[Absolute Power] Between Mirrors

Let's see some character concepts, folks. In this thread. Questions also welcome, and feel free to suggest city-states. I'm futher inclining towards basing you in Seven Pillars for lack of any dissent.
 
I put this in the conversation but figured it might be useful here too.


Not had a name come to me yet but I am thinking of a noble from Hrothgard. A rather charming and straight forward Stormlord who's true love in life is hunting and has come to Seven Pillars to hone his magical skill so that he will be prepared for much bigger game in the future. His dream is to one day carve out his own city state back in Hrothgard decorated with trophies from his kills.


He also enjoys constructing clever devices for all sorts of uses though they all mostly end up as one kind of weapon or another that could be used against some kind of great beast (of course if starting power isn't enough for enchanting it will simply be something he wishes to learn)
 
Got the message too, figured I'd finally post what I've been thinking. At first I was more interested in a ruthless Cryolyte. But the setting of Seven Pillars kinda moved me away from that because it was a kind of sea faring idea. Anyway, now just focusing between two Communer ideas. The first being a more sharp, charismatic one focused on increasing human physical potential and trying to spread the ideas to others to follow his example of changing. The second is a more absent-minded fellow trying to make a large menagerie of new, better creatures for a few reasons. I'm just uncertain because I'm not sure of the process Communers go through for making an animation and what a creature's intellect or loyalty is outside of having a Heartwright helping, if we'll be good to go starting that sort of thing soon into it.
 
Well, I plan to start you at Logos 2 as apprentices, which means you'll learn about creating things a little bit later on to ease you into things.


It's entirely possible for a Communer to build loyalty into their creations in some way, most commonly by having the beast instinctively recognize the Communer as alpha or parent. As for intellect, some Communers can accidentally produce intelligent creatures by giving them proportionately large brains, or attempting to copy a human brain, but they usually have no fine control and the results may be... undesirable.
 
Yes make creatures the bigger the better and we can all have a merry hunt. I am sure there will only be a few hundred civilian casualties around Seven Pillars but then its their own fault for not being stronger.
 
Hmm... I'm still refining my idea, if you're rather liking the idea of a Communer I can abandon mine. In this particular game, with so many choices especially and so much synergy between different types, I wouldn't feel good about doubling up.
 
Well, doubling up encourages you to develop a school, but it's entirely your choice.
 
there's so many patterns, though, and the synergistic effects on creations and enchantments make it feel like if we don't already have one of every pattern we should certainly diversify. I might develop a school once I've had some time to get a feel for the pattern end up in, of course.
 
Ya, entirely up to you if you want to or not. I wouldn't mind if you wanted to play a Communer as well. Just go with what you desire. Either way, the description and stuff you gave out has solidified my decision. Have a lot of the character in mind now. Might be able to get a rough sheet posted sometime soon, assuming history as either a vet, doctor, or apothecary sorta thing.
 
Our characters seem different enough I could probably use my Communer concept without us stepping on each others' toes, but... I reread the setting fluff and if we start to grow in power to rule the city and such... there can only be one of each Pattern on the Council. Might be safest for me to take an unused Pattern. I can't imagine my character would remain popular when the strong, physical-focused brute tried to beat the living mana right out of the kindly healer over politics... I've got a character for another game I'm working on now, and I'll see what strikes me while I finish it.
 
Nearly done with my character, just working out the history details, a few things there I'm unsure of. At what point do people usually show signs of being a mage, how does it come out, and what is the usual process for one wanting to learn? The last part mostly in regards to how they start off in regards to their mage education. Either overlooked or forgot those details.
 
I don't believe I made any set suggestions on that last point, so don't worry.


People can show signs anywhere between five and 15, and if they haven't show signs by then they're usually not expected to. Typically children are 'induced' to display or fail to display potential around 11. It usually comes out as accidental uses of basic power.


Typically how you begin to learn depends on city-state and social status. Sometimes a parent is a Magus who takes you as apprentice, or apprentices you to a family friend. Sometimes a Magus will run a school, but generally apprenticeship is a more stable model since it means supervision and study under a Magus of the same Pattern.
 
I'm toying very tentatively with a Chronomancer. If work doesn't keep me very busy this weekend, I'll probably have a concept up by Monday or so. Sorry I'm moving so slow.


Also, is it common (or at least heard of) for an untrained Magus to discover their powers in a kind of "breakthrough" moment where they exhibit a skill level that's beyond them for a while? Particularly, I'm having trouble letting go of one particular cosmetic aspect I had in mind when I was thinking I'd go Communer, and while the Communer could have managed with just the lowest abilities in that Pattern, for the Chronomancer to get the same effect I'd need to enchant some jewelry. (They manage it completely different ways, of course.) Not sure if starting with magical items is cool, but I'd be rather hard-pressed to find a way to actually influence the game with it, unless you have a storyline planned where we're completely broke and I pawned it :P


If starting with an enchanted pendant is a bit much, even with only a cosmetic effect, it's no problem. Just let me know :D
 
Depends on the enchantment. I do allow breakthroughs to happen if they're sufficiently characterful and usually displayed during moments of stress or panic. What did you have in mind?
 
I was thinking an 'anti-aging' charm, allowing him to physically stop aging around his early teens. He likes to be underestimated, even at the cost of being called "apprentice" or "boy" when he knows he's a master magus. It'd have been easy for a Communer, with their ability to control their own body, but I'm thinking the Chronomancer won't get that kind of fine control (stopping aging without simply freezing the person in time) for a while, and it completely defeats the purpose if he's already middle-aged when he figures it out.


I won't play him as a kid unless he has a specific reason to exploit it, though - no naive 12 year old with innocent eyes and jokes flying over his head - and if maximum age is a real issue in the setting we can assume the pendant doesn't affect that. At least, not yet - he'll improve it once he's good enough if that's the case and gain true immunity to aging if he needs to.
 
Hm. I can't allow it to halt his aging, but it can definitely slow it down until he finds a way to stop it. Or find someone who can.
 
There is plotting afoot...muahahaha....


Mmkay. I want to get Octavia pinned down over the weekend. I have discussed ultimate long term super special goals with you, but I reckon this game will be her focusing on her weaving. After all, she's not worth too much without another mage.


So the will be desperate scrabbling for logos 3, to actually start weaving.


Now's time for a heap of questions, the big one being; will we write our awakening, as it were, into the backstory or would you like to play it in the first thread?


So, assuming we write it ourselves; how old (actual age) would be reasonable? Any origin locations off-limits? Can she start with an enchanted item/artifact? Can she have access to a library?


And also; is there any more fluff about Seven Pillars floating about? I am somewhat unfamiliar with the Magocracy Era outside of investigating the ruins of it in Dark Ages :P
 
You should write your awakening into your background, since you will all be Logos 2 now. Anywhere between 9 and 12 is a good actual age for it. No locations off limits except Solace and a few places in the Hell's Teeth range. She can have the item assuming it was a gift from someone, or stolen, or purchased. She can have access to a library.


There is no more fluff currently, because plotting out a magic city is tricky business, but I will accept suggestions and questions which will help me see it more clearly in my mind. I'll also try to add more without prompting very soon, but pumping me for information works wonders.
 
I shall continue to pump away then!


.....that sounds terribly dirty...


Why is it called Seven Pillars? How old is it? Who runs the show there? Where exactly is in Imeria is it? What would it be known for; things like trade, religion, particular crafts, pit-fighting, particular Patterns...like in the way Ymon is the centre of religion, and Illim for trade.
 
It is called Seven Pillars because it is borne aloft on seven, huge, heavily enchanted pillars of various magical materials, mostly highly refined steel and lodestone. It is accessible only by levitating platforms that zip up and down from the center of the semi-circle of pillars. Architecturally it's a touch Arabian Nights - I've got a handy visual reference here somewhere I'll post at the end of this.


It is located in what will one day be The Frontier, in a northern section that will, one day, be consumed by Gatewood.


It is known for social progression, being somewhere mortals are generally treated with respect in spite of their magical ineptitude. It's also noted for its magical crafts and education, as it is home to many different Patterns and encourages experimentation and creation.


As such, it is sometimes victim of spells gone awry and escaped constructs. To call the police forces harried is an understatement.


It's ruled by a council of Magi, one from each Pattern, who each oversee different aspects of the city - the Communer Councilor handles food, health, and recycling, the Necromancer is responsible for burials, law, and cultural grants, and so on. A Conduit is typically chairman of the council, and currently the seats are occupied by the founders of the city.
 
This sounds great.


Just the kind of place Octavia would gravitate to. Especially when it comes to their treatment of mortals. I suspect she will give a go at creating some kind of amulet that protects from magic.


Oh man...I could see her, at Logos 5, fitting collars to any humans who worked for her, to keep them from being affected by any other patterns...
 
Are there entry regulations? Are there any slums in the city or under it? Where does the council rule from?
 
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