Gryphon173 Posted April 2 Clone Share Posted April 2 (edited) Shuistliel In another world, under a Shadowed sun, there was a woman named Nancy Collins, a survivalist -- some would have said, "nutcase" -- and a veteran soldier in the Army of a vast union of states. That woman would have recognized the Enemy in the unnatural thing in the nest, and so does her successor Shuistliel. This is the thief, or a representation of the thief. Burning a Sorcery point to keep the spell attached to his mind, the Vancian wizard leaps up into the nest, drawing his black survivalist's combat axe as he does. NEW! Character Arcs Develop a Bond: Shuistliel realizes he has too few friends, and would like to expand his circle of true friends. Solve a Mystery: There's a ton of questions surrounding the webbing of his neighborhood and the swirl of angry birds aloft, and Shuistliel wants answers to all of them. And he can handle the truth! Description Shuistliel is a very handsome man with long silver hair and green eyes the color of fine emeralds. He is dressed as he usually is, in a nice suit, jacket, and pants, and he has his usual snake-headed cane along. He moves quite agilely, like a dancer, perhaps. What's unusual this morning is the black survival combat axe carried in one hand while the cane is tucked under an arm. Pools Certes Accuracy: 3/3 Movement: 3/3 Physicality: 2/2 Perception: 3/3 Qualia Sorcery: 2/4 Interaction: 3/3 Intellect: 3/3 Sortilege: 3/3 Hidden Knowledge: 10 Injuries: Wounds: Anguish: Rests: 1 round, 1 round, 10 minutes, 1 hour Edited April 3 by TheRaconteur (see edit history) Name xDiceName xDiceResult xDiceString xDiceRolls Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ganurath Posted April 2 Clone Share Posted April 2 (edited) Aldrion Phect As Liel moved up, Aldrion started to draw his sword. He hadn't expected things to get violent, at least not this soon, but he couldn't be said to be ill-prepared for it. Not as prepared as he could be, but the spell he had in mind to solve things didn't take too long to cast. One of the many ways that Thought Becomes Motion was a convenient spell. As for the apparent name thief's question? "Seems like it is, yeah." Character Arcs Uncover a SecretThere is knowledge out there that you want. This arc is a great way to get one of the secrets in the chapter Character and House Secrets that the GM has said aren’t readily available. Likewise, it could be an attempt to find and learn a specific rare spell or ritual. This could also be a hunt for a lost magic word or key that will open a sealed door, the name of a devil, the secret name of an important person, or just how the arabast fashioned their windows in ancient times. Cost: Seeker. You pay a cost of 2 Acumen. Opening: Naming the Secret. 1 Acumen reward. You give your goal a name. “I am seeking the lost martial art of the Khendrix, who could slice steel with their bare hands.” Step(s): Research. 1 Acumen reward. You scour libraries and old tomes for clues and information. Step(s): Investigation. 1 Acumen reward. You talk to people to gain clues and information. Step(s): Tracking. 1 Acumen reward. You track down the source of the secret information and travel to it. Climax: Revelation. 2 Acumen reward. You find and attempt to use the secret, whatever that entails. A successful resolution results in 1 Joy. Failure results in 1 Despair. Resolution: 1 Acumen reward. You contemplate how this secret affects you and the world. - Current Step: Seeker CleanseSomeone or something has been contaminated, probably by foul magic, and you want to rid them of such influences. This might be a curse, a possession, an infestation, or something else. Cost: Becoming Aware of the Need. You pay a cost of 2 Acumen. Opening: Analyzing the Threat. 1 Acumen reward. You determine the nature of the contamination. Step: Find the Solution. 2 Acumen reward. Almost every contamination has its own particular solution, and this likely involves research and consultation. Step: Getting Ready. 1 Acumen reward. The solution probably involves materials, spells, or other things that you must gather and prepare. Climax: The Cleansing. 3 Acumen reward. You confront the contamination. A successful resolution results in 1 Joy. Failure results in 1 Despair. Resolution: 1 Acumen reward. You reflect on the events that have transpired and what effects they might have on the future. How can you keep this from happening again? - Current Step: Analyzing the Threat Description Aldrion prefers to cover up, as his time in the Shadow working in repairs instilled him with an appreciation of proper protection. He has a scar over one eyebrow, presumably from a narrow miss taken during the war. He favors a style that mixes plain colors with the odd splash of supernatural hues, often in shades of or near indigo in representation of his newfound appreciation for the truth. Pools Certes Accuracy: 2/2 Movement: 3/3 Physicality: 2/2 Perception: 2/2 Qualia Sorcery: 3/8 Interaction: 3/3 Intellect: 2/3 Sortilege: 3/3 Hidden Knowledge: 11 Injuries: Wounds: Anguish: Rests: 1 round, 1 round, 10 minutes, 1 hour Edited April 2 by TheRaconteur (see edit history) Name xDiceName xDiceResult xDiceString xDiceRolls Pay 5 Sorcery to Add Bene Plus Empathy 13 drop(2d10,lowest)+6 7,5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amora Posted April 2 Clone Share Posted April 2 (edited) Felicia Ainsworth Violence then. Lovely. Isn't it just? Who doesn't like a dust up to settle a matter of what belongs to who? Finally! Mayhem, Murder, Violence! A Language, A song, A dance! Careful, little painter. We don't want to spoil our work with impatience... It would almost be an understatement in the moment to say that the Maker's mind and soul were now suddenly a very, very, very active and loud place as the Chorus, stirred by the promises of cherished and wanton destruction, shrieked, sang, cried, laughed, and battered at the walls of her mind. Their presence crushing in on the Maker again as the others leapt to action and seeming to almost root her in place before she finally relented as there was no other option apparent given that her prior suppositions had been off the mark... but then it begged the question as to what the Ravens had been so eager to see beyond these doors? What were they so devastated by the absence and isolation of? Surely, not this thing? They shrieked at it like an intruder, a desecrater, a literal blight. It didn't matter for the moment though as she did the only thing that made sense in the moment; she agreed with the Chorus. It was never a pleasant sensation as she stared at, past, and through the creature into the shadows, past the shadows, and into the darkness beyond, eyes blackening with every beat of the heart. The Chorus all the while shrieking with manic delight at the promise of what was to come, threatening her focus, threatening the careful flow of energies. The Abyss was not a kind thing to touch, not a kind thing to interact with, but all the same she invited that utter nothing into herself and felt the poison surge through her. Already pale skin grew almost translucent as black bile flowed through veins and arteries, charged with the hateful absence of the Night. Bones soon began to twist, shatter, and reshape with grotesque, alien rapidity as the energies of the Dark were wed with that of the Gold Sun twisting and corrupting her frame as it was stretched out from the diminutive figure she cut to something towering and bestial. Every change keenly felt as muscle and sinew soon joined in stretching taut, snapping, and reknitting to accommodate this new savage aspect. Drunk now on the pain now and the cacophony of competing influences within her, she barely noticed as newly predator teeth tore up, out and through from a ravaged gum line to form a far too broad maw. Her delicate bones, flesh, and sinew of her hands shattering, snapping, and reknitting in kind only for each finger to swell and bulge at the second knuckle before bursting into long, sickeningly black talons. The Maker's mind was a shocked haze for just a moment longer then before the Chorus forced her into a laser focus, forcing their shared body forward towards the entity with hungry anticipation. Character Arcs EstablishmentYou want to prove yourself as someone of importance. This can take many forms—socially, within your order, financially, or even romantically. Cost: The Need for Proof. You pay a cost of 2 Acumen. Opening: Assessment. 1 Acumen reward. You assess yourself as well as who you need to prove yourself to. Step(s): Appearances Matter. 1 Acumen reward. You improve your look. Enhance your wardrobe. Spruce up your house. Whatever it takes to get attention from the right people. There might be many such steps. Step(s): Self-Aggrandizement. 1 Acumen reward. You need to get the word out to get people talking about you. There might be many such steps. Climax: Grabbing Attention. 3 Acumen reward. You do something big, like host a party for influential people or produce a play that you wrote. You make a big splash (1 Joy) or a big crash (1 Despair). Resolution: 1 Acumen reward. You reflect on what you did and where you go from here - Current Step: The Need for Proof Develop a BondYou want to get closer to another character. This might be to make a friend, find a mentor, or establish a contact in a position of power. It might be to turn a friend into a much closer friend. The character might be an NPC or a PC. In the case of an NPC, the end result might be an NPC bond, and in the case of a PC it’s a PC bond. Cost: Putting Yourself Out There. You pay a cost of 2 Acumen. Opening: Getting to Know You. 1 Acumen reward. You learn what you can about the other character. Step: Initial Attempt. 1 Acumen reward. You attempt to make contact. This might involve sending messages or gifts through a courier, using an intermediary, or just going up and saying hello, depending on the situation. Step(s): Building a Relationship. 2 Acumen reward. There might be many such steps as you develop the relationship. Climax: Bond. 3 Acumen reward. You succeed or fail at forging the bond. A successful resolution results in 1 Joy. Failure results in 1 Despair. Resolution: 1 Acumen reward. You enjoy the fruits of your new relationship. - Current Step: Getting to Know You Description Description It's the eyes, really, that most fixate upon first. The hues of crimson and gold spinning, twisting, merging in their depths as they seem to give a clear window into the utter depths of Felicia's mind with their uniquely expressive quality. That there feels to be a thousand, a hundred thousand, pairs of eyes staring back from behind those initial windows to the soul only seems to cement the impression of something troublesome, something worrying to compliment the elfin quality of her sharp features and diminutive frame. That sensation of malice, of gleeful cruelty, welling up from somewhere in those depths even as she comports herself with nothing but cheerful, if stoic, mannerisms and inexhaustible impressions of attention to the minute aesthetics of every gesture, motion, and twist of both herself and the world around her. In matters of garb, she tends to play to the company she plans for with blouses, dresses, and pants of riotous colors among the bohemian communes of Fartown to the carefully coordinated yet still somehow esoteric gowns and suits of high society galas and soirees. Each and every ensemble meticulously planned and coordinated like one of the great works of her brushes. The only break from this carefully crafted aesthetic seems to be her hair, pale and bloodless as her complexion. It's length healthy, glossy, and well tended but cursed with creative differences in how it curls and falls. Despite this, it seems always to blend, practically meld, seamlessly into any trim of fur or feather that might adorn a chosen outfit. Like those glimpses of alien malice and cruelty in the depths of her eyes, there always seems to be a discordant element that shadows her. Whether it be a flicker of something other in the crimson depths of her eyes, the way her shadow seems to twitch and twist without her ever moving, or how her reflection never quite seems to be her... It becomes all too clear that her body and soul might be host to something besides merely the artist... Worse still is the careful and delicate work of brush and needle; whisking away bruises here, deep scratches or cuts there, all damning evidence of struggles with the self. In the Guise of Immanis The energies of the Abyss are, by its very nature, an instrument of the Dark and unkind as a rule to the essential fabric of whatever is and may be. It is only by the tempering elements of the Gold Sun that the taking in of such hostile energies is more than merely an elaborate form of suicide. The raw stresses of this are quite evident then when Madame Ainsworth invokes so terrible a spell. Her already pale skin grows to be a lifeless gray, gaining an unseemly translucence that is easily pierced by even the wane light of Fartown beneath the Indigo Sun. The lines and forms of every bone visible from just the right angles as they shatter, stretch, and mend with an agonizing rapidity to drag her up to a daunting height. Sinew, muscle and tendon all the while snapping, recoiling, and reforming to accommodate this new and predatory bearing. Veins and arteries, in kind, flow with noxious black as the corruptive energies swirl and take root, her eyes draining of that distinct crimson and gold hue leaving only a single prick of light nearly drowned in a sea of impenetrable black. Were that these the extent of the horrors wrought by the invoking of the Eye of Immanis for one can't help but stare as razor-like teeth push aside whatever may block their way, twisting and gnarling the line of gum and tooth to pierce and part the flesh of the cheek revealing a hideous, too broad maw. A likewise change playing out in the hands as bones shatter and twist as tendons and sinew reinforce to accommodate the agonizingly slow-yet-quick emergence of seven inch talons, black as jet, that now adorn each finger tip. This final change marking the ultimate perversion, turning tools of creation to tools of abject and potent destruction. Pools Certes Accuracy: 3/3 + 3 From Eyes of Immanis Movement: 3/3 Physicality: 1/3 Perception: 4/4 Qualia Sorcery: 3/6 Interaction: 6/6 (+3 from Signature Item) Intellect: 1/3 Sortilege: 1/2 Hidden Knowledge: 10 Injuries: Wounds: Anguish: Rests: 1 round, 1 round, 10 minutes, 1 hour Edited April 3 by Amora (see edit history) Name xDiceName xDiceResult xDiceString xDiceRolls Spending 3 Sorcery, Eye of Immanis 4 drop(2d10,lowest,1) 3,4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aavarius Posted April 3 Clone Share Posted April 3 (edited) Xanah "Hold it, hold it!" Xanah yelled out to the others, open hands spread out in a wary gesture. They had immediately jumped into action and she wanted to make doubly sure that violence wasn't avoidable before they got in over their heads. The weight of the silver, small caliber pistol hanging from the shoulder rig underneath her jacket suddenly felt like a ton of bricks with how aware the situation had made her of its possible need. Xanah hoped she wouldn't need it anytime soon. If this thing was powerful enough to steal from a truespider... "Our..," she she chose her words carefully to match the requirements of a spell, "bloody conceited arse wipe up there might have something to say before we feed its innards to the birds. Remember what kind of powerful beings it was stupid enough to steal from. Never in my life have I seen such a gormless bastard. It's going to wish it hadn't left the leaky orifice it was squeezed out of if it doesn't give back what it stole. Let's let it talk its way out of this. I'd rather hate to waste the ammunition on it." Character Arcs Join an Organization As an arachnophile, I'm being groomed to join the Cacophony, an association of spiders whose name only really makes sense to spiders. They seek to establish diplomatic ties with the Angular Serpentine. Current StepYou want to join an organization. This likely is not an order, since vislae start the game already belonging to an order if they wish it. Vislae often join other organizations as well, however, and this arc is a great way to portray that. Cost: The Decision to Join. You pay a cost of 2 Acumen. Opening: Getting the Details. 1 Acumen reward. You learn all you can about the organization and how one becomes a member. Step(s): Making a Contact. 1 Acumen reward. Friends on the inside are always important. Step(s): Performing a Deed. 2 Acumen reward. The organization might want to test your worth, or this might be a ceremony you must take part in. It might include paying some sort of dues or fee. Or all of these things. Climax: Proving Your Worth. 2 Acumen reward. This is the point at which you attempt to show the organization that they would be better off with you as a member. A successful resolution results in 1 Joy. Failure results in 1 Despair. Resolution: 1 Acumen reward. You consider your efforts and assess what your membership gets you. : The decision to join For now, I remain ignorant that I'm being considered for invitation. Aid a Friend Aldrion Phect wishes to rescue his spouse from Shadow, but first he must Uncover the Secret of how such a task might even be possible. I'm too closeted a romantic to tell him I can't resist helping somebody reunite with their loved one. Current StepSomeone needs your help. When a PC friend takes a character arc, you can select this arc to help them with whatever their arc is (if appropriate). The steps and climax depend entirely on their chosen arc. If the friend is an NPC, the steps and climax are lifted from another arc appropriate to whatever they seek to do. If you have a bond with the friend you are helping, this may increase the Acumen earned with each story point by 1. It’s difficult, but possible, to aid a friend with an arc even if that friend is unwilling to accept (or is ignorant of ) your help. The majority of the cost, story points, and rewards for a character with this arc are the same as those described in the original character arc. Cost: Agreeing to Help. You pay a cost of 2 Acumen. Opening: Answering the Call. 1 Acumen reward. Offering to help (or responding to a request for help). Step(s) and Climax: Depends on the friend’s arc. Acumen, Joy, and Despair rewards are the same for you as for the friend. Resolution: 1 Acumen reward. You speak with your friend and learn if they are satisfied. Together, you share what you’ve learned (if anything) and where you will go from here.: Agreeing to help I've agreed to help, but Aldrion and I haven't discussed it further. Description Appearance Xanah and the possessions on her person lose color saturation in proportion to her amount of sunlight exposure. She's completely grayscale in broad daylight. She otherwise sports a head of medium-length red-brown hair, copper colored eyes, and a fair complexion. Xanah is of unremarkable height and build, a slim physique that belies a lifetime of overindulging. It's only her constantly moving workaholic ethic that keeps her in shape. Her clothing usually favors practicality and comfort, never one to indulge in fashionable fads. Ever conscientious of her habits, Xanah always smells faintly of cinnamon and spice. Personality Lives on coffee, cigars, and favors. Fiercely individualist to a fault. A tarnished heart of gold. Tendency to overindulge. A patron of lost causes, shooter of troubles, slayer of dragons, walker of tightropes, and runner with scissors. Banned from kitchens across the Actuality for abject culinary incompetence. Never met a stranger before but carefully chooses close friendships A closeted romantic, almost disgustingly so. Her sharp tongue and compulsion to kick hornets' nests and turn over rocks makes many enemies. In her Order she's been demoted twice for it. Occupation Xanah describes herself as "creatively entrepreneurial," which is to say she doesn't actually have a traditional occupation. As previously mentioned, she lives off favors. These keep her constantly busy juggling a tangled web of commitments, investments, activism, and odd-jobs that she's perfectly satisfied living in the middle of. Income can be wildly inconsistent, but she's never been one to require much in the way of creature comforts. She's just as likely to blow a windfall on a hopeless cause as she is to devote it to a strategic endeavor. "Money," she says, "is just a means to an end, grease for the skids." She toys with the idea of running for office but talks herself out of it, saying that nobody would vote for her anyway. Despite her modest self-assessment, the growing network of contacts she's been developing suggests she might get more support than she realizes. Dichotomies Wealth or Fame - "It's all in who you know." Friends or Family - "I don't make close friends easy, but the few I have are basically family." Power or Control - "I'm the spider dead center in the web." Introvert or Extrovert - "There's nothing I love more than good company." Order or Chaos - "A little strategic chaos keeps the omnipotent busybodies from getting too comfortable." Freedom or Safety - "'Live free or die trying', I say." Society or the Individual - "Society is people. Make a difference for one and you make a different society." Generosity or Greed - "You give a little to get a little. Sometimes, well...sometimes people need me to give a little more." Moral code or Instinct - "Scruples are what separates man from the animals." Ego or Id - "Can't honestly say I've ever been accused of temperance or self control." Nature or Nurture - "Pro tip: Yes, it's your fault and you can do better." Thought or Action - "I'm a make-it-up-as-you-go kind of gal." Instinct or Knowledge - "My gut has never let me down about what the right thing to do is." Charity or Self-sufficiency - "Everybody needs somebody sometime." Home or the Road - "Give me a warm house and somebody to share it with on all the days that end in 'Y'." Contentment or Challenge - "Look, I don't go crusading for lost causes. They seek me out. They know I"m easy." Pools Injuries: [ ] [ ] [ ] Wounds: [ ] [ ] [ ] Anguish: [ ] [ ] [ ] CERTES QUALIA Accuracy: 3/3 Movement: 1/1 Sorcery: 5/5 Interaction: 4/4 (+2 dice) Physicality: 3/3 Perception: 4/4 Intelligence: 1/1 Sortilege: 3/3 Hidden Knowledge: 12 Rests: 1 round, 1 round, 10 minutes, 1 hour Edited April 3 by TheRaconteur (see edit history) Name xDiceName xDiceResult xDiceString xDiceRolls Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheRaconteur Posted April 3 Author Clone Share Posted April 3 (edited) Chapter I - Act II: Games of Chance Sooth Deck: The Enticing Jewel Effects: Effective level of all Invisible magic is raised by 1, or Sorcery cost reduced by 1 Divination: "When the Enticing Jewel is turned, everything focuses upon it. Most of the time, this is one of the most positive cards that can be revealed. It indicates success in one’s endeavor. It suggests beauty and wealth. At the very least, even if not actual success, the Enticing Jewel is the potential for success, which in itself can be encouraging (because sometimes there is no possibility for success). Still, the card has a darker side, because it also suggests greed and a love of wealth, and the dangers of such things." The gathered Vislae responded as their kind almost always did to unexpected provocation, with the weaving of magic. The air suddenly became heavy, laden with the energy of multiple crafted sorceries, words of power and arcane gestures filling the space with intent. Most of it was deadly, and none more so than the crafting of the Maker. Her transformation was horrifying, the promise of violence made all the more real by the savagery she had evidently inflicted upon herself to achieve it. It was the physical manifestation of her inner psyche, the turmoil of countless souls bubbling to the surface and bellowing a Demonic challenge. For Aldrion the magic was a far subtler thing, a shimmering of the light in the shape of an orb, resting just in front of his raised hand. So quick, so easy to miss, easy to overlook. It would take but a thought, a flick of fingers, and that neigh invisible orb could be expanded. The connection he felt to his own could be built upon, grown, shared. Yes, it allowed him to contain and control, but it was more than that. It was extending that connection to the Actuality itself. Shuistliel’s workings were swift as a cutting blade, sharp as a piercing fang. There was a sharp moment, a piercing twist, a cutting of reality itself, and suddenly they were in the nest. She didn't even wobble, her feet finding firm purchase beneath her on the soft surface. The creature twisted in shocked surprise at their sudden appearance, almost retreating from her in fear. Then it seemed to find itself, standing its ground. All shape and color had retreated from in in that moment, leaving only a vague outline of a humanoid form filled with the night sky, bereft of all but a handful of stars. Into that eerie form came one of the faces again, avian and wise, yet diminished and lost. Its features looked about, confused, before again the fog of oblivion took it from Liel's sight. Xanah felt the spell leave them even as they shaped it, the almost divine understanding fading away as if into shadow. It was a euphoric and yet devastating thing, to give up magic thus. To feel comprehension and understanding of one of the secrets of the Actuality be released into the world. To push Sorcery into a spell was to push power into it, raw and primal. This though? This was something else entirely, and though it was exhilarating it was always also a little melancholy. The magic took Xanah’s words and twisted them, reshaping them to the eyes, ears, and minds of all present. It was not a subtle enchantment, it didn’t need to be. Runes rose from their lips, reshaping the words, and instead of the blunt insults all present both heard and saw the pleasantries she spoke. “Our most sincere apologies for intruding upon your domain, Lord of the Citadel. Many are the tales of your great wisdom, and thus we come before you not to make demands, but to humbly beseech you to hear our questions. Penitent as we are.” "Our bloody conceited arse wipe up there might have something to say before we feed its innards to the birds. Remember what kind of powerful beings it was stupid enough to steal from. Never in my life have I seen such a gormless bastard. It's going to wish it hadn't left the leaky orifice it was squeezed out of if it doesn't give back what it stole. Let's let it talk its way out of this. I'd rather hate to waste the ammunition on it." Its featureless head shifted back and forth between Xanah and Shuistliel, and though it had no eyes to speak of, Shuistliel could feel the weighted gaze upon her axe. “Lord of the Citadel, yes.” It whispered, in a voice that was not the voice it had used a moment before. It was dreamlike, hazy and heady. A voice meant to sing a lullaby. This voice vibrated with power, a cloak it wove from the dreamstuff which made up its own form. Its own spellwork joined the heady mix that filled the air, the hazy images of countless ravens within its body. These grew, still shrouded in mist, a mantle of black feathers that rested upon its back. “That is what I have always been. This is my nest, you are the penitents.” Was it trying to convince them, or itself? Writing Prompts Shuistliel has bought a moment’s reprieve before the fight starts, but the entity has drawn on its own unknown magic as well. If you choose to continue dialogue, keep it to a sentence or four at most, as we’re still in Action Mode. I’ve described a bit about what your magic looks like and feels like, if you decide to skip the parlay and get straight to spell slinging, be sure to expand upon that. Threads Go talk to the Unkindness Talk with Magister Kuros about flight Accept the Magister's bargain Learn more about names from Magister Lui Discover what has invaded the Nest Retrieve five Cordovin Stones from the Ruined Expanses Bleed Edited April 3 by TheRaconteur (see edit history) Name xDiceName xDiceResult xDiceString xDiceRolls Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gryphon173 Posted April 4 Clone Share Posted April 4 Shuistliel Shuistliel felt an odd compulsion to bite the creature, to envenom it and weaken it. He could do that; it was his sole Forte ability in point of fact, but then he'd be out of magic except for his two Vancian spells. The first had gotten him up here, and if he used it again without retaining it he could pursue the thing if it fled, and the other spell he had prepared could find it if it went invisible or obscured itself with mists or clouds or whatnot. He weaved the axe back and forth in front of the creature, his whole body getting into the swing of it, lending a serpentine aspect to his movements. "Are you the name thief?" he asks flatly, "or do you just work for them? If my axe isn't enough to frighten you, I'll warn you that it's within my power to find your Truename, if you refuse to release the names back to their rightful owners." This was to a fair degree a bluff, since the magic of ephemera weren't exactly the most powerful. On the other hand, they were odd little bits of magical frippery, and it was impossible to defend one's self against all possible threats. The intent here was to intimidate the thing into surrendering the names. NEW! Character Arcs Develop a Bond: Shuistliel realizes he has too few friends, and would like to expand his circle of true friends. Solve a Mystery: There's a ton of questions surrounding the webbing of his neighborhood and the swirl of angry birds aloft, and Shuistliel wants answers to all of them. And he can handle the truth! Description Shuistliel is a very handsome man with long silver hair and green eyes the color of fine emeralds. He is dressed as he usually is, in a nice suit, jacket, and pants, and he has his usual snake-headed cane along. He moves quite agilely, like a dancer, perhaps. What's unusual this morning is the black survival combat axe carried in one hand while the cane is tucked under an arm. Pools Certes Accuracy: 3/3 Movement: 3/3 Physicality: 2/2 Perception: 3/3 Qualia Sorcery: 2/4 Interaction: 2/3 Intellect: 3/3 Sortilege: 1/3 Hidden Knowledge: 10 Injuries: Wounds: Anguish: Rests: 1 round, 1 round, 10 minutes, 1 hour Name xDiceName xDiceResult xDiceString xDiceRolls Roll 6 1d10+1 5 Roll 3 1d10+1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amora Posted April 4 Clone Share Posted April 4 Felicia Ainsworth The Maker was no beautiful thing now that she was clad in the flesh and bones of something that could only destroy, the Chorus roaring for destruction, mayhem, and mischief in equal measures. Their thunderous refrains battering against the edges of her mind as Gold and Dark coursed through her veins, through her mind, through her very soul. Still, there was lucidity behind those now black eyes with a single pin-prick of red in that vast abyssal sea. The feeling of a thousand more pairs of eyes staring out only intensified by the monstrosity of her form as she watched the creature. Base and ugly instinct made it clear what needed doing but she wasn't a stupid woman and she refused to be a stupid predator as glamoured words and menacing displays were hurled at the creature, she moved with care and grace in those moments that it's attention flicked from Xanah to Shuistliel and back. It was not a lasting recipe, she suspected, for holding it's attention. It swung too far back and forth for that but it could no doubt endure for a moment or three to position herself just a little better and if nothing else leverage the display but with it now considering itself the lord of the Castle and that they were all in the wrong... She suspected it would do what all lords did upon the unruly masses. A supposition that a voice stung like desert sand and seared like flame whispered a quiet, purring agreement. It was better to strike first, to strike last, to strike while the metal was hot... the voice teased with it's suggestive encouragements. The only question, really, was would she recognize that moment? Character Arcs EstablishmentYou want to prove yourself as someone of importance. This can take many forms—socially, within your order, financially, or even romantically. Cost: The Need for Proof. You pay a cost of 2 Acumen. Opening: Assessment. 1 Acumen reward. You assess yourself as well as who you need to prove yourself to. Step(s): Appearances Matter. 1 Acumen reward. You improve your look. Enhance your wardrobe. Spruce up your house. Whatever it takes to get attention from the right people. There might be many such steps. Step(s): Self-Aggrandizement. 1 Acumen reward. You need to get the word out to get people talking about you. There might be many such steps. Climax: Grabbing Attention. 3 Acumen reward. You do something big, like host a party for influential people or produce a play that you wrote. You make a big splash (1 Joy) or a big crash (1 Despair). Resolution: 1 Acumen reward. You reflect on what you did and where you go from here - Current Step: The Need for Proof Develop a BondYou want to get closer to another character. This might be to make a friend, find a mentor, or establish a contact in a position of power. It might be to turn a friend into a much closer friend. The character might be an NPC or a PC. In the case of an NPC, the end result might be an NPC bond, and in the case of a PC it’s a PC bond. Cost: Putting Yourself Out There. You pay a cost of 2 Acumen. Opening: Getting to Know You. 1 Acumen reward. You learn what you can about the other character. Step: Initial Attempt. 1 Acumen reward. You attempt to make contact. This might involve sending messages or gifts through a courier, using an intermediary, or just going up and saying hello, depending on the situation. Step(s): Building a Relationship. 2 Acumen reward. There might be many such steps as you develop the relationship. Climax: Bond. 3 Acumen reward. You succeed or fail at forging the bond. A successful resolution results in 1 Joy. Failure results in 1 Despair. Resolution: 1 Acumen reward. You enjoy the fruits of your new relationship. - Current Step: Getting to Know You Description Description It's the eyes, really, that most fixate upon first. The hues of crimson and gold spinning, twisting, merging in their depths as they seem to give a clear window into the utter depths of Felicia's mind with their uniquely expressive quality. That there feels to be a thousand, a hundred thousand, pairs of eyes staring back from behind those initial windows to the soul only seems to cement the impression of something troublesome, something worrying to compliment the elfin quality of her sharp features and diminutive frame. That sensation of malice, of gleeful cruelty, welling up from somewhere in those depths even as she comports herself with nothing but cheerful, if stoic, mannerisms and inexhaustible impressions of attention to the minute aesthetics of every gesture, motion, and twist of both herself and the world around her. In matters of garb, she tends to play to the company she plans for with blouses, dresses, and pants of riotous colors among the bohemian communes of Fartown to the carefully coordinated yet still somehow esoteric gowns and suits of high society galas and soirees. Each and every ensemble meticulously planned and coordinated like one of the great works of her brushes. The only break from this carefully crafted aesthetic seems to be her hair, pale and bloodless as her complexion. It's length healthy, glossy, and well tended but cursed with creative differences in how it curls and falls. Despite this, it seems always to blend, practically meld, seamlessly into any trim of fur or feather that might adorn a chosen outfit. Like those glimpses of alien malice and cruelty in the depths of her eyes, there always seems to be a discordant element that shadows her. Whether it be a flicker of something other in the crimson depths of her eyes, the way her shadow seems to twitch and twist without her ever moving, or how her reflection never quite seems to be her... It becomes all too clear that her body and soul might be host to something besides merely the artist... Worse still is the careful and delicate work of brush and needle; whisking away bruises here, deep scratches or cuts there, all damning evidence of struggles with the self. In the Guise of Immanis The energies of the Abyss are, by its very nature, an instrument of the Dark and unkind as a rule to the essential fabric of whatever is and may be. It is only by the tempering elements of the Gold Sun that the taking in of such hostile energies is more than merely an elaborate form of suicide. The raw stresses of this are quite evident then when Madame Ainsworth invokes so terrible a spell. Her already pale skin grows to be a lifeless gray, gaining an unseemly translucence that is easily pierced by even the wane light of Fartown beneath the Indigo Sun. The lines and forms of every bone visible from just the right angles as they shatter, stretch, and mend with an agonizing rapidity to drag her up to a daunting height. Sinew, muscle and tendon all the while snapping, recoiling, and reforming to accommodate this new and predatory bearing. Veins and arteries, in kind, flow with noxious black as the corruptive energies swirl and take root, her eyes draining of that distinct crimson and gold hue leaving only a single prick of light nearly drowned in a sea of impenetrable black. Were that these the extent of the horrors wrought by the invoking of the Eye of Immanis for one can't help but stare as razor-like teeth push aside whatever may block their way, twisting and gnarling the line of gum and tooth to pierce and part the flesh of the cheek revealing a hideous, too broad maw. A likewise change playing out in the hands as bones shatter and twist as tendons and sinew reinforce to accommodate the agonizingly slow-yet-quick emergence of seven inch talons, black as jet, that now adorn each finger tip. This final change marking the ultimate perversion, turning tools of creation to tools of abject and potent destruction. Pools Certes Accuracy: 3/3 + 3 From Eyes of Immanis Movement: 3/3 Physicality: 1/3 Perception: 4/4 Qualia Sorcery: 3/6 Interaction: 6/6 (+3 from Signature Item) Intellect: 1/3 Sortilege: 1/2 Hidden Knowledge: 10 Injuries: Wounds: Anguish: Rests: 1 round, 1 round, 10 minutes, 1 hour Name xDiceName xDiceResult xDiceString xDiceRolls Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ganurath Posted April 5 Clone Share Posted April 5 Aldrion Phect Aldrion's head whipped toward Xanah, momentarily perplexed by her... particular word choice. That said, the idea of solving things peacefully had merit. That potential quickly vanished, in Aldrion's mind, as their adversary spoke with a different voice. He stayed his hand, for the moment, if only not to rob the spoken threat of its potential. Even if the threat he himself posed was more immediate. Still, vague memories of Shadow stirred, of customers that wouldn't see reason because they couldn't understand the problem. Actuality had proven blessed bereft of Karens so far, at least in that context, but it felt relevant in the here and now. The way the living mystery spoke indicated that there was something screwy going on with its mind. What if it altered the way it perceived threats? Aldrion wracked his memory to try to get a better idea of what sort of creature or person this could be, and how it might understand the world. Still, there was one part of the spoken threat that stood out. Aldrion didn't make any effort to hide the sense of distraction from his voice as he commented on it, though. "Doubt they'd be claiming a fancy title if they were only working for the thief. Best avoid saying names aloud until this is sorted, don't you think?" Character Arcs Uncover a SecretThere is knowledge out there that you want. This arc is a great way to get one of the secrets in the chapter Character and House Secrets that the GM has said aren’t readily available. Likewise, it could be an attempt to find and learn a specific rare spell or ritual. This could also be a hunt for a lost magic word or key that will open a sealed door, the name of a devil, the secret name of an important person, or just how the arabast fashioned their windows in ancient times. Cost: Seeker. You pay a cost of 2 Acumen. Opening: Naming the Secret. 1 Acumen reward. You give your goal a name. “I am seeking the lost martial art of the Khendrix, who could slice steel with their bare hands.” Step(s): Research. 1 Acumen reward. You scour libraries and old tomes for clues and information. Step(s): Investigation. 1 Acumen reward. You talk to people to gain clues and information. Step(s): Tracking. 1 Acumen reward. You track down the source of the secret information and travel to it. Climax: Revelation. 2 Acumen reward. You find and attempt to use the secret, whatever that entails. A successful resolution results in 1 Joy. Failure results in 1 Despair. Resolution: 1 Acumen reward. You contemplate how this secret affects you and the world. - Current Step: Seeker CleanseSomeone or something has been contaminated, probably by foul magic, and you want to rid them of such influences. This might be a curse, a possession, an infestation, or something else. Cost: Becoming Aware of the Need. You pay a cost of 2 Acumen. Opening: Analyzing the Threat. 1 Acumen reward. You determine the nature of the contamination. Step: Find the Solution. 2 Acumen reward. Almost every contamination has its own particular solution, and this likely involves research and consultation. Step: Getting Ready. 1 Acumen reward. The solution probably involves materials, spells, or other things that you must gather and prepare. Climax: The Cleansing. 3 Acumen reward. You confront the contamination. A successful resolution results in 1 Joy. Failure results in 1 Despair. Resolution: 1 Acumen reward. You reflect on the events that have transpired and what effects they might have on the future. How can you keep this from happening again? - Current Step: Analyzing the Threat Description Aldrion prefers to cover up, as his time in the Shadow working in repairs instilled him with an appreciation of proper protection. He has a scar over one eyebrow, presumably from a narrow miss taken during the war. He favors a style that mixes plain colors with the odd splash of supernatural hues, often in shades of or near indigo in representation of his newfound appreciation for the truth. Pools Certes Accuracy: 2/2 Movement: 3/3 Physicality: 2/2 Perception: 2/2 Qualia Sorcery: 3/8 Interaction: 3/3 Intellect: 2/3 Sortilege: 3/3 Hidden Knowledge: 11 Injuries: Wounds: Anguish: Rests: 1 round, 1 round, 10 minutes, 1 hour Name xDiceName xDiceResult xDiceString xDiceRolls Bene, HidKno, Empath, and Two Skills 6 1d10+5 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aavarius Posted April 5 Clone Share Posted April 5 Xanah When the spell left her, Xanah felt hollow inside, like a piece of her soul had just vacated her body. Fortunately, the feeling was fleeting, but it was always an unusual sensation letting free a Vance's spell. The things wanted to be cast, alive in most senses of the word. She could have kept it in, held it safely inside with her own power, but she was worried she might need every bit of supernatural strength for the violence this situation could devolve into if she handled this the wrong way. The spell had left her with a fluidity of double-speak that she hoped would be sufficient for the task. She had been a politician in another life--anyone in that business worth their salt had to be adept at that. She gestured up at Shuistliel, "My colleague here is eager to receive your confession, name thief." With theatrical flourish she cast her hands around to indicate the rest of the vislae standing here on the ground. "And you've an audience here to bear witness. What you did--the pain and corruption you must feel--you should be begging us for the sweet release of death, so you'll get a slow and humiliating execution instead." That was it, of course, the secret knowledge to finding the culprit Magister Lui had given her. Corruption. Soul-deep corruption. He had been quite explicit about that. If this creature was the thief, then it should be suffering mightily for the damage it had done to itself ripping away those truenames. Action: Using the Deception skill (+2), an Interaction bene (+1), a Hidden Knowledge (+1), and an Interaction enhancement (+1 die). Is that the right skill for this? I've got Persuasion +1 if it's not. Character Arcs Join an Organization As an arachnophile, I'm being groomed to join the Cacophony, an association of spiders whose name only really makes sense to spiders. They seek to establish diplomatic ties with the Angular Serpentine. Current StepYou want to join an organization. This likely is not an order, since vislae start the game already belonging to an order if they wish it. Vislae often join other organizations as well, however, and this arc is a great way to portray that. Cost: The Decision to Join. You pay a cost of 2 Acumen. Opening: Getting the Details. 1 Acumen reward. You learn all you can about the organization and how one becomes a member. Step(s): Making a Contact. 1 Acumen reward. Friends on the inside are always important. Step(s): Performing a Deed. 2 Acumen reward. The organization might want to test your worth, or this might be a ceremony you must take part in. It might include paying some sort of dues or fee. Or all of these things. Climax: Proving Your Worth. 2 Acumen reward. This is the point at which you attempt to show the organization that they would be better off with you as a member. A successful resolution results in 1 Joy. Failure results in 1 Despair. Resolution: 1 Acumen reward. You consider your efforts and assess what your membership gets you. : The decision to join For now, I remain ignorant that I'm being considered for invitation. Aid a Friend Aldrion Phect wishes to rescue his spouse from Shadow, but first he must Uncover the Secret of how such a task might even be possible. I'm too closeted a romantic to tell him I can't resist helping somebody reunite with their loved one. Current StepSomeone needs your help. When a PC friend takes a character arc, you can select this arc to help them with whatever their arc is (if appropriate). The steps and climax depend entirely on their chosen arc. If the friend is an NPC, the steps and climax are lifted from another arc appropriate to whatever they seek to do. If you have a bond with the friend you are helping, this may increase the Acumen earned with each story point by 1. It’s difficult, but possible, to aid a friend with an arc even if that friend is unwilling to accept (or is ignorant of ) your help. The majority of the cost, story points, and rewards for a character with this arc are the same as those described in the original character arc. Cost: Agreeing to Help. You pay a cost of 2 Acumen. Opening: Answering the Call. 1 Acumen reward. Offering to help (or responding to a request for help). Step(s) and Climax: Depends on the friend’s arc. Acumen, Joy, and Despair rewards are the same for you as for the friend. Resolution: 1 Acumen reward. You speak with your friend and learn if they are satisfied. Together, you share what you’ve learned (if anything) and where you will go from here.: Agreeing to help I've agreed to help, but Aldrion and I haven't discussed it further. Description Appearance Xanah and the possessions on her person lose color saturation in proportion to her amount of sunlight exposure. She's completely grayscale in broad daylight. She otherwise sports a head of medium-length red-brown hair, copper colored eyes, and a fair complexion. Xanah is of unremarkable height and build, a slim physique that belies a lifetime of overindulging. It's only her constantly moving workaholic ethic that keeps her in shape. Her clothing usually favors practicality and comfort, never one to indulge in fashionable fads. Ever conscientious of her habits, Xanah always smells faintly of cinnamon and spice. Personality Lives on coffee, cigars, and favors. Fiercely individualist to a fault. A tarnished heart of gold. Tendency to overindulge. A patron of lost causes, shooter of troubles, slayer of dragons, walker of tightropes, and runner with scissors. Banned from kitchens across the Actuality for abject culinary incompetence. Never met a stranger before but carefully chooses close friendships A closeted romantic, almost disgustingly so. Her sharp tongue and compulsion to kick hornets' nests and turn over rocks makes many enemies. In her Order she's been demoted twice for it. Occupation Xanah describes herself as "creatively entrepreneurial," which is to say she doesn't actually have a traditional occupation. As previously mentioned, she lives off favors. These keep her constantly busy juggling a tangled web of commitments, investments, activism, and odd-jobs that she's perfectly satisfied living in the middle of. Income can be wildly inconsistent, but she's never been one to require much in the way of creature comforts. She's just as likely to blow a windfall on a hopeless cause as she is to devote it to a strategic endeavor. "Money," she says, "is just a means to an end, grease for the skids." She toys with the idea of running for office but talks herself out of it, saying that nobody would vote for her anyway. Despite her modest self-assessment, the growing network of contacts she's been developing suggests she might get more support than she realizes. Dichotomies Wealth or Fame - "It's all in who you know." Friends or Family - "I don't make close friends easy, but the few I have are basically family." Power or Control - "I'm the spider dead center in the web." Introvert or Extrovert - "There's nothing I love more than good company." Order or Chaos - "A little strategic chaos keeps the omnipotent busybodies from getting too comfortable." Freedom or Safety - "'Live free or die trying', I say." Society or the Individual - "Society is people. Make a difference for one and you make a different society." Generosity or Greed - "You give a little to get a little. Sometimes, well...sometimes people need me to give a little more." Moral code or Instinct - "Scruples are what separates man from the animals." Ego or Id - "Can't honestly say I've ever been accused of temperance or self control." Nature or Nurture - "Pro tip: Yes, it's your fault and you can do better." Thought or Action - "I'm a make-it-up-as-you-go kind of gal." Instinct or Knowledge - "My gut has never let me down about what the right thing to do is." Charity or Self-sufficiency - "Everybody needs somebody sometime." Home or the Road - "Give me a warm house and somebody to share it with on all the days that end in 'Y'." Contentment or Challenge - "Look, I don't go crusading for lost causes. They seek me out. They know I"m easy." Pools Injuries: [ ] [ ] [ ] Wounds: [ ] [ ] [ ] Anguish: [ ] [ ] [ ] CERTES QUALIA Accuracy: 3/3 Movement: 1/1 Sorcery: 5/5 Interaction: 3/4 (1 die) Physicality: 3/3 Perception: 4/4 Intelligence: 1/1 Sortilege: 3/3 Hidden Knowledge: 12-1=11 Rests: 1 round, 1 round, 10 minutes, 1 hour Name xDiceName xDiceResult xDiceString xDiceRolls Mundane 10 1d10+4 6 Magical 12 1d10+4 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheRaconteur Posted April 5 Author Clone Share Posted April 5 (edited) Chapter I - Act II: Games of Chance Sooth Deck: The Enticing Jewel Effects: Effective level of all Invisible magic is raised by 1, or Sorcery cost reduced by 1 Divination: "When the Enticing Jewel is turned, everything focuses upon it. Most of the time, this is one of the most positive cards that can be revealed. It indicates success in one’s endeavor. It suggests beauty and wealth. At the very least, even if not actual success, the Enticing Jewel is the potential for success, which in itself can be encouraging (because sometimes there is no possibility for success). Still, the card has a darker side, because it also suggests greed and a love of wealth, and the dangers of such things." The entity twisted, focusing its now undivided attention on Shuistliel. "Name-thief?" It hissed, the words sibilant and soothing despite the obvious anger behind them. "Is that why it was so easy to claim my nest?" There was only so much room in said nest, and so the thing was already upon him. There were no slashing claws, no snapping teeth. Its form was still humanoid, only with that massive mantle of feathers now billowing out behind it. They filled Shuistliel's vision, spreading further and further out, until all he could see was the gentle gray of that expanse. In the center, the humanoid thing stood. He could see no face in its clouded features, but she could swear it was smiling. Then it was filling his mind, his thoughts. He strove to push it out, to pull up his defenses. He was too slow, and the world was too soft, too warm. His thoughts were fuzzy, tranquil, all was at peace with the world. All he needed to do was close his eyes, and the warm embrace would be total. From where they stood gathered below, the others only saw the thing turn and look at Shuistlel. No mantle of power surrounded it save what they had already seen it summon into itself. Yet they all saw it when Shuistliel collapsed in a heap and disappeared from view within the nest. Aldrion had little doubt of what had just occurred. The form above them was similar in shape to the Lacuna, but it wasn't one of those great beings. A student of magic, he recognized the thing as a creature of the Blue Sun, an intangible entity of thoughts and dreams. Something born of nothingness, of spirit and soul. Such a Dream Spirit could only have launched a psychic attack then, or a slumbering spell, some defense it had spun from void when they had threatened it. Yet it did not disappear from view as well, did not descend upon their helpless companion. Instead it turned its attention back to the trio of them, the threatening bluster of their fourth now dealt with. Molded by their own Sorceries, Xanah's words were ranging out clear even as the Vance fell. "My fellow penitents would hear your wisdom, Lord of the Citadel. Do you know of who might have stolen the name of the one who you have now surpassed? We would shower you with the comforts and honors to which you are entitled, if you were to grace us with your eruditeness.""My colleague here is eager to receive your confession, name thief. And you've an audience here to bear witness. What you did--the pain and corruption you must feel--you should be begging us for the sweet release of death, so you'll get a slow and humiliating execution instead." The husk of what had come before regarded them in that space, in that pause of breath, considering the honeyed words. The threat removed, it appeared more than content to parlay once more. "The old Lord fled home when all was taken from them, fled to the safety of their Citadel. Their guard was down, their mind weak. Now I am the Lord of the Citadel, fit for the Court of Nous." Threads Go talk to the Unkindness Talk with Magister Kuros about flight Accept the Magister's bargain Learn more about names from Magister Lui Discover what has invaded the Nest Retrieve five Cordovin Stones from the Ruined Expanses Bleed Edited April 6 by TheRaconteur (see edit history) Name xDiceName xDiceResult xDiceString xDiceRolls Slumbering Mein 13 1d10+5 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amora Posted April 6 Clone Share Posted April 6 (edited) Felicia Ainsworth The Demons had opinions on what was to come next; tear down the imposter, claim the throne, set flame to the tree, desecrate the sanctity of the place, fell the tree and a thousand other permutations. So many of them within the means and methods that lingered in the delicate chains and canvases of her bag of ephemera or simply through the pieces and parts of her understanding of the... meta- and actual physics of the world's make up. Yet others of the Chorus, though, with more tempered or insidious preferences applauded her discretion, encouraged her to drawer closer and closer to the beast whilst it's attention was else where. It was these voices that held sway amongst the cacophonous shrieking of the Chorus in the moment but not quite for the reasons they thought. She knew everything was building up to a battle and to have one of theirs down and sleeping in the clutches of the creature did not sit well at all with the gentler, compassionate aspects of the Maker's psyche. Aspects that were now very distinctly at war with those of the Chorus and of her transfigured body. This was a form wrought for destruction, for bloody purposes, not for anything noble like the rescuing of the fallen... but her claws did open an opportunity for scaling the tree to liberate Liel from their enforced nap time that wouldn't have been otherwise present with her far more delicate, natural digits. So the Maker continued to close the distance and begin the climb with deliberate, concerted care as she drew on every little bit of physical awareness and dexterity she might summon up and further channeled the essence of her charged soul through the medium of her body to twist the world and circumstances to her advantage, her desire. Hazy recollections of hide and seek as a child with hardly so monstrous a physique as she now possessed churning up from the indistinct fog of the utter depths of her wounded, re-knitting memories of a past that she wasn't sure was beneath the Grey or Indigo Sun... The imagery mingling almost schizophrenically with surges of adrenaline, of stalking something from shadow to shadow with dry, burning, consuming hunger for a taste of something... For a chance to inflict irrevocable change. Character Arcs EstablishmentYou want to prove yourself as someone of importance. This can take many forms—socially, within your order, financially, or even romantically. Cost: The Need for Proof. You pay a cost of 2 Acumen. Opening: Assessment. 1 Acumen reward. You assess yourself as well as who you need to prove yourself to. Step(s): Appearances Matter. 1 Acumen reward. You improve your look. Enhance your wardrobe. Spruce up your house. Whatever it takes to get attention from the right people. There might be many such steps. Step(s): Self-Aggrandizement. 1 Acumen reward. You need to get the word out to get people talking about you. There might be many such steps. Climax: Grabbing Attention. 3 Acumen reward. You do something big, like host a party for influential people or produce a play that you wrote. You make a big splash (1 Joy) or a big crash (1 Despair). Resolution: 1 Acumen reward. You reflect on what you did and where you go from here - Current Step: The Need for Proof Develop a BondYou want to get closer to another character. This might be to make a friend, find a mentor, or establish a contact in a position of power. It might be to turn a friend into a much closer friend. The character might be an NPC or a PC. In the case of an NPC, the end result might be an NPC bond, and in the case of a PC it’s a PC bond. Cost: Putting Yourself Out There. You pay a cost of 2 Acumen. Opening: Getting to Know You. 1 Acumen reward. You learn what you can about the other character. Step: Initial Attempt. 1 Acumen reward. You attempt to make contact. This might involve sending messages or gifts through a courier, using an intermediary, or just going up and saying hello, depending on the situation. Step(s): Building a Relationship. 2 Acumen reward. There might be many such steps as you develop the relationship. Climax: Bond. 3 Acumen reward. You succeed or fail at forging the bond. A successful resolution results in 1 Joy. Failure results in 1 Despair. Resolution: 1 Acumen reward. You enjoy the fruits of your new relationship. - Current Step: Getting to Know You Description Description It's the eyes, really, that most fixate upon first. The hues of crimson and gold spinning, twisting, merging in their depths as they seem to give a clear window into the utter depths of Felicia's mind with their uniquely expressive quality. That there feels to be a thousand, a hundred thousand, pairs of eyes staring back from behind those initial windows to the soul only seems to cement the impression of something troublesome, something worrying to compliment the elfin quality of her sharp features and diminutive frame. That sensation of malice, of gleeful cruelty, welling up from somewhere in those depths even as she comports herself with nothing but cheerful, if stoic, mannerisms and inexhaustible impressions of attention to the minute aesthetics of every gesture, motion, and twist of both herself and the world around her. In matters of garb, she tends to play to the company she plans for with blouses, dresses, and pants of riotous colors among the bohemian communes of Fartown to the carefully coordinated yet still somehow esoteric gowns and suits of high society galas and soirees. Each and every ensemble meticulously planned and coordinated like one of the great works of her brushes. The only break from this carefully crafted aesthetic seems to be her hair, pale and bloodless as her complexion. It's length healthy, glossy, and well tended but cursed with creative differences in how it curls and falls. Despite this, it seems always to blend, practically meld, seamlessly into any trim of fur or feather that might adorn a chosen outfit. Like those glimpses of alien malice and cruelty in the depths of her eyes, there always seems to be a discordant element that shadows her. Whether it be a flicker of something other in the crimson depths of her eyes, the way her shadow seems to twitch and twist without her ever moving, or how her reflection never quite seems to be her... It becomes all too clear that her body and soul might be host to something besides merely the artist... Worse still is the careful and delicate work of brush and needle; whisking away bruises here, deep scratches or cuts there, all damning evidence of struggles with the self. In the Guise of Immanis The energies of the Abyss are, by its very nature, an instrument of the Dark and unkind as a rule to the essential fabric of whatever is and may be. It is only by the tempering elements of the Gold Sun that the taking in of such hostile energies is more than merely an elaborate form of suicide. The raw stresses of this are quite evident then when Madame Ainsworth invokes so terrible a spell. Her already pale skin grows to be a lifeless gray, gaining an unseemly translucence that is easily pierced by even the wane light of Fartown beneath the Indigo Sun. The lines and forms of every bone visible from just the right angles as they shatter, stretch, and mend with an agonizing rapidity to drag her up to a daunting height. Sinew, muscle and tendon all the while snapping, recoiling, and reforming to accommodate this new and predatory bearing. Veins and arteries, in kind, flow with noxious black as the corruptive energies swirl and take root, her eyes draining of that distinct crimson and gold hue leaving only a single prick of light nearly drowned in a sea of impenetrable black. Were that these the extent of the horrors wrought by the invoking of the Eye of Immanis for one can't help but stare as razor-like teeth push aside whatever may block their way, twisting and gnarling the line of gum and tooth to pierce and part the flesh of the cheek revealing a hideous, too broad maw. A likewise change playing out in the hands as bones shatter and twist as tendons and sinew reinforce to accommodate the agonizingly slow-yet-quick emergence of seven inch talons, black as jet, that now adorn each finger tip. This final change marking the ultimate perversion, turning tools of creation to tools of abject and potent destruction. Pools Certes Accuracy: 3/3 + 3 From Eyes of Immanis Movement: 2/3 Physicality: 1/3 Perception: 4/4 Qualia Sorcery: 3/6 Interaction: 6/6 (+3 from Signature Item) Intellect: 1/3 Sortilege: 0/2 Hidden Knowledge: 9 Injuries: Wounds: Anguish: Rests: 1 round, 1 round, 10 minutes, 1 hour Edited April 8 by Amora (see edit history) Name xDiceName xDiceResult xDiceString xDiceRolls Stealth + Sortiliege + Hidden Knowledge + Movement Bene 11 keep(2d10,highest,1)+2 4,9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gryphon173 Posted April 6 Clone Share Posted April 6 (edited) Shuistliel Shuistliel lies on the floor of the nest, completely insensate. NEW! Character Arcs Develop a Bond: Shuistliel realizes he has too few friends, and would like to expand his circle of true friends. Solve a Mystery: There's a ton of questions surrounding the webbing of his neighborhood and the swirl of angry birds aloft, and Shuistliel wants answers to all of them. And he can handle the truth! Description Shuistliel is a very handsome man with long silver hair and green eyes the color of fine emeralds. He is dressed as he usually is, in a nice suit, jacket, and pants, and he has his usual snake-headed cane along. He moves quite agilely, like a dancer, perhaps. What's unusual this morning is the black survival combat axe carried in one hand while the cane is tucked under an arm. Pools Certes Accuracy: 3/3 Movement: 3/3 Physicality: 2/2 Perception: 3/3 Qualia Sorcery: 2/4 Interaction: 2/3 Intellect: 3/3 Sortilege: 1/3 Hidden Knowledge: 10 Injuries: Wounds: Anguish: Rests: 1 round, 1 round, 10 minutes, 1 hour Edited April 11 by Gryphon173 (see edit history) Name xDiceName xDiceResult xDiceString xDiceRolls Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ganurath Posted April 7 Clone Share Posted April 7 Aldrion Phect A creature of the Blue Sun, stealing names and trying to make something of itself through them. It sounded like whatever claim it had was rooted in self-deception, too. That, or it hadn't stolen the identity of anyone with any sort of skill with persuasive speaking. Aldrion wondered if undermining the creature's narrative would weaken it, somehow. Not that that was his only plan. Hopefully Felicia was trying to help Liel, otherwise this next bit might get awkward. "I think you rejected that title when you turned out the locals, Aspirant Courtier. This is a domain of ravens, which are blackbirds. You're more of a Blue creature." Having said enough to convey his observation to Xanah, who seemed inclined to talk. Aldrion flicked his wrist, specifically that of the hand holding the orb formed by his spell. As he did, he mentally directed the spatial presence of the Aspirant Courtier above and past them, arcing around him like the axle of a wheel. The intended destination? Upside down, just out of arm's reach of the ground, and just over a full body's length past the threshold that the ravens hadn't been able to cross, on the side of the ravens. "Think they have opinions about that." Character Arcs Uncover a SecretThere is knowledge out there that you want. This arc is a great way to get one of the secrets in the chapter Character and House Secrets that the GM has said aren’t readily available. Likewise, it could be an attempt to find and learn a specific rare spell or ritual. This could also be a hunt for a lost magic word or key that will open a sealed door, the name of a devil, the secret name of an important person, or just how the arabast fashioned their windows in ancient times. Cost: Seeker. You pay a cost of 2 Acumen. Opening: Naming the Secret. 1 Acumen reward. You give your goal a name. “I am seeking the lost martial art of the Khendrix, who could slice steel with their bare hands.” Step(s): Research. 1 Acumen reward. You scour libraries and old tomes for clues and information. Step(s): Investigation. 1 Acumen reward. You talk to people to gain clues and information. Step(s): Tracking. 1 Acumen reward. You track down the source of the secret information and travel to it. Climax: Revelation. 2 Acumen reward. You find and attempt to use the secret, whatever that entails. A successful resolution results in 1 Joy. Failure results in 1 Despair. Resolution: 1 Acumen reward. You contemplate how this secret affects you and the world. - Current Step: Seeker CleanseSomeone or something has been contaminated, probably by foul magic, and you want to rid them of such influences. This might be a curse, a possession, an infestation, or something else. Cost: Becoming Aware of the Need. You pay a cost of 2 Acumen. Opening: Analyzing the Threat. 1 Acumen reward. You determine the nature of the contamination. Step: Find the Solution. 2 Acumen reward. Almost every contamination has its own particular solution, and this likely involves research and consultation. Step: Getting Ready. 1 Acumen reward. The solution probably involves materials, spells, or other things that you must gather and prepare. Climax: The Cleansing. 3 Acumen reward. You confront the contamination. A successful resolution results in 1 Joy. Failure results in 1 Despair. Resolution: 1 Acumen reward. You reflect on the events that have transpired and what effects they might have on the future. How can you keep this from happening again? - Current Step: Analyzing the Threat Description Aldrion prefers to cover up, as his time in the Shadow working in repairs instilled him with an appreciation of proper protection. He has a scar over one eyebrow, presumably from a narrow miss taken during the war. He favors a style that mixes plain colors with the odd splash of supernatural hues, often in shades of or near indigo in representation of his newfound appreciation for the truth. Pools Certes Accuracy: 2/2 Movement: 3/3 Physicality: 2/2 Perception: 2/2 Qualia Sorcery: 3/8 Interaction: 3/3 Intellect: 2/3 Sortilege: 3/3 Hidden Knowledge: 11 Injuries: Wounds: Anguish: Rests: 1 round, 1 round, 10 minutes, 1 hour Name xDiceName xDiceResult xDiceString xDiceRolls TBM Action Plus Bene and Empath 12 drop(2d10,lowest,1)+2 10,1 Depletion on 0 3 1d10 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aavarius Posted April 10 Clone Share Posted April 10 (edited) Xanah Xanah walked over to Aldrion's suspended captive. For the now it wasn't in the imperious position it once held, which made it momentarily susceptible. At a little out of its arm's length she stood, hands neatly clasped behind her back. Her eyes ignited with bright red flames, turning her face into a baleful, hellish visage "Tell me," she said with a voice pitched lower than her natural register could accomplish, "is it possible to return the names you claimed to their original owners?" Character Arcs Join an Organization As an arachnophile, I'm being groomed to join the Cacophony, an association of spiders whose name only really makes sense to spiders. They seek to establish diplomatic ties with the Angular Serpentine. Current StepYou want to join an organization. This likely is not an order, since vislae start the game already belonging to an order if they wish it. Vislae often join other organizations as well, however, and this arc is a great way to portray that. Cost: The Decision to Join. You pay a cost of 2 Acumen. Opening: Getting the Details. 1 Acumen reward. You learn all you can about the organization and how one becomes a member. Step(s): Making a Contact. 1 Acumen reward. Friends on the inside are always important. Step(s): Performing a Deed. 2 Acumen reward. The organization might want to test your worth, or this might be a ceremony you must take part in. It might include paying some sort of dues or fee. Or all of these things. Climax: Proving Your Worth. 2 Acumen reward. This is the point at which you attempt to show the organization that they would be better off with you as a member. A successful resolution results in 1 Joy. Failure results in 1 Despair. Resolution: 1 Acumen reward. You consider your efforts and assess what your membership gets you. : The decision to join For now, I remain ignorant that I'm being considered for invitation. Aid a Friend Aldrion Phect wishes to rescue his spouse from Shadow, but first he must Uncover the Secret of how such a task might even be possible. I'm too closeted a romantic to tell him I can't resist helping somebody reunite with their loved one. Current StepSomeone needs your help. When a PC friend takes a character arc, you can select this arc to help them with whatever their arc is (if appropriate). The steps and climax depend entirely on their chosen arc. If the friend is an NPC, the steps and climax are lifted from another arc appropriate to whatever they seek to do. If you have a bond with the friend you are helping, this may increase the Acumen earned with each story point by 1. It’s difficult, but possible, to aid a friend with an arc even if that friend is unwilling to accept (or is ignorant of ) your help. The majority of the cost, story points, and rewards for a character with this arc are the same as those described in the original character arc. Cost: Agreeing to Help. You pay a cost of 2 Acumen. Opening: Answering the Call. 1 Acumen reward. Offering to help (or responding to a request for help). Step(s) and Climax: Depends on the friend’s arc. Acumen, Joy, and Despair rewards are the same for you as for the friend. Resolution: 1 Acumen reward. You speak with your friend and learn if they are satisfied. Together, you share what you’ve learned (if anything) and where you will go from here.: Agreeing to help I've agreed to help, but Aldrion and I haven't discussed it further. Description Appearance Xanah and the possessions on her person lose color saturation in proportion to her amount of sunlight exposure. She's completely grayscale in broad daylight. She otherwise sports a head of medium-length red-brown hair, copper colored eyes, and a fair complexion. Xanah is of unremarkable height and build, a slim physique that belies a lifetime of overindulging. It's only her constantly moving workaholic ethic that keeps her in shape. Her clothing usually favors practicality and comfort, never one to indulge in fashionable fads. Ever conscientious of her habits, Xanah always smells faintly of cinnamon and spice. Personality Lives on coffee, cigars, and favors. Fiercely individualist to a fault. A tarnished heart of gold. Tendency to overindulge. A patron of lost causes, shooter of troubles, slayer of dragons, walker of tightropes, and runner with scissors. Banned from kitchens across the Actuality for abject culinary incompetence. Never met a stranger before but carefully chooses close friendships A closeted romantic, almost disgustingly so. Her sharp tongue and compulsion to kick hornets' nests and turn over rocks makes many enemies. In her Order she's been demoted twice for it. Occupation Xanah describes herself as "creatively entrepreneurial," which is to say she doesn't actually have a traditional occupation. As previously mentioned, she lives off favors. These keep her constantly busy juggling a tangled web of commitments, investments, activism, and odd-jobs that she's perfectly satisfied living in the middle of. Income can be wildly inconsistent, but she's never been one to require much in the way of creature comforts. She's just as likely to blow a windfall on a hopeless cause as she is to devote it to a strategic endeavor. "Money," she says, "is just a means to an end, grease for the skids." She toys with the idea of running for office but talks herself out of it, saying that nobody would vote for her anyway. Despite her modest self-assessment, the growing network of contacts she's been developing suggests she might get more support than she realizes. Dichotomies Wealth or Fame - "It's all in who you know." Friends or Family - "I don't make close friends easy, but the few I have are basically family." Power or Control - "I'm the spider dead center in the web." Introvert or Extrovert - "There's nothing I love more than good company." Order or Chaos - "A little strategic chaos keeps the omnipotent busybodies from getting too comfortable." Freedom or Safety - "'Live free or die trying', I say." Society or the Individual - "Society is people. Make a difference for one and you make a different society." Generosity or Greed - "You give a little to get a little. Sometimes, well...sometimes people need me to give a little more." Moral code or Instinct - "Scruples are what separates man from the animals." Ego or Id - "Can't honestly say I've ever been accused of temperance or self control." Nature or Nurture - "Pro tip: Yes, it's your fault and you can do better." Thought or Action - "I'm a make-it-up-as-you-go kind of gal." Instinct or Knowledge - "My gut has never let me down about what the right thing to do is." Charity or Self-sufficiency - "Everybody needs somebody sometime." Home or the Road - "Give me a warm house and somebody to share it with on all the days that end in 'Y'." Contentment or Challenge - "Look, I don't go crusading for lost causes. They seek me out. They know I"m easy." Pools Injuries: [ ] [ ] [ ] Wounds: [ ] [ ] [ ] Anguish: [ ] [ ] [ ] CERTES QUALIA Accuracy: 3/3 Movement: 1/1 Sorcery: 2/5 Interaction: 3/4 (1 die) Physicality: 3/3 Perception: 4/4 Intelligence: 1/1 Sortilege: 3/3 Hidden Knowledge: 11 Rests: 1 round, 1 round, 10 minutes, 1 hour Edited April 10 by TheRaconteur (see edit history) Name xDiceName xDiceResult xDiceString xDiceRolls Mundane 4 1d10+3 1 Magical 12 1d10+3 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheRaconteur Posted April 10 Author Clone Share Posted April 10 Chapter I - Act II: Games of Chance Sooth Deck: The Enticing Jewel Effects: Effective level of all Invisible magic is raised by 1, or Sorcery cost reduced by 1 Divination: "When the Enticing Jewel is turned, everything focuses upon it. Most of the time, this is one of the most positive cards that can be revealed. It indicates success in one’s endeavor. It suggests beauty and wealth. At the very least, even if not actual success, the Enticing Jewel is the potential for success, which in itself can be encouraging (because sometimes there is no possibility for success). Still, the card has a darker side, because it also suggests greed and a love of wealth, and the dangers of such things." Like some grotesque spider of nightmare, Felicia began pulling herself up the tree. It wasn't difficult work given her infernally fused form, but doing so with any modicum of stealth would prove to be a challenge. The talons that had split her fingers into bloody ribbons were meant for rending flesh. They struggled not at all to sink into the soft bark of the tree, and she had to move slowly to prevent them from ripping and tearing great hunks of wood out as she clambered. The Chorus howled for blood within her, howled for the desecration of the entity's flesh, but no sound emerged from her peeled back lips as she rose. Shifting to the back of the tree, away from the thing's face (for it had no eyes save for those of the faces which appeared within its form), she stalked. Muscles rigid with Demonic power, she eased herself over the back lip of the nest, peering at its occupants. She saw first the creature that Aldrion was even then naming as being of the Blue, and at its feet Shuistliel's crumpled form. From where she was perched, she could see that the Vance was breathing, the rise and fall of his chest rapid and shallow. He tossed and turned, perhaps drugged by whatever sorcery the thing had woven. Worse, looking at its back, she thought she saw Liel's face for just a moment, desperate and muttering prayers within the shroud that was the entity's back. In an instant, the reflection was gone, consumed by the mists which comprised most of the creature. Before she could react further, Aldrion's spell struck. The Apostate had already woven the enchantments, but as he drew upon them now they made themselves manifest upon the Actuality. An orb formed itself out of nothing, hovering in the air at his brow. It was joined by another, and another, raw manifestations of magic. They crackled with power, a fifth, a six, until eight orbs orbited him, with the sensation of an invisible ninth. To those present, the magic felt wild, raw, primal. To Xanah, it felt sloppy and barely controlled, but she could not deny the power to it. Even from where she was perched on the other side of the Nest, Felicia could feel it as well. The sensation was most akin to what she felt when one of her works began to unravel itself, the explosion of raw power when a painting she'd poured countless hours into began to destroy itself in a white hot explosion of magic. Reality itself warped, and with a flick of Aldrion's hand the entity was seized. Strangely, it uttered not a single sound as it was lifted bodily from the nest, flipped upside down and dragged out the front door. It had no eyes, but they could feel the hatred emanating from it as it glared at Aldrion, twisting within the invisible giant's grip which kept it suspended. Xanah drew near, and as she walked over she grasped the second spell she'd wrapped about herself. It shivered at her touch, the formulae and geometry of it revealing itself as she poured her own power into it. It wanted to be wielded, wanted to flow through her and out into the Actuality. Compared to Aldrion's chaotic power, it was an organized and infinitely intricate thing, a myriad complexity of glyphs and arcane geometry giving birth to a living spell. Red flames seared forth from her eyes, and though the entity had none of its own, a rune of the same living flame twisted itself into being upon its forehead. It shrunk back from her, trapped as it was within the bonds of Aldrion's shuddering spell. She felt her own casting penetrate its defenses, felt it sink home. And yet, the spell... failed? She coughed, choking on the rune that she had uttered. She'd not miscast, had she? Surely not. The forms, the geometry, everything had been perfect. Yet why was she now on her knees, gasping for breath as she coughed up smoke and whisps of spellstuff. A thought struck her, a mirror to the confusion she felt as the fire in her eyes died and the spell was spent. Magister Lui had said that the act of stealing a name, of violently destroying one's own True Name, would leave a psychic stain upon the thief so strong that even a non could sense it. As she stood before the suspended creature of the Blue, she felt no trace of that corruption, no fundamental sense of wrongness. The only sense she gained from it was a placid sense of ominous, fearful quiet. Whatever this thing was, it couldn't answer the question as she had asked it, because it wasn't the thief of names. That didn't seem to make the Unkindness hate it any less, for in Felicia's ears the cacophonous storm of croaks and shrieks she heard breaking outside was filled with calls for bloody vengeance. All about them, thousands of Ravens took to the air, thousands of voices cawed in anger, thousands of sharp beaks poked out under the glare of murderous eyes. "Release me!" The creature called, suddenly quiet panicked. "Release me or I will consume them forever!" In their clouded form, the face appeared again. Pale skin, with inky shadows clouding there its mouth and nose should be. Distinctly feminine, with something vast and dark behind it in the sensation of wings. Her black eyes were wide with terror, arm reaching out pleadingly towards Aldrion, and then she was gone. Threads Go talk to the Unkindness Talk with Magister Kuros about flight Accept the Magister's bargain Learn more about names from Magister Lui Discover what has invaded the Nest Retrieve five Cordovin Stones from the Ruined Expanses Bleed Name xDiceName xDiceResult xDiceString xDiceRolls Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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