Master of Malfeasance needs some advice on women...

Master of Malfeasance

Master of Malfeasance

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I pride myself on my flexibility.  All RetConning (emphasis on con) aside, I recall asking for players who didn't treat Exalted like DBZ or a video game.  Now it seems I've been given enough rope to hang myself.  Now I come to this glorious and venerated forum not as the Master of Malfeasance, but as a storyteller in need of another storyteller's take.  I humbly bow before you all and ask your aid in this time of tumult.


My Zenith and my Night caste both purchased slaves.  Both slaves were women, both of high appearance.  The Zenith requested musical ability and good looks, outfitted his slave to the nines (dress-up clothes as well as clothes for the road and... gulp... weapons) and then he set her free and asked her if she would stick around.  How sweet.  I recognize that this is my friend, magical Bob, and that he detests slavery, and can't imagine himself owning a slave, and I believe this is an exceptionally noble and caring thing to do.


The Night caste, who personally enjoys being in control, is toying with the idea of freeing his own.  He has her in the lap of luxury, but I fear that he doesn't want to for fear of being a copycat.  That's okay, he'll come around.


Now comes the hard part:  Assuming the Night caste frees his slave, do they stay?  The lives my Exalted lead are ones of great danger, and little stability.  the Zenith adamantly (ha ha--adamant, get it? I kill me!)  refuses to use any charms on his--I don't even know what to call her now--maybe a companion?  Henchwoman?


Do they stay?  Go?  Sell out the characters?


How do I convince the Night caste that if you love something, you should let it go and see if it comes back?  How do I teach the Zenith (who is a young, idealistic guy fresh out of high school) that not every soil can bear fruit?


Or do I bother?  I'm a little older than most of my group (a year or so), but I've been out on my own for a long time now (well, as on your own as the Army can be), and I try to work life lessons into my games.  In nearly every den of iniquity is the straight arrow trying to make things better one street at a time.  I don't think it's realistic, but I do think it's good for them.  I think it would be good for everyone.  Before I start sounding anything less than mostly malfeasant and disgruntled, I'm going to stop.
 
I guess the question is: do they have any skills, other than looking pretty? If not, then the question should be: why do your PC's want to have what are Extras to hang around, protect, and otherwise have to look after?


Do they already have a large entourage? If so, then the gals can be absorbed into the camp, and maybe morph into Heroic Mortals with some training and an investment of some time by the PC's and other NPCs.


If not, then you've got a real dillemma, because they are going to be a liability on the road. Getting them to a safe haven, with some scratch to start off with, and the papers to prove that they've been manumuted to Freedwomen is a much better idea. Giving them a stake, and setting them up  in an operation that they have Resources for, is the better idea.


Do you want to build an improbable backstory for the slaves and make them part of another plot? Could they be attractive plants by an Ally, an Enemy, or  someone who wants to keep tabs on the PCs?  Do you want to go the route that they are closeted God Bloods who had their memories tampered with, as a plot to sieze their homes? There's a lot to go with, but if this was some random act, then that becomes harder to justify.


And what about the rest of the slaves at the market? These two get a free pass, but the rest, and less attractive get to stay behind? Odd lesson there.


Your players have opened up an interesting can of worms.
 
This is a RP session, not necessarily a required opportunity to convey a life lesson.


 How well did the characters treat the two slaves? Are the women aware that they are Solars/Anathema? What dangers have they been exposed to due to their association with the Solars?


 Most importantly, what are their options?


 If the women leave the Solars, what kind of life will they be able to make for themselves? Do they risk being enslaved again? In their opinion, is this a bad thing?


 Answer those questions, and you'll be on the right track to model the women's decisions.
 
I reckon it comes down to what the women were into, and which course of action provides them the best opportunity. Do they want stability and safety, or excitement and heroic companions? What supoprt is in place if they stay? If they go? If they wait around until the Solars travel somewhere with better opportunity?


That lst one might be very useful. If you haven't established their characters, doing so now that they're freedwomen might be a good idea. That way, when the Solars travel to, say Great Forks (or some similarly welcoming place) you can have will-they-won't-they tension about whether the former slaves will leave. The eventual settling-down can be an important character point in itself.


Remember how terrifying the Age of Sorrows is; right next to a Solar Anathema can, under certain circumstances, be a safer place than the streets of Nexus.


I also agere it's important how well your Solars have been treating them. How much danger did the slaves get into, and how did the Solars deal with it?


Basically, son, when you're deling with women you gotta treat them as people and not just a set of measurements... errr, statistics.
 
So far good points have been made. If the solars have been good and fair to the girls, it's very possible they will stick around until they don't wanna anymore. It's also very possible that they might not like the fact they're owned by Anethema, and since the solars are giving them everything they want, they could just as likely take the cash and leave. It , imo, is all based on their history as slaves. (and the ST's want to keep them) Keep in mind, it's your game, if two more extras are too much, don't feel obligated to entertain EVERY whim of your players. But hey, if they're heroic mortals, then I'd say, just for GP keep em around. 2 more in combat is always handy, and if it's 2 male characters having two hottie chicks around who like being around is always cool, they can come in handy when dealing with that less than generous merchant who has the wandering eye...


Like said before, keep in mind the strengths and weaknesses of two slave girls. What would they be good at? I'm willing to bet they know their way around the bedroom more than the battlefield.


Just a thought
 
And will newly Freedwomen want to ply their booty-lusciousness in the cause of the Unconquered Sun?  Will they really want to be The Spy Whores of the Sun?
 
All excellent viewpoints, thank you.


I don't think I have the heart to have either of these slaves be spies (note to my players who may read this--I never said I *didn't* have the heart), however, I think it'd be interesting to see what happens when they encounter their first serious danger.  Maybe they'll hire guards for them.  Maybe not.  It seems to me that an Exalt would have a pretty serious problem keeping a mortal alive.  I guess we'll see.


I just got a squad of skaven nightrunners minis to throw at my players.  Ought to be fun!
 
Also keep in mind that these two women do not have to have the same opinion. They could very different outlooks on their nwe freedom.
 
Now here's a thought.


There are reasons some people are slaves.


Not just the typical debt version, but also sometimes serious crimes.


...and maybe she'll start using the solar as a patsy.


Basically, make it a situation where one of theslaves needs the Solar's charms to get well again?
 
Hmm.... Interesting.  I appreciate all of your input.  I like the idea of one or more of them being a slave for different reasons.


Perhaps the one who's master doesn't want to set her free wants to be free, and the other will be a man-eater who will eventually have a Solar wrapped around her finger.  I don't know if I have the heart to do that to a guy whose real life girlfriend has him like that.


Am I that malfeasant?
 
I don't know if I have the heart to do that to a guy whose real life girlfriend has him like that.
Am I that malfeasant?
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I had heard tell you are the master. Perhaps I was misinformed.
 
Y'know.


Therre's this thing called social commentary that's used alot in films.


It's designed to teach people things.


As an OOC thing - some people do enjoy being dominated (wrapped around the little finger).
 
Perhaps the one who's master doesn't want to set her free wants to be free' date=' and the other will be a man-eater who will eventually have a Solar wrapped around her finger.  I don't know if I have the heart to do that to a guy whose real life girlfriend has him like that.[/quote']
Maybe switch that.


The freed one hangs around for the ability to pin things on the solar, and because it's safer than most places in creation.


Not because she likes him.


Oh no. Not at all.


The other one enjoys being a slave. The AoS is a scarey time, and if they don't have to take responsibility, then that's a lot less to worry about.


The benefit is that you get to make vicarious social commentary, and also have plausable deniability should his g/f hear stories.
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