Kawaii Rebirth

Game Master BastianQuinn

Sorry for this dropping from my spotlight, I intended to make a post a bit ago, but things have been busy (I applied to a new game, making it that much more busy!)

Thank you for the update.

No worries. Wrath of the Righteous has been -really- demanding the last little bit, so I've been pumping out the best posts I can there, and that's been taking more than an hour, because there are so many different factors playing into how I should be playing my character (she's protective of her troops, there's a threat that only she was truly equipped to deal with, dealing with that threat would overextend her and cause her to take massive amounts of damage, then in the middle of dealing with the threat only she was really equipped for, a succubus showed up and pushed all the right buttons, which meant that Ary's focus swapped to her... but she'd have to leave her allies in danger to deal with that immediately...), resulting in my waffling on the best course of action. It's been super rough, but totally worth it.

The new campaign is actually for Rise of the Runelords AE. I got accepted, so there was a bit more work to do as well. I think I put together a really strong character for that, so I was really pleased to get in. :)

I also saw Monster of the Week, but was a little slow to get posted. I don't think I'd have been able to match up with the creative juices flowing in that particular recruitment thread, anyway, so all the better. :P

Also, I could have made some purreases in my last post, but that seemed culturally insensitive, and didn't make it past the editors.

If we're doing EGG HUNT!, then this is an excellent opportunity for us to take the 'not go on the mission' option for Tracy and make her the head of the party committee, if we want to go that route. It could add a bit of intrigue to the whole affair, but I figure the clock will be short...

I'll take the +2 Stress— after all, Ao is getting stressed, even if it isn't shown.
That's... 5 dice?
Perceive: 5d6 ⇒ (6, 4, 2, 3, 3) = 18

So... no opinions?

There's an interesting thought...

Are Yokai Pacts still a thing that happens, then? How common are they?

There has been no evidence of pacts or trinkets/weapons since the cataclysm. Those pacts which were in effect during the cataclysm were broken when the Veil tore. The ley lines which defined the borders for the 13 pact holders were the stitching in the quilt of your two worlds, the veil was like the padding.

No feedback from the party on my choice, so... more feedback from DM?

What happens if I choose to be able to elect the leader of the Pity Committee, outside of a possible mission bonus... since I don't know if we'll be doing a 'steal all the eggs!' episode?

If the team is in control of the social mixers I can't use the party against you. No agents of Darkness are privy to private conversations you set during the party, and you can use the party to ambush the agents of Darkness. It's already a haven away from erohin and yokai, and it isn't being used to advance the Darkness's agenda, but this way you can use it against the Darkness. A public extension of your Hideout.

Mostly wanted to try to offer a choice of how to treat the critical.

a haven away from yokai

3: Sad Kitty.

I think I like this option more than the 'friends with Azu' option, because it fits better narratively. Chessa, Conquest, and Brilliance are involved currently, while Azu is not. So, unless others want to suggest I just take the friend points, I think putting someone in control of the party is our best option.

With Nobody not-existing and Chessa not-attending (unless she's placed in control of it?), who should we nominate to lead the parties?

I currently have several ideas for what I'd like to do with my character's other downtime action, but I'm waiting to see what other people do so I don't hedge people in with my choices.

So, what are you guys looking towards doing with your downtime actions?

Next week I'll be traveling for work. Don't know how it might effect my posting.

I'll write up a nice summary of options this weekend, hoping it'll stir something up.

I'm still here. Having a lot of life happening at the moment. Am going to try to get some gameplay posts in this week, promise.

Was moving. Just got everything connected.

I appreciate the updates. It's a busy time of year.

I was wondering who Phil was for a moment there.
Then I checked back on the Ao's update...and then on my own reply to the obligation prompt.

I have inadvertently invited horror unto that poor manticore.

In any case, I find myself a little lost as I curse my loss of save data - mainly as to the basic overview of the mission that keeps going awry. I feel like I should know well enough, but I'm struggling to gather a solid enough image in my head that I have enough internal context to elaborate on my prompts.

Could I have a little help here?

Sorry about the radio silence, by the way. My sleep schedule's been a little screwed up, and it's done a number on when and how long I'm awake.

If I am interpreting BastianQuin's post correctly, you get to define what the mission regarding Phil might be, Junpei; with the caveat that it will take place in/around the tavern scene while Conquest, Brilliance, and their respective entourages are occupied with their dungeon crawl. Which probably means that you (and possibly Chessa) will need to come up with a good excuse why you aren't accompanying them (Brilliance/Conquest)...
Fortunately, Chessa's team-building exercise idea probably qualifies,or at the least, you can spin it, possibly with help.

edit: My recommendation would be to see if you/we can't do something about Phil hurting...

Here's the sittuation:

Brilliance and Conquest are heading a team of murderhobos who are basically doomed to push the manticore over the edge. They are on their way to whatever decorated basement that scene will take place in. The humans of the purity council are invited to participate in a gathering at the tavern. The intent is for them to socialize and brainstorm some rumors to feed back to the adventuring party (Brilliance, Conquest, et al); however, in at least one version of the future, one of the Erohin fell to Darkness, and while you may not remember what that means, it was so bad it corrupted Junpei's save states.

Things to bear in mind:
You're going in with roles determined by a PC.
Some folks at the party may be agents of Darkness, but you can give them roles that will keep them separate and occupied.
Your engagement roll will determine how many obstacles are between the team and Phil. Maybe the way is clear to reach him before the Erohin, maybe you're tied up by Takara the self-righteous brainwash tutor at the tavern.

My question is more or less: what are the two biggest, most obvious obstacles? Do the Hunters get involved? Is it hard to shake the agents of Darkness? Is the LARP itself dangerously realistic? Other stuff might come up, but what are you prepared to face? How do you see things going wrong? I can fill in details if you want to pick a character and just say they were a problem.

Also: Chessa and Junpei may take roles in the adventuring party as part of their Erohin's entourage, but are also welcome to take roles at the tavern.

You still have some downtime actions, I'm just giving y'all a bit of an idea of what you're preparing for.

Correction: Chessa would have to figure out how and in what form they would be crashing the tavern party, or just catch up with Brilliance and keep an eye on them.

It's a good idea to use some Downtime Actions stocking up on healing potions Social Links. You get a few, and each heals 2 Stress, among other effects.

Edit: You can use downtime actions at the party to make friends among the purity committee. Friends give you dice in rolls they're proficient with if you bring them along. Just try not to get them killed.

And don't be afraid to take risks, get messy, and make mistakes. I get a flashback downtime action which lets me have a friendly chat with someone to be your SUDDEN INSPIRATION for going on!

Of course, if no one needs the lay on paws, we still get some advantage out of long term projects she can work on!

Are you kidding? I'm the mysterious stranger in the corner of the tavern...

Or maybe I'm Brilliance's animal companion and/or familiar? (Which would she have?) Ugh... decisions, decisions... If I go this route, expect some flashbacks to make things easier for the party, as Nobody knew the way. :P

It is your choice. Do you want Brilliance in the front row, or the back row?

I have several ideas for what I would like to do:

Investigate the Darkness (More specifically, focusing on Conquest and Brilliance in the scene Chessa was already in)
Continue a Long Term Project (BREAKIN' The WALLS, BREAKIN' THE WALLS)
Begin a Long Term Project (どんな御用でしょうか, Brilliance-sama?)
Create Social Links (Like you said, we've already got two stressed players!)
Begin a different Long Term Project (どんな御用でしょうか, Petrichor-chan?)
Begin still another Long Term Project (AZU FRIENDSHIP POWERZ, ACTIVATE.)
Something else that gets inspired by some other clever player, or ideally, in support of some other clever player's goals... :3

So... as you can see, I'm at no shortage of things that I want to do...

RE: Brilliance in the Front or Back... I think they're always gonna be in the back. There's a more clear view to be had there, unless they're getting in deep like Chessa? Regardless, it's more, are they an Arcanist in their LARPS or are they a NATUREPERSON? I think Arcanist is more inherently fitting, but I don't really play roleplaying games to be what I already am ;)

As an aside, I heavily gender Brilliance as a direct result of the whole Tenshi thing, and much edits were pursued.

Erohin as a race are not prone to being eco-concious. I think they would only lean into that kind of lore as a barbed social statement, and probably not execute it very well.

I'm picturing something like a shaman or witch. Probably some kind of insane min/maxy third party multiclass gish.

If you try for the Brilliance LTP, do a little RP first before you roll dice. I'm not sure the mechanical outcome you're looking for is a possibility at this time. It would be a 12-clock to turn them from the Darkness in a LTP.

I just realized LTP is long-term project... not little tea party. I am only minorly disappointed.

Do you guys have anything in mind for what you want to accomplish, in character goals and such? :)

Holy s#~~, it's been two months since I posted anything in-game...

Full Disclosure, while I am...

90%...

certain I don't have SAD, this is still an absolute s@@@ time of year for me. Not aided in any meaningful way by the current interpersonal conflicts presently ongoing between myself, my ex, and our son.

I really was hoping to have an actual gameplay post today...

I am still going to aim for one by this weekend.

I'm just so tired of always being weary.

I'm glad to hear you're still about.

I can't think of anything supportive to say that doesn't sound dismissive. Family can be rough.

Is the LARP a consequence of the house arrest, or simply the most recent in an ongoing 'chronicle'?

A consequence of the house arrest.

Darn it, I had ideas...

I mean, I still have ideas, they just aren't as amusing for me personally, and will require more contemplating.

Yeah, I thought they had just found a space in which they could geek out together. I had no idea that Conquest was *that guy* that said 'It's my house, so you have to do what I say, and we're Larping. Now you get the nerf gun, and I get to hit you with my foam bat.' :O

Is the investigation clock-tracker current?

Oh, no. Conquest has to watch Brilliance as a third party to the investigations. They're both pretty chill though, and this is how the two have both decided to spend that time rather than sitting around doing nothing. That said, it's not a part of an ongoing campaign.

The other NPCs are involved as part of their obligations. They may or may not be earnest about their involvement.

The investigation clock is current.

poke?

Poke is fair. I've been percolating... And being a bad player. I'll get something up after work or tomorrow am!

I'm more wondering how many are still checking in. It's alright if folks are busy, but if it's down to just you and me, I need to either close up shop or open recruitment...

Yeah. I get that. I'm open to either! I really dig you as a DM and your games so I'm quite open to whatever you have in mind. :)

It's not just you!

I have been having massive feels lately. Trying to get back into being productive at more than simply paycheck stuff.

I feel it. Life has many rhythms, and sometimes I'll go through periods where it's hard to find the Quiet Place I need to write, or reach out, or care, or just be in my skin. I don't have advice or a solution.

Part of this, for me, is having social interactions without having to deal with real life. The play-by-post format maintains an expectation and anticipation that helps me come back to it when I'm feeling distant.

It's really hard to choose to post this.

I hope it comes off as sincere.

This is exactly the kind of topic that's so hard to convey in black and white, and a part of what I like about the central push of this game, at least as I've read it... and written it.

It wouldn't be too difficult to recruit, but I think this story is a bit too baked. Too many layers that are artifacts of friends I don't see anymore...

What would you like to play if we could start fresh? Anything. Do we want to plug into something a bit more established, to avoid writers' block? It seemed like players had trouble creating in such an empty, abstract space.

Are there any burning questions about this setting? I can tip my hand about some of the central mysteries...

Still here, still checking in, but it's like before.

There are so few parameters that I don't know what Ao is capable of. Given that I'm picturing this as an anime— albeit "Madoka" meets "Bakemonogatari" overshadowed with a bit of the fatalism of "Deadman Wonderland" set in the frame of an abstract painting– it comes off as more "artistic", and feels like this is the prequel of things that happen before the pilot is even pitched. Connections are being formed, but the time seems fluid, and while there is the possibility of going anywhere, that seems to be a bit of the problem.

They're linked by the Matagama, and The Hideout. Past that, they have to navigate the petty whims and machinations of their Erohin, while juggling the baggage they carry and trying to find a way to crack the foundation so that the Erohin will crumble under the weight of their own hubris... Certainly more shoujo than shonen a premise, and I am frankly unused to having such free reign.

That said, I'm here, but a bit stymied at what Ao should be doing, because I'm distracted by all the things that Ao could be doing.

It's way too late at night for me, but I'm coming back at this in the morning with something which should help frame things.

This next mission, for one, should really compare and contrast this game with a traditional sword and sorcery rpg, and help contextualize your agency. More than that, though, I want to highlight for each of you more of your role and arc, and say a few things discreetly which I may not have made clear enough.

For now, the next chance you get, post three to five questions that you have. Questions about characters, or setting, questions about mechanics, anything that's on your mind about this game. I won't spoil anything, but I'll make sure you understand, both fictionally and mechanically. Sometime tomorrow I'll have a big, rambly/organized post.

I think the singular most important thing is that Ao should be doing, what Ao desires to be doing, as long as Ao feels he can without causing too much trouble for himself. Maybe you want to take short cuts to get what you want via devil's bargains and such, or maybe you want to do it the long, hard way, allowing yourself mastery over your decision.

There are a lot of things you can be doing. Maybe you want to go to a library (maybe -the- library), and just check out some fiction to check out your character, and maybe that's a long term project towards... something. This is a very lovely sandbox, though I can understand if the setting itself frightens you with its weighty oppression.

@BQ: I personally have nothing to ask of you, preferring to let the dice, the blank canvas, and my impressions of the painting we're working on together do the talking. I enjoy throwing curve balls, and the more I know about situations, the less adept I will be at helping you to build a story that you didn't foresee. I understand that there are a lot of outlines that you have, but I feel it best if I muddle them, for maximum chaos. My OOC questions will tend towards the other players and how best to help them shine from the dark. :)

If I did have any questions, it would be what you were interested in running, should you still feel the desire to change frames of reference? Short of *exceedingly dark and morally bankrupt* pursuits, I think I'd gladly follow you into just about anything you wanted to run. And even then, I did opt in as a designated driver... :)

Edit: I suppose, one question... is there anything you would like to see me doing more?

Everyone has a million names, but only two or three signature descriptors. There is only one character in play who is deceptively described.

~~Roles~~
The mechanics of this game will really start making sense if you work together.

~~Plot threads~~
Again, nothing here I don't think I've shown on screen, just making sure what I think is obvious has been stated in plain English.

~~Character Arcs~~
I try to incorporate anything you latch onto into the story, and I try to keep my notes concise to help focus the story (and so I have tables to roll on if I don't know what to do next). Ensemble casts are hard enough to keep track of. That said, what I see in your posts and interpret as interest may not be what you're actually interested in. So please correct me if there's something missing here, or if you aren't actually interested in one of these things.

I suppose, one question... is there anything you would like to see me doing more?

You're doing very well by keeping the thread alive without over-posting. If we can get into some regular posting, we'll get the hang of this system and how we can use it to tell a story.

I will do my best to offer options more often, just know that when I do, you're not limited to those options.

Don't get stuck feeling like every mission needs to count, or even be successful. I hope the above shows that I'm keeping track of what catches people's attention, and that I'll bring the spotlight around when the time is ripe.

Ironic, that saving the bird has never occurred to Chessa as an option. :P

I suppose that w lot of it is also that enigma is a natural fit for my playstyle and having impenetrable masks lets me do things no one else can...

In keeping with what BQ pointed out, I think it's worth noting that that's a really strong way of looking at the skills. If you do look at the game in the vein of an anime, anyone can do anything, if they're lucky... but in keeping with tropes, typically you want to see the sneaky character sneaking to learn things, or the righteous character shielding the other characters from something, etc.

With that in mind, I think that the outline for what our skills say about us are particularly worth paying attention to. If you saw Captain America defuse a bomb, you would be confused; yes, he could do so by luck, but Iron Man is the guy you want working on the bomb. Captain America is the guy who - when no other option presents itself - jumps on the bomb with his shield on top of it to limit the damage and scope.

There will tend to be multiple ways to make solutions, and characters should absolutely be encouraged to leverage what they're good at in an attempt to do it. There are *right ways* that will be more effective and there will be *wrong ways* that are less effective, but typically you really want to limit the opportunity for catastrophic failure by guaranteeing even a small success.

Some examples: A soldier can dive on a grenade with great effect, but with desperate position
... or could try to dive behind a wall for controlled/limited,
... or could try to kick it away for risky/standard effect.

And all of these could be either Defy or Flow, depending on how you wanted to flavor it. You could also attempt to 'see it coming' with perceive, get to a safe place with conceal, maybe even try to talk down the grenadier before he throws it...

There will absolutely be situations where you can't try to leverage your strengths, and those strengths will be weaker in some situations, but as a general rule, you can either attempt to prevent the bad thing from happening with just about any sort of roll. And it's within the fiction that *how* you leverage what you're doing has these benefits and drawbacks. Watching Bruce Banner try to sneak into a building because Natasha Romanov is busy is entertaining in a very different way... because you're more waiting for the shoe to drop because he isn't playing to his strengths. If he was able to pull it off flawlessly without playing to his strengths, that's gonna raise more eyebrows than him jumping through the walls to get to that prison cell his friend is locked in.

Does all of that make sense?

Sorry for the absence. I'm still checking in, but I'm finding it harder to post here.
A lot of why I was so involved with this place was the interactions too, but when people's presence is more sparse and it only feels like a couple of people are about, you lose a bit of that. During a lull in site activity, I ended up stumbling onto another site that focused on a series I was fond of and decided to take a look, and from there...well, I integrated into the community, and made new friends there.
I do love you guys, and I love the stuff we do and have done, but I'm not going to lie and say I'm invested here in the same way now, now that I've stumbled onto somewhere else where that craving for social interaction has been satisfied in a way I never would have thought before.

I don't intend to vanish completely, and I'll be perfectly happy to talk with you guys if that's something you wanna do, but I don't think I'm going to be actually participating so much any more the way I did constantly once upon a time.
So, yeah, that's the story. I thought I should give it rather than leave you wondering what was going on.

I won't say I'm not disappointed, but thank you for letting us know. I am glad you have found a place that fulfills you as this no longer seems to.

...Does all of that make sense?

Yes. You have no idea how much better that makes me feel! That gives me a frame through which to view the game, and that was something that I was lacking. Give me a day or so to formulate ideas, and I'll likely drop a post on the weekend.

In what ways are you utterly failing at your job?

It's funny how I completely missed this aspect of how we were supposed to be interacting with 'mundane' reality...

Of course, in retrospect, it is painfully obvious how Tracy is failing at being a simple cleaning drudge, rather than quietly & all but invisibly 'making the problem go away', every time she does her job she makes certain (usually unconsciously) that people are aware of that something bad happened there it is still a place to be cautious of.

Hey Bastian? Is it possible to have an NPC as both a friend & an enemy? 'Cause a part of me suspects that Perfection occasionally has to flip a coin about how they feel about Tracy...

I'm taking advantage of the fact that I literally can't get out of my street to make it in to work to today to try & be creative & post here.

I think it's possible to be frenemies. The mechanical function of friend and enemy aren't mutually exclusive.

First, we should decide on the primary goal of the mission. The Investigation track is full enough to allow for any mission type, but if you take a lower tier mission, you'll get bonus dice on the Engagement roll. You can still complete any one of these goals during this mission to gain extra team xp. (The pool always starts at 1D)

Cleanse a person or location (2D total)
"Dispel the darkness tainting a special place or person." This is if your primary goal is to talk Phil down and keep him from eclipsing. (+2D for the tier) It's the heroic-est thing you could do, but the dominoes are set, and the clock is ticking. Your preparations are only enough to match those of the Darkness. Your Enemies will be working against you. (-1D) The best of two dice would determine how well the boring part of the mission went.

Face a creature of Darkness (5D total)
"Confront a manifestation of the Darkness" This is if you're not sure if you can reach Phil in time, and you think the primary goal should be to keep everyone safe after Phil has turned. (+2D for the tier) This is less heroic, but you're well prepared. (+1D) and in this case, you're more focused on your friends, and aren't facing direct conflict from your enemies. (+1D) This mission would be a piece of cake! Best of five dice.

Seek answers in a strange place (1D total)
"Look for clues to the nature of the Darkness, or its intentions, in unexpected places. (Investigation does not reduce by half during fallout after this mission.)" This is if the team's goal is to better-understand the operations of the Darkness. (+1D for the tier) Saving Phil will be a plus, but you'll have your eyes on Azumamaro Tsuchi and Brilliance, who you know will be there, and Vigor and Ayatori, who might show up. This isn't exactly the purest of intentions, but it's not emblematic of the Darkness. The Darkness wasn't the focus of investigations, and you're not sure the agents you know are good sources of information. (-1D) Your friends and enemies balance out on this mission. Everything would hang on one die.

Reclaim an object of power (3D total)
"Retrieve a lost relic that relates to the crew's destiny" This is if your primary goal is to steal the four Shuji eggs in the treasure room without being caught. (+1D for the tier) Reviving a friend is noble. (+1D) There was plenty of investigation on the topic, and no one is expecting this. (+1D) There are, however, enemies who might cause trouble. (-1D) In this case, you'd take the highest of two dice.

Strike at the heart of Darkness! (-2D total)
"Face the Darkness where it is strongest, in the hopes of disrupting its plans." This would be if you decided to confront Brilliance or Azumamaro and Ayatori, and everything else is optional. Bold, but not particularly noble. Striking out now reflects the Darkness more than you know. (-1D) The Darkness is well defended against a direct attack, considering you haven't identified a leader. (-1D) This mission would center around a friend, but enemies abound. Unless you have a shot in the Dark about what's going on here, you'd be rolling two dice, and taking the lowest.