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Ghost Leviathan posted:Didn't a lot of privateers end up going rogue and becoming pirates in turn, especially if the money and/or protection runs out at an inconvenient time? Why yes they did! Turns out if you essentally license piracy, then people may not suddenly stop doing that when it becomes inconvenient to you, or you know 'OK, that is technically a neutral/friendly ship, but we're here, they're here, what are you going to do  '.
Deptfordx fucked around with this message at 14:59 on Jun 26, 2018 |
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Jun 26, 2018 14:57
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Robindaybird posted:yeah and like in Captain Kidd's cause, he ends up raiding the "wrong" ships because he wasn't aware of changes in alliances and ended up going 'gently caress it, I'm going all the way'. And lots of cases of privateers hitting wrong targets in ignorance because getting news across the Atlantic was very slow and getting word out of changing alliances and treaties to all the pirates and privateers even more so.
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Jun 26, 2018 15:27
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Thinking it over I don't mind the changes to dracheneisen, which you could probably swing under the Signature Item advantage if you really want to start some. And as somebody pointed out earlier, it also as of yet avoids how it seemed like everything 1E that was supposed to be Super Serious could 'cut through drachenesien like air' or similar. Hope you won't miss those 40 character creation points!
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Jun 26, 2018 15:45
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7th Sea 2: An Explorer's Life For Me The Explorer's Society was founded in 1598 by Leandra Souza, a Castillian scholar. They've been leading archaeological research for nearly nine years now, having unearthed Syrne city ruins as well as nearly 500 artifacts, and they have some of the most extensive maps in Theah. Members openly display themselves with silver pins and rings bearing the image of the magnetic compass. They have captured public imagination, and their fame rivals even that of the Rose and Cross, with many plays and stories written about them. Souza intended for them to discourage 'diggers' - essentially, ruin raiders who hunted for wealth rather than knowledge. The long coats worn by Explorers are often known as digger-coats, much to their chagrin. However, it has reached the point that the worst foes of the Explorers are Vaticine. See, the Third Prophet denounced the Syrne ruins as dangers to the soul, and while some Cardinals defend their activities, the Church has largely remained firm in believing that Syrneth ruin excavation is heretical and will get you killed - by them, if necessary, for the Inquisition. Since this proclamation, the Explorers have had to go underground. Their current headquarters is the Castillian city of Lisso, but they have regional HQs in Montaigne, Vendel and the Eisen city Freiburg. Members are required to grant hospitality to any member that needs it, including sanctuary from the Church if needed. There are Explorer way-stations across the globe, even as far as Ifri, the Crescent Empire and the New World. The Explorers mostly care about ancient Numanari and Syrneth ruins, plus any texts or artifacts related to them. They want knowledge of the past. On top of the normal Favor gains, acquiring a relic or lost knowledge is worth 4 Favor if you turn it over to the Society or at least share it with them for study. Finding a new Syrneth or Numanari ruin and informing the Explorers of it is worth 5 Favor. They value knowledge more than they do relics. Getting temporary access to a relic (with effects chosen by the GM but otherwise functioning per Signature Item) for a mission costs 3 Favor, and refusal to return it when you're done is grounds for being declared a traitor. Access to an Explorer dig site costs 2 Favor - and only needs to be spent if you weren't actually supposed to be there, though they probably still won't let you remove any artifacts or relics outside extreme circumstances. The Invisible College are a new society. For nearly a millenium, the Vaticine Church was a beacon of research and knowledge, developing incredible scientific discoveries. However, the recent rise of the Inquisition pushed that to the wayside, and funding for many universities dried up. None believed they'd go further - but they did. High Inquisitor Esteban Verdugo began hunting down scientists, declaring that all research and experimentation must cease in preparation for the Fourth Prophet, who he believes is coming soon. He doesn't want to tempt Theus by prying into the Creator's secrets further, and he's willing to hang or burn people over it. Church leaders are rather too preoccupied with Montaigne and the loss of the Hierophant to be able to get in his way. However, research must continue. That's where the College comes in. They are hidden scholars that work to continue science while dodging the Inquisition. Without Church funding, though, they can only go so far. Thus, they also use their own assets and investments to continue their work, and have created an underground system of communication to pass on their data and evidence to other members of the Invisible College. So far, Verdugo has not discovered the true identities of any members, and the only papers he's been able to get are ciphered in a way he has not yet been able to crack. Members know each other only by pseudonymsm, and each knows only two others. Verdugo believes there may be as many as 24 members, but no one can really say - not even the College themselves. The Invisible College cares primarily about gathering and transmitting information about scientific discoveries, and about restoring the Church to its old ways. Selling them information or secrets related to the Inquisition or its activities and agents is always worth 1 more Favor than normal, and saving important scientific knowledge from destruction is worth 6 Favor if you share that knowledge with the College. It costs 1 Favor to pass a message or small package through the College, which will reliably get it just about anywhere in Theah. Buying an dangerous secret costs 5 Favor - and by dangerous, we mean stuff like 'advanced formulas for gunpowder' or 'recipes for potent poisons and their antidotes' or the location a secret Church library containing controversial and extremely rare texts. The College neither knows nor cares that much about noble politics. The Knightly Order of the Rose and Cross are a weird secret society, primarily because they aren't secret. In fact, so many stories are told about them that it's hard to know what's real and what's not. They are a gentle's society, devoted to seeking justice, righting wrongs and protecting the weak. Many of them are fourth or fifth children of nobles with few prospects, joining to gain a reputation or attract a lover. The Order has chapterhouses across Theah, open to any who hold membership. Some nobles buy nominal membership to support the cause and just to be part of the most famous knightly order. The Order is headquartered in Creux, Montaigne, and its leader is Aristide Baveaux, sometimes called the most beloved man in Montaigne. His fame has proven quite powerful for the Order's influence and prestige, and at the moment, l'Empereur counts five Knights among his bodyguards. Joining isn't easy. Nominal membership just costs a lot of money, but these people cannot claim the title Knight. Instead, they are Benefactors, though they are treated with respect. Actual Knights must serve the Order for three years without question, often going on very dangerous quests. If they prove worthy, they are permitted to wear the Seal of the Rose and Cross and call themselves a Knight. The Order is very structured, with Knights gaining position and favor via acts of valor, courage, selflessness and generosity. The main concern of the Knights of the Rose and Cross is being daring, protecting the weak and acting as a moral example. Recruiting a Benefactor is worth 4 Favor, though they must be more than just rich - they also must have a reputation for responsibility and caring. Performing a heroic Quest for the Rose and Cross is a Story in which you do what the Order asks you, and you gain Favor equal to the Steps in the Story. You may request funding from the Order at 1 Favor per 1 Wealth required, though asking for more than 5 Wealth will likely draw attention and require some additional service for whichever Benefactor is funding it. Los Vagabundos began as a covert revolutionary sect in Castille, but they now cover the entire continent and beyond. A masked figure called El Vagabundo, the Vagabond, appeared in Castille's darkest hour to save the boy-king from danger, and his legend has spread ever since. El Vagabundo has saved Queen Elaine of Avalon from assassins and defeated the treacherous bodyguards of Jarl Auley Baldersen. Outside Castille, some use the name 'El Vago' which is incorrect but accepted. The organization supporting the vigilante began as Castillian patriots, and now works to protect the "good crowns" of Theah. Their goal is simple: monarchs have a lot of power, and if a hero has the crown, the people thrive. If a villain has it, the people suffer. Los Vagabundos work to protect good rulers and overthrow corrupt ones. They work in secrecy and hiding, as they have many enemies. Their numbers are small but often quite highly placed, with sympathizers all over the halls of power. Not all agents wear a mask, either - most are spies, informants or anonymous agents. Some outside the group put on masks and pretend to be El Vagabundo, but no agent would ever wear a counterfeit mask - it would dishonor the true Vagabundo. The secret of El Vago is the same as it was in 1e: there isn't just one. El Vagabundo is whoever wears the mask. However, there are only five true masks. No more than that. Thus, there are only five of El Vagabundo. The masks are magical, as well - they give power and take identity. They demand much - sometimes too much. And so, only the most trusted are permitted to wear a mask, and when they do, they are strong...but they are not themselves. When they remove the mask, their memories of what they did while wearing it often dim, like dreams. Los Vagabundos are vigilantes, and they care about stopping injustice. Any injustice. Injustice is not the same as crime, either - theft may be acceptable in some circumstances, if the victim is themselves corrupt or otherwise deserving, for example. Saving a Heroic noble from a Villain will gain 4 Favor - a good king is worth protecting. Defeating a Villainous noble is worth 8 Favor - the nobles, more than anything, have a responsibility to serve their people, and to betray that is to betray all. For 10 Favor, you may request a Mask of El Vagabundo. While wearing it, you get +1 to all Traits and all Skills. However, your Quirks and Hubris cannot be used to gain Hero Points, because you are not yourself any more - you are El Vagabundo. You may, however, still gain Hero Points from other sources. Requesting aid from an agent of Los Vagabundos costs 3 Favor, but because they are primarily lone operatives they are usually more skilled than others. An agent of Los Vagabundos is always +2 Strength more than an agent of comparable cost from another society. Next time: Mociutes Skara, the Rilasciare and Sophia's Daughters
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Jun 26, 2018 17:17
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My headcanon is that the Mask of El Vagabundo is a luchador mask.
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Jun 26, 2018 18:59
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SirPhoebos posted:My headcanon is that the Mask of El Vagabundo is a luchador mask. 
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Jun 26, 2018 19:04
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7th Sea 2: The Book Actually Has All Those Diacritic Marks But I'm Lazy Mociutes Skara is a Curonian phrase meaning 'grandmother's shawl' and the group was born in Curonia during the War of the Cross. Originally, they were a group of women that headed into Ussura to provide aid to the war widows and orphans - aid of all kinds, anything they could carry, in fact. The small group grew over the course of the war, until it was a movement. The war is over now. The Shawl is not. They have no formal structure, no hierarchy, no membership dues. All you must do is care for and help others. When disaster hits, they are there. They run towards the fire and screams, to rescue. They are bakers, cooks, wives, widows, clergy - anyone that wants to protect. They've even protected accused monsters in Eisen sometimes. Their purpose is simple: first, provide aid for anyone that needs it. Second, stop wars. That's a newer goal, as more active heroes have joined the group. They want to use covert means to delay, stall and prevent warfare. They aren't pacifists, mind. They will use violence if it'll stop a war. They just prefer peaceful means - sabotage or blackmail are fine, for instance. Anything to prevent another War of the Cross from making another generation of orphans. Mociutes Skara are primarily interested in disaster relief and war. They are there where people go hungry and want for shelter and medicine. Providing food, water or medical relief to a community in need is worth 5 Favor, regardless of where or who they are. Preventing an army from going to battle is worth 10 Favor - regardless of how it's done. All that matters is that you young soldiers are not forced to murder each other. Mociutes Skara has no unique things you can buy with Favor, but they have access to everything other societies offer that is not restricted and special information and materials. Everyone likes them, see. They can't get a relic or dracheneisen blade, no, but you want assistance or information from another society, they can get that. The Rilasciare are extremely secretive. They have no true hierarchy or leader, and are very disorganized and chaotic, but they like it that way. Their creator is the legendary figure called Uppman, and he founded them...some time ago. Maybe centuries, maybe a decade. Some say he was part of the Numan Republic, others that he was the mentor of El Vagabundo or the founder of the Rose and Cross. It doesn't really matter what the truth is. His Code is what matters. The Rilasciare want to lead humanity to a better future - a place of total freedom and self-determination. No gods, no kings. Religion and monarchy, they say, are the Two Great Tyrannies, both made for the sole purpose of controlling others. And they must fight these with ideas. Their symbol is the stone and the drop of water, for that is how they fight. It takes generations, but water can wear down any stone. Killing a king or hierophant changes nothing. The crown remains. The idea must be killed, and only then will men be free. The Rilasciare refer to this as mimeme warfare, from a Numanari word meaning 'imitation' - the same root as the word mime. They name their enemy 'slavery of the mind' or 'tyranny of tradition.' Doing things as they have always been done, because they have always been done that way, is what enslaves us. They question tradition as their sacred duty, and the gadfly is one of their symbols. They call back to old Numanari philosophers, who questioned the motives of the Empire and were killed for it. That is their tradition: questioning, attacking traditions, to replace poisonous mimemes with better ones. They recognize each other with symbols sewn into their coats, but because anyone can wear a coat, they also use a hand sign - the left hand, palm forward and fingers wide. If this is met with the same, they squeeze hands, and the first asks the second about his coat. The second says Uppman gave it to him, and the first replies that it looks like it would fit him. The second answers that it will fit all of his family, and the first finishes by saying he is lucky to be brother to the second. Then, they hug. Uppman's Code posted:Murder is the theft of the greatest gift and the villain's tool to maintain order. There is no leader to the Rilasciare, and many even question if Uppman ever existed. That barely matters, though. They gather in cells of up to five members - never more. This is known as a hand. The hand votes on actions, meeting regularly to share information. There are no official ties to other hands, and thus there is no structure their foes can attack. Of course, it also makes the Freethinkers extremely hard to organize effectively, and while there is some communication between hands, each group is essentially on their own. Despite this, they have accomplish much if you believe all their claims. They have brought down powerful men and women, plastered propaganda across nations, had corrupt officials taken down and humiliated. They've replaced church hymnals with satires, sabotaged financial negotiations, waylaid diplomats. They've destroyed debtors' prisons and erased their records, redistributed taxes to the poor and even impersonated and discredited public figures. Each hand has their own goals, agenda and methods, but all agree: the Two Tyrannies must fall. The Rilasciare are concerned with the destruction of authority and tyranny. No one should be king, they say, for no king is just. The world should be free of nobility, the church, politicians and governors. Every man a king, every woman a queen in themselves. Overthrowing a noble ruler is worth 6 Favor - any noble ruler. There can be no good king, for a king is a wicked idea. Thwarting a Villainous Church official is worth 4 Favor. While they'd like to bring down the Church entire, they recognize that you can be a good priest. You may spend 3 Favor to gather a Strength 10 Brute Squad of craftsmen and peasants with improvised weapons. For every 3 Favor, you can increase their Strength by 10. They will follow a single rough instruction, such as 'storm the castle' or 'dump all the tea in the bay' but after that you have no control over them or their actions, and the larger ones usually break up into chaos quickly, so the Rilasciare try to limit the mob's size most of the time. You may spend 2 Favor to name someone Uppman's Friend, given protection and aid by the Rilasciare. They will not be targeted for punitive action and will probably be helped if endangered. If they are a noble or church official, this costs 6 Favor instead. If an Uppman's Friend betrays the ideals or interests of the Rilasciare, they lose all protection and their sponsor loses all Favor. Sophia's Daughters began as a subgroup within the Rilasciare, the primary subgroup within Vodacce. The wife and the lover of the Merchant Prince Villanova - Valentina Villanova and the courtesan Juliette, respectively - conspired to bring down their man. It began as just the two of them, trying to tear down the most powerful of the Princes, but the conspiracy has grown beyond both those two women and their original aims. While the Daughters have yet to truly undermine the power of the Princes, they have had small victories. They sponsor illicit reading circles to spread literacy among women, run strega-smuggling rings to get Fate Witches out of the country safely and provide sympathetic and highly trained bodyguards. They have at least a dozen agents in Vodacce providing secret protection to women - sometimes not even with the awareness of their clients. All members of Sophia's Daughters are women. A small selection of men have been brought in as advisors, but they are not considered full members. The Daughters are mainly concerned with protecting and smuggling Fate Witches out of Vodacce, and otherwise supporting female authority figures in other nations. Smuggling a Sorte Strega out of Vodacce is worth 10 Favor, as long as you get her past the borders and to a safe haven. Undermining the plot of a Merchant Prince is worth 6 Favor, and they especially like if two Princes can be turned on each other. Requesting aid from a Fate Witch costs 3 Favor. These Witches are generally Strength 6, have Sorcery (Sorte) and roll 2 Bonus Dice on any social Risks to do with Vodacce court politics. Naming someone as Sophia's Friend has the same Favor cost and effects as naming someone Uppman's Friend. Next time: The NWO and the GM Advice Section
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Jun 26, 2018 19:15
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Sophia's Daughters are as close as I would get to fantasy anarchists. Now, the Crusaders or the Don Quixote League would me more/a character I'd play speed.
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Jun 26, 2018 20:37
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7th Sea 2: NOM NOM NOM The final secret society is Novus Ordo Mundi and they are not one a Hero can join. Ever. They are a society of secretive and ambitious Villains, bent on controlling the world. In 1e, they were hinted at and linked to the big-name villains...and a few randos...but never got detailed until nearly the final book of the line. Here, we get some info up front. The New Order's symbol is an eye with a seven-point star for a pupil. The seven points represent its seven members - never more, never less. There are always exactly seven members of NOM. The only way to earn your way into the society is to kill one of them and take their seat. If someone is strong enough to do that, the seat is theirs by right. This is why there are no Heroes in the Order - even those who might want to infiltrate it and take it down from within would not remain Heroes long. The sheer villainy needed to maintain the position is too much. Most of the Order are not public figures, preferring to remain in the shadows, unseen. They also tend to enjoy using Heroes to push their plots forward, referring to these efforts with food metaphors such as 'I have a stew brewing' or 'I have bread in the oven.' Novus Ordo Mundi began in the days of the Old Republic of Numa, when seven senators decided to take over, installing a puppet Emperor. They killed him and replaced him with a puppet Empress when he became too hard to control, and did the same to her, and to the next, and the next. Eventually, the Empire fell. Some say that NOM was behind that, too. They almost never directly act in affairs, however. They use their extensive wealth to hire mercenaries, and put as many middlemen and as much distance between themselves and their plots as they can. This means they rarely have any direct control over their schemes, but also insulates them from danger. Most of them claim this is to maintain secrecy, but the truth is that most of NOM's membership is far too cowardly to do much of anything. There are exceptions. They are the dangerous ones. These members are particular about their plans, and know the best way to get them done is to do them personally. However, to ensure secrecy, they alway eliminate every witness. Every witness. Occasionally, this results in mass murder, houses full of the dead...but that's the level of secrecy NOM demands of its members. The Order funds schemes voted on by its chairs, with majority devote dictating which schemes get Order time, labor and money to back them up. The spoils are then divided among the chairs. If a chair acts on their own, they must refund the Order for any resources used, with a ten percent interest added on top. Very few know of NOM - they kill people that get too close, after all. They are not above using murder and blackmail to hide themselves, far from it. They've gotten quite good at it over the past thousand years. Each member takes a vow to never, ever speak of the Order with anyone except the other chairs. Breaking this vow means any other chair may kill you without repercussions. Otherwise, chairs are forbidden to interfere with each others' business. Only breaking the vow lifts this, and is cause for utter annihilation. However, despite their best efforts, rumors of NOM are everywhere. So far, no one has ever been able to prove their existence...but perhaps one day. The GM advice chapter is surprisingly good, especially given, well, Wick. It's certainly arrogant in tone and rather pretensious, but that can be forgiven. It is very clear that having fun is the key thing, and that if someone's not having fun, that needs to be fixed. It treats this as the GM's job, primarily, but hey, traditional gaming. The GM's job, it says, is to entertain the players and to make sure everyone gets their time to shine. It talks about how to make stories that are fun and engaging, and how to improvise. Actually, I feel the improvisation advice is the best in the book - stuff like, say, if a player gives you a mystery of who killed their father, have five answers and go with the one that gets the best engagement out of the PCs when they meet them. Don't figure everything out in advance. Have multiple answers, and be ready to abandon any plan. Let the players tell you the answers. Also it tells you to watch pro wrestling to get good at how to make a story pop quickly, and honestly I love that advice. It is also clear that communication with players is required, that you are adults and everyone has to talk to each other. It even talks about how killing characters is lame and boring because of how much power the GM has, and the real trick is hurting them in ways that make them want to act - rather than ways that just beat them down and irritate them. ...it still does cite the loving 'player in prison for 20 years' thing, as part of the nasty things to do to players rant, because it's still fuckin' John Wick and his head occasionally slips back up his rear end. Then it goes back to telling you to be on the players' side, to support them and not try to gently caress them over or force them to worry about the 'best' choice over the most fun choice. Like, I have no idea, the advice is kind of schizophrenic at times. It even has a thing about how the best thing to do with problem players is to...talk to them like adults, ask them to stop being dicks and, if that fails, ask them to leave the group because we're all entitled to respect and fun. I have no idea why the Play Dirty poo poo still comes up every so often. Also, it reminds us that Heroes never murder. They kill, but murder is the deliberate killing of a helpless person and that is always evil. The End. So - what do you guys want next from the line? We have, in rough publication order: Heroes and Villains: 40 pregen Heroes and 40 premade Villains, ready for use as NPCs or PCs or whatever. Surprisingly well-written. Pirate Nations: An exploration of the Not Caribbean, the Not Dutch East India Company's villainy, and the Devil Jonah. Nations of Theah, Vol. 1: An exploration of Avalon, Castille, Montaigne and Vesten. Nations of Theah, Vol. 2: An exploration of Eisen, the Sarmatian Commonwealth, Ussura and Vodacce. Crescent Empire: The Not Middle East. The New World: Not South America. Lands of Gold and Fire: Not Africa.
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Jun 26, 2018 21:34
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Mors Rattus posted:So - what do you guys want next from the line? We have, in rough publication order: I vote for Lands of Gold and Fire, because it's still rare to see anything African-derived in an RPG done well and I want to see if they did.
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Jun 26, 2018 21:39
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Pirate Nations for me. 1E desperately needed a Caribbean and I think the book delivers pretty well.
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Jun 26, 2018 21:48
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Zereth posted:I always assumed it looked like this: My interpretation is better 
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Jun 26, 2018 22:20
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I vote any of the nation/geography books. The setting is the most interesting part for me and I love reading your summaries. Also, fun game I do in my head : John Wick the game designer and John Wick the movie assassin are definitely one distinct entity and the same person. It just makes me chuckle constantly.
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Jun 26, 2018 22:26
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Publication order is probably best.
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Jun 26, 2018 22:30
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I wanna see Lands of Gold and Fire too.
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Jun 26, 2018 22:42
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In 1e, it looked like this. Except the black bits are purple. So...honestly, not that far off from a really ornate wrestling mask.
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Jun 26, 2018 23:19
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Prism posted:I vote for Lands of Gold and Fire, because it's still rare to see anything African-derived in an RPG done well and I want to see if they did. 
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Jun 27, 2018 00:08
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I appreciate Wick trying to no longer be Wick even if he occasionally goes back to being Wick.
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Jun 27, 2018 00:17
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Same.
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Jun 27, 2018 01:48
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Deptfordx posted:The large crews thing. A lot of pirate ships (though calling them "ships" by modern pop culture standards is often generous) were loaded down with guys, mainly because they could just intimidate or swarm a ship with superior numbers, or even just have flurries of gunfire aimed across a deck. And, of course, you just had the necessity of crewing ships you took home- and the fact that you'd probably lose some people if you had to actually fight. At the very least, they tended to be more populous than normal sailing ships. echopapa posted:Prostitutes are still named after John Wick’s ex-wife. Lovely. Considering Jennifer Mahr writes the opening fiction, I'd presume their divorced relationship is at least amiable enough. Also, it was also true in the original corebook - the one she co-wrote. So I don't think that's the intention. As far as future books go, I'd suggest Pirate Nations, since a number of books reference some elements of it going forward- namely, the ATC is introduced in that and gets a mention in nearly every setting book that follows.
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Jun 27, 2018 03:11
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Alien Rope Burn posted:As far as future books go, I'd suggest Pirate Nations, since a number of books reference some elements of it going forward- namely, the ATC is introduced in that and gets a mention in nearly every setting book that follows. Going to second this, then. Probably best to get it covered fast
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Jun 27, 2018 04:23
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Cults: Spitalians, pt. 6 Degenesis Rebirth Primal Punk Chapter 3: Cults  I see you started working on that Fallout 3 gun mod STEREOTYPES You know this section from White Wolf, you love it: it's what the Spitalians think about the other Cults. Inspired by the 7th Sea write up, I'm just gonna quote it wholesale. Stereotypes posted:Anabaptists: Though we share common goals, they are full of misconceptions. But we cannot afford to be too picky when it comes to our allies. That Chroniclers bit is a little what, but what do you expect from some technocratic nerds worshipping the internet. And now, the short biographies of three Spitalians to show what people you can expect to meet? Or maybe they're just plot hooks if you want to score some brownie points with Spitalians? I dunno! NIKOLAI WORSCEK  Culture: Pollen Concept: The Seeker (what does that mean? We'll probably find that out in the next book) Cult: Spitalians (Preservist) He was one of the first Sappers (what are those?) that went deep into Polland. He used to lead a platoon near Danzig and was well known for his ability to sense Spore fields and Psychonauts. However, he's now hiding a Burn addiction – something other Preservists would love to find out. Any Hygienist player who finds out this secret and doesn't collapse into a pile of epiplectic rage should be reprimanded for not playing his character well. ALMA MARTINOVA  Culture: Borca Concept: The Heretic Cult: Spitalians (Famulancer) Alma once refused to lead an attack on a Borcan Leperos enclace. For her punishment, the Consultants sent her to Souffrance. It turned that she is quite tallented in the resistance line of work and assassinating Pheromancer minions. She probably goes around with a glowing gold expclamation mark over her head, luring in murderhobos. DR. HERNEZ VASCO  Culture: Hybrispania Concept: The Hermit Cult: Spitalians (N/A) The good doctor has been on the run since the expedition to Pandora in 2562. Last seen in 2570, he showed super human strength and agility. Some say that he has struck a bargain with the Primer itself. I say that it sounds stupid. And there you go, the Spitalians in all of their glory. If you want to play the angriest healer class in the history of gaming, if you have a neoprene fetish or wished that you wear Pickelhaube every day, they're the Cult for youuu! Next time: save me, Internet!
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Jun 27, 2018 05:36
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Rand Brittain posted:Given how Vodacce society works, I feel like needing to kiss somebody to do pretty much anything is a pretty serious weakness in the system. By the second time you repeat their name they will be actively trying to shoot you, a bit of scandal isn't a problem by comparison. I expect the Vodacce invent sunglasses centuries early. Meeting someone's gaze directly is a sign of great trust.
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Jun 27, 2018 09:51
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 Rifts Dimension Book 4: Skraypers, Part 7: "The skin of both sexes is extremely smooth, soft, and supple." Indigenous Seeronians As mentioned, there are three races on Seeron, all of them nominally variants on Homo Sapien: the baseline humans (homo sapiens sapiens), the psychic seerman (homo sapiens olecrus), and the simian talus (homo sapiens talus). Looks like they goofed the genus-species naming conventions, but they're alien and can do their own thing, I suppose (For the record, I couldn't find any basis for "olecrus" and "talus" is an ankle bone in Latin or a slope in English.) Either way, they can crossbreed, but how that it turns out is undetailed.  Is that what a human looks like? I always wondered. For some mysteriiious reason, they all speak English - it's implied they likely originated from Earth via a rift, and somehow had English either spontaneously evolve or had it introduced by time-traveling Earth natives. There's also a throwaway note that Atlanteans think Seeronian humans are a lost tribe from Atlantis. Sure, okay. Humans not effected by the virus are known as "norms". And they each get race writeups, and each race also gets its own random chart of superpowers they can get. The superpowers you can choose from depend on what you can roll, but usually you have 3-6 powers, with usually no more than one or two being "major" powers and the rest being "minor" powers. Like normal humans, they're not mega-damage save via powers that grant that. It's also worth mentioning that since this setting doesn't have magic, generally you can't take a wizard class and become a superhero + wizard... but if you happen to end up on Rifts Earth, well, it's not your fault you became loaded down with enough powers to resemble an MMO character five expansions in.  "It was either being a PC race or trying my hand at syndicated sci-fi."
 Breaking through the shining cloud I'm gonna stand around, stand around In case you didn't already notice, the Talus and Bio-Freaks are excellent ways to squeeze in a more powerful character. Either you're playing a Talus for the superpowers of your choice plus free automatic dodge, or a Bio-Freak to try and beg playing a mega-hero out of your GM (presuming you have a copy of Heroes Unlimited 2nd Edition to exploit that with)... and then adding a powered class on top of that, like a psychic or magic class. A Talus Battle Magus? Well, if you have the stats for it! A Mega-Hero Bio-Freak Mind Melter? Hey, why not? All you need is the ability to slip that one past the GM and you should be good; you can get characters on the level of Godlings and Demigods this way. "But," a straw figure whines, "they're not intended to use in a Rifts game, they're intended for use in the Skraypers setting." Then, we apply the sickest of flames to the straw figure, saying smugly and smartly, "These are broken even within the Skrayper setting, compare them to playing a Shrilt - an 'ideal' player character, we were told - the Shrilt will be the goddamn Gleek running around with the Superfriends. Even the Tarlok are gonna be weaksauce compared to a properly powered Talus. Quod erat demonstrandum, motherfucker." And then the strawman explodes and how cool are we? Granted, none of this properly demonstrates how sloppy these rules are; I'm going on best assumptions and ignoring some of the mealy-mouthed stuff like "In a Rifts® setting, Bio-Freaks can learn about magic, but are not likely to become practitioners of magic. They rely on their unnatural mutant powers." Doesn't sound like a "no" to me!  Skipping the bio and going straight to freak. Also some of the races refer to getting "Latent" Psionics, which is not a mechanic in Rifts but instead is a mechanic from Beyond the Supernatural. Given that uses an entirely different of assumptions regarding psionics, I have no idea how you're supposed to implement them in Rifts, and neither does this book.   Cobra vs. G.I. Joe. Moving on, I'm going to skip ahead and cover all of the O.C.C.s in this book. They're sandwiched into the NPC sections, but they're short and unexceptional enough to just cover here.
 O.C.C. design, really. They could have just included one class called "Agent" or the like and saved themselves about 3 or 4 pages. Also, the bad guys are just marginally better because... they are. If that wasn't enough, the Freedom Fighter and Elite Freedom Fighter halve the amount of skills they get if they have powers, while the "Control" Agent has no such restriction. Nor does any other class, seemingly... if the intent was for superpowered characters to get less skills generally, it's not mentioned in the race section. Meaning you're actually better off playing a trash class like the corebook City Rat than playing a Freedom Fighter. Basically, you don't want to actually use the classes in this book, because your character's almost certainly bad at freedom fighting. Ooops.Next: Bad dudes.  "There's a special random table result so you can look just like me! Check it out!" Alien Rope Burn fucked around with this message at 15:05 on Jun 27, 2018 |
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Jun 27, 2018 11:35
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The ATC argument is persuasive, so... 7th Sea 2 - Pirate Nations: Crossing The Seas This book is all about the pirate lands and the Not Caribbean. It is all about freedom-loving sailors and villainous money-grubbers. Pirates are free, as no others are, bound only by the charters they freely agree to enter. Each ship a state, in fact, in a nation of pirates. For them, nation isn't land - it's people coming together for mutual benefit. This view is not one shared by most continental Theans, and it makes them dangerous. This book introduces six new factions. It's got Numa, which is Not Greece and was one of the earliest Thean civilizations, who now fight for their independence from the Crescents and Vodacce alike. It's got La Bucca, a Castillian island prison-turned-free nation of neutrality. You have the Rahuri of the Atabean Sea, who once lived in Aztlan, the mainland of the New World, but are now expert sailors that travel from island to island. It has Aragosta, the Republic of Pirates, which is the Not Libertalia created by the Brotherhood of the Coast. It's got Jaragua, a failing Montaigne colony taken over by the Atabean Trading Company with slave labor, who then revolted and became Not Haiti. And then there's the Atabean Trade Company themselves, the Not Dutch East India Company who run a massive, illegal slave trade between Ifri and the Atabean Sea to fund their empire of trade. And of course we get plenty of new magic, too - the blood sorcery of Charter Magic, the gifts of the Devil Jonah, Jaraguan Kap Sevi, the mystic Mohwoo tattoos of Aragosta, the Mystirios of Numa and Soryana, the ancestral power of the Rahuri dead. We begin at the cradle of Thean civilization: Numa. Numa is a series of archipelagos that lies between the Sarmatian Commonwealth's ports and the Crescent Empire, near the continent of Ifri, sometimes called Alkebulan. It was the home of the ancient Numanari Republic of heroic myth, the birthplace of science and reason, and an ancient powerhouse. Key word: ancient. That was a very, very long time ago. The Numa you hear about in universities is not today's Numa. In more recent history, Numa has been the staging ground for countless wars for control of the straits. It is a strategic waypoint between Ifri, the Crescent Empire and Theah, and each wants to control it. Numa itself has been fighting for its own identity to resist these invaders for centuries, and not always winning. Still, no occupier stays forever. Sooner or later, the Numanari or some other nation drive them off. And still, the Numanari stand alone, remembering the old dream. Every occupying nation has forced their culture on Numa, and you can see architecture from across the world in its buildings, fashions from many lands on its people, and skin tones of even more varying color than anywhere else in the world. All are Numanari now, bound by common spirit. After the most recent revolts against occupiers, a number of different strong leaders have risen in Numa, hoping to unite it as royals...but they've had a problem. They can't fight each other, or the other nations will come in and use the chaos to take over. However, conquest and struggle are the only real measure of a Numanarai ruler. To be free, you must fight for it. That is the Numanari way - all have the right to fight for their freedom, to pursue kleos - the incorruptible glory. Courage means nothing if no one is there to witness it, after all. Unlike most nations, the Numanari do not view their identity in terms of birth. Anyone can have kleos, and to have kleos is to be Numanari. That is the Light of Numa. It was only five years ago that the Crescents and Vodacce had contested control of the islands, and the Sarmatians were trying to take control as well. They exploited the land, but the people of the islands came together for a common goal: free Numa. They saw an opportunity, with two nations fighting and a third preparing to fight. The revolution was led by Kucik Metaxas, a former naval captain who lost an arm at sea and became a silk farmer, who spoke of pride, honor and courage, of a united Numa. The Vodacce treated the revolt as a problem for the Crescents...and when the Crescent commanders chose to abandon Numa instead, the Vodacce were entirely unprepared for the united Numanari revolutionaries. Within six months, all occupying forces had been driven out, and for the first time in centuries, Numa was one nation. The Sarmatians immediately decided to seek peace rather than fight them, hoping to establish trade routes, and became the first to officially recognize Numa and support them. For many Sarmatians, Numa is the eleventh modern nation and an inspiration to those seeking democracy. While both the Crescent Empire and Vodacce have both tried invading Numa to take the islands back, every attempt has failed spectacularly. The Numanari solidarity seems unbreakable. However, Numa itself remains in a terrible state, as the various factions try to take control without allowing foreigners to take over. It's not quite open warfare, but it's a cold war of lies and secrets that has each ruler trying to undermine the others. Subtle moves, stolen shipments, burned crops. Some still believe virtue will win out, but it's hard to win a war when both sides can't agree on the rules. The only common factor that binds them all is the three words that started the revolution: We are Numa. Indeed, it's really all that most Numanari have in common. Numa's people are extremely diverse. You can find temples of all kinds in Numa - Vaticine, Objectionist, even polytheist temples to ancient gods and pagan rites in the woods. Sometimes people attend more than one of these at once. Numanari solidarity means you accept everyone, regardless of their faith or looks. Even foreigners inspired by recent events, though they took a bit longer to fit in until they helped to rebuild. Those who give of themselves for Numa are Numanari. Numanari society is divided into two castes: warrior (haimon) and non-warrior (ergein). You choose your caste, and each strives for kleos in its own way. Children between ages 7 and 9 are brought to a Numanari Oracle, who speaks to the child privately. After that, the child decides their caste based on their self-knowledge and the Oracle's words. The haimon train to be the best warriors possible, and all they know is fighting from the time they enter the caste. Spears, shields, swords, hands - any kind of fighting. The ergein, on the other hand, work. They maintain the land, make the wine, manage the books and otherwise make the place work. They aren't peasants as other nations understand it - they are Numanari, after all. They take great pride in their labor, striving to be the best at whatever job they pursue. The Numanari see a great honor in toil - it is kleos, just as fighting is kleos for the haimon. Without haimon, the land is defenseless. Without ergein, there is no land to defend. Numanari fashion is a mix of pretty much every nation out there. Senators, however, wear traditional Numanari garb at their official duties - white himations to show purity of spirit. Others sometimes also wear these togas at official events for the same reason. While the Crescent Empire had enacted sumptuary laws limiting what could be worn and by who, these have been revoked. However, most Numanari still prefer simple and practical clothes to extravagant ones. Numanari food is full of olives, zucchini and vinegar, as well as many spices which are grown on the islands and often sold elsewhere, such as pepper, thyme and cilantro. Souvla and souvlaki are two exceptionally popular local dishes - spit-roasted and spiced meat mixes. So far, no sailor has ever convinced them to part with their recipes for it. The Numanari also have sole control, as far as anyone knows, over mint, which only grows on the island Nuama and is the secret ingredient of Numanari cooking. No one has yet found a way to make it grow north of Numa, but they're trying. Kleos is the most important Numanari concept. It derives from a word meaning 'to hear' and is a mix of reputation and accomplishments together - everything there is to know about a person. Kleos is all for most Numanari, and a single stain on their reputation can ruin it entirely and must be erased. The idea is that if your kleos is pure, all can tell - and if it is stained, like a white toga, they can tell just as easily. A stained reputation must be cleaned immediately with an act of courage. Many foreigners find the Numanari to be boastful and arrogant - because this is the public face, worn outside the home. Among friends and family, a Numanari uses the private face, a more introspective demeanor. The public face must be boastful and proud, as you must make sure all know of your deeds, of your ancestors' greatness and the foes you have beaten. You must identify problems and say how you'd solve them. It's part of kleos. Among friends, you serve kleos with introspection. Many Numanari have pet names only their friends and family know, and while you may briefly reveal your private face in public to show sincerity, this is rare. It is seen as boorish and patronizing if overused. Numanari never cry in public - that is for the private face. A senator might shed a single tear or even hide her face at a friend's funeral and be seen as sincerely breaking the public face with emotion too great to contain, but one who wept at a public speech would be seen as manipulative and insincere. Agoge is another important concept. It was a method of training warriors in the polis of Lakedaimon, but it's become quite popular throughout Numa now, in various degrees. The best academies are still on Lakedaimon, of course, but there are others. Kings and queens have been known to recruit skilled instructors for the purpose of warrior academies. Agoge is brutal, violent and demanding. Both boys and girls are sent to learn it from the age of five to eight, to master warfare, stealth, weapons combat and pain tolerance. Those who can't take it are sent home, though not in dishonor - to even last one day is proof of courage. Agoge students also study song, dance, public speaking, courtship and history. Agoge is not just for warriors - it produces complete humans. The training, if withstood, produces some of the most disciplined fighters in Theah. During the occupation, the Crescents outlawed the academies, but the training continued in secret, and the agoge warriors rose up to help drive them out. The training's rigor varies by island, with none matching the Lakedaimon academies. Students at Lakedaimon are kept underfed deliberately, and shown where food is stored at night. Anything they steal is theirs - but getting caught means getting punished. Thus, they learn stealth in real conditions. They are also taught to hunt, and allowed to keep anything they kill, to prepare them to hunt their own food. They also quickly learn that if you hunt, you had better bring back some for your friends, which builds camaraderie. Next time: Religion
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Jun 27, 2018 14:42
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7th Sea 2 - PiratE Nations: GYROS Numanari music is an eclectic mix of cultural styles. The most popular instrument is the Numanari lute, the baglamas, which has become a symbol of the aoidoi, the professional bards of Numa. Aoidoi are masters of memorization, who may recite epic poetry at will for hours. However, the Numanari musical tradition is more than just aoidoi telling stories of their past. They adapt stories from all cultures and myths, and so are some of the most eclectic in the world. It is said that no story is truly told until told by an aoidos. The Numan native faith is the Pantheon, and it's incredibly popular in the isles. The gods, they say, are always watching and even manipulating events. However, the Numanari do not actually see the Pantheon as entities, even if they treat them as it. They are symbols of truth, and a Numanari respects truth over all things. Just because the gods don't actually exist doesn't mean they aren't real. The Numanari see their gods as elements of the human condition. The Goddess of War and the Goddess of Wisdom are real in the sense that they live within the heart and mind of a human. They symbolize deep concepts that cannot adequately be described in language. Calling on the gods means calling on your own mental and physical abilities. The gods are you, and that is why they are real. In ancient Numa, the citizens were told how to do the proper rites to the Pantheon by the hiereia. The hiereia still perform rituals today, but the focus has shifted. Instead of communing with the gods literally, a hiereus uses the rites to bring forth the gods within each person. Numanari temples are more like a private club than an open church. They are known as mysterion, mysteries - you experience the mysterion of a god. To attend, you must be initiated by the hiereia, which teaches you the symbolism of the god and the sacred truths they communicate. Once you are initiated, you are a mystai, one who has experienced the mystery. Mystai typically take vows of secrecy, as the secrets of the gods lose all power and meaning when communicated outside the bounds of ritual. Typically, a Numanari will have only one god as their patron, but seem seek the mysteries of several. The more mysterion you can master, the greater your glory, but you must maintain balance in all things - even gods. Zendio, Father of the Gods, has few temples. He is a distant figure, isolated atop a great mountain. All of the other gods are his children by various mothers. The oldest tales say he is also father of humans, but not directly. He seduced the goddess Terra, and when he found her pregnant, she fled to Earth, and humanity rose from the soil as a result. The Numanari rarely call on Zendio, for he has a great temper and does not care for humans much, being more likely to curse than bless. Stories of his hatred and curses are legendary, wiping out entire towns or sending horrible plagues. However, he does have some priests, who know him as the Far-Off Father, and they speak of a time he was less hateful. They say he once loved unborn humanity and the goddess Terra, believing they could bring peace to his family's squabbles. However, he then had a dream of those children being restless, noisy and causing suffering. He cried out, and Terra awoke him before he could see the rest of the dream. He talked about caging or killing her children, and so she fled - and by touching soil, she doomed all men to be forever mortal. She has never returned to Zendio, preferring to watch over humanity. Thus, Zendio was driven to his current rage and despair, and while he might be able to return to kindness if he were to meet Terra again and convinced her to love him once more, he is not kind now. He is called on only when his righteous fury against tyrants and human destruction are needed. Dithyrambos, God of Plenty is a beautiful young man in his prime, a lord of harvest and food and drink. For the crime of teaching humanity to make wine and cook, Zendio chained him to a stone that must ever be pushed uphill, killing him any time he tires. Every spring, he is reborn and begins again. His initiates learn that the stone represents the milling of wheat or the grinding of barley, and his yearly quest makes him the field itself, harvested and then planted. And the field is also the human soul, which must be cut down and replenished or rot in the field, unharvested. We must always strive to better ourselves and begin our lives anew, or we will just grow old and tired and dead of purpose. Celebrate, rejoice and cast off the old. All in nature does this. Supati, Deity of Language and Magic, is sometimes male, sometimes female, sometimes both, sometimes neither. They are a trickster that has told humans many secrets, giving wisdom in the form of a falcon or a snake or a beggar. Zendio does not approve, but cannot catch Supati. Their initiates undergo a ritual retelling of the punishments they received for their gifting humanity with three secrets: Song, the lever and language. Each gift requires a yet more severe penance, but Supati always finds a way to avoid the punishment or trickily rephrase it so that it is no punishment at all. Potnia Agrotera, Goddess of the Hunt and War, is twin to Theonoa Dianoia. Where her sister is cold, Potnia lives for bloodshed. She is the warrior in the midst of battle, not the general or strategist. Her hair is the color of twilight, her body tattooed. She fights with a sword and has no shield. She takes only women as her lovers and her sacred bird is the raven given to her by her sister. Sometimes they love each other; other times they fight. Once, there was a great war between Tyrian and Lakedaimon, caused by their rivalry over a hero, Hypatia, who was raised by wolves and a mighty warrior. Theonoa wanted her as a general, while Potnia wanted her as a lover. Hypatia saw she was doomed no matter which she picked, so she chose Theonoa, leading Potnia to send her warriors to fight Tyrian in a ten year siege that Potnia eventually lost. In her fury, she personally slew Hypatia and dragged her corpse to Lakedaimon, her sister weeping all the while. Those initiated to Potnia are often made to play the role of Hypatia and forced to choose, taking part in a passion play until they are 'slain' and hurled into a coffin. There, they learn that Potnia made a deal with the God of Death, a secret bargain that is not spoken of in the public tales. Potnia gives up her own immortality that Hypatia may live again, giving up that which was most sacred for her love. The blood of Potnia runs in her initiates' veins, as does Hypatia's - the blood of a hero and the soul of a goddess. Salacio is the God of the Underworld and the Sea. Every sailor that leaves Numanari ports makes two offerings before reaching the sea - fish or reed from a river, to remind that the journey is for the good of all, even those that remain, and ashes, bones or even a sacrificed animal, to honor the lord of death. Even the most daring sailor would never forget this, for fear of Salacio's wrath. His temples always bear his motto: To telos perimenei parakato. The end waits below. It is a warning and a prayer. Once, Salacio was not god of both underworld and sea - there was a goddess of the Underworld, with shadows for hair and fire for eyes. She walked freely, spreading pestilence and fire. Her name was Hecteba. She burnt down a village that was home to one of Zendio's lovers, and Zendio ordered the gods to destroy Hecteba. Each tried, but only Salacio's sea waters could drown her - along with large parts of Numa and thousands of mortal lives. The priests say she died, but rumor says Hecteba still exists, locked forever under the ocean's depths. None know if Salacio can release her, but Zendio does not often give gifts for partial effort - if Salacio defeated Hecteba, then he'd have also been the one to cage her. In recognition, he was given the Underworld, and now the rivers of Numa are passages for the dead. Funerals involve great barges piloted by Salacio's priests, the ferriers, who bring the dead to great tomb-shrines. Those who cannot afford or do not deserve such honor are burned on the water's edge, their ashes scattered on the sea. It is said that Salacio sometimes gives a boon to the pure of heart, and takes them to the Underworld himself, rather than leaving their soul to languish in the sea. Salacio is a mysterious god, however, his moods changing quickly. Once he is committed, however, nothing can turn his course. The spirits of the rivers serve him. His icons are the trident, dolphin and the long staff of the ferryman, carved with his motto. He is a wealthy god indeed, lord of all under land and sea, and he always demands tribute - a cautionary tale on the effect of wealth. Theonoa Dianoia, Goddess of Craft and Wisdom, is twin to Potnia Agrotera. They were born after humanity, and Terra snuck back to heaven to see them and if they could restore Zendio's kindness. Potnia was formed fully of his rage, born in blood, and so Terra scooped up the second child and fled. The touch of mortality on her feet infected Theonoa, and she was born an infant, forced to grow slowly yet blessed from birth with a goddess' knowledge. Thus, she is a god of cycles as well as craft and wisdom. She was born, she aged, she died an old woman, and then she was reborn again, a child. Each cycle has made her wiser, kept her cool and calculating as a tactician and strategist. Her skills are plans and organizing, though she is no slouch in battle. Her statues show her three stages - infant, warrior and crone-general, always wearing a plumed helm. The death of Hypatia enraged her, and she no longer loves her sister and the suffering she causes. It has led Theonoa to withdraw, her sadness and fury calcifying. Her more militant followers are known to tear down the statues of Potnia, while more moderate ones merely belittle the warlike mentality of Potnia's followers. Theonoa's initiates carry spears and shields, dedicating themselves to both crafts and war. Her symbols are the eagle, owl and leopard, which are painted on her followers' shields. Terra, Lost Goddess of Humanity, is the mother of Numa and all humankind. She fled Zendio to come to the earth, where humanity was born. She was once the goddess of light, but she gave that up for her children, who were born mortal once her feet touched the soil. She lay in a cave with her children, weeping in fear of the future, but she was visited by her sister Hede, and by Supati and Dithyrambos, who comforted her and promised their secret aid to humanity. Hede, the primordial queen of fire and hearth, swore that humans would never lose the gift of fire and protection against the dark, while Dithyrambos promised swore to teach them how to survive and Supati swore to teach them how to teach others. Only when these oaths were made did Terra emerge from her cave with humanity. She never returned to Zendio, and she still roams the world, it is said. Thus, she has no shrines or temples; her initiates wander from city to city, telling stories and sharing what they have. They are called the Perpetual Parents, the Wanderers and the Caretakers, and they are considered to be guests who must never be harmed, wherever they go. Anyone that harms a Caretaker is subject to the harshest possible punishment for defiling a pure and holy person. Their symbols are bags of earth, carried at the waist, and their homespun clothing. They carry no weapon - only a walking stick that can be used to defend themselves if they truly must. Caledon, God of Medicine, the Home and Family, was born of the union of Zendio and the mute Hede after Terra fled heaven. He is the youngest of gods, a quiet patron and shepherd of men. He was beloved by all for his youth and curiosity as well as his empathy, and only he is able to bring Zendio some measure of peace in his rage. It is perhaps only this that has allowed Zendio to love him despite Caledon's closeness to humanity. Caledon convinced Zendio to spare mankind from total destruction by offering to teach them love, and Zendio relented, gifting his son the caduceus, a staff intertwined with two living serpents, who would serve to protect and advise him. Caledon took on mortal form and crossed Numa, spreading knowledge of medicine and domesticity, teaching that your family was a community, not just about your direct family. He taught the rules of hospitality favored by his mother, and of the bonds of family and fellowship that crossed all borders. It's no surprise he's one of the most popular gods. He is patron of medicine, the home, hospitality and family. He has temples in every city, which offer lodging to any who need it. Priests of Caledon can be from any background or gender, and they serve as physicians, counselors, teachers and mediators. They are battlefield medics and wedding officiants and all manner of things in between. Caledon himself is traditionally a handsome, tan youth with pale hair. His symbols are the ivy branch, the wedding band and the caduceus. Hecteba, Goddess of Mysteries, Murder and Dark Magic, is not dead - whatever Salacio's priests may say. She once killed indiscriminately with fire and magma and shadow, and her battle with Salacio nearly destroyed Numa. The former goddess of the Underworld was defeated, cast into an undersea prison where she still sleeps now. Her dark dreams are not silent, though, for she retains her powers of mystery and magic. She sleeps, but her dreams sow the seeds of release, concealing her continued power. She recruits her initiates in nightmare, shaking their souls with fear and claiming their faith. Her followers are everywhere, despite the fact that her worship is illegal. They find each other by the sign they bear - the dreams of the woman with red pits for eyes and long black hair, her mouth eternally screaming. They whisper of their dreams and the secrets they learn in them from the voice that isn't a voice. These people exist largely on the fringes of Numanari society, the unlucky or outcast, and often those who sell murder...but sometimes, they are normal people, staring out to sea, touched by madness. All of Hecteba's followers know the joys of murder, eventually. Many are soldiers, mercenaries or assassins, and she often inspires them to leave her image on their victims, to remind Numa that her influence is not gone. Many dismiss them, but some know the truth - Hecteba is waiting. Next time: Governments, plural.
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Jun 27, 2018 20:11
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I am so happy that I caught up with the thread in time to see you do 7th Sea 2nd Edition, Mors. 7th Sea has long been my favourite RPG setting, and I was overjoyed when they announced 2nd Edition. However, I will not claim that it is without fault. I'm also pretty sure this is the book that contains what could, for lack of a better term, be referred to as continuity issues. The Corebook did a fair bit of copy/pasting from the 1E stuff, and from hereon out you start to see where they change things. It's never anything huge, but there are a few points where something here is noticeably different from the concept as mentioned in the corebook.
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Jun 27, 2018 21:05
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Yet another tabletop author making not-Artemis a raging lesbian while ignoring not-Apollo who was famously into dudes in classical Greece. Wick's gonna Wick, I guess.
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Jun 27, 2018 21:29
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7th Sea 2 - Pirate Nations: Too Many Kings The Numanari government is a patchwork mess of different systems held together out of tradition rather than anything else. In practice, there's four different governments, all running simultaneously. You have the original democratic republics, the Crescent bureaucracy from the various occupations, the warlord dynasties and the new monarchies. None were meant to work together, but Numa's been managing. For now, at least. The Monarchies each claim a single island city-state, a polis. Each is separated by water and mountains, and the Numanari poleis grew to be quite different as a result, each with their own character. However, they do share some elements. Each has a ruler and a senate, though the powers of each are different by polis. There are dozens of poleis with their own divine patrons, but five are currently most prominent. These five tend to be at the heart of any polis conflict, usually using the honor of their patrons as an excuse to take out old hostilities and grudges. Lakedaimon is the Sword of Numa, the polis of warriors. It is ruled by Queen Soteira, and often gets seen as a city-state of warmongers, though its people are no mere brutes. They believe the world is one of strife and conflict that must be overcome. Every citizen, adult or child, can wield a weapon - all of them, even the ergein. Their patron is Potnia Agrotera. The smallest influential polis is distant Ephyra, closest to the Crescents. Its ruler is the decadent yet influential woman Anfisa, and its patron is Dithyrambos, the Pre-Born. Its people are often seen as drinkers and revelers over all else, and Queen Anfisa is known to three week-long festivals at any excuse, keeping diplomats waiting months for actual business. Then there is Hylicia, sometimes claimed to be more Crescent than Numanari - though its people dispute the claim, though there's more mosques on the island than any other and they speak a creole of Crescent and Numanari tongues. Their King, Lysandros, wears a mask for reasons unknown. Some say it's due to a birth defect, others that it has magical reasons. Supati is the patron of Hylicia, and is a relative newcomer among the Pantheon. Fourth is Kousai, wealthy now due its thriving ports. It is ruled by Queen Syntyche, whose pride in her people and their wealth is well-known and loud. Salacio is the city's patron - both as the lord of the sea and Underworld, and as the lord of wealth, which Syntyche never lets anyone forget. Some of her people claim Kousai was the seat of the Old Republic that ruled the world, and Syntyche encourages such claims, which she is building a library in the hopes of housing evidence for. Tyrian is the final major polis, ruled by King Polyaretos. Once, it was the most populous island, and it was here that the production of purple dye was begun, via an involved process using snails. The king takes his name from a famous Numanari hero - a trickster, not a fighter. The island's patron is Theonoa Dianoia, and Tyrian is renowned for its intellectuals and its prominent place in the history of philosophy and science. The Warlord Dynasties rule over the smaller poleis for the most part. They've had little luck with stable royalty, and are mostly kept together by warlords or those determined to prevent anarchy in their homes. They range from benevolent dictators to cruel tyrants, and they're unable to agree on much of anything at all. They are often in conflict. Then you have the union of Magna Numera, a league of three city-states seeking to maintain their independence after the polis of Adamaradon declared its intent to annex the entire island chain under a its king, Milyptos. The city-states Akragosus, Libanuma and Bothrauton were closest, and they united to protect their people from Adamaradon, driving his forces back and routing them. They then formalized the alliance as a league of mutual defense and growth. While each city maintains its own government, they continue to work together. Akragosus is a representative democracy led by a senate and a popularly elected proconsul. Libanuma is a primarily Ifri-descended city ruled by a king chosen by its nobles and chiefs. Bothrauton has a dynastic queen, Calysto, who is daughter of a Vesten warlord who seized the place from the Vodacce. She remains in power for as long as she can keep the throne, having fought off six assassination attempts so far. While the trio of cities may squabble, they are united against other cities, and feel that their model is the best for the entirety of Numa going forward. Nikiamara is another notable city, one of the oldest and on the southern tip of the chain. It was once a thriving city of scholars and warriors, famous before the many invasions as a gathering place for philosophers and thinkers of all kinds. It was home to three massive temples to Theonoa, Supati and Caledon, too. It was the most peaceful city of Numa, and that made it a huge target for Crescent raiding. The Crescent invasions destroyed the city, and it is said it was burned to the ground by a rogue general, Islandur, who defied his orders in order to prove to the Numanari that they'd all be destroyed. Its history was lost, and the Crescents rebuilt it as a victory monument. Since they've been driven, it has grown to be a monument to the fleeting nature of any conquest of Numa, and of the price of war. It is a city of ancient ruins under a thriving port, and historians and explorers cross the globe to petition its warlord, the ruthless pirate Galarus, for access to its labyrinthine ruins in search of treasure and lost wisdom. Then you have the Kodjabashes, bureaucrat-oligarchs that ruled the isles for 300 years based on a Crescent system of inherited bureaucracy. The Crescents put governors on the isles to maintain order and collect tax, selecting these rulers - the kodjabashes - from local nobles to prevent violent revolt. The post was inherited, parent to child, though the Crescents could and did remove people from the post sometimes if a kodjabashis seemed too incompetent. The Vodacce generally left the kodjabashes in control when they took a region, as well. During the revolution, some of the kodjabashes helped to organize the revolutionaries, while others did not and were overthrown. While the royals of the poleis see themselves as the true rulers, the kodjabashes that survived have been left to maintain the infrastructure and bureaucracy of Numa. The kings and queens make decisions, but the kodjabashes are the ones that carry them out. They collect taxes, organize and count votes on local positions and maintain the postal service, which is easily one of the best in Theah. While a kodjabashis inherits their job, most local governmental offices, like mayors, are elected democratically. Each city and village holds votes for open positions, with what positions and their terms varying by village. For some, there is only the dimarchos (mayor), while others have more. Typically terms are for one year, and some areas enforce term limits while others don't. Elected officials work closely with the kodjabashes to keep things running, though they also often have jurisdictional clashes, which usually have no clear solution. The winner is generally whoever has the most influence with the local king or warlord. Numanari economics are essentially trade-reliant, though there are plenty of farmers, fishermen and craftsmen. Most Theans have a somewhat idealized view of a Numanari life, but the reality is that it's pretty normal, if wealthier than some other nations. Its central location makes it a popular hub for pirates to move goods, get repairs and find crew. Individual city-states treat pirates based on local custom, but everyone knows that without them, Numanari wealth would be much less than anyone likes to admit. While the nation is in a key trade position between Ifri, Theah and the Crescents (and, to an extent, further east), their city-state structure keeps them from growing very fast. Many philosophers believe a unified government would help the nation greatly, but tradition has kept it from happening. Most Numanari neither want nor feel they need a high king. The most common Numanari currency is the drachma, which each island mints with their ruler's face. There are two denominations - 20 silver drachmas to one gold. Numa's the only real place left that uses silver and gold coinage, and while the Guilder hasn't affected local currency due to its inherent value, it is growing as a presence due to ease of use and foreign acceptability. Some Numanari resent this and refuse to use Guilders, but others recognize the practicality. Most are just slowly adopting the Vesten currency because their own is losing favor outside the isles. There are also some old Crescent currency in circulation, but most Numanari refuse to accept it, calling it vromiko nomismatos - dirty coin, a reminder of worse times. There are also some places that are noteworthy besides the poleis above. Paestum is a town built by the Vodacce general Carmelo Baldassari, who had heard about agoge and liked the idea. The town was built around a hybrid agoge meant to train skilled haimon - and it worked. It worked so well that it defeated him. He'd spent on getting the best possible teachers in the belief that they'd teach Vodacce children useful skills...but as a result, the children often came to feel less patriotism for Vodacce and more for the unity of Numa. Just before the first graduating class got out of school, they staged a revolt and drove out Baldassari and his men. The students stayed in Paestum, settling it - including Baldassari's own daughter, Carolina. The agoge is still maintained today, now educating young Numanari instead of Vodacce. Naucripos is, uh, the designated crime city. It is the city of sellswords and cheats, first made as a stopping off point for Numanari soldiers moving around the Old Republic. It was built in haste and barely survived the constant warfare of the Numanari past. At last, now that peace has been achieved, a good if rickety port city has been left for the locals. They set up a provisional council, and all was fine until the Red Hand League came. They are professional mercenaries, set up to give veterans a chance to use their skills for the highest bidder. The League is led by five Numanari war heroes, and they've made Naucripos their home port - and the port of call for anyone needing a hired killer. You can find just about any kind of mercenary for the right price now, as long as they follow the Red Hand code: Always keep a contract, never turn your back on a fellow Hand in need, and seek no quarrel but always finish one. Next time: Notables.
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Jun 27, 2018 21:44
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Cythereal posted:Yet another tabletop author making not-Artemis a raging lesbian while ignoring not-Apollo who was famously into dudes in classical Greece. Wick's gonna Wick, I guess. In fairness, they've gone pretty far afield from the actual Greek gods and made Not Sparta actually not just idiot muscleheads.
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Jun 27, 2018 21:45
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Hattie Masters posted:I'm also pretty sure this is the book that contains what could, for lack of a better term, be referred to as continuity issues. The Corebook did a fair bit of copy/pasting from the 1E stuff, and from hereon out you start to see where they change things. It's never anything huge, but there are a few points where something here is noticeably different from the concept as mentioned in the corebook. Having just read Born Under a Black Flag (the second novel), there are literal continuity issues between that and the Aragostan section. It's mostly nitpicking, but that's never held me back before. And yes, they're both written by John Wick, so it's not a matter of authors bouncing off of each other.
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Jun 27, 2018 23:08
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Hattie Masters posted:I am so happy that I caught up with the thread in time to see you do 7th Sea 2nd Edition, Mors. 7th Sea has long been my favourite RPG setting, and I was overjoyed when they announced 2nd Edition. However, I will not claim that it is without fault. Yeah. There's Reis for example, who I want to say is mentioned as his traditional 'big dude with scythe' incarnation but later on is mentioned to be... well, we'll see.
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Jun 28, 2018 00:32
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7th Sea 2: Mlypnos Numa has no standing army. Each polis has their own armed force, of course, but they tend to the small size. On the other hand, pretty much every citizen has some military training. The hatred of outside invaders that once united them has fallen to squabbling, with only a few seeking common cause to unit the poleis. But hey, opinions! quote:Avalon: A land of "legends." More like a land that traded its freedom for magical slavery. Every collar is a noose. Now we get some notable NPCs. Lysinnus is the consort to the Amazon Queen Artemisia. He stands at a historic crossroads, for he met her in the early days of the battles against Vodacce, and they fell in love. This bond between mand and woman is frowned on by the Amazons, so they kept their affair secret, even as she bore him seven daughters. After the wars ended, he asked to be allowed to remain among the Amazons, to be near his daughters. She has been putting him off for years. Lysinnus knows he might be able to reunite the Amazons with the rest of Numa, but he has no interest in these proud people losing their power and individuality. He is a skilled horseman and spends his time following after the Cyrene horde, watching for threats to the Amazons and his queen from outside. Queen Calysto is the half-Vesten ruler of Bothrauton, a bloodthirsty and formidable warrior. She was raised by her father, the warlord Kokistos, and his foreigner bride. She has embraced the idea of kleos entirely, to overcome what she sees as the stain of her foreign blood. When her father died in the war, she took up his sword and shield, seizing the Vodacce-controlled city of Bothrauton and taking on the title of queen. She cannot live a life without bloodshed now, and she keeps herself apart from the people, especially after the last few assassination attempts by her rivals. She knows she needs an heir, and many suitors have come to court her. Most, unless they are very polite, are sent home in pieces. King Milyptos is the disgraced ruler of Adamaradon. After his failed attempt to conquer Akragosus, Libanuma and Bothrauton ruined his army and created the Magna Numara right on his front yard, he slipped into madness. Now, he spends his nights wandering, speaking to something no one else can here, writing secret letters sent out by envoy. His court is disturbed, but has not realized the depth of his betrayal - he has made contact with the Vodacce princes, trading them information on Numa's defenses to back an invasion. This would be bad enough, but he has also fallen to the worship of Hecteba as well. He is a wild-eyed madman, killing any that openly question him, and many wonder how much longer his city can last. Carolina Baldassari is the leader of the Paestum agoge, the child of a strict military upbringing and a passion for truth and honor. Her father, General Baldassari, enrolled her in his hybrid Vodacce/Numanari agoge, and while she resisted at first, she thrived there, embracing the idea of kleos and rising to be one of the most decorated students. It did not take her long to also embrace the idea of a free Numa, and when her father refused to support her ideas of Numanari independence, she led the student revolt that pushed him out. Once Paestum was freed, the other students nominated her as the leader of their town. She is a fair and just woman, and a show of the power of one hero in changing an entire nation. Places! The Lost City is nestled between two mountains on the northernmost Numa island, and is one of the greatest mysteries of Numa. It is an ancient city of wonders, known as the Lost City of Gods in full. Haimon often dream of going there to prove their bravery, and it is the origin of a thousand myths of the past. No one knows how old it is or who originally lived there. Legend claims it was the home the gods made for Terra and her children when she emerged from the caves. Others say it was a city of giants whom the ancient Numanari conquered. Its architecture is certainly far too large to have been designed for mortal humans. Its buildings are four times larger than most, with moascis of battles long past, crumbling roads and a city that still, somehow, stands. No one knows what happened to its people, but elary explorers spoke of discovering it abandoned, as if it were left in a hurry. What was left behind were treasures of many kinds - including potent weapons and strange, glowing artifacts. The ruins, they said, were also home to strange monsters waiting to attack the unwary...but even that cannot keep away the fearless or the fools. Those who seek to make a name for themselves can take the high road up to the city in the mountain pass. They often do not return. Aigosthena is the cliffside fortress that serves as home to the elite warriros who swore that future Numanari would always be ready for the next wave of oppressors. These vigilant soldiers name themselves the Myrmidon. Aigosthena is itself a citadel on the bluffs of the coast of one of the eastern isles. It was originally built by King Achelanus, whose polis Theloniki was prosperous until it was torn apart by the Vodacce. He and his court fled to an old military camp on the cliffs, where the paranoid and bitter king set about working his servants nearly to death to build an invincible citadel. He named it Aigosthena for the daughter he lost when Theloniki fell. His cruelty was legend, and it eventually led to him being murdered by his own steward rather than the Vodacce. When the local Numanari came to the fortress, they found the survivors of the court starving within. The haimon claimed the citadel as a launchpoint for raids against the invaders, and when the war was over, it seemed unclear how to repurpose it, given its location. Kucuk Metaxas himself found the answer. He knew that many of the most dedicated fighters of the war didn't want to go back to being workers, believing a standing force would help prevent later conquest. He charged them to settle at Aigosthena as the Myrmidon, the defends of Numa's spirit. And now, they do, using at as their base whilke they travel the land to fight dangers to their beloved nation. Cyrene is a unique city-state - it has no set location, but rather ranges across a set of wilds, considering its territory to be wherever its citizens rest. This traveling 'city' is less a city than a horde of matriarchal haimon, who call themselves the Amazons. They long ago gave up sedentary life, and they do not allow men among their number. They are feared for their ferocity and military skill. The Cyrene horde began in ancient times, predating the invasions. Once, they had their own city, Agrotera, patroned by Potnia Agrotera. Their queen, Cyrene, was wise and powerful, sought out for advice by many, and even serving as a symbiotic ally to Tyrins. The Amazons would seek out men of Tyrins as their mates to have children, keeping the girls to raise and giving the boys to Tyrins. It worked well, until the vain warrior Hercules attempted to trick Cyrene into marriage by hosting a party and then attacking when the women slept, to enslave them. The Amazons fought bravely, but in the process, the city burned to the ground. Most of the Amazons died, including Cyrene herself. The survivors fled to the mountains, swearing never again to rest where they might be caught unprepared. Now, the horde travels as a chariot caravan, with horse-riding warriors escorting the small retinue of worker families. When they choose to settle somewhere, they rarely ask permission - they just set up their tent city as they wish, trading and offering recompense with labor and defense. Their camp covers miles when settled, full of their family standards and beautiful tents. The center of the camp is a large tent complex owned by Queen Artemisia, lineal descendant of Cyrene, and her seven daughters. She is controversial among her people, as all of her daughters are children of one man - the horsemaster and poet Lysinnus. Many worry she has grown too soft and long for the days of battle against invaders. In the meantime, they travel as they like, carrying on their traditions. As a note: Numa didn't exist as a nation in 1e. Numa was just the name of the Not Rome city. Next time: La Bucca
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Jun 28, 2018 01:36
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Mors Rattus posted:In fairness, they've gone pretty far afield from the actual Greek gods and made Not Sparta actually not just idiot muscleheads. Is Not Sparta a fascistic racial apartheid state?
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Jun 28, 2018 02:09
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White Coke posted:Is Not Sparta a fascistic racial apartheid state? They are largely jus real mad and big on military readiness and teaching kids to be duelists, from what I can tell
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Jun 28, 2018 02:16
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Mors Rattus posted:7th Sea 2: Mlypnos You forgot the clay. It’s easy to forget, as it’s silent. Also loving the new edition of 7th Sea - it’s fixing a lot of stuff that kinda bugged me. Still needs proper Swedes, though - before even Stormaktstiden, you had some great philosophers and writers who basically seem like 7th Sea characters, like the poet who lost an arm in a bar fight and the nation’s many drunken advisors to royalty.
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Jun 28, 2018 02:41
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Cythereal posted:Yet another tabletop author making not-Artemis a raging lesbian while ignoring not-Apollo who was famously into dudes in classical Greece. Wick's gonna Wick, I guess. Well... who really cares if the gods are just symbolical representations of inner qualities.
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Jun 28, 2018 06:46
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It looks like basically consolidating the Greek pantheon merging Zeus with Kronos, Hades with Poseidon (oddly enough the caged evil goddess makes me think Kid Icarus Medusa) and Artemis with Ares, among others.
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Jun 28, 2018 08:58
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I dunno, I know Potnia Agrotera has 'hunt' in her portfolio but she really comes off more as 'female Ares' than Artemis to me.
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Jun 28, 2018 14:54
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I'm still baffled over how these gods are both gods AND some redditor going "well akshulee, they're just symbolic representations of virtues western cilivizati*faaart*"
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Jun 28, 2018 14:57
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