Over a Mug of Ale [For A Better Age]

I wasn't sure if I'd be able to come up with a story, but it seems the twin tools of Plagiarism and Modification are my friends...


Taking my inspiration there from a certain boisterous drunk with a pair of axes that used to be a gladiator in the Imperial Arena.
 
Axelgear said:
Forgive my premature wish to withdraw from this. An old idea has zinged into my head but I need two things before I can throw it out there.
First, my desire to play a Defiler Caste still stands. If people object to this, I don't mind withdrawing the concept.


Second, as Bodhisattva suggested with the Infernal Heroes Project, I'd like to use standard Solar (and Solar equivalent) excellencies as an alternative to the Yozi Excellencies. It'd make things much easier and let me play a unique character, instead of one of the cookie-cutter stereotypes that the game suggests all Infernals should be.


I even have an interesting hook for how they met up with the rest of the group, but this is all contingent on whether these requests are accepted.
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I’ll have to ask everyone how they feel about having an Infernal join the group? I don’t have a major problem with the character as Axelgear has outlined, but if it is going to be a problem with everyone, then I’m going to have to turn the idea down.
 
It falls into the same kind of category as an Abyssal. Unless you are going rouge, you represent the demon lords and their desire to return to power. Scary thought to me, when so many of my people died in the war to bring your bosses down.
 
This is actually a totally new character concept. I sent Luck a basic bit of the concept but here's the outline:


Her name is Callista. Her full title is Callista, Baroness of Malfeas, Green Sun Prince, Child of Stanewald, Subject of She Who Lives In Her Name.


Callista is the offspring of a Yozi worshiper and Stanewald, the Second Circle Soul of Munaxes, the Ravine of Whispers, who, in turn, is the fourth defining soul of She Who Lives In Her Name. Born and raised in Malfeas, Callista only recently turned 15, and has spent her entire existence as one of the Demon-Blooded Barons of Malfeas (having inherited her parent's title, as say the laws of Ceccylene), living a sheltered existence, pampered and cared for by a small army of servants. The girl proved to be, while not particularly driven, immensely compassionate, to the point of obsession, which drew the attention of many of the Angyalka, who saw in the girl greater hints of Adjoran's will.


Recently, some time shortly before her fifteenth birthday, Callista did something she had never done before: She asked "Why?" to one of the Unquestionables of Malfeas. Such was one of the greatest blasphemies possible but the question, asked in response to why so many demons need be crushed in Malfeas's attempt at self-perfection, was daring and bold. The girl had the makings of a hero in that moment, and, when she was ordered to retract her statement and accept her punishment, she had two options: Rise to the challenge, attempt to flee Malfeas, and start a new life, or, she could retract the statement and accept it like a coward. She did the latter.


Cast from her home, all rights and property stripped from her, Callista was sent to live on the borders of Malfeas, where she lived on the shores of Ceccylene. Being sent to live here was a death sentence, and Callista knew it, but she had done wrong. Some big part of her made her accept it but some small part... Didn't. It took her a long time to realize it, in her self-pity and dogmatic recitation of Ceccylene's laws, but something human in the girl stirred and told her the real truth: It wasn't fair. It just wasn't fair! She broke down in tears, and made no attempt to make noise when the Silent Wind blew across the land.


Adjoran is a chaotic force, but she is purposeful in her chaos. She does not hate, for hate is beyond her. She destroys because it is a part of what she is, but so is freeing minds from their old constraints and making heroes by breaking lives. Adjoran is giving and what she gives is often cruel in the eyes of the unenlightened. And so, as she blew over Callista, she read the girl's soul in an instant as she devoured her demonic guards. This was a newly broken and opened mind, with much potential, who, in turn, could open minds on her own, possibly even re-ordering the entire structure of the Demon City, one day.


And so, Adjoran offered the girl the Infernal Exaltation. One of her First Circle progeny implanted the Exaltation, which Callista agreed to bear with little need for cajoling. She had wanted redemption in the eyes of her mother, something Adjoran knew and was happy to add a surprise twist to.


While in the chrysalis, absorbing her knew power, Callista's status was brought before Ceccylene. Callista was the property of She Who Lives In Her Name, and the Wind of All Torments had no right to take that property for an Infernal. However, at the same time, the girl was now also Adjoran's, and so the question of who owned her (and her loyalty) fell into question. In the manner of an ancient and terrible demonic King Solomon, Ceccylene decided that, for this, no parent would have the child. Instead, she would be cast out of the Demon City, to wreak havoc in Creation before hopefully being slain and allowing her Exaltation to return. She Who Lives In Her Name did not object to Ceccylene's ruling, for such would be a defiance of the Principle of Hierarchy, and Adjoran did not object because she is Adjoran. This was all perfectly in line with her designs.


Cast into the oceans near Lintha Nng Ooro, Callista was set adrift on a boat, still in the chrysalis thanks to using secret channels out of Kimberry, from which she emerged a few days later. She had no food, no clothes, no water, and, most of all, no knowledge of how to gather any of these or steer a ship. She was adrift in a world she didn't recognize, under a yellow sun that seemed strangely familiar and on a bright blue sea that did not seem to be made of acid, a bizarre twist if there ever was one. Upon arriving on the shores of the Northlands, a family of fishermen on the coast immediately saw her and offered her help, though one of them did object at the time, claiming she was clearly born of the Wyld, or worse, Malfeas. Callista accepted their hospitality but, when offered a glass of water, she remembered the sea she had floated on, thought it poison, and proceeded to murder everyone present and drank their blood for sustenance. She didn't feel bad either. They couldn't wield essence and no person she would ever classify as a person that she had met in her entire life could not wield essence. They were animals who could talk, that was all.


Now, she is wandering the Northlands, looking for her mother. She isn't sure where she is, or where she'll find her, but Adjoran's demonic twisting has left an obsession planted deep into her heart that will not let her do anything otherwise.


So that's the character concept. Nice little Demon-Blooded girl who became an Infernal. She's loose in Creation, a world she has no clue about, and has suffered a nasty delusion that someone in Creation is really her mother. Her Urge is to find them and please them in whatever way she can, along with a delusion that could mean anyone in Creation could be thought of as her mother. I actually sent a PM to Luck, asking if he minded his character being the object of Callista's obsession, since he could be the first essence user she meets that is nice to her. Him being male, clearly unrelated, and totally not from Malfeas don't matter, her mind's a little delusional at the moment.
 
While the character is well thought out and I like the backstory, I have a hard time seeing any way we won't wind up enemies. Adversaries at the very least.
 
I hate to say so, but it doesn't seem to be in-theme at all with the band of conquerors, barbarians, and world-builders we currently have going on. At all. It looks like she'd serve more as a distraction to the focus of the game rather than contribute to it, especially given her utter lack of (stated) ambition.


This, and it really seems to mesh unnaturally with some of the backgrounds and natures of the characters submitted so far. Why tolerate such a piteous abomination?


Edit: I'm not saying I'm necessarily against the idea, but these points need to be addressed before I'm able to say I'm fine with it.
 
I like the backstory and all, but I am really really worried about how such a character would work with our current group. While I don’t expect saints for this Circle, this character seems to be going right into villainous territory. What with the whole slaughter of villagers and all. Right now the character comes across as a soulless monster. Which can be a problem given this is supposed to be an epic heroes type of game.


I think there are a number of ways we can modify this character to better fit the group. Such as making her rebel against her Yozis. We have a character in the group who is dead set on destroying the Yozis and their influence, so it is going to create problems if this character is in any ways still working for them. Perhaps Callista saw something that radically changed her worldview after coming to Creation? Maybe she saw one of the Solars in our group do something heroic, and this awakened some piece of her Solar heritage and made her believe THIS is what she should be like instead of a debased puppet of the Yozis. And thus she can pick up a more heroic motivation


Overall we would need to modify the character to better gel with the other characters in this Circle, and make it so that they have good reasons to work with each other. I want the characters of this Circle to be able to work together, not worry if they are going to have to put down one of their own or be taking part in acts of betrayal.
 
The slaughter of villagers was more a case of Poor Communication Kills. As stated, she was thankful for their hospitality, until she thought they were trying to poison her.


Still, I appreciate the concerns. Some suggestions/points I have to help her fit in:


1. Callista was starting to develop a conscience before she was cast out. That's why she asked a question of the Unquestionables.


2. [Redacted]


3. A part of Callista's "charmed life" in Malfeas was one relatively free of observing the suffering induced by the Demon City. Instead of the whole delusion in regards to finding a mother, Callista might have an obsession with learning about freedom instead. Her Motivation, meanwhile, is to gain greater understanding of the world and of philosophy, an aspect of existence denied to her. She'd have a Buddha-like story; a great mind that, once destined to be a warlord, suddenly finds sympathy upon learning that there is suffering in the world. This would make her more in line with being a philosopher king, in the long run, compared to a simple tag-along.


The third one actually strikes a chord with me because I particularly like classical stories. Reworking it like this would make her a philosopher hero, who seeks to explore and examine this new world, new ways of life, new ways of thinking, etc. Perfect for an Adjorani Urge but also awesome for a hero who might, one day, turn against the Yozis.


Edit: Yes, actually, I think that works nicely. Callista is born and raised in the demon city, She Who Lives In Her Name having ordained her for a specific purpose. The girl sees the pain and suffering induced by Malfeas, asks why, and is cast out. She meets Adjoran after suffering a profound revelation, is chosen, cast out, left to die.


Awakens in Creation, in an alien world, totally different to the one she comes from, and, with time, learns how different this world is. By the time she meets up with one of the other group members, she's a very different person. She might even have been hunted by Flickering Glass and proven to be quite the opposite of what was expected of an Infernal: A gentle, introspective creature that practices a kind of Zen philosophy.


It doesn't change the story much but it means she can mesh with the group much more easily and gives her both a new flavour and a reason to be there. I always do love philosopher-kings...
 
I think the modified version sounds pretty good. It seems that the character could work with the party and give for some good role playing. I'm OK with it.
 
I wasn't sure before, but I like it that way. There's a big contrast between a philosopher-king and a barbarian warlord, but it's just that, a contrast, not incompatibility.


So she discovers suffering in Malfeas, where it's kinda arbitrary- what's she going to think of suffering in Creation? It's a little different, isn't it, with some of it being entirely arbitrary (in the North, it's cold and people die) and some unfortunately necessary.


You mentioned Solomon in there, and then you're going on about philosopher-kings; are we to expect that sort of mythic awesomeness?
 
Well, the original mental image I had of the character before was someone waking up with a pair of glowing red eyes and a far too toothy smile over them in the middle of the night.


The mental image of Callista now is sitting on a mountain top, legs crossed, eyes closed, peacefully meditating in a gentle breeze, carrying a manner of ascetic relaxation.


I'm certainly hoping to get some mythic awesomeness in this, yes. :mrgreen:


As for the question of suffering, I'm going to be researching some Zen Buddhist philosophy on this. Most likely, though, her answer would be that Malfeas was a world of inharmonious suffering, where cruelty and corruption was law. Creation is something else. Suffering is an illusion and transitory, and so is death. Whereas demons suffer brief, terrified existences followed by nothingness, in Creation, everything moves in an endless cycle, where pain is brief and fleeting, and it is possible to alleviate it.


I'm still thinking on it a little. I'm tempted to give her an Ally to represent a group of monks she might've stayed with at some point, who introduced her to the first steps in her path to enlightenment.
 
Sounds good to me. One thing that'll be interesting is if she thinks about why the demons are suffering- and who imprisoned them... :twisted:
 
The new Zen monk deal sounds really good. But, with this new focus, is it really necessary to have the infernal angle too?


I can see similarities (closed society, unjust punishments, absolute rule and authority) in the city of Paragon, or a shadowland (arcane laws could be in place depending on the deathlord who controls it, very bleak, humans are often sickly, hard to raise livestock or crops, can be killed at a moments notice by deathlords, deathknights, or malicious ghosts, and even after death their ghosts can continue to suffer, etc.) that could be used to shape the views of your character without needing to resort to Hell.
 
Well, if you want reasons for why to keep the Infernal angle...


1. It provides a very awesome dynamic between Glass and her. The two will find an interesting discussion and have an awesome potential for wanting to undo the damage caused by the Yozis in time.


2. It gives her an interesting perspective. Being born in Malfeas adds to the potential for a really cool philosophical outlook, one that cannot be attained so interestingly by being from Paragon or the Underworld.


3. The flavour is really in harmony with what I am going for with the character. The Infernals, unlike other Exalted, are more forces of nature than paragons of humanity. The Charms of She Who Lives In Her Name especially evince a connection with natural laws and the natural world in general, however corrupted that view might normally be. Given that Zen philosophy, and Buddhism in general, espouse oneness with everything, the force of nature angle really speaks to it all.


4. As stated before, the corrupted nature of Infernals is very different from any other form of Exalted. It is, to use a word I will likely use a lot, inharmonious; proper existence cannot abide what it was meant for. However, it once was (and can be again) used for good purposes. As with the Yozi themselves, the Infernal Exaltation and the power it channels are forces of ancient creative and destructive power. There is nothing more awesome in terms of a proper redemption/path-to-enlightenment story than having a character be burdened with corrupt, tainted power and working their way to their metaphorical Nirvana not by discarding that power but by learning its proper use. Is the power of the Yozis inherently evil or just tainted Primordial power? That's a part of the fun to explore.
 
Ok, I think this character will work a lot better with the current Circle. As I’ve said being able to work with the group and its goals was my largest concern, but I think that has been covered. Plus do I like stories of redemption.
 
Righto. I also have details with Xaantiaz on how she could merge with the group, so... Yeah, I'll toss up her sheet tonight, I hope.


Edit: I'm also changing her name to Calypso. It just sounds nicer.
 
yeah, this will be a better match for Asyk. Working with a servant of the Primordials just would rub him wrong.
 
When are some more posts going to come up around the campfire? Asyk is feeling lonely with no one to complain at how bad his jokes are... :cry:
 
Sherwood said:
When are some more posts going to come up around the campfire? Asyk is feeling lonely with no one to complain at how bad his jokes are... :cry:
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I should get something up in the next day or two. Been really busy the past couple days (plus answering questions and commenting on things takes time).
 
Let's just check I've got this right.


With the Fangs, we have Bjarn, Four Foot and Jorik, and the Gethamane team is Asyk, Flickering Glass and Anoke, yes?
 
And Calypso soon!


Also Zoidberg!


zoidberg.png
 
Calypso's sheet is up. I've put stats, background (which may be a teensy bit long), appearance, and personality into separate categories.
 
I like it. It's quite interesting that She Who Lives In Her Name is the embodiment of physical law, yet it's against her nature to ask questions- young Calypso's got a good scientific mindset there, quiet curiosity's just the way to do it.


Well, OK, quiet curiosity's how it's done until you start getting excited and put up the lightning rod.


Should be fun to see what she thinks when we get up to making decisions and necessary suffering...
 
Just a suggestion: Why not have two prologue threads? One for the Gethamane group, one for the Fangs.
 
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