Register a SA Forums Account here!
JOINING THE SA FORUMS WILL REMOVE THIS BIG AD, THE ANNOYING UNDERLINED ADS, AND STUPID INTERSTITIAL ADS!!!

You can: log in, read the tech support FAQ, or request your lost password. This dumb message (and those ads) will appear on every screen until you register! Get rid of this crap by registering your own SA Forums Account and joining roughly 150,000 Goons, for the one-time price of $9.95! We charge money because it costs us money per month for bills, and since we don't believe in showing ads to our users, we try to make the money back through forum registrations.
 
  • Locked thread
Exmond
May 31, 2007

Writing is fun!
Welcome to Vancouver, home to two and a half million people , and only a fraction of those people know what lurks in the shadows of the city. We got a melting pot of people here, ranging from Caucasian to Chinese to metis and an even bigger mix when it comes to the supernatural. Ranging from cannibalistic wendigos near Smuggler's cover or the Chinese triad Oracles in greater downtown Vancouver has it covered, even legless men who create rivers . Its a melting pot of species, races and magic.. And its about to explode.

The young are yelling at the city to provide affordable housing and racial tensions are rising. The werewolves and vampire gangs are profiting off of the growing homeless population. With their new found profits the werewolves and vampires are looking at taking over Vancouver. The council of twelve are too busy grooming their political candidate to become premier to care, letting the small fish have Vancouver as they aim to take the province. The mortal authorities are doing their best to adapt and looking at allowing some more “extreme” measures. Everybody in Vancouver is clamoring for a change to loving happen and the city is at full boil.

Welcome to Vancouver, hope you survive the coming storm...




What Is this?:

Urban shadows is a Powered By the Apocalypse game that is more focused on city politics and characters than epic showdowns and fights. If you want a urban fantasy game that is easy to get into and lets you, the player, control the narrative this is the game for you. If you are new to the system don't worry! Urban shadows is easy to understand and puts an emphasis on story rather than mechanics.


The Setting:

It takes place in Vancouver BC where the city is ready for a change and your characters will wind up smack dab in the middle of it. How your characters react to the different factions wanting to change Vancouver and their methods will play a big part in the campaign.


The city has some custom moves

Sky train rules: I didn't see nothing, I didn't hear nothing
Discuss secrets/Make deals on public transportation with no witnesses

The city pays out
When the city demands a cost, if you pay it you get rewarded

A storm is coming, you can feel it in the air
Spend a debt to find out if that person is part of a threat clock


There are a few major players I have created. Feel free to create your own and incorporate them into your story!
MAJOR FACTIONS

Council of Twelve [Power]
The council of twelve is an organization of the most influential wizards, oracles and curator of ancient artifacts. Using their collective power they have managed to wrest control of downtown vancouver and rule it quite well. There has been many attempts by the other factions in the city to take downtown and all has been met with failure. He-who-Sings was silenced before a single not left their lips by the foretellings of Lady Glenrose. The Stoop werewolves were laid low by the council's champion, Homeless Bob. The council has swatted down so many threats at downtown that nobody tries anymore.

With their territory firmly defended the council has focused on expanding their reach, and they have been grooming a political candidate to become premiere. Should their plan succeed the council's reach will expand across the province, but there has been internal infighting over if this is the right plan.


New Westminster PD [Mortality]
Somehow, someway the loving New Westminister PD has found itself as the protector of the innocent in this supernatural world. Lead by DeVoursney the New westminister PD has managed to keep the supernatural threat under control. An uneasy alliance (and massive funding) by the council of twelve has managed to curb even the bigger threats to the general public. The recent rise in racial tensions has caused New Westminister to get more violent and the public at large is wondering what the PD is doing with all those massive charity donations...



Arcanis and the Body of Ghosts [Night]
“Offer somebody some drugs, profit. Lace the drugs because his buddy wants him dead, profit. Then enslave the por sods spirit, profit. Recycling at its finest” Thats the motto of Arcanis and probably the most anyone knows about Arcanis' identity. Arcanis is the goto person for drugs, illegal weapons and whatever else you need. Doing dead drops with his body of ghosts there is hardly any place Arcanis can't get to and they have flourished. Arcanis produces the drugs, the ghosts deliver them and so far it has been working out. Rumor out on the street is that somebody is onto how Arcanis is enslaving the ghosts.. and that's just bad business...


Copperstone security [Wild]
Copperstone Security has flourished in recent months. Having to build up their office in Burnaby the security company now employs about 50,000 people and several more if you ignore the official reports. No training necessary, free gym workouts and free self defence lessons (Along with great insurance coverage in case of injury) the company has managed to earn a good impression from Vancouverites. Never mind the nasty “fake news” reports of employees being harmed at the job site , that's just false. Some employees are wondering if Copperstone Security is going to go world wide or what the next plan is, but so far there has been no mentions from the CEO.





MAJOR PLAYERS
Miss Copperstone (WILD)

Copperstone entered the scene a few years ago, arriving in a puff of brimstone smoke and fire. With her demonic underlings she managed to scrape a few city blocks and transform it into her territory, but only barely.
Now you can't go a few city blocks without seeing the Copperstone Security logo and her goons -for-hire are everywhere. While her territory hasn't grown she has managed to thrive in Vancouver, offering deals to the homeless or powerful. She seems to have her hand in every major deal going on in the city but hasn't had a chance to capitalize on it.


Dominic De-Luca(POWER)


Dominic De-Luca is the Council of Twelve's star child. He has been groomed since they found him in an orphanage to lead. De-Luca is currently on the fast-track in the political world and is the mayor of Vancouver and his sights are set on much bigger things. Rumor has it that several political parties have been meeting with De-Luca in a bid to get them over to their side. With the council of twelve backing him there isn't much stopping his plans, save for the current housing situation in Vancouver.

Captain DeVoursney (MORTALITY)
Police captain DeVoursney found himself on the wrong side of the council of twelve and was setup to run the New Westminister Special forces division in an attempt to sabatoge his career. Except he did what the council never expect him to do, he excelled at it. He soon found himself leading the whole PD and the council was overjoyed that he managed to maintain the masquerade while also maintaining order. The years haven't been kind to him, as the stress of managing a supernatural PD force, a normal PD force and trying to raise his 18yr old daughter has gotten his blood pressure up. With the public screaming at more transparency, the council threatening to cut his funding and the innocent faces he can't save haunting his sleep something has got to give...


Sounds cool I want to sign up!

Pick a playbook from http://www.magpiegames.com/our-games/urban-shadows/urban-shadows-downloads/ (There are also Dark Street's Playbooks, hit me up on Discord to get them) and fill er out and post it here. Complete a short in-character description of your character and answer the questions asked in the playbook. Make sure to answer these additional questions:

1) What does your character fear will happen if they give into corruption
2) Does your character want'a big change in Vancouver and if so what change do they want to have happen


I'm looking for about 3-4 players, sign ups will end on the 26th.

I have created a discord here: https://discord.gg/PVqADC3 Please hop into the discord if you have any questions!

Also I could use some help with BBCode formatting (I wanted to make a banner image but failed horribly). If you know of any tips please post them!

Exmond fucked around with this message at 02:38 on Jun 21, 2017

Adbot
ADBOT LOVES YOU

Vulpes Vulpes
Apr 28, 2013

"...for you, it is all over...!"
Will post up (probably) a Scholar shortly.

edit: WIP

Jibreel, the Scholar



quote:

• Who are you?
Jibreel. Just Jibreel.

quote:

• How long have you been in the city?
Six years now. Six years of hustling to get where I'm at. Six years since the Grail ran me out of Montréal, those leech bastards. But Van city's a wizard town, so I thought it would be different. It's worse.

Fuckin' wizards.


quote:

• What arcane mystery brought you to the business?
I was hunting something for a client, an ostensibly mundane video game cartridge for an ostensibly mundane client. Some short run, 1980s oddity, a blip in media history. Recalled, ostensibly again, for heavy metals in the plastic casing. Disposed of. One of those "buried in the desert" type embarrassments. Money I was being paid, I was happy to fly out to whatever southwest toxic waste dump shithole that bit of tat ended up in, spade in hand, and dig one out.

Thing is, no one knew which southwest toxic waste dump shithole it ended up in. But I'm good at what I do. And I found a cart. After a long time, I did.

Have you ever heard of a game called "White Chapel"? No one has outside of obsessives. All the American releases have been destroyed. But I found one of the original Japanese carts, one that slipped through the recall. Even though some very serious people did the recalling.
"Howaitochaperu."

That game killed my client, killed his whole family.

After that people came looking for me. Not because I had inadvertently gotten my client killed. Who gives a poo poo, right? No, they came looking for me because I had found a copy of
Howaitochaperu, when no one else could. They had things that they wanted me to find for them. And the more I investigated these things, the more I found that I wanted some of these things for myself.

I found that there was a whole other world beneath the one I thought I had known. And there was far more power up for grabs than I could pass up.


quote:

• What habits or comforts does your trade offer you?
It offers me a seat at the table. This world, the real world, is run by monsters and to keep up, you need power. The things I keep close, they give me power. The things I know, they make me valuable and in turn that gives me power. But unlike the monsters and the wizards, it's power I earned, power I hustled for and took.

quote:

• What do you desperately need?
I'm in someone's crosshairs. It's one of those things you can feel, like the pricking of your thumbs. I think that whoever made Howaitochaperu is still around, and I think that by finding that game, by feeding it fresh blood all those years ago, I've gotten their attention. And I don't like that.

quote:

• What do you fear will happen if you give into corruption?
This is a mean business, a knife-edge trade. I need to be careful about who I rip off- the Book Club has power in Van because we stand more or less together. if we fracture,
then we're just a collection of obsessive weirdos. We need to balance our greed with our need for each other.

And then there's the relics. The things we trade in are usually baptized in blood, and that blood can get on your hands, gloves or no. Am I going to end up as part of someone else's collection at some point, as blood on the knife that killed me or some mad ghoul guarding a hoard of garbage in the sewers?


quote:

• Do you want a big change in Vancouver, and if so what change do you want to have happen?
Wizards. The Grail runs Montréal. Everyone knows that, it's the way it's always been. They know how business works, how a city works. They're not human, they don't pretend to be. But the wizards here, the Council of Twelve? They're the most puffed-up, preening sons of bitches ever exist. They don't understand business. They've been blinded by their power. They pretend they're human, like us, but they're not. They have power they were born with, and they use that to look down their noses at us. At me. At someone with the kind of power I have, at my people, the Book Club. We're treated like the help, while they swing their hereditary power around.

Do I want change? I certainly do. I'd like to see the Council driven into the sea, to laugh while their towers fall.


quote:


Look: Male, Black,Tailored Clothing

Demeanor: Charming, Cryptic, Smug

Stats: Blood -1, Heart 1, Mind 2, Spirit 0

Starting Factions: Mortality 2, Night 0, Power 1, Wild 1

Corruption: ▢▢▢▢▢
Harm: ▢| ▢▢ | ▢▢


ARCANE NETWORK: The Book Club
Your arcane network is a collection of powerful and knowledgeable mortals who trade in arcane items, relics, and ancient tomes. Some of their interests are legitimate and above board; others are the stuff of backroom deals and smoky rooms. They don’t trust you. You don’t trust them. That’s business.
Your arcane network has the following features: cops on the payroll, codes & signals, ritual meetings
Your colleagues include these NPCs (at least): Madame Valenzuela, Nancee Burdick, Cpl. Laine Nowlin, Merissa Ness, the Hsu Triplets, the Grimm, Councilwoman Cayla Bernstein, Christian Driscoll, Lanette Lacey, Lord Banda

Whose collection do you covet? Lord Banda
Who keeps things safe for you? The Grimm
Who suspects you’re scamming them? Councilwoman Cayla Bernstein

When you cash in a Debt with a member of your arcane network to obtain a worthy and useful gift without cost, they must offer you three things. Pick the one you want, but the others will never be “free” again.
When you hit the streets to consult your arcane network, you can roll with Mind instead of Mortality. Mark Mortality as normal. In addition, add this option to the 7-9 list:
» You owe them an object you haven’t yet acquired
When you refuse to honor a Debt to someone to whom you’ve previously sold arcane objects, add this option to the 7-9 list:
» Promise to secure a valuable object for them

quote:

The Book Club are the network of arcanists and collectors that I'm a part of. We're mortals, but we're linked by our obsession with power, with mysteries and wonders and horrors and, most of all, the buying, selling, stealing and trading of them. Aside from trade in arcane curios,
we also do a tidy business as appraisers in the city. If you have something occult and you want to know what it does, where it comes from or what it is, you come to me or one of my colleagues. No one knows as much as we do, not even the wizards, and we make a lot of our individual fortunes consulting for the supernatural community in the city. It's our territory, appraisal- most know enough to step on our toes, and those who do frequently end up disappearing. We run the gamut from scrupulously honest to openly corrupt in our appraisals, but that's what you get. I like to keep my rep mostly clean- I'll only run game on someone if it's for something that I really want.

YOUR PRIVATE COLLECTION
You have a private collection of ancient tomes, books, and arcane objects that you have acquired over your years of less-than-savory deals. Tell the MC about your most prized possession and what dirty deeds you did to acquire it.

When you retreat to your private collection to research an occult occur- rence, object, or individual, roll with Mind. On a 10+, pick 3. On a 7-9, pick 1.
• You discover a previously unknown weakness or vulnerability
• You discover a previously unknown resource or ally
• You don’t attract any supernatural attention to your research
On a miss, you discover something terrible in your research that spells doom for you, your friends...or the city itself.

quote:

In a field like this, you need to keep a rounded collection, and I do. Tomes, weapons, wands, all that kind of ancient poo poo. But each of us in the Book Club have a particular obsession. The Hsu Triplets like divination tools and devices. Merissa Ness is into religious items. For the Grimm, the older the better. But I'm interested in more recent ephemera. I have all kinds of relics of the modern age- a black metal album with the true names of storm and war spirits backmasked into the songs, a vanity press role-playing game book with genuine demon summoning rituals, a Japanese murder-ghost imprisoned in a USB thumb drive, a laserdisc of Commando where at 41:52 Arnold looks at the screen and tells you the time and date of your death...all kinds.

DRAMA MOVES
»Scholar Corruption Move
When you exploit someone’s ignorance of the arcane for personal gain, mark corruption.

»Intimacy Move
When you share a moment of intimacy—physical or emotional—with another person, they get a Debt on you...and you have what they desire. Ask them to name an item they have been seeking; that item has recently turned up in your arcane network.

»End Move
When you die or retire your character, choose one character to inherit your collection of tomes and artifacts. They gain the Private Collection move so long as they care for and protect these arcane holdings.


SCHOLAR MOVES

°Appraisal:
When you appraise an arcane object, roll with Mind. On a hit, ask the MC questions. On a 10+, ask 2. On a 7-9, ask 1.
• What rumors or lies shroud this object’s value?
• What secrets or powers does this object contain?
• Who knows more about this object or its powers?
• Who would want to possess this object?

On a miss, the object is cursed. The MC will tell you what trouble pursues it.

°Arcane Detective: When you interview a knowledgeable NPC while pursuing the arcane, roll with Mind. On a hit, they offer you a concrete lead: an important location, supplier, or tome (your choice). On a 10+, you already have a connection in your arcane network that allows you to make good on this info. On a 7-9, the path forward is blocked or precarious for you at this time. On a miss, they tell you little, but your questions put them in grave danger.

GEAR
» An expensive flat, a midsized car, a smartphone, reading glasses
» Arcane Bag: The bag itself has an agenda. When you find yourself in a desperate situation, reach into your bag for help. The GM will tell you what item you find...

DEBTS
» You’re someone’s hookup for relics and arcane items. They owe you 2 Debts.
» Someone has been tipping you off to your enemy’s tactics. You owe
them 2 Debts.
» You scammed someone out of something rare and priceless they cannot recover. You owe them 3 Debts.

Advancements Used:

Corruption Advancements Used:

Vulpes Vulpes fucked around with this message at 21:18 on Jun 20, 2017

Green Bean
May 3, 2009
Olivia Salois



quote:

Look:
Female
Métis
Loose Clothing

Demeanour: Volatile

Stats: Blood 0, Heart -1, Mind 1, Spirit 3

Starting Factions: Mortality 0, Night 0, Power 1, Wild 1

Corruption: ▢▢▢▢▢
Harm: ▢| ▢▢ | ▢▢

ORACLE MOVES
° Foretellings: At the beginning of the session, roll with Spirit. On a 10+, hold 2. On a 7-9, hold 1. During the session, you can spend your hold to declare that something terrible is about to happen. You (and your allies) take +1 ongoing to avoid the impending disaster. On a miss, you foresee the death of someone important to you and take -1 to all rolls to prevent it.

° Psychometry: Whenever you study and examine an interesting object,
roll with Spirit. On a 10+, ask 3. On a 7-9, ask 1:
  • What is the history of this object?
  • What bans, wards, or limits are attached to this object?
  • Where does this object belong?
  • What secrets or mysteries has this object been privy to?
  • What strong emotions have most recently been near this object?
On a miss, the emotion of the object overwhelms you and you take -1
ongoing for the scene.

° At Any Cost: When you interfere with someone’s plans or actions to prevent one of your visions from coming true, mark their Faction and take +1 forward.


DRAMA MOVES
»Oracle Corruption Move
When you give someone a false prophecy, mark corruption.

»Intimacy Move
When you share a moment of intimacy—physical or emotional—with another person, you gain a specific and clear vision about that person’s future. You can ask up to 3 questions about the vision; mark corruption for each.

»End Move
When you die or retire your character, announce a proclamation upon the world that will reverberate in dreams worldwide. Detail the signs of its coming. The MC will make your prophecy come to pass, sooner rather than later.

GEAR
» A simple apartment, a crappy car, a cell phone
» Prophetic Tools: A carefully marked tarot deck.

DEBTS
» Someone helps you understand your dreams and visions. You
owe them 2 Debts.
» You’ve had a dire prophecy about someone, but you don’t know
how to help them...yet. You owe them a Debt.
» You are helping someone realize their true potential through your
visions. They owe you a Debt

Advancements Used:
Increase Spirit by +1 (Max 3)

Corruption Advancements Used:


quote:

Who are you?

"Olivia Salois. Rhymes with thaw. I'm a professional fortuneteller and 'certified' New Age Guru. I'll realign your chakras, charge up your spirit guide, and purge lower-vibrational influences in your love life, all for about 10% below what the other palm readers will charge you. But honestly, best value for money's the tarot reading. See, for whatever reason, my poo poo actually works. I mean, not the dumber stuff - I'll sell you a hunk of citirine, but the only way it'll protect you from harm if you're using it as a bludgeon - but even when my card tricks are vague, they're basically always on the money. Because of that, my name is out there in certain...circles, and they come to me for advice. Most of the time they don't like what they hear, but the people who listened are still around, and the people who didn't aren't."

quote:

]How long have you been in the city?
"All my life, and you're welcome to take a guess at how long that might have been. Mom came here from Skeena looking for work back in the 80s, Dad, and from them came me and a younger sibling. They're all dead now, though I still talk to my little brother everyone once in a while."

quote:

How do you cope with the visions?

"I do what I can. It sounds pithy - and it kinda is - but that's all you can really do. For mortal clients it's pretty straightforward. They're visiting a psychic, so obviously they're willing to buy in a little. I see disease up ahead, I make concerned noises about Reversed Strength and tell them to go see a doctor. If there's a car accident, I warn them that the six of swords predicts travel problems. For bigger predictions? Let's just say that my prices go up for people in the know, and a lot of those times that price is helping me out with someone else. I've heard that what goes around comes around, and yet there's never quite enough to go around. So a lot of the time, I improvise."

quote:

What are the nightmares like?

"Thoroughly unpleasant. There's nothing like finding one of your fuckups in someone else's reading. Like, whoops, that lady you couldn't stop from getting killed by a vampire had a sister, and now she's in your office because she's haunted by her spirit. Let me tell you, that'll rattle around in your subconscious for months. And let me tell you, I've got a lot more Ls than Ws."

quote:

What do you desperately need?

"More power, more influence. Half the poo poo I can't deal with by myself is something that'd get solved by <The Night Faction> making one tiny phonecall, or The Council of the Twelve spending half an hour in a magic circle. But since no one in this city listens to you unless they owe you, I guess I just gotta get everyone to owe me."

quote:

What does your character fear will happen if they give into corruption

"Giving up. Let's be real, I am an honest to god psychic. I can't tell you tomorrow's lotto numbers, but I pick up enough about the futures I read that if I sat down and mapped it out, I could make a bunch of cash on sports bets or stocks and retire to Aruba. If I start digging a little too deep, getting a little too selfish, that might be where I end up. But at the end of the day, I fight that urge, because I've got a responsibility here."

quote:

Does your character want'a big change in Vancouver and if so what change do they want to have happen

"They way I've always seen it, there's two types of people who make things happen in the world. Dreamers, like my father the community organiser, have a big sparkling vision of what they want the world to be, and they work their asses off trying to make it a reality. Sometimes they succeed, sometimes they don't. But after the dreamers, you have triage, like my mother the nurse. You don't have that big vision of how the world should be or see how to make the underlying issues better. So you look at the immediate problems and try to fix those. I'm triage, I don't have a vision or grand ambition. I just see people in danger who don't know it yet, and I try to warn them or help them. And then, succeed or fail, I find someone else and try again. And again."

Green Bean fucked around with this message at 23:00 on Sep 21, 2017

The Lore Bear
Jan 21, 2014

I don't know what to put here. Guys? GUYS?!
EDIT: Making a Wizard! Slowly! Still working on this.


Alanna Reynolds, the Wizard

quote:

Who are you?

Alanna Reynolds, wizard in good standing with the Council of Twelve. In the technical sense, at least. The Council of Twelve only really knows I exist because of some recent work. Also, do some gigs to make up any time being a wizard isn't exactly paying very well. Find some missing things, stand menacingly while conjuring fire, I'd like to think I'm pretty multi-talented.

quote:

How long have you been in the city?

A decade, give or take. Wizards live longer than the mundane, so after a few years, things sort of blur together time-wise. It's a good city to put down roots.

quote:

What keeps you up at night?


I don't think you mean my rowdy neighbors down the hall. There's a lot of power floating around the city. Political, supernatural and where those two cross. I won't say that there aren't any good people in that mad scramble to grab what they can, but there's definitely a few people that I know have some and plan to do nothing good with it. The more I learn, the less easy my sleep is.

quote:

What have you sacrificed for your power?

A normal life, any sense of innocence about what's really happening. The problem with being born a wizard is that there's some power there from the very beginning. Raw, untrained power. From a young age, if you're taught anything, it's that people will use that power for their own ends. So you adapt, and by the time you're thirty, you realize you've made maybe a half-dozen friends and three dozen enemies. And that's assuming you aren't trying to fight your way to the top of any food chains.

quote:

What do you desperately need?

Stability. I know I won't ever get normalcy, but if I can go longer than a month or two without thinking of what weird job I'll have to take to make sure I can afford my apartment, my food, what I need day in and day out. It's not like I want luxury, but knowing that I can have a place where I'm safe, sane and taken care of. I don't want to work for the Council, that comes with too many strings, but being able to get comfortable in Vancouver.

quote:

What do you fear will happen if you give into corruption?

That I'll be turned into someone else's weapon. Probably someone with much worse ideas for me than the Council, than even some of the enemies I have now. If I was truly gone, from a spiritual sense? I could unleash everything I have on whoever I wanted? It wouldn't be pretty. Most wizards have a few memories of when they lost control while growing up, and none of them likely want to see that power completely overtake them ever again.

quote:

What change, if any, do you want to happen in Vancouver?

Right now? I'd like to see wizards on the edges of the Council stand up for something. Anything. Some of us do our little parts to keep ourselves fed and sheltered, but we don't have the clout of the Council of Twelve. We don't even need to get that far, just be able to push back a bit in case this DeLuca plan goes sideways.

The Wizard posted:


Name: Alanna Reynolds, the Wizard
Look: Female, Caucasian, Stylish Clothing
Demeanor: Detached

Character Stats:
Blood -1, Heart 1, Mind 1, Spirit 1

Factions
Mortality 1, Night 0, Power 1, Wild 0

Gear
Nice apartment, crappy car, decent cell phone, 9mm Glock (2-harm close loud)

Focus: Small silver wand, inscribed (Gain 1 additional hold when using Channeling)
Sanctum: Storage unit across town (Magical wards, a focus circle, a library of old tomes, an apothecary, contains many volatile substances, it always lacks a key piece or ingredient)

Moves
Channelling:
When you channel and collect your magics, roll with Spirit. On a 10+, hold 3. On a 7-9, hold 3 and choose 1 from the list below. On a miss, hold 1, but you cannot Channel again this scene.

* Take -1 ongoing until you rest
* Suffer 1-harm (ap)
* Mark corruption

Your hold lasts until you spend it. You can spend it to cast any spell you have as per the spell’s details.

Spells:
* Tracking: Spend 1 hold to learn the location of someone. You must have a personal object that belongs to the target or recent leavings of their body (a lock of hair, fingernail clippings, their blood, etc.).
* Shielding: Spend 1 hold to provide armor+1 to yourself or someone nearby, or spend 2 holds to provide armor+1 to everyone in a small area, possibly including yourself. This armor lasts until the end of the scene. You can stack multiple uses of Shielding at once.
* Veil: Spend 1 hold to make yourself invisible from sight for a few moments.

Sanctum Sanctorum: When you go to your Sanctum for a spell ingredient, relic, or tome, roll with Spirit. On a 10+, you’ve got pretty much just the thing. On a 7-9, you’ve got something close, but it’s flawed or lacking in some significant way. On a miss, you don’t have what you’re looking for, but you know someone who probably has it in stock.

Debts:
»» Someone is helping you keep your demons at bay. You owe them a Debt.
»» Someone is your go-to when you get into trouble. You owe them 2 Debts.
»» You are helping someone keep a dangerous secret. They owe you a Debt.

The Lore Bear fucked around with this message at 02:57 on Jun 20, 2017

Tricky
Jun 12, 2007

after a great meal i like to lie on the ground and feel like garbage



On Shin-Hye, the Vamp

quote:

» Who are you?

"On Shin-Hye. Second generation import from Korea. I've been running with the United Nations since I was just a kid. Started out spotting on deals, moved all the way up to running my own stretch of town. I'd thought I was about as close to on top of the world as any of us could get. Figured I'd live the easy life and enjoy the fruits of my labor. I thought wrong. There's a dark side to Vancouver. Organizations that make the UN look like child's play. I don't know why they let us think that we're running things. Maybe they find it amusing."

"Someone noticed me, eventually. It was supposed to be a routine meet with a supplier. New source from the States. It wasn't. Something took me from behind. Thought it was the end, but I woke up in a shipping container a few days later. I'm... different, now. Not quite human. There's a beast inside of me. Something that hungers for everything that makes people what they are."

"They made me a loving monster. They should have killed me when they had the chance. I've had a few months to adjust, get my bearings, and get a plan going. It's really not that different when you get down to it. You got some Gandalf motherfuckers, some low-life parasites, the real weirdoes, and then us. The people just trying to get by."

quote:

» How long have you been in the city?

"I was born here. I lived in the Downtown Eastside and, uh, yeah. It's about as much of a shithole as they say. My parents couldn't afford anything better. They had a small business going, just a corner store, but it was tough to make ends meet when they spent so much on protection. That was why I took to the streets, you know? Just wanted to make things easier for them. The UN is pretty reasonable as gangs go, they know the importance of family. Of loyalty. They did what they needed to do to ensure mine."

"My parents got out of Vancouver a few years back. I set 'em up with a nice place in Toronto. I'd go and see them, but... Well, I'm a loving monster now.

quote:

» How do you keep your cravings in check?

"It gets a little easier when I'm on an adrenaline high. loving, fighting, or doing something crazy. Good thing excitement is easy to find if you know the right spots. There's a few underground fight clubs down by the docks. It's not as fun to fight there any more. Monster strength, you know? Still get a bit of a buzz if I'm takin' on a couple of real bruisers."

quote:

» Who turned you?

"Here's the thing: I'm... not exactly sure. I did a little digging and I'm pretty drat sure it was a bloodsucker crew going by the Hollowpoints that took me out. Made a few friends that know a few things and I've been putting together the hows-and-whys of this vampire poo poo. I'm not... uh, as far as I can tell... your usual bloodsucker. Not sucking blood, for one. I suck the life out of people, don't get me wrong, but it's like... emotions, I guess? The sweet taste of a first love, the spicy bite of hatred, you know. poo poo. I hardly get it myself."

"Anyways, not a lot of lore out there on things like me. I could have clawed myself out of hell for all I know."

quote:

» What scheme are you invested in now?

"Right now, I'm basically back at the bottom of the totem pole. poo poo sucks, but what're you going to do? Senority is king. So I need to get a crew, some turf, and enough money to get back into the game. My first thought was grabbing my boys from the UN, but nobody deserves the poo poo that happened to me. I need people who know what they're getting into. Who can put some goddamn buckshot into a bloodsucker or whatever else gets in their way without batting an eye."

"So, yeah, I've got a few leads. People talk, especially when I put a little charm on. What can I say? I'm about as authentic as it gets. People like that. Still working on nailing down the resources to make a big play, but my chance is coming up. The wolves running the south side of Oakridge have been moved on by another vamp gang. Crimson Moon and The Moonwalkers. poo poo, I'm not sure if they're fighting over turf or who has the worse name. Either way, I'm going to tip the balance however I choose. Ally with the winner, sneak in and claim the loser's turf."

quote:

» What does your character fear will happen if they give into corruption?

"Easy. I'll forget what it means to be human. I'll just be another goddamn parasite sucking the life out of Vancouver, thinkin' I'm better than everyone else."

quote:

» Does your character want a big change in Vancouver and, if so, what change do they want to have happen?

"I don't give a poo poo about these wolves, they seem to do right by their turf, but I'm gonna see every last vamp in Vancouver staked or ashed or whatever the hell else I feel like."

The Vamp posted:

Name: On Shin-Hye
Archetype: The Vamp
Look: Ambiguous, Korean, Everyday Clothing
Demeanor: Volatile

Stats:
Blood 2
Heart 1
Mind 0
Spirit -1

Factions:
Mortality 2
Night 1
Power -1
Wild 0

Moves:
Eternal Hunger: You hunger for emotions. When you feed, roll with Blood. On a 10+, choose 3. On a 7-9, choose 2:
» You heal 1-harm
» You learn a secret about them
» You take +1 forward
» They don’t die
On a miss, something goes terribly wrong.

Irresistible: When you Persuade an NPC using promises or seduction, treat a 7-9 as a 10+ result. On a miss, your machinations succeed as though you rolled a 7-9, but attract the attention of a rival or enemy.

Haven: You have a safe place, secure from outside dangers. It has emergency rations, a few ghouls, and an escape vector. When someone willingly comes to your Haven, they enter your Web.

Tireless: When you fight against a gang, you count as a gang of equivalent size. Calculate armor and harm as normal, but ignore any size difference between you and the gang you’re fighting.

The Vamp's Web:
When someone comes to you to ask for a favor, look for advice/info, or threaten your interests, they enter your Web and owe you a Debt. When someone is in your Web, you gain the following when dealing with them:

» Get +1 ongoing to Lend a Hand or Get in the Way of their efforts
» Add this question to Figure Someone Out: “What is your character’s true hunger?”

At the start of a session, choose someone in your Web and learn a secret about them that they’d rather keep buried.

They leave your Web only when they no longer owe you a Debt.

Drama Moves:

Vamp Corruption Move:
When you feed on an unwilling victim, mark corruption.

Intimacy Move:
When you share a moment of intimacy—physical or emotional—with another person, tell them a secret about yourself or owe them a Debt.
Either way, they enter your Web and owe you a Debt.

End Move:
When you die or retire your character, name someone in the scene you want dead; your agents and allies relentlessly pursue them.

Gear:
A secluded apartment
A comfortable car
A smart phone
Dual 9mm Glocks (2-harm close loud)

Debts:
» Someone makes sure you get fed regularly. You owe them 2 Debts.
» Someone relies on you for their fix. They owe you a Debt
» Someone bears responsibility for you becoming a vampire. They owe you a Debt.

Tricky fucked around with this message at 05:13 on Jul 26, 2017

Ferrosol
Nov 8, 2010

Notorious J.A.M


Kelly James the Aware

Get a cop drunk enough in Vancouver and they'll tell you their weird rear end story. Perps with the strength of ten men, burglars who walk through the wall of a house to get in. Dealers with product that makes you see the future. I thought they were full of crap, that it was the usual round of wind up the newbie but now I'm not so sure..

quote:

Name: Kelly James
Look: Female, Caucasian , Uniform Clothing
Demeanour: Serene

Stats:

Blood: -1
Heart: 1
Mind: 2
Spirit: 0

Factions

Mortality: 1
Night: 0
Power: 1
Wild: 0

Aware Corruption Move:

When you ignore your mortal responsibilities to deal with the supernatural, mark corruption

Intimacy Move

When you share a moment of intimacy—physical or emotional—with someone
who isn’t mortal, mark corruption

End Move

When you die, each character chooses whether your death inspires or corrupts
a part of their being. If it inspires, they erase a corruption advance they’ve taken
(if any). If it corrupts, they immediately take a corruption advance.

Moves

Snoop:

When you keep an eye out for trouble, roll with Mind. On a 10+,
hold 3. On a 7-9, hold 1. While you’re there, spend your hold to ask the
MC questions, 1 for 1:
• What’s my best way in/out?
• Who or what here is not what they seem?
• What happened here recently?
• What here is the greatest danger to me?
• Whose turf is this?

On a miss, you find yourself in over your head. The MC will tell you why
this is a bad spot.

Sharpshooter:

When you unleash an attack with a firearm, roll with
Mind instead of Blood

I Know a Guy:

When you hit the streets or put a face to a name with
Mortality, roll with Mind instead of Faction

Too Old for this poo poo!: One day from Retirement

When you get caught up in a fight you tried to
prevent, you get armor+1 and take +1 ongoing to seeing yourself and
others to safety

Gear

A simple apartment
A decent car
A smart phone
9mm Smith & Wesson (2-harm close loud)

Debts

Someone told you their secrets and you haven’t told anyone
about them yet. They owe you 2 Debts.

Someone thinks they’re protecting you, but it’s really more like
you’re protecting them. You owe each other a Debt.

You’re leveraging dirt you have on someone to get their help with
something. You owe them a Debt.

quote:

• Who are you?

Police Constable 3rd Class Kelly James currently assigned to the patrol division for the Downtown District. I'm a dammned good cop. Top marks in my class at the academy and with a good career ahead of me till I made the mistake of telling my boss I'd emptied a few bullets into a perp who then got back up and walked it off. a few psych evaluations and some administrative leave later and I'm back on the streets with no prospect of getting that promotion any time soon.

quote:

• How long have you been in the city?

Couple of years now. I grew up in the back of beyond. Got good grades at school and decided I wanted to make a difference in the world so I signed up for the academy. Best decision I ever made I think police work is really rewarding and I feel like I've made an impact there are people that are alive and safe because of me.

quote:

• How did you learn about the supernatural?

Now this is gonna sound crazy but I swear it's true. There I was one night shift on a simple routine patrol when I spotted what looked like your garden variety purse snatching. The first thing that stood out for me was that the two people involved. She was gorgeous and trust me I don't normally swing that way but I mean for her I might make an exception she was hot, like some sort of model or something and the clothes she was wearing probably cost more than I make in a year. He on the other hand looked like your garden variety thug, until you saw the twitching and the cold look in his eyes. I tried to intervene to do my job but he kept wrestling for the bag. That should have tipped me off, normally when a criminal sees you coming they run for it. No one wants to mess with the law but he just smiled at me. Like I was a nuisance, an irritant. I tried to pry him away from her, but he just turned and hit me, I was lucky I managed to twist out of the way at the last second and the blow that should have caved my chest in just grazed a few ribs. So I did the only thing I could do, I pulled my gun and emptied a magazine into him. Hey it was self-defence there was no way I was tangling with someone that strong.

Then things got even crazier. The man changed... Like he seemed to get bigger and even stronger and the look in his eyes wasn't anything I've seen from a human being more like you'd get from a mad dog. I could see him (it?) sizing me up and I knew I didn't stand a chance but I had to do something. Whatever that thing was it could hurt a lot of people. I wish I could say I put up a good fight. But I'd be lying. It was almost embarrassing I'd always scored high marks for my physical hand to hand training but this guy was beyond me. I should have been dead, would have been if the woman hadn't pulled a sword out of mid-air and stabbed the thing through the heart. Yeah you read that right. Out of thin air. Like one minute she held nothing and the next this beautiful looking silver sword and she put it straight through his chest like she knew how to use it. It's at that point I passed out.

When I woke up in the street I thought it was some crazy rear end dream. But my ribs hurt and my gun was empty. I tried explaining what had happened to my superiors but they acted like I was mad. But I know what I saw. I saw the impossible.

quote:

• Why is this city worth saving?

Because there are ordinary decent people in this city. People who just want to do their job, raise a family and enjoy life. And they are being preyed upon and exploited by things that aren't human things that think they're above the law. I'll do my best to change that.

quote:

• What mystery are you currently investigating?

Missing persons case. Kids have been going missing. Kids who should have their whole life ahead of them. The only lead I've got is an old homeless man who claims he saw some pretty boy "rip a hole in the air and open a gateway to hell before dragging a kid through" At one time I would have arrested him for drug use with that story. But after what I've seen he might just be telling the truth. As far as I can tell there's no pattern or link to the kids being taken. But rest assured if I find whose responsible they'll be going down hard.

quote:

1) What does your character fear will happen if they give into corruption

I'm in this job because I believe in the law. I want to make a difference. I want to see those that think they can prey on the innocent and the decent people of this city face justice. But I'm worried that one day I'll lose that that I'll stop caring about justice stop caring about the people I'm sworn to serve. That I'll be as cynical as some of the guys at the precinct who take money to look the other way who let the rich and powerful get away with murder. I think I'd rather be dead than live like that.

quote:

2) Does your character want'a big change in Vancouver and if so what change do they want to have happen

I'm only slowly starting to get a sense about what's really going on in Vancouver about all the hidden things that go bump in the night. All the things that think they are above the law. I want a city where no one is above the law where the innocent aren't playthings and prey of the powerful. A crazy dream perhaps but one worth fighting for.

Ferrosol fucked around with this message at 22:46 on Sep 3, 2017

Tardzilla
Aug 31, 2006

There will (probably) be a Wolf or a Spectre here later.

slydingdoor
Oct 26, 2010

Are you in or are you out?
Torn between Hunter and Tainted.

RandallODim
Dec 30, 2010

Another 1? Aww man...



The Revenant

quote:

Who were you before your death?
Sal. Just Sal. Dad never gave me nothin' good before he went and bought it, so why the gently caress keep the one thing the bastard left behind? Sure as poo poo coulda used a father more'n a fuckin' name.

quote:

What do you remember of your old life?
The streets are all there was to my old life. Mom was gone before I remember; walked out, died, who know, who fuckin' cares. Dad didn't last much longer'n it took me to start gettin' tits.
I don't know if it was a blessing, but it sure wasn't a loss.
Just slipped through the cracks, then. We weren't renting, and the only lesson I ever did learn from the old gently caress was that cops just complicate things, so I left him in his puke and his piss and his poo poo and just... left.
Found a new family.
Found drugs.
Found sex.
I'm not gonna lie and say it was a good life. It sucked. Some days we didn't know if the cold or the hunger would do us in first. But somehow, for a few years, we all got by. Together. And that was better'n nothin'.

quote:

Who saw you rise from the grave?
No one. Who would? Just another dead derelict at the bottom of the Burrard with a hole in their head and the gun on their chest. Ain't even special for a vamp pullin' the trigger.
That's not really true, though. She saw. The Morrigan. She was there, beneath the water, beneath the muck. She brought me back out. She brought me back.

quote:

What symbol of your old life haunts you?
I... I got this ring. It...
We were all close. Hell, most of us hosed, one time or another. Not much else to do, and it sure helped keepin' warm. No hard feelings about it. Jess was...
She gave me the ring. Told me it was real valuable, one of a kind. I knew she was bullshitting. She was always on about something real important she found, and it was always trash. I took it anyway.
A week later she was dragging me to that fuckin' bridge with the rest of 'em, Alexi leadin' the way.

quote:

Who pulls you away from your vengeance?
There's this old guy- this weird old guy, I keep running into. Usually when I'm about to torch another Council hideout. All he ever does is say "Not today." Not like a threat. Just like he's telling me the time. And then he just stands there, staring at me, and I've never tried to push it, because he scares the poo poo out of me. It gets weirder, though; every time, every single god drat time I see this guy, I stumble across someone to help. Mugging, vamp out for a drink, wolves on the prowl; there's always someone needs saving, and I always find 'em. Like he meant me to or some poo poo.
Sometimes I'll go back, a day later, or a week later, and he's always nowhere. No one is. I'll burn the joint, if Copperstone's asking, or I just feel like it, but there's no one. Nothing. Like the drat place was just always empty.
It's loving weird, and if I wasn't helping people, I wouldn't like it one loving bit.

quote:

What do you fear will happen if you give into corruption?
I'll burn the whole loving city to the ground. I don't want the vamps and the mages to win, but what loving good is it to beat them by wiping the whole board clean? Then I'm just as bad as them. Worse.
But some nights, I really feel like I could. Some nights, I want to watch city hall burn and laugh over the ashes. To see flame spread from one end of Vancouver to the other, and to know that I did that, and that everyone else will loving know it too.

quote:

Do you want a big change in Vancouver, and, if so, what?
I want the fucks who're punching down to get what's coming to them. I want people taken care of, instead of left to freeze or rot. I want to see someone who gives a poo poo have power for once. And I want to see De-Luca's face as it all falls apart around him, and he realizes it's all because of someone he never even knew existed.

quote:

Look: Female, White, Street Clothing

Demeanour: Volatile

Stats: Blood 2, Heart 1, Mind -2, Spirit 1

Factions: Mortality -2, Night 2, Power 0, Wild 2

Corruption: X▢▢▢▢
Harm: ▢ | ▢▢ | ▢▢
Tags: Ghost Transforming [Countered by Copperstone's Talisman], Matt's Tool Of Justice (+1 ongoing towards killing Alexi)

REVENANT MOVES
° Is That Gasoline I Smell?: When you search a location for the resources or tools needed to destroy it, roll with Blood. On a hit, you find whatever you need to bring the place down around you. On a 10+, everything is already arrayed to your liking; all you have to do is light the fuse. On a miss, your search leaves you or an ally vulnerable or exposed to your enemies
° Vigilante: when you go into a battle, roll with Blood. On a 10+, hold 3. On a 7-9, hold 2. On a miss, hold 1 and take -1 forward. During the fight, you can spend your hold 1 for 1 to:
» Kill, disable, or disarm (your choice) an NPC within reach
» Redirect an attack within reach to another character within your reach, or else to nowhere—into the ground or a wall or the sky
» Cross the distance to any character outside of your reach before they have time to adjust or react
» Name a character within your reach; while you fight, you intercept any attack directed at them and they suffer no harm
° Merciful: When you inflict harm with any weapon (or your fists), you can choose to inflict s-harm. Decide at the moment you inflict the harm; you need not tell anyone in advance what kind of harm you intend to inflict.

CAUL:
The injustice of your demise has pulled you back to this world, allowing you to seek revenge on those who have done you wrong. List their names and how they wronged you (max 3).
Each of these people is marked by your caul, the force that has brought you back from the lands of the dead. While they live unpunished, you cannot die. You embody their fate: bloody doom called back to offer judgment for their crimes.
When you punish one of them absolutely—however you see fit—strike their name from the list. Your daemon will tell you if the punishment is fitting; if it is, advance. If it isn’t, you owe your daemon a Debt.
When you ask your daemon to add someone who has wronged you to your caul, roll with Spirit. On a hit, your daemon acquiesces to your request. On a 10+, your daemon reveals how you might attack their vulnerabilities or weaknesses. On a miss, that person is beyond your reach; take -1 ongoing against them until you offer them forgiveness for the wrongs they have done to you.
When you cross out all the names in your caul, your connection to the land of the dead is severed. Your daemon returns to the spirit realm; you are no longer able to avoid the land of the dead if you are killed. You can lay your own soul to rest by returning your physical form to its final resting place.

My poo poo List:
» Henry: Operator of the Open Arms Overnight Shelter; the one who let Alexi and his gang bleed us each night, and covered it up when a new batch of 'recruits' went missing.
» Alexi: Head of a small-time Vamp gang; the gently caress who took me out to the bridge and put one through my eye for fighting back. Guess they take it personal when you bust a fang out.
» Dominic DeLuca: Mayor, Mage; the one who turned his back on the downtrodden like him the moment it meant more power. The one who lets us all bleed for his aspirations.

DRAMA MOVES
»Revenant Corruption Move
When you kill someone not marked by your Caul, mark corruption.

»Intimacy Move
When you share a moment of intimacy—physical or emotional—with another person, ask them if you should be an agent of justice or vengeance. If they say justice, ask them how you could relieve the burdens they carry and take +1 ongoing to actions toward that end; if they say vengeance, mark corruption.

»End Move
When you fill up on harm, your body ceases to function, but you do not die. Anyone who views your corpse with supernatural senses knows that you still live and how to bring you back: Re-enacting your fall from the bridge to the river. Your daemon may attempt to enlist someone else to facilitate your return.

GEAR
» A single fang
» A magnum revolver (3-harm close loud reload)
» A tarnished, undecorated silver ring
» Copperstone's Talisman

DEBTS
» Someone mourned your death, truly and deeply. You owe them a Debt.
» Someone tried to get justice for your murder, but failed to lay your soul to rest. They owe you a Debt.
» Someone has already come to rely on you and your powers. Ask them what unique need you fill. They owe you two Debts.
» Your daemon carried you back from the land of the dead. You owe it two Debts.

Advancements Used:
+ A new Revenant move (Merciful)

Corruption Advancements Used:



quote:

The Morrigan
The Morrigan guided you back from the land of the dead and walks with you now among the living. The two of you are inseparable, and you are constantly aware of its presence.

They are: a raven
They have: a patient voice

When your daemon stands with you in battle, take armor+1. Your daemon will only follow you in the pursuit of your caul or to fulfill a Debt.

RandallODim fucked around with this message at 03:50 on Sep 30, 2017

thatbastardken
Apr 23, 2010

A contract signed by a minor is not binding!


Oh hey buddy, didn't see you there. Yeah sorry, can't let you in just yet. Uh...city pest control. Yeah, you got a real vermin problem in this building. We don't get on top of it the whole building might have to be condemned and no-one wants that, eh? Gunshots? No, I didn't hear anything. Mighta been a car backfiring? Look, it could be an hour or so before we can let anyone back inside, maybe you could head down to the Timmys a couple blocks back, have a hot drink and wait it out? Yeah, I'm real sorry about the trouble, but you can't be too careful.

the hunter posted:

NAME: Doug
LOOK: Male, White, Dark Clothing
DEMEANOR: Friendly
CHARACTER STATS: Blood 1 Heart 1 Mind 1 Spirit -1
STARTING FACTIONS: Mortality 1 Night 1 Power 1 Wild -1
GEAR
• A lovely apartment, a pick-up truck, a cell phone
• 3 custom weapons (detail)

[*]M4 Carbine (SMG (2-harm close area loud) + Big (+1 harm), High-powered(+1 harm), Scoped (+far))

Standard issue for light infantry. Definitely not stolen. Surprisingly effective on most monsters, but quite illegal.

[*].44 Magnum (pistol 2-harm close loud) Cold Iron (+cold iron), Silvered (+silver), (Big +1 ))harm

The pistol is impressive on it's own, but the hand loaded custom ammunition is what makes it good against most creatures defences.

[*]Soul Knife (Handle (1-harm hand) +Bladed (+1 harm), Enchanted (+anchored) Blessed (+holy))

What dark deal was made to procure this little number? Whatever it was, the blade never breaks or goes blunt, and it's always handy - even after being searched.

HUNTER MOVES
Slayer: When you keep your cool while on a hunt, roll with Blood instead of Spirit.

Deadly: When you inflict harm, increase the harm by 1.

Prepared for Anything: You have a well-stocked armory, full of modern and ancient weapons. Add another add-on to each of your custom weapons.

DRAMA MOVES
Hunter Corruption Move
When you injure a mortal while pursuing the supernatural, mark corruption.

Intimacy Move
When you share a moment of intimacy—physical or emotional—with another person, ask them a question; they must answer it honestly. They will ask you a question in return; answer it honestly or mark corruption.

End Move
When you die or retire your character, choose a character belonging to another player and give them one of your chosen Hunter moves. It’s theirs for keeps.

quote:

Who are you?

Doug Mackenzie, Vancouver City Council Pest Control. Well, more of a contractor really. They don't really want the guy they pay to kill monsters to show up on the permanent payroll. Used to be Sergeant Mackenzie, Royal Canadian Army, 3rd Division, 1st Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, but I got mustered out for psych issues when I first saw and reported monster activity.

quote:

How long have you been in the city?
Bout 3 years. More of a Manitoba boy, t'be honest. The city's nice, though.

quote:

How did you become a hunter?
Answered a job ad. Not much work going for crazy ex-soldiers, even if you can handle being in one a' them PMC's, but the old fella who used to have this job was retiring sick and needed someone to take over.

quote:

What do you hunt, primarily?

Dead fellas, skinchangers, some fairies. Mostly low level idiots that get rowdy and out of control. The mayors office takes too much money from the big bosses to let me go after them on their dime. I mean, I could go of my own accord, but how am I going to make rent then?

quote:

What are their strengths and weaknesses?

Strong, fast, tough, tricky. Pick three or four. None of 'em are bulletproof though. 5.56mm to the head puts everything down long enough to use whatever special trick it takes to keep 'em there. Wolves usually want silver, fairies get iron, vamps get set on fire or sometimes left in the sun.

quote:

What terrible thing have you done to yourself to help even the playing field?

See this knife? It's got a bit of my soul in it, keeps the magic strong despite me not being magic myself. It's not like I was going back to normal society anyway, but sometimes at 3AM I can kinda feel the missing bit, like a phantom finger.

quote:

How are you like them?

We're all predators. They prey on normal people for blood or souls, I prey on them for cash and protection from the police. We only differ in our opinion on who's the top predator.

quote:

1) What does your character fear will happen if they give into corruption

Well, I'd lose my job for starters. Freelancers like me don't get a second chance if we go bad. That happens I'd probably keep killing but with less and less restraint and precision. Then the city authorities will decided to get rid of me, and sooner or later they'll send someone smarter or quicker than me, and down I'll go.

quote:

2) Does your character want a big change in Vancouver and if so what change do they want to have happen

Be nice to get the budget crunch sorted. Then maybe I could get hired full time, get a van with a logo on it.

quote:

DEBTS
Someone has enlisted you to protect them from something very dangerous. They owe you a Debt.
Someone keeps you equipped and supplied. You owe them 2 Debts.
You consider someone a friend even though the friendship keeps bringing you trouble. They owe you a Debt.

thatbastardken fucked around with this message at 09:25 on Jun 22, 2017

Exmond
May 31, 2007

Writing is fun!
Ill be updating the OP later today with some more information about the various factions and asking each posted character some story questions! Sorry for not filling out the factions!

Edit: Story questions will come tomorrow morning!

Exmond fucked around with this message at 04:25 on Jun 21, 2017

slydingdoor
Oct 26, 2010

Are you in or are you out?
NAME
June

LOOK
• Ambiguous
• Indigenous (Status Indian, not Métis)
• Expensive Clothing

DEMEANOR
Corporate

CHARACTER STATS
Blood 2 Heart 1 Mind -1 Spirit 0

STARTING FACTIONS
Mortality 1 Night 0 Power 0 Wild 1

INTRO QUESTIONS
• Who are you?
I'm the Host at the Medicine Wheel Casino and Resort, the only First Nations Gaming establishment in Vancouver and one of the very few in BC. I worked hard and sacrificed a lot to help get this place off the ground on account of the political resistance in this province, but the grapes have to suffer to give the greatest wine. You know, the kind that I comp the high rollers with one hand while I drag debtors by the throat with the other.

• How long have you been in the city?
FNG also means 'loving new guy.' I'm from Wisconsin, went to a fancy school on the East Coast, joined a "co-ed frat" and made some great connections, and until recently had a nice place in the southwest when a few high rollers decided suddenly they didn't like my face–I saw some poo poo and needed to be kept quiet so Asmodeus, the casino owner-owner, decided I needed to chill out up here, as if he knew I got in this game to get away from this loving climate.

• Who would you die for?
That's a funny question because I don't get to just "die" and stay dead. I die on the job whether I want to or not, and while I'm under I'm still on call, even if I get to take a little vacation south of the border. Not enough time for some R&R, of course, but usually enough to warm my bones at least. I'd have to take a major poo poo on myself to void this contract, and I just don't see that happening.

Taking the question at face value though: if things were normal and I could have a will it'd send all the money back home, as is that teat dries up when I do. The family's all art and music, no retirement in sight, and they're suckers. Self help books, tithing to the church, Eastern medicine, all that nonsense. I make sure to take care of any family or college friends that turn up over here too, make them a little jealous.

• What is your daily release?
The boss hates it but I offer tani. Sacred tobacco, it carries prayers to heaven and all that, and the holies and unholies can smell them. If there's any honest humility and grace on there they make this face and retch... I love it.

Found out the casinos here, though? They're all smoke-free! gently caress Canada.

• What do you desperately need?
Coworkers worth a drat, because I'm holding up the goddamn world right now. I dream of just rearing back and hurling it at them like a spirit bomb, but the reality is I need just one person who can has a handle on it so I don't have to do their jobs too.

GEAR
• A house or apartment, a car, a smart phone
• 1 weapon of choice
b Pump-action shotgun (3-harm close loud messy)

DEBTS
• You’re protecting someone from a dark power. They owe you 2 Debts.
• Someone is trying to save you and keeps suffering for it. You owe them 2 Debts.
• You have a demon patron who holds the contract for your soul. You owe them 3 Debts.

TAINTED MOVES
You get this one:
X The Devil Inside: When you assume your demon form, roll with Blood.
On a 10+, choose 2. On a 7-9, choose 1. On a miss, choose 1 and you
owe your patron a Debt.
• Gain armor+1
• Heal 2-harm
• Inflict +1 harm
• +demonic weapon (3-harm hand or 2-harm close)
• +demonic movement (flight, flaming motorcycle, etc.)
If you’re working a job for your patron, choose 1 more. If you mark corruption, choose 1 more.

X Tough as Nails: You get 1-armor. Blessed or holy sources ignore your
armor. Weapons designed to stun or impair you have no effect.

DEMON FORM
Since your patron claimed your soul, you have a new look: a demon form.
Pick as many as apply from the lists below:
b Head: halo
b Hands: claws
b Wings: feathers
b Skin: misty
b Eyes: glowing

DEMONIC JOBS
Your dark patron keeps you on Earth for a reason. Choose two jobs from the
list below:
tracking down rogue demons, guarding someone or something
When you complete a job for your patron, mark Wild. Your patron owes you a
Debt for every job completed.
You can cash in a Debt with your Patron in order to have them:
• Answer a question (honestly) about their Faction
• Introduce you to a powerful member of their Faction
• Give you a worthy and useful gift without cost
• Erase a Debt they hold on someone
• Give you a Debt they have on someone else
• Give you +3 to persuade them (choose before rolling)
Your patron may offer you the chance to buy your freedom, but Debts alone
won’t be enough.

DRAMA MOVES
»Tainted Corruption Move
When you persuade someone on your patron’s behalf, mark corruption.
»Intimacy Move
When you share a moment of intimacy—physical or emotional—with another
person, they give you a Debt they hold on someone else.
»End Move
When you die, cash in all the Debts your patron owes you to come back. If
you have none, your patron will ask someone else to pay the Debt for you. If
they refuse, time’s up. It’s been a good run.

STANDARD ADVANCES
Advances available at beginning
of play:
b +1 Heart (max +3)
b +1 Mind (max +3)
b +1 Spirit (max +3)
b A new Tainted move
b A new Tainted move
b A move from another Archetype
b A move from another Archetype
b Change your Faction
After 5 advances you may select:
b +1 to any stat (max +3)
b +1 any Faction (max +3)
b Erase a scar
b Gain fiendish underlings
b Erase a job from your contract
b Erase a corruption advance
b Advance 3 basic moves
b Advance 3 basic moves
b Change to a new Archetype

CORRUPTION ADVANCES
b Take a corruption move
b Take a corruption move
b Take a corruption move
b Take a corruption move from another Archetype
b Retire your character. They may return as a Threat

CORRUPTION MOVES
b Fringe Benefits: Mark corruption to drop the name of your demonic
patron as if you rolled a 10+. You don’t have to have a Debt on your
patron to use the move.
b Just Below the Surface: Mark corruption to assume your demon form
without a roll and gain all the options listed.
b Not to Be Denied: When someone refuses to honor a Debt you’ve
cashed in on them, mark corruption to make their result a miss (after they
roll).
b From Hell: Mark corruption to have your patron send a gang of demons
to work on your behalf for a scene (2-harm small group 2-armor
demonic).

quote:

1) What does your character fear will happen if they give into corruption
2) Does your character want a big change in Vancouver and if so what change do they want to have happen
June didn't sell their soul on a whim: they think corruption is inevitable and an opportunity to get ahead. To a degree, purity is something people make up to keep you weak. The real fear is of powerlessness, to be stuck in a lovely situation shrugging to the tune of "que sera sera." The very phrase gives them a tic.

They wish Vancouver were warmer, and the closer hell gets to the surface... you get the picture. More importantly, she wants First Nations Gaming to succeed in BC and Canada in general to strengthen her people.

slydingdoor fucked around with this message at 21:34 on Jun 20, 2017

Exmond
May 31, 2007

Writing is fun!
Allright I have a few story questions for people to fill out.

Jibreel
Hows it like having a target on your back. What have you sacrificed to keep your safety?
Hows your family doing back in Montreal. They miss you at all?
Sounds like you don't have any friends but those in the streets know that is false. Name that one friend that always has your back and why they have your back.


Olivia
The Council of twelve ignored your premonitions, saying they didn't have the time. But for Arcanis and his body of Ghosts. It was more loving personal. One of the ghosts really doesn't like you, and if it wasn't for Arcanis you'd be in the hospital.
Worst still, you know that hatred is well deserved. What happened with that ghost and why is their hatred still with them even after they passed over?

People die here all the time, was your family's death a natural cause? Hows your brother handling the afterlife?

Alanna
Hey you tried to live a normal life, and it exploded in your face. Unfortunately it also boiled over to your family (your mother was so proud you managed to land that social media manager job) and they got burned. What happened and are they still
talking to you?

You learned that there is a lot of power floating around in this city. You ever acted upon it? Met out justice to those who weild it improperly? Or try and grab any of it yourself?

Shin-Hye

Low on the totem pole, violent and vengeance on the mind.. Those in Vancouver are noticing you, trying to manipulate you to their own means while supplying you with power. Who are you currently in bed with (maybe literally) and how do you have
the one up on them?


Kelly James

Being a cop is tough, requires sacrifice, but there are those around you that support you. Who supports you and why?
Your attention into the supernatural has managed to get you in some hot water with someone. Who is it and why do you think they dislike you?

Doug

Hows your social life been handling this whole hunting business?
A man's gotta have something beside the hunt.. Or do they? Has the hunt taken over your life?

June
How did you figure out the job is a permanent gig? Information like this isn't free, what did it cost you? Or was it through experience?

Sal
Friends and family are weird things, they keep pulling you back into your old life. Someone is in town looking for you, someone you didn't expect. Who is it and why?

Vulpes Vulpes
Apr 28, 2013

"...for you, it is all over...!"

Exmond posted:

Hows it like having a target on your back. What have you sacrificed to keep your safety?

"What's it like? It sucks, that's what it's like. I'm no psychic, but I've got that feeling, all the time, like someone's watching me. For all I know, they are watching me. I don't know who it is, but I know that they don't want anything good for me. I've been paying out like crazy for divinations- oracles, psychics, card-palm-tea-leaf readers, trying to get out ahead of this thing, whatever it is. It's cost me a lot of peace of mind, a lot of sleepless nights. I've been trading for anything to occlude me from that attention, wardings, whatever.

It's driving me crazy. And maybe that's what they want."

Exmond posted:

Hows your family doing back in Montreal. They miss you at all?

"They're fine. And so long as I stay away from Montréal they'll stay that way. The Grail made that pretty clear. Thanks for asking, I love talking about that poo poo."

Exmond posted:

Sounds like you don't have any friends but those in the streets know that is false. Name that one friend that always has your back and why they have your back.

"Listen, I'm a social creature. I get out there, I make deals. I do business. Do I have friends? Sure, as much as anyone else. Do I have acquaintances, business connections, that kind of thing? In spades.Thing is, to survive in this world, you need value. My business network, my knowledge, my assets, my connections, all these things give me value. Are all these people friends? Sure, we call each other friends, but it's not really that, not like friends on TV. And do you know why?

Because we're not children.

But then there's Ballard. I helped Ballard pro bono one time, not because there was a percentage in it for me, but mainly because it didn't cost me anything and I was feeling generous. Which I do once in a while. She was looking to defect from the Smoke Court to the Court of Shears and I was able to make an introduction. She swore an oath that she would be my boon companion ever after, and I said yeah, sure, whatever, but the thing is she took it seriously. And so she became my friend, and after a while, I became her friend too. Since then, we've always looked out for one another. It's certainly useful to have an in with the Otherworldly contingent in Vancouver, but it's not just that. It's good to just have a friend that you don't want something from, I suppose.

slydingdoor
Oct 26, 2010

Are you in or are you out?

Exmond posted:

June
How did you figure out the job is a permanent gig? Information like this isn't free, what did it cost you? Or was it through experience?
Guess you don't know how Indians feel about signing papers! I summoned forth all the historical injustice suffered by my people due to bad deals and broken treaties and read my goddamn contract, asked questions, negotiated. Common misconception is demons want to do "monkey paw" poo poo all the time. That's the Fey, who can come from duper's delight–seriously, try leaning into it to rile them up sometime. In Hell, they care about results: if you can do more with more they'll give it to you...

June goes on but it's propaganda and they know it. Demon's don't look out for their employees or one another when poo poo goes south, but if you can say they do and call them by name with confidence you get a lot more done than you do blowing whistles and getting disavowed. The truth is, her grandma told her on her deathbed how she got out of the game after she made a pact to get the whole tribe federally recognized, which gave them the legal authority to benefit from FNG. Everyone knew the old timer was senile–Alzheimer's and dementia–and in that moment she didn't sound all there, but the lead was good enough to give June the edge they needed to further their career.

What'd it cost June? In short and on face, visits to the old folks' home, but more tellingly it was the best kind of cost: that paid by someone else so that June could reap the rewards.

Green Bean
May 3, 2009

Exmond posted:

Olivia
The Council of twelve ignored your premonitions, saying they didn't have the time. But for Arcanis and his body of Ghosts. It was more loving personal. One of the ghosts really doesn't like you, and if it wasn't for Arcanis you'd be in the hospital.
Worst still, you know that hatred is well deserved. What happened with that ghost and why is their hatred still with them even after they passed over?

"Ugh, strap in because this one's gonna get a little hosed up. In my early days of hanging out my shingle, there was a woman by the name of Rhonda Baker. Sweet lady, she was one of the eight assistant managers at the Tim's down the street from me. She knew my face, saw my ad on the internet and decided why not give it a shot? I do the Twelve Houses for her and I find out she had a kid. The cards told me his name was Robby, he was eleven or twelve, he had a B-plus average, his favourite food was spaghetti bolognaise, and oh yeah, he had undiagnosed Stage 3 leukaemia. Rhonda...didn't take it well, but Robby had been sick recently, so I managed to convince her to take him to see a doctor at the very least. And when the hospital confirmed it, they also told her it was probably too late to do anything, and so Rhonda came back to me."

"Nowadays, when I find a non-magical medical problem, I keep my predictions vague but concerning (the cards are so handy for that). Then, I wish them luck, send them to the doctor, and wash my hands of it. Because the alternative is, well, looking for magical cancer cures on the black market. But I was younger then - less cynical - and Robby was around my brother's age, so that's exactly what I agreed to do. Protip for all of you looking for magic solutions to your problem: cancer is really loving hard to fix, even with literal sorcery. I heard the Council of Twelve can do it, but it takes literally all of them working in tandem, so good luck getting them to do it unless you're a politically important billionaire they want to own. And there's all sorts of weird magical trinkets out there that people say would work, but they all had 'your body's fixed, but now a demon gets to use it as a meat puppet'-style side effects. And thank god Copperstone wasn't around back then, because I know she'd be all too happy to give me exactly what I wanted."

"Anyway, none of my leads were turning up squat, and Rhonda's getting more and more desperate to save her kid. I was sloppier back then, so I gave away more about the underworld to her than I should have. Name dropped a couple message boards I knew, mentioned a literal werewolf bar. I didn't think she'd be foolish enough to search on her own, but back then I didn't understand what desperation does to people. She went looking for magic, and she found it. See, there's all kinds of creatures that prey on naive mortals looking to dip their toes into the supernatural; sometimes that preying is metaphorical, but unfortunately in this case it was literal. She was found completely exsanguinated, with several organs removed - might've been a vampire, maybe some necromancer looking for spare parts. I never saw the body, so I couldn't tell you. The police hushed it up, and since Rhonda didn't have any family, I found myself hanging out at the bedside of some poor loving kid who'd just found out he was dying an orphan."

"I was such a naive idiot back then. I thought I was better than other people, that since I could see the future, I obviously knew what the correct decisions were. And so, convinced that I knew what was best, I told the kid everything. Everything. I thought he'd want to know what his mother tried to do for him, all the work we'd put into saving his life. Even though it turned out to be pointless, I hoped he'd still appreciate my honesty. In retrospect, I think on some level I knew I hosed it up and wanted forgiveness. And, smart kid that he was, he saw right through that bullshit. He knew I just wanted to feel better, and that at the end of the day, if I hadn't tried to play superhero, if I hadn't acted without thinking about the consequences, his mom would still be alive. Even if he was still dying, at least someone he actually loved would be there with him."

"A few weeks after he died, the haunting started. It was just little things at first, like cold patches, wonky electronics, that sort of thing. I didn't think much of it until it started escalating to stuff moving around my apartment, or waking up with long but shallow scratches on my arms. It didn't take too long to figure out what was causing it, but another protip: 99% of my New Age exorcism crap doesn't work. Fortunately, I'd done one of Arcanis' lieutenants a favour recently, which bought me an audience. The actual binding, though, was not cheap, not to mention the fundamental hosed-upness of arranging to have a twelve-year-old ghost conscripted into drug-running. But he had such anger and such power - he would've killed me if he'd been left free, the cards told me that much."

"I've mostly worked my way out of debt to Arcanis, and I'm still looking for ways to send Robby to the other side without literally killing myself. Arcanis has offered me his leash for a price - a far too steep one, naturally - but that wouldn't really fix anything; either I set him free and he kills me, or I keep him enslaved and he's no better off. Honestly, that whole shitshow was a wakeup call to what this business I'm in actually entails. You keep your mortal business and supernatural business separate, and you don't get invested."


quote:

People die here all the time, was your family's death a natural cause? Hows your brother handling the afterlife?

"It wasn't exactly what you call natural causes; I was living on-campus for freshman year at UBC, they were driving north to visit Mom's family when a trucker drifted across the line and hit them head on. EMTs told me they all would've died instantly on impact, and it's kinda hosed that hearing that made me feel better. But I know what you're really asking is if I think someone killed them on purpose. And I guess it makes sense; Dad was into local politics doing the kind of community organising that the big dogs aren't entirely comfortable with, and I heard I have a uncle or something who's mixed up in that natural gas pipeline they want to build through Gitxsan territory. Or maybe whatever weird bloodline thing made me a seer also made the risk of another one in Louis too dangerous for some shadowy organisation. But honestly, I've never picked up any indication that this was anything but one of those terrible accidents that just happen because the world is loving like that. And believe me, I've looked. Nothing would make me happier than to assign some kind of meaning to that day, but sometimes the extent of the conspiracy's just a trucker who didn't get enough sleep."

"Though I feel like I should mention the whole deal when I say I talk to my younger brother. See, neither of my parents were particularly religious; Mom was raised Christian but lapsed long before she had me, and Dad didn't talk about it but I always figured he was agnostic. So I don't know how Louis picked up religion, but he did. He kept asking to go to this one United church for services, and since our family's always considered religion a personal choice, we'd take him there. I always assumed there was some cute guy or girl at school who attended the church that he wanted to get closer to, but he honestly seemed pretty sincere about it."

"But I'm getting off track. The point is, I go to visit their graves every so often, maybe every month or two if I'm not too busy with work. I talk sometimes, because it helps me think and process things a little more, and it's nice not to have to be the hardass for an hour or two. And I know this says way more about me than them, but it never seems appropriate to talk directly to Mom and Dad. If they didn't really believe in an afterlife, it's like I'm ignoring on their choices when they were alive by speaking to them. But Louis believed in a heaven, so I can talk to him like he can hear me and I feel a little better afterwards. It's probably a little hosed up, but it works for me and I'm not gonna question it."

Green Bean fucked around with this message at 04:05 on Jun 22, 2017

thatbastardken
Apr 23, 2010

A contract signed by a minor is not binding!

Exmond posted:

Doug

Hows your social life been handling this whole hunting business?
A man's gotta have something beside the hunt.. Or do they? Has the hunt taken over your life?


Oh, you know. Kind of average. I don't have many co-workers and the job involves mostly working nights so I don't get much of a chance to meet normal people. Plus I guess I do kill 'people' for a living which is pretty hard to explain to a girlfriend who's not in the same line of work. Can you imagine? "Oh honey, I'm going to be late back tonight, I gotta torch a warehouse full of ravening monsters and shoot anyone who makes it out. No. Yeah I guess they do like like a bunch of bums. Please don't call the police." I meet a lot of shiftworkers, cab drivers, prostitutes, and cops at the scene of monster attacks but forming a relationship out of shared trauma is a bad idea. I think I saw that in a movie. I guess I'm lonely, but I keep busy.

I have hobbies. I go fishing sometimes. Used to go hunting, but that's kinda lost the appeal. I go to Jets games when they play here. I'm taking some online courses in Business Administration and Management. But yeah, I spend most of my time working. Hard not to when lives are on the line. And there's always more to do, what with the turf wars heating up and more creepy assholes moving in to town every day as they get driven out of the forests. I guess maybe the day I stop taking breaks is the day I'm more hunt than hunter.

Dunno if I'm looking forward to it.

Tricky
Jun 12, 2007

after a great meal i like to lie on the ground and feel like garbage


Exmond posted:

Shin-Hye
Low on the totem pole, violent and vengeance on the mind... Those in Vancouver are noticing you, trying to manipulate you to their own means while supplying you with power. Who are you currently in bed with (maybe literally) and how do you have the one up on them?

"Yeah, I get your drift. I'm a useful tool. A lot of goddamn people want to point me at their rivals, figure I'm as dumb as I look. Here's the thing: you don't get where I got without a fuckin' brain. Sure, I look like a thug. Ain't such a bad thing to get underestimated. Especially now. People hear you're a vamp, figure they know your type. Buncha fuckin' plotters without a spine between 'em. You can use that poo poo to your advantage. I have. All I'm gonna say about that is the first time you stomp someone's spine into powder for tryin' some cross-wise poo poo on ya, a few people sit up and take notice. It's all about pickin' your opportunity and hitchin' to the right wagon."

"So, yeah, I got a few people lookin' to use me. poo poo, you know the cops? They have some sort of secret-rear end task force just for the spooky poo poo. Their leader, chief, whatever they call him... This guy. Logan Tremblay. He looked me up a few weeks back. Sounds like they use a buncha 'contractors' to keep things nice and quiet and deniable. Doesn't matter that I've got a rap sheet and gang ties, he still put an offer on the table. poo poo, can you believe it? They want me to be a fuckin' snitch. The worst part is that its drat tempting. They got all the toys I'd need to make a move. Not my style to lean on the law, though. I'm not about to leave a trail of stiffs or nothin', not of real people anyways, but I doubt they want me dustin' half the creepy-crawlies in the city and takin' this place over. gently caress law and order. They didn't do poo poo for me and mine."

"But ya know? I've got an in with those faerie motherfuckers. Not sure what their game is, not really, but they've got some serious beef to resolve. The kind they can't handle themselves. Alright, poo poo, you know what? I'm gettin' ahead of myself. We gotta jump back and talk about how I feed to get this story rollin'. So it's all about emotions, right? I get all intimate, whether it's fuckin' holding someone's skull and danglin' em off the floor or just fuckin' em, and mainline their mojo. It's this weird mix of tastin' emotions and feelin' their memories. Anyways, you bet the best place for this poo poo is in the clubs. A bunch of people, a bunch of feelings, and people are down to gently caress."

"The usual spots got a little stale, though, so I started branching into some of the spooky-rear end places I'd been hearing about. One of 'ems under the Nature Conservancy in Gastown. Ended up in this place that was basically an underground forest. Not really my scene normally, but the moment I walked in the door... Holy poo poo. It was like a fuckin' all-you-can-eat buffet of good vibes. I was feelin' full after a few minutes workin' my way around the crowd. Met this girl with horns, called herself Ella, along the way. Turns out she owns the joint. Wanted to talk shop about rules and regs and a bunch of other bullshit. Guess that's how it goes with newcomers, especially the kind with my kind of appetite, but I kind of blew her off. Well, I did at first. Some guy, a real hard-rear end, was makin' trouble with a few ladies across the room. Ella fuckin' ripped him in half with those horns of hers. No poo poo."

"Anyways, we got to talkin' after that. She was cool with me feedin' at her club in exchange for a few favors. I'm not an idiot. I knew she had her own game. Wanted me to make some noise at a lot downtown. This real ratty-lookin' hotel, basically condemned. Start a fight, a fire, whatever. I figured it was some move that needed a pawn. poo poo happens, right? Normally I'd tell her to gently caress off, but I need the friends. The club ain't half bad either. A trap you walk into is basically just a fuckin' fight when you get down to it. I torch the place, like she asked, and this punk-rear end ghost tries to roll me for it. Apparently he'd been makin' trouble with some of Ella's girls. Whatever, not my poo poo to worry 'bout. Ghosts ain't poo poo when you're a hard-rear end like me."

"Since then me and Ella have had a nice little arrangement. She uses me for a little hands-on muscle, I use her for food and a place to crash. Some magic poo poo, too. These spirit fuckers have all sorts of weird things, but it's a goddamn weird city. You know what you can do with a rock that turns into a magic tree? A lot of fuckin' things. Blow a goddamn wolf in half, just for starters. I have a safe house that she doesn't know about, I'm not an idiot, but those places ain't exactly for livin' out of. And, yeah, I've fed off her. Still do. The girls got to talkin' bout how good it feels and she got curious. That's when I got my edge. Ella, and the things like her, have some sort of secret name. The kind of thing that they'd never tell you, even if they trusted you. The kind of thing that puts them square in the palm of your hand. So I was feedin' and I got this memory off it. A word, you'll excuse me if I don't say it, but it's her secret name. She doesn't know I know it."

"Maybe I never need it, but I'm not a fuckin' bleedin' heart. If she screws with me, I'll fuckin' show her just how much of a mistake she made."

The Lore Bear
Jan 21, 2014

I don't know what to put here. Guys? GUYS?!

Exmond posted:

Alanna: Hey you tried to live a normal life, and it exploded in your face. Unfortunately it also boiled over to your family (your mother was so proud you managed to land that social media manager job) and they got burned. What happened and are they still talking to you?

You know how I mentioned that I learned about how to be a wizard when I was young? It wasn't like I went to some sort of Hogswart's nonsense to learn properly. I took lessons from my dad and my aunt, and it was supposed to be enough to make sure I knew how to control myself and not let things get out of hand. Magic doesn't stay secret by itself. We did a good job, too. We only did spells in private, either in my aunt's garage or in the backyard. I went to university, UBC to make things easier, and I graduated with a degree in Marketing. Not exactly the highest demand work, but it would give me a start and I'd be off to normalville for the rest of my life. Obviously, things veered a bit from there.

It was kinda my fault too, but I didn’t really do anything. Just got frustrated with some moving into my new place, and I may have moved some furniture through the empty spaces of the universe. It seems small, but it was caught on camera. The video started making some viral noise, and had to be nipped in the bud by the Council, which meant not only did I owe the Council, but my family did as well. They weren’t cruel about it, but they were aggressive and as ethical as you’d expect from a supernatural council of wizards with big political ties.

I couldn’t do both my actual job and my Council job at the same time. Well, at least not well enough to keep my actual job. My mother’s favorite excuse for it is that my talents are better than a simple social media manager, but that would’ve been the first step towards an actual career. By the time the Council felt our debt was paid, I hadn’t held a real job for nearly 18 months. So, there went my normal life.

My family understands, and we sorted it out. Let’s just say that we don’t talk about anything mystical at the dinner table anymore. Everyone cares, of course, but it’s just too soon right now.

quote:

You learned that there is a lot of power floating around in this city. You ever acted upon it? Met out justice to those who wield it improperly? Or try and grab any of it yourself?

Met out justice? What is this, a comic book? I mean, I’m not a saint or anything, I’ve gotten into a few scraps since working for the Council, but I’m not a vigilante. Anything worth grabbing is usually done with small gangs of people, not a sorceress with a 9mm and a handful of tricks. But artifacts, old magical ones? Yeah, I’ve grabbed a few of those. Usually as happenstance, but you never know when you might need them.

It’s not like I look very hard for them, though. Just keep my ear to the ground, see what pops up and if it’s something I might have some use for, something small, I might do some work to try to get it. And yeah, sometimes I hear about someone real crooked who wants to get their hands on something really powerful and I try and sign up on the other side. But there’s no street justice here. Not yet, at least. There’s enough groups here in Vancouver that if you have a problem with someone, you can find their biggest rival and make some deals.

RandallODim
Dec 30, 2010

Another 1? Aww man...

Exmond posted:

Sal
Friends and family are weird things, they keep pulling you back into your old life. Someone is in town looking for you, someone you didn't expect. Who is it and why?

Pfft. Yeah, family's great. I've heard there's some guy snoopin' around for me recently; says he's my uncle, if you can believe that. Wiry guy, glasses, balding, seems to be well-enough off or at least dresses like it. I never heard of him, so like hell I'm trusting that, but it's not like dad was takin' us to family occasions, so who fuckin' knows. He's been going around to waystations and poo poo askin' after me, so he's at least got some idea who I was. And I guess he's serious, cuz last I heard he was trying to track down an old dealer'a mine, and those streets are a bit outside most classy folks' comfort zone. Wouldn't be as weird if he was just a Council plant trying to find the thorn in their side, but it's not like that's better if they're that onto me. I don't know what'd be worse: the Council being on my tail, or family who actually wants to find me.

It'd be a real shame if it was the Council, though. Copperspoon's been good at holding up her end so far; I do jobs for her, she works whatever junk keeps the Council off my scent and makes sure I take a dunk if I end up bringing too much down around my own head. I guess she and The Morrigan have history, friends or allies or something; they're not sayin', but I'm not complainin'. I don't think she cares about me, course. I'm useful to her, and if I stop being, I don't think memories of the good old days or whatever are gonna be enough to keep me in her good books. But, then, she's got her uses, too. And one day all those eyes and ears are gonna help me find the fuckers I'm lookin' for, no matter how much they hide.

Friends aren't really a concern, now. Alexi and his goons must've either killed 'em or turned 'em, and I can't find a trace either way. Guess it'd be better if they were just dead, though. Be a lot harder to pull the trigger on someone who looks like a friend.

I sure hope they're just dead.

RandallODim fucked around with this message at 00:24 on Jun 23, 2017

Exmond
May 31, 2007

Writing is fun!
I'm going to pick characters on Saturday or Sunday and then we will figure out debts. Hopefully get started on Monday or Tuesday!

Ferrosol
Nov 8, 2010

Notorious J.A.M

[quote="Exmond" post="473618132"

Being a cop is tough, requires sacrifice, but there are those around you that support you. Who supports you and why?
[/quote]

Well part of the reason I took the offer of a place in the big city was to get away from my family, so it's definitely not them dad is half convinced that a police officer and when we do talk pleads for me to find a safer job, while Mom thinks I'm being "corrupted by the big city" Yeah right Mom. I wish I had the time to be corrupted. As for my love life yeah you could call that a sacrifice except that would imply I had anything to sacrifice. Between the odd hours I work and the fact that I'm a cop it turns off most of the decent guys. The fact that the last guy I went on a daeI ended up having to arrest for DUI didn't help. Strangely the one person who does help keep me going when I'm having a bad day is probably my flat mate Beth Hopkins. See when I first arrived in Vancouver I had this old-fashioned idea of being able to afford my own place but have you seen how much it costs to even rent around here? There's no way I could afford a place to myself on my salary. Fortunately I wasn't the only in that boat and I ran into Beth and we hit it off immediately. She's a native of Vancouver and knows it way better than I ever could so she can show me all the cool places to go and she has a wicked sense of humour and seems to know when I need cheering up. I think she sees me as some sort of a project as much as a friend , she keeps trying to set me up with some of the guys she works with over at Copperstone inviting me along to corporate events and such. She says I'm too serious and need to lighten up a bit.

Exmond posted:


Your attention into the supernatural has managed to get you in some hot water with someone. Who is it and why do you think they dislike you?

Ever here the old phrase "An honest cop is one who'll stay bought?" Well Captain Porter down at the precinct isn't so much as bought as rented by the hour. He runs the Vice Squad and has connections and people paying him money from all over the city. I had as little to do with him as possible if there's one thing I despise more than criminals it's corrupt cops. Of course I can't prove anything otherwise I'd rat him out so fast to Internal Affairs but one day he'll slip up and get what he deserves. But that's by the by when I reported my little encounter with the odd and the strange he somehow ended up in charge of the investigation into my "bogeyman story" as it quickly came to be known around the station. On the record he made it clear that I was delusional and needed psychiatric care it was what he did off the record that was interesting. He offered me a bribe to keep quiet. I told him where he could shove his blood money and now he really has it in for me. I think someone in the supernatural community is paying him to discredit anyone in the department telling the wrong kind of stories. People like me the only question is who or what is paying him?

Exmond
May 31, 2007

Writing is fun!
Hello;

Ive read over all the character posts and it was a very tough decision. Everyone made some great characters and had some threads I wanted to explore. In the end though I decided to choose 5 players.

Allana the Wizard played by The Lazy Blank
Sal the Revenant played by RandallODim
Kelly James the Aware played by Ferrosol
Shin-Hye the Vampire played by Tricky
Olivia Salois the Oracle played by Green Bean

Figure out your debts, try to make 2 of your debt selections owed/given to other PCS. We will assume everyone knows everybody and has at least worked with them once.

For the starting session we are going to do the standard faction move. Ill get an OP up by Monday night.

Tricky
Jun 12, 2007

after a great meal i like to lie on the ground and feel like garbage


Debts

quote:

» Someone makes sure you get fed regularly. You owe them 2 Debts.

Going with Ella for this one, see my question answer for the details.

quote:

» Someone relies on you for their fix. They owe you a Debt.


"Man, for havin' crazy magic poo poo shootin' out of her eyeballs and all that, you'd think Allana would be livin' it up. We've crossed paths a few times and she needs to seriously get her chill on. I got her to try this poo poo that Ella's got tons of. The fae call it Spring. It's pretty legit. Think weed, but like the smoothest poo poo you've ever hit. Also it makes your brain do that cross-over poo poo for a bit. What's it called? Synesthesia? Tasting colors and hearing shapes, that sort of thing. It's not exactly the hardest thing I can get her, Ella's got some real crazy product, but I ain't gonna push things. She knows I can get her the real poo poo whenever she wants."

quote:

» Someone bears responsibility for you becoming a vampire. They owe you a Debt.

"Alright, this goes back almost a year. Some of my boys in the UN swore up and down that this chick Olivia could see the future. That she could see the sorts of poo poo nobody could possibly know. I didn't believe a word of it, but... Well, poo poo. I'll admit it. I was a little curious. I went in and did the whole seeing business. She told me a bunch of poo poo that didn't make sense and to watch out for this group called the Hollowpoints. I did send a few people to look into that... Hell, I bet that's what got me on their radar to begin with. Future poo poo, man. Makes my goddamn head hurt."

First Session

Shin-Hye trusts Kelly James the least. Never trust a cop, ya know?

quote:

Kelly James (Ferrosol) - Today at 4:13 PM
Ok then @Shin-Hye (Tricky) roll Mortality.

"Alright, here's what I've heard: Captain DeVoursney is about to order Logan Tremblay and his goons to make an example of what happens when you push the cops too far. The gangs, the spooky ones, have finally pushed a little too hard with their turf wars and people are starting to talk. Logan's dogs are going to be going in hot, well-armed, and not in the mind to take any prisoners. If I play my cards right, this could be a fuckin' huge opportunity. Just need to get a line on where and when it's all goin' down."

quote:

SidekickBOT - Today at 4:36 PM
@Fia (Tricky): 2d6+2 How prepared is Shin-Hye for police brutality? (+mortality) = (2+3)+2 = 7

"Alright, so, uh, I know where it's goin' down and when. Mostly 'cause I helped set it up. Logan Tremblay owes me big for this poo poo and he better keep his goddamn mouth shut about where he got his info. Got a rep to maintain, ya dig? 'Course, you don't get info like that for free. I needed to fuckin' finesse this punk-rear end wolf and promise him some poo poo to get him to talk. poo poo, what's his name? Chase? Whatever. He's low on the pole with those Crimson Moon punks, but high enough to know where their poo poo's stashed."

Tricky fucked around with this message at 03:23 on Jun 25, 2017

Green Bean
May 3, 2009
Debts

quote:

Alanna helps you understand your dreams and visions. You owe them 2 Debts.



"Visions can give you a lot of information without a lot of detail, but sometimes you need specifics, especially if you want to do anything about it. Sometimes that means spending a few hours on google, but most of the time you need an expert. Alanna would be the first to admit she's not exactly a mover and shaker amongst the Council, but she picks up my calls and doesn't working on credit as long as I extend her the same courtesy. We met...god, it would've been that whole Hong debacle. We got hired onto that whole artifact smuggling investigation thing separately, but fortunately it was one of those situations where we each had the half of the puzzle piece the other wanted, and the end everyone who deserved it went home happy. Plus, we're basically in the same line of work; she even gave me some very...specialised SEO tips so my website pops up for people in the know."

quote:

You’ve had a dire prophecy about Robby, but you don’t know how to help them...yet. You owe them a Debt.



"Look, what happened to Robby is 100% my fault, and I'm trying to fix it. But...there's something weird as hell going on with him. I've done draw after draw for the poor kid, and he's tied up in some big thing coming up in the future. The details as sketchy, but I'm reading constant markers of new beginning, rebirth, inspirations, progress, power. You're not supposed to get those kind of readings from ghosts - they're by definition trapped in the past, and Robby's certainly not going to be the lynchpin of the future when he's running cocaine for a necromancer. My big worry is that the problem is me; Robby's supposed to move onto the other side and do something really big and important, and he's trapped by his hatred for me. I've got to figure this out."

quote:

You are helping Sal realize their true potential through your visions. They owe you a Debt.



"Jesus H. Christ, when I got that reading about someone needing help down by the riverbank, I was expecting someone a little more alive. I've done a few pulls for Sal, though the whole undead thing makes these visions a little sketchier. Half the time it feels like I'm picking up that bird that follows her around everywhere. She stops by looking for assistance every once in a while, and I pretend I don't know that she's going to go after the Twelve sooner or later. I mean, I sympathise and all, but that's a crossfire I want to avoid at all costs."

First Session

quote:

Shin-Hye (Tricky) - Today at 10:03 PM
I want to see some Wild stuff get brought in

"You hear they're opening a new safe injection place a few neighbourhoods over from Insite? The building's been bought for a few years, but the legal wrangling to make it happen's almost done. But there's a weird rumour that Copperstone's been pushing to be the ones to provide security for it, which is strange because that'd be a tiny contract, even for a local company like them."

quote:

SidekickBOT - Today at 10:17 PM
@Green Bean: 2d6+1 take a walk on the Wild side = (3+6)+1 = 10

To Olivia's surprise and dismay, Murphy, a high-ranking lieutenant of Miss Copperstone showed up on her doorstep during business hours. She was shown a bottle of vintage wine - which later googling told her was worth a few dozen thousand dollars - and asked to ascertain the name of the previous owner. Olivia did so, partly because it was good customer service, partly because Murphy was entirely capable of killing her and everyone in her building without blinking an eye. But regardless of the reason, Murphy owes her a favour.

Olivia has Debt on Murphy


quote:

SidekickBOT - Today at 10:25 PM
@Green Bean: 2d6+2 foretellings = (6+3)+2 = 11
Olivia holds two. During the session, you can spend your hold to declare that something terrible is about to happen. You (and your allies) take +1 ongoing to avoid the impending disaster.

Green Bean fucked around with this message at 13:19 on Jun 25, 2017

The Lore Bear
Jan 21, 2014

I don't know what to put here. Guys? GUYS?!
Debts:

quote:

»» Someone is helping you keep your demons at bay. You owe them a Debt.

Sal's a great help when it comes to keeping most of my troubles at bay. Not just because she's really good at..well, killing things, to be honest. She really, really hates the Council because of her reasons. They're pretty good reasons, too. Just, you know, keeps me from going over the top with my magical abilities. If I go too far, make the wrong friends? Maybe Sal won't be willing to let me slide. That'd be.. rough.

quote:

»» Someone is your go-to when you get into trouble. You owe them 2 Debts.

Olivia and I are pretty similar in our situations. We're just trying to get through whatever's next, and she's really good at the future sight. So, we do a lot of quid pro quo stuff, and she's always discreet and helpful. I sometimes wish she had something better than precognition to help out, but sometimes I wish I could throw a proper flame without lighting the thing to the left of the target on fire. We all have our own skillset.

quote:

»» You are helping someone keep a dangerous secret. They owe you a Debt.

I'm not saying that you'd know the person, or even what I'm talking about, but I'm helping a sidhe by the name of Mirrond the Spring Baron hide something called the Heart of the City. While I couldn't get a straight answer as to what the Heart of the City even does, what it is, all I know is that I've built part of the lock. Maybe the whole lock. It's hard to tell. Faeries who speak only in riddles also make me wish I could burn some things.

Start of Session posted:

Alanna (TLB) - Today at 7:52 PM
Also, @Shin-Hye (Tricky) , Alanna probably trusts Shin-Hye the least, but it was a close toss-up between Shin and Sal.
Shin-Hye (Tricky) - Today at 7:53 PM
haha, fair
let's go with night
SidekickBOT - Today at 8:50 PM
@Alanna (TLB): 2d6 Sewer ghosts rumors = (2+1) = 3

The sewers are an old spot where most of the quiet movement of the city goes. Sure, the subways are neutral, but the sewers used to be a free-for-all before Arcadia started pushing to have his spirits clean it up. Mostly as a show of force, but also to help him move and sell his stuff easier. Long story short, there's some gang rivalry or something going on down there, and Arcadia is threatening to declare open season on any other gang found in the sewers. I didn't really care until someone wanted me to look into the initial incidents: A series of ghosts being banished or otherwise de-ghosted.

The Lore Bear fucked around with this message at 02:23 on Jun 27, 2017

Ferrosol
Nov 8, 2010

Notorious J.A.M

Debts

quote:

Someone told you their secrets and you haven’t told anyone
about them yet. They owe you 2 Debts.

I probably shouldn't tell you this but one of the cops in my department isn't human. I first met Sergeant William Goldsmith when he was one of my mentors in my first days on the job. I looked up to him he was everything a cop should be honest, tough and absolutely dedicated to seeing justice done. He taught me all the things my training didn't cover and how to be an honest cop in a police force where corruption might as well be a way of life. I might never have known he wasn't human if it wasn't for that mugger stabbing him with an iron blade when we were on patrol together. He dropped the illusion and i saw his face. His real face. He explained it to me, he's some sort of Faery who ended up estranged from his people and that he swore an oath to uphold justice in this city and protect the defenceless. He pleaded with me not to tell anyone because being a police officer, upholding his Oath was all he had left. So despite the fact that he lied to me. That he lied to all of us I've kept his secret because he may not be the good "man" I thought he was but that doesn't change that he's a good person.

quote:

Someone thinks they’re protecting you, but it’s really more like
you’re protecting them. You owe each other a Debt.

Yeah and don't think I'm entirely happy about assisting someone in breaking the law. But I do owe Allana my life so I'll look the other way just this once. See I'd got a call about a particularly nasty murder where the corpse had been dismembered and cut into pieces which had been arranged "artistically" around what looked like some sort of shape. I'd call it a pentagram but they're star shaped right? this was all wobbly lines and it was hard to get a look at it properly. And in the middle of the carnage was a woman poking about like she owned the place. Messing with my crime scene, tampering with my evidence. Forensics would go apeshit if I let her get away with that. I had my cuffs out all ready to drag her rear end away when I felt it as much as saw it. Hate and rage for what exactly I couldn't say but it felt like the whole world. Then it came through the wall all teeth and claws. I tried shooting it but I might as well have not bothered for all the good it did. It would have killed me if Allana hadn't have stepped up. She did... something and next thing I knew the thing was a smear on the ground. If it wasn't for her I would have been dead and I knew it. So I made sure all the records of her presence at the scene disappeared. I guess she used magic to kill it. Because if vampires and zombies are real then that poo poo has to be too I guess. Great just when I thought this city couldn't get any weirder...

quote:

You’re leveraging dirt you have on someone to get their help with
something. You owe them a Debt.

apparently the supernatural world doesn't like to deal with Mortal criminals after all if police officers were poking around it'd make things inconvenient. I remember when Shin Hye was just a street punk with delusions of grandeur. Now she's a vampire apparently and not the sparkly pretty boy kind but if her new friends knew she had a rap sheet three miles long they might not be so keen to deal with her. Meanwhile I have an informant who can give me details on the supernatural street and all it costs me is not letting her new friends know. As for the rest well let's just say I'm stocking up on garlic and crucifixes in case she proves less than co-operative.

Starting faction roll

quote:

Kelly James (Ferrosol) - Today at 4:17 @Shin-Hye (Tricky) also pick a faction for me to roll
Shin-Hye (Tricky) - Today at 4:17 PM gotta be power!
Kelly James (Ferrosol) - Today at 4:17 PM since a vampire gangbanger is about as untrustworthy as they get
Shin-Hye (Tricky) - Today at 4:17 PM haha
Kelly James (Ferrosol) - Today at 4:24 PM There's a power struggle on the Wizard's council. How badly did I get involved?
/r 2d6+1
SidekickBOT - Today at 4:25 PM @Kelly James (Ferrosol): 2d6+1 = (2+5)+1 = 8

Supposedly the Wizards of this city are governed by some sort of council. I got word from my informant *cough* Shin Hye *cough*. That they're having some sort of power struggle over something. She tried to explain it to me and I didn't get it but from what I gather it's old farts arguing over whose got the biggest wand. I'd leave them to it if they kept it between the two of them but no apparently it's spilling onto the streets there's been brawls and some property damage by people taking one or the other side. I got in the way of what looked like a punishment beating on some guy dressed in a business suit by a gang of thugs. Turns out magic doesn't do you much good when you take a police baton to the stomach. The guy seemed incredibly grateful and gave me a business card with a number on. Said if I ever needed assistance that someone calling themselves Isabella the Red would owe me one. But he did warn me that the guy behind the beating would likely not be happy with me for getting involved and I should watch my back because Elias the Exalted has a a long memory for people who crossed him. Seriously where do these guys get their names? I guess all that Hogwarts poo poo rots your brain. But I'm sure someone with a name like the Exalted has better things to worry about than one street cop...

RandallODim
Dec 30, 2010

Another 1? Aww man...
Debts

quote:

Someone mourned your death, truly and deeply. You owe them a Debt.

Stephen Moore, he's the minister at this little church the gang and I used to go to. Not like we were religious, but they had a nice after-service coffee spread and, hey, free meal's a free meal wherever it comes from. Mostly just tuned out the services, but Moore always made it a point to talk to us after. He stopped getting all preachy after the first couple weeks, but he'd keep asking how we were getting by. Guess he cared, and, like, not in a creepy priest way. He just seemed to really care. I dunno. Maybe he was just running a long game to convince us about Jesus.

Well, after I died, and then un-died, I needed somewhere to lay low after that seer helped haul me out of the river. Guess a church felt... weirdly appropriate. And I wasn't quite all there, anyway - getting shot in the head'll do that to ya - so I kinda just gravitated towards somewhere familiar. It was weird how chill Moore was with a dead girl showing up on his doorstep, but in retrospect I guess he might've always known more than he let on about the darker corners of the city. He let me crash downstairs, and said he'd keep an eye out for anyone might be coming to finish the job. I didn't sleep - turns out being dead means you don't do a lot of normal things - I just kinda lay there, so I could hear him out there. Guy spent the whole night praying, and I'm pretty sure it was for me cuz I don't think people cry as much when they're just saying their normal night prayers.

I've crashed there a few times since; having a church to lay low in is a pretty useful trick, it turns out. But I don't like to go there too often. I feel like I owe Moore enough already, and I don't even know where to start paying that back.

quote:

Someone tried to get justice for your murder, but failed to lay your soul to rest. They owe you a Debt.

It's hard to make an overnight spot disappear overnight; even harder to make it disappear without people asking questions. I was still getting my feet under me, figuring out this whole 'living dead girl' thing, but the cops were already on the move. Well, one cop, at least: Kelly Jones. Guess she's a bit more keyed into the weirdness in Vancouver than your average beat cop, since she figured out it was something to do with vampires; I don't know how, but, hey, I just shoot things, I don't investigate them. Unfortunately, one beat cop trying to knock in doors isn't exactly the best way to track vamps down. I don't know if her stirring the nest made a difference, but Alexi and his ghouls went to ground fast enough that no one seems to know where the pieces of poo poo have stashed themselves. Even fuckin' Henry ghosted, and he's just a fuckin' normal scumbag. So now I'm stuck chasing any news I can in the hopes I can find the fuckers.

I, uh, mighta laid the guilt on a bit thick with Jones when I tracked her down, but she seems like she really does want to make a difference. ACAB, but, y'know, I guess some of 'em are alright.

quote:

Someone has already come to rely on you and your powers. Ask them what unique need you fill. They owe you two Debts.

Shin-Hye's the weirdest vamp I've run into, but we get along well enough. Ran into each other when we both hit the same vamp den, and since then he's brought me along on a couple raids he wanted back-up on. We've both got scores to settle, and I guess he'd rather have someone who's not liable to get turned watching his back. Not much more to things than that, but I figure sometime I'll cash in the favors he owes. Turns out, being dead makes you all kinds of new friends.

quote:

Your daemon carried you back from the land of the dead. You owe it two Debts.

The Morrigan saved me. I was dead, and she made me not dead. She's done it a few more times since then; Copperstone's real good about not losing her best soldier for good. I... don't really know more than that. I'm not even sure if Raven - yeah, I named the bird Raven, gently caress you too - I'm not sure if Raven's her, or just, like, her servant, or what. Olivia's been helping me try to figure things out, but even so we're not much closer to knowing why she brought me back. I don't think she's... I feel like she cares about me. I just... She doesn't really talk to me; Raven does, but I don't feel like it's her, not really. But, sometimes I feel a presence with me, and it feels like... like someone cares. And I'd do anything for her.

Starting Faction Roll

quote:

RandallODim - Today at 10:15 AM
I think I still need to hit someone with a faction move, too; gonna say Alanna just cuz I don't trust them magic folks with their wizarding, no matter how distant they're tied to things

Alanna (TLB) - Today at 1:00 PM
@RandallODim I pick Night.

RandallODim - Today at 9:32 PM
Alright, for our secondary Night plot, I'm gonna say there's some rumblings of other smaller vamp gangs organizing to try and push back on Arcanis's turf, which specifically interests Sal cuz it might mean Alexi's gonna show his face
so, how much of a mess is Sal gonna make of this brewing vamp clash?
SidekickBOT - Today at 9:33 PM
@RandallODim: 2d6+1 = (3+5)+1 = 9

One of my dusting raids finally bore some fruit last night; I let one of the small-time vamps go - I think his name was Glen, so he clearly isn't high on the pole - and he spilled the beans about a big to-do. Turns out, a lot of the smaller vamp gangs are pretty sick of Arcanis being top dog; some of 'em resent his using ghosts instead of good old vampire labor, I guess, and some of 'em just wish they were on top. He didn't have much more than the basics - no idea who's involved besides the rest of his boys I drove off - but I put enough fear in him that he'll narc the moment he hears more. It's a longshot, but I'm hoping the promise of some gains might be enough to pull Alexi out of hiding, or at least some of his gang.

Unfortunately, things aren't as easy as I'd like. Normally I'd be happy to let this little drama play it's course and just pick up the pieces I care about after, but, because I am just great at making good choices, I owe Arcanis. It seemed like a good idea at the time; he lets me know if his ghosts get any whiff of the two bastards I'm after, I help him out with... something. So, I have a reason to want him to stay on top for the time being, and he's got me in his pocket anyway. Maybe I can just tip him off about this and that'll be that, but somehow I don't think thing'll be that simple. Never are with loving vamps.

RandallODim fucked around with this message at 18:30 on Jun 27, 2017

Exmond
May 31, 2007

Writing is fun!
IC thread is up here

https://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3825102

Changed name to be blatant dresden files rip off

Exmond
May 31, 2007

Writing is fun!
So it's been one month since we started the campaign and it's going great! I'm very happy we go to page 2 and man it's been awesome. I can't say enough about how awesome it is to run a PBP campaign that didn't fizzle into week 2. Thank you so much for playing, it's been a blast.



That being said I want to improve my PBP format and my gming, so I wanted to ask you a few questions




  • How's the Format

Right now i do

PLAYER posted:

storystuff

to designate what text is for your character and then a

"MC' posted:

OOC stuff

when the MC needs to do some OOC stuff for you. I'd like to know if that format works for you? Here are some other examples I found of formatting:

https://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3808586 Uses fancy avatar for chatting
https://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3826298 Very similar to our format but a bit different


  • First person Narration vs Third Person narration (MC Only)

Is there any preference on how I narrate your characters?  I mainly do first person narration but when more than one player is together i usually do third person. As well I have started to narrate a few reactions but have always shied away from dictating your actions. Has there been any concern that I have been “stealing” control away from your characters?



  • Session Length
Sessions in a PBP are very odd, especially with the way the story is unfolding and giving you “deal with this right now” issues. I do like telling more personal stories than overall city stories. Right now I think we are at 3/8ths of a session right now, a few more things need to unfold, before you can have some breathing room. Do you like the pace that we are going at? Or would you rather have sessions and session moves be more frequent?


That's about it I have for questions. So far the posting pace has been great and I'd like to thank each of you. Some of you were pulling overnight shifts and still managed to post or others were on vacation.

Now I'd like to unleash a custom move.. And i want your input on it. It has to do with promises..

Promises are as good as debts

Promises are debts with conditions on them

  • When you make a promise and fulfill it, consider it the faction move pay off your debts
  • When you make a promise and haven't fulfilled it yet, the other play may mark it as a promise and state what you need to do
  • When you make a promise and break it, whoemver had the promise gains 2 debts on you
  • When you make a promise and fulfill it and it provided you great difficutly, ask the MC and gain a debt on the person who you fulfilled the debt

What i'm trying to do is to make promises mater and give your character a benefit for dealing and wheeling (Irresistible move im looking at you). My interpretation of the rules is that promising something Isn't a debt, it's when you do the actual thing. So we might as well cut the middle man out and make promises function as debts.

What im trying to avoid is NPCS gaining debts on you for reasons outside your control. I don't want NPCS gaining debts on you with this move unless you are present and it gives you a choice. I do see a promise of “I protect you” and then they get horribly mauled (In a scene where you are present and can affect the scene) triggering this move for the NPC and they gain a debt on you (Or at least the question is asked). I'm also trying to make promises matter and give you benefits if you fulfill them!


Thank you for continuing to play and I apologize for the sewers >_<

The Lore Bear
Jan 21, 2014

I don't know what to put here. Guys? GUYS?!
Outside of the italics (it's hard to quickly read but it's a personal thing), I like the formatting. The general breakdown is good.

Session length seems about right. It is harder in PbP, so I'm good with whatever as long as it's generally consistent. Overlong sessions can get to be a problem, but this does seem about half-ish way through a session.

RandallODim
Dec 30, 2010

Another 1? Aww man...
Yeah, I'm happy with format as is; little NPC dialogue icons could be fun, but I can also see them making things feel a lot more cluttered and breaking up the flow of scenes. And I figure we can just agree to when it feels appropriate to 'end' a session, based on drama or length.

Thanks Exmond for keeping things moving and fun, and everyone else for being active and also fun!

Tricky
Jun 12, 2007

after a great meal i like to lie on the ground and feel like garbage


Yep, I'm both happy with the game as-is and also happy with the proposed custom move!

RandallODim
Dec 30, 2010

Another 1? Aww man...
One thought with the Custom Move, actually: could making the breaking a promise bit work similar to the Hallowed's Flock, where it requires them learning of you breaking it to trip the debts, but I dunno, that might be game-able. Maybe on a case by case basis.

Exmond
May 31, 2007

Writing is fun!

RandallODim posted:

One thought with the Custom Move, actually: could making the breaking a promise bit work similar to the Hallowed's Flock, where it requires them learning of you breaking it to trip the debts, but I dunno, that might be game-able. Maybe on a case by case basis.

Hmm, lets go with they need to learn you broke the promise, but don't expect keeping your lies easy ;)

RandallODim
Dec 30, 2010

Another 1? Aww man...

Exmond posted:

Hmm, lets go with they need to learn you broke the promise, but don't expect keeping your lies easy ;)

Exactly how I was figuring.

Exmond
May 31, 2007

Writing is fun!
Hey hey;

The campaign is looking for 1 more player as Kelly had to drop out. We currently have


  • An oracle
  • A wizard
  • A vampire
  • A Revenant



If interested you should probably read the first post here:
https://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3825102

It goes over the major players of the city.

The current story threads going on ar
  • Creepy basement guarded by Copperstone, whats in it?
  • He-Who-Sings (Banished Demon who hosed up Vancouver) songbook got stolen, who has it and why did they want it?
  • U.N is in town and in force
  • Wizard council of the twelve is meeting up to discuss the recent blinding of one of their members

Edit: This isn't first come first serve. I am looking for players rather quickly so try and get an app up by Tuesday, October 17th. I will then post follow up questions for your character and pick on by Thursday, October 19th.

Also our pacing is 1 post a week, sometimes doing 2 a week.

Exmond fucked around with this message at 18:12 on Oct 13, 2017

paradoxGentleman
Dec 10, 2013

wheres the jester, I could do with some pointless nonsense right about now

Dalir Boulos, the Veteran

quote:

Who are you?
The man gives you a vigorous handshake from the other said of the table. "I am Dalir Boulos." He thinly smiles, and waits for a moment, as if expecting you to recognize that name. When you don't, his smiles frays the slightest bit before he continues: "I made a name for myself in Vancouver as a bodyguard at first, and later as an hunter." He raises an admonitory finger. "Now, I don't want you to get the wrong idea. I've never killed someone that didn't eminently deserve to be destroyed. Demonic crime bosses, feral werewolves, the occasional wizard that went mad with power. I'm not ashamed to say that I accepted bounties: a man has to eat. But I've always had a moral code, and lines I would not cross." He stops, and looks out of the window. The afternoon sun is slowly sinking towards the horizon, filling his apartment with orange light. He sighs. "The city has a way of blurring such lines, of course. I've made mistakes. But I don't think I was a bad man, all things considered."

quote:

How long have you been in the city?
Before Edward can answer this question, the high-pitched hiss of a kettle boiling fills the air. Edward excuses himself, and goes to the kitchenette. He's soon back with two mugs of tea and the kettle; he turns his mug in his hands, enjoying the warmth, waiting for it to cool enough to drink.
"My parents moved from Iran to Canada when I was seven; after some travelling, we settled in Vancouver when I was eight. So I've lived here... more than forty years now." He pauses for a moment. "A lot of changed over that time, and a lot hasn't." He gives you a bitter smile. "Gun shop owners that aren't familiar with me still give me the side eye when I visit them, even though my paperwork is always in order."

quote:

What is your greatest accomplishment in the city?
He takes a long sip of his tea. "Well, I defeated He-Who-Sings, the first time that he manifested in the city. It was a long and grueling campaign, that one, but preparation and forward planning won the day. I had to first develop a filter for the demon's voice, to avoid falling under his influence while at the same time being aware of my surroundings; which meant having to record his singing so that it could be filtered. Then I had to find a way to expel his influence from his victims, to stop him from using them as human shields. Only then could I hunt him down in his lair in the ruins of the Stanley Park Zoo, and skewer his skull with a yew spear with an electrum tip. Human ingenuity and foreplanning won the day."
He looks into his cup, pensive. "Of course, all of that doesn't sound as impressive now that the Council of Twelve apparently smacked He-Who-Sings down when he returned, more recently. I'm still not convinced that they're telling the whole story."

quote:

Why did you stop?
Dalir pushes his chair back a bit, and pats his left leg. "In his death throes, He-Who-Sings broke my leg. Bad. Even with magical and mundane medicine, I still walk with a limp. I interpreted that as the sign that I was getting too old for work on the field. Since then, I retired to a more advisory role, instructing and equipping the next generation of hunters. It's shocking how many kids expect to square off against werewolves with only an handgun, an handful of silver bullets and what they've read on Wikipedia."
He rests his elbows on the table. "But now, I think it's time to take a more direct approach. I've heard strange songs on the radio that remind me of that demon, and even heard rumors that a book related to him might still be at large. This is the kind of thing that deserves investigation."

quote:

What do you desperately need?
"Finding the book would be a good start. Making sure that He-Who-Sings is as dead as the Council says would be better."
He'd never admit it, but what Dalir really needs, or at least really wants, is validation. His fifteen minutes of fame as the guy who killed the terrible demon have passed a while ago, and now someone else took He-Who-Sings down. He fears he's becoming irrelevant, that he and and his methods are too old to be relevant. He wants to show all of Vancouver that Dalir Boulos is still a big fish in the pond.

quote:

What does your character fear will happen if they give into corruption?
"If I get too deep into it, if I start hunting like I did back in the day...well, for a while, I know it's going to work. I have experience, and the skills to build enough firepower to give even inhuman opponents pause. But that's not going to last. At some point, I'll take on someone too big, or forget the limitations of my body, or I'll be taken by surprise without time to prepare myself, and then it will be all over."

quote:

Does your character want' big change in Vancouver and if so what change do they want to have happen?
"If you ask me, the mortal world needs to have a voice in the supernatural politics of Vancouver. We're not all mindless pawns to be moved around as the wizards please; but we need some political weight to throw around, someone who can make our demands known and push so that they can be met. The PD would be a passable choice if it wasn't rotten to the core. The hunters have no unified front, a bunch of wannabe punks pulling in a hundred different directions and getting nothing done. If we pooled our strengths and resources, we could be powerful, but as things stand..."

quote:

Dalir Boulos, the Veteran

Look: Male, Middle Eastern, everyday clothing, charming demeanor

Stats: Blood 0, Heart 1, Mind 1, Spirit 0

Factions: Mortality 1, Night 0, Power 0, Wild 1

Gear: An apartment, an old pick-up truck, a smart phone, a Magnum revolver (3-harm close loud reload)

Workspace: The biggest room in Dalir's apartment is dedicated to his workshop, where he builds weapons and tools for himself and his pupils. It includes: machining tools, a forge and a scattering of ancient relics, some brought by his parents from Iran, others collected over the years.

Debts:
• Someone relies on you for training or knowledge. They owe you 2 Debts.
• You’re working on something big for someone, and it’s nearly ready. They owe you a Debt.
• Someone keeps pulling your rear end out of the fire. You owe them 2 Debts.
Moves:
Old Friends, Old Favors: When you first encounter an NPC—rather than putting a face to a name—you may declare them an old friend and roll with Mind. On a hit, they offer you comfort and aid, even if it exposes them to danger or retribution. On a 7-9, tell the MC why you owe them a Debt. On a miss, tell the MC why they want you dead.
Gun to a Knife Fight: When you unleash an attack on someone by seriously escalating the conflict, roll with Mind instead of Blood.
The Best Laid Plans: When you work out a plan with someone, roll with Mind. On a 10+, hold 3. On a 7-9, hold 2. You can spend your hold 1-for-1, regardless of distance, while the plan is being carried out to:
-Add +1 to someone’s roll (choose after rolling)
-Dismiss all harm someone suffers from a single attack
-Ensure your people have the exact gear they need on hand

paradoxGentleman fucked around with this message at 14:09 on Oct 21, 2017

Tardzilla
Aug 31, 2006


Jackie Cage, the Wolf

quote:

Who are you?

Name's Jackie, leader of the Red Fangs, and I'm someone you don't want to gently caress with.

Lemme get this outta the way; as long as yer here, in my territory, ya better not even think about starting poo poo, ya got that? Good. I'm glad we got that all cleared up.

quote:

How long have you been in the city?

All my life. This neighborhood? It ain't just my turf. It's my home. Yea, it ain't exactly the prettiest place in the city, but gently caress it, it's all we got. Society didn't want us, so we decided to raise a middle finger to society, say "gently caress you" to the established order, and make our own loving place. A place for people like us, the outcasts of society. We call this place Haven.

Haven wasn't always like this, though. This place used to be one giant shithole, filled with some of the worst fuckers you could ever imagine. Haven used to be so bad it'd make Downtown Eastside look like some kinda loving high-rise resort, and the cops? The cops never gave a single poo poo about us. As far as the law is concerned, Haven might as well not loving exist.

That's why I decided to take things into my own goddamn hands. If the city ain't gonna help us, then fine, gently caress 'em, I'll just have ta take all the trash out myself. So I grabbed my bat, and got to work on cleaning Haven up, and now? Now Haven ain't the hellhole it used to be. Haven is clean from all the poo poo that was clogging it up, and I aim to keep it that loving way.

How did one girl take out all those people, ya ask? It ain't as hard as ya might think, especially...

...When you're a werewolf.

quote:

What is the best part of the change?

Ya mean what's the best part of turning into a loving 7-foot tall furry death machine? It's that feeling of being loving invincible, like you can take on the entire loving world, and nothing can stop you. You become an unstoppable beast, and it feels loving amazing!

quote:

Who is the most important person in your territory?

Yer talking about Adriana Merigold, right? Adriana's one of those witch-types, and she came to me cuz she was hiding out from The Council of Twelve. She never told me why. I don't usually get involved in bullshit wizard politics, but Adriana... is someone I owe my life to. She saved my life after I got into some real deep poo poo, and I don't ever forget my debts, so I gave her a place to stay. Adriana helps me out time to time, but she usually just spends most of her time holed up doing whatever the gently caress it is she's usually doing. I don't ask. As long as she's making the dead rise from their grave or some poo poo she can do whatever the hell she wants.

quote:

What do you desperately need?

Alcohol. Lots and lotsa alcohol.

I'm joking (kinda). What I want right now is for those loving vamps to leave us the gently caress alone. Those bloodsuckers want Haven, and I sure as poo poo ain't letting 'em have it. The gently caress do they even want this place for? loving vamps. City'd be better without 'em, if ya ask me.

quote:

What does your character fear will happen if they give into corruption

Then that's when the Blood Hunt will begin.

I'll find everybody who's ever hurt me, who's ever wronged me, and hurt them. I'll hurt their family, I'll hurt their friends, I'll hurt anybody that's even got the slightest whiff of them on them. I'll make them sorry they ever decided to gently caress with me, and I won't stop, not until I've made an example of every single fucker out there who crossed me.

quote:

Does your character want'a big change in Vancouver and if so what change do they want to have happen

It'd be nice if the city started giving a poo poo about outcasts like us. Doesn't matter how much they try to ignore us. We're here, and we're real, and the sooner they acknowledge that, the better, but that ain't ever gonna happen. This city just doesn't care about us, and I don't see that changing.

While I'm making impossible dreams, ya know what else would be nice? If ever single loving vamp in the city was staked in the loving heart. That's probably never going to happen, but hey, a gal can dream.

The Wolf posted:

Name: Jackie Cage
Look: Female, Caucasian, Baggy Clothing
Demeanor: Aggressive

Stats:
Blood +2
Heart -1
Mind +0
Spirit +1

Factions:
Mortality +0
Night +1
Power -1
Wild +2

The Transformation:
By default, you change into your wolf form when the full moon rises; you gain natural weaponry (2-harm) and 1-armor; you can resist the change, but it’s not easy; and you can only change back at sunrise.
- Your harm is armor piercing (ap)
- When battling groups, you fight like a small group
- Silver weapons ignore your armor
- Sometimes you lose control while transformed

Territory
- People here work hard to keep the streets safe (remove +crime)
- You are widely accepted as this place’s protector (add blessing: +supported)
- Someone more powerful wants your territory and is working to get it (add trouble: +encroachment)
- You have offered protection within your territory to someone, and now their problems are yours (add trouble: +fealty)

Moves
- Comes with the Territory: If you are actively patrolling your territory at the start of the session, roll with Blood. On a 10+, your territory is secure and trouble is at a minimum; take +1 ongoing to Hitting the Streets in your territory. On a 7-9, one of your troubles surfaces (your choice),
but things are mostly stable. On a miss, or if you aren’t attending to your territory, things go south and your troubles are fast and furious.
- Bloodhound: When you hunt someone, roll with Blood. On a hit, you know exactly where to find them and can follow their scent until you do. On a 10+, take +1 forward against them. On a miss, someone unpleasant finds you first.
- Reckless: If you jump right into danger without hedging your bets, you get armor+1. If you’re leading a group, it gets armor+1 also.

Gear
»» A duffel bag with your personal belongings, a lovely cell phone
»» Baseball bat (2-harm hand)
»» Snubnosed revolver (2-harm close loud reload concealable)

Debts
»» Someone is hiding you from someone, or something, powerful. You owe them a Debt.
»» Someone hired you for a job and you hosed it up. You owe them 2 Debts.
»» Someone lives in your territory, benefiting from your protection. They owe you a Debt.

Adbot
ADBOT LOVES YOU

Exmond
May 31, 2007

Writing is fun!

Tardzilla posted:

Alcohol. Lots and lotsa alcohol.

I'm joking (kinda). What I want right now is for those loving vamps to leave us the gently caress alone. Those bloodsuckers want Haven, and I sure as poo poo ain't letting 'em have it. The gently caress do they even want this place for? loving vamps. City'd be better without 'em, if ya ask me.


What gang of vampires is currently harassing you and why haven't you taken care of them already?


And hey lets level with you, cause you and the city are friends. People have been leaving your crew, over your gently caress up. Hey we say it as it is. Something tainted your crew, some type of problem. The bad type of problem. The type of problem that fills you with shame. But you had to endure it, had to hide the problem away from external eyes. When your old crew-mates look at you in shame you turn away, knowing full well you deserve it. What happened?


paradoxGentleman posted:

"If I get too deep into it, if I start hunting like I did back in the day...well, for a while, I know it's going to work. I have experience, and the skills to build enough firepower to give even inhuman opponents pause. But that's not going to last. At some point, I'll take on someone too big, or forget the limitations of my body, or I'll be taken by surprise without time to prepare myself, and then it will be all over."

Come on buddy, this is the city you are talking to. Your scared of getting to deep into it and fighting again? gently caress that, we saw the fire in your eyes when one of the youngsters you taught gave you lip. We know you wanna fight. And hey, dying? There is a lot worse things that dying.

Vancouver ain't that bad. We are full of opportunities and you've made a long list of enemies. That one particular enemy, the one who will never forget, the one who is patient. They are still waiting for that opportunity and hey, we are a city full of em.

Who is this enemy and how are they tied to what giving in to your corruption is.


paradoxGentleman posted:

"If you ask me, the mortal world needs to have a voice in the supernatural politics of Vancouver. We're not all mindless pawns to be moved around as the wizards please; but we need some political weight to throw around, someone who can make our demands known and push so that they can be met. The PD would be a passable choice if it wasn't rotten to the core. The hunters have no unified front, a bunch of wannabe punks pulling in a hundred different directions and getting nothing done. If we pooled our strengths and resources, we could be powerful, but as things stand..."

Vancouver figured that was your gig. We do love noble causes and corrupting them. What steps have you made towards giving the mortal world a bigger voice in the supernatural politics of Vancouver. How has the council of twelve (Wizard council) interferred with this plan?

  • Locked thread