The Black Conference (Abyssals, Recruiting)

[cyl]

An artifact that blocks the detection of magic is certainly a reasonable request. I'm surprised that one does not exist already. It's certainly nothing above a 3-dot artifact, though, especially as the absence of strange Essence will be suspicious if anyone knows you're supposed to have magic.

I meant I wanted the following:
- an ornament artifact (could be amulet, a ring or anything that sticks to the person) with similar benefits of the Ring of Being (magic does not work on him: charms boosting an attack yes because it's an physical attack, but anything that targets him through essence like social charms, shaping effect, spirits charms except for elementals who are raw physical beings by nature, etc etc, no) restricted to creatures of darkness (the ring of being applies to anyone, faes, exalts, spirits even the Wyld does not work on him, it's like a shield against essence manipulations).


And I wanted the artifact to have a shield against magic detection.


Those combined effects would make my characters insensible to any "spiritual" attack / probe, and the source of this "power" would be undetectable.


That's what I was gunnning for.

I have no problem with the Order of the Flaming Rose, no problem at all. The thing in question is your direct contact with some greater being that controls it. Sidereals especially aren't the type to have direct dealings with their agents if they don't have to. It's something you should be very specific and careful in defining.

Judging from the comics, The Disciple and Black Ice Shadow often meet, though the nature of their encounters is rather confusing.
I thought about making something up with the Green Lady... but she's so far gone it might not have been a good idea.


I thought it would be someone much younger, an idealist, trying to emulate the Immaculate Order.


About the contact I could have with him, they might not be in person but by the form of letters, essence messages and other various means. I don't expect him to be there at every turn of the campaign but thought it could give you a spicy resort in some cases, and help me get some infos.

As far as Avatar Charms, yes, you may purchase them and then drop your Whispers rating all in character creation. Keep in mind, though, that a large number of Avatar Charms require a Whispers greater than one, and you can't spend XP on background dots. Welcome to the dark side. The cookies you were promised are soap-flavored.
Hmm...according to my sources, it's actually theoretically impossible. At least, not without extremely powerful Necromancy (higher than Iron Circle, at the very least). And apparently a few things in canon rest upon that fact. So, it looks like you can't get rid of your Whispers dots after all. Ah, well, nobody said being a heroic Abyssal was easy.

Well Scroll of Exalts puts some guidelines there p.49: here it is.

• Redemption should represent the culmination of a great and
lengthy quest rather than a reward for singular acts of heroism.


A bare minimum of one story devoted to the task per dot of


Essence is highly recommended, reflecting the fact that it is


harder to turn back from the darkness the farther you explore


its power. Abyssals can also choose to permanently lower their


Whispers rating by one dot at the end of each story devoted to


redemption (returning 3 experience points if Storytellers give


compensatory experience for lost Backgrounds).

So really it's up to you, but do warn me ahead so I can make the right choices.

 

[d1ng0d0g]

Fluff-wise, how do you get rid of Whispers?

I just realized someone else already gave the answer. Although Cestus is very much linked into a more psychotic dreaming Neverborn. And he just wants the bastards to shut up.

 

[cyl]

It is and will always be up to the ST to follow the guidelines or not... so I think we should really answer that question before finishing chargen :mrgreen:


If some of us are going for redemption, then we should be aware of the dangers of having Whispers trait...

 

[TherealBrickwall]

I meant I wanted the following:
- an ornament artifact (could be amulet, a ring or anything that sticks to the person) with similar benefits of the Ring of Being (magic does not work on him: charms boosting an attack yes because it's an physical attack, but anything that targets him through essence like social charms, shaping effect, spirits charms except for elementals who are raw physical beings by nature, etc etc, no) restricted to creatures of darkness (the ring of being applies to anyone, faes, exalts, spirits even the Wyld does not work on him, it's like a shield against essence manipulations).

Considering my deep and utter loathing for the Ring of Being, I'm going to have to turn you down on that one. I'm sure your character concept will work fine without it.

I don't expect him to be there at every turn of the campaign but thought it could give you a spicy resort in some cases, and help me get some infos.

Why don't you let me know approximately how often you DO expect your Sidereal friend to show up, so I can get a better idea of what kind of Background dots this should cost?

• Redemption should represent the culmination of a great and
lengthy quest rather than a reward for singular acts of heroism.


A bare minimum of one story devoted to the task per dot of


Essence is highly recommended, reflecting the fact that it is


harder to turn back from the darkness the farther you explore


its power. Abyssals can also choose to permanently lower their


Whispers rating by one dot at the end of each story devoted to


redemption (returning 3 experience points if Storytellers give


compensatory experience for lost Backgrounds).


So really it's up to you, but do warn me ahead so I can make the right choices.

Scroll of Exalts has useful content? :shock: I don't think I can be blamed for not looking there.


Anyway, while you can reduce Whispers dots in-game, it doesn't seem like the sort of thing backstory will cover. Especially since your backstory has been rather redemption-less (redemption is about getting rid of your OWN evil, not everyone else's).

 

[Bardlebee]

Brickwall, is there anything that seems off about my background so far? Like canon-style incorrect or silly?

 

[TherealBrickwall]

So rarely do people ASK me to nitpick. I'm guessing you haven't figured out just how nitpicky I am.


Alright, first of all, the Perfect himself doesn't keep any slaves. While they're subservient to him, technically, that's just an extension of being subservient to someone else in Paragon. The Perfect himself has much more effective methods than the laws of property to access unquestioning obedience.


Women in Chiaroscuro don't really wear veils unless they're Dereth or attempting to look foreign. It's just not done. That'd be like a man in the United States wearing a sundress. Smart slaver keeps scars off the face. Stupid one lets slave walk around with them showing.


Also, I noticed that the slaver of a whorehouse waited until she was 20 to start using her for "the good stuff". Twenty! That's late even for modern sensibilities, all circumstances considered. You'd have to sell me a pretty good reason why she wasn't wrapped up and put on the floor as soon as she had breasts, because that's how these places tend to operate.


And maybe it's intentional, but Beauty seems like she's overcompensating with denial about all the trauma. It doesn't matter what kind of emotion it looks like, if you still have an emotional reaction to it, you're not over it.


Oh, and you've got a few spelling and grammar errors. I tend to type things like backstories up in Microsoft word, because it catches almost everything. The work of professional computational linguists makes me seem a lot more attentive than I really am, and it can work for anyone else. Just a future note.


Alright, that's all I've got. But to be fair, I just barely woke up half an hour ago, so I'm not sure I'm completely booted up yet. There might be more.

 

[Bardlebee]

Oh god, what have I done.


I can see your point on all those. The veil being the most obvious... her reaction is not to be over it, that's sort of the thing, she has grown insane from the mistreatment... kinda what I was shooting for.


Also I didn't mean to say she was the perfects slave, just that she was trying to get out of it.

 

[xarvh]

Added some Intimacies.


I don't know whether I want to put them Positive and turn them Negative as my char plunges deeper and deeper into hatred, or put them negative already. oO

 

[MorkaisChosen]

Go for a mixture, that way you can be a little be hateful and Abyssal, and still have the happy fun descent into psychopathic insanity!

 

[The Bushranger]

Tweaked and finished (I hope) submission, with a background that sprang to me while driving home this afternoon.


Name: Quiet Shadow of the Forsaken Servant's Heart ("Shadow")


Concept: Spy for the Lover Clad in the Raiment of Tears


Motivation: The extermination of the Terrestrial Exalted


Caste: Day

Spoiler

Attributes


Physical


Strength â—â—â—


Dexterity â—â—â—â—â—


Stamina â—â—â—


Social


Charisma â—â—


Manipulation â—â—


Appearance â—â—â—â—


Mental


Perception â—â—â—â—


Intelligence â—â—


Wits â—â—â—


Abilities


Archery


Martial Arts


Melee â—


Thrown


War


*Integrity â—â—


*Performance â—â—â—


Presence


*Resistance â—â—


Survival â—


Craft (Water) â—â—


--Specialty: Cooking


Investigate â—


Lore â—


Medicine â—


Occult


>Athletics â—â—â—â—â—


>Awareness â—â—â—


>Dodge â—â—â—â—


>Larceny


>Stealth â—â—â—â—â—


--Specialty: Blending into a crowd


Bureaucracy â—


*Linguistics â—â—â— (High Realm, Riverspeak, ?)


Ride


Sail


*Socialize â—â—â—


Backgrounds


Liege â—


Underworld Manse â—


Whispers â—


Artifacts and Equipment:


Artifact - Soulsteel Lamellar â—â—


Artifact - Soulsteel Short Daiklave (Pair) â—â—


Charms


First Awareness Excellency


First Stealth Excellency


Raiton's Nimble Perch


Effortless Unnatural Grace


Mist Over Ice


Superior Hearing Focus


Shadow Cloak Technique


Unseen Wisp Method


Atrocity Without Witness


Blood Calligraphy Technique


Ox-Body Technique


Ox-Body Technique


Undying Stagnation Defense


Flitting Shadow Form


Defenses


Dodge DV


Parry DV (Melee)


Soak:


Hardness:


Health


-0 [ ][ ]


-1 [ ][ ][ ]


-2 [ ][ ][ ][ ]


-4 [ ]


X [ ]


Mental Defense


Dodge MDV


Parry MDV


Virtues


Compassion â—â—â—â—


Conviction â—â—


Temperance â—â—


Valor â—


Intimacies


The Lover (positive)


Bats (positive)


Terrestrial Exalted (negative)


Willpower: 6


Essence


Permanent: 3


Personal: /


Peripheral: / (0 Committed)


Experience Points


BP Expenditure


- 2 to increase Athletics to 5


- 1 to increase Awareness to 3


- 1 to increase Dodge to 4


- 2 to increase Stealth to 5


- 1 to increase Linguistics to 3


- 7 to increase Essence to 3


- 1 for a Specialty


Current = 0


XP Expenditure


- 8 to raise Charisma to 2


- 16 for Ox-Body Technique x2


- 5 for two dots in Craft (Water)


- 3 for a Specialty (Cooking)


- 8 for Undying Stagnation Defense


- 8 for Flitting Shadow Form


Current = 2





"This is the story of a girl. Her name is not important - only the story. For her story is a sad one, as you will learn.


This girl was once a young servant of a lord in the city of Chiaroscuro. Her life was unassuming and quiet, and it would have remained so had she not fallen in love. Young, pure, innocent love, with the lord's stable boy. He was just as young, pure and innocent, and their times in the hayloft were not times of frenzied lust, but rather of whispered nothings, blushing cheeks and quiet embraces. And it would have remained so (at least, until they grew older, and more bold) had one of the lord's other servants, there at a time he wsn't expected to be, not heard whispering from the hayloft, and discovered them.


The lord, as it happened, was strict and stern, and had declared that his servants - especially the younger servants - were forbidden from any form of...'carnal interaction', as he called it. And so when the girl and the love of her young heart were brought before him, having been caught in the hayloft, he was wroth. Ordinarily, both would have been dismissed. The girl, however, was one of the household's most skilled cooks, and he was reluctant to lose her services. And so he only dismissed the stable-boy, telling him that if he ever set foot in the city again, he would die...


...saying that his dimsissal would be also, for the girl, sufficent punishment.


And so the stable-boy was dismissed, and the girl, pining and heartbroken, went about her duties. But she still had hope in her heart, hope that some day, the stable-boy would find a way to return and to take her away with him...or that she would be able to escape, and join him. She even considered doing so immediately - and had she had a mortal master, she would have. However her master was one of the Terrestrial Exalted, and how could she ever hope to escape the service of one of the Dragon-Blooded?


And so it would have remained, had not one day, she found herself summoned to her master. And learned that the stable-boy had been caught attempting to sneak over the wall that surrounded the master's house. And had his head neatly removed from his shoulders by a sharp blade in the process.


The girl was heartbroken, and doubly so. Not only was her love dead, but he had died because of his love for her. Dismissed, she fled to her room, and with no dreams left to drive her, planned what she must do. And so that evening when she was preparing dinner, having put on a veneer of composure over her grief, she prepared a small dose of poison. One that would be not even noticed by one of the Dragon-Blooded, but that was lethal, overnight, to a mortal...


...and slipped it into her own meal that evening.


Then she went upstairs to die, hoping that perhaps there might be some way, after death, that she and her lover could be reunited, if only in the next life.


But as the poison worked its painful work, and she felt herself growing weaker, she heard a voice, a melodius, cold yet somehow soothing woman's voice, one that told her her grief and loss was felt, was justified, and it was all the fault of her master. And as her master was one of the Dragon-Blooded, clearly, was it not their fault as well? For if they had not existed, her master would not have been one, and she would have dared to escape.


Then the voice offered a deal.


The deal was accepted.


The next morning, the master lay dead, his head neatly removed from his shoulders by a sharp blade, and the servant girl was nowhere to be found...


And so it would have remained, had you not found me. I'm sure your companion would prefer that you hadn't - well, he would anyway, if he wasn't dead. Don't feel bad though, I'm sure he prefers being dead to working for that shrew of a mistress who so callously took over after her husband was dead. Woman doesn't have the slightest clue what love is, but maybe you can help me educate her about what fear is. Because you're going back, your head still on your shoulders, and you're going to tell her that that servant girl is still around, and that she is going to, one day, do to her what I did to her husband while he slept while she was out dancing the night away in another's arms. And that will be just the start, because before I'm done, there won't be a single Dragon-Blooded left to spread their wreched Terrestrial taint.


Won't it be glorious?"

 

[Bardlebee]

And maybe it's intentional, but Beauty seems like she's overcompensating with denial about all the trauma. It doesn't matter what kind of emotion it looks like, if you still have an emotional reaction to it, you're not over it.


Oh, and you've got a few spelling and grammar errors. I tend to type things like backstories up in Microsoft word, because it catches almost everything. The work of professional computational linguists makes me seem a lot more attentive than I really am, and it can work for anyone else. Just a future note.


Alright, that's all I've got. But to be fair, I just barely woke up half an hour ago, so I'm not sure I'm completely booted up yet. There might be more.

Ok I made edits to my backstory and I think it is done. You can re-read and tear it apart again. I think I said it before, but Beauty is supposed to be a bit off the deep end from her hard life. She did not take it well and she is overcompensating it with the laughter to hide the frightened little girl inside. This could be used as a redemption plot as well as the little girl could come out of her once again and maybe her mental wounds healed.

 

[cyl]

Still gotta wrap up a sheet... damn those dots are hard to put... I need EVERYTHING ! :mrgreen:

 

[The Bushranger]

Tweaked my sheet a bit to use up some XP.

 

[xarvh]

Slaughter.


Maim.


Kill.


I like the sound of the words.


They remind me of my family.


The other voice that breaks the utter silence of the room is filled with spite.


You are but a deranged monster.


Creation writhes in disgust at your kind.


...


Maybe you can kill me, but my Brothers will soon end your sorry mockery of a life.


A monster? Me?


Ah! I even like kids.


I always kill them before they grow up into something more loathsome.


Am I not merciful?


And, alas, I cannot kill you, not without exposing myself to a gamble.


You are an extremely competent fighter, after all.


Why take the risk?


What a contempible coward!


And you call yourself one of the blade?


You have nothing of the pride of a warrior!


Come on! Now you offend me.


In fact, the shallow misery of my former life was made bearable only by fighting side by side with the soldiers of the Realm, and the importance given to our core values.


Pillage, rape, slaughter...


First the brave soldiers, then their wives and children.


You know, killing is important.


It reminds me how disgusting and dirty the living are.


The man in armor stands tall and proud, but a grimace of repugnance marks his face.


The Red Piss Legion is shame to the Realm, but it's just nothing compared to the taint of letting you live.


As he readies for fighting the pale woman smirks.


I have no intention of engaging with you.


As we speak, my minions are storming inside your walls.


I made sure that as much of my zombies as possible are slain in your water supply.


It will add some flavour, won't it?


This said, she slowly fades out of reality, her flesh swallowed by the Void.


Enjoy the siege.


It won't last long.


------


This is kinda an experiment for me.


I found challenging to write down an outright evil, deranged psychopath that's consistent and interesting to play.


The dialogue above is not exceedingly inspired, but sketches the character pretty well.

Spoiler

Name: The Broken Legion of One-Thousands Wailing Shrouds


Concept: Infiltrator, Saboteur


Motivation: Turn Creation into a shadowland


Liege: Bodhisattva Anointed in Dark Waters


Caste: Day


Flawed Virtue: Compassion


Intimacies:


+superiority of the Undead (pride)


+inflicting suffering, wanton cruelty


+efficency


-the weak (loathe)


-the living (disgust)

(from: http://ssdeternity.deviantart.com/art/N ... ancer&qo=3 )







ATTRIBUTES
Strength ooo
Dexterity ooooo
Stamina oo

Charisma o
Manipulation oooo
Appearance oo

Perception ooo
Intelligence oooo
Wits oooo



ABILITIES
Archery
Martial Arts
F Melee ooooo
Thrown
F War ooooo

Integrity
Performance
Presence
F Resistance o
F Survival o

Craft
F Investigation ooooo
Lore o
Medicine
Occult o

F Athletics o
F Awareness ooooo
F Dodge
F Larceny o
F Stealth ooooo

Burocracy ooo
Linguistics o
Ride
Sail
Socialize ooo



VIRTUES, WILLPOWER, ESSENCE
Compassion o
Convinction ooo
Temperance ooo
Valor oo

Willpower ooooo oo

Essence ooo



BACKGROUNDS
Artifact ooo Last Night of Pain (Soulsteel Grand Daiklave)
Whispers ooo
Liege oo
Spies oo



CHARMS
Melee II
Ravening Mouth of Melee
Blade-Summoning Gesture
-Void-Sheating Technique

Morale-Shattering Method
-Arise and Slaughter

Ox-Body-Technique
Chains Cannot Hold

Shadow Cloak Technique
-Unseen Wisp Method

Burocracy II

Bonus Points:


10 Abilities


2 Willpower


3 Backgrounds


Experience:


4 Attributes


16 Essence


8 Charm

 

[TherealBrickwall]

Well, I'll be out of contact for a while as I bend over for the rape of international travel, but I'm settin' us a deadline! I will be deciding on sheets on Saturday the 21st. I am not giving an exact time to end submissions. Submissions end when I've decided on who's in. I seriously doubt it will be an issue.

 

[xarvh]

Finished the second character.


I had initially thought about a male character, but then decided for female.


Now, I was wondering how much sexist is our setting.


Heroic mortals and above, we know there are no differences whatsoever.


However, when it comes to extras, I don't see it so clearly.


Let's say I enter a village disguised as a peasant.


How much more attention is a woman going to attract, with respect to a man?


Especially an unaccompanied woman?


If you think that women attract the attention just as men, please just compare the numbers in any random image collection.


I usually imagine the world of Exalted far more egualitarian than RL, especially since heroes and Gods do not discriminate much, and this would reflect on the mortals who follow them.


However, I do wonder, for example, how many of soldier Extras that my character casually slaughters are women.


I imagine them being men, but just because in RL soldiers usually are.


How many armies would afford the tons of Maiden Tea required to avoid pregnancies among the ranks?


How's the life of a woman in the Realm Army?

 

[d1ng0d0g]

However, I do wonder, for example, how many of soldier Extras that my character casually slaughters are women.

The are the extras. They are sexless beings with a lifespan of about an hour.


On a more serious note, the fairly mixed bunch of women would actually happen in the Realm or Realm influenced areas. In every area that has been serious devastated by war, the inequality of men and women becomes even more visible. As men are usually an expendable resource. So outside those emulating the Dragon Blooded (not saying Empress although she has had a massive effect on it), I doubt there are many women in the general armies of some places. Although there might be a skewed preference, due to perhaps having more women than men in post Contagion era.

I imagine them being men, but just because in RL soldiers usually are.

I don't imagine them as more than the faceless extras only there to make life slightly more difficult.

How many armies would afford the tons of Maiden Tea required to avoid pregnancies among the ranks?

One single overdose is enough to make certain they'll never breed again. Also, Maiden Tea is mentioned, but that's because it's the very reliable and least lethal version of birth control / abortion. There are very likely many other methods available, just like in our world.

How's the life of a woman in the Realm Army?

They are just one of the men. Probably get a little preferential treatment as well. Unlike many people suspect, women are actually capable in the field of soldiering. Perhaps even more capable than men.

 

[MorkaisChosen]

I may throw up another concept, depending, but it's likely to be less fun than the Magister if I do. And I know how people feel about "I Want Everything"- it was rather tough to rank the attributes...

 

[xarvh]

The are the extras. They are sexless beings with a lifespan of about an hour.

A very good point.

Unlike many people suspect, women are actually capable in the field of soldiering. Perhaps even more capable than men.

I have no doubt that women can be as good as men at killing people, especially when physical strength is no more a factor.


I'm still trying to understand what would be the situation for an unaccompanied female peasant.

 

[MorkaisChosen]

Unlike many people suspect, women are actually capable in the field of soldiering. Perhaps even more capable than men.

I have no doubt that women can be as good as men at killing people, especially when physical strength is no more a factor.


I'm still trying to understand what would be the situation for an unaccompanied female peasant.

Narrative causality. If you try anything, they'll turn out to be an enlightened martial artist. :lol:

 

[xarvh]

Narrative causality. If you try anything, they'll turn out to be an enlightened martial artist. :lol:

Yeah, dammit, they'll realize at once that I'm a hugely powerful character and knowing they're extra will run away for their marginally entertaining lives! ^^

 

[TherealBrickwall]

You really want me to give you an update on gender roles in Creation? Read all the Compasses of Terrestrial Direction, plus the Compass of Celestial Directions: Blessed Isle. Then you'll have some idea.


In summation, for the most part, military units will be more male than female. In a large amount of places in Creation, women of fighting age are also of marrying age, and it's optimal to reproduce once you can do so, so most do, which limits any ability to do military training. However, some women decide to do something else with their lives, and certainly some women don't even have the option of marrying/having kids. This is especially true when there is more to be done in life than keeping a farm going (therefore, areas with more wealth will have more women in the military). Cultures like those of the Western islands or the Delzahn have all-male militaries (well, male and Tya, sometimes), and there are also some all-female militaries like the Brides of Ahlat. For the most part, militaries in Creation will have an average male/female makeup similar to Earth's, which is about 1/10ths female.


Yes, that is the short version.

 

[cyl]

Still working on my character, but I had an artifact idea for a dagger / sword.


Since killing people and hunting ghosts will be part of the daily routine of this fella, I thought it might be nice to have a weapon who ensures that the soul is properly sent back to lethe... a bit like a "soul cutter" from Bleach (without the spirit inside... :roll: ).

 

[TherealBrickwall]

Considering that's a Zenith thing, I don't think you could possibly do that without Orichalcum. Have fun even being allowed to use it (and eating the extra attunement).

 

[cyl]

Hmmm I would of course argue that Gentle Call of Lethe is a necromantic spell, but you're the boss.