Haku1
Ze Hamster of Lurkdom
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Once upon a time, all stories start that way, yes?
Once upon a time, it is said that things were different. But than that was long ago. Two millenia ago.
It is said that Creation was vastly different. That there existed a ghostly realm where the dead would linger on. That the gates to the heavenly Realm of Yu-Shan were not sealed.
Nor is the Realm not beset by enemies all around. From the barbaric hordes led by anathema warlords in the threshold. Back then, the anathema were an issue contained by the Wyld Hunt, but those days are long gone. To the Fallen Empress dwells amongst the Lintha, birthing unholy abominations from couplings with demons and other assorted beings best not mentioned to create once more an army to conquer the Realm.
Nearly two thousand years ago, things changed. When the Fallen Empress returned at the head of a demonic army. The collective might of the Dragonblooded Realm faltered that day, and even Heaven itself sealed its gates to protect itself.
In the darkest hour, a number of the Houses of the Old Realm forged secret alliances with assorted Fae courts. Assurances were made, and the demonic hordes of the Fallen Empress were destroyed and scattered to the five poles.
Since then, the raksha who fought with the dragonblooded were made welcome in the Blessed Isle. The Realm was born anew that day, one where no single being held power like the old empress. Now, the power of rulership lies amongst the bureaucrats and the senate, where checks and balances keep things in balance.
There is still an empress, one of direct lineage from the Fallen, she is however a symbolic figurehead who spends her days praying to the Elemental Dragons, the assorted gods, as well as leading daily prayers for the faith of the Ten Thousand Lords.
It is the year 199x PC (post change), you are a select and very elite coterie of raksha nobles and/or dragonblooded nobles commissioned to the service of the Realm. You answer only to the chancellor of the senate, or the senate in the event of his dismissal, or worse, incapacitation.
And on this day, you and your coterie have been summoned for a mission...
***
So I must surely be crazy as the gods to even do this... but what the malfeas.
I will run ze crazy game idea... "In the service of the senate" that so many people have voted cake and tea for.
I am accepting 2-3 applications. This is mainly due to 2 people who've already got invites to the game. You should also still post in this thread.
What I require is a post with a concept idea/imagery/theme/etc for your character before you start doing up stats and posting them. This is key.
Characters must be able to interact with each other and non-player characters. You can be sociopathic or psychotic all you want, but you still need to be able to interact or give the appearance of doing so.
You have 2 choices for character types. Raksha noble from the realm, or Dragonblooded noble, also from the realm.
Characters do not need to know each other beyond being assembled in the coterie, you may have been in different rings or brotherhoods or coteries before. Or you finally got picked to become one of the heroes of the Senate.
Please do not go superheavy on the allies background as they will not be in the coterie nor be able to help much with various missions directly. ie do not expect a cloud of NPCs to travel about with the group. YOU are the elite selected, not them. Followers/minions/henchmen/retinue are allowed, just don't abuse those backgrounds.
One last note - APPLICATION CLOSES IN ONE WEEK'S TIME.
***
non-fluff bits
- it's been almost two thousand years since the Empress returned and got booted off the Blessed Isle.
- the raksha allied with the dragonblooded in the realm are called "mountain folk".
- there are no true mountain folk in the underdark, there are however ALOT of statues down there
- Along with horrible monstrosities, who'll cheerfully eat your faces off.
- the underworld has vanished some time ago, the Neverborn are truly dead.
- this has repercussions in the form of the surviving Deathlords being truly weakened
- shadowlands do not exist
- Allegedly, nearly eighteen hundred years ago, the Infernals did BAD things to the Yozi Princes and then left...
- No one knows WHERE they are. But boy are some of those UnShaped in the Wyld pissed off.....
- there are various cities/states and such in the threshold ruled by anathema, spirits and so on
- over 50% of the manses in the realm have been converted to demanses/freeholds
- dragonblooded "groups" are brotherhoods, raksha "groups" are rings, mixed "groups" are coteries.
- Also, this is house rule country, as the above and below bits demonstrate. If you're not sure about something's status as canonality, please ASK.
- I should also note for various effects that matter, the Realm Defense Grid is quite down.
mechanical bits for fey nobles
- you get 200 xp, and a heart grace of 4, other graces equal your virtues
- birth background starts at 4.
- you automatically get 1 dot of freehold or 1 dot of manse/hearthstone
- you also can get cult background above 2 dots
- the artifact background gives triple its level in artifacts, with a maximum artifact level equal to its level. ie artifact 2 gets you 6 dots of artifacts that you can get in a combination of level 2s and 1s.
- essence pool calculation is equal to (Essence + Heart grace) x 10.
- Motes used for assumption charms are NOT committed, but are spent.
- birth 0 provides 1 free assumption charm, also raksha start with 8 charms + 1 assumption charm, as noted in the book, which means that yes... all raksha by default gets 2 assumption charms for free to start.
mechanical bits for DB nobles
- you get 200 xp, and 4 graces equal to your virtues, you do not have a heart grace but get a simulation of one at rating 2
- you start with essence 3
- you start with 10 charms, 5 of which must be aspect or favored
- if you go with celestial martial arts, you get 5 CMA charms and 2 initiation charms
- each dot of breeding gets you 2 "breeding" mutation points that can be used for positive mutations in any combination. ie breeding 3 gets you 6 mutation points that you can get an abomination mutation with. Any negative side effects of the mutations are ignored.
- the artifact background gives triple its level in artifacts, with a maximum artifact level equal to its level. ie artifact 2 gets you 6 dots of artifacts that you can get in a combination of level 2s and 1s.
- you may purchase gossamer (normal, good, exceptional, or perfect quality) items as 1 dot artifacts each
- gossamer background is available as a resource background replacement, as are adjuration oaths and oneirmancy spells for artifacts
- you also can get cult background above 2 dots
- manse backgrounds have taken a hit and are as per core book rating of 1 for 1
- freehold backgrounds are available, but do not provide pennants or cysts.
- it should be noted that "Thousand Correct Actions for the Upright Soldier" is essential for DB characters.
- magitech artifacts are also available if desired.
On martial arts and the IO
- fey nobles can learn martial art styles like a dragonblooded after getting a certain root of the lotus mutation. This includes celestial styles just like a dragonblooded.
- the Immaculate Order no longer exists, revelations that it was controlled by anathema has caused this order to fall.
- The Faith of the Ten Thousand Lords has replaced it, venerating the dragonblooded of the realm and the "mountain folk" as a whole.
- the five immaculate dragon styles are now known as the five elemental dragon styles and are accessible to those who wish to learn in various dojos, along with various celestial martial art styles (virtually any style that you can justify learning and isn't broken).
On perfect effects in fae charms
- charms like imposition of law, curse of definition, abiding gift and so forth that provide perfect effects, work with static values if applicable.
- they also provide 2 successes or +2 DV if countered with a charm or stunt instead of working perfectly.
On tainted creature command
- The last line "Furthermore, all Exalted are completely immune to this Charm, as are all Creation-born Essence-wielders of any sort." is no longer applicable. Do note that this charm works exactly otherwise as written.
On custom charms
- I have no problems with people coming up with custom charms. See below. :lol:
Invincible Fortress of (Shaping Trait)
Cost : 1g
Mins : Heart 4, Essence 2
Type : Simple
Keywords : Glamour, Mutation
Duration : Assumption or Story
Prerequisite Charms : Unassailable Tower of (Shaping Trait)
The great unshaped know that there are beings from the great machine abomination called Creation who can resist their charms and fictions. This charm permits a Raksha (shaped and unshaped) to bolster the intergrity of their charms and fictions by adding their (essence trait) to their (shaping trait) to determine if glamour resistence works.
This charm may be purchased multiple times. Each time, it applies to a different shaping trait, typically an attribute or ability. If the raksha uses this charm to boost a particular shaping trait, then the increase applies to all works of glamour for which that trait determines Glamour Resistance for the duration of the story.
neiromantic Conjuration
Inv+Ess) vs. Manip
X)
