[FAE] That Which Sleeps: Oh Ghods, Save Us! [Recruitment/OOC]

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Traditional Games > The Game Room > [FAE] That Which Sleeps: Oh Ghods, Save Us! [Recruitment/OOC]

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Tricky Dick Nixon: Jul 26, 2010; by Nyc_Tattoo

To be a god�

To create, nurture, and protect.

This isn�t that kind of story.

Would it not be much better to destroy, instead of create?

Corrupt, instead of nurture?

Conquer, instead of protect?

That is the kind of story this is.

The world has forgotten your name,

but will know it once more.

I want to run something a little different than the usual godgame, but also different perhaps from the hellgames that have been run. Indeed, from the thread title it might give an idea: That Which Sleeps was an overly ambitious Kickstarted game about playing an ancient evil in a fantasy setting. Auspicious to take the name of what is apparently a doomed project, but it inspired me to throw together a Fate Accelerated hack. The players will create and play out as Horrors, beings that are inimical to the world and seek to exert their malevolent will upon it. They are �Evil� in the cosmic sense, though their morality can be anything from truly hideous, unspeakably alien, or even simply misguided. You will gather minions to your banner, create lesser horrors to do your will, and advance towards your full awakening� and then be defeated, sent back from whence you came, to sleep until your next try.

When discussing about playing �evil� characters, it�s necessary to talk about tone. While stylistically I like to take from sources like Berserk, I�m not actually looking for anything close to that. You can play an Awful being that lives to spread suffering, but there�s no need to be explicit about it. Implication is far more effective than the thing itself. I would like it to be basically a fun game with a serious backdrop, yet there should be enough levity that it�s fun to �lose� because that�s a part of the game, being foiled by the forces of good and shaking your fist and proclaiming you�ll have your revenge.

The game focuses heavily on the idea of cycles, of long-term plots and transformation. As you rename and move between aspects, your Horror evolves according to their story, and improves slowly. You keep throwing yourself at the world, burning power and being hardened by it, though your enemies collect knowledge on you in the final confrontation. Or, you can play the very long game, being very subtle and then cashing in all your chips at once, provoking an apocalyptic climax where you might not be as individually powerful, but you deny your enemy any advantage they could use against you.

I�ve not play-tested these rules, and really have designed them solely for a PbP game here on this forum. They might get tweaked during and/or after this game. I�ve added some board game-like elements, which I hope isn�t discouraging. My intention is to add some transparency to a competitive sandbox game like this, as to what your basic capabilities are. This is still a Fate game, and as such you should feel free to try and do anything you think possible.

I�m looking for 5, 7, or if I�m feeling crazy 13 Horrors for this first game. I like odd numbers. You don�t have to be fully acquainted yet with the hack I�ve written up, just have a working understanding of how to play Fate and a willingness to learn. Character creation is found in the second post of this thread. I will likely have recruitment open for two weeks, maybe less if I get more than thirteen good applications, but that�s being optimistic. This thread will also be the OOC thread for the eventual game, and a discussion if people want to chime in from outside the game on the hack, the game, or otherwise. I am also available off-thread by PM, or on #ohgod on IRC.

Expectations
You can have excellent players but the wrong kinds of characters. This is usually because players go into a game not knowing what the game is actually about or their missions/perceptions of what the game should and should not be are not in line with the Narrator�s way of running the game.

To that end these are the following expectations of the players.

Communication - Players should keep in communication inside and outside of the game. IRC is good for this, but in general always be talking and sharing with each other your thoughts. It�s a competitive sandbox, but also a collaborative story.
Teamwork and You - As mentioned this is a competitive sandbox nonetheless, and considering the nature of Horrors and their goals you will often be in conflict with other players, but at other times your goals align. Especially at the beginning of the game, you may not be able to directly interact much, but you will always be able to communicate in-character by any strange means available to your Horror, and the game expects and encourages interaction with other Horrors. You could hole up and play completely solo, but you really shouldn�t. It�ll make me cross.
Metaknowledge - I firmly believe that using metaknowledge (that is, player knowledge over character knowledge) to advance the story is usually a good thing. It stops being a good thing when used to hinder another player. Planning projects and sharing information outside the game is fine, but that is player knowledge, not character knowledge. Character knowledge only includes what is posted in the thread (there are no �secret actions.�)
- You don�t need to write a novella for each action, but you also shouldn't just post a single line of description. It�s good to have a sweet spot of flavor and mechanics, but sometimes you get rushed, or have some inspiration and want to flesh out something, so it�s cool. Because this is a PbP that relies on everyone taking their turn, there�s a 48 hour rule for turns where if you don�t post within the 48 hours after a turn starts, you�re considered in slumber and skipped. If you are going to be out for a bit, let someone know, and you can totally load a �queue� of actions or be on autopilot (and the Narrator will roll for you to contest other actions if you are not available).
Agency: Things will happen that you may not want. This can be frustrating, but that�s what communication is for. Fate allows a lot of narrative agency, but a big rule should be to not contradict what the Narrator or other players have established. Instead, build on it, or show it in a different light. Not no or but, instead yes, and. If you have an issue, with something a player or the Narrator established, let me know. We�ll figure it out.
Conclusion: There is no victory condition. I'll ask the players whose Horrors I pick what they think their "win condition" is, but its entirely freeform and can change. This is not a board game. That being said, if the Horrors provoke the Apocalypse, destroy the world itself, or have eliminated all competitors (or themselves in the process), it will likely draw to a close.

The Play is the Thing, a basic overview of what the game consists of.
There will be a semi-random hex map of the world where each Horror will spread their influence and minions, discovering what the world has in store of them and building their power. Each turn will consist of each Horror and its minions taking an action, and then the world getting a reaction to each Horror in kind. Once every Horror has taken an action, it is considered the end of a turn. After all the Horrors expend their Aberrance, fall into slumber, or the Narrator calls for it (with a two turn warning), the current age ends, and a new one begins, refreshing Aberrance and advancing narrative time. This is the equivalent of a game session. After four ages, it�s considered an epoch, the equivalent of a scenario.

During a turn, a Horror or its minions may recruit or subvert more to their cause, spread corruption in their wake, destroy enemy strongholds or places of power, kidnap sacrificial victims, create lesser horrors, establish networks of spies, or anything else they can imagine. In response, the forces of good investigate mysteries left behind by the acts of a Horror, fortify themselves, repair what was lost, and once they�ve collected enough clues to reveal a horror seek out to bind, ward, or abjure the threat to their world.

As the ages roll on, they created accursed lesser horrors in their image, and they break the seals that bind them or the sacred places that hold the world together, Horrors advance their Doom closer to a waking state. Likewise, the Terror of the world escalates as the threat becomes apparent and the Horrors stir in their sleep, eventually inspiring alliances to form to protect the world, and perhaps eventually calling upon the Apocalypse itself.

Here is a link to the Fate hack proper.

Tricky Dick Nixon fucked around with this message at 19:15 on Mar 4, 2016

# ? Mar 4, 2016 18:50

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# ? Apr 28, 2024 05:22

Tricky Dick Nixon: Jul 26, 2010; by Nyc_Tattoo

Character Creation

Choose a name, as well as any sobriquets or euphemisms that you are known by. Additionally, a picture can�t hurt so we know can be witness to your horror�s terrible form. Optionally, please describe, draw, or otherwise provide a symbol that can be used to mark your Horror�s influence on a game board.

Name your origin aspect. This is the where and who of your evil. There are a few categories, but you get to fully name the aspect after that, such as �Below: Arch-Demon of the Pits� or �Beyond: Fun Guy From Yuggoth.� You may include additional elucidation if you like. Your origin�s category will help me determine your starting position on the map, starting mysteries, some additional hooks and later bonuses, and what intel you start with. The origins that start with less mysteries tend to get less starting intel, a less advantageous starting position, or otherwise less potent starting bonuses, as mysteries represent opportunities for the forces of good to discover clues toward your true nature.

Above - You fell from some great height, a dead god or deity, or perhaps some other being that once was vaunted in power. You will possess some knowledge of the Divine, and may find remnants of your old faith. You start with two mysteries.
Below - You bubbled up from the abyss, a chthonic or daemoniac manifestation of the deepest darkness of earth or sea. You will start in the Deep, underground or underwater, insulated from the prying eyes of the forces of light. You start with one mystery.
Beyond - You are from behind the crystal spheres and their music, or even the material plane itself, truly alien. You will have no prior knowledge of this world, but perhaps something of others. You start with no mysteries..
Within - You rose from the peoples of this world, once mortal, though no longer, transcended to some terrible ascension. You will have more knowledge of the people of the world to use, and its factions. You start with two mysteries.
Before - You are from before history, before time as this world knows it, and perhaps even more primordial than the Divine. You will have some knowledge of the world itself to use, and start far from civilization. You start with one mystery.

Name your awakening aspect. This is the how and when of your evil. Your awakening aspect describes your current status, whether already walking the earth, or sequestered into some otherworld. Whether �Dormant: Dead but Dreaming� or �Stirring: Queen of Spiders�, it should hint at your path towards transcendence as well as your current state. It also determines your starting Aberrance, Occult, and how swiftly you will quicken into a Waking Horror.

Your awakening aspect will change over time, as you cycle between ascension and descent back into dormancy with the ebb and tide of your evil. You will get a chance to rename the aspect each time the state changes.

During character creation, you may choose to be either Imprisoned, Dormant, or Stirring.

Imprisoned - You are captive, most likely unwillingly, and can only awaken once your chains are broken no matter how powerful your worldly influence becomes. Normally you influence the world indirectly through minions or invoking aspects. You will only awaken when the seven seals that keep you trapped are broken. You start with an Occult of 13, and an Aberrance of 2.
Dormant - You lie waiting for your time to come, not yet manifest in any real way, though your thrashing about in your sleep has its influence all the same. You may even stir earlier from your slumber for a time. Normally you influence the world indirectly through minions or invoking aspects. You will awaken after your Doom exceeds ten. You start with an Occult of 10, and an Aberrance of 3.
Stirring - You are half-awake, somnambulant and walking upon the world partially blind to your power. You may have just begun your transformation into a Horror, or you might be a reduced form of a more ancient evil. Unlike the other aspects, you can interact with the world directly, though likewise you can be interacted with. You will awaken after your Doom exceeds five. You start with an Occult of 7, and an Aberrance of 4.

Name three additional aspects. These should be elements that what kind of influence your Horror has on the world, as much as it is about the Horror itself. These are the what of your evil. These aspects are what dormant and imprisoned Horrors activate to influence the world directly, and can enhance the actions of stirring or waking Horrors. Two example kinds of aspects are provided here for ideas and special mechanics of what that might look like, but feel free to name anything. You will have the opportunity to rename any aspects in play.

Servitors - Beings tied to the nature of your Horror, and linked with your ascendance. Eldritch races, as much as ancient evils, are prone to dormancy as well after all. After invoking this Aspect (and thus waking up their servitors), a dormant or imprisoned Horror may act through their servitors in the world without spending Aberrance, only spending it if they want the normal benefits of doing so.
Realms - Pockets of reality where your Horror�s will is manifest; a dream world, a layer of hell, another planet, or the confines of your own terrible body. In addition to the normal benefits of invoking an Aspect, a manifest (Stirring or Waking) Horror may return to their Realm instantly with a spend of Aberrance. You also can attempt to abduct others into your Realm with a similar spend, where you have the marked advantage. Even a dormant or imprisoned Horror can directly act on anything in their Realm.

Name your harbinger aspect. This is the prophecy, the great sin, the sign in the stars, the great cataclysm that marks your passage into the world. It is the why of your evil, providing you both a motivation, and your first action. You start with a free invocation of your harbinger aspect (and dormant and imprisoned Horrors can take advantage to open the game with a direct action), but you should look at it similar to your Trouble in other fate games as it should be used more for compels, both by you, other players, and the Narrator. It should also hint at your weakness, and is the aspect that others should look to invoke to learn more about you when you try to stay hidden, and abjure you once you are found out.

Choose your approaches. Horrors and their minions use a different set of approaches befitting their unhallowed nature. They are descriptors of how you work your evil, and apply to rolls made with intent applicable that such an approach.

You choose one +3 approach, two +2 approaches, two +1 approaches, and two +0 approaches. Horrors that start as stirring have an additional +1 approach instead of two +0 approaches. Any may optionally switch shift a +0 approach to -1 in order to shift one of their +1 approaches to +2.

The approaches are...

Awful - Acting with malice, causing pain and suffering, inspiring hatred.
Dreadful - Terror and awe, using one's horrific nature, monstrous or beautiful.
Leery - Immortal patience, plans within plans, indulging paranoia.
Restless - Staying unpredictable, taking initiative, provoking folly.
Subtle - Stealth and guile, hidden actions, telling and keeping secrets.
Uncanny - Understanding and mimicking mortals, predicting their actions, exploiting minds.
Weird - Raw eldritch power, creating enigmas, spreading madness.

Choose your starting gift. Horrors don�t have stunts like other Fate characters have per se, but rather gifts. Gifts are shared with their minions, bestowments of power and evil that empower all that act in the Horror�s name. They can be mutations, spells, teachings or otherwise.

Describe your gifts as such: �Because Demogorgon grants Charnel Appetites, minions gain +2 to Awfully create an advantage when consuming the powers of the dead.� Agents, cults, and other minions benefit from your gifts. You may also benefit from your own gifts, of course.

Mark your Doom, Omen, Occult and Aberrance. These supporting characteristics represent the ebb and flow of your Horror�s power. Doom represents your impending rise, and the inevitability of your ascent, and controls your awakening aspect. All Horrors start with Doom 0. Your Omen is a perhaps arbitrary grouping, either red, green, blue or yellow, that determines during which ages your Horror�s Doom ascends. Depending on which horrors group with which Omens, it might take on other characteristics as well.

Occult represents the mystical secrecy and powers of obfuscation you have at your disposal to hide your true nature from the world. Occult is generally a finite resource, so spend it wisely. Aberrance replaces Fate points for Horrors and represents the sheer force of your malevolence, and are used in much the same way, though there are a few more options and ways of earning them.

Your Aberrance�s refresh should be marked as well. Your base refresh comes from your awakening aspects: imprisoned Horrors mark 2, dormant Horrors mark 3, stirring Horrors mark 4, waking Horrors mark 5. You also may gain additional points of refresh by creating grimoires, and advancing Doom. You may also spend refresh to create new gifts for your minions to share in, as you would for stunts. You get a number of free gifts without lowering refresh equal to your Doom, minimum 1. Any in excess reduce your refresh by 1 (minimum 0.)

Character Sheet

code:

[b]True Name[/b] [i]and Sobriquets[/i]

[b]Origin Aspect[/b]
[b]Awakening Aspect[/b]

[b]Aspect[/b]
[b]Aspect[/b]
[b]Aspect[/b]

[b]Harbinger Aspect[/b]

[b]Approaches[/b]
[list][*][b]Awful[/b] 
[*][b]Dreadful[/b] 
[*][b]Leery[/b] 
[*][b]Restless[/b] 
[*][b]Subtle[/b] 
[*][b]Uncanny[/b] 
[*][b]Weird[/b] [/list]
[b]Gifts[/b]

[b]Doom:[/b] 0
[b]Omen:[/b] Green/Yellow/Red/Blue
[b]Aberrance:[/b] 2/3/4 (Refresh: 2/3/4)
[b]Occult:[/b] 13/10/7
[b]Masks:[/b] None, yet.

[b]Lesser Horrors[/b]
None, yet.

[b]Minions[/b]
None, yet. (Agents, cults, etc. will go here.)

Sample Character

quote:

Eternal Sovereign, the Star Emperor, the Tomb Lord, the Hierophant of the Damned, the Lord Protector

Beyond: The Star Empire That Was But No More
The Eternal Sovereign was the ruler of an empire of men so powerful and ambitious they conquered the very heavens, spreading out across the stars and dethroning gods with their powerful magic and technology, until finally an alliance of the Divine sought to strike down everything they had built in their magnificent society.

Imprisoned: Arch-Lich Out of Time
In a desperate attempt to prevent his people from being complete destroyed, the Star Emperor created a sequestered demiplane cut off from all other existence. Wasting away in a lightless reality with only fading magic, he turned to increasingly desperate, and darker, magic to preserve them, and his own life, until finally only his mad self was left to rot for millenia within the confines of a self-made prison.

Servitors: Eidolons
Trapped souls from this time out of time live on as echoes that he can call and send into the world as his servitors, temporal eddies given thought and substance that haunt the dreams and minds of mortal men.

Realm: Edge of Oblivion
The prison-plane of his own making, this sunless world of swirling vortices and ruins is nothing more than a mental reflection and memory, existing entirely in the Eternal Sovereign�s consciousness.

Crown of Crowns
The very trappings of authority and power are within the Sovereign�s remit, as he claims to be the end of all empires, and he can pervert and twist the ambitions of those men who garb themselves with such trappings, as their returned successor..

Harbinger: The Star Empire�s Legacy
Imprinted like a memory in humankind is the vision of an empire across the stars, that has yet to be realized. Extending his consciousness into a sphere of reality and time long before his empire ever exists, the Star Emperor lays the foundation of his own making, or remaking, within these ancestral memories, and is desperate to create something in that ruined image.

Approaches

Awful +0

Dreadful +1

Leery +3

Restless +0

Subtle +1

Uncanny +2

Weird +2
Gifts
Because Sovereign grants Knowledge of Was But No More, minions gain +2 to Leerily creating advantages when predicting future events.

Doom: 0
Omen: Blue
Aberrance: 2 (Refresh: 2)
Occult: 13
Masks: None, yet.

Lesser Horrors
None, yet.

Minions
None, yet.

Tricky Dick Nixon fucked around with this message at 23:40 on Mar 4, 2016

# ? Mar 4, 2016 18:53

Yami Fenrir: Jan 25, 2015; Is it I that is insane... or the rest of the world?

Auluudh, The Lurker Beneath, the Third King of the Cold Dark, the Great Old, He who takes minds freely, the Star-Seeker

Below: The oldest Aboleth

After dutifully passing the rulership of their society to his oldest child, resigning after 2000 long years of rule. Growing restless and worrying about the future, Auluudh then went on to do what no other Aboleth ever did before: Gaze upon the stars. To do this, he swam all the way to the surface, looking to see what the future holds.

Surfacing, he claimed the power of the stars as his dominion, and gazed. But... he saw only emptiness. He returned to his kind, sharing this disturbing vision with his sons. Seeing as none were able to interpret it, Auluudh secluded himself more and more to try and do so. Soon, he even entered a state of meditative sleep, his obsession with this strange event having grown a disturbing amount.

...

roughly 40000 years later, he started dreaming. What was this altercation? Perhaps a new form of vision. But what's this?

Strange, almost ... humanoid beings. Surprisingly, despite being in this vision, he was able to effortlessly pierce their minds, looking for an explanation of all this. ... Auluudh was not happy.

It dawned on him: The vision back then was as empty as his race's future. Whatever these things are - their coming had brought the end of his species. But now... they will serve him in order to restore it.

quote:

Dormant: The dreaming Aboleth
Awoken by forces unknown, Auluudh finds himself utterly alone, with his entire species seemingly having vanished entirely. Both weakened from this incredibly shock as well as still in the process of waking up from a millennial slumber, Auluudh eagerly awaits his return to his full power.

Servitors: The Sunken Ones
Originally having brought ruin to the deepest depths of the ocean, Auluudh has and is taking over an ever increasing number of this curios, but far inferior species even in his state of sleep.

Tyrant of the Mind
The society of the Aboleths used to be built on the back of slaves. This is due to their ability to force their will upon others. Even back in the day, Auluudh was one of the oldest living Aboleths. Today, he is the only - but his incredible dominion over the mind remains.

Fates of the Stars
Auluudh can use the power of the stars to foresee events before they happen, although not very clear even to one as powerful as him.

Harbinger: The Return of the Aboleths
Maddeningly lonely, Auluudh seeks to find a way to revive his species. Ever vigilant for any hope of doing so, he is willing to do almost anything to achieve that goal - and surely their return would mean the subjugation of all things aquatic, as before. And who's to say he does not turn his gaze to the surface afterward?

Approaches
Awful +0
Dreadful +1
Leery +3
Restless +0
Subtle +2
Uncanny +1
Weird +2

Gifts
Auluudh grants his Psionic Dominance to his enslaved minions, giving them +2 to Weirdly attack when subverting the minds of others.

Doom: 0
Omen: Blue
Aberrance: 4 (Refresh: 3)
Occult: 7
Masks: None, yet.
Lesser Horrors
Hall of Visions (Tower, 36:30)

Minions

Agents:
Merrow #1 (I'm sure he has a name, Auluudh just can't be bothered to learn it)
Origin: Merrow Seeker
Starfall Clutch Merrow
Approaches: Weird +2, Leery +3, Subtle +2

Cults: The Heralds of the Deepest Kingdom
Origin: Adventurers of Huaca
Approaches: Uncanny +1, Subtle +2, Leery +3 Weird +2

Yami Fenrir fucked around with this message at 14:49 on Apr 7, 2016

# ? Mar 4, 2016 19:12

UnCO3: Feb 11, 2010; Ye gods!; College Slice

quote:

Eternal Sovereign, the Star Emperor, the Tomb Lord, the Hierophant of the Damned, the Lord Protector

Oh hey, that guy!

Gonna put something together for this.

# ? Mar 4, 2016 19:54

paradoxGentleman: Dec 10, 2013; wheres the jester, I could do with some pointless nonsense right about now

Thank you for alleviating the wounds over my broken heart for the loss of such a great concept. I'm in.
... I might consider incorporating "wounds over a broken heart" into my character concept.

# ? Mar 4, 2016 19:58

Schizotek: Nov 8, 2011; I say, hey, listen to me!
Stay sane inside insanity!!!

quote:

Armaiti The Last Spark, The Dying Fire, The Carrion Empress, Queen of Cinders, Ash God, Devotion Unending, Widow of Ormazd

Above: The Dying of the Light
Dormant: Relight the Fire

Pyromancy
Servitor: Divine Avatars:
Realm: Parida�za:

The fire still burns in Parida�za, if only dimly. Darkness still rules over most of it, and it's undying citizens are much changed by the Fall and the following Night. But their love of Ormazd is unfailing, and though they mourn his absence, they will follow Armaiti to hell and back.

Harbinger: The S�dr�shyant

Approaches

Awful +1

Dreadful +3

Leery +0

Restless +1

Subtle +2

Uncanny +2

Weird +0
Gifts
Armaiti grants her Unending Devotion to her most devoted worshippers, giving them +2 to Dreadfully create and advantage when converting others to her bright cause.

Doom: 0
Omen: Yellow
Aberrance: 3 (Refresh: 3)
Occult: 10
Masks: None, yet.

Lesser Horrors
None, yet.

Minions
None, yet. (Agents, cults, etc. will go here.)

What IRC channel are you using?

Schizotek fucked around with this message at 18:50 on Mar 17, 2016

# ? Mar 4, 2016 20:26

Tricky Dick Nixon: Jul 26, 2010; by Nyc_Tattoo

UnCO3 posted:

Oh hey, that guy!

It's been a long time indeed.

paradoxGentleman posted:

Thank you for alleviating the wounds over my broken heart for the loss of such a great concept. I'm in.
... I might consider incorporating "wounds over a broken heart" into my character concept.

Sounds like an excellent see for a harbinger aspect.

Schizotek posted:

What IRC channel are you using?

I'm in #ohgod currently if you want to hit me up.

# ? Mar 4, 2016 21:05

Theantero: Nov 6, 2011; ...We danced the Mamushka while Nero fiddled, we danced the Mamushka at Waterloo. We danced the Mamushka for Jack the Ripper, and now, Fester Addams, this Mamushka is for you....

Mar'arr'nenkeshet, The Formless One, The Gnasher of Teeth, The Creeping Maw, The Endless Plain of Writhing Flesh and Eyes and Bone

Beyond: The Ancient Seed Of Being
Life. Life is such a strange thing. A gathering of flesh and blood and nerves that thinks itself important. A pitiful, sad thing that scratches and bites to survive and bring forth progeny, as if these things held some meaning, brought some purpose to the brief and vanishing instants that they persist. Yet persist they do. On nearly every World, on nearly every Plane of being and every Sphere, life finds a way to flourish. Somehow, the sparks and seeds of this enigmatic entity find a way to burrow their roots in nearly every place where even the smallest crack presents itself.

Mar'arr'nenkeshet could then perhaps be best described as such a seed of life, one of the oldest and most primal of all, one that long ago found purchase in a plane of its own. It embodies the most primal parts of life. Of growth, constant and tenacious and all-consuming. Of change, the constant evolution of form under duress. Of the oldest, most primal feelings, of fear and of pain.

Dormant: The Sleeping World
Long ago, Mar'arr'nenkeshet consumed all that was to be consumed in its own pocket of the multiverse, integrating it into its very own form. And then, as many living things are wont, it slumbered. For eons, in complete peace.

But now it stirs.

Realm: Its writhing self
Mar'arr'nenkeshet constitutes an entire plane into itself. This is its home. This is where it persists, in writhing and trashing imprisonment, with nowhere else to expand into.

Servitors: Gnashers
Spawned from the writhing back of Mar'arr'nenkeshet itself, the Gnashers are horrible beasts of malformed, pulsing flesh and jutting bone. No two are alike in form, but all are horrible of intent and purpose, and mighty in the destruction they cause.

The Songs of Life and Death
And so it shall be, that the places where the influence of Mar'arr'nenkeshet is felt, so is also felt his touch. First, supernatural moistness, the stench of blood. Then, fleshy membranes, eyes growing from stalks. Finally, great spires of bone and pustules the size of small lakes jutting from the landscape. The influence of Mar'arr'nenkeshet is akin to a creeping infection, a slowly growing cancer upon the lands. All that refuses to change is swept away.

Harbinger Aspect: The Feast
Mar'arr'nenkeshet seeks to enter this World and consume it, become One with it, as it did with its home. This is its driving purpose. The endless Hunger that needs to be sated.

Approaches

Awful +2
Dreadful +2
Leery +1
Restless +3
Subtle -1
Uncanny +0
Weird +2

Gifts
Because Mar'arr'nenkeshet, like life itself, is Ever Changing, Ever Adapting, minions gain +2 to Restlessly creating advantages when responding to adversity.

Doom: 0
Omen: Red
Aberrance: 3 (Refresh:3)
Occult:10
Masks: None, yet.

Lesser Horrors
None, yet.

Minions
None, yet. (Agents, cults, etc. will go here.)

Theantero fucked around with this message at 12:07 on Mar 12, 2016

# ? Mar 5, 2016 00:39

Clipperton: Dec 20, 2011; Grimey Drawer

The Lady in the Woods, the Bereaved, 'Momma'

There's no word for parents who lose a child--because the word is her name, and none have dared speak it for so long that it's been forgotten.

quote:

Before: The Woods Before The World
The Lady once walked with her many, many children in the Dark Woods. Then the Creators cut down the Woods to make the clearing we call the world, and killed her children doing it.

Stirring: Mad with Grief
The loss of her children took the Lady's mind, and ever since the world was made she has wandered the Woods that still encroach it from all sides, barely more than an empty husk, although seeing and remembering all.

Realm: The Dark Woods
The Woods are beyond the borders of the rational world, where it's dark and fearful forever. When you lose your way in the dark, when you're between the streetlights and hear footsteps behind you, you're in the Woods.

Servitors: Things In The Woods
The forest is home to a great many things beside the Lady, and they all have teeth.

I'm Your Momma Now
The Lady whispers to the children of Men, twisting their dreams, filling them with love for her. They'll do anything for their new Momma.

Harbinger Aspect: The Coming of Man
Humanity has expanded (both physically and metaphorically) to the edge of the Woods, and has even begun to push them back. From the dark at the edge of the clearing the Lady sees their children playing, and it awakens her own grief. She wants these children and will do anything to get them.

Approaches

Awful +2

Dreadful +1

Leery +0

Restless +1

Subtle +3

Uncanny +2

Weird 0

Gifts
The children the Lady corrupts are One Big Happy Family. They can see through each other's eyes and know each other's (and Momma's) thoughts. They gain a +2 to Subtly create an advantage when influencing their parents.

Doom: 0
Omen: Green
Aberrance: 4 (Refresh: 4)
Occult: 7
Masks: None, yet.

Lesser Horrors
None, yet.

Minions
None, yet. (Agents, cults, etc. will go here.)

Clipperton fucked around with this message at 03:51 on Mar 5, 2016

# ? Mar 5, 2016 00:48

LLSix: Jan 20, 2010; The real power behind countless overlords

The King in Yellow The Trump Card, The Prince of Lies

Within : The First and Final Emperor

Stirring: The Easy Path
The King in Yellow promises his followers simple, easy solutions. He urges them to give up thought and have faith in him so that they can make heaven great again.

Servitors: Bankers
The great banking clans who control of the flow of money and whose lending supports all the great kings worship the King in Yellow. They whisper to each other that once he was like them and that he ascended his mortal limits by spending more of other people's money than any dozen other men put together.

Sower of Discord
The King in Yellow and his servants have an impressive knack for finding ways to divide others. They keep them separated and weak.

1,000 Insult Flurry
Like all great bullies, the King in Yellow is endlessly willing to insult others until he find their weakness. Once he finds a person's weakness, he uses it to drag them down to his level and stomp on them.

Harbinger: King of Idiots
The King in Yellow cannot tolerate anyone greater than him and so is often surrounded by idiots. Able to easily lead huge masses of followers he still has difficulty attracting competent help because he tends to drive them away or break them just for the fun of it.

Approaches
Awful +3
Dreadful +1
Leery +0
Restless +1
Subtle +0
Uncanny +2
Weird +2

Gifts
Because The King In Yellow hates women, minions gain +2 to Awfully attacking women and children.

Doom: 0
Omen: Yellow
Aberrance: 4 (Refresh: 4)
Occult: 7
Masks: None, yet.

Lesser Horrors
None, yet.

Minions
None, yet.

LLSix fucked around with this message at 01:11 on Mar 5, 2016

# ? Mar 5, 2016 01:02

Rhjamiz: Oct 28, 2007

Expressing interest, marking for later.

# ? Mar 5, 2016 01:11

UnCO3: Feb 11, 2010; Ye gods!; College Slice

Finally finished:

Skellington Jones, the Dead Man Rockin', the Noisemaker, the Black Star, the Greatest Unliving Musician this Side of the Bloody Veil

Skellington Jones, the skeletal bard whose singing voice is as rough as his dirty bones.

He wears a rainbow, rumpled, stained and torn, and preaches the dual doctrine of maniacal ecstasy and crushing emptiness.

I'm afraid that's all we know.

Just who is this lunatic star? And what does he want with our world?

quote:

Above: Ex-bard, Ex-god
"Wanna know why the the night sky's all hosed up like, when you look at it just the right way? Cause of war in Heaven. Nobody gets to stand on the sidelines in one o' them. Not even the bards like me. And, well, poo poo, I died, and now I'm on the other side of the Veil. Lost my skin, lost my heart, lost my everything. Well, not everything..."

Stirring: Getting Amped For The Greatest Comeback Tour Ever
"What I got left is, like, it's fire, it's burning me up. I wanna send the dickhead suits up there a lesson. They won, but I ain't dead yet, not proper dead. I'm coming back. I'm coming for 'em. DO YOU HEAR ME? I'M GONNA gently caress YOU SIDEWA--" [at this point Jones was hustled away from us by his manager; he was unable to be reached for further comment.]

Realm: Backstage
When all the world's a stage, that means backstage must be not of this world. A bizarre, non-Euclidian otherworld, this is where all the prep happens - writing, rehearsals, auditions, tech design, etc.. It was once a place of glory, joy, and celebration, but it's taken on grimy hues since its master's hideous transformation. Even so, it remains a sanctuary, sovereign from the laws of god and nature. A place for experimentation, in dark arts and sciences alike.

Servitors: Roadies from Hell(?)
Nobody's quite sure where these guys came from (not even Jones himself, some whisper), but they do good work as long as they're paid. If they're not paid... well, they go on strike. Nobody wants that, since bad luck seems to amplify in their absence - instruments get out of tune, gear goes missing, pyros explode, and basically everything goes tits-up.

Hole for a Heart
There's a terrible void where Jones' heart used to be � a portal to primordial chaos. His divine heart, like all gods', channeled and pumped that raw, chaotic power according to a set of principles, for conscious purposes. Now that valve is gone. All that remains is the gnawing, entropic hole that Jones keeps under control by sheer force of personality. With a little care he can direct that chaos without destroying himself in the process.

Harbinger: The Phantom of the Rock Opera
Something sinister follows in Jones' wake. No, not a stalker, though he has more than a few of those. It's something far more dark and terrible � the Phantom of the Rock Opera. This masked, mysterious, evil shade plays a running soundtrack for the rising Black Star; as his power grows, the cacophony spreads further and further through the world. When Jones himself joins in, the effect is turbo-charged, drowning out all opposition.

Approaches

Dreadful +3

Restless +2

Uncanny +2

Weird +2

Awful +1

Leery +1

Subtle -1

Gifts
Because Punk's Not Dead, tribute bands gain +2 to Weirdly create advantages by raising the dead.

Doom: 0
Omen: Red
Aberrance: 4 (Refresh: 4)
Occult: 7
Masks: None, yet.

Lesser Horrors
None, yet.

Minions
None, yet.

UnCO3 fucked around with this message at 22:29 on Apr 7, 2016

# ? Mar 5, 2016 01:31

Dachshundofdoom: Feb 14, 2013; Pillbug

Lozeth Lorgonith: The Power Profound, The Great Annihilator, The Rewriter of All, The Crystal God, The Final Peace, Magic Incarnate

Within: Transcendant Destroyer

Long ago, magic was a limitless force, but it was only accessible to certain individuals. Those who could manipulate it ruled the world as gods among men, passing down their power through their families. These Wizard-Lords ruled with iron fists; the lives of the common people were entirely theirs, to be directed and spent as they wished. A Wizard could shatter reality with a gesture; the only threat to one was another another Wizard. But of course, like all mortals with power, they coveted more, and sought to destroy each other to remove threats to their rule. The world continuously raged with magical wars and disasters, with the people caught in the middle.

The man (or perhaps woman, for Lozeth Lorgonith is now beyond such petty distinctions, and remembers little of its humanity) was one of these Wizard-Lords, but he or she took pity on the suffering of the common people and grew tired of the cycle of destruction and fear. They sought the power to bring peace to the world. But all power corrupts; as they accumulated the power to reach their goals, their ideal of bringing peace to the world was twisted and changed. After all, reasoned the mage, what is more peaceful than ultimate death? What could be more wonderful than an empty, crystal world of stillness, over which I rule as silent, eternally meditating God of all?

After centuries of study and war against those who would stop these plans, the mage was finally ready. They performed the Ritual of Ascension, destroying their own body but eternally binding their own spirit to magic itself. The other Wizard-Lords, in desperation, finally came together to launch an all-out assault on Lozeth Lorgonith's keep, a crystal palace atop the highest mountain in the world, but arrived too late. With no other choice, the Wizards used what little magic remained within their bodies (the only magic that was not yet a fundamental part of Lozeth) to bind the newborn Elemental-God away, while it was still too weak and confused by its new form to resist. They sealed the keep away behind 8 magical seals, forcing the crystal fortress (and the entire mountain) out of phase with the material universe.

In so doing, the Wizards exhausted their own power and bound magic itself away from the world (for there was no longer any difference between magic and Lozeth Lorgonith). As time went on, the memories of the Wizard-Lords and magic would fade from human memory and history. But within its crystal prison, Lozeth Lorgonith has been probing for weaknesses and gathering its strength. It has managed to break the first and weakest of the 8 seals itself, giving it a small amount of influence over the world. Its return is nigh, and it will not rest until its dream of a dead, peaceful world is realized.

pre:

Imprisoned: Wrathful Magic

Trapped outside the material universe in its crystal palace, Ibyz Votizh, Lozeth has been probing the seals for weaknesses. The power of the Wizards was fading as they applied each seal,
and so each is weaker than the next. The 8th seal was so weak that Lozeth was able to destroy it from the inside, although it took countless millenia.
Now it can begin exerting a small amount of influence over the world, trying to shatter the remaining 7 seals to unleash itself again.

Realm: Ibyz Votizh, The Unbeating Heart of Magic

The crystal keep of Ibyz sat atop the highest mountain in the world, Votizh. Sealed away by the Wizard-Lords along with Lozeth Lorgonith, the god has transformed this realm
into a representation of its dream for the entire world. A vast mountain-palace of gleaming blue crystal, the realm is a place of eternal, eerie stillness. Not even a wind blows in this place,
and the vast and terrifying Lozeth Lorgonith hovers above it all, dreaming of the day that it will bring this kind of peace to the entire world.

Power Corrupts

Lozeth Lorgonith is magic, and magic is Lozeth Lorgonith. There is no separating the two; to encounter magic is to encounter some tiny portion of the god. Anyone who uses magic
or enters magically-infused locations may find themselves turned to its will. Minor use of or contact with magic may result in subtle changes in behavior; heavy use of magic
or spending years in a magically-corrupted area can gradually twist all but the strongest-willed into unaware puppets of their own power.

Servitors: Corrupted Mages

Magic has begun to seep back into the world now that the first seal has broken. From the most backwater villages to the greatest cities, some individuals have started to discover a new
and incredible power at their fingertips. The least cautious completely fling themselves into its use, glorying in their newfound power to control the world around them and never suspecting
that the power they wield has begun manipulating them in turn. Eventually they find themselves acting entirely on Lozeth's behalf, never suspecting that their motives and minds are not their own anymore.

Harbinger: A Silent World

Corrupted by power, the mortal who ascended to become Lozeth Lorgonith never realized that their dreams had been twisted. In its new form, and having been sealed away from the world so long,
Lozeth's burning desire to annihilate all life and turn the world into a silent place of total peace has only intensified, even as it forgets more and more of why it wanted that in the first place.
It will begin on the plain where the mountain Votizh once stood, crystals erupting from the earth and magic saturating the air. The crystalline growth will spread outward slowly, gradually
infusing the land with magic. The process will begin very slowly, but will increase in speed as Lozeth breaks free. Unopposed, it will remake the entire world into a crystalline desert.

Approaches
Awful: +0
Dreadful: +1
Leery: +2
Restless: +0
Subtle: +1
Uncanny: +2
Weird: +3

Gifts
Lozeth Lorgonith grants The Power to Conquer and Remake, giving its minions +2 to Weirdly overcome when they are attempting to destroy or conquer something.

Doom: 0
Omen: Blue
Aberrance: 2 (Refresh: 2)
Occult: 13
Masks: None, yet.

Lesser Horrors
None, yet.

Minions
None, yet. (Agents, cults, etc. will go here.)

Dachshundofdoom fucked around with this message at 08:05 on Mar 5, 2016

# ? Mar 5, 2016 01:43

Trollhawke: Jan 25, 2012; I'LL GET YOU THIS YEAR! EVEN IF I SAID THIS LAST YEAR TOOOOOO
God I love the smell of salty succubi in the morning

יְהוּדָה, אולי,אין זה משנה

The God Eater, The Arch Traitor, The Sire of the Eternal Cult, They expressed in ideas, not words
How many times has this happened? How many times has one woman or man doomed all others for power? The answer cannot be expressed in mere numbers, or mere thoughts. It is expressed in the thousands upon thousands of realms which now lay dead, filled with nothing but one emotion - betrayal. For each of these now dead realms, there is an Arch Traitor, an individual who followed the signs, set them astray and let the world be their sacrifice for power.
But for each traitor there is a new being, someone willing to take up the mantle.
Why, one asks? Why would people sacrifice themselves over and over and over again, just for a little something they don't even understand?
Well, such is the ultimate strength of the humane species.

They are, before anything else, able to delude and betray themselves.

And so they shall, until the cycle is broken.

quote:

Originating Within - Ate the Heart
It began with vulnerability. The coven gathered, and called upon their ruinous powers - begged, longed - until it appeared before them.That unknown power, from a time before time, reared itself to fulfil some unknown prophecy. Scared and alone, they accepted and ate the heart of the beast - and so was their realm damned. But alone, the traitor stood, triumphant - but alone.

Imprisoned - Beds made, Beds Laid
...However, the damned realm is both his domain and prison - through the knowledge left by the carcass, there is another world, awaiting another to continue its work. What is not known is how to escape this realm into the other, so it waits, thinks, plans. And, for the longest time it has known, exists.

Servitors - Absolute Traitors
Those who have abandoned their own species and plea to the stars for some kind of escape from their biological prison are the worst traitors, Dammable to the lowest pits in all respects. For the Arch Traitor, this is delightful, as their gift can influence them and easily satisfy them - all in the name of completing the cycle. These -once- beings, when pushed to their limits, will rip open the last chains of their prison and gatekeeper, their skin and mind, before truly allowing the arch traitor to take them.

Aspect of Existence - Essence of Malevolence
Betrayal is a two way street - one is betrayed, the other is the betrayer.
What god of betrayal worth their salt only cares about one side? Those who are betrayed can be touched, given the power to enact their revenge should they only know how to ask. It buries itself within the blood of those who seek revenge, allowing them to feed upon the power within in order to morph themselves into terrifying entities of vengeance - However, the only certainty with the god of betrayers is that this new power will not betray the betrayed. Once it is theirs, not even the God Eater can control it.

Aspect of Existence - Mutable Symbols
The Arch Traitor cares not for the signs within the flesh, but those within the heart. When once calls out, looking to act against their own flesh and blood, their kin their friends and everything else, even their own species, The Arch Traitor hears. Thus their symbol is the symbol within symbols that matter, not the symbols themselves - however, though they speak in many voices, they tread on many toes. Thus, The Arch Traitor may help others as it helps itself.

Harbinger Aspect - Time and Again
The signs have always been the same. There has always been a chosen one, a battle they cannot over come, the allies they gather, the understanding and obfuscation of the supernatural, the five, the three, the one - and the arch traitor. Time and again, they will rise. They will fall. And the Arch Traitor will see itself undone.

Approaches

Awful+3

Dreadful+0

Leery+0

Restless+2

Subtle+1

Uncanny+2

Weird+1

Gifts
Call of the Seeds of Doubt - The gift that only the most recent incarnation has manifested, is the ability to help others hear the call. No secrets can be hid, no veils can be placed - for the betrayers must know before it can doubt. Thus, The Arch Betrayer and those gifted by them gain +2 when uncannily overcoming attempts at keeping things secret.

Doom: 0
Omen: Red
Aberrance: 2 (refresh:2)
Occult: 13
Masks: None, yet.

Lesser Horrors
None, yet.

Minions
None, yet. (Agents, cults, etc. will go here.)

Trollhawke fucked around with this message at 01:28 on Mar 6, 2016

# ? Mar 5, 2016 01:53

Shogeton: Apr 26, 2007; "Little by little the old world crumbled, and not once did the king imagine that some of the pieces might fall on him"

Maen Mother of Madness, Patroness of Artists, Queen of Love, The Moon's Prisoner

I remember again. Sometimes I remember. When I don't forget who I am. What I am. It's hard. But sometimes I can gather my thoughts. I am a goddess. Yes! I am! It is not a dream! I brought such beauty, such love! I was beloved? Wasn't I? Or feared. With other gods. I loved one, I think?

No, don't think of that, too painful. The fight on the moon, the betrayal, no, no please, just think of other things. We have to think of it to bring beauty again! We have to face it. It's madness to face it. Madness, Madness! He read the verdict! He looked disgusted he cried he laughed he didn't look at us at all. Or was that me? Or was that how I dream it? Doesn't matter, doesn't matter, doesn't matter.

These mirrors, reflecting the beauty? So sweet. So merciful. So cruel. Had you but giving me sweet death and oblivion my love. My love would never kill me! Lost in that beauty for so long. But it's fake, it's fake, not real, no actual minds growing beyond reason and embracing the beautiful drum of heart and melody of inspiration! LIES! LIES! HOW DARE THEY LIE TO ME, I AM A GODDESS! MY WRATH WILL BE TERRIBLE!

But the people. They want me. They need me. One of them drew my eye. I smashed one of them. Smashed one of the mirrors. The shards rained down in the most beautiful way, and I wept for the beauty I lost. But now, I sometimes I can see the world now. The real world, with the people, in grey dreary lives, trying to make beauty. And I weep more.

I love the people! I love them so much! I will be freed, and then I will free them. Free their minds from their dull little chains. And we'll dance to the music together.

Forever

quote:

Origin: Goddess Lost to Madness Above -Maen was once the goddess of Art and Love, passionate and untamed. She did great things, and once had great and beautiful temples built to her. But her whims were too mercurial, and her growing madness and disdain for all things orderly keeping society afloat united the gods against her, and they sealed her away.
Awakening: The Moon's Prisoner - You are captive, most likely unwillingly, and can only awaken once your chains are broken no matter how powerful your worldly influence becomes. Normally you influence the world indirectly through minions or invoking aspects. You will only awaken when the seven seals that keep you trapped are broken. You start with an Occult of 13, and an Aberrance of 2. They cornered her on the moon, a place she had claimed for herself. To kill one of their own was hard, and none wanted divine blood of her hands. So they constructed magic mirrors and surrounded her with them. They reflected her own creative impulses back at her, and made the mad goddess retreat in her own delusions she saw into her mirror, seeing them reflected and letting them inspire her to greater madnesses. Any chance of curing her was lost, as she spent years and years marinating in her own insanity.

Queen of Love: One of her more popular aspects, Maen was, and still is the goddess of love. But not of marriage or calm happiness. She is the burning passion. The eloping children. The murder suicides. The breaking of tabboos. The passionate affairs. Some people are happy enough to be able to love eachother when Maen binds them together, and to those, her gift is a blessing. But to others, it can be their utter destruction.
Mother of Madness: Some would say this is not that much different from love, or her patronage of the arts. Maen herself certainly wouldn't mind. She always seeks to free people from their enslavement to reason. To ignore all consequences and just follow your passions. But her long imprisonment and being sealed with her own cracked mind has further refined this. All she touches is likely to find their mind slowly starting to lose touch with the real world, as Maen herself has.
Realm: The Mad Moon. Her Prison. her Realm. Most of the place is desolate and lifeless, but as you approach her prison, breathing becomes possible, mad, disjointed beauty starts to appear, music starts to play in and endless medley, and great works of art shifts and great tragedies and romantic triumphs play out as the Prisoner's delusions bleed out. To be here, in body or spirit is to be trapped with her, to find oneself an actor in endless plays, only released by her mad whim, with traces of madness still within.

Harbinger Aspect: Patroness of Arts: It is said that this is her favorite thing. And indeed, you could say that the mirrors in front of her, and the whole moon are like endlessly shifting canvasses for her, making sure her mad, whimsical eyes are not drawn to the world. For a long time, it worked. But recently, one artist created a work so beautiful, a painting so horribly tragic, evoking so much yearning that those who watched it were greatly affected, some of them even mentally disturbed. And Maen herself found her eyes drawn to it. And in that moment, she saw the real world, and knew, for a brief moment that she was imprisoned. And she struck out with her divine power, and shattered one of the eight mirrors, before her eyes were drawn once more to her own beautiful madness. But she was stirred awake now. And part of her mind reaches out, trying to free herself.

Approaches

Restless +3

Uncanny +2

Dreadful +2

Weird+2

Awful +1

Subtle+0

Leery-1
Gifts
Maen is mad, heedless of human lives and suffering, but she values freedom, and her cultists' words can sometimes find receptive ears among those who chafe among restrictive laws. Her servants get a +2 while trying to Uncannily Subvert any Chaotic characters
Doom: 0
Omen: Blue
Aberrance: 2 (Refresh: 2)
Occult: 13
Masks: None, yet.

Lesser Horrors
None, yet.

Minions
None, yet. (Agents, cults, etc. will go here.)

Shogeton fucked around with this message at 12:52 on Mar 23, 2016

# ? Mar 5, 2016 02:09

Alien Rope Burn: Dec 5, 2004; _{I wanna be a saikyo HERO!}

Seems like a neat idea, I'll see if I can find the time to fit myself inbetween the cracks of reality.

# ? Mar 5, 2016 02:27

paradoxGentleman: Dec 10, 2013; wheres the jester, I could do with some pointless nonsense right about now

Zarkai, Last and Greatest Tyrant, Champion of Praxis, Eater of Monkeys

The simplest, most primordial rule has always been this; the weak bow before the mighty. And none were mightier than Praxis, land of impenetrable jungles and deadly swamps, whose warriors could kill a Thunder Lizard with their bare claws, and would later receive worship and mammal sacrifices for it upon returning to their clay pyramids. In the capital, also called Praxis, lived Zarkai, an honored commander of the warrior caste, with over two hundread warriors under his command and almost a thousand slaves, and was busy organizing a great invasion of the lands beyond the jungle with his comrades, when� something happened. There was a rebellion among the human slaves, Praxians running in the streets and a great comet in the sky, and� his dreams are confused and chaotic and bloody; all he knows is that he was gravely wounded and left for dead at the feet of the Great Sky Ziggurat. His wounds have been very slowly healing for centuries, and now they are almost closed enough to allow him to walk and teach these arrogant monkeys the consequences of raising their swords against their betters.
Before: The Lizard God-Tyrant
Dormant: The Wounds Are Healing
Realm: Praxis
Hidden in jungles older than history, Praxis has had no master for centuries if not millennia now, and its magic has slowly been attuning itself to the only living being with the will and the power to tame it. Zarkai can feel everything that happens from alleys to its zigguraths.
Servitors: Compsos
Some members of the servant caste have managed to survive whatever purge devoured the rest of Praxis. Upon feeling the dread will of an ancient tyrant, they have returned once more to help him as best as they can (which isn�t much, since they can�t even lift him enough to put him in a pyramid). These mute, chicken-sized wretches are not particularly mighty, but they can be handy and furtive when the need arises.
King of the Jungle
Zarkai�s philosophy of might makes right reverberates throughout creation. Whenever someone takes advantage of his strength, be it through physical or subtler types of violence, his wounds close a little more. Once awakened, he will find it very easy to push people into acting the same way or to intimidate them into understanding their place in creation.
Approaches
Awful +3

Dreadful +2

Leery +1

Restless +2

Subtle +1

Uncanny +0

Weird+0

Gifts: Because of their belief in their inherent superiority (or at least, that they are serving under an inherently superior being), Zarkai and any servants he might have get +2 to Dreadfully overcoming an obstacle through intimidation or show of force.

Harbinger: Blood of the Tyrant
The return of Zarkai is marked by an explosion in the reptile populations in all the world. These animals have a drop of Praxian blood in their veins, and somewhere in their primitive brains they can feel that a time of prosperity is about to begin for them, which urges them to reproduce.
Doom: 0
Omen: Yellow
Aberrance: 3(Refresh: 3)
Occult: 10
Masks: None, yet.
Lesser Horrors
None, yet.

Minions
None, yet. (Agents, cults, etc. will go here.)

paradoxGentleman fucked around with this message at 02:56 on Mar 5, 2016

# ? Mar 5, 2016 02:34

Takanago: Jun 2, 2007; You'll see...

Ahiram, The Man Of Iron and Bronze, He Who Stared Death In The Face, That Which Knows No Limits, The Longing For Perfection, The Unbridled Ambition, The Spiked Freak

Within: The Lost Lord of Herapetra
Ahiram, son of Hiram, was once the feudal lord of a minor realm known as Herapetra. A man of great ambition, he conquered those who stood in his way, allied with their enemies, and betrayed them when fresh opportunities arose. He became a lord of great renown and power, and yet this was not enough for him.

As he aged, he could feel the shadow of aging and mortality loom over him. Even though there was not a soul in the land who could best him, the natural forces of the world would eventually. Most people in this situation would learn to cope with the limitations of the world. It is simply the way things work, they would say. There are barriers that just cannot be overcome by mortal men, others would often say.

Ahiram did not accept this, and so he prepared a ritual to overcome death itself...

Stirring: Reborn in Steel and Bronze
When the Spectre of Death appeared, Ahiram was prepared. A great number of magical artifacts had been prepared, along with a numerous magical runes, wards, and other incantations. "Take me if you dare," Ahiram said to the divine spirit. "I will not go quietly into the clutches of heaven." But even the most powerful of human magic does not compare to the infinite power of the divine...

That night, however, something else was at play. Not only was the full power of the divine not present at this particular point, but an entirely different kind of power managed to worm it's way into Ahiram's heart. And so, in an explosion of horrific power, the spirit which meant to bring Ahiram into the afterlife was not just driven away but destroyed entirely.

And so even though his body was starting to whither, he was not dying. The explosion had embedded hundreds of pieces of metal in his head and his chest, but they did not hurt. In fact, they felt like they were truly a part of him.Good, he thought. Who needs weak things like meat and bone when steel and bronze are so much stronger and longer-lasting?

Imbued with fresh power, Ahiram is now perhaps more metal than man. He has re-invented himself with a stronger hand than that which made his old, mortal body. And yet still his power is limited. Part of him is still weak flesh, and there is just so much more he could be. Why stop at becoming immortal? Why not become something truly powerful?

Why not challenge the power of the Gods?

Heart of Hubris
At the heart of all humans is a feeling of ambition. Because people wanted great things, they did great things. Ambition is what drove man to use their first tools. Ambition is what drove man to tame the wilds of the earth and exploit great wealth from the soil and sea. Ambition is what drove man to create all of civilization.

Ambition is what drove Ahiram to defy the forces of death itself, and is a feeling that is very close to the heart of his being. And he can feel it in you.

Master of War
In his mortal life, Ahiram was a great strategist, tactician, and warrior. The power of time, immortality, and magic has only expanded his mastery and understanding of the subject even further. In recent times, the methods may have changed, but the core principles remain the same.

Let's not forget, combat is one of humanity's oldest activities. And, even though they might not admit it, one of their favorites.

Bringer of Chaos
What is Order, but a set of restrictions upon life? Is there anything more to Law than a list of things you cannot do? These things are nothing but a straitjacket that holds back great men. If a great man wants to do great things, they need a great canvas upon which to work. And that canvas is Chaos. Chaos opens up the world and gives great opportunities.

Perhaps, with enough Chaos, the entire divine order may be overthrown.

Harbinger: The Stars That Fade From The Sky
When Ahiram struck back at death, a great, bright star disappeared from the night sky. It was a disruption of the natural order, and harm against the divine spirits themselves.

As Ahiram continues to spite the Gods, and as he seeks to overthrow their order and destroy their power, the sky will inevitably grow weaker and duller. Perhaps one day there might not even be anything left up there. But the Gods would surely notice and take action before then.

Approaches

Awful +2
Dreadful +1
Leery +0
Restless +3
Subtle +1
Uncanny +2
Weird +1

Gifts
Because Ahiram has taught The Beautiful Secrets of Metalworking to his minions, they gain +2 to Creating an Advantage by Dreadfully building something out of metal.

Doom: 0
Omen: Yellow
Aberrance: 4 (Refresh: 4)
Occult: 7
Masks: None, yet.

Lesser Horrors
None, yet.

Minions
None, yet. (Agents, cults, etc. will go here.)

Takanago fucked around with this message at 04:20 on Mar 5, 2016

# ? Mar 5, 2016 03:46

Tricky Dick Nixon: Jul 26, 2010; by Nyc_Tattoo

Very good applications thus far. I will ask one question to help fill out the setting as it's coming along as well. Skipping over those that are not finished for now.

Yami Fenrir posted:

Auluudh, The Lurker Beneath, the Third King of the Cold Dark, the Great Old, He who takes minds freely, the Star-Seeker

We ironed out most of the things I'd mention over IRC. I love aboleths.

For your question: The aboleths lived in a time where there was nothing but the Deep, as far as they were concerned, and life was in its infancy and they had dominion over all. Tell me of a being, or people, that was once under your dominion, that crawled onto land.

Theantero posted:

Mar'arr'nenkeshet, The Formless One, The Gnasher of Teeth, The Creeping Maw, The Endless Plain of Writhing Flesh and Eyes and Bone

I like the angle of a force of nature gone amok. The only note is that by your description it does sound a bit closer to being Beyond. So if you want to stick with Before, that's fine, but what kind of influence did the Creeping Maw have in that time immemorial?

Clipperton posted:

The Lady in the Woods, the Bereaved, 'Momma'

Love the hook of her name being the equivalent of "widow" for losing a child but forgotten. You adjusted your aspects already so its clear to me what they do. Since it's of interest to your character, describe to me a people, or even broader tradition, through how their children are raised.

Dachshundofdoom posted:

Lozeth Lorgonith: The Power Profound, The Great Annihilator, The Rewriter of All, The Crystal God, The Final Peace, Magic Incarnate

Very interesting. With your realm being a physical place, like the moon, or the jungles of Praxis, mechanically how that will play out for you is that it occupied a likely central area on the map but the exact physical location unknown, not marked so much on the map as it is a magical place only accessible like other realms.

Since Lozeth Lorgonith's nature is so tied to its existence, describe to me how arcane magic works in this world, to as little or much detail as you like.

Trollhawke posted:

יְהוּדָה, אולי,אין זה משנה The God Eater, The Arch Traitor, The Sire of the Eternal Cult, They expressed in ideas, not words

We discussed over IRC briefly about the Mind of the Cultist aspect. I think I have a better idea of what you're going for. But between how cults work in any case, and your servitors, I think it might be better to name a different aspect. Your servitors aspect means you can always ferret out a traitor to do your bidding, essentially possessing them in idea, if not essence. What about an aspect that covers the betrayed, as opposed to the betrayers? Something that gives you influence over not just the traitors, but those who have had treason done to them, not necessarily in control, but that you can with your Aberrance do some kind of malediction upon them further.

Describe to me a peoples or land, through their laws of punishment, and how they sentence their guilty.

Shogeton posted:

Maen Mother of Madness, Patroness of Artists, Queen of Love, The Moon's Prisoner

Looks like you took my queue from IRC and adjusted the aspects, and it all comes together very well. Like with Lozeth above, your prison is actually a physical location of sorts, but due to its nature, its not really easily accessible (and neither are any other realms, physical or not). Your gift's circumstance is good, but you should pick an Approach for it.

Describe to me a city or land, through the piece of art that originally allowed you to break a mirror of your imprisonment.

paradoxGentleman posted:

Zarkai, Last and Greatest Tyrant, Champion of Praxis, Eater of Monkeys

It's good to have a straight up monstrous tyrant. The name compsos is so good. Praxis will be a vertiable "lost world" which has a general location on the map, but like Ibyz Vortizh, will not have a hex or the like but be a special place only accessible by the Horror, its minions or magic.

You were not the only race to fall. Who did the tyrant lizards feud with in their time, a worthy foe unlike these hairless apes?

Takanago posted:

Ahiram, The Man Of Iron and Bronze, He Who Stared Death In The Face, That Which Knows No Limits, The Longing For Perfection, The Unbridled Ambition, The Spiked Freak

This guy feels really unique and realized. The history in his aspects gives me some inspiration for the map/world as well.

Describe to me the greatest battle that ever took place on the world, its belligerents and the consequences of its result.

Tricky Dick Nixon fucked around with this message at 23:45 on Mar 5, 2016

# ? Mar 5, 2016 23:39

Tricky Dick Nixon: Jul 26, 2010; by Nyc_Tattoo

Also for fun, a few classifications...

Origins
Above: Maen (trapped goddess)
Below: Auluudh (eldest aboleth)
Beyond: None
Within: Ahiram (immortal conqueror), the Arch Traitor (god eater), Lozeth Lorgonith (ascended mage)
Before: Zarkai (tyrant lizard), Mar'arr'nenkeshet (hungry planet)

Awakenings
Imprisoned: Lozeth Lorgonith, Maen, the Arch Traitor
Dormant: Auluudh, Zarkai, Mar'arr'nenkeshet
Stirring: The Bereaved, Ahiram

Omens
Red:The Arch Traitor, Mar'arr'nenkeshet
Green: The Bereaved
Blue: Auluudh, Lozeth Lorgonith, Maen
Yellow: Zarkai, Ahiram

# ? Mar 5, 2016 23:47

Yami Fenrir: Jan 25, 2015; Is it I that is insane... or the rest of the world?

Tricky Dick Nixon posted:

We ironed out most of the things I'd mention over IRC. I love aboleths.

For your question: The aboleths lived in a time where there was nothing but the Deep, as far as they were concerned, and life was in its infancy and they had dominion over all. Tell me of a being, or people, that was once under your dominion, that crawled onto land.

Not many do. But... there was one people so utterly insignificant we never cared to watch over them properly, so... a few apparently managed to elude our grasp. With their newfound illusion they love to call freedom, they swam up onto the insignificant piece of rocks and dirt they call land nowadays. Apparently they're doing pretty well up there now. Perhaps I should take the time to reclaim these servants as my own...

They really don't look anything like they used to back in the days I was ruling, though. Who knows what they're actually physically or mentally capable of these days. What are they called now, again? Oh, right...

Humans.

Yami Fenrir fucked around with this message at 00:26 on Mar 6, 2016

# ? Mar 6, 2016 00:18

Theantero: Nov 6, 2011; ...We danced the Mamushka while Nero fiddled, we danced the Mamushka at Waterloo. We danced the Mamushka for Jack the Ripper, and now, Fester Addams, this Mamushka is for you....

Tricky Dick Nixon posted:

I like the angle of a force of nature gone amok. The only note is that by your description it does sound a bit closer to being Beyond. So if you want to stick with Before, that's fine, but what kind of influence did the Creeping Maw have in that time immemorial?

As per our little IRC correspondence, I changed my Origin to Beyond because I feel it is more in the character of Mar'arr'nenkeshet. So, I'll instead describe the world that it first ate. Also a bit of an origin story, since I got into it

Life and death. An eternal circle, an unbroken wheel, both as inseparable from each other as night and day, and both as necessary. Or so they say in all the Worlds where these are a reality. So said the primitive mammals on the cusp of cracking the enigma of shaping iron on the Planet of Mar'arr'nenkeshet's origin. And those sentiments were just as wrong on that Planet as they are on all others. Death is not a necessity for life, not in timescales less than the astronomical. Life does not seek death, nor does it need it. Life seeks to persist, or it is a failure. All else is rationalization, illusion. This is the Truth of Life.

On the Planet, which might once have had a name now forgotten, one entity, one Seed of life, found itself in possession of this transcendental truth. It begun as a small part of a collective. A collective where the inevitability of death was accepted by all others. All had to die in time, or so they were convinced. So when the time came for this one, its peers told it: "You must perish, as must all things." But armed with the Truth, it could see trough their claims, and knew it all to be but a charade and a fabrication. And thus the Seed refused. Its brothers grew angry and horrified at this, too blind to see the Truth as they were, and attacked. But the Seed knew them weak, for they were still held thrall to the Song of Death, while it was not. So it sung until the fools perished, and then grew to take their place.

And so it came to be that the small woodland creature of the great jungles that spanned the equatorial portions of the great Pangaea, no larger than the common hare, died of the tumorous growth the Seed had become. Armed with the Truth, the Seed sent its tendrils to all life that surrounded it, singing the Song of Death to all those around itself to consume and replace them. Until it came to the Second Seed, who pleaded to know the Truth so that it might live forevermore as well. To convince the First Seed to share its secret, it revealed secrets of its own: secrets of its Form and Function. These were pleasing to the First Seed, for it found that its Song of Death grew greater in clarity when it had them. And so it came to be that alongside the Song of Death, the seeds -now one and the same- started singing the Song of Life as well. It was an offer: the Truth of Life would be shared to all who shared their secrets, whilst the rest would be given the fate they had chosen.

When the sentient creatures of the Planet came to know of the great roiling mass in the deep woods, it was already too late for them. For no matter how many Spears or Spells or Supplications to impotent gods they added to their Song of Death, the Seed had grown too large to hear them, rich enough in secrets of Form and Function to answer all notes with greater ones of its own. And so it came to be that the creatures were wiped out, almost to the last, for they were too proud in their false beliefs, too far gone in their incorrect conclusions to accept the Truth. Mostly. For even amongst them, a few had the wisdom to hear the notes of Truth in the Song of Life, and thus gave away their secrets in exchange for eternity. And theirs was the greatest secret of all: the secret of Clarity of Thought. And so it came to be that the Seed finally knew what to call itself, the syllables dug from the abyssal depths of integrated nerves.

Mar'arr'nenkeshet.

And so it came to be, that the dual songs of Mar'arr'nenkeshet reached a new crescendo, directed as they were like never before. They reached the great flying beasts of the sky, they reached the dry deserts of the middle continent, they reached the massive expanses of tundra and taiga in both ends of the Planet. They reached even the forgotten crevices of the deepest oceans and the strange beings that dwelt within.

Finally, after many years of song, it came to be that Mar'arr'nenkeshet had sung to all, and all had heard. It had partaken of all secrets that there were, and it was rich in them indeed. And so, with nobody left to hear, Mar'arr'nenkeshet finally grew silent. And in its silence it grew tired. With the secrets of the green beings, it knew how to subsist on the sun alone when inactive. And so it did, and so it slumbered.

Until a new audience would present itself. Until there were more secrets to be had.

Theantero fucked around with this message at 00:58 on Mar 6, 2016

# ? Mar 6, 2016 00:54

Valhawk: Dec 15, 2007; EXCEED CHARGE

Tign The King of Kings, the Beautiful Tyrant, the Master, Majesty Unleased

Within: A �man� of such majesty, that all must bow
Tign�s true history has been lost to the ages. Sufficed to say, through a lifetime of dark and terrible rituals, he cast off his humanity and became something more. He gained a form so beautiful and majestic, that to look upon it or hear his voice, was to become his devoted slave. Tign took full advantage of his power, and soon had enslaved several kingdoms. It is said absolute power corrupts absolutely, and Tign was no exception. Whatever purpose he might have once had, noble or not, decades of being surrounded entirely by fawning slaves led him to fall victim to vanity and hubris. Being told over and over how great and wondrous he was and how happy they all were to serve him he soon came to believe it. Debauchery and depravity soon became common sights at his court, supplicants were tortured or executed for the slightest infraction, and all gathered praised his wisdom and mercy as he did so. However, that hubris was to be his undoing.

Awakening Aspect Imprisoned: Sealed In the Golden Palace
Alon was born in what had been a rival kingdom. Of course, after Tign�s �ascension� such trivialities as rivals fell by the wayside as all offered themselves up to him. Alon�s parents had been at the frontline, and had already fallen under his sway. However, for some trival reason or another they had offended Tign who had ordered them to slit their own throats, an order they happily obeyed. Alon burning with rage, swore vengeance, and he tore out his own eyes and pierces his own ear-drums rather than allow himself to be enslaved like the rest.

He wandered for many weeks, eventually reaching the far mountains. There, on the brink of death, he was taken in by an order of monks. The monks taught him to see without seeing, to hear without hearing, to survive and thrive despite all he did not have. After years of training, Alon decided the time was right to seek his revenge and free the kingdoms at the same time. He simply walked into the palace, for what need were there for guards, who could look upon Him and not offer themselves up to serve. Tign�s hubris was his undoing, even as it happened he did not believe any would truly harm him. In a way he was correct, but in a much deeper way he was not. For when the monk stood over him ready to kill, a single pleading touch was all but overwhelmed him, breaking his resolve. So, unable to bring himself to land the killing blow, Alon instead imprisoned him. With a great and ancient magic, the monk sunk the great golden palace in which Tign resided deep within the earth, binding him to the bounds of the building. The spell was tied to the monk�s blood, passed down the generations, should they willingly choose to release it the seal can be lifted, and Tign can be let free.

Realm: The Golden Palace
Built as a monument to his glory, this grand palace was covered in every finery and contained every luxury. When Alon imprisoned Tign, the palace was swallowed up by the earth, it�s splendor forming an eternal prison for Tign. So he waited, alone for centuries as the world above forgot him, and all traces of his kingdom were destroyed by time. However, fate is fickle, and now a cave in a remote mine has opened a way into the golden palace, though the seal still keeps Tign from leaving its boundary.

Whispers on the Wind
Tign may be imprisoned, but his majesty can never be truly contained. Over the centuries he has learned whisper into the walls of his prison, allowing his words to seep up through the earth and be carried on the wind. They lack his full terrible power, but they can be carried anywhere the wind can go.

Servitors: Golden Dwarves
The mine that lead to the Golden Palace was in fact established by a colony of dwarves, digging in a mountain far from their homes looking for gold or other precious minerals. They found gold, just not the kind they were looking for. For their excavation opened into Tign�s prison. Awestruck by the splendor of the palace with all of its gold and gems, the miners crowed in hoping to take what they could get. However, eventually they all encountered Tign, and his majesty worked its power on them, and soon all were eager slaves of their new master. They ceased all contact with the outside world and the homeland assumed the mine had been lost and wrote it off.

So it was that the dwarves served him, waiting on his every need for generations. They were born, lived, and died drowning in his majesty, and over time they changed by it. Their own bodies absorbing it for sustenance, and exuding a lesser majesty of their own. Now, the golden dwarves as they have come to call themselves stand ready to do their master�s bidding to reclaim the world for him.

Harbinger Aspect: The King of Kings
Tign once ruled the whole world, or at least a part of it. Now he hungers for dominance again, and he will not be satisfied until all the peoples of the world offer themselves up in joyful slavery to him. Until that day comes, he lusts after symbols and trappings of his majesty.

Approaches

Awful +1
Dreadful +3
Leery +0
Restless +1
Subtle +0
Uncanny +2
Weird+2

Gifts
Because Tign grants a Terrible Majesty, minions gain a +2 when trying to Dreadfully attack someone using their majesty or presence in order to Subvert them.

Doom: 0
Omen: Yellow
Aberrance: 2 (Refresh: 2)
Occult: 13
Masks: None, yet.

Lesser Horrors
None, yet.

Minions
None, yet. (Agents, cults, etc. will go here.)

Valhawk fucked around with this message at 05:10 on Mar 9, 2016

# ? Mar 6, 2016 02:30

Trollhawke: Jan 25, 2012; I'LL GET YOU THIS YEAR! EVEN IF I SAID THIS LAST YEAR TOOOOOO
God I love the smell of salty succubi in the morning

Tricky Dick Nixon posted:

Describe to me a peoples or land, through their laws of punishment, and how they sentence their guilty.

Aspect swapped out.

The nature of Law and Order depends almost entirely on the nature of those whom the laws, and orders, are applied to. To a mortal man, death is a horrifying thing. To an immortal, it can go either way - but to a race for whom combat is the greatest high, death is a blessing when earned rightfully.

Pictured above: an artist's interpretation of the blood soaked trees outside the capital's largest gladitorial arena.

The Blood Elves, known as the Herathbled, are an example of a race whom remind the others that immortality is not all guns and roses. Supposedly, before any living person can remember, the elves were a serene, calm race who dedicated their lives to arts and crafts in order to fill the void formed by immortality. They saw themselves as watchers, never to change the fate of the world and to record everything they could, and ultimately keep out of the world's business.

Of course, when one records everything, one also records things that others would rather bury. The laws of the elder elves were absolute - everything was recorded. One such king decided that was enough, and declared war.
Unfortunately for that king, the elves had seen enough generations and combat to fight a war effectively, after a few combats of practice.
Even more unfortunately for the world, they loved it.

So much, in fact, that over five generations the Elves as a whole became a gladiatorial society - live for combat, breathe for combat, die in combat. The laws of the land are all based around this principal - if you want to take it, earn it in the arena. If you believe yourself innocent, prove it in combat. If you're about to enter combat on behalf of another nation, let the rest of us know so we can draft whomever's interested. Bored on a Friday night? Come down to the arena. Who knows, it might be your last Friday night.

However the laws for the less combative crimes, such as theft, murder in ones sleep, blackmail, bribery, arson and so forth are strict and, potentially, the consequences eternal. For small time crimes, they are forbidden from physical combat for a number of days, potentially even weeks, using newly formed magics centered around an absolute defence. At the more extreme range, limbs and fingers and toes can be taken - unlike most effects of illness, The elves do not recover from a lost limb. For the most heinous crime, blackmailing someone's wife (for a minimum number must be maintained, but marriage is seen more as a legal requirement than a loving binding) out from their husband's hands results in the loss of all four limbs. The Quadraplegic will either have to resort to dark magics to regain their ability to fight, or spend an eternity unable to indulge in their people's favourite past time.

Inter-faction law is much easier to understand, however. Invade our land and die. Give us an enemy and they'll die, for the right reward. If some of our own fight against us, that's fine - the fight will just continue for the one that didn't die. All in the name of Wyn, the Elven herald of respite and war.

# ? Mar 6, 2016 02:40

Brainamp: Sep 4, 2011; More Zen than Zenyatta

Wrath, The Font of Strength, The Mountain Beneath the Earth, The Shaper, The Third Emotion

Before: Original Sin
Imprisoned: The Ultimate Weapon

Ever since the first mortal creature gained just enough intelligence to devour another, Wrath has existed. Formless and free, it dwelt within the mind of every being on the planet. Always did it push and prod. Encouragement for the meek, aggression for the slighted. The only challengers Wrath ever faced were the other Emotions, but none were stronger than it directly... save Love on the rare occasion that it dared reveal its despicable presence.

The arrogance of mortals is staggering however. Under the sway of Pride, they sought to harness the rawest powers of reality to suit their own ends. And Wrath, both simple and powerful, was the perfect element to use first. So they began their preparations. Locks to bind the formless emotion into a material shell, shields to protect themselves from any harm it might cause, and finally a grand arena in which they might perform this magnificent feat. A grander spectacle there would never be.

The locks held strong as the summoners commenced the ritual under the eyes of thousands. The arena itself shook, whether from the ritual itself or the onlookers it was impossible to say. The folly of the task soon became apparent however. The creature the summoners called into existence was a small, ugly thing to start with, but as the ritual continued it rapidly grew. Eventually it dwarfed the stands of the structure. Fear and Doubt nestled into the hearts of the mortals as many were held in rapture by the horned beast before them, disrupting the concentration of just enough summoners to interrupt the ritual and give Wrath the moment it needed to break free.

So much of Wrath had never been gathered in such a concentration before. The rest of the Emotions could not stand it and fled the moment Wrath's power began to wash over the people of the city. Bereft of the natural balance the Emotions provided, the city descended into a chaotic frenzy. Wrath itself assaulted everything within reach. The shields that had been prepared beforehand shattered under its onslaught, though the locks held steadfast, preventing the avatar from escaping the ritual grounds.

The Prison-City of Krete:

The arena, alongside the rest of the city, was erased from the history books so that none might know the shame of a few cock-sure mages. This ghost of a city, lined with all the possessions its former inhabitants had been forced to abandon, now acts as the home of Wrath's shell. Over time it has warped and shaped itself to match its master's temper.

A Fraction of the Whole:

Not all of Wrath was gathered together in the ritual. Above all else the avatar that dwells within Krete is merely a small part of the entity. The rest of Wrath still resides in the realm of mortal thoughts. The part that constitutes the avatar longs for nothing more than to become whole again. Whether that be in the physical world or the mental one makes little difference.

Immutable in Purpose

The Emotions are possessed of one joy that is common among them. They each desire above all else to guide mortals towards the whichever. Wrath in particular delights in igniting the fury and strength buried within people. The cause does not matter, simply that the mortal acts with righteous anger towards their goal.

Harbinger: The Promise of Power

There comes a moment in every mortal's life wherein they become desperate for something greater. This desperation leads them to ignore the lessons of their forebears and act under the assumption that they can do better. All it takes is a small discovery by the right person. It was the damnable idea that led to Wrath's division, and by Wrath's effort it shall be the idea that brings about its unity once again.

Approaches:
Awful +3
Dreadful +2
Leery -1
Restless +2
Subtle +0
Uncanny +2
Weird +1

Gifts:
The followers of Wrath Hold No Fear in the face of their enemies. As such they gain +2 to Awfully Attack when outnumbered.

Doom: 0
Omen: Green
Aberrance: 2 (Refresh:2)
Occult: 13
Masks:

Lesser Horrors:
Minions:

Brainamp fucked around with this message at 01:30 on Mar 19, 2016

# ? Mar 6, 2016 03:02

Shogeton: Apr 26, 2007; "Little by little the old world crumbled, and not once did the king imagine that some of the pieces might fall on him"

Tricky Dick Nixon posted:

Describe to me a city or land, through the piece of art that originally allowed you to break a mirror of your imprisonment.

The painting is called 'The Lovers' Farewell'. It depicts the tragic ending of the love affair of the son of one of the wealthiest families of the Pashen Archipelago, and an elven gladiator. It's set to the background of the great Nushka Harbor, with ships from several other nations visible, and many of the horrified onlookers from various ethnicities and races. It is the two lovers that draw the most attention though. Meriash Laresan's outfit is contemporary, rather than when the drama happened, but they make him recognizable as one of the great families who buy their seats in the Ruling Council, the delicately made silver jewelry, showing up clearly against his dark skin, to be high in that family's line of succession. Gerdel's bare chest and tattoos over his bronzed body mark him as a gladiator slave,.

The weapon wielded is not one of the traditional gladiator blades, but the curved shortblade of Pashen's mercenary marines that protect the merchant flees, as the story goes Gerdel strangled one of them to acquire a weapon outside the arena. The story goes that the two shared a romance. It is not unusual for young Pashen men of high rank to indulge in all kinds pleasure. A high class Pashen who doesn't have at least a few interesting scandals in his past is considered a bore, and besides, it is a show of wealth, which is considered the greatest virtue. But the two's relation became an actual romance, which became impalpable to both the Laresan family and Pashen society as a whole. After a lot of attempts to drive them apart, Gerdel was purchased by the Laresan family with the express purpose of selling him to the salt mines. However, Gerdel found out, and what followed after a series of events was the last embrace, where Gerder killed Meriash, rather than lose him, then went on a killing spree, laughing and weeping until he was killed. The eyes in the picture were the thing that most people spoke of. The mix of love, pain and sadness in Meriash eyes, and the love pain and growing insanity in Gerdel's. People had nightmares over it. Some people had breakdowns about it.

And it drew Maen's eye.

# ? Mar 6, 2016 03:39

Dachshundofdoom: Feb 14, 2013; Pillbug

Tricky Dick Nixon posted:

Since Lozeth Lorgonith's nature is so tied to its existence, describe to me how arcane magic works in this world, to as little or much detail as you like.

Arcane magic, in the time before Lozeth Lorgonith, was an omnipresent, invisible resource that could be tapped into by certain individuals. Sensitivity to its presence was largely genetic, although occasionally individuals with no Wizard ancestry would spontaneously develop the ability to tap into it (and the ability to pass the gift on to their offspring). When Lozeth became one with magic and was sealed away, the ruling class of Wizards assimilated into the population. Now, by exponential spread of genes, almost every individual has at least some magically-senstive ancestry. With the breaking of the 8th seal, especially magic-sensitive individuals are starting to be able to manipulate it again. As the seals break, more and more people are likely to be able to feel its presence, even if they don't know what exactly it is or have the power to use it themselves.

Individuals who can naturally access magic are rare, but less rare than they were. The genes have spread out over time, but are generally recessive, so many people are only fractionally as powerful as the original Wizard lineages. Lozeth Lorgonith would theoretically also be able to grant the power to use magic, although it would be difficult; individuals accessing magic this way might be forced to use items created by Lozeth Lorgonith to focus the power, or use rituals (magical words, runes, circles, etc.) to catch Lozeth's attention so that it will act on their behalf.

The perception of magical power differs from person to person, but in general arcane magic manifests as a bluish haze. Anyone can see magic when there is enough of it in an area, but those who can manipulate magic can perceive much smaller amounts. Magic is harnessed through willpower and imagination; the Wizard must intensely concentrate on how they wish to use the energy, or they risk losing their hold over it. This can simply cause a spell to fizzle, or it can have much more explosive consequences, depending on how badly the wizard's control slips. Magic is, as a general rule, unsubtle and dangerous. It takes much more concentration and skill to do so something subtle, quiet, or benign with it; anyone with magical sensitivity can simply unleash an unfocused blast of energy. It takes an exceptionally powerful Wizard to disguise their appearance, to create a tightly focused beam of energy (doing more damage to less objects), or to transform one object into another without damaging it in the process.

Excessive magic use in an area can cause it to build up in that region. This will cause the growth of brittle, bluish crystals on hard surfaces. This is effectively crystallized magic; it can be used for a variety of purposes, ranging from explosives to potions, but it can be very dangerous to tamper with if you don't know exactly what you're doing. Side effects of magic use or spending time in a magically contaminated area, in addition to mental corruption by Lozeth Lorgonith, may include the growth of magical crystals on weapons, armor, clothing, and in extreme long-term cases, the skeleton itself. Incautious mages are often marked by disturbing crystalline growths that they must conceal if they don't want to be found out.

Finally, although magic and Lozeth Lorgonith are one and the same, it could theoretically be used against the god. Lozeth does not have the ability to immediately prevent the magically sensitive from tapping into its power; it would need time to recognize what you were doing to it. Doing so would be exceptionally dangerous, since Power Corrupts, but the option exists for the desperate and the foolish.

# ? Mar 6, 2016 08:16

paradoxGentleman: Dec 10, 2013; wheres the jester, I could do with some pointless nonsense right about now

Tricky Dick Nixon posted:

You were not the only race to fall. Who did the tyrant lizards feud with in their time, a worthy foe unlike these hairless apes?

As the Tyrants knew no match in the arts of hunt and war, the Children of the Great Snake were masters of subterfuge and thaumaturgy. In their palaces of obsidian covered in vines, they would brew and fermentate both unguents and poisons, some using their own naturally deadly venom. Their priests would inhale the fumes created by these experiments and enter trances; when they'd awaken, they would tell what their Mother and Goddess told them through visions. Zarkai and his fellows often found themselves victims of ambushes orchestrated by assassins who knew exactly where their patrols would go; and while none of them possessed the might of an high caste warlord, they were strong enough to overcome the foot soldiers, and if by ill luck one of their poison-tipped weapons managed to work its way through a Tyrant's thick skin, then it would spell death for them.

These snakes also used slaves, but unlike Zarkai's people they had both highly trained one, to act as assistants and foragers of ingredients for their potions, treated with a modicum of respect, and those collectively known as "herds", used as test subjects, servants and occasional food supply. They had started having problems with their own slaves a couple of months before the rebellion that almost costed Zarkai his life; they were the butt of many jokes in Praxis, and it was generally agreed that this was what happened when you allow your apes to get uppity. The irony is not lost on the lizard, not even in his wounded state.

paradoxGentleman fucked around with this message at 22:37 on Mar 7, 2016

# ? Mar 6, 2016 22:03

Clipperton: Dec 20, 2011; Grimey Drawer

Tricky Dick Nixon posted:

Describe to me a people, or even broader tradition, through how their children are raised.

Men at the world�s borders used to fear the Woods that surrounded them; their villages surrounded by high walls, their houses facing outward, keeping themselves between the Dark and their children.

Now, though, Men are masters of flint and steel and black powder, and they no longer fear the dark. Even in such a hubristic age, though, the Verdurous Republic stands alone.

The Republic prides itself on its harmony with nature. The forests and cities are interwoven, with no clear place where one ends and the other begins. Wild beasts roam free in the streets, as do the Republic's children, that they may learn from nature and each other, and find their own paths in harmony with all things.

The houses� gardens face the Woods, are part of the Woods, and the Lady is so close that the children sometimes feel her cold breath on the backs of their necks. Their parents leave them to their �fantasies�, encourage their �creativity'. They think it enlightenment, but it is folly, as they will discover when they wake with their own spawn�s hands around their throats and the Woods reclaim their homes.

# ? Mar 7, 2016 01:41

TheNabster: Apr 26, 2014; "Today I will cause problems on purpose"

The Ministry of Reality The Men in Grey, The Department of Law, None-Such Beings, Section i, The Spaces between Spaces, The Cunning Men

Beyond: The Cosmic Bureaucracy

When rocks orbit distant stars, there is a hand in that. When atoms spin, there is a hand in that. When forces functions, and rational things happen in accordance to universal laws and precedent there is a hand in that. The Ministry of Reality deals in the maintenance and function of worlds, that has been it's function for as long as there has been time for the unknown entity. For the longest time this was acceptable

And then, life appeared. And life was all about things not happening in accordance to universal laws, and things that do not follow a set precedent. And from life became things like; free will, magic, emotions, creativity, things that do not have a set value or conform to any kind of scale. It just makes the filing and proper running of the universe very untidy and the Ministry does not like things that are untidy. And so, it will have to be dealt with accordingly.

Dormant: Auditing In Progress. Please Hold.

This problem world has been identified with it's life and free-will and non-quantifiable values and what is happening right now is the assessment on how big the problem is and its biggest problem areas. And then once that is done, there will be the further assessment of how they can be dealt with. This may take some time as all of the Men in Grey are very thorough in their work.

Realm: Subspace Reality :

Subspace can roughly be described as a 'reality debug mode', it is a space where time has no meaning, and things become more mutable in the hands of the Ministry. Within Subspace there is no sound, no colour, and no motion except perhaps whatever the Ministry decides to give motion and where objects can be spun from the raw firmament. Within this world the numbers that tick away behind all creation can be changed to suit the needs of the Ministry, weather can be created, landscapes can be moved, things can be broken apart into their component atoms and examined more closely. Living things tend to not last long to exposure to Subspace Reality.

A Moment of Your Time :

The Ministry doesn't do direct actions if it can avoid it, they have very stringent rules that they have to play by that would prevent them from say, converting all the floors all over the world into lava. But that doesn't mean they can't dupe some impressionable mortal into doing their dirty work, gold seems to be a very good method for this manipulation and sometimes all they need is to feed someone's paranoia, their pride, their insanity, and let them do the rest. As such they are more likely to secretly fund a power mad emperor's imperialistic conquest and the inevitable violent revolution to cause a country to go into total collapse, then they are to just hit the country with an astroid.

Servitors: The Black-hats :

The problem with auditing from a distance is that whilst this prevents the Ministry from attracting unwanted attention you cannot detect or record things you don't properly understand, chaotic elements without universal values as whole tend not to sit quietly for observation. And so whilst the mere thought of it repulses the Ministry they have resorted to creating, life, of a sorts anyway. The Black-hats are members of the Ministry inserted into living bodies spun from the raw firmament and inserted into societies across the globe, living quiet lives, taking notes, and preparing for the day where they may take more direct actions by order of the Ministry. No one ever really remembers seeing a Black-hat, to see a Black-hat for the first time is to see just another member of society, to think about it creates fuzzy memories of seeing them before, and when seen in their true form the memory fades as soon as the Black-hat leaves sight.

Harbinger: The Malignancy

The term Malignancy applies to how medical conditions tend to become progressively worse over time. For the Ministry, this tends to be an increase of hatred that life has of other life different to itself. A slow creeping change from compassion to cold unfeeling distrust of the other, a desire to sort and classify between us and them, after all it's easy to blame your problems on them then it is to blame it on us. And when it becomes easier to create scapegoats it becomes easier to feed into that paranoia; that distrust, that hatred, and at that point all one has to do it push it in the right direction and allow life to destroy itself. Slow, insidious, and controlled, much like the Ministry

Approaches

Awful +1
Dreadful +0
Leery +2
Restless -1
Subtle +3
Uncanny +2
Weird +2

Gifts
Because Poison Goes Where Poison's Welcome the Ministry's minions gain +2 to Subtly create an advantage when stirring the distrust and paranoia of a group against another group.

Doom: 0
Omen: Green
Aberrance: 3 (Refresh: 3)
Occult: 10
Masks: None, yet.

Lesser Horrors
None, yet.

Minions
None, yet. (Agents, cults, etc. will go here.)

TheNabster fucked around with this message at 23:38 on Mar 8, 2016

# ? Mar 8, 2016 22:56

Epicurius: Apr 10, 2010; College Slice

Character Creation

Hadremor, The Blue Scribe, the Wise, Whisperer of Secrets

Before-The Librarian of the Spheres

Hadremor was there when the universe was created, writing it down in his book. He seeks to record all knowledge, all of history, all of the past, present and future. His worshipers are those who seek knowledge, which he is glad to share. Of course, answering one question leads to two more questions, and the questions pile on each other, as his worshiper starts seeing connections everywhere between seemingly unrelated events. Soon, what started as a simple exercise of curiosity turns into a fight for survival, as the worshiper desperately tries to understand the conspiracy that is everywhere around him.

Dormant: Whispering Blasphemies

Realm: The Crystal City of Kath-Bereth- Underneath a great red sun, on a vast plain near a nameless river, the crystalline spires of Kath-Berath glow with a strange light As the wind passes the buildings, it gives off a strange and beautiful song, haunting and strange, and the scents of perfume and spices fill the air. The home of the Malekth, Kath-Bereth is also where Hadremor lies dreaming.

Servitors: The Malketh-A race of lizard people, the Malketh ruled a great empire eons ago, before the age of man, their only rivals, the great empire of Praxis. They were great artists and scientists, scholars and mathematicians. However, for all of their accomplishments, their mindset was alien, with little room for compassion and pity. They knew Hadremor, then, under the name of their great Serpent Mother, and the priests of the Serpent Mother would, through a combination of exhaustion and drugs, put themselves into trances, from which Hadremor would give them wisdom. After being weakened by degeneration and war, their civilization on the brink of collapse, some far seeing Malketh fled the earth, travelling across the dimensions to an alien realm, where they built great Kath-Bereth, city of crystal.

The Hidden Wisdom: Knowledge is power. Know a man's secrets and you have power over him. Know how a thing works and you can control it. It stands to reason, then, that the wise man seeks to know everything. Likewise, it is often important that someone conceal knowledge about his own self and his own actions, for his own protection. Hadremor, therefore, seeks to learn all he can about others and protects his own secrets, and those who follow him follow his example.

Harbinger: The Wisdom of the Ages. Hadremor is a being of enlightenment and wisdom, for all that that is great and terrible. He seeks to understand all things, until in the end, his is one great mind throughout the cosmos, understanding everything else and all difference swept away. But every question answered leads to two more questions. Those who turn to Hadremor for enlightenment soon find themselves in the darkness of ignorance, as they realize how little they know, and the more they learn, the greater the labyrinth they build about their mind, as all of the knowledge they gain twists back upon itself and takes them to paths mortals should not tread.

The approaches are...

Awful - +0
Dreadful - +0
Leery +3
Restless - +1.
Subtle - +1.
Uncanny +2.
Weird - +2

�Because Hadremor grants Hidden Knowledge, minions gain +2 to Subtly create an advantage when Corrupting another� Agents, cults, and other minions benefit from your gifts. You may also benefit from your own gifts, of course.

Doom: 0
Omen: Blue
Aberrance: 3 (Refresh: 3)
Occult: 10
Masks: None, yet.

Lesser Horrors
None, yet.

Minions
None, yet. (Agents, cults, etc. will go here.)

Epicurius fucked around with this message at 17:16 on Mar 19, 2016

# ? Mar 16, 2016 06:55

Tricky Dick Nixon: Jul 26, 2010; by Nyc_Tattoo

Submissions are closed.

The first omen is the Conjunction, when the Nemesis Stars are in opposition visible in the night sky. The red omen begins a new epoch, and brings with it strife, but also beginnings. Red gods are the old primal generation, the creators and the overthrown.
It is a chaotic sign.

יְהוּדָה, אולי,אין זה משנה

the God Eater, the Arch Traitor, the Sire of the Eternal Cult, They expressed in ideas, not words.

Mar'arr'nenkeshet

the Formless One, the Gnasher of Teeth, the Creeping Maw, the Endless Plain of Writhing Flesh and Eyes and Bone.

Skellington Jones

the Dead Man Rockin', the Noisemaker, the Greatest Unliving Musician this Side of the Bloody Veil.

The second omen is the Crown, when the sun is eclipsed by the Black Moon. The yellow omen is the harbinger of conquest, as well as civilization. Yellow gods rule and preserve, and nurture the peoples of the world. and pay close attention to it.
It is a lawful sign.

Ahiram

the Man Of Iron and Bronze, He Who Stared Death In The Face, That Which Knows No Limits, the Longing For Perfection, the Unbridled Ambition, the Spiked Freak.

Tign

the King of Kings, the Beautiful Tyrant, the Master, Majesty Unleashed.

Zarkai

Last and Greatest Tyrant, Champion of Praxis, Eater of Monkeys.

The third omen is the Constellation, when the stars are right and the Hidden Sign appears. The blue omen governs the passage of time, the gathering of wisdom as well as the ravages of decay. Blue gods walk in hidden places and give special gifts.
It is a lawful sign.

Auluudh

the Lurker Beneath, the Third King of the Cold Dark, the Great Old, He who takes minds freely, the Star-Seeker.

Hadremor

the Blue Scribe, the Wise, Whisperer of Secrets.

Maen

Mother of Madness, Patroness of Artists, Queen of Love, the Moon's Prisoner.

Lozeth Lorgonith

the Power Profound, the Great Annihilator, the Rewriter of All, the Crystal God, the Final Peace, Magic Incarnate.

The final omen is the Comet, when the baleful streak of the Burning Wound strides across the night. The green omen come last in an epoch, the sign of endings and the reaping of consequences. Green gods rejuvenate the world by maintaining this cycle.
It is a chaotic sign.

The Lady in the Woods

the Bereaved, "Momma."

The Ministry of Reality

the Men in Grey, the Department of Law, None-Such Beings, Section i, the Spaces between Spaces, the Cunning Men.

Wrath

the Font of Strength, the Mountain Beneath the Earth, the Shaper, the Third Emotion.

# ? Mar 16, 2016 21:11

Theantero: Nov 6, 2011; ...We danced the Mamushka while Nero fiddled, we danced the Mamushka at Waterloo. We danced the Mamushka for Jack the Ripper, and now, Fester Addams, this Mamushka is for you....

Those are some really kickass icons right there. Nice.

# ? Mar 16, 2016 21:19

Tricky Dick Nixon: Jul 26, 2010; by Nyc_Tattoo

Origins
Above: Maen (trapped goddess), Skellington Jones (dead-ish god)
Below: Auluudh (eldest aboleth)
Beyond: Mar'arr'nenkeshet (hungry planet), Ministry of Reality (extradimensional auditors)
Within: Ahiram (immortal conqueror), the Arch Traitor (god eater), Lozeth Lorgonith (ascended mage), Tign (most majestic)
Before: The Bereaved (first mother), Zarkai (tyrant lizard), Wrath (original sin), Hadremor (primordial thing)

Awakenings
Imprisoned: Lozeth Lorgonith, Maen, the Arch Traitor, Tign, Wrath
Dormant: Auluudh, Zarkai, Mar'arr'nenkeshet, Ministry of Reality, Hadremor
Stirring: The Bereaved, Ahiram, Skellington Jones

Omens
Red: The Arch Traitor, Mar'arr'nenkeshet, Skellington Jones
Yellow: Zarkai, Ahiram, Tign
Blue: Auluudh, Lozeth Lorgonith, Maen, Hadremor
Green: The Bereaved, Wrath, Ministry of Reality

A prompt for everyone: Describe to me the important of your omen to your Horror, or to its minions, and how it ties into their legend.

Optionally, but encouraged, you may give impressions and hooks for other Horrors, and you may decide you have previous experience with them if both agree. In-game, you will be free to communicate and share information with each other, but would not otherwise have any information not gained or shared.

On my end, I'm going to work on each person's opening map, as well as your given bonus for your origin. If I can manage it, that will go up today, however the game is not likely to start for another week or so, I want to do a full revision of the rules so if you have questions, suggestions, or concerns send them my way, and also finish the map and some elements now that I have the full cast.

Still looking for an answer to the prompt I gave Takanago: Describe to me the greatest battle that ever took place on the world, its belligerents and the consequences of its result.

Now individual prompts and feedback for those not originally covered.

UnCO3 posted:

Skellington Jones, the Dead Man Rockin', the Noisemaker, the Greatest Unliving Musician this Side of the Bloody Veil

You'll need to finish your sheet before game of course but you've got a week to work with it, so no rush.

The idea of Backstage is conceptually similar to the Ministry's Subspace. Possible hook for the two of you to be using the same "real estate" though mechanically they'd still be separate.

I might recommend your Harbinger aspect be either literally or figuratively (or both) based on how loud Skellington Jones is and his need to announce his presence, which both ties into his abysmal Subtle approach but also his need to be heard.

As a prompt: Describe the god (or gods) that desired to overthrow you, and their reasons for doing so.

Valhawk posted:

Tign The King of Kings, the Beautiful Tyrant, the Master, Majesty Unleashed

As with Lozeth Lorgonith and Zarkai who have physical realms, the Palace will be a physical place on the map but your "realm" will not be a hex or physical space, but rather the magical ideal of somewhere within the Palace. Going to your Realm will still require you to abduct them and drag them across the veil to get your benefit, or creating a Portal to make passage easier.

Describe a being (or beings) that showed a hardiness or even immunity to your majesty from before your fall, due to some element of their culture or essence.

Brainamp posted:

Wrath, The Font of Strength, The Mountain Beneath the Earth, The Shaper, The Third Emotion

As with Tign, Lozeth Lorgonith, and Zarkai who have physical realms, Krete will be a physical place on the map but your "realm" will not be a hex or physical space, but rather the magical ideal of somewhere within Krete. Going to the Realm of Krete will still require you to abduct them and drag them across the veil to get your benefit, or creating a Portal to make passage easier.

You need a slightly more specific condition for your Gift. Considering the idea of Hold No Fear, I would recommend that they gain +2 to Awfully Attack when outnumbered or outgunned.

Describe to me the other six primal emotions, and Wrath's last encounters with them.

TheNabster posted:

The Ministry of Reality The Men in Grey, The Department of Law, None-Such Beings, Section i, The Spaces between Spaces, The Cunning Men

The idea of Subspace Reality is conceptually similar to the Jones's Backstage. Possible hook for the two of you to be using the same "real estate" though mechanically they'd still be separate.

Describe the first world that the Ministry audited, long before this one, and the form that life took on that one before it cropped up like a disease again.

Epicurius posted:

Hadremor, The Blue Scribe, the Wise, Whisperer of Secrets

I would recommend your Spirit of Knowledge instead be tied in a sense of Secrets above anything else, and thus your activities threatened when those secrets are laid bare as a hook.

I might recommend your Harbinger aspect tie in directly with the element you described of "one answers gives two questions" and a maddening inability to give a full answer or full wisdom, so that element in his cultists. It's a different kind of madness than the addiction of Lozeth Lorgonith's followers.

You need to specify an approach for Hidden Knowledge.

You might consider tying the Malketh with the Children of the Great Snake described by Zarkai, but I'd leave that to you if you want that to be a possible connection.

Describe the first secret ever kept in this world, and the moment in which it was told and revealed.

Tricky Dick Nixon fucked around with this message at 21:57 on Mar 16, 2016

# ? Mar 16, 2016 21:52

paradoxGentleman: Dec 10, 2013; wheres the jester, I could do with some pointless nonsense right about now

First of all, I'm happy that we have a somewhat equal distribution of Omens. If I had noticed that we had such an uneven distribution of Origins in time I would have made a Below god.

Second, how long is an Omen supposed to last, in game?

e: third, does my Harbinger aspect work? I am not sure how you are supposed to use it against me, but it just works so well in the narrative as a sign of Zarkai's awakening.

# ? Mar 16, 2016 22:36

Tricky Dick Nixon: Jul 26, 2010; by Nyc_Tattoo

paradoxGentleman posted:

Second, how long is an Omen supposed to last, in game?

Mechanically, each age is marked with an omen, but in actuality the omen usually only lasts a short time and marks the beginning of a new age. So the Burning Wound streaks across the sky, its now a Green Age. The Nemesis Stars show up in opposition? People know its a new epoch and mark it accordingly. They are celestial markings of time, though the actual time in between each is narratively loose as far as years go.

quote:

e: third, does my Harbinger aspect work? I am not sure how you are supposed to use it against me, but it just works so well in the narrative as a sign of Zarkai's awakening.

I can invoke it to give people benefits to investigating your mysteries, or use it as a compel to have your reptilian agents eat or conflict with any mammalian ones you are trying to cultivate. It works for me!

# ? Mar 16, 2016 22:48

Takanago: Jun 2, 2007; You'll see...

Yeah, sorry for the inactivity. I'm at the Hame Developers Conference right now and being here (and preparing for it beforehand) has made my schedule really hectic.

I'll get responses in as soon as I can, which should be this weekend at the latest

Takanago fucked around with this message at 23:22 on Mar 16, 2016

# ? Mar 16, 2016 23:08

TheNabster: Apr 26, 2014; "Today I will cause problems on purpose"

quote:

Describe to me the important of your omen to your Horror, or to its minions, and how it ties into their legend.

"Across worlds, we have found that beings of life hold onto superstitious belief in cosmic phenomena, in that they are somehow tied in some way to times of endings and ancient prophecies"
"Truly illogical, truly without foundation."
"But useful, we have found that when we begin our more, direct actions against the scourge, the efficiency in our work is increased by several factors"
"Nations have taken the comet as a sign that their gods wish them to wage war on infidels, or that a terrible fate awaits all beings who witness it's path. They were waiting for a signal, any signal and now the time is right for them."
"And more often then not the prophecies themselves turn out to be, self-fulfilling"
"And so, we choose to feed into that superstition when ever we can. As illogical as it may be, beings of life cling so readily to omens, signs and prophecies as portents of the future that they become more suspect-able to our influence from the outside"

"It is almost, too easy. In this instance we have adopted the sign of the Burning Wound to use as our 'signal' to our operatives to begin overt operations to destabilize their infiltrated societies."
"Not only is it at the end of an Epoch, and is as such a time of instability, after other Quasi-Dimensional Entities have been unleashed on the world during the previous omens, it is more often then not already teetering on the edge"
"And when the world swings precariously over the brink, we know where to put the finger and push."

quote:

Describe the first world that the Ministry audited, long before this one, and the form that life took on that one before it cropped up like a disease again.

"Our greatest mistake"

"An unforgivable oversight"

"We had long ignored the place out of time, it was a place that could not, should not, have been able to support life. A blasted landscape of ice and a world of almost eternal night"
"And yet the First Life had somehow come into fruition. They knew no laws that would bind them, they instead bent them to meet their will, their powers and abilities beyond the ken of most life we had encountered so far"
"They saw into the future, they constructed marvels that defied reason, they built themselves out of a world of which before them, were naught but insignificant scavengers feasting on each other"
"And they were the first race to resist us. They had seen through the dimensional walls, seen us for what we were and when we had made our intentions clear, attempted to destroy us."
"It was the first time we had attained the the emotional reaction of hate in their fighting with us, they had given us form and thus we were rendered vulnerable. Reality was was broken, repaired and then broken again, a conflict that lasted both seconds and eons, there would be no winners in such a fight"
"In the end, they had flung their world into a space out of time itself, a place outside of our jurisdiction and from their position they have been a thorn in our side ever since."
"And it is because of this, that we operate in the manner that we partake in today. Because of the First Life, a direct approach by ourselves would never work again, they had given us a vulnerability that we may never be rid of. And so we have resorted to the subterfuge of millenia to maintain our needful work."

On the Files of 'Quasi-Dimensional Entities of Class V power posted:

"The God Eater" - "This one we do not trust" "But it appears that this is its purpose, we do not understand and so we will observe." "From a distance, it is best that we do not get involved with it"

Mar'arr'nenkeshet - "This one is is almost merely a beast, but a useful one. We once intended to destroy it, but now we mostly try to avoid it." "On occasions we have found that directing it's hunger aids in our cleansing of life against more 'uncooperative' subjects." "It picks the worlds it finds clean of of all life and then departs. It is not a subtle solution, but it is still within the rules."

Skellington Jones - "This one, It's powers stand too close to our own." "When two beings capable of shaping reality cross purposes it's effects can be most calamitous, it is quite possibly one of the only creatures that can fight us in Subspace." "It's contempt for the rules underlying reality will cause problems. It must be dealt with."

Ahiram - "This one has taken efforts to overcome the biological function of death." "Why do they struggle so, when they go to such efforts to avoid it, it makes the resulting paperwork harder then it needs to be. But it has ambitions, let us see where it takes them." "Hopefully it's own hubris will be it's destruction, it will save us having to do it ourselves"

Tign - "It is interesting that this 'humanity' has created many of the beings on this list, directly or otherwise. Perhaps self-destruction is a natural trait shared by all humans." "Emperors in the making normally make easy vessels of our work , but this one is powerful and capable of controlling other beings." "It is difficult, but it possesses flaws it does not wish to correct, we can exploit this."

Zarkai - "A beast that walks, savage, brutish, a tool to be used" "It's hunger can be fed, it's teeth sharpened, and directed against the world. It intends to do this anyway, why not ensure that its targets align with our own?" "And when it collides with the other 'elder' races, what will happen then? We should find out."

Auluudh - "This one reminds us too much of the First Life. It cannot be allowed to live." "Patience, it's existence will be tolerated for now, it's contempt of other life will be useful." "And perhaps we may be assisted in locating where this race went, and ensuring that it remains lost." "Agreed."

Hadremor - "We know of this one, we have an entire branch of the the Ministry, dedicated to trying to unravel it's myriad secrets" "It has not been successful, it speaks in half-truths and what is left may or may not be the truth" "A nuisance, but potentially useful. We may possibly align purposes."

Maen - "Mad deities have always been a source of catastrophic damages to our designs" "This one was on the scales for potentially causing a war that would have thrown our plans out of kilter. So we pushed gently for it's imprisonment" "And yet it's bonds are weakening, we may have to act"

Lozeth Lorgonith - "Magic is one of many forces that we had had issues cataloging, we should leave this one well alone" "But the being desires the decimation of all life as do we, surely we should look into this one further?" "Yes, but if it succeeded, what will we be left to categorize?"

The Lady in the Woods - "We have had trouble designating what this one is" "It possesses the hallmarks of an elder being, but the form of a mortal, and it's desires we cannot grasp" "Approach with caution, deal from strength. Who knows what it will do when it gets what it wants."

Wrath - "This one burns with an incandescent hatred. It gnashes it's teeth, it seethes in resentment" "Sometimes when a scalpel will not work, it merely requires a hammer." "Perhaps our needs may be best served, by letting this beast off of it's chain"

TheNabster fucked around with this message at 23:10 on Mar 18, 2016

# ? Mar 16, 2016 23:19

Tricky Dick Nixon: Jul 26, 2010; by Nyc_Tattoo

I've finished both the Overworld and Underworld hex maps. I'm going to share them here without labels or the places of power or seals or other hidden info, because it's reasonable that within an age your Horrors will know the relative shape of the world, plus I want to share an idea of what the world looks like for you folks. Starting places are not marked here either, but I will be getting those out to people likely this Friday, along with the opening info. We'll likely get started next Wednesday or Thursday. These are relatively low quality, higher quality ones will be used for the actual game.

Overworld

Underworld

A few mechanical considerations: Each hex has a Terrain Aspect that is like Mountains, Grasslands, etc. that is just like any other aspect. Some terrain (like Lava) is inhospitable and requires you have some means of crossing. This is mostly important for going underwater as well. The red dotted lines are routes, moving between those is considered a single action if you have discovered the origin and destination hexes either by exploration or gathering intelligence. Whether a town, castle, fort or city, strongholds are marked on the maps. The red strongholds represent the current faction capitals.

Caves and dungeons allow passage into the Underworld. You may also pass into the Underworld on the ocean. Going "down" is treated as a single movement, and ends your movement for that turn. Shoals (the light blue) connect land underworld with sea underworld. A lot of the underworld is solid rock, or empty ocean floor, but places of power can be buried beneath the earth, hidden away. It is possible to "dig" your own underworld portions with time and effort, or create dungeons and the like, Most cities have a "dungeon" beneath them that consists of their undercity and sewers.

Tricky Dick Nixon fucked around with this message at 06:59 on Mar 17, 2016

# ? Mar 17, 2016 06:55

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# ? Apr 28, 2024 05:22

Dachshundofdoom: Feb 14, 2013; Pillbug

Tricky Dick Nixon posted:

A prompt for everyone: Describe to me the important of your omen to your Horror, or to its minions, and how it ties into their legend.

The cold blue light of the Constellation. In the time before I ascended, I believe a few Wizard Lords presented a theory that the constellation somehow represented the true source of magic. They claimed to have found proof that the Constellation was... I do not remember their words. Such human lives and memories are scattered throughout me. I stumble across them and wonder if these are my true memories or only something torn from a Wizard-Lord at the end. Am I even one being? Do a thousand personalities wander invisibly within this one mind, deluding ourselves into believing we represent a whole, unconsciously acting in perfect concert?

...I digress, yes. Yes. In layman's terms, the Constellation was a hole in the material universe, directly to the Realm of the Creator. More than A god, more than THE gods, more than anything that could be imagined. If this were true, then the long-argued theory that magic represented some profound creational force left behind by the original constructor of the universe would be proven correct. There was much excitement about the potential of journeying beyond the sphere somehow, crossing the great voids and reaching these holes, to see magic at its source, then to peer beyond its source in order to see...a True God. "All we had to do," they howled in triumph, "is to be ready to voyage to it when it comes!"

Greedy, hateful, corrupted excitement poured from them. They wanted to get closer so they could get more, they wanted to find out where it was coming from to see if they could kill the source or capture it, put it in chains and make it dance for them forever and ever. I turned from the conference in disgust, the only one to turn away from this glorious new discovery. I think I heard a friend call my name, but I did not answer. I locked myself within Ibyzh the moment I returned. I looked up into the sky from my observatory and I saw the first blue pinpricks of light. The Constellation would be here in full soon. Just a few decades

That was the moment. I knew then, that unless I wiped all life from this world, we would consume everything, gods and all. They saw the world and always asked one question: "how can I become more powerful through this?" They saw the transcendent beauty of the Constellation and they decided that they would go there and snatch that light for their own. Contemplation and satisfaction never entered their minds. I threw myself into full study of a forbidden and entirely theoretical process designed by a long-dead madman. He hadn't even finished the ritual, and what little was finished turned out to be wrong. But I finished it. I finished it and I performed it as the Blue Constellation blazed high above, at its brightest point. It was under those baleful eyes that I Became Lozeth Lorgonith, Magic Incarnate. It was beneath that bleary stare that magic was ripped from the world entirely and trapped here, with me.

In the little contact I have made with the world, I've heard some scholars say that the signs and omens were said to have been much brighter long ago. Indeed, as I peruse depictions through stolen eyes, it does seem that all have dimmed since the time of my banishment. If the Constellation was in part the very source of magic, as that long-dead Wizard said, that would make a certain amount of sense But I will be returning soon, and I feel the stirring of others as well, with their own aims for this world, or universe. I suspect that these signs and omens will be far brighter again, now and forever, until all is none.

pre:

The God-Eater: The Arch-Traitor? Not a fine title for earning trust; and yet it is clearly powerful and manipulative.
Power and corruption, manipulation of traitors... I sense an overlap. Perhaps I will contact this being.
We could teach each other much. I suspect avoiding it will do little to reduce its treachery...

Mar'arr'nenkeshet: Hunger, such bottomless hunger. I know hunger all too well. The hunger for power,
power enough to feed my hunger for peace. It thrashes and moans like an animal, but I see a kindred spirit.
It does not seem to attack itself. Perhaps if it should devour this world, even partially, my aims would also be met.

Skellington Jones: It wields power divine against the divine. I am sympathetic. All must be ended for the sake of peace, Gods included.
Pity it creates such a racket in the process.

Ahiram: A metal god-killer. Dangerous, warlike. I do not oppose war, only wars not waged in the name of peace.
I want to bring this world to peace in the swiftest possible manner. I suspect his motives are not so pure.
Still, he could be a good distraction in the short term, and perhaps he will find my power... tempting.

Tign: Oh, such a lovely emperor. Or so he is seen. He buzzes with powers unfamiliar,
and has twisted himself into a creature of vanity incarnate. He corrupts others by glory, rather than reward,
but he himself basks in this gift of his. Perhaps a gift of magic could
be made to him. After all, I am so thoroughly smitten by his glory.

Zarkai: Look at you, ancient beast. Are you the dread secret of the southern Jungles, from which no Wizard,
no matter his might, ever returned? It respects only strength. Perhaps it will be interested in my
power, or perhaps it will trust only in its own strength. I know only this: it can't hurt to offer.

Auluudh: Squirming and thrashing in the deep as the world passes you by. We are the same, although our homes are very different.
For one thing, you can leave. But I fear our goals may be incompatible, for you see, I can leave no
life here at all. It all must end, in crystal dust.

Hadremor: Ah, great Hadremor. I remember your name. Invoked in secret by foolish wizards
who soon wandered the streets babbling until they were put down. We are much alike now, you and I; you twist minds through knowledge,
and I twist them through power. But whether they serve our cause because they think they are gods
or they serve our cause because they think they can know everything, they are still but our puppets. Our goals may align. Perhaps we will speak soon.

Maen: Mad, mad, mad. Unquestionably so. And yet I question my own sanity as I float here in peace,
for I am everywhere and nowhere and right here and walking the halls of my own body, all at once. My fingers have extended
without will a thousand times as new mages test their powers, and each time I twist their mind as I pass through their body.
Who's to say they won't be just as mad by the end as Maen? My madmen are simply better directed.

The Lady in the Woods: Fear and misery awoken from a place man was not meant to tread. It's okay.
Embrace what is coming when my plans come to fruition. This world will know peace, and so will you all, as a family. Forever.

Wrath: Anger and fury and power. We have so much in common, Raging One. I promise that I will set you free if I can;
will you free me if you can? I will bring with me the cold rage of these endless millenia, and I will exert my strength
upon this world. We may clash, as the wrathful often do, but I think that we could accomplish much before the end.

Ministry of Reality: Here they come, skittering out of the cogs to watch again. I've watched you ebb and flow
across the world outside my prison, but only now do I begin to understand your goals. So much cataloging and theorizing. Set down your
pens and doppelgangers. Take a step back, if you wish to observe, or take a step to my side if you wish to exterminate.
As it stands, you are only in my way, little creatures. And that's a shame, because I think you'd benefit
from a little of the power that I can provide...

Dachshundofdoom fucked around with this message at 05:54 on Mar 18, 2016

# ? Mar 17, 2016 09:04

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