Edwyn blinks slowly, having expected some degree of incredulity, but not about this particular tidbit. Mythology is hardly his strong suit, but even he knew why the name he spoke sounded familiar.
"Wait, you think he was talking about Baldur? As in the Norse god?" he asks, very tentatively poised to check "gods" off his supernatural bingo card. "You have him on speed-dial?"
Edwyn pauses, looking at everyone sheepishly. "Any of this making sense to you guys yet?"
"As much as it ever does. Yeah." Danny says around a mouthful of chicken wing.
Kenneth wrote:
"I think we might be having a call tae make... strangely, I happen tae have Baldur on speed-dial."
"Of COURSE you do. Of course he does." Danny adds to Edwyn and Sal.
Sal wrote:
Sal ignores Kenneth and Edwyn and turns slowly to fully face Danny.
"Wait... I thought your mom was trapped...?"
She stares at him in complete befuddlement, her mind spinning with thoughts of nexuses and salt water.
"Well, yeah. But OB-viously he can't be talking about HER. She's not trapped behind a seal, she's trapped,... in a nexus,... which we can't get her out of,... because,... it's,... sealed,..."
Danny goes blank-wide-eyed, and his chicken wing falls from nerveless fingers to his plate.
"No. She did not have gills. I thought she was a Fae-born. Or something." Danny says coldly, holding up his arm and pulling back his jacket sleeve enough to reveal the pale, frostbite-white skin in the shape of a snowflake on his wrist.
Male Warrior-Bard of Old; Herald of Brigid Stress: P: OOOO M:OOOO S:OOO; Fate Points: 3;
Kenneth laughs at Edwyn's reaction, "Did ye miss the part where I said I was the Herald of Brigid? 'Tis literally part ay my job tae maintain relations with other gods. Like Baldur. Good bloke, especially tae share a pint with - especially now that he's embraced good beer o'er mead... Well, most ay the time."
His laugh stops as Sal asks her question and Danny reacts, his own mind still reeling and racing, until Sal claims it to be a coincidence, when he jumps in, "Or, it could be more. Wouldnae surprise me tae hear that some ay those fighting the boss -- and it cannae be Balor --", he interjects, and while his tone is assertive, it seems more an attempt to make the assertion true than something certain, "--may have been trapped along with the big nasty. That wouldnae be likely if King Fishfinger had been locked intae a trap made just for him -- but that isnae the case here. This was pushing him intae a hole - and then needing tae keep him busy while Baldur prepared the breading and tartar sauce. Somebody will have had tae dae that. Mayhap, Danny, your mother was one ay them."
Sal grimaces as Kenneth explains, then nods. "Exactly where my mind went. I didn't want to say it until we knew for sure from Sven. But intentional or accidental, I could see it going down that way." She lays an unusually gentle hand on Danny's arm. "I'm sorry, Danny. Baldur would know. I think it's time he was asked. Seems to me he owes you some answers."
"We can't open the seal without releasing whatever's trapped. But we can't keep it sealed if she's..." Sal shakes her head. "We need to know. Kenneth, can you make that call? I think we need to pay a god a visit."
"Sometimes. Yeah. But you hang around enough 'almost-as-smart-as-they-think-they-are' Fae for long enough,... and you start to realize that there is RARELY such a thing as a true coincidence. At least on our side of the street." Danny pipes in, looking and sounding more like his usual, chipper self.
Edwyn blinks again, still stuck on the whole "god" thing. Even more so since he apparently met the man earlier. Wait, Sven? That guy? He shakes his head, setting that thought aside for the time being. He has come to accept a great number of bizarre things into his reality, but this one was a bit much. More reflection would be required.
And then there is Sal and Danny's curious exchange - he takes note of their reactions, but is not so sure he wants to touch that one with a ten foot pole. He barely knows the guy, after all. It'd be rude to talk about his mom... especially if she really did have tentacles. But speaking of coincidences...
"There's more," Edwyn remarks grimly, no longer making a show of eating pizza. "They need something else to break the seal. Something that would make it pop right open. The blood of one not-dead. Or rather, I'm guessing, the blood of one who is not dead anymore."
The detective pauses again, apparently having more to say, but deciding against it.
At this tidbit of information, Danny Does look at Sal and Ken directly, a look of mild surprise on his face.
Proceeding on the 'fact' that Danny doesn't know about Edwyn's um,... 'Condition', yet? right? ;)
"Um,... Ok, mind's a little bit of a blur, but didn't I JUST recently see Mr 'I thought he was dead evil wizard' and his supposedly departed wife walking around like nothing had happened?? Like, at the fair?!?"
Danny's previous coldness is gone, replaced by an open-faced shock.
"So, 'Sven' was at the fair, AND at least one person who was previously listed in the 'dead' category was at the fair, AND enough small-time to medium magical powerhouses were at the fair, AND it was attacked,... STILL think it might all be a coincidence?!?"
Danny picks up another wing, particularly heavy in spicy sauce, and rips most of the meat off of it in one savage bite.
"Because, THAT is a LOT of 'Co-inky' for one 'Dinky-Dence'." He mouths around the mouthful of chicken, using the wing to gesture for emphasis.
He swallows the bite, then his eyes start to water as he realizes just HOW spicy the sauce really is, and hastily chases it down with a large drink of cider. He manages not to cough too much when he comes up for air.
"Oh, right! The what's-their-names. Saraya told me to watch out for her -- is it Mrs. Miller? That she hasn't been right since Lawrence left. Whatever that means."
Seeing that Danny isn't flying off the handle, she removes her hand from his arm. "Gotta say, dude, you're taking this idea way better than I would. I'd be throwing s&!#. Or trying to strangle an ancient deity. Either way, it wouldn't be pretty," she murmurs to Danny.
"Just give it time. When the S#$% hits the fan. There will be fireworks. Maybe literal, this time." Danny says quietly, tapping the pocket he had just deposited Kenneth's 'Gift' in a moment earlier.
"I just wanna make sure I know who, and why, I'm strangling or throwing S#$% at. Either way, it WON'T be pretty. Promise."
Danny turns slowly, and gives Sal a,... look.
(Not bad, just, not one he has ever given her before. Or that she's seen him give anyone else that she can recall.)
"Thanks Sal." He murmurs at length, ducking his head into his cider mug.
Sal jerks her head up and down once. "It's your moms, man," she says softly, as if that explains everything.
Then she looks towards Edwyn and continues more loudly (though not loud enough to disturb the Phoning Bard), "That's some really good info, Ed. Do you know who your client is, or what his interest in this whole affair is? Or can you say?"
On the other end, there's a soft click as the receiver is picked up from a rotary style phone. A deep mans voice answers; "Hello, it's Sven here. How can I help you?" He answers with a soft consideration.
So they know about the Millers, and the missus's condition, at that, Edwyn notes, not entirely surprised by the fact. These folks are obviously far more acquainted with the supernatural than he is, at least in their areas of expertise. However, he can't help but feel like he is overlooking something important.
Edwyn considers Sal's questions carefully, determining just how much information he should disclose, before shaking his head. "I can't say. Not just because it wouldn't be professional - that'd usually be the case - but because I don't know. He plays his cards very close to his chest... I don't even know his name. He definitely has power, though."
Apparently feeling like he has said too much, he hurriedly corrects one of Sal's assumptions. "Granted, I didn't get this information from him. I have my own contacts around here. They're not always completely trustworthy, but they tend to pick up on things other people miss."
Male Warrior-Bard of Old; Herald of Brigid Stress: P: OOOO M:OOOO S:OOO; Fate Points: 3;
On the phone..
Kenneth smiles at the click, Mayhap the only man in the isles who isnae a poxy wizard using older tech than me..., then says, "Hi Sven, Kenneth. Have a minute tae chat?" He continues on without waiting for a response, "Learned a mite about what the Fishfingers wanted today - and it seems tae link back tae you. In fact, you may hae been one ay their targets. So... I was thinking I'd like tae discuss all ay this and would appreciate if you could make a few minutes -- or dae I need tae make this a request for an official parley?"
There's a heavy sigh on the other end, as the weary years come back the the artist. After a small pause he replies; Alright, do you want to meet in person? Or continue over the telephonic device? In person, it will be a few minutes as I have to put the wards up, but shouldn't be too long." You hear the door behind him close.
Male Warrior-Bard of Old; Herald of Brigid Stress: P: OOOO M:OOOO S:OOO; Fate Points: 3;
Kenneth says, "In person may be safer. I'm on my way - did you want me tae come alone, or can I bring the rabble? And, formal or nae, you'll be telling me a tale. I'll bring a meadhorn."
"It is fine. I will go to you, it is safer as such. Give me but a few moments to place wards upon my abode and find appropriate transport and I will join you." He moves the phone from his mouth and says to someone else; 'Hey love, I'm just heading out for a few minutes... no, I'll bring my coat. Yes, new friends not business,,,, enjoy your book.
"So where are you?" Sven pauses as Kenneth says the name of the pub; "Good, should be safe especially at this time of day and easy enough to get privacy."
If it's OK, Sven will join you guys... it won't take too long but allow you guys to interact more and then he'll pop in and give more information.
Male Warrior-Bard of Old; Herald of Brigid Stress: P: OOOO M:OOOO S:OOO; Fate Points: 3;
Kenneth says, "Aye, shouldnae be a problem - and I suppose I should feel reassured that you're willing tae have the talk outside ay a threshold -- or Accorded neutral grounds. Though I dinnae ken if they have a mead - I may need tae substitute for a beer."
He closes the phone and says, "Sven's on his way tae tell us a story.... We'll be ordering him a pint or two - and I'm thinking we'll all be needing at least one more ourselves, ye ken."
"He's coming here?" Sal kind of squeaks. After a quick scan, she jumps up and hauls an empty chair from another table over to theirs, scooting it between Kenneth and Danny and clearing away used dishes, glasses, and other clutter (which she deposits surreptitiously on the table she stole the chair from.) "Geez, clean this place up. He can sit between you guys." She settles herself next to Edwyn, about as far as she can get from the God Chair, and clutches her drink with both hands.
"Come on, we just met the guy earlier. And now we've invited him over for drinks. What's he gonna do, smite us?" Edwyn asks as Sal makes new seating arrangements. But in spite of his skeptical tone, he gives the designated God Chair a wary look. Oh man, can he?
"Hey, man, I don't know the rules here. Buy something in the market, no problem. But this? You guys had all those rules for the Fae conference, and I got to sit inside a vent and not have to talk. I don't know the rules for this guy. And geez, I'm pledged to the "no other gods before me" guy, which might be offensive or something. So I'm gonna sit here and make like a rock, OK? Don't wanna get smote." Sal clamps her lips together as if to emphasize the point.
Male Warrior-Bard of Old; Herald of Brigid Stress: P: OOOO M:OOOO S:OOO; Fate Points: 3;
Kenneth chuckles and shakes his head,"Seems Edwyn's nae the only one who's forgotten what I am and what that means. The lot ay you spend a fair bit ay time with - and sometimes trust your lives tae - someone pledged tae a goddess.. And one that isnae the Testamental one with her angels and Commandments and all that lot."
He says, "Aye, yes, 'tis true that there be gods who arenae very nice beings, ones that abuse their powers, ones that are still trying tae squeeze power out ay mortals from worship or blood or whatever. And, then, there be gods that are harder to classify - often Trickster-types, that might help you in one moment only tae watch you fall in the next, for their own amusement -- or, plans that are operating over a timescale so long that they're incomprehensible - almost geological. But, Baldur isnae one aye those."
He shrugs, "For the most part, dealing with a god is a lot like dealing with the upper tier fae - those at the highest levels of court, or the Queens. They're generally powerful, and yet, bound by their natures. 'Tis why, for example, Zeus never learnt tae keep it in his pants, nae matter what Hera does tae him and his offspring. He cannae. A'course, one key difference between gods and fae is that the gods can lie... and that, in general, there are nae 'rules' - outside ay the ones respected by all supernaturals. That's why, for instance, I'm offering him payment -- in the form ay a tankard -- in exchange for his tale. It shows that I value what he's given me. With a fae, I could probably consider that payment and it would be done, depending on the dance ay words that went intae the 'negotiation' - with a god, it's just a show ay respect - and respect is a very valuable currency. Some gods actively demand it."
He pauses, "Mayhap that last bit wasnae as reassuring as I'd hoped. In any case, nae, unless you've got a spear ay mistletoe, or seek tae spread darkness across the land, I dinnae think ye need tae worry about being smote by Sven."...and considering how tired he looks, I actually wonder if he still has it in him...
He then chuckles, "Sal, from my experience, being polite tae another god or goddess insae 'putting them before' yours, so I wouldnae fret about getting in trouble or smitten... from either side."
Finally he shakes his head and waves his hand, "Nae, forget all that. Just think ay him as Sven, the kindly man ye've met in the past. That's how he's presenting himself and living, and so, that's likely what he wants. Let me worry about any Heraldry - 'tis, after all, literally my job."
Sal nods. "Yup, that's the plan. And being polite is never a problem. I just didn't know if there was any heartburn among the old gods with mine. My God is a jealous god, after all." She quirks a half-smile.
"I've been studying folklore and folk tales and mythology with the idea that it could all be true. Heck, I've even been reading the Bible, and that is something we were never encouraged to do at church. It was all, like, listen to the priests, listen to the Pope, just do what they tell you. But, y'know, since my eyes were opened, I've been trying to learn. And what I've learned is that I don't know anything. So yeah, you and Danny can do all the talking, for my money. That'll be safer."
With a rueful chuckle, she adds, "I'll try not to be nervous. But despite him presenting himself as a human, I can't forget he's not. And I think it's a good idea to remember he's not."
Male Warrior-Bard of Old; Herald of Brigid Stress: P: OOOO M:OOOO S:OOO; Fate Points: 3;
Adriana 'Sal' Salazar wrote:
With a rueful chuckle, she adds, "I'll try not to be nervous. But despite him presenting himself as a human, I can't forget he's not. And I think it's a good idea to remember he's not."
Kenneth chuckles, then adds, "Tae be honest, I think that the better course ay action, for those who ken, it tae nae assume any body ye meet is necessarily a vanilla mortal... and tae be as respectful as we can tae everyone, just in case."
"Right, you're the Herald of Brigid," Edwyn remembers aloud, nodding to himself. Granted, it is only after Kenneth's explanation that the meaning of the title really starts to sink in. As extraordinary as the idea of there being actual living gods is, it made an odd sort of sense. And I suppose that answers the question of who his boss is.
"Well, I'll have you know that I am the perfect gentleman. I'm not about to go out of my way to tick anyone off... god or otherwise."
He groans at Danny's Nicholson impression - Kubrick managed to ruin that man for him forever.
It seems like way too long to wait, but tall chiselled Nordic man enters the bar, and before too long he moves to the empty beer garden where the others wait. In one hand he holds a heavy steel tray that might look precarious wielded by a less confident individual.
Upon the tray is a host of tankards, overflowing with hearty ale. The froth creates a some foam coaster for the drinks as Sven approaches the group.
"Hello, partake in the bounty. As a friendly gift from me to you. Thank you for helping this morning." He says warmly.
Sal slips off her seat to stand as the old man approaches, takes a beer from Danny, and raises it in Sven's direction. "Thank you. It was our pleasure." After taking a sip, she sits back down and shuts her mouth.
"You're welcome," Edwyn replies with a stiff smile, despite feeling like he did little more than get thrown around like a rag doll. He nurses his tankard in both hands and watches Sven closely, ready to scrutinize the inscrutable.
He lets out a warm laugh and looks around the group; "It's grand to be drinking with friends in a safe warm pub, but do you know what it needs? A good story...."
He sits down, sips on his beer and starts telling a tale in the Skaldic tradition of Kenneth's people. Starting his epic saga...
"There were a group of 4 people, from across the globe and through the realms - the fought for justice, struggled for what they thought was right against the supernatural for the mortals of the realm. Well across this green isle, though some said their methods were wrong, thus even those noble of heart upon occasion crossed swords with the quartet." He smiles, brushing his hair behind his ears with a flourish whilst remembering an old foe.
"Through the Victorian era, the group has various escapades - even travelling through the colonies with other members joining and leaving, but the 4 core members were there at the start....and there at the end!" Svens' face falls.
"The swinging 60's had passed, psychedelia and drugs. The glamour and punk of the 70's slipped by way too quickly. Social revolution of the 80's - greed and poveerty. Then it was the 90's.... a Cypriot friend of Korbens' had found some strange goings on. A consortium of cultists working with cash from a media magnate planned to bring forth a dark creature from the depths of the Mediterranean."
He downs a drink and then another, to drown out the memories at the cost of some of the fluency of his tale. "We had a traitor, thus our intel was too slow.... it came from the depths. We were desperate...we had failed."
After ordering another round of drinks. He looks with a serious expression to Danny; "It was your mother, who came up with the idea. Mistress of subterfuge and duplicity, she had some favours owed to her from across the land... The Dark Cyclopean Octopoid was following us, sent after us by the Magnate. Korben fell as we lured it through the Scottish Isles. We had no way to kill it... but we did know where we could trap it. It was on our heels and we fled like ravens from a hawk."
"Getting to Cuthbert's retreat on Lindisfarne, it followed us to the Holy Nexus the Christian Monks guarded. She... lured it into the dark portal, just as it closed - freezing time for them." He sighs.
"I knew media corporations were evil, but hell," Edwyn remarks dryly. He lets that hang in the air for a moment before assuming that now is the time for questions.
"So this 'Dark Cyclopean Octopoid'... how much damage are we talking here, if it manages to get out?"
"So she was a hero," Sal says softly aside to Danny, almost whispering, "And even though she is stuck there, no time has passed for her. She hasn't spent hopeless years trapped battling the thing."
This is a recruitment thread for my Dresden Files pbp. We have had a couple of people drop out. The game is set in York, the characters are just completing the first arc. Feel free to read the game-play thread.
It's using the Dresden Files RPG (Fate system), but experience of the game is not required. Posting once a day, as a minimum.
I am definitely interested in joining this... though I've got a few questions that will impact what concept I throw at you.
1) What refresh should we build the character around?
2) Are there any concepts which would not mesh well with the current group, that you consider off limits, or you or the current players simply aren't interested in dealing with? For instance, I'm going to figure that Knights of the Cross are probably not a good idea, since the concept doesn't really loan itself well to having all your adventures in one place.
Yes Xabulba/Lil' Bill, I was Zoe in that thread & Ryuko (GM) plays Jericho in my game.
Everyone, the earlier post was a bit rushed, had to nip out. So as I said the game is underway - feel free to read the gameplay thread (tab). I'll ask the current crew if they want to help with the group integration - for your guest stars.
8 Refresh
30 Skill Points (max 5)
As for concepts I am easy with most things, although I do like team-work the team has split a few times. The city and major NPC's can be found in the campaign info tab.
The current group is:
Jericho - Ferromancer (Steel Wizard)
Danny - Changeling Musician (Glamour Magic)
Aximeus - Reincarnation of Greek God, Man of the people.
Trio of Winter Court Fae have dropped out. (Princess of Fey, Winter Knight & Temple Dog)
Aye, there's a large Museum there. Viking raiders attacked there; there was also the scourge where 11/12century(?) where the Norman rulers burnt the north of England to the ground and salted the earth. Anyway, it's basically also the name of the Gameplay Thread.
I'm GMT & it's local to me btw. If the 4 of you come up with characters then that's all I can take in the game :)
Hmm... *ponders* Yeah, I think I can work with that.
I would propose a rebellious dragon scion, intent on proving to his dragon ancestor that he is capable of successfully making it on his own in the world. He's been out in the world a while, and has learnt some magical tricks, but most of his powers are bound up in his hoard... he either needs contact with it, or it needs to be threatened, before he can access the Draconic side of his heritage to use them.
I'm not entirely sure what the best way to create such in the system would be, though. Catches on the relevant powers seem reasonable, but The Catch only appears to apply to toughness in the power section as it's written. I could stat the hoard out as a singular Item of Power, with the powers set in it, but I'm not sure if that feels right.
Lemme know if you have any thoughts on the matter.
I was thinking of creating an Emissary of Power. The Guardian of Excalibur, entrusted to him by The Lady of the Lake, to use until the Return of Arthur.
Either that or I might make a Monster Hunter, someone who's parents were killed by monsters, ghouls or a black court vampire, something horrid, he saw everything from under his bed...somehow he was able to hide...even though they looked under the bed, they didn't see him.
DreamAtelier, that could work. We could use catches for the powers; the book is meant to be just a suggestion/guide-line. If we work together I am sure that we can make up something that works.
lil' Bill (Xabulba) Bill is great, but we might just have to tweak it (unless he is American) as the 'gang scene' in York is minor; although the next city over Leeds (20 miles away) has quite a bit of youths/chav's and gang culture.
Xaaon, both of those sound really interesting - the Lady of the Lake, could either be linked to Holiness or a Fae creature of the sea (like Sophia's Daughters in 7th Sea RPG).
BTW the game is set before Changes, but the city of York is fairly neutral regarding the war. I am trying for a feel a bit more generic like the Harrison, Harris, Hamilton, Smith books; although of course the main setting is Dresden Universe.
Anyway just some initial thoughts; it would be great if we have some good integration between the characters.
So, sheet work time. If anyone thinks up better ways of wording things as I fiddle with them, I'm always willing to take advice. I confess this is my first time building a character for the system. Feel free to ask for explanations if anything seems unclear.
Name: Grillan 'Rill' Avaruvex
High Concept: Headstrong Draconic Acquisitions Specialist
Trouble: Hoarding Instinct (Dunno about the wording here... I'm kind of trying to label the draconic side of him that is entitled and possessive, thinking things are rightfully his simply because he has or wants them, and he almost never relinquishes them without a fight.)
Phase 1: Background:
Grillan Avaruvex comes from a family partly-human individuals who are descended from an ancient dragon that goes by Avaruvex (full name unknown, for sensible reasons). The family traces their lineage back to late Early Dynastic Period of Mesopotamia, when a dragon was supposedly charmed by a priestess and rewarded her and lineage with long life and power, in exchange for "a Living Hoard." Despite the length of their ancestry, the family remains only of modest size, about 50 or 60 members in all, due to the difficulties of conceiving and bearing not-quite human children, and the occasional incident that results in members of the family dying. Most of the family serves Avaruvex faithfully, living among and caring for the dragon's hoards around the world, which are often disguised as museums or private collections of Objects of value.
Grillan himself was born sometime around the beginning of the 19th century, and always possessed something of a rebellious attitude. The family made good use of that for many years as he grew into adulthood, putting him out into the world to specialize in 'acquisitions' of new pieces for Avaruvex's hoard. Grillan was competent enough at the tasks he was set to, but only did them because they allowed him a certain degree of personal freedom that most of his family had never experienced. For the most part Grillan has always regarded the majority of his family as too content to be pets of their forebear, while his family regards him as an eccentric who will come around to being sensible one of these days.
Aspect: Disinterested Heir
Phase 2: Rising Conflict:
The biggest exception to these attitudes were Grillan's relationship with the dragon itself. The two never quite saw eye to eye, with the dragon regarding Rill's defiant attitude and occasional acquisition of objects that he kept for himself as amusing and a show of strength, but certainly nothing to be concerned about... after all, Rill wasn't, and would never be, able to stand on an equal footing with it, given how thin his blood was. Rill, for his part, always felt patronized and hated every minute of that feeling, but more over he resented many of the things that were asked of him, in the objects he was sent to acquire. The fundamental disconnect was in the family's belief that the objects were more important than any human consideration.
The matter reached a head during the early period of World War 2, when Rill was told that the family planned to use the Nazi looting as cover for their own. Rill acceded at the beginning, but as he learnt what the Nazi's were doing, he came to believe that exploiting it was too monstrous to be allowed to stand. Avaruvex listened to his requests that they pitch in on the Allies side of the matter, and eventually grew tired of hearing them, finally saying he did not want to hear about the matter again, because what did mere humans matter, except for the lasting things they could produce?
Rill was incensed. The attitude had always been there, but to hear it stated explicitly drove him to rage. He decided that he would force Avaruvex to do the right thing, and began deliberately leaking the locations of parts of the dragon's hoard to the Nazi's. Once he had been stolen from, Rill reasoned, the dragon would turn its rage on the thieves.
He was right, but there were unintended consequences. In the fighting, Avaruvex was wounded, nearly unto death, and Rill was close enough that some of the dragon's splashed into his mouth. He swallowed before he even realized what it was, and it changed him, awakening the draconic portion of his nature that had been mostly dormant due to the distance of his ancestry before now. Rill got Avaruvex to safety, but his new found nature made things difficult... Avaruvex was insistant that Rill needed to stay near, so that he could understand the draconic urges he would experience, while Rill stubbornly insisted he could make his own way, just as he always had (an insistence born of a newly found instinct that made him believe Avaruvex would dominate or kill him if he stayed close). Ultimately Rill won the arguement, because Avaruvex was too wounded to stop him leaving. The family, acting on Avaruvex's instructions, continues to try and pull him back into the fold.
Aspect: My Own Man
More to come, but I've got to go make lunch and don't want to lose the post.
Edit - Excellent DSX. I'll send you mechanical stuff in a PM so we can discuss it without cluttering this up too much.
I believe, in world, Excalibur is one of the three Swords of the Cross (Amoracchius, to be precise)
At the moment, I'm torn between making a faith-based character or a minor power. I've got a few jumbled ideas and am trying to make one gel -- tomorrow good for a high concept?
Whenever, I am not trying to rush too much. I'd rather you had something you wanted to play - than rush and have to recalibrate. I will try to make sure all the characters integrate especially since with the 4 of you it brings the group to 7. Which if you split up too much will be a bit of a pain, especially trying to get you aligned.
Another thing, when people do split up I don't use spoilers (unless you want to). This is to allow all players to read openly if a Player slips off the 'Net or tells everyone 'just read the spoilers'.
Heh, I'm glad you like it, and I do hope that you use it a time or two as well... otherwise I wouldn't have built it in.
As far as the question of the hoard and it's contents... I haven't precisely nailed down what it includes yet in my head, but I'm kind of torn between objects that are made singular by some aspect of their history, and a rather stereotypical approach of objects of value (jewels, gold, etc). I may simply roll the two options together and say he collects things simply for their monetary value, but takes special pride in the ones that are singular, regarding them as his own set of crown jewels.
He will definitely have a house somewhere either in or just outside the city, and his hoard will be kept within it... on display for the rare individuals he lets in, and so that he can wander through it. I'm kind of thinking a manor house would be perfect for that sort of idea, and since I was planning on putting his resources at the max, probably not out of the question. Which would also allow him to consider the house itself as part of his hoard, and look after it.
I believe, in world, Excalibur is one of the three Swords of the Cross (Amoracchius, to be precise)
At the moment, I'm torn between making a faith-based character or a minor power. I've got a few jumbled ideas and am trying to make one gel -- tomorrow good for a high concept?
It's debatable whether or not this is the case. We know Harry believes it to be true, and that he's been told by (relatively) reputable authorities that Merlin was entrusted with Amoracchius. But if you look at Arthurian legends, that would actually make Amoracchius the sword in the stone by which Arthur's heritage was proven, which may or may not have been Excalibur. To be clear, all the tales agree that Merlin placed a sword in a stone to find a worthy wielder, but there's about a 50/50 split in the camps between whether the sword removed was Excalibur, or whether Arthur received Excalibur from the Lady of the Lake at some point after he began to rule (He's sometimes attributed to having had Merlin's help retrieving it from her).
So, while it is entirely probable that Amoracchius was wielded by Arthur, and held in trust by Merlin until he came along. But there's no certainty it was the only weapon Arthur ever wielded, or which of them it was. Perhaps most interesting is the fact that in the versions where there is a second sword, it often seems to have become needful for Arthur to receive a new blade after some failing of personal virtue... which we know can cause a sword of the cross to abandon its wielder. Of course, usually taking up the sword falls into the tale at the same time as an act of redemption. And this sort of point isn't one which we could necessarily count on Harry to realize... despite his protestations to the contrary, he isn't really making too much of an effort to figure out the swords and how to pass them along, as he always seems to get distracted by smaller details.
I'm just saying, there's wiggle room in the mythology if you wanted to go that route of carrying an Arthurian relic.
I would still like Lil' Bill to involved in whatever underworld scene York has so you might need to let me know what it's like. I was thinking as an alternative I could make Lil' Bill a Pikey or former IRA.
I believe, in world, Excalibur is one of the three Swords of the Cross (Amoracchius, to be precise)
At the moment, I'm torn between making a faith-based character or a minor power. I've got a few jumbled ideas and am trying to make one gel -- tomorrow good for a high concept?
It's debatable whether or not this is the case. We know Harry believes it to be true, and that he's been told by (relatively) reputable authorities that Merlin was entrusted with Amoracchius. But if you look at Arthurian legends, that would actually make Amoracchius the sword in the stone by which Arthur's heritage was proven, which may or may not have been Excalibur. To be clear, all the tales agree that Merlin placed a sword in a stone to find a worthy wielder, but there's about a 50/50 split in the camps between whether the sword removed was Excalibur, or whether Arthur received Excalibur from the Lady of the Lake at some point after he began to rule (He's sometimes attributed to having had Merlin's help retrieving it from her).
So, while it is entirely probable that Amoracchius was wielded by Arthur, and held in trust by Merlin until he came along. But there's no certainty it was the only weapon Arthur ever wielded, or which of them it was. Perhaps most interesting is the fact that in the versions where there is a second sword, it often seems to have become needful for Arthur to receive a new blade after some failing of personal virtue... which we know can cause a sword of the cross to abandon its wielder. Of course, usually taking up the sword falls into the tale at the same time as an act of redemption. And this sort of point isn't one which we could necessarily count on Harry to realize... despite his protestations to the contrary, he isn't really making too much of an effort to figure out the swords and how to pass them along, as he always seems to get distracted by smaller details.
I'm just saying, there's wiggle room in the mythology if you wanted to go that route of carrying an...
From what I remember from my Mallory Excalibur was not the sword in the stone. Arthur broke the sword in the stone in a duel with Sir Pellinore. After the duel Merlin took Arthur to the Lady of the Lake who offered him a new sword called Excalibur.
I'm working on Jack Blackthorne as a Pure Mortal Monster Hunter, I'm, thinking an Angel protected him. So he'll start off mortal but,
I decided against the Excalibur route anyway...Now, maybe Mjolnir...HMMMMMMM...I might look through the book and see if I can pull off a certain demi-god?
What other items can we think of? Perhaps he has the actual Spear of Destiny...(the other is a replica in the museum)
Actually, Now I'm thinking of creating a Shadowmancer, Or a Shadowy Wizard, Like Shadowjack from Jack of Shadows, obviously I don't have any concrete ideas yet...heh.
There's a power called Cloak of Shadows you might find interesting Xaaon
Yup, that's one of the powers I was looking at, which is where the shadowmancer would come in rather than a full-blown wizard, possibly an emissary of power or sponsored magic.
OK, so I'm getting somewhere now with my Shadowmancer
Jack the Shadowlord
High Concept: Vengeful Shadowmancer
Trouble: Small Fish in a Deep Ocean
Other Aspects:
The Shadows are my friends Hunting the Hunters Even monsters fear the shadows [/i]
[i]
Stress
OOOO Physical (endurance)
OOOO Mental (conviction)
OOO Social (presence)
Skills
Superb (+5) none
Great (+4) Conviction, Discipline, Weapons
Good (+3) Lore, Stealth, Endurance
Fair (+2) Resources, Investigation, Athletics
Average (+1) Presence, Alertness, Intimidate
Rote Spells Obfuscate Drowns out the light in a large area blanketing the area in darkness
Shadowcloak Shield spell - Swirling darkness displaces attacks.
Pitch Black draws on the darkness to tear at his enemies
Background: Where did you come from?
Jack grew up with his parents, but they were killed by a Red Court Vampire when he was 14, his cloak of shadows first started to manifest when he was hiding in the pantry, the others looked in there, but no one could see him even though it was a small pantry.
Phase Aspect: The Shadows are my friends
Rising Conflict: What shaped you?
The loss of his parents shaped Jack, he decided to hunt the monsters that killed them. He had to think like the monsters, so he watched, waited, and observed. The ability to hide, the ability to watch, and not be surprised became tantamount. He spent much of his inheritance learning about magic, if vampires were real, magic must be as well. For years he studied, the council even tested him, but he hasn't progressed to Wizard yet, probably never will they say. But the Wardens watch him none the less, as his powers are dark and his anger is strong.
Phase Aspect: Hunting the Hunters
The Story: What was your first adventure? "HUNTER HUNTED"
Jack was determined to remove the Red Court Vampire from the world. He researched and prepared, then he called in a few favors, and took her down and her retinue. The council didn't want to be involved, but some others in the supernatural community did. Lady Ramsgate learned to feat the darkness that night.
Phase Aspect: Even monsters fear the shadows
Guest Star: Whose path have you crossed?
Phase Aspect: [/i]
Guest Star Redux: Who else's path have you crossed?
Phase Aspect: [i]
Xaaon, that is really nice concise and will work well. So far, the group met the Red Court Vampire with an ego that believes he runs York.
Xabulba/lil Bill, there will be a few triads in York & Leeds (in fact Danny the Changeling is going out with the daughters of one of the leaders). The IRA or anarchists will be possible in a University town. And nearby Leeds will have a good amount of gang-ish activity.
Although everyone bear in mind England has restrictive gun laws (although you lot will probably flout them, but...).
Xaaon, that is really nice concise and will work well. So far, the group met the Red Court Vampire with an ego that believes he runs York.
Xabulba/lil Bill, there will be a few triads in York & Leeds (in fact Danny the Changeling is going out with the daughters of one of the leaders). The IRA or anarchists will be possible in a University town. And nearby Leeds will have a good amount of gang-ish activity.
Although everyone bear in mind England has restrictive gun laws (although you lot will probably flout them, but...).
Oh, interesting, perhaps I haven't killed her yet, either that or I've turned up more information that my parents were not just victims of random happenstance, but got in this other Vampires way...so he ordered Lady Ramsgate to take them out....
I would probably go with the second - that Lord Lawrence ordered the death of your parents, possibly frivolously and caulously. However he will be really tough, so it would be a campaign arc long idea to plan his death AND that will leave a power vacuum!
Alternatively Lady Ramsgate could sstill be alive and on the periphery of his circle at the moment and you plot to take her out...then him?
Heh, I'm glad you like it, and I do hope that you use it a time or two as well... otherwise I wouldn't have built it in.
As far as the question of the hoard and it's contents... I haven't precisely nailed down what it includes yet in my head, but I'm kind of torn between objects that are made singular by some aspect of their history, and a rather stereotypical approach of objects of value (jewels, gold, etc). I may simply roll the two options together and say he collects things simply for their monetary value, but takes special pride in the ones that are singular, regarding them as his own set of crown jewels.
He will definitely have a house somewhere either in or just outside the city, and his hoard will be kept within it... on display for the rare individuals he lets in, and so that he can wander through it. I'm kind of thinking a manor house would be perfect for that sort of idea, and since I was planning on putting his resources at the max, probably not out of the question. Which would also allow him to consider the house itself as part of his hoard, and look after it.
I could see Jericho knowing him through his museum/valuable lore connection. Jericho is all about learning and finding out about things. Might make a good guest star. In fact, since we're about to gain the ivory box, he could likely ask about it and play out the first meeting.
Is there any space still available? I'm a huge fan of the Dresden Files and love the RPG. If there is space, let me know and I'll have a character to you shortly.
Sure! I'm actually thinking about a were-goat college dropout from the States backpacking around Europe who ends up involved in something over his head. I'll probably work up a sheet in the near future, just in case.
So, I started working up the profile yesterday while being slightly blocked on coming up with the third phase. It isn't quite finished yet (still needs guest stars and skills), but I thought I'd get it up here to be visible.
Oh, and I got phase three done as well, though I'm having difficulty coming up with a title for it.
The Story
Life as a psuedo-dragon on your own isn't easy. Grillan hadn't expected it to be, of course, but he hadn't been prepared for it to be quite so troublesome. No sooner did he strike out on his own than he ran into difficulties with other supernaturals... beings which thought of him as a pawn to be moved about. His first major encounter with the supernatural, without any backup, was with a warlock who sought to Grillan's own (albeit small) hoard as a link for a ritual which would have allowed him to dominate the dragon, in the early 1960s. The ritual worked, to a limited degree; it didn't allow the sorcerer to dominate Grillan's acts directly, but it did let him compel Grillan into committing a few thefts for his benefit, and interfering in the Wardens attempt to hunt down the sorcerer.
Unfortunately for the warlock, Grillan didn't enjoy being bound to another's will, and was aware of what had been done. He spent what time he was able to studying how he'd been bound, and carefully fraying the bindings, often needing to enlist help from others in what he was doing. Finally, with the Wardens closing in again, the wizard tried to compel Grillan to die fighting them, but the Grillan had bound his mind tightly in spells that shattered the delicate control the warlock had been exercising when this happened... but also left him unconscious.
He showed up at the warlock's trial, and insisted on challenging the warlock under the accords with the Wardens standing as the neutral part officiating, under the argument that he had been the one wronged, and so it was his right to insist on satisfaction by his own hand. The warlock died in his breath shortly thereafter, as Grillan proved remarkably resistant to the powers the other tried to bring to bear.
The Aspect:No Power But Mine!
Phase 4 - Guest Starring
When a man brings Grillan a rare antique breastplate for an appraisal before going missing, all sorts of parties begin to trouble him in his new English home. The police are looking for the item that they say was stolen from a private collection, the red court says it is belongs to them, the fae say they were promised it as payment of a debt, and the client's son claims he inherited it. Can Grillan figure out the rightful owner, and why the item is significant to so many, without making any major enemies?
So there's still some work to be done, I admit... but I'm getting there.
Ok, assuming DSX is good with it, I've posted my character (less guest star phases) in the profile attached here. Totally willing to go over anything you'd like, DSX. I'm also thinking that Kenneth here would love to get his hands on Brigid's Bow, which would be an Item of Power -- I even thought of tying everything but his Faith powers into an item like that, but I just couldn't quite make it click for him -- plus, I figure it makes for a good hook/reward for later.
So would you mind being a foil to Jericho Ken? To be perfectly honest Jericho doesn't understand faith magic and believes it's more of a "unconscious magic". He won't be directly antagonistic as a person but in his thoughts he will be shall we say... less than respectful of your goddesses power. Just a thought. I could imagine us being friendly to each other, while both disagreeing with each others beliefs and finding them to be foolish either way.
The Lil' Bill concept just isn't going to work for a York, he needs a bigger denser urban setting for him to really work.
I still want a pure mortal caracter with lots of conections so I'm thinking of a character who is landed gentry and an ex-SAS officer, ala Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart.
I should have him stated out tonight.
That's brilliant everyone's character seems really interesting & should work really well. Xabulba/Trip - he seems to work better, sorry you couldn't play lil' Bill.
Kenneth, yes everything is good with your character too. Sorry, I didn't get back to you.
If you all want to move over to the discussion thread we can get the guest stars; rotes and finer points worked out.
In case you need him, the backstory for the Weregoat...
Spoiler:
Tangris Bjornsson grew up different. Not just different from his eight brothers and sisters, who were Nordic to their core: tall, blond and fair, where he was small, curly haired and dark. Not just different in temperament: they were bright and happy while he was prone to anger and laziness. Different in that, when the moon was full, he turned into a goat.
A goat.
Not a wolf, not a tiger, not a bear: a goat.
Of course he knew he was adopted, that was never hidden from him or spoken of with shame. His adopted father told him of his true heritage when he was 13 and the change first came upon him, that he was a foundling, a descendent of the goats that pulled Thor's chariot, the blood of heroes, 'gifted' with the ability to change between forms.
Of course, one of those forms was a foot shorter than his smallest sister and the other was a goat.
Tangris was not amused.
He left for college as soon as he could, choosing a school as far from the Nords as he could, attending Florida State and studying engineering. He lasted until his Junior year, when he told his parents that he was going to seek his ancestral homeland and learn of his heritage. The truth was he wanted to bum around Europe and drink and smoke exotic weeds. But the Parents were thrilled by this sudden embrace of his heritage, so they even bought him a round trip ticket with an open return date and an year's worth of Eurail passes. Not bad, Tangris thought.
He spent the past six months slumping around Europe, finally ending up in York, slightly stoned and definitely low on funds.
Physically Tangris is small and stout, about 5' 5" if he stretches and 150 lbs of lean muscle. He has dark eyes and short black curly hair, which truth to tell, covers about 75% of his body. He's strong and tough, always willing to let his fist lead the conversation. Luckily while he's quick to anger, he's quick to forget, too. Even more luckily, he's got a certain charm with the ladies, possibly owing to his, um, manly gifts.
I'm at work, so no access to my books. I'll work up the character sheet and post it in the next few days.
Just need to get my focus items and enchanted items written up. I just wrote in that his parents were dealers in antiquities. So I can write up my items with that in mind.
Also, his 'father' wasn't his real father, but his mother was a full wizard, he just found that out in the last 'tale'.
Also, his spells use Basque as their language. Kinda fun, I love using google translate for gaming.
