Dice [Exalted] O Brave New World (OOC)

[Rykon]

Since I wanted the restaurant to have access to a diverse supply of foodstuffs, I'm thinking a walled settlement spanning the river either within or at the edge of the Locuran tropical forest. Natural resources include livestock (chickens, goats/sheep, etc.), fish, claw strider steeds, fruits, vegetables, iron, and lumber (not normally notable, but could definitely make a difference in the desert).

Could have structures and relics from the age of the Dragon Kings, though that's kind of Rathess's thing. In the current day could be overseen by students of the Lady of the Forest, venerating her as a diety, as well as others. Alternatively, it could have some residual Dragon-Blooded presence still trying to cling to hard won turf and influence. Any way it's sliced, I'm sure the draconic imagery in unearthed relics would be utilized in the theological or political hierarchy in some way.

Were it to have Dragon King influence, some remnants of their plant and crystal experiments could remain such as odd golems of translucent stone standing watch against the fae. Military power would not be too robust with most armed forces being mercenary escorts for the current merchant prince passing through between Gem and Chiaroscuro. With it being a tribute-paying state, I'd imagine various sorcerers would have access to lodgings for studying various antiquities of a lost time.

 

[D. Rex]

Hazel has the most Affinity with the wyld born shaping ritual as it runs along limes of both being wyld touched and a penchant for fortune telling. The large part of her induction to sorcery came from tutelage, so she would certainly be able to pass on an academic shaping ritual even though she isn't persomally practiced in it.


Besides, she would not recommend going to the wyld long enough to earn it. Not unless he wanted to walk out looking more like her or with some other freakish mutation.

 

[D. Rex]

Random Word

I was thinking the manse she found underground was part of cavern, with the manse resulting in it being as lush as it had become with whatever exotic plant amd animal life you see fit (could make for some fun sacred hunts)

Since it is in Atusa territory, maybe the stone did not grant its benefits because it was budding new hearthstones (which wouldn't be any use for a couple.more centuries) and wouldn't activate properly until she brushed them off.

But for the nature of the manse itself, would their be any ancient lore or history to your realm that might be worked into it to explain its purpose or reason of being or what the manse actually is?

 

[Random Word]

But for the nature of the manse itself, would their be any ancient lore or history to your realm that might be worked into it to explain its purpose or reason of being or what the manse actually is?

The land outside the floodplains of the Achaea wasn't always a desert. At least a thousand-odd years ago it was converted into fertile grasslands through immense irrigation projects, Wyld shaping, and geomantic engineering. They've long since failed and the desert has reclaimed the land, with what's left of the old cities that dotted the plains periodically emerging from the sands. It's likely this Manse is a leftover agricultural research project or terraforming installation, possibly part of a larger network designed to boost the fertility of a wide area. Whatever it is, it's clearly very old, probably dating back to the Shogunate at least.

 

[D. Rex]

The land outside the floodplains of the Achaea wasn't always a desert. At least a thousand-odd years ago it was converted into fertile grasslands through immense irrigation projects, Wyld shaping, and geomantic engineering. They've long since failed and the desert has reclaimed the land, with what's left of the old cities that dotted the plains periodically emerging from the sands. It's likely this Manse is a leftover agricultural research project or terraforming installation, possibly part of a larger network designed to boost the fertility of a wide area. Whatever it is, it's clearly very old, probably dating back to the Shogunate at least.

A network of manses could make for a pretty interesting subplot/project. And something that scales with our progession.

We can research its mysteries,, track down other locations, archeology excavations and manse restoration, exploring caverns of different environments that can give us potentially useful materials, minerals and exotic ingredient for John to cook and supply Renna's army, find interesting fauna to hunt for the lunars(underdark simhata?), and unlock the networks power to grant Atusa great booms to her territory! As well as a potential way to feed us any important of the ancient civilization that lived her.

 

[D. Rex]

Or just keep it on a smaller scale if we got enough on our plate already.

 

[Random Word]

Or just keep it on a smaller scale if we got enough on our plate already.

That sounds like cowardice! We'll have none of that. If your plate's too full, make a bigger plate.

 

[D. Rex]

That sounds like cowardice! We'll have none of that. If your plate's too full, make a bigger plate.

I like the way you think!

 

[Rykon]

A network of manses could make for a pretty interesting subplot/project. And something that scales with our progession.

We can research its mysteries,, track down other locations, archeology excavations and manse restoration, exploring caverns of different environments that can give us potentially useful materials, minerals and exotic ingredient for John to cook and supply Renna's army, find interesting fauna to hunt for the lunars(underdark simhata?), and unlock the networks power to grant Atusa great booms to her territory! As well as a potential way to feed us any important of the ancient civilization that lived her.

That sounds an awful lot like adventuring through Aberration in Ark. Minus the radiation hazards...

Spoiler: Aberration Creatures

If we want to include story beats about exploring a lost alien set of mystical environs sealed beneath the earth, I'm definitely interested. Would also work well with the suggested write up for John's hometown. Which for the sake of throwing out a name, how about Dragonspring? Assuming there's no objection to a Dragon King ruin in the midst of everything else.

 

[Random Word]

Minus the radiation hazards...

Mmhmm. Yes. Minus the radiation hazards. Absolutely. *takes notes*

 

[Rykon]

Mmhmm. Yes. Minus the radiation hazards. Absolutely. *takes notes*

Well in for a penny, in for a pound. If only it were the most dangerous hazard down in those caves. (in Ark)

There are plenty of other horrific creatures to come across in there. I'd throw more notes in here, but to save on what could be spoilers in OOC, take a look at the Rock Drake, Karkinos, and Reaper for nightmare fuel.

 

[Sherwood]

I've been in the hospital with double pneumonia and covid since Thursday. I'm holding out ok, just very weak.

 

[jaydude]

I've been in the hospital with double pneumonia and covid since Thursday. I'm holding out ok, just very weak.

Jesus christ, bud. Hope you recover, sending all my support.

 

[Random Word]

Okay, let's see. Map is in progress. Currently it looks like we have:

Renna & Morrolan have just finished a long, exhausting march down the ochre-paved Diamond Road to Achaea and have a goal of gettin' rich so they can spend it all feeding their huge army and making payroll.

They're hired by...

1. A woman with all the subtlety and tact of a thunderbolt and a soft spoken man to storm the mountain war manse Hall of Enduring Silence and cast down its Eight-Forged King and his army of Din to free the people of Kabir - and more importantly, their deep veins of precious tin.
2. A reluctant smuggler and a guileless exiled prince to depose his beloved but treacherous bride and restore to him the crown of Kish before his family's curse dooms the kingdom, in return for an IOU to be redeemed in the Kish treasury. Did he mention his bride was dead? No? Must have slipped his mind.
3. A veiled man with a voice like shifting sands to assault a heavily defended prison caravan to bring a heinous war criminal to justice before he can further his vile research. Of course, then there's the question of what to do with the prisoners. That one is remarkably sprightly for being dead, and did that one just breathe fire?
4. Something else entirely (Suggest something you'd like to do)

John & Hazel are chilling at the BAR in Lower Javurwa amongst the roots of the Orchard-City of Javurwa proper, and have a goal of solving a magical murder mystery, fixing a really comfy First Age chair, and licking random objects for science, some of which they've just cooked.

They will...

1. Participate in the Red Tagine, the no holds barred, anything goes culinary championship of the Falling Blossoms Festival. The prize is the first blossom from the tallest branch of the heart tree of Javurwa. Properly prepared, it's said to grant a century of youth to anyone who consumes it, or cure any malady. One of the few rules is 'No killing', so of course everything is delicious fun and delectable games until someone turns up decidedly dead.
2. Be the dark horse in a race between a strange white-veiled foreigner rumoured to possess a map to the lost Alcazar of Twelve Ewers - thought to contain the secrets to making the most gods-forsaken wasteland a verdant garden paradise - and the colourful sorceress with authority issues pursuing her.
3. Narrowly avoid mysterious assassination attempts while investigating the strange brass doorways appearing in the alleys of Old Town, the ethereal music within calling passersby to walk the shadowy, silver sands strewn hallways beyond by the pale light of verdigris stars. Those who have entered and returned speak of being accosted by a strange figure wandering the hallways in search of 'That Which Calls to the Shadows', for they seem to have tragically misplaced it. Oh, and the murders, too. Someone should probably investigate those.
4. And Now for Something Completely Different (Suggest something you'd like to do)

Atusa is anything but chilling on her township as danger lurks over every dune, but the Sun is looking out for her.

She will order her people to...

1. Begin the ritual to summon White-Fire Judgement, patriarch of the Jinn bound to the Hematti, to help complete the ritual required to lift the White-Gold Sepulchre from the sands in its entirety, to better learn of and commune with the Unconquered Sun, and maybe find more of your oh so very shiny panoply. (Hang with your clan. Chill with ya boy UCS. What do you mean Sepulchres contain bodies? Oh. Oh dear.)
2. Participate in the Eight Winds Festival, the annual gathering of the Southern Clans for the Wind's Behest, the spectacular sandship race. As neutral ground with strict rules against violence, this is also the time for negotiating treaties, forming alliances, brokering betrothals, and negotiating a peaceful end to vendettas. This year the Northern Clans and the Sassarin Princes are both expected to send lavish delegations to court the Southern Clans in preparation for renewed hostilities, and (impeccably polite) sparks will undoubtedly fly wherever the two should meet. Win what concessions you may, celebrate another year of life snatched from the jaws of the desert, and meet your many frenemies.
3. A Kheru [A title roughly equivalent to Prince] of the powerful Fayum Clan - to whom the Hematti nominally owe fealty - has been captured by the Bintanath Clan when they chanced upon his sanship while he was exploring a newly exposed ruin. Ordinarily the Kheru would be ransomed back quickly, but a powerful Jinn of the Bintanath has reportedly taken a liking to the Kheru - admittedly famed for his beauty nearly as much as his penchant for getting himself into trouble - and is demanding he wed her. The Bintanath are in an awkward position - they cannot easily refuse the demands of such a powerful Jinn, but they don't fancy their chances in a war against the Fayum. To complicate matters further, the Kheru was betrothed to one of your young highborn captains, a delicate negotiation that took much doing on your father's part, and the young captain, incensed at the slight, may do something reckless. The Bintanath have sent a delegation to petition you to help negotiate a peaceful settlement, offering to show you the location of the ruins and promising that whatever the Kheru found is far more valuable than his hand. If you do intend to get him back, time is of the essence - rare is the mortal who can resist the advances of a potent Jinn for long, and soon he may not wish to return. Alternatively, if negotiations fail and the Fayum call their banners this offers an excellent pretext for war that could see the Hematti claim valuable trade routes, slaves, plunder, and influence.
4. Definitely Not the Other Options (Suggest something you'd like to do)

Anyone can choose options like these, but examples from Atusa's perspective:

1. Escape the implacable sandstorm that bears down upon them, doubtless full of Raksha as soul-thirsty as her people are good old fashioned water-thirsty. Hey, look at that silver-limned cat riding a mountain of foliage erupting out of the sands! Sail that way, and try not to die. (Find Hazel & John, dismantle township to build settlement around Hazel's Manse. Time is an illusion, lunchtime doubly so.)
2. Against their better judgement intercede on behalf of the foreign army clearly lost in the desert as Raksha descend upon the supply caravan. Did that war-elephant-man just leap into the maw of a - oh, I see, he made his own exit. Is that very loud woman actually trying to intimidate a sandstorm? That can't possibly wo- oh, apparently it can. (Meet Renna & Morrolan, and maybe help them survive the desert.)

 

[D. Rex]

My goodness! Thats a lot of fun sounding stuff to do!


So how quickly yall wanting to meet up, gang?

 

[Random Word]

I have decided it's not fair that 2/3 of the ideas tossed out for Atusa are just 'meet a PC'. I'm going to split those out into another section and think of some more.

 

[jaydude]

I have decided it's not fair that 2/3 of the ideas tossed out for Atusa are just 'meet a PC'. I'm going to split those out into another section and think of some more.

It's okay. TBH, I haven't been focusing on this game quite as much as some people might like.

 

[Random Word]

We're in no hurry. Sherwood will likely need plenty of time to recover and recuperate. Do you think you'll be too busy to play/Are you still interested in participating?

 

[jaydude]

I am still interested. I just really haven't focused too much on this site over the last few days.

On a related note, I have finally come up with a few flags for her, mostly centered around her role as a clan leader. As for Aspects though, I'm not sure. I recall them being from another gaming system, but I don't know if there's an official list I have to use, or if I can just come up with my own.

 

[Rykon]

In the Fate system at least, Aspects are up to you. They are basically statements about the character, whether they speak to their personality, expertise, achievements, or challenges.

The intent is for them to be inspiration drawn upon to provide entertaining story beats, whether it's the struggle you face or the source of your strength. The ideal is for the aspect to be easily used to define either a challenge or advantage your character has at convenient moments in the story.

Sample aspects could be:
Faqari Warchief
Ruler of the Sands
Steel Devil of the Hematti
Insatiable Sweettooth
Settler in a land of Nomads
"My Cabbages!"
Etc...

 

[Random Word]

Right now there's really only a 'penalty' for Aspects. They're used to tell others where you want your Compels to come from, and thus the more applicable they are to creating drama the more XP others can offer you. I think they should have at least a small positive, though, so I'll say they also act as omni-applicable Specialties. If you can justify how a roll with any Ability falls into their purview you can use them as a Specialty for that Ability. They can also work as Lore Backgrounds. Not quite sure how that will work with Craft-Skills-As-Specialties, but I don't think it will cause problems.

 

[D. Rex]

What if I'm masochistic enough to consider it a bonus rather than a penalty?

 

[D. Rex]

And so a good way to look at the Aspects boon is kind of like a narrative specialty? Such as when we make a roll in which we can justify a strong relation to our aspect, then we treat it as a specialty for that roll.


For example. I couldn't use "Hazel is best to be best sorcerer" aspect to grant me a specialty for just any usual shape sorcery roll.

But if were in a magic duel with between a narratively significant sorcerer, I would call upon the Aspect for dramatic weight and use that little extra power to hammer home the nature of that aspect. That however strong he things he is, Hazel will push herself to be better than him.

 

[Random Word]

What if I'm masochistic enough to consider it a bonus rather than a penalty?

Then congratulations, you've already won the game.

For example. I couldn't use "Hazel is best to be best sorcerer" aspect to grant me a specialty for just any usual shape sorcery roll.

But if were in a magic duel with between a narratively significant sorcerer, I would call upon the Aspect for dramatic weight and use that little extra power to hammer home the nature of that aspect. That however strong he things he is, Hazel will push herself to be better than him.

Exactly, it's a small mechanical push towards the kind of story you've indicated your character is going to tell.

 

[D. Rex]

Then congratulations, you've already won the game.


Exactly, it's a small mechanical push towards the kind of story you've indicated your character is going to tell.

Does it stack with the +1 from ordinary specialities?