Untitled Campaign (Inactive)

Game Master Lost Legions

All right folks, here's the place for city creation, character discussion and out of character crosstalk, feel free to post whatever you like here.

First thoughts, I definitely want to do a non-american city. With the discussion of Australia in the recruitment thread I'm really leaning that way. Having looked it up, seems the largest three cities in Australia are Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. Looking deeper now, anyone feel free to chime in with Themes, Threats or ideas for city creation.

Full disclosure, I was born in Brisbane, lived in Melbourne and have visited Sydney.

Being from Canada, I have only visited Australia once with family back in 1999. Flew into Sidney (had a ten hour layover, met some friends and saw Canberra before heading north to Townsville for a wedding. Spent a week there before driving down the coast to Brisbane. It was an interesting trip. Got to see what was the same and what is different. I have family there now so I keep in touch.

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I have no real preference to any of the three locations. They all have a lot to offer, including international connections for the non-locals.

I will look over some of the mythology and such and see if I can do anything for myths/locales.

I know I will want a Monoc Securities office somewhere.

I'd like to vote for Sydney. I think it has the most easily accessible historical information for everyone and there are a bunch of cool possible locations (not saying we should use either of these locations, just showing them as examples).

The Hyde Park Barracks were "the principal male convict barracks in New South Wales it provided lodgings for convicts working in government employment around Sydney until its closure in mid 1848. It was then an Immigration Depot for single female immigrants seeking work as domestic servants and awaiting family reunion from 1848 to 1886 and also a female asylum from 1862 to 1886. From 1887 to 1979 law courts and government offices were based there".

The first graveyard in Sydney has now been built over by the Sydney Town Hall.

oh, I've lived in both Sydney and Melbourne.

I know next to nothing about australia, but i am game for setting our happy fun times there

I am up for Sydney.

Lost Legions: I have been thinking (Oh noes! Run!) and considering the region am consdering a few tweaks to the character. The main changes would be the god (from Fryja to Durga or Kali) and the region she is from (Norwayish to Indonesia). It seems to fit the region just a little better.

Unless you wish to have a totally different character? We have 2 wizards, a scion and an undead or kick ass bouncer.

@Songdragon: I liked the Norse link. I'm happy to have a non-australian city if LL wants something more nordic.

If works for everyone, I can stick with it. I will have no problems going with I have set out already. Perhaps I am giving it more thought than it really needs. I know I can do that from time to time. :)

Well, two Norse characters seem to work I thought :)
I'd like to see some Norse stuff, even if is just Monoc. Alternatively there could be an easy Way to the Icelandic area, or Neverwhere, for some reason.

@ Anne: Are we going to run with the idea that you were Edmond's master, whom he thought had been killed, or are we going with you only released him from the Orb of the Lost?

I think I would like to have released him. That way, there's still a possibility for the master to turn up in play?

I've made a few quick updates to Nick's profile. All feedback gratefully accepted!

Do we have a decision on a city yet?

A location I have thought of... need a place to put it (which I can leave to those who have actually been there)...

The Accords
The place is a very small seaside (someplace with a beach front) resort. It does not appear as much to the causal onlooker but for those in the know the outside appearance is deceiving. The entire resort's grounds are considered neutral ground. The Accords have been in the hands of one particular aboriginal family for countless years. It was only recently taken over by the grandson after the grandfather was murdered, having left the resort on a matter he thought important. (he otherwise has remained on the neutral ground most of his life.) The resort is a go to place for many of the supernatural world who make their way to Sydney. While not the lap of luxury, the Accords provides their guests with comfortable and private accommodations.

(That is the gist of the place, I will flesh out details with names and such over the next few days. If anyone has a location for such a place, feel free to speak up.)

I think we are leaning mostly towards Sydney.

I think I might have to come up with a Location and place it at the address of 42 Wallaby Way. ;)

I've made a few quick updates to Nick's profile. All feedback gratefully accepted!

Do we have a decision on a city yet?

Very interesting, with the waking up in a pool of your own/someone else's blood. I especially like the interview style of your profile, and hope you don't mind if I steal the idea. ;)

I'm a big fan of that style as well. Very interesting. As for city, it does seem that Sydney is something good to work with here. A good blend of old and new. Based on what the others have said I have a Theme or Threat I think.

A History of Darkness

Sydeney's not had the brightest of histories. Built on the bones of displaced Aboriginies with the work of sickened and underfed criminal workers in the penal colonies, and suffering from droughts, cultural tensions, plagues and other problems through it's long history. Things are brighter now, though.

My thought is that there is some kind of curse on Sydney, causing bad luck (particularly of the supernatural variety, which hasn't been seen so much by mundanes) as long as an aboriginal isn't in charge of the area. This leads me to a thought, an aboriginal (by blood, though quite modern) sorcerer, using his powers to make it in business/politics and thus rising in power recently, causing Sydney to become a better place.

Thoughts?

Thanks guys :)
@Mister Lurch, help yourself :)

@LostLegions: Sounds good!
here gives a list of all the different aboriginal tribes of Sydney. Can I suggest instead of a "curse" there is some sort of huge genus loci from the area that was somehow linked to the local aboriginal bloodlines? Could possibly be cheeky and call it Eora.

@All: I am re-re-reading changes and ghost story, and I noticed that immediately after changes there was a big change in the world. The huge power vaccum left the White Council desperately trying to defend people, talents being killed and kidnapped, damn near open war, the paranet turning militant and creatures that had not been seen in thousands of years turning up again. Was wondering if that is worth having as a threat or theme? Something like "The Old Ones are Rising", "Everything's up for grabs" or "there is no status quo".

Please meet Edmond Kelly, a very sheltered Wizard's Apprentice.

He needs more work, but it is proceeding apace, I think.

@Anne: We should work out the details of our interaction ....

Let me know what you think so far.

@Edmond - I really like the fact you come from Kelly blood, that's cool :) When would you like to be found? Can I suggest only in the past few months if you really want to play up the culture shock, or a little less recently if you only want it to come up occasionally?

I'm thinking of Anne found the Orb in a (mini) bad guy's lair ages ago. Neither the bad guy nor Anne knew what it was. She's been studying it off and on for years, but given her scholarship, she hadn't gotten far. Then for .... reason, it got broke and out came Edmond.

@all - pulling in stuff from people's background... Edmond would struggle with a female bad guy, big powers have an interest in what Astrid & Nick does, I would like the White Court to play a part.

Putting that together, with the theme, possibly Sydney used to be a contested city, a number of major bad guys fighting it out / helping the bad stuff along? With convicts and ill people, I can see emotions are high and that's fertile ground for the white court.

@ Anne: I initially was going to give him a different last name. But I decided his ancestors were prisoners shipped to Australia so I did a little research. I liked the story of the Kellys, and the name Edmond, or Ed, fits the Red and Ned theme. :)

I was thinking a month or two at most for Edmond's release. Just long enough that he can go into public without going into shock in a more literal sense, but recently enough that he is still a bit overwhelmed.

Does Anne have any enemies? Perhaps one pressed an attack into her own home/lab/wherever she was keeping the Orb and it got broken in the fracas. Edmond's help then turned the tide so that Anne prevailed. That would also get past the initial "so what do you do" moment.

@ All: I like the idea of a contested city, but I think I like the idea that it is mostly contested by bad guys.

Perhaps involve the Archive; she is the only being, or one of the few, that knows about the aboriginal connection to the genius loci.

IIRC, Mamon are generally not bad guys, yes? Perhaps they are involved in the clean-up attempt of the city along with us and the aboriginal sorcerer guy.

Also, with a Raith in the group, I cannot see how the White Court can be NOT involved. ;)

Are we talking cbd-sydney, suburban sydney, or outskirts sydney. Remember there's 4 and a half million people living in sydney, more than 20% of the total population of Australia.

Power wise, been thinking...
I'd like Nick to be a very powerful being hiding out in a human-disguise. Presumably use of power is "noisy" and to be avoided. Conveniently this gives a reason not to be some twenty refresh monstrosity.
Would it be okay to get modular powers(-4) and Human Guise(+2). The guise is irregular change "when take a consequence, or about to die." So it works if you hurt him, or he falls out a plane, or he gets mind-zapped by a black court, but also if he gets a really terrible put down. As part of that I'd put the modular powers under your control; the beast rolls slightly and reveals a fraction of itself for the rest of the scene, but it tends to be a different (if appropriate) fraction each time.

Does that sound reasonable? (Especially to you, LL)

Heh. Was Sydney ever there in 1901? I almost feel sorry for our poor Mr. Kelly, except this is going to be entertaining.

btw, if anyone has any ideas how I can invoke the culture shock aspect, I would love to hear it. All I see when I think about it is a ton oc compels.

I will be working on more solid character stuff here soon.

Another consideration, since we are in more of the Asian Pacific and the like... the Jade Court. I am sure they would have their hands in whatever is happening in Australia, and in Sydney considering is such a major city.

@Nick: That sounds really awesome, just as long as it's in my hands I'm ok with it.

@Edmond: Awesome character and cool background, good job.

@Anne Raith: love the backstory, and it leaves me fertile ground for story possibilities.

@Astrid: Excellent ideas, interesting thought on Jade Court, may add them, though i think they'll come in later.

@All: I think I've settled on Themes and Threats, perhaps something along the lines of

A History of Darkness

As detailed above.

A Center of Power

Something about Sydney draws the supernatural players out. Perhaps they hope to control the Genus Loci Eora, perhaps it's the crossroads power or the history of blood and misery. For whatever reason, many, many people want a piece of Sydney.

Everything is Up For Grabs

An uneasy peace existed between the supernatural factions, each one uncertain whether a move should be made on each other when all the others could unite against them. Until the Red Court fell. Now the city is a powder keg, and the smallest spark could set out a full-on war in the streets of Sydney with the whole damn city on a plate for the winner.

Also, I'd like to invite Arknight into the game, since it seems Jack isn't joining us.

That also means we have a few Who's Whos for this game. I'll list out those that I intend to have in, and take submissions for groups/characters who will have a major presence in Sydney.

Format: Name of Group/Character (How much they know/How much they want Status Quo) All currently subject to change with further discussion, Scales are between -10 and 10 with 0 being nuetral/uncaring.

Monoc Securities (5/7): Monoc has a new office in the region. While they don't know too much about Sydney's specifics, most of them have done their research. They also want the current conflict to last for a bit (the better to benefit from placing bodyguards and contacts as high as they can during the time of crisis) but would not like an all out war or a major reshuffling of power, and would like things to die down eventually.

Barega Darel and the Darel Corporation (3/8): Barega Darel, CEO and majority owner of the Darel Corporation, is an aboriginal native of Sydney gone global. Men want to be him and women want to be with him. In the supernatural side, he's known as a hell of a sorcerer with a penchant for making problems "disappear". Darel knows what he's doing, but cares little for the larger picture beyond what gets him more money and power. He certainly wants things to remain the way they are, after all, he's on top of the mundane tower, and heading towards the top of the supernatural one.

@Nick: That sounds really awesome, just as long as it's in my hands I'm ok with it.

Not a problem! I figure you can play around with stuff as you like, but I'd like to start "looking" fairly mortal.

Also, I'd like to invite Arknight into the game, since it seems Jack isn't joining us.

All good with me!

RE themes and threats
I'm a big fan of using the theme/threat aspects in play. Did you want to talk through aspects for them? The 'cultural diversity' implied by "A center of power" suggests a lot of smaller groups to me.

Incidentally, should I go with "Nick Ragnarok" as an avatar name? Could try for Nick Jones, or Nick "Ragnarok" Jones.

Am I right in thinking we're going to have Vamp Courts in Black, Green and White? How prevalent is Faerie likely to be? Is the "Norse community" rare or common?

Are the supers physical territory based, conceptual territory based or just mingling?

Lost Legions wrote:

@Nick: That sounds really awesome, just as long as it's in my hands I'm ok with it.

Not a problem! I figure you can play around with stuff as you like, but I'd like to start "looking" fairly mortal.

RE themes and threats
I'm a big fan of using the theme/threat aspects in play. Did you want to talk through aspects for them? The 'cultural diversity' implied by "A center of power" suggests a lot of smaller groups to me.

I imagine you'll stay looking normal unless you're using your powers. Whatever you are to Loki, he doesn't want you found.

Not sure what you mean about talking through them, I'm fine with you using them in play, making aspects on the fly is fine too, though that's up to you.

As for the avatar, I'm indifferent, I'll likely have chars call you Nick most of the time, and Mr. Jones for those that are more formal. I'm ok either way.

So for a bit more emphasis. I'd like to have the Faerie be almost entirely absent as a power group (i.e. there are faeries around, but they're not Sidhe and aren't major court players), The White and Jade courts will both be present and important. I intend to have one or two black courts running around, but they're more insular and not so much a power base themselves. I intend Monoc to be the only "Norse" thing in the city (Loki put Nick here for a reason, you don't put things you want to hide where people are likely to look).

All this is subject to change of course, over the course of stories coming and going, but these are how I envision them starting, barring good arguments/impassioned pleas for a difference.

@LL, happy to have Arknight onboard, is he still interested in a monster hunting wizard?

@all I'm keen for Anne to have a magically capable enemy. Given LL has said there would be two black courts I'd like to suggest one of them is run by or at least affiliated with the a dark wizard sorceress. I think it would be nice if they were the one whom Anne was fighting when the orb broke. They then ran to the black court for help (built a bit like Mavra OW191).

@nick & Astrid - I'm starting to see a wizard subgroup and a norse subgroup. It would be good to tie each group together. (Unless LL is keen for the stories to be random), I'm keen to help star in your later phases of chr development.

Astid's character sheet has been updated...

Any suggestions/comments/questions are welcome.

Astrid still has 2 refresh that can be spent (or perhaps saved for now, for whatever her specialness reveals to be...) I am also not sure weapons skill is worth it... guns maybe?

I have also considering something where she has sort of attraction ability... maybe something alluring. (got a strange thought of Bo on Lost Girl... no succubus though.)

Also, for Astrid's guest star, I am willing to work with one of the wizardly folk...

I've been looking at skills for Nick. I was hoping to find out what Arknight was looking at, but if anyone is interested I did a spreadsheet if what everyone's skills were at here so I wouldn't overlap too much.

@Astrid: some refresh is needed to activate those aspects of yours!

Guns are very powerful, but problematic in Australia - there are very strict gun laws. Weapons are controlled, but less so (and many 'tools' can be considered weapons). If Astrid has the clout or ability to hide guns they can be very useful.

My experience has been that you want to be able to participate in conflicts in a PbP. So have a way to do physical, social and investigative challenges. You've certainly got social and investigative down pat! Magic can be used in combat, but has the weird problem of it being too easy to kill some things and become a Lawbreaker. Weapons/Guns at a reasonable level means you're good at killing things. If you do go guns, remember it is not a defence skill, so you'll need a decent athletics or something as well.

If you want alluring there's the white court inspire emotion touch power, flesh mask or the seductive stunt. In some ways the aspect does that for you though. Presumably you can activate immortal beauty to get +2 to a roll where beauty is important, or invoke for effect to get some random to fall for you. Conversely LL can invoke to have someone fall for or recognise tyou at the wrong time.

I see you are interested in a friendly rivalry with Nick?
I'd still like to play Nick up as a bit clueless. Obviously OOC everyone is going to know stuff about him, but I'd like that to more turn up in play, with clues and stuff. Friendly rivalry might work, but if it is a supers rivalry then you're going to be in a far more dominant position!

@ Nick: can we get you to add Nick's skills to that spreadsheet?

Well, I'm still trying to work out what to do.
I don't want to take anyone's niches, but if no-one is interested in stealth, for example, using it probably means Nick doing something by himself, which seems counterproductive.

At the moment I'm looking at

Guns - my comments to Astrid still stand though

Burglary - maybe as a computer hacker? Fits the 21st century kid theme.

Drive - I said I'd get it, but taking 3 spellcasters anywhere sounds like a recipe for a broken car.

Deceit - I dunno, makes sense for a child of Loki, and especially one going undercover, but just doesn't speak that much to me

Performance - How do people think about Nick being a rock star or actor? Sounds like something he might be working towards.

Weapons - I'm actually a little inclined to go "yes everyone has it, but everyone has it. Make it a group theme thing.

Empathy, Rapport - I'm also still interested in getting empathy and rapport.

Presence represents rep, so starting with a low presence sounds interesting.

Would love feedback...

You can still have Drive... you just get an older vehicle. Say a nice fixed up muscle car or range rover (again depends on your style).

Maybe he's a martial arts/wrestler type of guy as well... Fists and Athletics fit in there. Maybe even throw in some performance depending on what you do there.

Computer hacking would be Scholarship (computer use there) and First Aid, since no one has that either.

I do not need to do the rivalry thing... it was a carry over... perhaps keep it to bring in whatever Arknight had in mind.

I'm actually considering a Mortal 'Hunter'. A Bounty Hunter by trade, but he hunts 'monsters' as well (and more often than mortals). He was brought into the knowledge of the supernatural when his grandmother killed his mother and devoured her in order to remain youthful. He fled, but managed to get away only because it was part of his grandmother's overall plan.

Most of his intel comes from personal research and the 'net.

Thoughts?

I'm a fan, nice to hav a pure mortal around, plus sounds like some decent party antagonism when Nick shows some 'monstery' powers :D

@LL/Arknight: That being the case, it would be good to get some friendship between Arknight and Nick at the start.

Australia doesn't have bounty hunters that hunt humans. It does have people paid to hunt & cull animals, and private investigators.

I imagine he means bounty hunters grabbing people like bail jumpers and such, not hunting down and killing people. It's technically a grey area in the US too, but certain people make good money on it anyhow.

@LL: There are definitely hit men, so I guess there would be bounty hunters, but as you say it'd be a grey area.

@Astrid: Edward already has scholarship 3 (medicine, computer use) or I'd be looking at that. Hacking is burglary modified by scholarship, but there's a Hacking stunt. I don't see Ed being much good with a PC though ;P

Alright, so how about
Fists 5
Rapport 5
Burglary 4*
Deceit 4
Empathy 3
Performance 3
Drive 2
Athletics 2
Presence 1
Endurance 1

*Hacking stunt

Reasoning
Nick grows up on a farm. He rides a bike, learns to drive early, gets into video games and through that into hacking. Year 10 he decides he wants to be an actor, year 12 he moves to Sydney to become an actor (hoping to get into NIDA). He lives in a share house with three other guys, eats cheap, trains in rollerhockey and works delivering pizza. He owns a cheap motorbike, his dad's old ute, a reasonably good laptop, one good suit and battered electric guitar.

Spreadsheet is updated.
Are people okay with the idea of the skills upgrading?
I should have said thanks to Astrid, I followed a lot of her suggestions ;P

Okay, so submission for group

Paranet. Although barely associated with the association started by Dresden, the idea of banding together in the 'new order' of the Red Court's death has led to a number of minor practitioners forming a Paranet group. Worryingly recent internal debate has led to a faction advocating a "first strike" against the dangers that assail them. 2/3

@LL - Are we still in need of more threats? Of are you ok for us to move into the second part of chr creation - the stories?

Well, thinking up stories...

I can see Nick:
* might get hired by someone who needs a hacker.
* falling into situations.
* calling in people he knows (or knows of) for help.
* trying to find out who (what) he is.

@LL do you want to do faces and locations?
Anne suggested 2 locations already
there are 3 threats/themes
Monoc corp
Darel corp
you mentioned white, red and 2 black courts?
Sounded like there might be some independent practitioners or monsters as well.

A suggestion for a location:

A small occult shop/coffee shop. Neutral ground. Specializes in rare books.

Address is 42 Wallaby way.

Name is P. Sherman

;)

@Edmond: I'd love the idea of calling it "Neutral Grounds" ;P

@Edmond: I'd love the idea of calling it "Neutral Grounds" ;P

Good idea! But isn't there another place already named that?