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[OOC] Mage: The Awakening - Land of the Free [Noir PBP]
cj iwakura
The Rhythm RegentBears The Name FreedomRegistered User regular
The Rhythm RegentBears The Name FreedomRegistered User regular
World War II is drawing to a close. The troops expected a warm welcome and a long-lasting, hard-fought peace upon coming back to the good old U.S. of A.
They only got one of the two.
The Cold War is just getting started. Paranoia and suspicion are at an all-time high, and the Seers of the Throne are riding the tide of distrust and in-fighting like a wave, reveling in the resulting fractures that the conflict has caused in the Pentacle Mages.
The Great Refusal has just occurred, and the collective Free Council have just told the Exarchs' slaves where they can stick it.
Unfortunately, the Pentacle isn't too fond of the technocratic upstarts either. No one trusts a radical.
The government should be better guarding the people and the streets from rampant crime and corruption, but they're too busy waging their shadow wars with the Soviet Union to be bothered.
Upstate New York is a straight-up mess. The Pentacle is beset on all sides by the conflicts of the sleepers and their own troubles with everything from Seer incursions to hack Scelesti ritualists and even a stray Banisher or two.
Any Mage coming to this town had better know what they're in for, and have a good plan in mind to set things right, or at very least, keep their neck off of the chopping block.
A great reckoning is coming soon, and heads are bound to roll.
Mage Noir was a .PDF expansion of sorts to Mage: The Awakening.
Familiarity with the .PDF is by no means a requirement. Throw M:TA into the era of 1950s prohibition, paranoia, and propaganda, and there you go.
You should have access to the WoD and Mage corebooks, of course, but I can help you out if you don't.
If you have no clue what M:TA is, read beyond the spoiler:
As with most recent White Wolf games, Mage takes place in the World of Darkness:
The modern world as we all know it, only worse. Alleys are more dangerous, crime is more rampant, politicians and law enforcement are less reliable, and there's all manners of unseen entities operating in the shadows to prey on the innocent.
Awakening is the second incarnation of the Mage series. It was originally begun as The Ascension, and was among one of WW's most popular titles, in addition to being ridiculously complex.
Awakening's made the plot a touch easier to grasp for newcomers.
Once, magic was common in society, and its benefits were used for the widespread good of magicians and the unknowing alike. The standard belief in Mage lore was that magic originated in Atlantis, from which the golden age of mage originated, but there are those who feel differently.
Eventually a few Atlantean Mages become more powerful than the rest, and ascended to a higher realm; the Supernal World.
In the process, these mages cast down the rest of humanity into the world as we know it; the Fallen World, shattering the mystical ladder that binded the two worlds.
Separating the two is a space known as The Abyss, within which all manners of unpleasant entities reside to punish mages who tinker with magics best left untouched.
As a result of this division, humanity as a whole have become what Mages refer to as 'Sleepers': humans ignorant of their greater potential.
All humans have the potential for magic, they need only be awakened to it.
To counter the actions of those who put humanity to sleep(the Exarchs), another group known as the Oracles fight within the Supernal Realm to awaken humanity to their dormant abilities, and take the Exarchs down from power.
They are responsible for the Watchtowers, assorted beacons within the Supernal Realm that can guide a sleeper with adequate potential to awaken to their true abilities.
Every Mage awakens through a Path, each of which is linked to one of the Supernal Watchtowers, and allows specialty in certain varieties of magic.
All things can be possible through the different Arcana, each of which is attributed to a specific type of magic.
The modern world as we all know it, only worse. Alleys are more dangerous, crime is more rampant, politicians and law enforcement are less reliable, and there's all manners of unseen entities operating in the shadows to prey on the innocent.
Awakening is the second incarnation of the Mage series. It was originally begun as The Ascension, and was among one of WW's most popular titles, in addition to being ridiculously complex.
Awakening's made the plot a touch easier to grasp for newcomers.
Once, magic was common in society, and its benefits were used for the widespread good of magicians and the unknowing alike. The standard belief in Mage lore was that magic originated in Atlantis, from which the golden age of mage originated, but there are those who feel differently.
Eventually a few Atlantean Mages become more powerful than the rest, and ascended to a higher realm; the Supernal World.
In the process, these mages cast down the rest of humanity into the world as we know it; the Fallen World, shattering the mystical ladder that binded the two worlds.
Separating the two is a space known as The Abyss, within which all manners of unpleasant entities reside to punish mages who tinker with magics best left untouched.
As a result of this division, humanity as a whole have become what Mages refer to as 'Sleepers': humans ignorant of their greater potential.
All humans have the potential for magic, they need only be awakened to it.
To counter the actions of those who put humanity to sleep(the Exarchs), another group known as the Oracles fight within the Supernal Realm to awaken humanity to their dormant abilities, and take the Exarchs down from power.
They are responsible for the Watchtowers, assorted beacons within the Supernal Realm that can guide a sleeper with adequate potential to awaken to their true abilities.
Every Mage awakens through a Path, each of which is linked to one of the Supernal Watchtowers, and allows specialty in certain varieties of magic.
All things can be possible through the different Arcana, each of which is attributed to a specific type of magic.
Prereqs:
Nifty character sheet creator: here.
You could also just type it up or use an image or other website, whatever you prefer.
There's PDFs here, as well:
http://mrgone.rocksolidshells.com/mta.html
Or there's always Myth-Weavers, though that's just for NWoD sheets I think.
-Name, Shadow Name; can be PMed to me if you're feeling paranoid(and you should be).
-Virtue / Vice
(Virtues: Charity / Faith / Fortitude / Hope / Justice / Prudence / Temperance)
(Vices: Envy / Gluttony / Greed / Lust / Pride / Sloth / Wrath)
-Path, details in spoiler.
Acanthus
(Ruling Arcana: Fate, Time Magic / Inferior: Forces)
Enchanters on the Path of Thistle work with luck, intuition and destiny.
Connected to the Watchtower of the Lunargent Thorn in the Realm of Arcadia.
Generally associated with the Fae, and the Tarot of 'The Fool'.
Mastigos
(Ruling: Mind, Space / Inferior: Matter)
Warlocks on the Path of Scourging work with perception and inner demons.
Connected to the Watchtower of the Iron Gauntlet in the Realm of Pandemonium.
Generally associated with manipulation, subversion and the Tarot of 'The Devil'.
Moros
(Ruling: Death, Matter / Inferior: Spirit)
Necromancers on the Path of Doom work with death, mortality and material things.
Connected to the Watchtower of the Lead Coin in the Realm of Stygia.
Generally focused on the study of transition and decay, and associated with the Tarot of 'Death'.
Obrimos
(Ruling: Prime, Forces / Inferior: Death)
Theurgists on the Path of the Mighty work with the divine energies infusing the world.
Connected to the Watchtower of the Golden Key in the Realm of the Aether.
Generally associated with the pursuit of power, and the Tarot of 'Strength'.
Thyrsus
(Ruling: Life, Spirit / Inferior: Mind)
Shaman on the Path of Ecstasy work with all aspects of the natural world.
Connected to the Watchtower of the Stone Book in the Realm of the Primal Wild.
Generally associated with the wilderness, and the Tarot of The Moon.
(Ruling Arcana: Fate, Time Magic / Inferior: Forces)
Enchanters on the Path of Thistle work with luck, intuition and destiny.
Connected to the Watchtower of the Lunargent Thorn in the Realm of Arcadia.
Generally associated with the Fae, and the Tarot of 'The Fool'.
Mastigos
(Ruling: Mind, Space / Inferior: Matter)
Warlocks on the Path of Scourging work with perception and inner demons.
Connected to the Watchtower of the Iron Gauntlet in the Realm of Pandemonium.
Generally associated with manipulation, subversion and the Tarot of 'The Devil'.
Moros
(Ruling: Death, Matter / Inferior: Spirit)
Necromancers on the Path of Doom work with death, mortality and material things.
Connected to the Watchtower of the Lead Coin in the Realm of Stygia.
Generally focused on the study of transition and decay, and associated with the Tarot of 'Death'.
Obrimos
(Ruling: Prime, Forces / Inferior: Death)
Theurgists on the Path of the Mighty work with the divine energies infusing the world.
Connected to the Watchtower of the Golden Key in the Realm of the Aether.
Generally associated with the pursuit of power, and the Tarot of 'Strength'.
Thyrsus
(Ruling: Life, Spirit / Inferior: Mind)
Shaman on the Path of Ecstasy work with all aspects of the natural world.
Connected to the Watchtower of the Stone Book in the Realm of the Primal Wild.
Generally associated with the wilderness, and the Tarot of The Moon.
-Order, if not an Apostate; Silver Ladder, Guardian of the Veil, Adamantine Arrow, Free Council, Mysterium.
The orders operate largely the same as they do in M:TA proper. The only noteworthy difference is that the Free Council are mostly just getting recognized as a bonafide order, since their Great Refusal got them the attention of the Pentacle as a respectable(if reluctant) ally.
More details in spoiler.
The Adamantine Arrow
Spiritual warriors and masters of conflict, who claim a heritage going back to the defenders of Atlantis. Currently, the Order of the Arrow could perhaps be described as something akin to a knightly sect, though bushido and other warrior codes find a place in The Arrow. These mages conduct intensive physical and mental training, honing the minds and bodies of order members into deadly weapons which magical society may then wield against its enemies (such as vampires, werewolves, Seers, and so on).
Guardians of the Veil
Spies and conspirators who claim their descent from the intelligence officers and enforcers of Atlantis' laws. Currently, they bear a resemblance to a combination of many occult conspiracies, such as the Thule and others. Many obscure their activities and identities even from other mages, and act as a check on humanity's dangerous curiosity for "that which man was not meant to know". To this end they falsify and obfuscate information through an elaborate honeycomb of lies and mis-directions known as "the Labyrinth".
The Mysterium
Dedicated to pursuit of magical lore and the acquisition, cataloguing, and study of mystical and occult knowledge and artifacts. They continue the ancient heritage of the scholarly and intellectual of Atlantean society. Their internal structure often resembles the academic structures of the part of the world in which they reside. The Mysterium gathers, catalogues and maintains items of all types of magical and historical significance. These are stored in museum-libraries known as "Athenaea", which vary in size from private collections to massive storehouses that must be physically hidden by magical means.
The Silver Ladder
Dedicated to ruling and reshaping the world, the viziers and senators of Atlantis remain in force. Politicians and authoritarians, the Silver Ladder believes in creating a perfect hierarchy (with themselves at the top, of course) which will seize control of reality, subjugating it to the will of mankind. Many would say (justifiably) that the Ladder is only interested in power, but this dream is not without its altruistic appeal. As a member of the Ladder might point out, control over reality could bring an end to human suffering in all its forms.
The Free Council
Modernists who wish to create new forms of magic, a union of mages who have discovered ways of using magic that do not adhere to the Atlantean methods. According to Council members, mankind is subconsciously aware of metaphysical truths, and thus all of human society carries the potention for mystical wisdom. The 'Libertines' as they are also called, possess a strong belief in democratic process and anti-authoritarianism.
Belonging to any of the prior sects is completely optional for a character, though belonging to one can provide a safe haven and access to otherwise inaccessible information, both very valuable commodities in a world of darkness.
There's even a few groups of antagonists out there to take up arms with, if you're feeling particularly daring.
A sampling of the key antagonists:
The Seers of the Throne
Servants of the Exarchs, the Seers would rather serve those in power than strive to bring them down. The Seers want to keep the sleepers sleeping and undermine the actions of Mages at any opportunity.
The Pentacle aren't the only fractured community of Mages. Seers have their own factions called Ministries, which range from militant soldiers to religious fundamentalists to spies and secret keepers which keep the Guardians on their toes.
The Banishers
Those who awakened to their potential and regard it not as a blessing, but a curse. They don't believe that magic is a wondrous thing, but unnatural, and that only evil stems from its use.
Banishers actively strive to destroy Mages, their sanctums, and their works at any opportunity, for no reason but to see their influence wiped off the face of the earth.
Scelesti/Left-Handed Legacies
Mages who practice darker arts such as soul-theft and demonic rituals. Bad mojo.
Pentacle Mages seek to destroy any of these factions or practitioners on sight, not necessarily in that order.
Spiritual warriors and masters of conflict, who claim a heritage going back to the defenders of Atlantis. Currently, the Order of the Arrow could perhaps be described as something akin to a knightly sect, though bushido and other warrior codes find a place in The Arrow. These mages conduct intensive physical and mental training, honing the minds and bodies of order members into deadly weapons which magical society may then wield against its enemies (such as vampires, werewolves, Seers, and so on).
Guardians of the Veil
Spies and conspirators who claim their descent from the intelligence officers and enforcers of Atlantis' laws. Currently, they bear a resemblance to a combination of many occult conspiracies, such as the Thule and others. Many obscure their activities and identities even from other mages, and act as a check on humanity's dangerous curiosity for "that which man was not meant to know". To this end they falsify and obfuscate information through an elaborate honeycomb of lies and mis-directions known as "the Labyrinth".
The Mysterium
Dedicated to pursuit of magical lore and the acquisition, cataloguing, and study of mystical and occult knowledge and artifacts. They continue the ancient heritage of the scholarly and intellectual of Atlantean society. Their internal structure often resembles the academic structures of the part of the world in which they reside. The Mysterium gathers, catalogues and maintains items of all types of magical and historical significance. These are stored in museum-libraries known as "Athenaea", which vary in size from private collections to massive storehouses that must be physically hidden by magical means.
The Silver Ladder
Dedicated to ruling and reshaping the world, the viziers and senators of Atlantis remain in force. Politicians and authoritarians, the Silver Ladder believes in creating a perfect hierarchy (with themselves at the top, of course) which will seize control of reality, subjugating it to the will of mankind. Many would say (justifiably) that the Ladder is only interested in power, but this dream is not without its altruistic appeal. As a member of the Ladder might point out, control over reality could bring an end to human suffering in all its forms.
The Free Council
Modernists who wish to create new forms of magic, a union of mages who have discovered ways of using magic that do not adhere to the Atlantean methods. According to Council members, mankind is subconsciously aware of metaphysical truths, and thus all of human society carries the potention for mystical wisdom. The 'Libertines' as they are also called, possess a strong belief in democratic process and anti-authoritarianism.
Belonging to any of the prior sects is completely optional for a character, though belonging to one can provide a safe haven and access to otherwise inaccessible information, both very valuable commodities in a world of darkness.
There's even a few groups of antagonists out there to take up arms with, if you're feeling particularly daring.
A sampling of the key antagonists:
The Seers of the Throne
Servants of the Exarchs, the Seers would rather serve those in power than strive to bring them down. The Seers want to keep the sleepers sleeping and undermine the actions of Mages at any opportunity.
The Pentacle aren't the only fractured community of Mages. Seers have their own factions called Ministries, which range from militant soldiers to religious fundamentalists to spies and secret keepers which keep the Guardians on their toes.
The Banishers
Those who awakened to their potential and regard it not as a blessing, but a curse. They don't believe that magic is a wondrous thing, but unnatural, and that only evil stems from its use.
Banishers actively strive to destroy Mages, their sanctums, and their works at any opportunity, for no reason but to see their influence wiped off the face of the earth.
Scelesti/Left-Handed Legacies
Mages who practice darker arts such as soul-theft and demonic rituals. Bad mojo.
Pentacle Mages seek to destroy any of these factions or practitioners on sight, not necessarily in that order.
Attributes: 5/4/3 | Distributed between Mental/Social/Physical
Acanthus/Moros/Thyrsus: +1 Composure | Mastigos/Obrimos: +1 Resolve
Skills: 11/7/4: Mental/Social/Physical, along with 3 specialties.
Arcana: 2 dots in one Arcana, 2 in another, 1 in a third(two dots must go to a Ruling Arcana), free point to any other Arcana.
Rotes: 6 dots
Merits: 7 dots
Starting Wisdom: 7 dots / Starting Gnosis: 3 dots
If you use the WoD Toolkit I referenced above, it calculates out the easy stuff for you, such as Willpower, Speed, Health, all that jazz.
I'm hoping to begin in a week or so, but this isn't a first come; first served basis. The more fleshed out the character, the better.
Hoping for four characters, no more than six.
The setting is suburban New York.
And as far as anyone knows, the most dominant order are the Guardians of the Veil.
cj iwakura on
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Posts
Edit
Now presenting my first (of two possibly) submission:
Six of Spades (Leslie Young) played by piL
Concept: Gambler. Path: Acanthus. Order: Apostate.
Virtue: Charity. Vice: Gluttony.
Chronicle: Land of the Free.
Stats:
Mental:
Intelligence ***
Wits ***
Resolve **
Physical:
Strength **
Dexterity **
Stamina ***
Social:
Presence **
Manipulation **
Composure ***
Skills:
Mental:
Investigation ** (Body Language)
Occult *
Politics *
Physical:
Athletics *
Brawl *
Firearms ** (Pistol)
Larceny *
Stealth **
Social:
Empathy **
Intimidation *
Persuasion **
Socialize *
Streetwise **
Subterfuge *** (Misdirection)
Merits:
High Speech *
Allies (Chinese Organized Crime) **
Language (Cantonese, fluent) **
Resources *
Hallow *
Health: 8
[ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ]
Aggrivated
[ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ]
Willpower: 5
[ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ]
Statistics:
Size: 5. Speed: 9. Intiative Mod: 5.
Defense: 2. Armor: 0. Experience 0/0.
Wisdom: 7
Personal Info:
Full Name: Leslie Young
DoB: December 3, 1921
Hair: Short, dark brown.
Eyes: Brown
Race: Caucasion
Nationality: American (New York City Native)
Height: 5'11"
Weight: 165lbs
Sex: Male
Equipment:
Lockpicks - Dura: 2. Struc: 3. Size: 1. Cost: ***
Deck of Cards
Pair of Dice
Weapon/Attack:
Colt M1911 (Heavy Pistol) - Dam: 3. Range 20/40/80. Clip: 7+1. Size: 1.
Magery:
Mana: [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ]
Arcana:
Fate **
Mind *
Time ***
Rotes:
Nudging Probability (Winds of Chance). p150. Fate *. (Wits + Subterfuge + Fate = 7)
Failure is Death (Glimpsing of the Future). p259. Time **. (Wits + Investigation + Time = 7)
Know the Wolf by His Stance (Aura Perception). p205. Mind *. (Wits + Empathy + Mind = 6)
Thinking for Many (One Mind, Two Thoughts). p206. Mind *. (Wits + Investigation + Mind = 6)
Scales of Thought (Third Eye). p207. Mind *. (Wits + Empathy + Mind = 6)
History:
Leslie adapted to public school easily enough, and though his formative years began with a dangerous lack of stability, he quickly learned a social flexibility that followed him to this day. Each new school found him drifting into a new position of status among the entrenched social elite. After graduating from high school in 1936, Leslie initially pursued a business degree but, entangled in illicit gambling, his studies suffered. The next few years were spent bouncing between different professions including factory work, porter, and clerical jobs. Binge drinking and melancholy followed him into his early twenties and he found himself increasingly involved with the New York criminal underground. In December of 1941 and again in February of 1942, he failed physical exams necessary for enlistment thanks to a limp he earned playing baseball six years prior.
It was Saturday, March 7th, 1942 in the basement of an unlicensed bar on Canal Street when Leslie awoke. Lines of cigar smoke told hazy and indeterminate biographies of strangers Leslie never met. The low murmur of barely intelligible Cantonese, much to the dismay of Leslie who had originally sought solitude in the unbreachable language barrier, began making sense--words without meaning were tied to images of places and people Leslie had never met. That night Leslie won enough money to never have to work again only to gradually lose it, redistributing the money in complex webs of wealth that filled his mind whilst staring at torn wallpaper in his windowless hotel room.
When his eyes finally rested that night, he dreamt of a crumbling tower surrounded by rising rivers of black-blue flame while beautiful and alien creatures drowned. Thorny brambles tore his clothing and flesh as he retreated to the tower and ascended an ivy laden staircase while flowers wilted then burst forth anew under his footstep. At the top, a robe-adorned figure with its back to him picked up a book from a pedestal and ascended a glass staircase that appeared when he stepped and shattered into dust behind him. The flagstones beneath Leslie's feet gave way and he tumbled backwards off the tower. The rush of air and the sensation of weightlessness caused him to smile. When his eyes opened he knew that what he had glimpsed was more real than the walls around him.
The next year and a half was a blur of self discovery and renewed vigor surrounded by the smoke of cheap cigarettes, the clamor of foreign mystics, and an elaborate flow of security while Six found meanings in strange medicine shops and truths in dice. Somehow he remained invisible for most of this time; he never met another mage until 1944 already naturally accomplished if unfamiliar with the pentacle's struggles and politics. Though threatened with independence and lured with camaraderie, Leslie ignored the courting of the orders preferring to pursue his own studies of his own volition. Charm and guile earned him the tutors he needed, albeit from generally unskilled magelings uneducated themselves. Though not a member, he's managed to avoid breaking the stricter rules of the orders, earning him a friend--if circumspect--acceptance amongst the New York magical beauracracy.
Notes:
Nimbus: Onlookers receive a sense of significance tied to concurrent events. Powerful magics display a soft and rolling fog while the shapes of broad-leafed vines and discarded blades fill the space between the mists.
XP Purchases
4/24/2010: Bought Stamina up from two dots to three.
I absolutely adore the starting Gnosis of 5, and I assume you deliberately removed the floating +1 to an arcana so we can't start with 3 in one? It feels odd not being able to actually deal damage with magic since all the "roll dice to attack someone" spells are at 3+ dots,
Edit: I cannot stress how exciting it is to actually be able to look at the latter attainments of Legacies seriously, lol. I'm thinking Reality Stalkers? Celestial Masters should probably be banned, heh.
The floating +1 to an Arcana should still be there, as well.
Presumably anyone coming into this game can be a preestablished Mage from another city, but if you want them freshly Awakened(or a Sleeper about to Awaken), that's fine too.
An XP bonus is possible, if your character has the history to justify it.
No Sleepwalkers.
Oh yeah, and if you're using anything from an expansion, cite which book its from.
Anything from expansion books must be approved by me first.
For what it's worth, I own and/or have access to all the Order books, as well as: Tarot, Intruders, Seers(why would you be using this!?), Magical Traditions, and I think I have Sanctum and Sigil floating around somewhere.
I don't have the two Legacy books, sadly.
Can we drop Wisdom for experience? Also if I stick with my current idea then do you approve the Reality Stalkers legacy from the Mysterium sourcebook
And yes, you can drop Wisdom for XP if you like, no more than two(five would be your lowest possible).
Naturally the draw is the instant action, no paradox Portals. Although I'd really like Mind at 3 so hmm, tough choice =/
Character concept wise I'm thinking a Mysterium Censor who in addition to the usual reclaiming artifacts and knowledge in NYC spent the war abroad trying to snatch up magical materials before they were lost to the ravages of war. Or in some cases right out of the clutches of Nazi occultists! Now back home and stalking his usual haunts, collecting artifacts and trying to keep the Mysterium Athenaeums under the radar of the Sleeper spies and spy hunters now paying more attention than ever. Oh and I imagine he hates the GotV as much as the rest of the Mysterium
No objections.
When she was 14, during a performance for parents, her perception of the dance extend outside of herself for the first time. She was able to feel the presence of the other dancers almost as if she *was* them. All of the girls were putting on the performance of their lives and Lily was so wrapped up in the moment that she started to improvise; dancing around a tower that seemed to appear as part of the set. After the fact, she was told that there were gasps from the audience and the instructor practically fainted when Lily changed the dance up, but it seems noone else but her saw the tower. Everyone did agree, however, that it was one of the best performances they'd ever seen and she was only lightly punished for her improvisations. It wasn't long after this that she was first approached by the Silver Ladder.
Recruited quickly, Lily was excited to learn more about magic, and society as a member of the Silver Ladder was as easy for her to navigate as upper crust New York was. A rising star in both circles, she breezed through her debutante year punctuated by a fantastic coming out ball at the Ritz Carlton. Enrolled at the Horace Mann School for Girls, she did well at her studies, but felt that there was something missing in her life. She still danced, but ever since her awakening, she'd had less time for it and her instructors were ever vigilant to make sure there wasn't a repeat of her improvisational scene. There was no room for that in their classical performances.
Somewhat dissolusioned, she began to rebel and started attending big band shows as soon as she was 21. Here, finally, was she was able to rekindle her love of dance and she poured all of her energy into it. Her parents tolerated it, since it wasn't unheard of in their circles and the venues were fairly respectable. From there though, Lily found her way to more and more "interesting" establishment, eventually becoming a regular at Milton's.
Lily graduated from Horace Mann and was happy to have more time persuing her own interests. Her parents began to despair more and more that she would marry a nice man and return to polite society but she did manage to keep up appearances in order to please them, so they didn't press the matter. At the same time, she was having similar experiences in Silver Ladder circles as she was picking up more and more democratic leanings from the people in Harlem she was spending all of her time with. Eventually this came to a head in early 1945 and she jumped ship to the Free Council.
Edit: Apostates don't get rotes, correct?
I'm pretty sure Apostates still get rotes, though I could be wrong.
It depends on your Apostate's background, but I don't have a problem with one knowing rotes if their background justifies it.
My other concept that I was going to make was a young motorcycle enthusiast / possible gang member who will be freshly awakened to (or a sleeper about to awaken to) the Path of the Mighty (Obrimos). Real rockabilly cat with his hair up high, but it's about a decade too early for that so maybe a veteran who awoke in the heat of the Great War?
However, I do have a character concept - young soldier who fought in WWII in Europe, always staying one miraculous step away from death. Awakens in a particularly large battle as an Acanthus, saving a bunch of his friends and himself from certain death. Now back in the States, he needs to figure out what this gift is and how best to use it. Probably will lean towards Adamantine Arrow given his war background.
Edit:
Concept: Disillusioned Utopian. Path: Moros. Order: The Silver Ladder.
Virtue: Hope. Vice: Wrath.
Chronicle: Land of the Free.
Here's my idea for a character. I left out his real name to pm instead. Hopefully I didn't mess much up, this is my first WoD character and like third RP character in general.
Stats
Mental:
Intelligence ***
Wits ***
Resolve **
Physical:
Strength **
Dexterity **
Stamina **
Social:
Presence **
Manipulation **
Composure ***
Skills:
Mental:
Academics (Art) ***
Crafts ****
Investigation *
Medicine *
Occult **
Physical:
Athletics *
Brawl *
Larceny (Pickpocketing) **
Social:
Empathy **
Expression *
Socialize (Bar Hopping) **
Streetwise **
Merits:
High Speech *
Barfly *
Language (German) *
Dream **
Hallow **
Sanctum (Size) *
Resources *
Health: 7
[ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ]
Aggrivated
[ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ]
Willpower: 5
[ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ]
Statistics:
Size: 5. Speed: 8. Intiative Mod: 5.
Defense: 2. Armor: 0. Experience 0/0.
Wisdom: 7
Personal Info:
Full Name: -
DoB: January 6, 1925
Hair: Light brown, medium length, messy.
Eyes: Green
Race: Caucasian
Nationality: USA
Height: 5'10"
Weight: 155lbs
Sex: Male
Equipment:
Sketchbook
Pencils
Flask
Mage
Mana: [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ]
Arcana:
Death ***
Matter **
Space **
Rotes:
Scrying (Space **) Dice Pool: 6 Page 235
Grim Sight (Death *) Dice Pool: 8 Page 134
Destroy Object (Death ***) Dice Pool: 9 Page139
Entropic Guard (Death **) Dice Pool: 8 Page 136
It was months later when Charun would feel once again that his life was turned upside down; his brother’s unit had been captured by the Japanese. That night Charun started to suffer nightmares that persisted through the next week, he dreamed of all the horrible things that must be happening to his brother. One night, he had a dream different than the rest, everything seemed so real it was like he was actually in another place. He saw men, suffering at the hands of their captors; he didn’t want to watch, but he couldn’t wake himself. The men all looked like they were somewhere between life and death, he saw one that looked familiar. It could have been his brother, he had many of his features, but none of the warmth was there. This man was one of those being beaten by the guards, one mighty blow connected with his head and he went down still for hours. Charun knew somehow that his brother was dead. He screamed as the vision faded and he found himself in a place that made him think of the time he had snuck into the local graveyard on a dare and saw a tower that he felt compelled to approach.
Charun couldn’t stand his home anymore. How could his parents act so normal when there was something so obviously wrong with the world? He pretended to be fine and one night, when his parents were visiting his Aunt in the next town he snuck out and started hitchhiking. Charun left his home in Massachusetts behind and made his way to New York City.
Charun wandered the city looking for somewhere to fit in; eventually he found a group of bohemians. The group quickly accepted him when they saw his skills for drawing, and one of them introduced him to painting; he took to it like a duck to water. Charun wandered the city with his group of vagabonds painting surreal images of the horrors of war and strange visions that seemed to come to him in his dreams. His new friends introduced him to another method of easing his pain, alcohol. Many a day passed that ended with Charun collapsing in a daze after one drink too many.
On an afternoon when Charun was painting in the park a man grabbed him and the painting he was working on of the tower from his dreams, some of his friends yelled at the man to let him go; but he gave an intimidating glare and they backed off. The man took the struggling boy somewhere private and asked him what he thought he was doing a painting of one the watchtowers in a park full of sleepers. When he saw Charun’s confused look the man realized that the boy had not been trained and took him in. That man was a member of the Guardians of the Veil and though Charun did not fit in with their order, he arranged for a mentor from the Silver Ladder to tutor Charun.
Charun took to his studies in magic with a vigor he has previously reserved for painting and liquor. Charun saw opportunities in this new society. Sure the world that regular humans had formed may have turned to shit, but the Silver Ladder showed him a way to make a better society. Now when Charun finds the time to paint his favorite topic is the shining city on a hill that he believes with be the center of the mage utopian mage society that must be coming soon.
If I didn't have a fever of over 100 and something right now I would be giving you all a further thrashing.
Yami: One more physical dot, over on Rotes by 1.
Beyond that, you two are golden. I could run the game with 3 PCs, but 4 is ideal.
cj iwakura: I just read 6 dots of rotes as 6 rotes. Fixed that real fast. As far as the Arcana dot goes, that can go to any Arcana I want, even one of the ones I have at two, right?
And in regards to High Speech, pg 84 of M:tA reads, "If your mage begins play as a member of an order, he learns this Merit at no cost. If he is not a member of an order, he must purchase this Merit using his initial Merit dots or with experience points (assuming there is someone who can teach it to him)." I wont turn down free points, I just thought I'd let you know. I don't have a problem with apostates getting screwed over because the point of orders is the structure of the thing making it easier for you.
Oh, and I'm reading Kerouac's On the Road right now. It's 1946 in that book, so hopefully it'll help get me a sense of the setting.
cj - I'll make those fixes when I get home and have access to my character sheet to update.
Mechanics:
http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=390707
Character & History,
True Name: Lucas Kant
Mastigos of the Mysterium
DoB: April 20, 1918 in Brooklyn, NY
Description: "Uh, he was white, brown hair, brown eyes, average height, average build, you know... just kind of plain?"
Lucas Kant always wanted to be a detective when he grew up, he read all the dime novels and Dick Tracy strips, loved the police procedural movies, the whole nine yards. His family didn't exactly approve of this career path though and as fantasy gave way to reality and compromise, Luke found himself at Columbia studying for a future as a lawyer when he Awakened.
Awakening to Pandemonium is never pleasant, and in this case walking the Path of Scourging took a very literal turn as Kant left the library late one night. The Manhattan streets seemed darker and narrower, and as he trudged along he found himself walking along a sidewalk in great disrepair, past alleys that were like dark, infinite pits and against a wind that grew in ferocity. He just kept his head down and soldiered along against the gusts until the sidewalk completely turned to gravel and he starts thinking he's made a wrong turn. A thought of Where the hell am I? that takes on a surreal quality as he looks up and sees a blasted hellscape consisting of a single jagged path forward and sheer cliffs at his sides leading to mazes of caverns and beyond them an utter abyss. The thought to go back didn't occur to him, although the path grew more treacherous, the wind more biting and he thought he hard packs of something eagerly watching his advance. After what seemed an eternity of painful walking he reaches a tower and responding to some unknown instinct carves his name into its massive door before opening it and... finding himself in his apartment, seemingly a second after having stepped out of the library across town.
Luke tried to process the randomly harrowing event over the next few days but didn't get far before being noticed by the Mysterium Mages who keep close tabs on universities. Recruited into a world of mystery and wonder, he quickly let his old life fall by the wayside; dropping out of school and writing his furious parents an occasional letter, but even that grew less and less frequent. Quickly learning to exploit his affinity for the Space arcana and adopting the shadow name Jaunt, he was brought into the acquisitions side of the Mysterium, typically stealing artifacts out of museums or private collections as they turned up.
As war broke out in Europe he was often sent on errands as a courier or taxicab, being capable of creating quick portals but low in rank, seniority or overall ability wasn't a winning combination at the time. Eventually though the scope of the war grew beyond anyone's expectations and the danger posed to even the interests of Mages became very real. Mysterium Athenaeums across Europe were at risk as entire cities were carpet bombed, and great stores of artifacts and knowledge had to be evacuated, although the European Mages were decidedly not happy with the situation. Worse still was the amount already lost often looted and in some cases with dark intent from Nazi occultists knowing just enough to be dangerous. It was a busy time for Jaunt as he was tasked with an open ended mission: find and return it all.
His final mission was a nerve wracking trip back and forth into a Nagasaki Athenaeum, opening portals for teams of desperate Mages running, grabbing what they could and evacuating after the military's plans were discovered with no time to spare. They kept working right as the bomb fell, and after a nail biting finale to a brutal war Jaunt is officially on vacation for the time being. Although for someone with a strong curiosity, lawyer's wiles, mage's abilities and a relaxed concept of property rights, that may lead to more danger than a warzone.
I'm still proud of myself for catching the "Light Kevlar Vest" that I normally put on every nWoD character ever, though!
I realized the bit about Apostates not knowing Free Speech after the fact, my mistake.
Lanlaorn: Missing a few Merits, unless you want Gnosis 6...
You don't have any rotes there, either.
We'll talk starting XP once I've decided on the four(if it even proves necessary).
skarsol: One of Phys/Social is a dot too high. Love the concept though.
(And swing.)
Wait, I'm forgetting the Path bonuses.
Yeah, I keep forgetting the path bonuses, so I'll bold them for your sake and mine:
Acanthus/Moros/Thyrsus: +1 Composure
Mastigos/Obrimos: +1 Resolve
If I said you were off with that in consideration, never mind.
Time to try and plow through the book again.
Twitch Stream
Man, I forgot how dense the core book is. Mage Noir is really light, though.
Twitch Stream
I'm probably among the people who are the problem here. I'm interested, definitely, but I'm unfamiliar with mage and have none of the books -- so I just tabbed the thread and I've been following silently.