Return of the Scarlet Empress [+3 intimidation]

[guacAnole]

So here's the thing: the world is ending, political power plays are shaking the foundations of Heaven and Earth (among other less finite planes of existence) and Creation is literally going to hell in a hand basket. Sounds like fun, doesn't it? Four of us think so, anyway - we've got a campaign in mind featuring three Solars and one Lunar that starts around the beginning to middle of the First Act of the Return of the Scarlet Empress, just after the Roseblack ascends to temporary Regency, just before the return of the Empress herself. Dealing with the fallout of the Realm is only the beginning - before long there will be epic battles, the sort bards in their most fevered dreams can only imagine retelling in songs of glory and wonder. We'd like to focus on the East or West directional battles as things continue to get considerably worse, possibly involving Lookshy on the one front. Either way, whether it's a huge naval battle or a ridiculously epic airship showdown, or a combination of both, it is all nothing but a warm up to the final showdown against the Queen of Hell herself, and a fight for the Sword of Creation...


But for this we're going to need some help, obviously. We are hoping to find an ST looking to get crazy but preferably not of the "kill us off in the first topic" variety, who is reasonable (if lax) with rolls and stats. We have long run by the rule of cool with dice to aid our story rather than limit it, but more important is the sweeping epic tale we are so eager to explore first hand. 2/4 Characters are already mostly through development so far with another on the way, and sheets can/will be provided upon ST request.


Any takers?

 

[Haku1]

Re: Return of the Scarlet Empress [seeking ST]


The problem I've found is that there are far too many players and never enough STs.

 

[guacAnole]

Re: Return of the Scarlet Empress [seeking ST]


There's only one way to fix that! But really, everything is practically set between the players and the general script of the plot, this is the easiest pick and go campaign ever.

 

[cyl]

Re: Return of the Scarlet Empress [seeking ST]


It's also very intimidating... I mean:


- end of the world scenario


- huge book to read & a lot of things to process


- multiple consequences and factions


- a lot of work for the ST


- high expectations from the players


Dude you really need to work on your selling skills ! :lol:

 

[Bardlebee]

Re: Return of the Scarlet Empress [seeking ST]

It's also very intimidating... I mean:
- end of the world scenario


- huge book to read & a lot of things to process


- multiple consequences and factions


- a lot of work for the ST


- high expectations from the players


Dude you really need to work on your selling skills ! :lol:

This.


I like running exalted. But damn, even if I have read all the books and the new one (I haven't read many... at all) I would be frightened... it is a tall order. Also, I am not a master-craft writer. If nothing else, through me running the three games I have up, it has forced me to read three directions, three manuals and a few celestial books so far. Which is great.

 

[guacAnole]

Re: Return of the Scarlet Empress [seeking ST]


Your reasons are your own, and there's nothing anyone can do about that. But I have to admit that seeing STs bemoan "omg I'd have to do some reading" is probably the most paradoxical response I never expected to get (among the less helpful ones). Last time I checked, not only is the game itself text-based in its entirety, most prominently as a setting, but the forum you are currently on is even more so... Reading and writing is the entirety of Exalted experience on Pattern Spider. So... I have to admit I'm a little confused.


I appreciate the feedback, but I would appreciate even MORE if something constructive was contributed other than "good luck" and randomly admitted ratios of players to STs. At this point, even someone to just observe and maintain the system in terms of rolling is okay, hell, I'd run the STORY myself if I had to. Our circle of players is fairly competent on the whole, so it's hardly as though any prospective ST has such a HUGE LOAD to bear.

 

[Tabby]

Re: Return of the Scarlet Empress [seeking ST]


okay um, if the ST is scared to read the book they're probably not someone I want STing me in the first place. High expectations no, basic competence... yes. The book lays out basically the entire plot, factions, consequences of actions. Doesn't mean the ST has it compeletely scot-free, but it's a lot less work than doing the whole thing from scratch.


I mean we're not some kind of elitist French noblemen sitting in a manse twirling our mustaches and waiting for the ST to fuck up. We've got a lot of RPing and writing experience and can help keep things moving, mostly just need a framework to do it in. Hell most of us have some experience with ST-ish positions in various roleplays, we're not expecting everything and the kitchen sink - it IS a fair bit of work, even with the setting already laid out and suggestions on stuff to do and how to do it. But then... it's not like Exalted in general is about, you know, world-ending scenarios, saving the world, battles against epic creatures, multiple factions, consequences for actions... any of that. Clearly that all came into existence just for this book and we're being unreasonable by asking if there's an available ST who's read the recent book and is willing to do [a cardinal direction or highlights reel or whatever] of it with us.


Seriously? Put up or shut up. If you don't want to do it, that's great. No need to spam the topic with non-constructive posts and quoting other people while contributing effectively nothing.

 

[Myllinnia]

Re: Return of the Scarlet Empress [seeking ST]


I'm a little interested in wondering what Constructive Critizism one would find for a Seeking ST thread. With that said... if I can convince Illyceria to return (she's been plotting some Return of the Scarlet Empress stuff of late) I bet she would give it a go. I for one would but I've failed twice in keeping a game functional, and I would hate to curse such an endeavor. So give me a day, I'm sure I can convince her since there is an interest here. ^^ I'd beware though, as she is my sister we both share the same oddity of adding our flavor to things.

 

[xarvh]

Re: Return of the Scarlet Empress [seeking ST]


I am with Bardlebee on this.


Point is, you don't have to READ the books, you have to KNOW them, and to a good degree, if you want to maintain consistency in your game.


RotSE has especially deep political and social themes which make it especially complex.


It is very easy to fuck up the consistency of the game, and players need consistency if they are to be able to plan far ahead, plot, build, scheme and in general do anything different than slamming extras with oversized weapons.

 

[guacAnole]

Re: Return of the Scarlet Empress [seeking ST]


I'm glad they bothered publishing a setting book that was only meant to be read, then occupy space on a shelf. I can only hope the rest of Exalted doesn't bother upping the stakes, the franchise will just wither and dry up... Unless they actually begin to market them as NOVELS. But those would require reading too. Oh bother.


Honestly, I'm disappointed in the community - you are the same people who run Usurpation era plots. Among others, with varying stakes. I personally don't see how this is so intimidating: if you've EVER read any of the Exalted settings, you should be more than well prepared. Few have 'professionally studied' all the books, I'm not one of them, but even I was able to grasp the nuances and depth of the saga. It is all spelled out for you, in one way or another. I guess that supposes an IQ bigger than one's shoe size. For people who deign to play heroic god-kings, I would have expected more gumption and spine. Afraid of a book... what's next?


I have to admit, I was fine being 'done' with Exalted, I basically left, but... this book brought me back. I for one saw the potential for characters of all kinds, interactions and REactions of all manners. So I decided I wanted to grab it by the reigns, instead of backing into a corner to watch like a scared schoolgirl.


Saying that... We will figure it out ourselves, and play it in our own time and our own way. I certainly hope you all enjoy your sweeping plots that don't extend beyond getting cats down from trees and helping old ladies across the street... some of us have Creation to save.

 

[Haku1]

Re: Return of the Scarlet Empress [seeking ST]


@_@


Seriously, the book itself is new enough that it requires time to get and finish, stuff in it absorbed and played with mentally.


Yes, it's easier to be a player. You only have to worry about 1 character and anything that affects said character. The storyteller, on the hand, must handle all of Creation and how things interact.


From little things like to what degree did the Sidereals get slaughter, did it even work the way it did... or are there MORE sidereals running around alive than is expected. And from there, what would the sidereals do, how would they affect Creation in that war. And more importantly, how does it affect the players.


Now, factor that sort of butterflying effect with EVERYTHING. Infernals, Yozi, Lunars, Abyssals, Deathlords, Ghosts, Solars, Raksha, Spirits, Elementals and all those dragonblooded. And of course, the Scarlet Empress.


This isn't counting the players and what they do. Exalted isn't like D&D where you could go without a DM if necessary with players going "we roll and fight stuff".


This is what a ST must handle if he wants to run a game well. Especially if it's the Scarlet Empress Returns game. It's not easy, and at times, it gets VERY frustrating... which is why there are so few storytellers, and those who are stuck as such WANT to play in games, but you know what? No one else will run a game for them.


I'm not upset at not being able to play in any games on the forum, really. I mean it's not like the games I'm in are dead or doing a good imitation of it. And that the games I run are going slow due to real life being a bitch.


:evil:

 

[TherealBrickwall]

If you had just offered to ST the game yourself, you'd probably have applications from at least half of the people who've posted here. Good ones, too.


Not me, I don't have the book, and I'm not particularly interested in getting it. But I'm just saying, if it's doable, why isn't it doable by you?

 

[Tabby]

If you had just offered to ST the game yourself, you'd probably have applications from at least half of the people who've posted here. Good ones, too.
Not me, I don't have the book, and I'm not particularly interested in getting it. But I'm just saying, if it's doable, why isn't it doable by you?

Since the four of us had ideas for interlacing characters, some past plot hooks that had drawn them together, so on and so forth. It's harder to ST and roleplay at the same time, though I'm starting to wonder if it wouldn't be easier than listening to most of the other posts in the topic. None of us are super special awesome at the mechanics - not that we're BAD at them, just, less into min/maxing than making characters whose stats reflect their capabilities and MIGHT not be flawless at everything - we're in it more for the roleplay and incredibly rich setting, using the mechanics more as a backdrop than the focus of the game and roleplaying more than I CAST MAGIC MISSILE AT THE DARKNESS.


...though given what I've seen from some of the people here, I doubt a couple of those applications would be anything worth accepting. but that's neither here nor there.


--------------


Haku: A. the book gives a lot of suggestions and soft-canon paths for most of that, so. It's not quite as bad as you're hyperboling it up to be, though not a walk in the park, either. B. Any major plot has similar complexity in factions, possible routes, actions and reactions simply by dint of being a major plot. If it didn't have equivalent complexity, it wouldn't be much of a major plot, and the entire focus of Exalted is major plots. Plenty of games with major overarching plots going around. Just because the book is big and scary doesn't mean that it's bad. I brainstormed a very loosely similar plot a while ago for a game that I never got around to due to college fail. Relatively speaking, RotSE is easier simply because so much of the framework is already filled in, letting the ST pick and choose which path to take if they don't really feel like making everything from scratch. Don't like the third act? Cool, focus on acts one and two in the south - there's already a million plot ideas in the book, and more come with a bit of work. Like I said - an ST that's terrified of reading a book zomg is probably not one that we'd want to deal with. We've made that clear. I really don't know why you're still going on about this.


edit: I have no idea why I'm even bothering to reply to xarvh's post, but the horrible wording annoys me. If you actually read the book, you have a pretty good idea of what's going on, and understand it. That's the freaking point of reading in the first place. I think you were looking for the word "skimming," which fits your point much more accurately.


edit2 because I forgot the first time: mylinnia, would be appreciated. definitely interested, if that does indeed pan out.

 

[xarvh]

Tabby, did you have a bad day?

 

[Blacklion]

um. Yeah. It's really not that serious brohiems and sishiems. If we find a ST,coolie. If not we'll work it out for ourselves. I mean I don't think it was really necessary for this to escalate to this point, but whatever, I'm no one's parent.


let's just try to move on, yeah?

 

[Bardlebee]

Re: Return of the Scarlet Empress [seeking ST]

Your reasons are your own, and there's nothing anyone can do about that. But I have to admit that seeing STs bemoan "omg I'd have to do some reading" is probably the most paradoxical response I never expected to get (among the less helpful ones). Last time I checked, not only is the game itself text-based in its entirety, most prominently as a setting, but the forum you are currently on is even more so... Reading and writing is the entirety of Exalted experience on Pattern Spider. So... I have to admit I'm a little confused.
I appreciate the feedback, but I would appreciate even MORE if something constructive was contributed other than "good luck" and randomly admitted ratios of players to STs. At this point, even someone to just observe and maintain the system in terms of rolling is okay, hell, I'd run the STORY myself if I had to. Our circle of players is fairly competent on the whole, so it's hardly as though any prospective ST has such a HUGE LOAD to bear.

Okay first of all I didn't say SOME reading. We are talking here.. I have read the main book to its entirety and the south book, alright? THATS IT.


It wouldn't be SOME reading, it would be ALL THE READING THERE EVER WAS IN EXALTED. I am kind of a perfectionist and I just picked up exalted. Man you guys jump the gun on shit you assume I mean.


:evil:


EDIT: I am really not offended, just trying to throw in what I meant here... and by 'forced' to read I meant I do full time work and school (as my players have noticed) and I have very little time to spend with friends/family let alone read for my enjoyment. It is sad but true.


Really I agree with all your points, I read and GM as I go and players tell me if I am wrong at most points. But you guys sort of jumped the gun. I read for my games, but if I am going to run a game I want to KNOW what I am running. One cannot simply say you go into Paragon, without knowing a thing about it.

 

[cyl]

I originally wanted to make sure you guys get someone up to the herculean task... presenting the dissuasive cons right away to help you find a good & brave ST (because yeah, sometimes, people say "ok let's do this" and let you down for various reasons, IRL mostly)... though the ironic comment was maybe a bit borderline. :roll:


Bardlebee declined the offer politely acknowledging his lack of material and preparation... no need to feel frustrated, or throw in some bad blood...


Now, I would advise against those displays of angry personalities if you're looking for someone to ST your adventures...


This kind of attitude does scare STs away (and this is constructive critic...).


Now I'll apologize for being the source of the escalation, and wish you guys the best of luck.


Pax.

 

[xarvh]

Yup.


It seems that it was just an unfortunate misunderstanding.


It's rather easy to misinterprete informal text.

 

[Bardlebee]

Yup.
It seems that it was just an unfortunate misunderstanding.


It's rather easy to misinterprete informal text.

I'm out for blood.


:lol:

 

[Tabby]

Alright, uh. I think I owe an apology to pretty much everyone involved. Yesterday was indeed a pretty crappy day, six hours of Physics finals on no sleep, but that's no excuse for how I acted. At all. So. Sincerest apologies to everyone involved. Got a bit too excited about the game I guess.


Anyways. On brighter note.


BLOOD FOR THE BLOOD GOD SKULLS FOR THE SKULL THRONE SHINIES FOR THE SHINY RACK.


edut: PAX BIONICUS.


...god I miss auto assault.

 

[xarvh]

LOL! ^^

 

[Bardlebee]

I never heard of the shiny rack.


Yeah sorry guys. I should have been nicer in my response to the hate messages. Though if you would like some constructive thought on this topic....


I think that someone should just up and tackle it, like Haku said the book hasn't been out long, so this may take a couple days if someone who just got the book says "Hey! I'll do it!" I think it shouldn't be run on this level of expectation.. just run it.


If everyone is chill and all the players have the book, just call out your GM when they aren't following canon, and if your GM knows that then they can be like "Oh... I know... MWHAHAH" sneaky snicker face.


I really think this game should be run chill-style. No expectations. I think anyone in this forum could run the game because you all seem very competent on the material. Reading as you GM is a good way to go about this I find. As I alluded to earlier it 'forces' you to read other material outside your knowledge sometimes. By force I guess I mean the word branching out unexpectedly? Example, I read Core and South for Lawgivers game, and I am finding I need to read a bit more as far as various artifacts, more indepth nature of the Unconquered Sun (which was a real treat) and various other things before I could move the players on. I guess maybe, for me I was surprised on the amount of depth of the game and you really need to read up whatever you can to make it feel right. Even though I am reading daily (No more school for now ) I feel I need to read more then I can physically... but as I said I am pretty perfectionist when I come to canon. Not that it will stop from running a vanilla game though


Having that said, I think anyone could run this who have read a lot of the canon material. Which... is most people here (assumption).

 

[Myllinnia]

Hmmm quite... a... lively discussion here. Well here it goes.


Yes, I have been thinking of a POST Return game, but I can easily hold off on it as well... I've not determined much about it yet and its getting bogged down by ... the beginning xD . And going by the book leaves me more to do with least amount of planning.


Uh so... You all want a game centered during the brutal Civil War, but moving from there which Direction are you guys desiring to function in? Maybe it should be better asked, what Direction are these Solars and Lunars focused in? ^^ And at what XP level are your characters (Standard or a few hundred xp under the belt? ). Oh and how much of the book have you, the desiring players, read?


A warning. I can and will post -at least- Daily with exception to Saturday and Sunday. If I post on these days then obviously I'm feeling nice or (even worse) I've hit a writer's block. xD


Now that I have gone this far, those 4 of you who want to play this thing, go ahead and drill me for information, tell me your desires and stuff. And should we come a good arrangement I shall get ourselves a forum and get us going.

 

[guacAnole]

Let me start by adding my own apology. I did not mean to come across so aggressively, as I honestly wasn't upset so much as frustrated and a little confused. Obviously with the new book being so new, not everyone would be familiar with it and read through it with as much fervor as we four. We all have lives, after all, and no one can possibly be blamed for such human shackles. Combine being ready-to-roll with with hitting the brick wall of the initial replies, and that pretty much sums up my reaction, which I didn't have any logical right to vent into the forums. I get excited, what can I say?


Illyceria: We had also discussed the idea of a POST Return game. Specifically, we would be interested (if you are) in just running with it long term. Run through the whole Return, and then continue on in the world WE have all created together, saved together and explored together in its entirety. Probably with new characters, as being a god-king gets pretty boring once you get the first five or so solid orichalcum thrones with accompanying temple-palaces. Anyway, that is an available option that we are more than welcome to consider, but we have a lot of interest obviously in the Return period itself.


In terms of Direction, we favor the East and West specifically, and would not have any objection going from one to the other. Obviously the culmination will end up around the Realm, so that is potentially three entire Directions to cover. There are great ideas for starting on either side, but so far we have already discussed starting together, so either way we wouldn't have to worry about two converging groups. I believe our tentative thought is starting in the East, first and then moving to the West later in the campaign?


In terms of XP, we used standard rules almost exclusively. I... am the exception here, as the one playing the Lunar. Because of the nature of the game, and the fact that I'd be the sole Lunar in a circle of Solars, I used the original proposed Lunar chargen specifics when they didn't meet up with the published material. Basically, two extra knacks, a few more ability points and +1 in each category of attributes. If you'd like to review my proposed char sheet so far, I will go ahead and PM it to you in case you have any notes you'd like to add, or anything you would be hesitant about for starting out. If you have any personal preferences for chargen, or anything you like to see avoided, let us know. We tend to be good (we think) with character concepts, so moving a few dots around won't really change much that we can't live without.


Tabby and I have read the book in its entirety, while Blacklion is familiar with some of the over-arching themes through us raving about it. Our fourth has, I believe, read the entire book as well.


As for posting daily, holy HELL yes I will have your babies. Figuratively speaking.


My main question for you is, how do you see the Scarlet Empress? Feel free to -spoiler- to save wandering eyes, or keep tricks up your sleeve. I can't help but be curious, this book made me into a huge fanboy for her xD I am actually writing a one shot from her perspective just because.


I'm sure I'll think of other things to ask, but if I've forgotten them already they can't have been very important.

 

[Myllinnia]

Sweet! I can and likely will use my materials for the Post Return depending on the events of the Return game. ^^


For the majority at the moment we will start with the East and Move West eventually Center, if you want to try that. Though we'll see how that goes. ^^ The time line of the set kinda makes it tough


As for the Lunar Rules those are cool to use. ^^ As for Charagen itself, I have no houserules. I may consider any, but for now as I'm relatively new to STing (played tons xD ) I have none.

Spoiler

In this Series she is a victim, controlled by the effects of Ebon Dragon Charms and such, as well as the Ring. The Ebon Dragon knows he doesn't have full control over the Scarlet Empress, but he lets her believe that she is, using his influence in the Ring to push his will upon her. How/if the PC rescue her will show more in the later parts of the series.