approved to embrace, the specifics of the ceremony, if any, are left up to them; tradition dictates that the sire, who is invariably a Kindred of some importance and responsibility in his covenant, is given a week or two away from his duties before he is expected to bring the childe before the Prince for a second, official presentation.

In the end, Cone was right about one thing: if in life you happened to live in a large, traditional family and got married to someone from another large, traditional family, the last six months or so HAVE actually reminded you of planning your wedding, except worse in every way. Now, you're back from your "honeymoon," you're a fresh-faced new member of a covenant, and you're looking forward to some real responsibilities.

So of course you're stationed to hang around Liberty City with the rest of this year's neonates and make sure the out-of-towners--who didn't have to put their entire lives on hold for half a year for a shot at this--do their craft project without terrorizing the locals too much. At least you've been assured they've basically got no chance of making it. And it's not like you're missing much right now anyway; the only big social event after Thanksgiving is on New Year's Eve, and it's invitation only--usually only primogens, prisci, and their immediate underlings are invited, and the Prince isn't the sort of man who has time for +1s.

Anything's better than hanging around Liberty City watching strangers, though. Just have to keep your head down and get through it.

When posting your character, in addition to a general history, provide answers to the following questions:

1) Who is your sire? What position do they hold in your covenant? What is your relationship with him or her like (remember, you've lived together for at least the past six months, and may still)? Are they at the Prince's private New Year's Eve gathering?

2) How do you handle this whole Liberty City thing? Just walk up to these guys, explain who you are, and follow them around? Stalk them from the shadows? Concentrate on other work, figuring your peers will do it?

I'll have a post more broadly explaining the different covenants in Miami in a bit, but the existing power structure had Invictus rulers with Circle advisors, a vocal but mostly non-combative Lancea Sanctum contingent, a much quieter, very small cadre of Ordo Dracul the Prince keeps on retainer for various reasons, and a rapidly growing number of Carthians--many of them in Miami illegally.

Crion fucked around with this message at 00:43 on Aug 3, 2013

# ¿ Aug 3, 2013 00:14

Crion: Sep 30, 2004; baseball.

Nicolae Carpathia posted:

Ah, cool. Thanks!

A question for Crion: Are petitioners forbidden from leaving Liberty City entirely while working on their presentations, or simply from feeding outside of it?

Leaving it at all, unless they wish to leave town via the highway that runs through the neighborhood. The actual prohibition is trespassing on nobles' territory, and since all of Miami except for Liberty City is claimed, they more or less can't leave.

# ¿ Aug 4, 2013 03:51

Crion: Sep 30, 2004; baseball.

Nicolae Carpathia posted:

Some more questions:

1) I'm guessing the slums of Miami are not a super great place to pick up fancy paints or get access to a library (especially during night hours) -- are petitioners given any assistance whatever in finding necessary things, or is the general expectation that you should be able to Make Do?

2) The Kindred who own (or owns) the beaches of Miami, how far offshore is considered "theirs"?

1) The general expectation is that you make do, but Liberty City is a poor neighborhood, not a gutted out war-zone. The Model City Branch of the Miami-Dade Public Library isn't the most well-funded in the system, but it is certain there and open to the public at reasonable hours (9 PM on weekdays, so in January you should be more than fine) and there are assorted crafts stores in the area, mainly for housewives and such.

2) The Circle, who claims North, Mid, and South Beach as their feeding grounds, have only as much interest in what happens off shore as pertains to staying informed about drug running in their area. Considering the local economy, however, that's considerable interest. If they were forced to assert property rights, they'd claim everything from their beaches out two miles to sea, where international waters start. Somewhat difficult to enforce, though as a very young vampire, you probably don't want to give them a reason to. Besides, the waters off Miami at night are dangerous for a multitude of other reasons besides trespassing--that's when all the smugglers land.

# ¿ Aug 6, 2013 02:19

Crion: Sep 30, 2004; baseball.

Here is a rundown of the convenants of pre-1982 Miami.

quote:

THE INVICTUS

The most powerful covenant in Miami by a wide margin, the Invitcus control through their various landed nobles a full 2/3 of the feeding grounds in the metropolitan area, including all of the coastline property: downtown, Edgewater, and Miami's "Upper East Side" are their primary strongholds. The Prince does not actually administer downtown, which is the jewel of the Invictus holdings; he regards having a direct hand in the day to day running of the court as ungentlemanly, and instead rules over a small, private domain in the adjacent Coral Way neighborhood. Night to night administration of the court at large are left to his Seneschal, Kaia of the Acolytes, while the running of the Invictus itself is left to Anthony di Felice, the so-called Viscount of Miami. His domain actually only extends over the immediate downtown area, and there have been grumblings not only from courtiers of other convenants but those in the Invictus displeased with di Felice's arrogance that it really should be "the Viscount of Downtown Miami," but it was the Prince who landed him and gave him the title, and the Prince has already spoken on the matter. As he also assumes the title of Judex, judge and mediator of disputes, when circumstances dictate di Felice is the second most powerful man in both the Invictus. There have been considerable rumors that this is not enough for him, however--despite how handsomely the Prince has rewarded him for his efforts, he resents that Cone continues to keep an Acolyte as his Seneschal instead of promoting himself.

The most politically powerful Invictus not invited to the Prince's New Year's Eve party are Lady Emily Demers of Edgewater, di Felice's childe, one-time lover and now bitter social rival; Lord Hector Rialto of the Upper East Side, who is an ally of di Felice's and handles any convenant business interests the Viscount does not personally have time for; and Mr. H of the Civic Center, an oily, eccentric sort who liaisons with the Ordo Dracul and keeps an eye on the Carthians in Little Havana. The majority of the court's support structure--including the Sheriff and all but two of his Hounds, the Commissioners, and three of the Prisci--are all Invictus.

quote:

THE CARTHIAN MOVEMENT

The Carthians were little more than a footnote in the mid-Sixties, but in the last decade and a half the Movement has risen to become the major opposition power in Cone's court, though still--for the moment--in the minority. The Carthians are based primarily out of the Little Havana neighborhood and the eastern, Haitian parts of West Flagler that the Sanctum has no interest in patrolling.

When he finally deigned to recognize the Carthians after decades of having his Sheriff snuff out any who dared enter the city, he demanded the Movement have a defined power structure with a recognizable leader--not only so Cone always knew who he was dealing with, but so that if recognizing the upstarts proved to be a mistake, he had a better idea who to kill. Carthian elder David Klondike's official title is "Speaker," and though he claims to not elevate himself higher than any other Carthian for it, if the title didn't, the potency of his blood would. Anthony di Felice hates Klondike with a passion usually reserved only for Emily Demers, and to his credit, Klondike is a skilled obstructionist, dissembler, fabricator, mediator, terrorist and liar.

Klondike was supposed to be at the Prince's New Year's Eve party, but made a big show of refusing to respond to the invitation--which he does every year. There were rumors he was serious this time, however, due to the recent extreme strain put on the relationship between Cone and Klondike, and the Invictus and the Carthians. Ever since the Mariel Boatlift, there have been pernicious and startlingly specific rumors about the Carthians secretly bolstering their numbers with "illegal" embraces, though the best efforts of the Sheriff have turned up nothing.

If Klondike stayed true to form and went to the New Year's Eve gathering, there is no real succession plan in place; the Invictus demanded a structure from the Carthians, but that's meaningless if they don't deign to enforce it. Citizen Louis Gallo is a Cajun by blood and a Communist by nature, or perhaps the other way around; he wishes for the Movement to explore lines of communication with Cuba and possible solidarity with ideological brothers there; Citizen Gabrielle Porter is a fierce activist for integrating the Liberty City neighborhood into the Carthian fold--so far, this has gained no traction--and wields considerable influence in the "native" faction of the Miami Movement, and Citizen Fuerza--just Fuerza--a beret-wearing, badly mauled Cuban expatriate who arrived in town in 1978, remaining silent in the common meetings but talking quietly of the revolution during the fraternization afterwards. Klondike respected and feared him, and while Porter commands the most respect of any Carthian not named Klondike, Gallo has his followers as well--together, they could swing the future of the faction towards open conflict with the Invictus of Miami, given the right opening.

Oh, and the rumors about illegal embraces? They're true.

quote:

THE CIRCLE OF THE CRONE

The Circle has a rather small numerical presence in Miami, not beginning to approach even the official number of Carthians that have swelled into the city and actually numbering one or two fewer than the Lancea Sanctum, but due to its historic alliance with the Invictus, Acolytes are well-represented on all court councils and is the only other covenant to have a member appointed Hound.

Kaia, the Seneschal of the court, is not actually the Acolyte Primogen in Miami; she is the third or fourth eldest, depending on the rumors you believe about the Maiden, the Mother, and the Crone. Local Acolyte practices retain much more European influence than one might expect, but are known to also draw from the ancient mysticism and spiritual rites of the Seminole and other native Floridian tribes, while also recently being influenced more and more by the practice of Santeria arriving with immigrants from Latin America. The convenant itself is administered by three powerful elders who have forsaken their names and now go only by honorifics denoting their place in the Acolyte triune. The Maiden rules North Beach, the Mother rules Mid Beach, and the Crone rules South Beach. Traditionally, all embraces into the Miami Circle are performed by the Mother, and approval of the very infrequent candidates she puts forth is more or less a rubber stamp process, but there are infrequent exceptions; Kaia, for instance, is the sole childe of the Crone.

Kaia was not at the Prince's New Year's Eve gathering, as court business called her away to a dispute between the Circle and the Sanctum in the Flagami neighborhood; as the entire Triune was in attendance, she is not only the highest-ranking remaining court official, but also now a de facto primogen and hierophant of the Circle. Part of the reason she was picked for Seneschal, however--and di Felice wasn't--is that she has no interest or ambition in a leadership role; for the time being, unfortunately, that's exactly what's been thrust upon her.

After herself, the most powerful Acolytes in Miami are Xolo, Haruspix of the Circle and the diviner who attends to the requests of the court when the Triune, all of whom are extremely powerful seers, are otherwise occupied; Jorgmund, master of ceremonies at many of the Circle's secretive, Acolyte-only events and--members of other covenents say--far too fond of ritual murder for his and the Circle's own good; and Dreamcatcher Halla, the resident poet and historian of the Miami Circle, who appears to be no older than fifteen or so.

quote:

LANCEA ET SANCTUM

The Sanctum actually has a couple more members in it than the Circle does, but is probably the least politically powerful convenant in the city, more or less by choice: the Sanctum focuses almost entirely on its own business, basing their operation out of La Iglesia de Santa Maria in the West Flagler neighborhood and remaining mostly on the premises in a greatly-expanding near-monastic subbasement. The rise in the practice of santeria, and its dual roots in Roman Catholicism and the older, bloodier local religions of the Caribbean, have sent the Sanctum into something of a prolonged tizzy, with younger Lances generally arguing that the practice is not worth serious consideration as its Catholic overtones are cosmetic, while the elders of the convenant worry about the nature of the blood sacrifices involved in some santeria rituals and that it brings the church far too close to the territory of the Acolytes.

The Bishop, Leon Almancer, is a strict conservative, heavy upholder of tradition, affirmer of the Monarchus, and completely unprepared for what's happened to Miami over the last three years. Under his leadership, the Lance has turned inwards, focusing its attention entirely on scholarly and scriptural matters (to the dissatisfaction of younger blood) such as the relationship of the aforementioned santeria "mortal cult" to the magic of the blood in both Lance and Acolyte followings. While originally Almancer made a large fuss over the practice of santeria and his covenant's inquiry into it, they've been very quiet of late.

Almancer attended the Prince's party; the most powerful Lances remaining are Father Donatello della Morte, an Italian of indeterminate age from overseas who, it is sometimes said, could have easily taken the Bishopric from Almancer had he desired the headache; Sister Cristina Cruz, administrator of the Sanctum's day-to-day operations, childe of Almancer and assumed surrogate in all matters--though recently she has shown a surprising independence streak at court, especially regarding her covenant's lethargy; and Father Marcos Santiago, Ostiary of the Sanctum in Miami and all but sworn enemy of both the Circle of the Crone and the mortal practice of santeria.

quote:

THE ORDO DRACUL

A curiosity and a mystery in the court of Miami. There are less than a dozen Dragons allowed a home in Jebediah Cone's court, and all of them are exempt from the various tributes, strictures, and social event attendance policies that bind the rest of the covenants, even the Invictus themselves. Cone has also decreed they can feed where they like, so long as they are polite houseguests; it has long been a subject of much gossip precisely what services the Dragons of Miami provide to their Prince.

Save that a creature named Kovanda is the leader of the covenant and is customarily absent from every event on the social calendar except the Prince's yearly New Year's Eve gathering, nothing of substance is known about them.

Crion fucked around with this message at 02:54 on Aug 6, 2013

# ¿ Aug 6, 2013 02:49

Crion: Sep 30, 2004; baseball.

I'd rule owning a successful, trendy nightclub that you put obvious resources and effort into requires Resources 3, Staff 1, and would entitle you--should you wish--to buy up to Status 2 (Miami Business Community) if you wished. You could also remain as a silent partner who still advises/controls the club's running through a trusted mortal associate or a ghoul.

Areas "full of" nightlife are owned by the Invictus or Circle, yes, but Miami even in the 80s is enough of a tourist trap that the Carthians have gotten minorly involved in the scene too. The Sanctum doesn't really care and no one even knows where the Ordo Dracul hang out, let alone if they operate city businesses.

Crion fucked around with this message at 23:40 on Aug 7, 2013

# ¿ Aug 7, 2013 23:37

Crion: Sep 30, 2004; baseball.

Some Miamigame NPCs that everyone would know, or very shortly learn, about.

quote:

DUBOIS

Carthian, Mekhet, appears mid-twenties, true age late sixties, African-American, well-educated, stern.

Dubois is Gabrielle Porter's childe and on-and-off lover, embraced only as part of a deal that David Klondike brokered with Jebediah Cone himself for territory on the edge of Little Havana--and with Porter for her continued support of his mandate of Speaker for the Carthian Movement. He grew up in post-World War II Liberty City, perhaps more of a slum then, but experienced the Civil Rights Movement as he came of age there and travelled well across the South by bus to join in a number of Dr. King's demonstrations. King heavily leaned Communist himself, and Dubois connected with the Carthian movement, specifically with Gabrielle, through wide-eyed "revolutionaries" he met on the peripheracy of that movement.

Due to his kinship with the area and his trusted status in Porter's group, Dubois is the Carthian ambassador and overseer to Liberty City, and informally its protector. He is young but personally powerful, erudite, and when provoked to violence, merciless; he distrusts the idea of Liberty City's annexation by the Carthian Movement as much as by any other covenant, but likewise bristles at how Commissioner Marshalls uses the neighborhood as a homeless shelter for Kindred from out of town, sight unseen. He's even less of a fan of the new blood being sent in to watch them, something he views as his own job.

Dubois will be courteous and helpful, if watchful, should the PCs approach him in or around his haven beneath the Liberty City Church of Christ and engage him honestly and frankly about their purpose in his neighborhood; otherwise, he will be standoffish, and PCs will find themselves being tracked with vigor within the city regardless of whether they're Neonates or Petitioners.

quote:

DREAMCATHER HALLA

Acolyte, Daeva, appears mid-teens, true age late forties, Cuban-Irish, friendly, popular.

Physically the youngest Kindred formally part of the Court of Miami, Halla is the Circle's Cuentista, storyteller, or Skald for those from more traditional Anglo iterations of the Circle. She was the current Mother's first childe and still her favorite, embraced out of affection and recognition of her gifts rather than covenant tradition. Halla is immensely well-regarded outside of the Circle, perhaps even better than she is within it, serving as the chief archivist and records-keeper for Seneschal Kaia; she is a personal favorite of Jebediah Cone, which has caused muted grumblings amongst the paleoconservative vanguard of the Miami Invictus, who do not approve of her mixed racial background. She was born and raised in what was just growing into Little Havana as a teenager; her father being Cuban and her mother Irish in pre-Civil Rights era America, they had a hard time of things from both sides. She was still accepted by the majority of the immigrant community, popular in both her school and in community-wide cultural events, and it was there the Mother first noticed her. When Halla's family was lynched by a group of white supremecists trying to impress the national Klan in the late 50s, the Mother swiftly stepped in and swept the girl off to Mid Beach before Social Services could have its way with her future; Halla took well to the Circle, and thanks to her sire's connections and Cone's immediate affection for her at her debut, she was embraced within three months of her ghouling.

Halla is outgoing, honest, generally optimistic and pleasant; her politics are somewhat Carthian and staunchly naive, but she is diplomatic enough to mute her more radical beliefs in front of Invictus elders, and exemplifies the etiquette and social graces expected of a young woman in their court so well even the worst among them tolerate her. She has personal connections within every covenant, including the Ordo Dracul--Kovanda dotes on her like a godfather. This is as much due to her unthreatening nature as her abilities as a storyteller and diplomat; no ambitious Kindred sees her as a credible rival for any position or territory, and most are confident that should she become a problem, they might just be able to send their Ghouls to handle her. The goings-on at the Prince's New Years Eve gathering, however, leave her almost entirely without patrons save for Kaia, who resents that the girl achieved such an exalted position in the court by just writing poetry and being pretty and quiet at Elysium while she had to work for it--but also feels guilty about this, since in many ways, Halla is still just a child.

quote:

MR. H

Invictus, Nosferatu, appears mid-forties, true age early eighties, Anglo, grinning, scheming.

"Mr. H" is a strange sort, and completely out of place in the Miami Invictus. First, he is Nosferatu, a clan informally shunned by the city's ruling Invictus, as invested as they are in such antebellum concepts as race purity and phenotyping. Mr. H is a relatively "normal" looking, for a Nosferatu--merely an extremely ugly bald man with bad teeth-- but second, he's the sort to make jokes at court, while addressing the Prince, about how he just barely passes the "brown bag test" of unlife. Di Felice, Rialto, and most of the rest of the Invictus loathe him; Lady Emily Demers is his only real patron outside of the Prince himself, and that's like as not just because supporting him pisses di Felice off.

Why Cone tolerates him is something of a mystery; he is rumored to be the court's informal "spymaster" and liaison to the Ordo Dracul, but the Invictus nobles grumble that surely there's another in their ranks capable of intrigue that doesn't come with the unpleasantness of being Nosferatu. Mr. H is also the most recent petitioner Cone has allowed into the court; it's unclear who--or, the Invictus say with mock-horror, what--sired him, and doubly so why he was accepted into the court and the convenant after his presentation to the Prince: Mr. H--then just H--brought as a gift a pair of ornate, antique spectacles, and when asked why by the Seneschal (Kaia's predecessor, Antigua) replied that spectacles were "a traditional gift given to those who lacked vision." The court got very, very quiet, and after a moment, Cone asked to see H in his study; the Sheriff and his Hounds formed up outside the study doors, and everyone expected them to carry out a body in a bag. But no, H--now called Mister, the lowest title granted to a member of the Invictus--emerged grinning and was introduced to the court as a new member.

Shortly afterwards, Kovanda and his Ordo Dracul made their first appearance. Most doubt this is a coincidence.

# ¿ Aug 8, 2013 01:41

Crion: Sep 30, 2004; baseball.

Session 00: Liberty City Stories
Session 01: Welcome to Miami (Bienvenido a Miami)

Log: http://pastebin.com/DJzDyG4R
Summary: http://pastebin.com/5PwM7krB

Not sure how I'm going to do XP, but I really don't want people becoming fjord-level elders super-quick.

For now, 2 XP for the first session.

edit: Added a barebones summary of every character's known status after Session 1. Going to keep doing those as a much as possible, as much for my benefit as yours.

Crion fucked around with this message at 10:40 on Aug 11, 2013

# ¿ Aug 11, 2013 10:24

Crion: Sep 30, 2004; baseball.

quote:

Sheriff Fergal O'Bannon

Invictus, Mekhet, physical age late forties, true age mid-eighties, Irish, balding, gregarious, canny.

Perhaps no one man has benefitted so much, so quickly from the disappearance of Prince Jebediah Cone, Sheriff Andrew Reeve, and most of the top court leadership as newly-minted "Interim" Sheriff Fergal O'Bannon. A native of Ireland who came to the United States after his embrace and drifted down to Miami, O'Bannon found quick work as a Deputy for Reeve in the early Sixties, but with his unrefined manners and frank mode of speech soon learned that the only real difference the upper-echelon leadership of the Invictus saw between an Irishman and a Cuban was that court and convenant demographics permitted them to openly discriminate against the former. Now, saved from the fate of his superiors by that very same glass ceiling, O'Bannon has leapt at the chance to take over a cadre of misfits and deputized neonates--and will not surrender the position easily.

quote:

Deputy Aleksy Radulov

Invictus, Daeva, physical age mid-twenties, true age mid-thirties, Belarussian, well-dressed, well-mannered.

Aleksy Radulov, the most recent childe of missing Sheriff Andrew Reeve, is another one of the "diversity hires" that the Prince and his social set in the Invictus disdain. Radulov comes from minor nobility--unlanded and persecuted by the Soviets, of course--and generally comports himself with distinction and flair in the social jungles of the Miami night. Though he is not a coward, his personal forte is clearly investigation, not combat. A "romantic" intrigue with the Ghouled handmaiden of Lady Emily Demers' childe Miss Bethany Latendresse likely cost him a spot on the Prince's security detail this New Year's Eve and inadvertantly saved his life.

quote:

Deputy Nadia d'Arnaud

Circle of the Crone, Gangrel, physical age early twenties, true age late thirties, Cuban-Mexican, tall, athletic, suspicious.

D'Arnaud takes her name from her late, murdered husband, a French-Canadian financier ten years her senior when they married. Georges d'Arnaud lost his life in a botched robbery outside their home in the Edgewater neighborhood, and Nadia, an Olympic hopeful in sprinting and marksmanship, went on a brief, bloody tear through the gang that murdered him before being mortally wounded herself. Luckily, two of the Circle's most powerful enforcers were there that night as well--the gang had managed to piss off everyone in a ten mile radius. Jorgmund and Dude Wylan knew good, angry talent when they saw it, and offered her a better kind of death. She's been a Deputy for three years now and still favors handguns--though they're higher caliber now.

quote:

Deputy Preston Claybourne

Invictus, Ventrue, physical age mid-forties, true age late fifties, Anglo, silver-haired, bespectacled, grim.

Preston Claybourne wasn't fond of O'Bannon when he was just another deputy, and the Irishman's promotion has done nothing to make him reconsider his stance. The Invictus deputy is every inch an old-guard Ventrue, which is amusing considering how short a time it's been since his embrace. Claybourne spent almost ten years as a Ghoul, waiting until his sire, Baron Gord Gordon, thought he was ready to join the ranks of the true Invictus; now he's at the back of the line again for promotions. His only real distinguishing characteristic is how obvious it is that he cares more about preserving his political standing than doing policework.

quote:

Spooker

Invictus, Mekhet, physical age late twenties, true age late forties, Middle Eastern, badly scarred, silent.

Another one of Andrew Reeve's more eccentric hires, "Spooker" is tolerated by the Invictus by sole dint of them never having to listen to him speak. It's as unclear why the Kindred of Middle-Eastern descent can't talk--or won't talk--as it is how he came to be a member of Jebediah Cole's court; the popular rumor involves a Soviet wetwork team of Kindred having an operation implode on them in the Miami harbor and Reeve finding him near-torpor after a CIA hit team wasn't thorough enough in their duties. Whatever the true reason, the Mekhet isn't telling. He doesn't hold the formal rank of Deputy like the rest of the Sheriff's subordinates, but this doesn't fool anyone. Until recently, his work has been confined to killing illegally embraced or trespassing Kindred.

These are the current non-PC members of the court's Sheriff's Department, since a number of PCs will be interacting with them

Crion fucked around with this message at 19:34 on Aug 11, 2013

# ¿ Aug 11, 2013 19:30

Crion: Sep 30, 2004; baseball.

Session 02: The Future Is Uncertain and the End is Always Near

Log: http://pastebin.com/BEZnz3eK
Notes: http://pastebin.com/6CCJgPMV

2 XP. 4 XP total.

# ¿ Aug 18, 2013 09:30

Crion: Sep 30, 2004; baseball.

Session 03: The Thin White Duke

Log: http://pastebin.com/PHZBUkVL
Status: http://pastebin.com/JVVvLwCj

New XP scheme:

XP are for use on attributes, skills, mundane merits, specialties--anything not specifically native to the Vampire game line.
VXP are for use on disciplines, blood potency, supernatural merits--anything vampires get to buy by dint of being vampires.

The standard rate of gain will be a baseline 2XP per session with more XP and VXP awarded at my discretion.

2XP awarded, 6XP total.
1VXP awarded, 1VXP total.

# ¿ Aug 25, 2013 11:32

Crion: Sep 30, 2004; baseball.

Session 03 Vignette: Joy

Log: http://pastebin.com/8DNpzhpN

# ¿ Aug 29, 2013 23:18

Crion: Sep 30, 2004; baseball.

Session 04: Love You Till Tuesday

Log: http://pastebin.com/QZmFv9LQ
Notes: http://pastebin.com/TcPChWGR

2 XP awarded, 8 XP total.
0 VXP awarded, 1 VXP total.

# ¿ Sep 2, 2013 11:02

Crion: Sep 30, 2004; baseball.

Session 05: Night Takes Bishop

Log: http://pastebin.com/uM8vb4Uh
Status: http://pastebin.com/7t0RYwRf

2 XP awarded, 10 XP total.
1 VXP awarded, 2 VXP total.

No game next week, as I will be out of town. I'll be able to do vignettes to explore things/tie other things up, however. Game resumes on the 21st.

I'm wondering how people are liking the game so far, specifically how I storytell it--I feel I'm dragging players to patented Crion NPC talkfests far, far too often, and it's forcing people to be less players and more readers that hit Scroll Down to continue with the story. I think it would be best, with that in mind, if for the next few sessions we disengaged from the Plot a little bit and let people sort of come to grips with being in Miami/their new covenant.

# ¿ Sep 8, 2013 10:45

Crion: Sep 30, 2004; baseball.

Session 06: Blood on the Asphalt

Log: http://pastebin.com/0VJhe1Jf
Notes: http://pastebin.com/v9rmBgj8

XP rewards are increasing temporarily as part of my attempt to get you up to the level where I should have started you. Not permanent, may end any time.

4 XP awarded, 14 XP total
2 VXP awarded, 4 VXP total

# ¿ Sep 15, 2013 10:59

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# ¿ Apr 27, 2024 13:11

Crion: Sep 30, 2004; baseball.

Vignette: Ashley and Joy

Log: http://pastebin.com/CVvX4FJ4

2 XP rewarded, 16 XP total
1 VXP rewarded, 5 VXP total

# ¿ Sep 19, 2013 07:53

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Traditional Games > The Game Room > [Mage: the Awakening] "Manhattan's Angel" game archival/discussion thread

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