TherealBrickwall
One Thousand Club
In the stagnate realm of the Underworld, war subtly stirs. The Deathlords know naught but hate, and chief among the subjects of their hatred are each other. Truly, such destructive impulses are favored by the Neverborn, but in the 10 years since the Exalted came into the hands of the Dead, the situation has begun to spiral slowly out of control, imperceptible to an outsider, perhaps, but each Deathlord knows war is at hand (relatively speaking, at least, considering that these are beings with uncounted centuries of unlife). And they prepare.
But the Neverborn have a greater priority: Creation first. So says their voice, the Moonshadow called Weeping Raiton Cast Aside. A demand she has delivered to each Deathlord: that they must send one servant to a Circle, under the direct command of the Neverborn.
None wish to defy her, but none wish to so blindly allow their servants to carry out the wishes of others, even if those others are their 'masters'. And so, they send their novices, with their secret orders to spy, commit acts that further the Deathlord's agenda. Thusly commanded, five Abyssals meet in a shadow of a temple in the East of the Underworld, awaiting their first instructions from Weeping Raiton. Everyone is suspect, and yet there are greater foes than even such untrustworthy allies. What do the stars of Setesh hold for these knights errant of truest black? What will come of The Black Conference?
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Forgive the overly flowery opening. Here's the "straight dope" on what this game is.
-This game is Abyssals. No non-Abyssals.
-There will be 5 players. I will try for a perfect circle, but I do not require one.
-You may make two characters. I will only pick one, but you can make two, to increase your chances.
-You get 50 XP to start with. You may not spend it on Backgrounds
-No Merits or Flaws unless you ask me first, and I'm not very likely to give them (especially Flaws)
-Please give a backstory. I should know where your character was born, how they grew up, what their name was before they died, and how they died. More is obviously better, but strictly speaking, you can cover everything sufficiently in a long paragraph.
Alright, that's the boring stuff. Here's some more interesting info
What this game is about
Abyssal games can do a lot of different things. A very large amount. There's too much to cover, so much that I do not believe a 'Vanilla' (or is that 'Chocolate'?) Abyssal game exists. In addition to that, what the players feel like doing shapes the direction of the game, and if an ST tries to rail them into the flavor he wants, either the players, the ST, or both end up miserable. So I am going to present the themes I expect to be covered, that I will provide opportunities for covering, and themes that otherwise might just come up (and one or two questions to think about pertaining to each).
-The end of a world that left us to die. Abyssals have been abandoned by life, and only death clings to them. They owe the world of the living no oaths, and all the enmity in their black hearts. What do you want to destroy most?
-The end of a world we couldn't leave behind. Abyssals chose the Black Exaltation over death because they couldn't let go of Creation. There's still something there for them. Maybe it's just something to be destroyed, but it's something deep in their hearts. And now they have to get rid of it. What are you still so concerned about?
-Remembered for who we were. Life remembers those who were once part of it, and now they're back, claiming to have abandoned the names they used to have. Who remembers you, and what do they remember about you?
-Remembered for who we weren't. There are some who remember the power of the Lawgivers, your masters included. These people might know your specific incarnation, or at least an encounter with a being similar to you. And maybe you remember them too...who might they be? A Lunar mate? A god? A Sidereal or Dragon-Blooded betrayer?
-Our masters. Each character has a deathlord who commands them, and sends them to pursue a specific agenda. How do you feel about your commanding Deathlord? Do you wish to serve them? Do you even trust them?
-Our TRUE masters. The Neverborn have commanded you to form this Circle, and you formed it. They can twist the Essence inside you in their sleep, should you anger them. How do you feel about these beings of unspeakable power? Fear? Maybe awe?
-Each other. There are four others who share your burdens...but also have their own secrets, and their own agenda. How do you feel about working with these others? How do you feel about the specific Abyssals you're working with?
You don't need to answer all those questions. Or tell me any of the answers. Just consider them when you're playing.
Okay, one more big section. Here are some things I want you to think about when you're making your character.
-You were not destined for this. You were once a human, one with great potential, or at least, something worth paying attention to. You were not ever intended to be a servant of Death. So why are you here?
-You were only remitted into your Deathlord's service because the Neverborn knew that, deep in your heart, somewhere, you accepted that Creation was doomed. How does this make you feel? Do you want to believe that you believe it? Do you think you could ever have hope for anything again? Why do you want to?
-Who do you serve? Each character will have a different Deathlord. Each Deathlord operates in a specific area of Creation (if a large one, usually), and has their own preference for qualities in the servants they choose. Why did your Deathlord choose YOU?
Alright, that's the big stuff! Feel free to ask me any questions. I'll probably only answer ones relating to this game.
But the Neverborn have a greater priority: Creation first. So says their voice, the Moonshadow called Weeping Raiton Cast Aside. A demand she has delivered to each Deathlord: that they must send one servant to a Circle, under the direct command of the Neverborn.
None wish to defy her, but none wish to so blindly allow their servants to carry out the wishes of others, even if those others are their 'masters'. And so, they send their novices, with their secret orders to spy, commit acts that further the Deathlord's agenda. Thusly commanded, five Abyssals meet in a shadow of a temple in the East of the Underworld, awaiting their first instructions from Weeping Raiton. Everyone is suspect, and yet there are greater foes than even such untrustworthy allies. What do the stars of Setesh hold for these knights errant of truest black? What will come of The Black Conference?
----------------------------------
Forgive the overly flowery opening. Here's the "straight dope" on what this game is.
-This game is Abyssals. No non-Abyssals.
-There will be 5 players. I will try for a perfect circle, but I do not require one.
-You may make two characters. I will only pick one, but you can make two, to increase your chances.
-You get 50 XP to start with. You may not spend it on Backgrounds
-No Merits or Flaws unless you ask me first, and I'm not very likely to give them (especially Flaws)
-Please give a backstory. I should know where your character was born, how they grew up, what their name was before they died, and how they died. More is obviously better, but strictly speaking, you can cover everything sufficiently in a long paragraph.
Alright, that's the boring stuff. Here's some more interesting info
What this game is about
Abyssal games can do a lot of different things. A very large amount. There's too much to cover, so much that I do not believe a 'Vanilla' (or is that 'Chocolate'?) Abyssal game exists. In addition to that, what the players feel like doing shapes the direction of the game, and if an ST tries to rail them into the flavor he wants, either the players, the ST, or both end up miserable. So I am going to present the themes I expect to be covered, that I will provide opportunities for covering, and themes that otherwise might just come up (and one or two questions to think about pertaining to each).
-The end of a world that left us to die. Abyssals have been abandoned by life, and only death clings to them. They owe the world of the living no oaths, and all the enmity in their black hearts. What do you want to destroy most?
-The end of a world we couldn't leave behind. Abyssals chose the Black Exaltation over death because they couldn't let go of Creation. There's still something there for them. Maybe it's just something to be destroyed, but it's something deep in their hearts. And now they have to get rid of it. What are you still so concerned about?
-Remembered for who we were. Life remembers those who were once part of it, and now they're back, claiming to have abandoned the names they used to have. Who remembers you, and what do they remember about you?
-Remembered for who we weren't. There are some who remember the power of the Lawgivers, your masters included. These people might know your specific incarnation, or at least an encounter with a being similar to you. And maybe you remember them too...who might they be? A Lunar mate? A god? A Sidereal or Dragon-Blooded betrayer?
-Our masters. Each character has a deathlord who commands them, and sends them to pursue a specific agenda. How do you feel about your commanding Deathlord? Do you wish to serve them? Do you even trust them?
-Our TRUE masters. The Neverborn have commanded you to form this Circle, and you formed it. They can twist the Essence inside you in their sleep, should you anger them. How do you feel about these beings of unspeakable power? Fear? Maybe awe?
-Each other. There are four others who share your burdens...but also have their own secrets, and their own agenda. How do you feel about working with these others? How do you feel about the specific Abyssals you're working with?
You don't need to answer all those questions. Or tell me any of the answers. Just consider them when you're playing.
Okay, one more big section. Here are some things I want you to think about when you're making your character.
-You were not destined for this. You were once a human, one with great potential, or at least, something worth paying attention to. You were not ever intended to be a servant of Death. So why are you here?
-You were only remitted into your Deathlord's service because the Neverborn knew that, deep in your heart, somewhere, you accepted that Creation was doomed. How does this make you feel? Do you want to believe that you believe it? Do you think you could ever have hope for anything again? Why do you want to?
-Who do you serve? Each character will have a different Deathlord. Each Deathlord operates in a specific area of Creation (if a large one, usually), and has their own preference for qualities in the servants they choose. Why did your Deathlord choose YOU?
Alright, that's the big stuff! Feel free to ask me any questions. I'll probably only answer ones relating to this game.
Somewhere in there might actually be a legacy para that even after my first pass was missed. I usually get interrupted too much to make a clean break on a single run of my own once good works. ><