[Nobilis] Tabletop play

[Geoff Hall]

Okay, I own Nobilis and have done for a number of months. I love it, I love the setting, the writing in the book, the concept, everything about it. It's by far the most beautiful, well crafted and inspirational roleplaying book I've ever read (hell, it probably ranks up there with any book I've ever read.) My question, how does it play?

I've not had the chance to give it a go 'face to face' as it were and I'm really interested in how what is undoubtabley a very unique mechanic actually runs with an HG and real time players. Personally I play in a PBeM of the game, whilst it's suffering from standard PBeM dying syndrome right now, is an excellent excercise in creative writing and a great way to explore the setting an social interactions of the Nobilis.

So I know the game works wonderfully as a PBeM. Great, I'm glad (really, I absolutely adore writing for my character, Nicholas Rothschilde, Marquis of Shadows.) So how does it play in real time? The example of play is a great read but how easy is it for an HG and players to pull that kind of stuff off just out of the blue with no thinking time to speak of? Inquiring minds want cool frickin' stories!

Ahem. Yeah. Anyway, for reference here's a link to the yahoo group the PBeM runs on followed by a link to a page on the HG's website which gives a (very) brief rundown of the characters:

Edit: Seems the group is set up to be members only so ppl can't check it out. Damn HG ;)

Characters in the game (http://freespace.virgin.net/andrew.kenrick7/nobilis.htm)

And hey, following is a little piece of writing done for the PBeM by Chris, the player of Sound and Fury. He has a grudge against the Power of (I believe) Precision and decides to go about nettling him in a most unsubtle way...

This is the Bureau International des Poids et Mesures in Paris. This is where they calibrate. This is where they ask questions like 'Precisely how long is a metre?' And this is where they answer them.

Tonight the air is filled with clanking. The clatter and clank of a full suit of milanese plate armour, worn by a large man, carrying a big sword, who walks out from underneath a bridge and towards the BIPM.

Through gates and past security cameras without a sideways glance. The visor is down and the face hidden. Up to the doors of the Pavillon de Breteuil. The claymore arcs downwards and the doors burst open wth a crash.

Alarms give tongue around the building, and a smile forms beneath the helmet. Five feet of tempered steel whirl in a two-handed grip, and glass display cabinets shatter, precise models and delicate electronics are sundered, decades of research is desecrated.

The guard who peers around the doorway, nervously tensing the trigger of his gun, receives a gauntleted fist in the face.

The central room is encased in steel. Not so much due to the security, but because the temperature and pressure must be kept precisely right. The wheels of the combination lock turn, tumblers quietly clicking into place. Before long the heavy door opens.

Within the room, apart from a variety of scientific apparatus, are a couple of lumps of precious metal, a platinum-iridium alloy. One is long and thin. There are two marks on it, and the distance between them was, until recently, the very definition of a metre. The other is a small cylinder, and its mass still is the definition of a kilogram. They are as precise as precise can be.

The armoured figure produces, from some hidden holster, a blowtorch.

When he is done, Otto makes his way out through the debris and back to the bridge into Locus Kalarati.

[florin]

I played a couple of sessions face to face before schedules changed, and we couldn't meet any more.

One thing about email vs FtF RP is that email always has more description. I have yet to meet a GM or player who wants to give a paragraph or two's worth of description in a FtF game, but lots of people don't bat an eye at doing it in an email game.

The game goes fast, though. The longest parts of scenes that I saw where the players trying to figure out what they want to do. Resolution is quick as lightning.

I need to dig up another game. :)

[Ineti]

Originally posted by florin
I need to dig up another game. :)

Bring the book with you on Sunday. :)

[Jere]

I think table-top brings out the strengths of Nobilis in its crazy improvisation and sense of drama. Can't imagine playing it any other way.

[Snoopy]

I had some players who were more used to D&D and WW type stuff, and went for the combat approach. Damn that was cool. Didn't work, but it was cool.

- Next time, more cunning required Snoop

[florin]

Originally posted by Ineti
Bring the book with you on Sunday. :)

I already told Berkanna I would. :) It's good you reminded me, though. I think I was forgetting...

[Geoff Hall]

Originally posted by Snoopy
I had some players who were more used to D&D and WW type stuff, and went for the combat approach. Damn that was cool. Didn't work, but it was cool.

- Next time, more cunning required Snoop

Oh dear, what happened to them?

[Geoff Hall]

Originally posted by florin
I played a couple of sessions face to face before schedules changed, and we couldn't meet any more.

One thing about email vs FtF RP is that email always has more description. I have yet to meet a GM or player who wants to give a paragraph or two's worth of description in a FtF game, but lots of people don't bat an eye at doing it in an email game.

The game goes fast, though. The longest parts of scenes that I saw where the players trying to figure out what they want to do. Resolution is quick as lightning.

I need to dig up another game. :)

Sounds good to me! I really hope I can get a FtF game sometime...

[ParadoxDruid]

I ran a Nobilis campaign a few months back...

Worked really well with my players, but the "primaries" were people I chose for it-- I picked people who like description and drama more than action or combat. There were a few other players who played a session or two as supporting cast characters or the like.

The plot was a long-term attack against their Chancel by an Excrucian who was working through a rival Imperator. There were some great complications, like the excrucian being in a strange sort of love affair with a Cammoran agent, which helped shield his activites from Entropy's watchful eye; the Christof, Power of Innocence, who was about the least innocent Noble imaginable; and needing to get the assistance of the Power of Time, who unfortunately moves _backwards_ through time; eventually, one of the PCs was false arrested and put on trial by Entropy.

I think it works really well face-to-face. You definitely get less description, but you get the chance for all SORTS of social intrigue and manuevering in conversations.

*happy sigh* I had some great characters for that one.. We had the rivalry betwen the Powers of Delusion and Disillusion, the very savvy Power of Hospitality; and the slightly-Malkavian (in the scary- oh my god, he killed her for no reason!) Power of Irony.

[Jeffwik]

Originally posted by Jere
I think table-top brings out the strengths of Nobilis in its crazy improvisation and sense of drama. Can't imagine playing it any other way.

Ditto.

[Geoff Hall]

Okay, now I'm just jealous.

[Samhaine]

I haven't yet played a PBEM game of Nobilis, but I've found where it differs from other tabletop games is its sense of freedom and, as others have pointed out, the absolute ease of conflict and task resolution. The players know that their characters can do just about anything, so long as they can outsmart any empowered opposition. It becomes about figuring the most effective and efficient means of doing something, rather than trying to figure out how to do it at all.

For example, I ran a flower rite where the players had three or so hours left until we needed to finish, and the characters had less than a day left in game to solve the problem. The characters decided that the best solution was to go to Europe, find an egress to the World Tree, take a trip to Heaven, pick up a dead soul, and bring it back to Earth to help them overcome the rite. All while pursuing their own personal goals and idioms during the trip. And it was all done in a few hours of real time.

Basically, tabletop Noblis seems like it runs itself most of the time. All the GM needs to do is come up with some basic structure to the areas the PCs are most likely to care about, feed in plot or interesting setting now and again, and be able to think quickly to fill in the gaps. The characters will pursue their own interests and agendas, and most of the time all the GM has to do is react. I've never before had a game where most of the play time is spent having IC discussions and poking about the local area turn out as so much fun in actual practice.

The one real problem I've had so far came when the characters wanted to host a party of Nobles. Coming up with a bunch of NPCs, all of which have to be as unique and cool as the PCs, all of which have to have their own agendas and motivations, is a whole hell of a lot of work after a while. If anyone has some suggestions on how to come up with multiple neat NPC Nobles without suffering burnout, please do tell.

[Geoff Hall]

And more jealous. These games sound like a lot of fun and give the distinct impression that Nobilis works damn well as a tabletop game. I just wish I had someone to play ftf with now =/

[ParadoxDruid]

On a fun side note: In all my days reading RPGs on my university's campus, the ONLY time someone has ever come up and approached me was when I was reading Nobilis. We talked Nobilis for a while, it was fun.

So I bought a Nobilis shirt- I've yet to meet an annoying person who likes Nobilis, so it's kind of a weeder to me, I guess. lol. Than again, a few good RPG buddies don't like it-- but I already know if they're annoying or not (they are, but in a good way). :)

But yeah- GMing Nobilis FtF can be quite the ride... sometimes, the game runs itself and other times, you're trying to come up with unique personalities and motivations every 5 minutes. I cheated by making up like 20 nobles with anchors and all, and basically pulling them out of a hat when I needed more cast.

[Geoff Hall]

Originally posted by ParadoxDruid
But yeah- GMing Nobilis FtF can be quite the ride... sometimes, the game runs itself and other times, you're trying to come up with unique personalities and motivations every 5 minutes. I cheated by making up like 20 nobles with anchors and all, and basically pulling them out of a hat when I needed more cast.

See to me that just seems to be common sense. Of course with my total inability to make to to prep for games I'd never get around to doing it... Still, much common sense to be found here.

[Mapache]

Originally posted by Samhaine
The one real problem I've had so far came when the characters wanted to host a party of Nobles. Coming up with a bunch of NPCs, all of which have to be as unique and cool as the PCs, all of which have to have their own agendas and motivations, is a whole hell of a lot of work after a while. If anyone has some suggestions on how to come up with multiple neat NPC Nobles without suffering burnout, please do tell.

Hmmm, we just started our Nobilis game (http://nobilis.mapache.org), and the very first thing we're doing is holding a party to meet other Nobles. I think our HG should be able to handle it, though...

[Jeffwik]

Originally posted by Geoff Hall
And more jealous. These games sound like a lot of fun and give the distinct impression that Nobilis works damn well as a tabletop game. I just wish I had someone to play ftf with now =/

Was it fun? I was Balzac, man! Balzac!

[Geoff Hall]

Originally posted by Jeffwik
Was it fun? I was Balzac, man! Balzac!

Must. Play. Nobilis!

[thenorm42]

Heheh, I'd really like to have some playtime with Nobilis, rather than just talking about it! Having said that, I already feel I've got my thirty quid's worth out of the GWB just from reading through it and enjoying all the Flores and stuff - maybe it'd be cheating if I actually went and played it too? Maybe it's all a Flower Rite on the Power of Economics...

Norm

[Geoff Hall]

Originally posted by thenorm42
Heheh, I'd really like to have some playtime with Nobilis, rather than just talking about it! Having said that, I already feel I've got my thirty quid's worth out of the GWB just from reading through it and enjoying all the Flores and stuff - maybe it'd be cheating if I actually went and played it too? Maybe it's all a Flower Rite on the Power of Economics...

Norm

Hehe, not a bad point. And I agree, the GWB was (well!) worth the money just to read it. I'm getting some PBeM play but, obviously, that's just not the same as tabletop and I'd love to try it that way. I could use one of the concepts that didn't make my final character in the PBeM (and I had LOTS of concepts.)

[thenorm42]

Eek, and I did wind up paying for it *twice*, owing to Wizard's Attic going bust on me *mutters*! Maybe if I pay over the odds for it, but still get good value out of it, THEN it's a Flower Rite on Economics or something... :D

Have you tried any chatroom / messenger-based gaming? I'd quite like to see how well that works.

Norm

[Geoff Hall]

I've not had the chance but would certainly take it if I got it. It's not quite the same as doing things face to face but it's a lot closer than PBeM!

[thenorm42]

Hmmm, maybe we should get one going? There seems to be a lot of demand, though I get the impression that many are a little scared by the idea of HG-ing. If we do it on a Sunday, it'll be easier to accomodate people in differing timezones. Any thoughts? Would anyone else be interested?

Norm

[Geoff Hall]

Not a bad plan although I'll hold up my hand as someone who's scared of HGing ;-)

Sunday is probably a good day for it as well, at least for me...

Anyone else?

[sben]

HGing actually isn't all that hard, it turns out, having started doing so recently.

What you need:

* Willingness to provide some structure for the players to work with, esp. if they're new to Nobilis. I didn't want to prejudice my players with (say) chancel concepts, and when it came time to design it, they kind of floundered. Once I suggested something, they ran with it (it turned out to be similar to something one of them was thinking, but was feeling shy about) and made it very cool.

* PCs with interesting hooks. Bonds are very good here.

* Awareness that you can (perhaps should) start small and grow from there. My first scenario centered around the chancel and a bane, so that the players could stretch their wings in relative safety. The second scenario went out into prosaic Earth, to demonstrate how much more powerful than mortals the nobles were. The next story will involve other nobles (consequences from story #2), and the one after that will introduce an excrucian-shard.

After two stories, I already have a zillion plot hooks that the players and/or I have set up for me.

[thenorm42]

Right, so Sben has volunteered to HG for us, then. :D (kids)

I'd be willing to give the whole HG thing a try (as a long-time player of MUD, I actually find the idea a lot less daunting than doing it face-to-face. I worry I might not be any good, but then again I'll never know unless I try (my GMing experience is limited to a few sessions of WHFRP about five years ago - though, those were very good, if rather hack-and-slash, sessions).

Norm

[mgrasso]

I made the mistake of trying to run a Livejournal-based PBeM when Nobilis 2nd ed. came out and got 20 people into playing. Not surprisingly, it crashed and burned within 2 weeks of starting. I was paralyzed and didn't know how to start it. Damned if that wasn't some of the most fun chargen ever, though. Four Chancels of five Nobles each creating a Chancel and Imperator... and some wonderful character concepts too. I'll have to shamelessly poach them if the occasion ever comes to run Nobilis tabletop.

[Thunder_God]

HGing?

You people could each post your NPCs here and then a "bank" would be created for people to draw upon, 2-3 interesting NPCs per person shouldn't be too hard. You could just use all the un-used character concepts you had and didn't use as NPCs, you know how they work.

[Geoff Hall]

Well I admit that quite apart from being pretty certain that my GMing skills aren't up to much (attempting to hone them in numerous abortive 1 on 1 sessions with my 11 yr. old isn't the best practise...) I personally really don't have the time to do the necessary prep work to run a game. I'm talking the statting out of NPC's here more than anything and thinking of more and more cool Powers to introduce of course ;) Having just started a Masters in physics and technology of nuclear reactors my schedule is, as I'm sure you can imagine, pretty choc full most of the time. I can scam enough free time to participate in games an evening or 2 a week but actually finding the time needed to successfully run a good campaign? I can't even manage it for D&D! However the excellent experiences I've had from just reading the GWB, let alone participating in the PBeM have left me hungry for more so I'm up for it if someone is willing to run a game and we can find a time to play.

I actually already participate in one online game using a program called openrpg that can be found Here (http://www.openrpg.com) which is pretty good. It's my old D&D group from when we were all still at university together, we've been running online for 2 years now. So I know that these online games can work very well although they certainly tend to move more slowly than face to face. Of course they're definately more forgiving too, you get time to think a bit about what you're going to say before you type it!

Hmmm. I think I've probably rambled enough there for now... (oh, I may well be able to scrounge up a few players frm my PBeM if we can get this thing going although I can't promise anything.)

[Geoff Hall]

Originally posted by Thunder_God
HGing?

You people could each post your NPCs here and then a "bank" would be created for people to draw upon, 2-3 interesting NPCs per person shouldn't be too hard. You could just use all the un-used character concepts you had and didn't use as NPCs, you know how they work.

Solid plan. We can create numerous PC's and then pick one and donate the rest to the 'bank.' I figure everyone can do that without too many problems :D

[thenorm42]

Yeah, that's a really good idea! Having a bank of NPCs to draw on would be very useful.

Plus, while a bit bored on a night out last night, I've come up with a possible story hook or two. Obviously these things all depend on the characters / chancel / imperator / players, but it'd be good to try!

:wonders if this thing will snowball and he'll wind up HGing for a hundred people at once...

Norm

[Oddsod Blok'ed]

I'm in for online Nobilis. Just let me know what time. :D

[thenorm42]

Ooh, yay, another person!

:starts chanting *Snowball! Snowball!*

Norm

[Geoff Hall]

w00t!

Time to create a Power of 1337 ;)

[thenorm42]

Heheh, maybe he could be a bad guy, and I can take great pleasure in letting you dismember him slowly. :D

Or perhaps he could be part of a puzzly bit, where you have to glean clues from his L33tspeak...

[Kurotowa]

I'm also all for on-line Nobilis. Certainly never going to play it FtF anytime soon. And even if we don't, I'll try and find time to write my Noble of Memory up in more detail than the rough ideas from this (http://forum.rpg.net/showthread.php?s=&threadid=56944) thread.

[Oddsod Blok'ed]

What is the preferred online format, by the way? I have a MUX that we can use, if need be.

[Geoff Hall]

Originally posted by Kurotowa
I'm also all for on-line Nobilis. Certainly never going to play it FtF anytime soon. And even if we don't, I'll try and find time to write my Noble of Memory up in more detail than the rough ideas from this (http://forum.rpg.net/showthread.php?s=&threadid=56944) thread.

Hey, that's a neat little idea :)

One of mine, whilst reading the book through, was a Power of Illusion w/ 5 Domain. So what comes up in flavour text later in the book? Yup, that exact character! Scuppered that idea pretty quick I can tell you ;)

[Geoff Hall]

Originally posted by thenorm42
Heheh, maybe he could be a bad guy, and I can take great pleasure in letting you dismember him slowly. :D

Or perhaps he could be part of a puzzly bit, where you have to glean clues from his L33tspeak...

Either way I'd never play him as if I did I'd have to stat up a Power of Suicide to have domain over my iminent demise ;)

[thenorm42]

Ooh, this is going quite well, 3 people already. I'll just put up another post on the Game Registry bit.

:now has an idea of who the bad guy might be, plus what he looks like...

Since it's Nobilis, any chatroom or MUD (I play on MUD2, the direct descendent of the first MUD ever, and by far and away the best :) ) would do - no need for dicebots or anything like that. The RPG open thing might be an idea, though, as some of the add-ons might come in handy.

Shall we organise some sort of preliminary meeting? When's everyone available? Where shall we go?

I really like your sig btw Oddsod.

Norm

[Kurotowa]

Moday evening's likely filling up for me, Wednsday is sub-optimal but doable, and everything else is clear. My ISP gives me connection troubles to things like IRC and MUD, but MUD is more stable than IRC so that'd be my preferance. As for time, I'm EST, but flexable.

[Geoff Hall]

Well Thursday is out for me (I game on openrpg w/ my old uni group then) but in general I think other nights would be okay. I may be starting playing in a game in a few weeks though but I don't know details of that yet...

I can do irc w/o problems, have no clue about MUD (any version) and am an avid user of openrpg (go here (http://www.openrpg.com) to check it out if you don't know what it is.)

[Kurotowa]

A MUD room set up for gaming is dead easy, I've done it before and it wasa breeze to learn. If you know IRC, it's a first cousin. As for the OpenRPG, I'm not familiar with it, but learning a new interface never hurt. My only fear is that it would be like IRC, with persistant disconnects, instead of MUD where I just lag for a couple minutes then snap back.

[thenorm42]

I was thinking of Sunday, as then it's least likely to cause problems if we're in different timezones. We could have the preliminary chat tomorrow night though? (I'm on GMT time, so that might have to be taken into account)

Norm

[Kurotowa]

As long as I have a day's warning, I should be able to do whatever time is needed, at least for a planning session. What time and where would be good?

[Geoff Hall]

Well I'm all GMT-ee as well so that makes 2 of us.

[thenorm42]

Ooh, good, so it's not just me. What about you Oddsod, where you at?

How far are you behind GMT Kurosawa? I think we could meet up in the RPGnet chatroom at 10 PM GMT, but I don't know what time that would be for you. Though if you're free in the daytime, we could hold it at 7 PM GMT and it'd be lunchtime or something for you?

Norm

[Geoff Hall]

10 pm should be okay by me. Which day are we talking about now, this coming Sunday or sometime this week just to meet up and chat it out?

[Mostlyjoe]

Well I'm damn curious now. I've never played the game or have any idea how it works...but it's interesting. When do you plan on playing? Can I watch?

How does it handle task resoultion?

[Kurotowa]

The idea is to get together and bounce ideas around for the game. Compare character ideas, brainstorm about Imperitor and Realm, newly en-Nobled or not, etc.

I'm GMT -5. For now, I can do GMT 7 or 10, whichever you want. This may change in the future, if my job hunt ever pays off.


ParitySoul> Nobilis is diceless, and extremely complex. Check out some of the RPG.net reviews for details.

[thenorm42]

(tries to write a potted version of 'How Miracles Work' that is possible to understand and doesn't attempt to rewrite the GWB)

I'll assume you know a bit about the setting already (if not, I recommend reading this - http://www.guardiansorder.com/pdfs/Nobilis_EnNobledflyer_USletter.pdf - to start ... it got me into the game, anyway!)

Powers (the player's characters) generally interact with the world through the use of miracles. Aspect miracles cover physical / superpower type stuff (this can take on a mythic bent - say, shooting down the sun with a bow). Domain miracles cover anything that affects your Estate (the concept associated with you). Realm miracles cover anything at all (!) within your home Chancel. All of these have a stat ranging from 0-5, plus there's a stat called Spirit which governs protection from miracles, control of Anchors, and a variety of other lesser effects. Each stat also has a pool of miracle points associated with it, which can let you use powers over and above your usual stat level.

Domain and Realm miracles have a level, depending on what they're trying to do - illusory Ghost miracles are level 1, lesser divinations are level 2, etc. You can do miracles of a level up to your Realm / Domain score often as you like, going higher costs MPs. Note that even 'lesser' miracles are blooming powerful, lesser creations (for example) can make up to 10 tons of physical stuff.

When miracles oppose each other directly, highest miracle level wins. When they oppose each other indirectly, it's up to the HG what happens. You can't use your miraculous effects on other miraculous creatures directly, and even indirect effects have to overcome a spiritual armour called Auctoratitas, the strength of which is determined by Spirit.

When up against non-miraculous opposition, then the powers of the Nobilis are very, um, powerful - it's unusual that they won't be able to get what they want done. These can be treated as an opportunity to show off and be both creative and tactically efficient.

Basically, it's a damn good setting, exceedingly well (and characterfully) written - dealing with ultra-powerful characters in a mythic way - and the book is so beautiful it'd be worth the thirty quid if it was purely ornamental.

*tries not to sound like a hopeless fanboy and fails*

Norm

[thenorm42]

7pm GMT would probably be the best for me - shall we have it in the RPGnet chatroom?

[Kurotowa]

There, or at least meet there and create our own room on the same server. The time sounds good to me. How many people do we have for this now? Three or four?

[Geoff Hall]

Well there's the 3 of us and I'm pretty sure that Oddsod Blok'ed
was wanting in. We should PM him I figure! ~Goes to do just that~

[Oddsod Blok'ed]

I'll show up as soon as possible, since I'm at GMT -5 or so and I'm supposed to be traveling about 200 miles that day.

[thenorm42]

Ok, so 7pm GMT tonight (Tuesday), in the RPGnet forums Chatroom (found at the top of the main Forums page, should anyone else wish to show up). See you all then!

Norm

[Geoff Hall]

Okay, tonight it is although for 7pm I may be a bit late as I can't get off from university today until about 6pm and I can never tell how long it's going to take me to make it back.

I assume this is mostly going to be discussions of exactly when, where, general potential character ideas with a bit of iperator/chancel stuff thrown in. I don't know about you guys but I don't (yet) have a character figrued out, even in concept form but I'll see what I can do about figuring that out today. ~Gets out a thesaurus~

[Geoff Hall]

Mmmm, Karmic Providence, the Power of Fate.

Now to work out stats, gifts, background, etc.

[thenorm42]

There's just one little houserule I'm considering using, to try and increase the usefulness of Realm - particularly, to let players combine Domain and Realm usefully, since these really seem to be the two most 'overlapping' stats (which Realm frequently loses out on, at least when I make characters, as it's both less flexible and less individual to the character than Domain).

Characters with Domain 2 or 3 can add 1 to their Realm score for Realm miracles involving their Estate, up to a maximum of 5 (6?).

Characters with Domain 4 or 5 can add 2 to their Realm score for Realm miracles involving their Estate, up to a maximum of 6 (7?).

Possibly some sort of vice-versa rule could exist too, but I'm not sure that Domain needs it...

I'll also probably emphasise the 'nobility / leadership' psychological effect of Realm more than the 'inspirational' psychological effect of Spirit (Spirit has lots of effects already...).

: has a sudden vision of someone taking Domain 4 and Realm 4 on a starting character...

Do people think this is a good or bad idea? It could make for some truly frightening in-Chancel Nobles, especially if they've got a broad Estate!

Norm

P.S. Ooh, cool, Fate and Karma, nice! They'd make great Estates...

[Geoff Hall]

Originally posted by thenorm42
P.S. Ooh, cool, Fate and Karma, nice! They'd make great Estates...

yes, this is to be my character, a Noble by the name of Karmic Providence who represents the Domain of Fate. As I say I need to figure out stats/gift/background, etc but that's my basic idea. The best bit is that such a character can easily fit in with pretty much any Imperator. Dark, fates that lead to humanities self-destruction, Light, fates that lead to humanities rise and fulfillment of it's potential, Hell, fates that lead to the corruption of human souls and the desecration of beauty and Heaven, fates that lead to an enhancement of the beauty in the world.

[thenorm42]

Your way of putting it immediately made me think of a Heavenly character, 'cos of the way you put Karma (with its Justice associations) in with it.

Though, then again, I can easily see a Dark or Fallen Angel power with Fate who's near to the Excrucians in tastes and alignment (fate ties in with astrology and so with stars, and we all know who the starry-eyed ones are...).

Norm

P.S. Any opinions / objections to the Realm-rule?

[Geoff Hall]

It seems okay to me although it might discourage the creation of high realm characters even more and reinforce the 'domain is more useful' mentality. I'm unlikely to make a high realm character at this point though (power of fate HAS to have a high domain ;) ) so it would be useful to me. However, as I say it may degrade the usefulness of of high realm characters. Of course it would also make a Tempest with a very broad domain and absolute nightmare in his/her chancel... we'll see what the others think tonight I guess!

[thenorm42]

I dunno, the rule is mainly only useful to characters with Realm equal to or greater than Domain (as obviously, if your Domain is higher than your Realm, you'd usually use Domain miracles for stuff to do with your Estate, even in-Chancel). So I think it probably tips the balance much more towards Realm than against it.

What I was intending was that it'd make characters who have points in both Realm and Domain more useful. I often find when trying to think of characters that it's either one or the other, and it's hard to justify spending the points on both. This rule would make the 'average' Domain 2 Realm 2 / 3 character that much more useful. It also means Realm miracles acquire some Estate-related character, rather than being equally super-flexible for every Noble that uses them.

And yeah, it does open up new horizons of terror for Tempests with high Domain. I was considering capping its effects at 5 for both, to stop this, though then it might make Domain 4 Realm 3 much more attractive than Realm 5.

But, if you guys don't like it, we can easily ditch it! It was just a thought.

Norm

[Kurotowa]

I'm of the school of thought that says "make sure it's broken before you fix it." Let's see what our characters are like and if we feel there's a gap there that needs filling before we start tweaking the rules. It's an interesting idea, one we should keep in mind, but I'd rather start simple my first time.

As for the Noble of Fate, it sounds damned cool. But so did my first Noble idea, the Noble of Lost Things. What I found out was it was far to vauge and ill-defined a domain to work. I'm not saying that Fate would be the same, but at first glace it does also seem to be more a catagory than an element of reality. Also, it brings in questions of predestination vs free will, who is ruled by fate and who isn't, and it gets very very messy.

Yeah, don't mind me. Just kicking the tires to see what falls off, as always.

[thenorm42]

Fair point, it probably is best to see how the characters go before I start messing with the rules, however much I enjoy messing with them. :)

I think, that since his character is more specifically associated with Karmic fate - punishing the bad and rewarding the good, I assume - it'll be a bit easier to miracle-ify.

Norm

[Kurotowa]

Perhaps. That seams more like a Code than a Domain to me, since it can take so many forms. Also, how do you do Divination or Preservation with it?

Ah well, that's what the chat's for. Give you equal time to poke holes in my ideas, then we all sit down and fix the holes together.

[Geoff Hall]

Well the focus of the fate would depend on the nature of the character really. I could change it around slightly to empahsise karmic fate. Something like Fortune Kismet, Power of Karma. Ah well, we'll have a chat about it later (I'm still stuck @ uni doing my essay, I may well be quite late to the chat.)

[thenorm42]

Agh, been chucked out of RPG Net chat, and no-one seems to be in there when I went back in. Anyone about on here?

Norm

[thenorm42]

Right, had one chat session, we've pinned down one PC Estate, and got a few ideas for another, plus a few thoughts about possible Imperators. We're planning to meet again on Friday, 7pm GMT - that OK with everyone? How about you Oddsod - I assumed you were too busy / knackered with travelling and whatnot to attend.

We can keep kicking ideas for Estates and other stuff around on this thread too.

Norm

[Geoff Hall]

My latest idea is, as I said in the chatroom, the Power of Antipathy. Of course there's no guarantee that I'll stick with that idea... I'm so fickle!

But yeah, I guess it'll probably help if we can stat up as many discarded ideas for our PC's as possible for you, or do you just want the concepts and you'll do it?

[Oddsod Blok'ed]

I can probably make Friday at that time, at least I think so. Might as well mention the character I had, though: he is the ghost of a 19th century German aristocrat as the Power of Revenge and Dark Passion. Further details available upon request.

[thenorm42]

Ooh, cool! Is he a ghost in a 'I've got the Dead limit and can only interact through Anchors' way, or is he a more tangible ghost? Please do throw out the current stats for him!

I think it's probably better that you stat up your own characters - they are yours, after all. I'll then try and make NPCs that can kick hell into them, um, I mean, provide a proper challenge. :D

[thenorm42]

Btw, Kurosawa, someone was pointing out on the Nobilist today that one of the best things about having Memory for an Estate is that you can protect yourself from causing Dementia Animus in mortals very easily. Sort of liking having a Neuraliser from Men In Black with you all the time. :D

[Geoff Hall]

Of course you do need a high Domain to do that, Lesser Destruction is a level 5 miracle after all.

[Thunder_God]

My copy(and the one I ordered for my friend) of Nobilis from Amazon haven't shipped yet, so bah! :P
And come on people, where are the NPC Write-ups? Forget powers, just give them the backstory, motives..

[Jere]

Originally posted by Thunder_God
My copy(and the one I ordered for my friend) of Nobilis from Amazon haven't shipped yet, so bah! :P
And come on people, where are the NPC Write-ups? Forget powers, just give them the backstory, motives..

Take a look at my game's wiki:

http://www.respectstartstomorrow.com/oceanwiki

[thenorm42]

As I understood, Amazon get Nobilis from Wizard's Attic, which has gone bust. That might explain the delay...

[Thunder_God]

Originally posted by Jere
Take a look at my game's wiki:

http://www.respectstartstomorrow.com/oceanwiki

Thanks :) But the people on this thread said they'll help come up with more(I'll do my share once I get the book..), there can't be too many very flashed(fleshed?) out characters when you might need a dozen or more in a day's notice.

[Geoff Hall]

And do NPC's I shall, however I have reasonably little free time so I can't promise numerous NPC's knocked up at speed. I have concepts, I just need the time to write them up...

[Thunder_God]

Just making sure not everyone forgot, y'know?

[Geoff Hall]

Concepts:

Corruption;
Illusion;
Gravity;
Atoms;
Bones;
Ornaments.

That's it for now, personally I think I'll be playing the Power of Enmity, probably called Antipathy Jones. I'm considering his stats but will probably go with something like the following:

Aspect 1
Domain 4
Realm 1
Spirit 2

Gift: Durant

Affilitation: Dark

I'm working on Restrictions/Limits and will think about a proper backgroud, defining the Estate and Anchors later tonight.

I'm actually really tempted by the Immortal gift, just for kicks (and cos I love Highlander...) but it seems a litte...expensive. I may use it in one of the NPC's though.

[Thunder_God]

Originally posted by Geoff Hall
Personally I think I'll be playing the Power of Enmity, probably called Antipathy Jones.

I think you're onto something, in Nobilis we can have our name tell what we are/represent and not have it too pretentious. I think Calamity Jane never sounded better(While she certainly did look good in the animated series, oh yes, red red hair and a face pale enough to spook a ghost).

[thenorm42]

I'm terribly sorry - I've just realised I've got to go to my grandfather's 80th birthday on the Friday and Saturday, and won't be able to get to the chat. You're welcome to have it in my absence of course, but would it be possible to meet again on Sunday? Say, 7pm?

:apologises profusely...

Norm

[Kurotowa]

Works for me.

[Geoff Hall]

Sunday instead is fine, it gives me a bit more time to work/think! (I crashed out at 9pm earlier tonight and have just been woken up by the baby but I'm still knackered... there's not enough sleep in all the world right now!)

[Oddsod Blok'ed]

Originally posted by thenorm42
Ooh, cool! Is he a ghost in a 'I've got the Dead limit and can only interact through Anchors' way, or is he a more tangible ghost? Please do throw out the current stats for him!


His stats are on another computer, but I'll get them before we have the chat. I do remember that he has the Dead Limit, so he's an honest-to-Cneph ghost. He's also got the Invisibility Gift, a Gift that allows him to pass through any barriers through a Lesser Destruction of Boundaries (if I remember correctly), and a custom Limit (I believe) called the Hand of Breeze. He counts as Aspect -1 for particularly cumbersome activities when relating to the world outside the Chancel. He can push some buttons, maybe lift small objects, and that's it. I haven't looked at him lately, so I need to go back and check.

[Kurotowa]

Two Aspect 1's and a Dead Aspect 0. We are soooo gonna get the smack laid down on us if we're not very careful and very smart. OTOH, Enmity and Revenge go well together, and together with Memory we could certainly make a good set of puppetmasters. Maybe we all work for the Imperitor of Grudges.

[Oddsod Blok'ed]

As I said, I forget exactly what the custom Gift does. I remember that it's automatic, though; even if someone sneaks up on the character with a machine gun and tries to shoot him in the back, he'll go intangible right when needed and the bullets will fly right through him.

[Geoff Hall]

Yeah, I'm kinda hoping we can avoid needing to get into any straight up fights... ah well, there were a couple of other potential players, hopefully we can convince someone to play a high Aspected death machine...

[Oddsod Blok'ed]

Shouldn't be too hard. And even if we can't, we will have ways of dealing with attackers without playing T-1000.

[Geoff Hall]

True enough, it just becomes a little more difficult when you can't directly hurt the opposition at all... One high Aspect character can help out lots in that department. I'll just make everyone/thing in the vicinity hate said enemy and hope my Durant gift allows me to not die ;)

I need a teleportation gift...

[thenorm42]

>>Two Aspect 1's and a Dead Aspect 0. We are soooo gonna get the smack laid down on us if we're not very careful and very smart.

This is one of the reasons I want chargen to happen before I think up any concrete stats etc. for any antagonists. This way, I can make sure they'll have methods and abilities appropriate to you.

Norm

[Geoff Hall]

HG> "The Excrucian Shard, Aspect 5 of Noble Death, charges towards you so fast you can barely see the blur."

Player> "Err, I make all of the local spirits feel great enmity towards him so they will attack him."

HG> "He rips them to shreads, this takes approximately 1 second."

Player> "Well, shit." ~Flees~

[Kurotowa]

And getting someone of at least Spirit 3 to do our nettling would also be good. Oh well, I'll think about how much I really need Domain 4, and probably get Durant too.

[Geoff Hall]

Well I've made a minor change to my original plan, I've sacrificed my point of Aspect for the Eternal gift (there is relevence to this as my background will show). I could switch my Realm point to give me Spirit 3 I guess...

[andrew_kenrick]

Ooh! Ooh! Nobilis fun!

Is there space for a little one? I have never had the opportunity to play Nobilis, although I have HG'd it before (once ftf, and also Geoff's PBEM game).

How frequently will you require players to appear? I can make most sundays, but now and again won't be able to.

Hmm ... ideas, ideas ...

Andrew

[Geoff Hall]

Ahh, my HG ~hides!~

[Geoff Hall]

Crap! I just remembered, I'm going out on Sunday night with a few old mates. Damnit, I'd totally forgotten. ~Sighs~ I'll post up my character write-up on this thread on Saturday I guess along with a few suggestions for Chancel/Imperator properties I'd quite like. I'm definately not going to be able to make (this) Sunday though. Damnit.

[Wolf]

Ooh Ooh!

Any room for an even smaller one?

I'm also part of Geoff's pbem-group and would be very interested in playing a more realtime game! (I'm GMT and Sundays would be great). [edit: that is - sundays in general are good for me, this particualr sunday I'm away :(]

No idea on a Power...or rather far to many ideas to pick one out yet - I'm eminently flexible and am happy to fill out any 'voids' (Aspect 1 Aspect 1 and Aspect 0 eh?).

Excitedly,

JB

[Geoff Hall]

Hey Jan, welcome aboard my thread! So, just how long since you last posted here (i.e. rpg.net) :confused: It must be many many months now!

[Oddsod Blok'ed]

I have his stats now, and he's got Spirit 3. Still has Aspect 0, though.

[Geoff Hall]

What I have so far (stats subject to change):

Antipathy Jones, Duke of Enmity, originally known as (approx. translation) Slinks with Malice

Attributes

Aspect 0
Domain 4
Realm 1
Spirit 2

Gifts

Eternal
Durant

Virtues

Grudge Bearer

Limits

Hated
Manifestation (need to discuss what form this will take)

Restrictions

Cannot Cross Running Water
Cannot Enter a Home Uninvited
Relevatory Trait (need to discuss what form this will take)
Summonable (Cannot be Bound)


And that's it right now. I've got a general background that's currently coalescing in my head and I'll try to get down in some legible form tomorrow and I know he'll be starting play with 1 Anchor which I also need to figure out.

[thenorm42]

Hey, he's not your HG any more! *You're my player now!* /League of Gentlemen :D

Hiya Wolf and Andy! Yeah, there's room for you two, though I think any more and it might get a bit hard for me to handle. Don't worry too much if you can't make the chat Geoff, just post your character and chancel ideas on here.

Norm

[thenorm42]

Right, I'm off for a day or two, won't be back until Sunday's chat (7pm GMT, in the RPGnet chatroom, found at the top of the Forums boards).

Also, people have been asking what *sort* of game I want to play. The short answer is a fun and reasonably straightforward one, as opposed to a serious philosophical or emotional game. A little humour (of a Sandman : Season of Mists variety, for preference) would probably also go down well, as I think Nobilis is eminently well suited to that. It'll probably be a campaign of fighting powerful antagonists (possibly Nobles, possibly Excrucians, possibly other things), though I'd hope after a short while these sessions could be interspersed with more character-led sessions.

Long answer ... um, I'm still working on the long answer. :D

Oh, and if anyone upsets me I shall set the Powerpuff Girls on your character : http://forum.rpg.net/showthread.php?s=&threadid=74985 . Well, not really :D, I just thought that R. Sean Borgstrom's take on Mojo-Jojo was hilarious, and deserved a wider look (since the thread dropped away in about five seconds flat).

See you on Sunday!

Norm

[Wolf]

Originally posted by Geoff Hall
Hey Jan, welcome aboard my thread! So, just how long since you last posted here (i.e. rpg.net) :confused: It must be many many months now!

Heh heh heh - probably more then a year I think. Man I'd forgotten how great these boards are! So many many threads to catch up on...how ever will I get any work done now? ;-)

Speaking of which it's been a dull day at work - which of course meant lots of time for Nobilis thoughts. As such I have a vague character idea that I thought I could run up the pole and see if it fits in with whatever you guys have already discussed?

How does the Angelic Domina of Blades sound? She's fiesty, of inhuman aspect and can do amusing party tricks with edged weapons - especially to people other familia members find annoying...

Still working on pinning down attributes and picking amusing gifts - so still wide wide open to suggestions. Could probably contribute a realm point to the chancel (anyone thinking of having high realm?).

Hopefully,

JB.

[Geoff Hall]

Originally posted by Wolf
Heh heh heh - probably more then a year I think. Man I'd forgotten how great these boards are! So many many threads to catch up on...how ever will I get any work done now? ;-)

Who needs work anyway? ;)

Speaking of which it's been a dull day at work - which of course meant lots of time for Nobilis thoughts. As such I have a vague character idea that I thought I could run up the pole and see if it fits in with whatever you guys have already discussed?

How does the Angelic Domina of Blades sound? She's fiesty, of inhuman aspect and can do amusing party tricks with edged weapons - especially to people other familia members find annoying...

Still working on pinning down attributes and picking amusing gifts - so still wide wide open to suggestions. Could probably contribute a realm point to the chancel (anyone thinking of having high realm?).

Hopefully,

JB.

Well I can't speak for everyone but I'm not certain, given the other characters, how an Angelic Power might fit it! That said it takes all sorts and it should make interactions more interesting... Power of Blades would be cool and a high Aspect, kickin' arse and taking names character would be damn useful to have around. As for Realm, well I don't know myself but unless Oddsod's ghost has high Realm I think we're lacking there as well...

[Geoff Hall]

Antipathy Jones ~ The Duke of Enmity
aka (approx. translation) Slinks with Malice

Attributes

Aspect 0
Domain 4
Realm 1
Spirit 2

Gifts

Eternal;
Durant.

Virtues

Grudge Bearer.

Limits

Hated;
Manifestation (Blows struck truly in the name of love ignore his Durant gift. For example, if two people love one another and Antipathy is harming one, if the other gets up the nerve to attack him through the love for his/her partner said attack will ignore Durant.)

Restrictions

Cannot Cross Running Water;
Cannot Enter a Home Uninvited;
Revelatory Trait (Eldritch runes of black smoke coalesce from the air about him briefly and randomly as he speaks);
Summonable (Can be Bound.)

Wound Levels

1 Deadly
1 Serious
2 Surface

Bonds

The welfare of Enmity 4
His Imperator 2
His Chancel 2
His Familia 2
Caitlin Green 2
His grudge against the Power of Expectations 4
The Code of Hell 4

Anchors

Caitlin Green
Caitlin is an experienced civilian military analyst. She is currently embedded deep in the bureaucracy of the juggernaut that is the US military where she advises the highest level generals and the President himself in all manner of military tactics and strategy and the probable plans and ambitions of other nations based upon their actions, both stated and hidden. She is an avid warmonger, spreading enmity towards the other peoples of the prosaic Earth at every opportunity and Antipathy loves her for her ability to aid his Estate, even unwittingly. This love for her abilities and goals was more than enough for him to bind her and make her his Anchor and she now furthers his Estate by continuing to induce enmity towards those of other religions, races and nations throughout all levels of the US military.

Antipathy has space for two other Anchors although he has not, at this moment in his life, bound anyone else to him. Should he come across someone who fits his criteria, especially if that person happens to be important to the current Power of Expectations, he will certainly enact the Servant's Rite and take them as his.

Affiliation

Hell, The Code of the Fallen Angels

Design

Antipathy’s design is one of silver sprigs of Basil sprouting from and entwining a twisted and uncharacteristically thorny example of the purple Lobelia flower, all against the traditional backdrop of Hell, a virulent, poison-green circle, lightly spattered with translucent darkness.

History

I was born long ago, many thousands of years in the thinking of the scholars and scientists of the prosaic Earth. I no longer remember where nor when, such things fade into unimportance with time and perspective. There are, indeed, few things that I do recall from those long ago days, of my time as a mortal. I know that I was a member of some tribe, some primitive, backwards group who wandered. I recall walking, always walking. I also recall my name, although there are few still living who do. Translated into this language called English it is something like 'Slinks with Malice' but that does not do it justice. The mere words of this rendering cannot convey the significance of a name in such times. More than something to be called by your name was who and what you were.

Of course who I am has long changed and, thus, so has the name that I choose to take. Still, my one true name has not changed, nor will it, and I shall be defined by it until the day that I die, if such a time ever comes. For now, though, I have taken a name upon myself that has lasted for some hundred years or more on the prosaic Earth. Anipathy Jones. I rather like the way it rolls off of the tongue, evocative of who and what I am it will suffice for the time being. In a few hundred years I may feel differently but what's a century or so between names?

Speaking of the future, when you live as long as I have the term 'future' begins to take on a different meaning. No longer does next week, month or even year begin to concern you so much. It is only the truly long term goals and issues that continue to make an impact. The sanctity of your Estate, the goals and code of Hell - or whatever affiliation you choose to live by I suppose - the outcome of the Valde Bellum, your own, personal, goals that you have yet to achieve. Everything else just recedes into the background, mortal worries for short lived Powers and the ants of humanity. Yes, there are few things I still consider worthy of my time or notice, the only immediate ones being my Familia or current Anchors, nothing else that fades so swiftly in time penetrates my millennia of detachment from the rabble of mankind.

So what have my near countless years made of me? Am I an inhuman monstrosity? A being so far removed from where I began as to misread and misunderstand every action of humankind? I like to think not. My Estate, that of Enmity, is so deep rooted in the psyche of the human race that I can never become wholly cut off from their motivations and desires. Hatred is too powerful a force in the human world to remove me fully from it. I endure as Enmity endures and as Enmity endures humanity breeds it own suffering and corruption, sending itself and it's souls to their rightful place in the bowels of Hell. Thus am I true to myself, my abilities, my affiliations and my origins simply by my continued existence.

Naturally over the span of years many things have made their mark on my being. Oddly the good and pleasurable incidents disperse from ones memory far more swiftly than the bad. Tragedy is remembered far longer than good fortune, or so I find to be the case. Nonetheless even the greatest tragedies of a persons life eventually vanish from memory given the passage of enough time, unless my brother intervenes to preserve them that is, yet there is one that leaves a lasting mark upon my very soul to this day. One that inconveniences me at every available turn, one which I shall never be done avenging even if Creation, and I with it, lasts on into the infinity of true eternity. The Power of Expectations shall pay. For all time and in all of his many incarnations he shall pay, from now until my death he shall pay!

Why must this be so you may well ask? Expectations has worn many faces over the years since I first encountered him yet that first incarnations crimes against my person have earned my ire for every future person enNobled into that role. I was only recently enNobled myself then, still trying to learn my role in Creation and to master my powers and abilities. Coming from such a backwards people as I did I thought myself a spirit and my people had many expectations about such beings. Spirits were supposed to be unable to cross running water or to enter a persons tents if not invited, they always had some trait, something slightly wrong, that showed them to be something other than human and, most annoyingly of all, they could be summoned by someone who knew the right magicks and their true name and even bound if the sorcerer was powerful enough.

Well it seems that something that I did in my first months as a Noble offended the sensibilities of Verisimilitudes Tongue, the then Power of Expectations. How it was done I am uncertain but he managed to turn those expectations of what I now was against me. A Rite using my old tribe as a bridge (for in those days I still felt a great bond with them) caused me to become bound by the very restrictions I expected spirits such as I believed I now was to be bound by. To this day Verisimilitude's actions haunt me, my movements and actions are restricted, my lack of humanity obvious and my very being summonable and bindable by mortal practitioners of the arts! That last galls me the most and those who dare such an affront on me inevitably suffer far more than they gain, however the ignobility of it twists my insides with anger and Expectation is all to blame. True, I may have spent hundreds of years rarely venturing out from my Chancel, writhing with impotent rage at Verisimilitude and those that followed him, but my hatred never dimmed and the grudge I bear against him holds true to this day. Every Power of Expectation that lives is now my target and so shall it always be!

But enough of my own enmity towards a lifelong enemy. I suppose you wish to know where I stand at this time of my life. My world is expanding, Enmity is increasing all over the prosaic Earth and my Estate grows stronger by the day. My self-confinement to my Chancel, often mocked by my Familia and other Nobles, is at an end. Restricted though I may be I have spent a few centuries now venturing forth even when my Estate is not threatened, to aid in the Valde Bellum or for more self-centred reasons as I see fit. I have taken Anchors, they have died, I have taken more. It is the way of one who lives eternally, everything changes, all is constantly in transit, there are few truly immutable things after all. Eventually you learn to live with it and the loss of even a loved Anchor begins to sting less. In the end everything hurts less but all the things which once caused you joy feel more hollow, less tangible. That is the gift, and curse, of my eternal life.

Antipathy Jones ~ The Power of Enmity, AD 1997

[Wolf]

Originally posted by Geoff Hall

Well I can't speak for everyone but I'm not certain, given the other characters, how an Angelic Power might fit it! That said it takes all sorts and it should make interactions more interesting...

As you say it takes all sorts - and not all Nobles within a Familia follow the same code.

Hey I'm not saying it would be a barrel of laughs for an angelic power to be part of what sounds like it might be a predominantly Infernal family - but it certainly sounds fun to play (whats bad for the character is often fun for the player and all that). After all, what's the fun in being a servant of Hell if you haven't got some innocent as a counterpoint? And it isn't like I haven't been in a similar 'affiliation mismatch' before ;-)

Tentative attributes would be:

Aspect 4
Domain (Blades) 2
Realm 1
Spirit 1

Gifts: Durant

Still mulling over bonds, restrictions etc - though would likely include something along the lines of 'unable to refuse a challenge' :-).

JB.

[Geoff Hall]

Heh, well at least I'm not the only one who's totally stoked about this whole thing :D Power of Blades is it? Having 'intercepted' a txt message from Andrew (okay, he sent it to the wrong person, my manipulation-of-EM-waves-fu isn't that strong!) I'm assuming this is Kill Bill inspired? I must see that movie...

Ahem, yeah, anyway. What do you think of Antipathy?

And now on to the point of this post: General musings on Chancel and Imperator

Chancel

Given the seeming lack of high Realm characters it would probably be a very good idea to avoid completely taking the negative mana mine property.

As an alternative to generate some Chancel points to spend it's probably an idea to have a few Banes and quite possibly a low level (so it's not too much of a hinderance) Erus.

I think our Gates should probably be at least Convenient for, well, conveniences sake.

It's quite expensive but the property Treaty Chancel could be very useful. Have Lord Entropy's favour is never a bad thing!

Some of the interesting Resources could be fun such as, for example, Thought-Record, Normal Magic, Faerie Magic, etc.

Imperator

Empathy: Preferably Cruel (nets us a point to spend)

Galeid: NOTHING! Taking the positive versions of this has the potential to screw with a large chunk of my character, specifically his background, his restricitons, his virtue and one of his bonds. The negative version is something I'd rather avoid...

Grant: Personally I'm a big fan of the Petrify with a Look Gift. Of course it's totally unnecessary but I think it's cool :D . Naturally we'd need to come up with an appropriate Handicap to offset this...

Guiding Hand: Whatever, not bothered.

Incomprehensibility: Soul Twisted! :D

Integrity: Nothing or Principled.

Love: Nothing or Passionate.

Mastery: Taking one or more instances of Untalented could be a very useful (if potentially limiting) way to get some more IP's to spend.

Mystery Cult: Okay so it would be a real pain in the arse but a Corrupted Mystery Cult could be very cool and would get us an IP.

Respect: Nothing.

Warding: Dim or, if it can be afforded, Bright. This one rocks.

[Wolf]

Originally posted by Geoff Hall

I'm assuming this is Kill Bill inspired? I must see that movie...

Ahem, yeah, anyway. What do you think of Antipathy?


Actually I also have yet to see the film (next weekend I hope) but from what I hear I may well be ahem 'borrowing' from it come next weekend.

Antipathy is vintage you ;-) Very nice background and an amusing collection of restrictions all tied together with a bow for the HG :-D

I of course am going to prove I can make a character without adding nasty background or flaws.....awww who am I kidding.

Stoked doesn't begin to cover it :-D

If I may add to the chancel discussion? Popularity is also very nice - but likewise expensive.

In terms of Imperator 'Advising' is always a nice one to have for avoiding oopsies. Conversly Demanding is a 'fun' way to get points - you'll certainly never be bored. Untalented can likewise be a floavorful disadvantage, once you have a strong idea for the Imperator. Mmmm Bright Warding is nice, though expect to be being constantly pushed to the forefront of the conflict...Interesting times ;-)

JB.

[Geoff Hall]

Originally posted by Wolf
Actually I also have yet to see the film (next weekend I hope) but from what I hear I may well be ahem 'borrowing' from it come next weekend.

I just hope that I get to see it before it drops from cinema screens! Maybe Rich will want to go again, I'll ask him tomorrow...

Antipathy is vintage you ;-) Very nice background and an amusing collection of restrictions all tied together with a bow for the HG :-D

Are you implying that I like making things difficult for myself ;) [mocking tones] How could you be so cruel :eek: [/mocking tones]

I of course am going to prove I can make a character without adding nasty background or flaws.....awww who am I kidding.

Stoked doesn't begin to cover it :-D

You're worse than me bucko, the day you make a character with a nice and happy past is the day the Excrucians have eliminated the Estate of Messed Up from Creation!

If I may add to the chancel discussion? Popularity is also very nice - but likewise expensive.

Feel free. It's no help to me of course as I've taken the Hated Limit, that's why I skipped past it. It could be damn useful for everyone else though.

In terms of Imperator 'Advising' is always a nice one to have for avoiding oopsies. Conversly Demanding is a 'fun' way to get points - you'll certainly never be bored. Untalented can likewise be a floavorful disadvantage, once you have a strong idea for the Imperator. Mmmm Bright Warding is nice, though expect to be being constantly pushed to the forefront of the conflict...Interesting times ;-)

JB.

Well I suspect this is going to be one where actual confrontation is expected, nay required! Rather unlike Blood on the Ash where things are far more philosophical and restrained ;) ~Remembers causing a huge bloodbath in Surrey not so long ago~ Ahem. yeah...

But yes, feel free to weigh in, I'm putting my thoughts up here as I wont be able to get to tomorrow nights chat and seeing as you wont either this seems like a good time/place to throw out your ideas. As such mentioning what you do/don't like with mine would be probably be a good plan too.

I certainly agree about waiting to classify any Untalented disads until we've got a feel for our Imperator, however we can certainly set a number on it before then. Also, if you have thoughts on the Guiding Hand aspect of the big guy then that's cool, personally I'm not bothered one way or another so shall bow to other peoples ideas there (at the moment that mean yours.)

[Oddsod Blok'ed]

Figured I might as well post the character here.

Heinrich Bärmann - Viscount of Revenge, Baronet of Dark Passion

Attributes

Aspect: 0
Domain: 2
Realm: 2
Spirit: 3

Gifts

Invisibility
Immaterial - Customized Gift PM or post to request further details.

Limits

Dead

Restrictions

Cigar Bond: Nearly identical to Cigarette Bond, only difference being Cigars.
Hand of Breeze: The character is functionally Aspect –1 when dealing with the physical aspects of Prosaic Earth. This means that while he can lift small objects, press buttons, and occasionally do other feats of very minor physical labor, he’s got little to no chance of moving vault doors or lifting boulders by himself.

Wound Levels

1 Deadly
1 Serious
2 Surface

Affiliation

Follows the Code of the Dark.

Bonds

Sanctity of his Estates: 5
Anchor: Wilhelm Kerstein: 4
Anchor: Jana Pristina: 3
Anchor: Hans Engelsich: 3
Anchor: John Berman: 3
Survival of Bavarian history and uniqueness: 2.

Anchors

Wilhelm Kerstein
The current head of household for the Kerstein family, direct lineal descendant of Ludwig Kerstein of Bavaria. He is the head of a law firm with a specialty in immigration. He routinely exalts his family's triumph over "that fool Bärmann" to anyone who knows what he's talking about, and if they do not know he quickly acquaints them with this. As if their ancestors' acts were not enough, the family's continual holding to the idea of Prussia or northern German supremacy has earned them Heinrich Bärmann's undying hate. With his Imperator's help, Bärmann bonded Wilhelm and has used his body to bond his other Anchors.

Jana Pristina
If the Kersteins were the actors in Heinrich Bärmann's death, the Pristinas were the orchestra. Originating from a Slavic state to the far southeast of Bavaria, the Pristinas sought unity in Germany in order for Germany to force the Austro-Hungarian Empire to accept pro-Slav legislation. While not as politically active as the Kersteins, the Pristinas were powerful merchants, with commercial endeavors that stretched from farms in Alsace and Lorraine to defense contracting in Vienna itself. They provided the money and the equipment for the assassins to commit the act and escape, and it was they who spread around the money to have the act quietly moved aside. A great-great-granddaughter of the family, Jana Pristina moved away from München to extend the family business' sway elsewhere. Bärmann has since learned of the Pristinas' involvement in his death; his dislike of Balkan Slavs and his generally hateful nature have led him to despise the accomplices of the Kersteins, and thus Jana was bound.

Hans Engelsich
The Engelsich family were once the supporters of the Bärmanns, their closest allies in the effort to secede from the Prussian Empire before too much change occurred. After Bärmann's death, they drifted away and the coalition of support broke up. Eventually, the Engelsich family moved to Berlin and became important figures in German national politics, supporting the cause of German unity, particularly northern German unity. Eventually they sent one of their sons out of the country to obtain a graduate-level education in economics elsewhere; by Fate, he arrived soon after Wilhelm Kerstein was bonded, and thus became bonded himself. Bärmann views the family, and Hans in particular, as vile traitors to the cause.

John Berman
Heinrich holds special hate and bitterness in his dead heart for this man, whom he quietly torments and spites to vent some of his need for revenge. John Berman is a direct descendant of Heinrich Bärmann, son of Heinrich's great-grandson and the first of the family to be raised with a strictly American education. Heinrich's grandson was the one to Americanize the family name, but it is John, who changed his name from Johann at age twenty-two, that Heinrich particularly hates. In addition to his complicity in his father's desertion of the family name, he also has joined a Berlin patriots' group, an unforgiveable sin to his great-great-grandfather. However. Heinrich Bärmann tolerates this membership, though he frequently mentions it in his verbal assaults on his great-great-grandson; to Bärmann's eyes, there is great potential for revenge in his descendant's membership in this society. It is a malicious and gleeful hate that allows him to hold John as an Anchor.

History

"One hundred and thirty-two years ago, the Kerstein family and the Bärmann family fought for the future of Bavaria, whether to continue as a separate kingdom or fully cooperate with the drafting of the 1871 Constitution. The head of the household at the time, Ludwig Kerstein, battled Heinrich Bärmann in the courts and bureaucracy of München at the announcement of Bavaria officially joining the empire Bismarck wrought. Bärmann fought for secession, while Kerstein plotted his enemy's downfall. One day, Bärmann won a battle in the legislature, allowing for the possibility of state secession as an amendment to the 1871 Constitution. Kerstein and his allies could not accept this; on the way home from the legislature, Bärmann was waylaid, stabbed eleven times and left to die in an alley."

That is what the history books would say about me, if they knew the truth. But human history is written by the victors or, more appropriately, the liars and the easily deceived. The humans believe that I was a minor figure, a passing gnat on the corpus of Bavarian politics. I suspect the goldmongering Pristinas of buying favorable accounts for their conspirators. That aside, it has been agony made ethereal flesh to exist for decades after decades, watching my family decay and degrade. My fingers could not grip the implements it would take to properly discipline them, nor could I exercise my voice, which once boomed through the halls of the buildings of München, to prove to them their fall.

Still. There were some advantages to being dead, namely that I could watch as shadowy figures moved through the circles of power in Bavaria, quietly subverting the laws and amendments I had crafted for my country. I watched as countless things grew and flew away, things for which I would know no names until many years passed by. Now that I walk the halls of the Nobilis, I have gathered some amount of evidence to suggest that there was otherworldly involvement in my demise. I suspect several Powers of having had a hand in my death, including the Power of Subversion and the Power of Germany. However, I learned that the Power of Germany has been replaced at least three times since my death, after the ending of the three World Wars, with the last being the so-called "Cold War".

Since my death, I have become ever more supportive of revenge even as I become more hateful. Everywhere I look, I see humans and others who do not seek their just recompense for wrongs done to them. The spread of "conflict resolution" and peacefulness harm the honorable execution of revenge, as well as a petty concern for the value of worthless lives. They also attempt to suppress wrath, greed and spite, in a foolish effort to make Creation bland and mush-mouthed, devoid of the fires that have driven it for eons. It was irritating to see my hated rivals die in the French-caused famines before I was able to strike them down myself. Now I am forced to use their spawn to sustain my grip on existence. It is an intolerable situation, but one to which I am forced.

My enNobling has led me to preserve, however much I may hate them, the children of my enemies. I will never let them forget their crimes against me, though I use their bodies to further my agenda and that of my Imperator. With my newfound power, however, there are newfound problems. The pestilential gadflies of the Light once possessed the Power of Dark Passion, keeping her in a stone vault and defending her Estate themselves, in an effort to suppress Dark Passion whilst not doing the Children of Harumaph's work for them. They could not bear to have the rage-filled eyes of Dark Passion looking out at their beloved human herds. Then the Power of Freedom, himself a Power of the Light, listened to the whisperings of the Power of Suggestion, and at her word he opened the vault. Dark Passion roared from the vault, re-entering the world in a storm of righteous fury. Ever since, the Light has worked, subtly or otherwise, to reclaim Dark Passion; on occasion they have succeeded, but the Dark has always taken it back.

I look at Creation and I see holes in the fabric of existence, holes that were once occupied by things killed before their time, their bodies eaten. I look to the Excrucians; their crimes against existence will be avenged. Now that I have a body, I will divest them of theirs, as well as their power.

[Wolf]

Oddsod,

Can I just say that is a wonderfully detailed and flavorful background. A very angry ghost :-D

I don't quite get where Dark Passions comes in though?

JB.

[Oddsod Blok'ed]

Originally posted by Wolf

I don't quite get where Dark Passions comes in though?

JB.

What? I don't understand the question.

[Wolf]

Originally posted by Oddsod Blok'ed
What? I don't understand the question.

Heh heh - I thought that after I posted it. Uh you talk about how the power of Dark Passions has been imprissoned and was then set loose - how does this relate to you now having the estate of Dark Passions? Or am I reading it all wrong and it was you that was trapped all the time? Perhaps you've discussed this more in chat and I'm missing something obvious?

JB.

[Oddsod Blok'ed]

This character has it because at the time of his enNobling, the Dark possessed the Power of Dark Passions. Possession of that Power, sometimes in conjunction with the Power of Passions, would likely have been going back and forth between the Dark and the Light throughout history.

[Wolf]

Ah. Ah ha. Ok I see. Nice!

Heh heh heh I really like the image of the two sides battling to control an estate that isn't tied to a particular Imperator like most are.

JB.

[Geoff Hall]

Hmmm, the question is where is Andrew and has he settled on an Estate?

[Wolf]

Originally posted by Geoff Hall
Hmmm, the question is where is Andrew and has he settled on an Estate?

On Friday Andrew was thinking about playing the Power of Passion - an infernal inferno (he likes high spirit characters). Of course that may have changed so don't quote me - you know how it is with Nobilis ideas (ooh ooh I've just had another one...)

JB

[Geoff Hall]

Yeah he told me the same thing, I was wondering if it might have changed given oddsod's 2ndry Domain though. I'm sure we'll hear from him soon one way or another.

[Oddsod Blok'ed]

How many PCs are we looking at for the game? 3? 4?

[Geoff Hall]

Well we've definately got 4, you, me, Wolf and Andrew (who hasn't posted his Noble yet but has him statted up by all accounts) but wasn't Thunder_God looking to make a PC as well? He was just waiting for the GWB to be shipped to him or something like that. Or I could be wrong... definately 4 though. Minimum.

[andrew_kenrick]

Wheee! This is gonna be fun! I can't make every sunday, but should be at most, although not til 8pm or so GMT. Assuming thats ok, here are my initial thoughts on my Noble. I'm still mulling over background so will come back and edit it later this afternoon.

I'm going for an Infernal Noble of Passion (not Dark Passions - but if you think I'm stepping on your feet Oddsod, please say, and I'll work it from a different angle) from the corrupted angle of passionate but ultimately emotionless love and affairs, obsessions and fanaticism. Truly nasty stuff really, and probably not how passion should be construed.


Antimon Hart, Baron of Passion

Attributes

Aspect 0
Domain 1
Realm 0
Spirit 5

Gifts (heres where the rest of the points have gone ;-)

Devoted Populace (3 cp)
Durant (1 cp)
Glorious (2 cp)
Immutable (1 cp)

Virtues

Fervent - Antimon will not commit to an action or a cause that he does not truly believe in, but once committed will pursue it to his dying days.

Limits

Focus (undecided amount, as yet)
Light Touch

Restrictions

Health Linked to Focus
Repulsed by the Creator's Name

Affiliation

The Code of the Fallen Angel

... to be continued later

[Geoff Hall]

Okay, from Andrew's post and a PM with Oddsod and my own feelings would people perhaps prefer to start this thing (in general, as in when we're playing) from 8:30 or maybe even 9pm GMT instead of 7? Oddsod is in the US so the later, I assume, the better and I have kids so starting later in the day would be better for me as well. Less fobbing them off for, as they would see it, no good reason. If I know Jan (Wolf) well enough, and I think that I do, I can't see him having a problem with starting at a later time. So if someone brings this up tonight it would probably be useful for all of us... That or we can hope norm reads all that he's missed in this thread the last couple of days!

[Kurotowa]

Originally posted by Geoff Hall
Well we've definately got 4, you, me, Wolf and Andrew (who hasn't posted his Noble yet but has him statted up by all accounts) but wasn't Thunder_God looking to make a PC as well? He was just waiting for the GWB to be shipped to him or something like that. Or I could be wrong... definately 4 though. Minimum.

*whap* Hey, don't forget about me. Just because I've been sick and laying low don't mean I've disapeared. Although with all the Dark and Infernal types, I'm reconsidering if Memory is right for this Familia.

[andrew_kenrick]

Hey! No need to get violent! ;)

Well, assuming that Passion still stands and doesn't overlap too much with Oddsod's noble, then we seem to be shaping up as a Familia of emotions - enmity, revenge, passion etc. I really can't see why Memory couldn't be made to fit? Might be kinda cool too!

Oh, and on a related note - I can't seem to get the rpg.net chat room to work :eek: Anyone got any suggestions? I'm running IE 5, and have Javascripting enabled ... but it just shows up as a white box with a little red cross. I'll go and post a query in trouble tickets too, but did we have any alternatives locales? I can do MIRC, MSN and OPenRPG.

Andrew

[Kurotowa]

The chatroom is on IRC, that link just takes you to a javascript IRC program. Boot up Mirc, connect to irc.magicstar.net, and join #rpgnet.

[Geoff Hall]

a) Oops! Sorry, how could I forget Memory! (And I think it's a great estate to go with the rest. Revenge, Enmity, Passion. All things that can be links w/ memory, esp. the 1st 2!)

b) I walked him through logging on via mIRC, don't worry about him ;)

[andrew_kenrick]

Kurotowa & Geoff> cheers! I can now get onto the chatroom! Woo! Don't ask me how to get into any sort of side room though ...

I still won't be on til about 8 though, so I hope no one minds a late comer ...

I can hardly wait!

Andrew

[Geoff Hall]

If ppl move into a different room you'll have to find the name and then join it exactly the same way as you joined the rpg.net room, i.e. in the initial window (the one that logs you onto the server) type /join #roomname where roomname is the name of the relevant room, obviously ;)

[Geoff Hall]

Decided in chat:

Chancel:

Convenient Gates;
4 Banes;
Aggressive Warden w/ 9 RMP's for a Landlord;
Magical Inhabitants (+1) (Ghosts);
Normal Magic;
Alchemy;
High Summoning;
Thought Record Tech;
Ally Gate

Imperator:

Standard Harvest;
Cruel;
Principled;
Unskilled (Guns)

Session Timing:

Start 8-8:30pm GMT;
Finish ~ Midnight GMT

[Wolf]

Norm,

Are there any particular kinks/specifics you'd like me to work into Blade's background to fit inwith the familia? (though last night has answered most of my questions - we're a more coherent group then I at first thought :-D)

I was thinking that Baldes is very possibly only recently enobled - a few months perhaps...does that seem to work with what you've got in mind?

JB.

[Kurotowa]

While we're comparing notes, I'm also planning for a recent enNobling. A battle gone wrong, maybe?

[Geoff Hall]

A battle gone badly wrong. 2 (or more!) Powers lost. Perhaps a whole Estate erased. We must be doubley vigilant henceforth! The Excrucians will pay, oh yes, the star-eyed shall pay dearly!

[thenorm42]

Wolf > I think your character fits in quite well as the Familia's strong right arm. Theme-wise, Blades represent the means by which you lot enact your vengeance / enmity / dark passion / obsession (better watch out for that fanclub Andy!) etc. Not so sure about its relationship with memory - though, as the two most 'nice' powers in the Chancel, you'll probably get on with Kuro's character anyway. Or maybe not, perhaps you'll be rivals.

Does anyone want to do an actual description of the Chancel? My current vision of it (supplied mainly by Oddsod I think) is a gloomy Limbo / Stygia-from-Wraith kind of place, though with quite a lot of warm bodies too. I'm seeing Greco-Roman architecture primarily, but with a variety of other mausolea and tombs that WOULD be famous if you lot hadn't stolen them from history to make your chancel. Possibly the Black Taj Mahal could be a centrepiece, Egyptian canoptic jars get used for storing things, jade Mayan death-masks are fashionable accessories, etc. Kuro's Hall of Memory I see as being a little removed from the rest of the Chancel, possibly up on a mountainside.

It's your Chancel, though, feel free to argue and alter this as you please!

Haven't got a full vision of Balthial yet, other than he's fallen from his original role of the angel of contentment who helped people get over their obsessions etc. He does rather the reverse now, though some parts of him still retain some purity - Blades, in particular, is still a beautiful and elegant Estate for finding justice in the heart of enmity, obsession and revenge - hence it having an angelic Noble. If anyone wants to flesh out his history some more, feel free!

Incidentally, Kuro - I'd imagine your Estate as being 'purer' too. Possibly many of the past Nobles of your Estate were Angelic, as Balthial hung onto his purpose of bringing peace to people by recrafting their memories. Perhaps the switch to the Wild is relatively recent, occuring with you or your predecessor? I can see it tying in with the rise of the idea (in Prosaic Reality) that everyone's opinions and versions of events have validity - freedom of speech, etc. Just a suggestion, but it could create some interesting tension between you and your Imperator. Alternatively, maybe it's more likely to tie in with the idea that artistic or narrative truth can be more important than prosaic truth.

Norm

[andrew_kenrick]

I'm also thinking recent enoblement, but wasn't going for the battle angle. My enoblement was completely voluntary on the part of my predecessor.

And if no one beats me to it, I'll have a crack at a Chancel description.

Andrew

[Geoff Hall]

One thing I wish of the Chancel. All water courses shall be suspended aloft on giant, gothic-styled aqueducts so that I (who have been living here for millennia, more than enough time to affect changes even with my crappy Realm) don't have to cross running water within the Chancel. I was thinking very much a dark, gothic feel. Towns of the dead, black skies, full 'moon,' mist and fog, living souls pale and cowed, etc.

[thenorm42]

That'd be fine - aqueducts go in quite nicely with the Greco-Roman idea. And I'd imagine the Chancel ghosts might also have the odd problem crossing running water, lots of supernatural creatures do.

And it's quite a cool image, the high aqueducts overshadowing the main part of the Chancel like some kind of crazy spider...

Norm

[Geoff Hall]

That's just how I'd pictured it :)

[sprungmonkey]

I have yet to run a full-on table-top campaign. I have only run a Nobilis one shot thus far.

And, as Florin said, the most notable thing was that much of the game was occupied by the PCs figuring out what to do, then once a course of action is decided upon, blammo! On to the next thing.

[andrew_kenrick]

Here is my take on Locus Balthial, as I have been imagining it since last night. Lemme know what you think - it should be a group construction, after all.

The great spire of the Grand Sepulchre rises up like some fierce talon or fang, dominating the moonlit lands of Locus Balthial, its sides and slopes dotted with hundreds of mausoleums and temples. The lands surrounding the Sepulchre are composed of rolling countryside and bleak moors, sparsely populated by fortified farmsteads and scattered inns. The majority of the populace lives in and around the Sepulchre, in villages and hamlets dotting the winding roads that make their way gently up the sloping sides of the mound to the ebony domed temple of the Black Amarai – the shadowy counterpart to the Taj Mahal, stolen from Prosaic Earth to be used by Lord Balthial as his palace – that crowns the summit. It is here that the realm’s protector, Warden Thorn, presides, holding dominion over the surrounding lands. It is in the temple grounds and surrounding colonnaded buildings that Balthial’s Powers reside, each carving out a small dominion of their own atop the Sepulchre. Most fabulous of these is the Hall of Memories, for it is said that only in the Hall do the celestial glories of Balthial’s angelic past remain.

The realm itself is forever trapped in night-time, for it is said when Balthial turned aside from heaven, the celestial hosts withdrew the sun’s light from his lands. Instead light is provided by the ever full moon, or the countless crystal spheres that hang from posts along the streets and cast their alchemical illumination about them. No streams or rivers flow within Balthial’s domain, for Enmity’s Lord, Antipathy Jones, has long since overseen the construction of a spider’s web of viaducts to carry water down the side of the Sepulchre to the hamlets and into the farmland beyond.

Locus Balthial is sometimes called the Grey Necropolis, for it is a place akin to a cemetery or graveyard, haunted by vengeful spirits, mournful wraiths, embittered shades and the manifested memories of a countless forgotten crimes. The land is not merely the domain of the dead, although their numbers are great, but also of the living. In addition to the countless pilgrims who frequently pass along its ill-favoured streets to seek benediction for their sins from the Fallen Angel, the Chancel is inhabited by everyday folk who eke out a pitiful existence serving their Noble masters as warriors or footmen or in countless other duties for which spirits are unsuited, or making a living offering services to other travellers.

By far the greatest danger to the Chancel inhabitants comes not from the wandering spirits and shades, who are content to keep their misery to themselves, but from the Four Deaths – baneful spirits that stalk the land and its inhabitants, trying to over throw their most hated foes, the Sovereign Powers themselves.

[Kurotowa]

Since Memory does die of natural causes every couple hundred years, it doesn't have to have been a violent end. I'll think about it as a come up with the rest of the character. I rather think Memory was always of the Wild, it's too disordered for the needs of Justice and Respect that Heaven demands. As for the Hall of Memory.....


The Hall of Memory is true to its nature. In fact, all the Halls are, for Memory has many flavors

The first Hall is the outer face, the recollections shared with everyone. High on the hill it sits, a stately long building open to all comers. The open gallery runs down the center, where memories picked for their artistic merit or educational value sparkle and float above their thought globes, the fist sized amber spheres of crystal that the Chancel's artificers craft. Visitors are encouraged to sample the gallery's wonders, the better to apreciate the Domain. Surrounding the gallery are rooms. They are the Room of Rememberance, where your own memories are summoned forth that you might relive them, the Room of Contemplation, where memories are reflected upon and reshaped, and the Room of Forgetting, where those memories no longer desired are cast aside.

The second Hall is the inner face, the one shared only with the few. Its doors are not marked, but those turning the right corner in the gallery find themselves in the winding paths of the corridors of memory. They twist and turn into a maze of passageways and stairs, with many things to be found within them. There are dioramas forged from memories, where one may walk in places long gone, or join in the revels and tortures of scenes long past. There are cages where living memories snarl and bite the bars, hungering for hosts. There are display cases of the lesser mnemonics, items haunted by memories that refuse to leave. There are the dark places where memories that aren't lurk, shadows of the future and figments of the past that wasn't. Persons of note and stature are allowed within the second Hall, but never without a guide, usually a memory of the path they must walk. Those who ignore their guide can become lost in memory, and even if they find their way free again, rare is the one who is unchanged.

The final Hall is the private face, the one unshared with anyone. Only Memory and his Imperitor have set foot with it. Deep in the heart of the corridors (thought that is not the only entrance), protected by miracles of Privacy, Secrecy, and Concealment, the true Hall sits wrapped in upon itself. A long hallway, stretching as far as can be seen, broken only where it is crossed by other hallways. On both sides, simple wooden shelves. The shelves have small rounded depression on them, and sitting in each is a memory sphere. It glitter from within. There is a small label below each sphere, noting its nature. These are the horded treauses of Memory, each one holding a memory of such craft and artisty that it was worthy of being trapped in amber and preserved. These are the memories that were carefully kept, enlessly polished, and never forgotten. There are oft shared recollections of transcendent joy, and private terrors of absolute torment. There are encounters in the park with a long lost friend, and the last sunset over the spires of Atlantis. Not human memories alone, the birthing pain of Krakatoa is there, the travel log of a smell too. It is Memory's private collection, a tribute to his Domain. Sometimes, a sphere will be removed, to be shared with one deserving. Always it is returned.

[andrew_kenrick]

Very cool Kuro! I love the image of the Hall!

I think we each should take a turn in describing an aspect of the Chancel personal to us - Wolf might describe the great forges where the experimental blades are being created, or something similar.

I guess I should lead by example and write something here and now, but I'm cooking dinner so will do it later!

Andrew

[Geoff Hall]

Andrew, it sounds like your vision of the Chancel as a whole sits along extremely similar lines to mine. This is good!

Kuro. Wow, that's a great description. I love what you've done with the Hall :D Most excellent.

Andrew (again,) good idea. We should probably describe our own, personal domains within the Chancel. I'd take a shot at it right now but, quite frankly, I've been ill all day and don't really feel up to it X( I'll get something up in the next day or 2 though.

(Oh, and speaking of posting, can you kick your brother into some Blood on the Ash posting action?)

[Wolf]

Wow - the description of the Hall of Memory is absolutely stunning! That's it - Memory has my vote for coolest estate (oh...umm except blades of course...yeah mustn't forget my own estate ;-) )

The overall chancel description was also great - I've got a real image in my mind now.

Andrew - sounds like a plan, I too will try and get something done tonight...or perhaps tomorrow (the hour change is wrecking me). Yeah it's worth remembering that we will all have a corner of the chancel to call our own, and even with low realm we can all do creation etc by spedning RMP's so we can shape our havens as we see fit...given enough time ;-)

JB.

[Kurotowa]

EDIT: stupid double post.

[Kurotowa]

Glad everyone liked it. The chancel description inspired me and wouldn't let go. :)

One thing we have to work out a bit more is what form the magic/alchemy/summoning of our Chancel takes, how it fits into the day to day life there, and what tricks it gives us to use in the outside world. Note to self, read that section again later.

Also, are newly enNobled people always from the chancel or not? I can't recall.

[Geoff Hall]

Nope, newly enNobled folk don't have to be from the Chancel. They certainly can be but it isn't necessary. (I play the relatively newly enNobled Power of Shadow in our PBeM and wasn't from the Chancel, nor (I believe) was the even more newly enNobled Power of Murder and Manslaughter although given that he was an Anchor who had performed the Redtooth Rite he possibly doesn't count.)

And yeah, I'll be re-reading the magic parts of Chancel Creation much more careful today. Something with more of an eye to mechanics and uses than coolness this time ;) . I know that Antipathy is going to be very old fashioned in that respect though. Jars and potions and old tomes lining his shelves, pentegrams for summoning etched upon his floor, talismans and runes of warding on the entrances to his abode. That kind of thing. He's been around for thousands of years, he's entitled to be a bit behind the times in his methodology if he wants ;) .

[Oddsod Blok'ed]

The House of Revenge

Towering pillars made of black marble set with starkly white Ionic capitals mark the boundaries of the courtyard leading up to the House of Revenge. Trees and bushes in various states of decay and agony have been twisted in hundreds of grotesque and disturbing shapes, never seeming to change whilst gazed upon. The long, curving walk up to the house is inlaid with hundreds, if not thousands, of blood-red stones that fit perfectly together at the corners, with not a single blade of grass or root dividing them.

It looms at the top of the hill, a gargoyle of a manor devoid of light save for the occasional guttering candle or torch. Past the huge ebony door lies a darkly baroque, high-vaulted entrance hall with dual staircases reaching up and around to either side of the hall as massive arms descending from the second floor. The floor underfoot is an inlaid parquet of black and white, a checkerboard pattern that disappears beneath myriad doors leading to other rooms and hallways. Dark-hued paintings hang on the walls, of scowling men and hawk-eyed women, of thunderstorms crowning a mountain or a madman's gleaming knife. Overhead, a single crystal chandelier adorned with a hundred candles casts a glittering, fractured light over the forboding hall below.

The second floor is the most well-lit of the two floors in the sombre house, though this does not appear to be intentional. Large, gaping holes were blasted in the roof at some point in the past and have never been repaired; burnt wood and ash litter the shredded carpet and pockmarked floors in the rooms which were destroyed. In the centre of the largest of these rooms, possibly once an orchestral hall, sits the burned-out remains of an American B-24, with several skeletons arrayed in a grotesque manner against the blackened fuselage. On this floor, the halls are filled with painting after painting, sculpture after sculpture, of acts of revenge. At the far end of one of the halls there are two ornately carved wooden doors which open into a grand library, whose shelves are filled with thousands upon thousands of books. The vast majority of these have a single name inscribed on the spine in golden letters, perhaps written by a single hand. The stories contained therein are brutally violent, with the occasional illustrations done in a dark and ominous tone, made all the more potent by the flickering light in the library, cast by embers that sit undying in iron lanterns.

A door twice as tall as a man and four abreast sits at the far end of the entrance hall and leads to a stone staircase going underground below the manor house. Long, twisting stairs lit only by torches kept in iron braziers lead down, down, until coming out at a dark passageway. The only hint of light in these gloomy passages is the next candle in a long progression of occasional flickering lights. From time to time, though, one of the candles flares brightly, illuminating the pale stone walls. Maddened handwriting, scrawled in ink, blood, hatred or desire covers the walls, the countless scripts leering palpably at unwary onlookers. In the deepest place of these catacombs, behind a door wrought from the blackest ebony and studded with dark ironwork, there is a room whose walls, ceiling, and floor are made entirely of jet-black stone. No light is reflected from these; indeed the only light at all is provided by a pair of burning white candles that sit in iron holders at the corners of a stately writing desk, itself made of mahogany or some similar wood. The chair accompanying the desk is high-backed, its carvings baroquely ornate. On the desk sits an inkwell, with a black raven's feather sitting silently in waiting for its next user, as well as a single book. Its intricately worked leather cover is inlaid with thin threads of gold and silver, studded with black onyx gems and with a single phrase written in the True Tongue in a glossy ink: "The Targets of Revenge." The pages within, made of a thick, sturdy paper, are blank.

[Kurotowa]

Nice. That is to say, nice in an abstract literary sense, not nice in any way that would imply that Memory would be visiting very often. ;)

Oh, and I had a thought about our agressive Landlord. Might Brutus of Caeser stabbing fame be a good fit? His actions fell under most of our estates, so he's someone Balthial could easily take a shine to. He has the skills for helping to rule a Chancel. And I can see him being difficult while not impossible to deal with.

[Geoff Hall]

I like it. I was, obliquely I must admit, mulling over a potential identity for our Warden and here you come out with Brutus, a perfect fit by all accounts :) . Nice call!

Oh and Oddsod, I liek what you've done with the place ;) . seriously though that's well written and evocative of just how f***ed up a place we live in. Nicely done.

[Oddsod Blok'ed]

Thanks. I don't expect a tremendous number of visitors anyway. ;)

I think Brutus would be a good fit, though he wasn't really motivated by enmity against Caesar, he wanted to save the Republican status quo. Cassius was too motivated by greed and the rest of them were mostly goobers. But would the hypothetical Brutus Landlord be a ghost? Unless someone yanked him out of the timestream and gave him one of the Gifts that negates aging, he'd be long since dead.

Edit: Although now that I think of it, Brutus could have been motivated by enmity for Caesar's attempt at destroying the Republican status quo. Never mind that, then.

[Geoff Hall]

Our esteemed Warden could well be a ghost. Just a damn powerful one with more Realm and RMP's than any of us!