Council of Dreams (LGBTQ friendly) - Freeform Mage based game - Still Recruiting

Started by Caehlim, September 28, 2014, 02:39:18 PM

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CurvyKitten

Nods~  well it has to do with the The Seers of the Pantechnicon Skopoi faction, they took her when she was younger. They end up seeing her as an Oracle. Their link to the Exarches, their true Manteria. Totally in her BG as she will have a rather impressive mind spell hidden from scrutiny that buries the memories and makes it seem as if she has amnesia. So you don't have to even poke that possible plot stuffs unless you want to :)

AndyZ

Got an Acanthus Mysterium idea burning a hole in my head.  Hopefully we don't have too many Acanthi yet.
It's all good, and it's all in fun.  Now get in the pit and try to love someone.

Ons/Offs   -  My schedule and A/As   -    My Avatars

If I've owed you a post for at least a week, poke me.

Kythia

Caehlim - this is obviosuly incomplete but could you glance over it and let me know if the general concept works, if so I'll fill out the rest.

Carly

True Name : Either Carly Henderson or Carly Johnson, she's not certain
Shadow Name : Carly
Age : Probably 19?  20 maybe?  Could even be 22 or 23 at a push.
Sex : female
Gender: female
Classification : mage
Relationship Status : single

Path : Acanthus
Order : Free Council

Height : 5'5"
Weight / Body type : 129
Hair : Brownish
Skin : White
Eyes : Brown
Distinguishing Features : Pierced ears, scarred arms (self-harm)
Standard Clothing : ragged jeans and t-shirt, often shoeless
Face Claim : Noone famous

Likes :
Dislikes :

About :
A childhood best left glossed over.  She's not sure if she was adopted by one of her druggie mom's "boyfriends" or not, had reports with Social Workers, Parole Officers and the Police before she was seven and ran away from home at 8.  Intelligent readers can likely fill in the gaps.  Homeless for many years, minor prostitution, lots of shoplifting, its a common story.  Those with better skills than her might be able to piece a lot more of it together than she can by putting together reports form various agencies.  Probably even work out her real name.  Due to erratic then non-existent schooling her own literacy is far too weak to attempt it and she doesn't really have the foothold in society to even know where to start.  Or regular society at least.  She knows everyone else on the streets and those who work with them: hostel staff, beat officers, etc.  She also knows a few "straight" people through a combination of good humour and being adopted as a lucky charm.  Dropping some money in her tin leads to a good day - most assume its confirmation bias or similar but it really does.


Reputation :
Everyone knows Carly.  Because Carly, eventually, knows lots.  Ask her who was doing something in the park last night and maybe throw a few bucks into the tin and she's pretty certain Big John was sleeping there last night and she's generally right.  Again, her engagement in society isn't really enough to ever use this sa fully as it could be used - she lacks the political savvy to ever be an information broker.  A pack of cigs, maybe a place to sleep for the night or a couple of burgers - her prices are cheap for the service she offers.


Sexuality :
Player Sexual On's and Offs :
Character Ons :
Character Offs :

Player :

Magical knowledge An experienced character can have up to 9 levels in the different types of magic. Younger or more inexperienced characters can be made with less. Sleepwalkers do not possess any magical knowledge at all.

Time : Apprentice
Fate : Adept
Space :
Mind : Apprentice
Life : Initiate
Spirit :
Matter :
Death :
Forces :
Prime :
242037

Caehlim

Yeah, Carly seems great. San Francisco is also well known for attracting homeless people (largely because of the excellent weather there) and there's quite a large community of street people for her to fit into, so it certainly doesn't seem out of place with the setting. Of course in the world of darkness the crowds of street-people make excellent hunting grounds for a lot of the nastier supernatural predators, so she would be in a great position to give people a heads up on what's out there.
My home is not a place, it is people.
View my Ons and Offs page.

View my (new)Apologies and Absences thread or my Ideas thread.

CShades

All right, finally, here and without further ado:

Behold the Squid!

True Name : I’m not sure which one is more real to him,  if any; we can work that out during play if it’s ever needed.
Shadow Name : Teuthis
Age : Thirty-something, though he’s widely believed to be younger.
Sex : Fluid
Gender: Fluid. Player will use ‘He’ for coherence where applies.
Classification : Mage
Relationship Status : Who has time for that? Okay, maybe one or twenty. Do sleepwalker retainers count?

Path : Thyrsus/Tamer of Rivers
Order : Guardians of the Veil

Mundane Occupation/Life : Teuthis has many go-to identities that are easy to fall into when the time is right and there is need for it, but most of the time he has too little patience or use for a mundane facade of his own. It is always cleaner to pick one that's already there and just take over for a while.

Mage Occupation/Life : In the public light, Teuthis has long run point for a local labyrinth -- their network covers the whole San Francisco branch of the National Park Service with ties to the different native american organizations in the bay area -- and for some time now has been delegating more of that in order to manage some of the flow of information between the Guardians and the other orders, which is a perfect excuse to get to know as many Awakened as want to be known - and to be known by them, in turn. It works out, because while he can be Decisive and Just when needed, the Shifter is also charming and playful and laid back for a Guardian -- which means putting him under the spotlight just might be a ploy from the Eye to get a bit of positive PR in the sea of negative light they are often painted in. If so, it just might be working! (A little)

Height : Variable
Weight / Body type : Variable
Hair : Variable
Skin : Variable
Eyes : Variable
Distinguishing Features : A small ‘squid’ mark he keeps somewhere subtly visible; a hollow stone ring artifact made by a Matter expert to change size when he does, and spelled never to come out without a specific word of power.
Standard Clothing : He keeps a lot of disguises around places. A dedicated scarf is usually around in one form or another to facilitate Disguise, and has a certain preference for leather/organic garments.
Face Claim : None for too long! (But feel free to request any)

Likes : Order. Blood. Worthiness. Faun and Games. And water. Oh, water! Fish. Animals. People - they are just another species after all - and the wilderness. Wise Rules. The Hunt.
Dislikes : The clueless and the Dangerous. Having to do something twice. Staying still for too long. Unwise Rules. Waste of resources. Human Greed and the Despoiling of Nature. Wearing the same face two days in a row. Fucking Sharks.

About :
The person he was born as awakened to the Labyrinth under auspicious signs, and was tested thoroughly in every possible way before being taken under their Mentor’s wing. They weren’t the first or the last to be put through those paces, but yes the only one to survive them. Once his mentor decided he was ready for more… well, then he also had to die.

At least it wasn’t permanent, but giving himself to the Water had enough of a cost that he never would be the same, anyway. Squid, the Kraken named him, and not without good reason. There was more learning to have, in the shadows, and some of the hardest was reaching into the path of madness. They stalked, they hunted and they made decisions together. That was when Theutis was born again, taking over the newly-awakened life of one who couldn’t be allowed to live it.

Was it his mentor’s design? Going through the veils and Guardian initiation a second time was a learning experience, as was maintaining his knowledge of the arcana from discovery and the re-learning of every little thing while at the same time being guided into further depths of knowledge on the side and merging both identities into one. He became the tester in time, and the mentor, and some time ago he was brought into a whole different level of the Hunt. As the eye of the Dragon, he watches and he learns from those who watch for him. He knows the darker places to hide where it is least likely to kindle disbelief, and probably every demesne there is in the city as well as who it belongs to -- he often has good relationships with these cabals and has been known to exchange services and favors for the right of entry and use, if only so that he can shift and change safely in a pinch rather than risking the Lie. 

Free Council - Does Freedom have an Ethos?
Silver Ladder - Shall we follow Right or Wrong?
Adamantine Arrows - What is worth Protecting?
Mysterium - Can it truly ever be Safe?
Guardians of the Veil - Who watches the Watcher?

Reputation :

Teuthis is pretty all right, for a Guardian. I mean, you could probably not even tell most of the time, because he’s the last to censure people about their mistakes -- for one who changes shape nearly from day to day, the shifter can’t really proselytize against private use of vulgar magic, right? Okay, once in a while he’s had to have a ‘talk’ with some people about being a little more careful, but then they Really Deserved it, and the consensus is that the world is safer for it. Still, that is not really his Calling - he hardly has the time or inclination to police the Awakened who should know better, and would rather work with people than against them. 

The Guardian has some quirks, like everyone - you can easily tell it is him by his penchant for sniffing things, even if you missed the ring or birthmark that are always a constant regardless of what he’s chosen to look like -- and how they can be less than politically correct or more than a little off-putting when they get truly passionate about a subject -- that’s just piece and parcel of awakening to the Stony Brook. As it is, their general reputation is that of an approachable person who in spite of visible changes in physique and demeanor is steady on their loyalties and beliefs, while making a point not to demean those of others. “Mage Society is a body of sorts” they have been quoted as to say. “Every part does its own job, but you need all of them working together to keep it healthy - even those that make shit stink.”

Free Council - You are free to make your own choices. I can only hope you make the right ones.
Silver Ladder - You are proven leaders and I shall follow Worth. I can hope  you have all the information you need to lead us down the right path.
Adamantine Arrows - You fight the True fight, I hope we can fight the true Enemy together.
Mysterium - You strive to Know as much as I do. I hope Knowledge always grows tempered with Wisdom.
Guardians of the Veil - You serve the wheel as I do and see much of the same things I see. I hope you can be trusted to serve the common Good rather than your own.

Sexuality : Pansexual, amoral, opportunistic, primal, switch.
Player Sexual On's and Offs : Few and far between, see my linked O/Os which are pretty much all still current.
Character Ons : The perfect Kill. The hunt. Predator and Prey. Adrenaline Rushes. Who are we kidding-- Life.
Character Offs : Paradox! (it’s happenned, shut up.) Being Made. Clingy-needy types. Fragile partners (unless that’s The Point.) Breaches of Trust (Ironic, I know.)

Player : CShades


Time :
Fate :
Space :
Mind : Adept (fine-tuning for what it seems forever) but it is not something people would know if he can help it.
Life : Master (Only acknowledged recently, though his mastery is rather complete)
Spirit : He should know some of this, right? (He doesn’t, for Reasons, but who needs to know that?)
Matter : It’s in the to-do list
Death :
Forces :
Prime :




Okay, extras. I’d like maybe a sikrit/hard to reach Wild Hallow that he can have been bound to? (May have been done by NPC guy as a favor to his Mentor, or in exchange for services?)  Could he maybe have a spirit familiar attuned to him by a Spirit GotV person that may be able to do small things for the asking? It wouldn’t be so much to get the stuff done as to have a way to pass as a Shaman of sorts without using Spirit.

I’d also love to form connections and shared backgrounds with people - former or even semi-current cabal mates, frenemies, grudges, former and/or semi-current mentors/disciples are specially welcome, so feel free to contact me with ideas if you don’t have a character, and I will be contacting those of you who already do.

To sweeten the offer, I’m going to hold a first-come-first-serve giveaway of trade hooks, as follows:

1- You know a Big Secret (comes with oath of Silence attached) and you owe me a middling favor.
2- I know a Big Secret (can come with choice of silence-enforcement as agreed) and I owe you a middling favor
3- We’re trading partners. I give you something you want and you give me something I want in a regular basis.
4- One of us knows something about the other that we aren’t supposed to know (we’ll have to figure out how that happened) The other one has something of the other that they totally shouldn’t have (this one can get really awesome or really creepy quickly, so will take more work)
5- Luke, I’m your father. Squidoo is probably not old enough to have an adult children (save exceptional cases,) but blood relations aren’t out of the question either way.
6- You killed my sister, prepare to Die. -- Or any permutations thereof.

If you're specially greedy and have great ideas, I can even give you Two, or bring your own!


"The next time I kill you, I promise you the labyrinth that consists of a single straight line that is both invisible and endless" ~Jorge Luis Borges.

CurvyKitten

let me finish up my girls today so you can get a peek, maybe you'll like a link with on of them Cshades. I am always for bg links and rp goodness!

CurvyKitten


Gloria
True Name : Lily Cromwell(unknown do to amnesia), Belives her name is: Gabby Crosswell Old stage Name: Runa LaCross
Shadow Name : Gloria
Age : 27
Sex : female
Gender: female
Classification : Mage
Relationship Status : Single 

Path : Moros
Order :Free Council

Height : 5'6" tall
Weight / Body type : 147lb slight curve to her muscled body. One which she got from her boxing days, and her dancing.
Hair : black hair is now grown to her shoulders just got cut from where it was to mid back.
Skin : olive toned skin
Eyes : One bright green, one clear sky blue
Distinguishing Features : he has a tattoo on her lower back it starts with the Celtic cross and moon combo of her trade mark symbol and has ivy in tangles that wraps around her hips to the front were a on one side a gremlin sits seeming to claw into the skin. And on the other a lotus blooms and a and a sexy purple haired fairy sits. Birthmark of a small crescent moon behind her left ear...the freckles around it almost make it look like the night sky :P
Nimbus: Her hair glows ultra violent purple and grows down to just about her knees,when one looks at it they can tell it is actually fine crystal strands that flow as if they are hair.And her eyes go from one blue and one green to a matching ultra violent purple.Along her skin in selective areas, around the eyes, on her hands along her jaw and a few other joint places along her skin are different formations of colored jewels.
Standard Clothing :
She most always seen with a hat of some sort on, and usually keeps it casual with jeans and a t-shirt. She isn't much a girly girl, but on the RARE occasion she does dress up she  makes it look damn good.
Face Claim : jenna dewan

Likes : MUSIC, writing/composing , boxing, drinking, watching old movies, sex(what its a legit pass time), having a good time, kicking some ass, and a great many other things....
Dislikes : bullies, sappy romance or happy family movies, sour things, country music, light beer(seriously whats the point), ass hats(if you have to ask you probably are one), staying put to long, clingy people, whiny people,

About :
Her back ground, its long and to be fair she only remembers broken bits and pieces of it.

Lily Gibbons was born on December 21 1986 in Albany, Wisconsin. Her parents were Chris and Jill Gibbons. They were scientists that escaped from the Soviet Union years earlier when her older brother Todd was conceived. She was born just before true midnight and greeted the world with a boisterous cry, soon after she lit up the whole room, with a smile.

As they grew up, her brother always protected her. Todd always stood up against any bully or big meanie that tried to hurt his little sister. Their parents kept them both safe from what they could, along with embracing and helping to nurture and grow their talents. Both excelled in school, but Lily also embraced her creative side and began to express herself through music. Lilt took up the piano and singing with a passion, her small yet beautiful voice growing stronger everyday.

Years later, Gloria had just preformed a recital in which she sang and played a Russian lullaby on piano. And when she was done Lily found herself waiting backstage as the rest of the acts went on. She stood quietly as another girl performed as a sudden uneasiness came over her. A shadow fell across her small form; her eyes grew wide as they began to creep closer and closer. Gloria started to take shaking steps backwards to try and get away, something inside her telling her to run from the shadows.

But there was no running, before her stood the first of a long line of Seers that would fill her life now. The Seers of the Pantechnicon Skopoi faction had taken her, but she was too young to understand that, and was far too young and defenseless to fight them. They saw the small child as if she had been marked by fate, she would become a gifted Oracle their link to the Exarches, their true Manteria. She had already shown signs of the gift with her dreams, having predicted her grandmother’s death before it happened. Her visions came and went even at such a young age, but after a while Lily kept it to herself knowing it scared some of the people around her. But it was too late, the Seers had found out and they were now here to claim her and form her into a being they could control.

Lily had no idea what happened to her or why she had really been taken. Her once happy world shrank down to a small room with nothing but a bed, a small bathroom, and four gray depressing walls. Days passed and the only sign of another person came from the small sliding door that allowed the food slip into her room. She screams for help, for someone to tell her what was happening soon died down as they feel upon deaf ears.

Soon Lily stopped eating, stopped talking, and stopped trying as the lightly slowly left her young eyes. It was then they came, the Seers pulled her from the room and began the task of trying to force her visions. They used countless methods, pain, fear, shock; everything they could do to create what they thought would be the one perfect conduit.

Years passed and all she knew was pain or the numbness of nothing on the rare occasions that she was allowed to sleep. Each day Lily crept closer and closer to losing all of herself. The days ticked by as her breaking point neared. It was when they tried to use a look a like for her brother that Lily finally snapped.

She was 10 then, years had passed but it was the loss of hope that finally broke what was left of her fragile heart. Energy filled the room; and the very foundations began to crack. Their attempts had back fired in a way they had not expected, Lily awakened. She awakened as Moros...but her path was twisted and the Obermos tower revealed itself to her as well. She was indeed a moros but some how…some way she had also awakened with such a connection to the Aether (Obermos path). And it was that tower she ended up signing her name and her soul over too.

Lives where lost and the building was left as nothing but a crumbling pile of ash. Lily was left standing with her mind shattered from the effort of it all. The last remaining Seers of that group pulled back and watched as the small girl began to walk. She walked for what seemed like forever till finally coming upon a road and collapsing.

She was found by an old man that was driving into town; he brought the small girl into town and took her to the hospital. From there Lily was watched as a plan came into affect to stay close to her. The Seers (though she had no idea that they were this) sent people to her pretending to be her family. Forging paperwork was easy for a mage, and they soon took the small broken girl with them. From there they tried another method of care, nursing her and treating her as if she were really their child. Nearly a year passed before she spoke though, and even then it was nothing of note. Her fragile mind nothing but a jumbled mess even to a Master of the mind. So they did the only thing they thought would bring forth their ultimate goal. They burred the past and hid it away behind a spell that would take a large amount of scrutiny to even realize was there, much less have any idea what it was really hiding. Giving her the name Gabby Crosswell to further hide the truth from her and the world.

That spell held for years, and Lily once again turned to music for solace. Yet the strange urge to learn how to protect herself grew, so she took up learning how to defend herself. The ‘family’ showed her the world of magic and helped her pick a shadow name. Magic and fate had become a shattering addition to her life. But with the lie held firmly in place she grew to be a bold young woman. A well known underground Musian going by the name of Runa LaCross and wearing a mask as she preformed. Something she thought was to allow her to have a life, but in truth it was to hide her face for anyone that might recognize it. But it was her boxing that ended up changing her life once more.

During a fight against a mage she fell, the mage using spells to fight back because they were losing against a woman. The mind spell knocked enough of her memories free to show Gabby that her life was a lie. Furious, confused, and lost again, Gloria ran. She lived out of her car, camping when the weather allowed, and worked odd jobs when she could find them. She was a drifter never staying in one place long, and stopped performing her music do to wanting to stay low and losing the passion and drive that let the music come.

Little did she know or still doesn't know, is that the “Family’ she had were not only Seers. But were also still fallowing her trying to watch over her and see if the signs were waiting for presented themselves through her.

From here Gloria traveled around, hiding from her old life and trying to find a new one, taking on any fights against the supernatural that came her way, almost recklessly charging into battles that were heavily weighed against her. And though she has danced with death on several occasions Gloria has always seemed to come out on top. Still to this day she keeps moving, and searching for who she really is and truth behind why her world was so broken.


Reputation : Runa LaCross is still known among the underground music ground, but has not preformed in several years. Rumors of what may have happened to her circle the grapevine. Gloria the mage is known within the mage community for being one always there when the shit hits the fan. Some would confuse her with an AA if it weren't for the fact that she bucks up against orders more times then they can count. But it is always for the good of the situation. Her name has traveled through the Mage community and it isn't uncommon for someone to at least hear her name. " Wait your that Gloria...the one that...."

Sexuality : Bi
Player Sexual On's and Offs : CLICK ME
Character Ons : passion, good kissing, hair pulling, spanking, in the moment sex, exhibition, sometimes hard and fast and sometimes slow and sensual really whatever fits the moment
Character Offs : excessive pain, humiliation, branding or scarring, bathroom play, animals, kids, breath play, snuff, feet

Player : curvykitten

Magical knowledge
Space : Initiate (2)
Matter : Adept (4)
Death:Apprentice (1)
Prime : Initiate (2)

W.I.P

True Name : Alexis Magenta O'Ryley
Shadow Name :
Age : 20 about to turn 21
Sex : Female
Gender: Female
Classification : Mage
Relationship Status :Single

Path : Thyrsus
Order : Adamantine Arrows

Height : 5' 2''
Weight / Body type :
Hair : Red in long layers that have a soft wave to them and falls down just past her shoulders.
Skin : white
Eyes : Emerald green
Distinguishing Features : Her body is unmarked or changed despite the battles or training she has been through
Standard Clothing : Comfy, not showy in the least, simple and able to move in, to training gear.
Face Claim :
Darya Lebedeva
Likes : Dancing is a secret passion, training, staying active, the outdoors, animals, order, serving the AA, music, gardening, camping, working with her hands, reading, anime
Dislikes : unruly people, chaos, disrespect, cruelty to animals, irresponsible people, lazy people,

About :

Reputation : ... is know as just that, she has always been hard to read or confusing at times. But she despite those that know her know she can be counted on no matter what. Fallows orders, and trains harder then most anyone other Arrow around....sometimes even to hard. Her parents are more known then her though....


Sexuality : Pansexual
Player Sexual On's and Offs : [/b] CLICK ME
Character Ons : still learning her ons as she is a virgin, but...kissing...touching..petting...teasing...
Character Offs : vore, bathroom play, mutilation, bestiality

Player : Curvykitten

Magical knowledge
Time: Apprentice (1)
Space : Initiate (2)
Life : Adept(4)

Xurtan

Figured I would post interest, if y'all are still looking for players. *grin*

I'm not too familiar with the Awakening system really, so suggestions are more than welcome. :P It looks like we have two Oubrimos, two Moros, one Mastigos, one Acanthus, and two Thyrsus so far, yes? As well as.. *counts* Two Guardians of the Veil, three Free Council, two Adamantine Arrows, and one Mysterium. (Although there has been interest in others, I'm only counting the actual sheets so far, discounting the Hierophant)

I was thinking of running a Silver Ladder Mage. Mastigos? The whole Mind Magic aspect seems like it would fit with the Silver Ladder, and Space Magic seems handy for his particular brand of politics. Someone that runs an antique shop dealing in unusual artifacts, or maybe an occult bookshop. Maybe as a kind of 'public face' for that sort of thing, that deals with the new Mages that Awaken? On the more cunning side, he sees helping the new Mages as a good way of networking. After all, people will remember him fondly and even owe him if he helps them get settled within this new life. He's probably not all that fond of drama, or the 'typical' politics of the Consillium, but he's well known in those circles.

Does that make sense? ..I'm beginning to feel like I really need to read those books. Hrm. For that matter, how do people Awaken? Is it simply that one day something 'clicks' different in a person's head? I didn't see that listed anywhere off hand in the thread. Either way, something like this maybe? WiP as I just tossed it together:

Spoiler: Click to Show/Hide

True Name : James Evvard
Shadow Name : Curator
Age : 34
Sex : Male
Gender: Male
Classification : Mage
Relationship Status : Single

Path : Mastigos
Order : Silver Ladder

Height : 5'9"
Weight / Body type : Muscular but not overly so, he's no bodybuilder.
Hair : Black and kept short
Skin : White
Eyes : Blue
Distinguishing Features : Wears a celtic knot ring made of platinum on his left index finger. 
Standard Clothing : Rarely seen out of full three-piece suit, he prefers dark and light greys rather than blacks. Never pinstripe, or plaid.
Face Claim : David Gandy

Likes : Being in control, secrets, favors owed to him, books, artifacts, anyone that respects magic
Dislikes : Politicians, people that know more than they should, anyone that has a hold on him, perpetually loud people, anyone that dislikes books, drama

About :

Reputation :

Sexuality : Homosexual
Player Sexual On's and Offs : https://elliquiy.com/forums/index.php?topic=214271.0
Character Ons : Submissive partners, almost anything kinky, the shy and blushing type
Character Offs : People expecting too much, clingy people, relationship drama, mind games

Player : Xurtan

Time :
Fate :
Space : Adept (4)
Mind : Master (5)
Life :
Spirit :
Matter :
Death :
Forces :
Prime :


Not really sure background wise or reputation yet, just kind of tossing ideas around and trying to find something that clicks. I'm definitely not sure on how magic works, let alone in a freeform setting. ..Yup, definitely going to end up reading those books if I get into this. -_-

HopeFox

If you're still open for new players, I've been looking for a good Awakening game! I've got three ideas kicking around my head at the moment.

One is a Free Council Moros kid who is big on collecting scraps from junkyards and giving them a new chance at being useful. He's a strong believer in treating objects with respect and letting them fulfil their purposes, and then either repurposing them or giving them decent burials - don't just throw things away. I see we've already got a Free Council Moros (hi CurvyKitten!), but I think we'd have sufficiently different focuses that we wouldn't get in each other's way too much. He's following the Dreamspeaker legacy.

The second is a Guardian Obrimos who specializes in media and Internet veil-work. He makes sure videos of magic don't get onto television or YouTube. I think he's a fun concept, but I don't know how much he would have to do in a general Consilium setting.

The third is a blatant fetish bait Obrimos Arrow Hanged Man submissive, using pain and suffering as a pathway to enlightenment. He may or may not be a bit over-the-top, I don't know.

What's your feeling on Legacies, anyway? I like them a lot for their flavour, but I understand if the extra power they provide might be unbalancing in a system-light game.
If you're such an iconoclast, where were you when we trashed Constantinople?

Caehlim

Sorry I've been a bit slow to respond, in the midst of moving house and I have to attend a friend's wedding today.

Xurtan, and Hopefox, still definitely open and I'd love to have you both with us.

Good question Xurtan, I can't believe I didn't mention awakenings. Here's a quick, me rambling post, I'll write up a clearer one soon.

Awakening is a very intense and profound experience, largely it is the defining experience of a mage's life. Metaphysically, you have a leap of insight and epiphany so powerful that it propels your soul across an infinite void of dark malevolent energies and eldrich lovecraftian horrors that lies between our world and the Supernal Realms that are the source of all magic. No one truly knows exactly what triggers an awakening, and they are still somewhat mysterious. Often they are linked with occult experimentation, philosophical pondering, intense emotion or needing another way out of some situation so badly that your soul makes that leap.

When it happens, you experience one of two possible manifestations. Either you have a complete out of body experience, travelling fully to the other realm described for your path or you wander around this world doing strange things "hallucinating" deep symbolic meaning into everything and acting all crazy to simulate being in that other world. Whichever path you're on, you are drawn through that world of magic towards an ancient tower. Once you reach that tower, you prove yourself to it in some regard and it opens up for you. Walking in, you understand that you have to write your name on the wall next to the names of hundreds/thousands of others. That act creates a symbolic link between you and that world of magic, allowing you to use magic whenever you like. You return to our world, and no one (barring certain legendary figures that may or may not be true) has ever managed to find a way back to the Supernal Realms for a second visit.

Each awakening is entirely unique and individual but it has those elements in common. It also depends what your path is, as that determines which world you went through. Mastigos is a very interesting one, as it is a realm of torture, demons and horror but rather than being intended to destroy visitors the realm attempts to rebuild, inspire and heal through it's abuses. As such many Mastigos are a little strange.

An example Mastigos awakening I ran for a new player in a mage game once was. The character found themselves standing at the start of a long road, stretching through dark and scary woods to reach a distant tower. The road was built out of golden paving stones of different sizes, each one marked with a rune. Several of the stones were silver and staring at them, he realized that he could recognize those runes and the runes on the silver stones each described a form of physical or emotional pain that he had experienced in his life. It took him longer but he was able to recognize the golden stones runes as describing forms of pain that he hadn't ever experienced.

He could tread safely on the silver stones, but whenever he stepped onto a golden stone he experienced whatever form of pain was described all compressed into a single moment, which turned that stone silver again. He made his way along the road, carefully trying to decide which stones to step on in order to reach his destination, trying to choose which forms of pain to endure and strategize the best path as he went along. He even chose some out of curiosity, expecting to never have the chance to understand that was offered to him here, for example picking 'childbirth' as one of the stones. That was a large one which let him bypass a lot of smaller stones as well.

When he neared the end, a centaur-like demon with a lasso came from the tower and attempted to catch him with the lasso, clearly intending to drag him back over the road again to the beginning. He managed to avoid the demon's attempts though and reached the tower where he wrote his name on the wall and woke back up to the real world.

My home is not a place, it is people.
View my Ons and Offs page.

View my (new)Apologies and Absences thread or my Ideas thread.

Xurtan

That sounds.. really, really neat actually. Mastigos definitely fits what I had in mind, and just my personality in general. *grin* The example you gave was fascinating, and I can only imagine what other things people have done with that kind of setting. I'm certainly liking the theme of this game. But yeah, that's about what I expected as far as Awakening.. I just wasn't sure. :P Consequently I figured it would be best to ask, hah. Now if I could just come up with a background. Hrm. Something to work on tonight, I suspect. Thanks for the quick response, Caehlim.

CShades

Quote from: CurvyKitten on October 03, 2014, 11:54:05 AM
let me finish up my girls today so you can get a peek, maybe you'll like a link with on of them Cshades. I am always for bg links and rp goodness!

Always! They both look like fun to play with, even if one is  Free Council :P 

Quote from: Xurtan on October 03, 2014, 08:01:16 PM
I was thinking of running a Silver Ladder Mage. Mastigos? The whole Mind Magic aspect seems like it would fit with the Silver Ladder, and Space Magic seems handy for his particular brand of politics.

Silver ladder is fun! There wouldn't be a consillium if it weren't for them, because almost everyone else is focused on something else. Since this hierarch is an Arrow, the opportunities for SL politicking when he's removed are bound to be pretty high! Also, I love Space. It is the final Frontier, and rocks my socks. Also sounds like he could get along well with Guardians and Mysterium. Your library/bookstore/artifact shop idea I like too, if it often is more of a Mysterium front. Do you mean to have it as a Mundane thing to deal with sleepers who could have things they don't know the power of, or more of a storage/tracking for the Ladder's artifacts and  information?

Quote from: Xurtan on October 03, 2014, 08:01:16 PM
Yup, definitely going to end up reading those books if I get into this. -_-

Oh Oh, you'll only get more confused, promise. And then when you /think/ you get it, you'll get into a hardcore game and realize you never will. It's good reading, though.

Quote from: HopeFox on October 03, 2014, 09:14:10 PM
I've got three ideas kicking around my head at the moment.

I like! The whipping boys are probably up there on my top 3 legacies.  I like Guardian, because obvious, but yes, I agree that's more of a starting-level position. If you look over the years and picture him learning more arcana and about the world, where do you see him standing at?

Quote from: Caehlim on October 03, 2014, 10:59:11 PM
Sorry I've been a bit slow to respond, in the midst of moving house and I have to attend a friend's wedding today.

RL comes first!


"The next time I kill you, I promise you the labyrinth that consists of a single straight line that is both invisible and endless" ~Jorge Luis Borges.

HopeFox

Quote from: CShades on October 04, 2014, 09:46:30 AM
I like! The whipping boys are probably up there on my top 3 legacies.  I like Guardian, because obvious, but yes, I agree that's more of a starting-level position. If you look over the years and picture him learning more arcana and about the world, where do you see him standing at?

At the top of his game? Ensconced in his sanctum, surrounded by monitors, watching the world unfold through a million eyes at once, and dictating what Sleepers see and don't see. Basically, beating the Panopticon at its own game.  ;) But I think I'll start with the Moros lad, as he'll be the most outwardly social of the three. I may introduce another later.
If you're such an iconoclast, where were you when we trashed Constantinople?

HopeFox

Quote from: Caehlim on September 30, 2014, 03:56:29 AM
Yes. Much like oWoD there is a distinction between True Magic (known as Supernal Magic in Awakening) and Hedge Magic (Generally called sorcery but the name varies in Awakening). True Mages don't really show much interest in it usually and just view it as part of this reality (which they call the Fallen World) having nothing to do with the higher levels of reality. There are also psychics who are slightly different again. Neither of them really come anywhere near close to the power level of the full supernatural races (Vampire, Werewolf, Mage, Changeling) and actually have a specific rules term for them of Lesser Templates (Which also includes Ghouls, Ghosts and some similar weaker creatures).

There are also the Proximus families, who are magical bloodlines connected to the Atlantean orders (mostly the Silver Ladder). There are several families, each with its own magical specialties and a curse. A Proximus has a few individual spells that he can cast, which function almost identically to Supernal Magic, but less powerfully and without Paradox.
If you're such an iconoclast, where were you when we trashed Constantinople?

HopeFox

Here's my first character submission, Scavenger, the Free Council Moros Dreamspeaker. She was originally going to be a boy, but I just loved this picture too much.

Scavenger, WIP


True Name : Tania Steele
Shadow Name : Scavenger
Age : 19
Sex : Female
Gender: Female (may change as she explores her psyche)
Classification : Mage
Relationship Status : Single

Path : Moros (Dreamspeaker)
Order : Free Council

Height : 5'7"
Weight / Body type : 150 lbs., wiry
Hair : Brown
Skin : White
Eyes : Brown
Distinguishing Features : Some tattoos of stylized machinery, and a few scars and burns
Standard Clothing : Scavenger dresses as if she lives in a charity shop - she wears T-shirts depicting bands from the 50s and pants that are decades out of date, but all apparently in mint condition.
Face Claim : TBA

Likes : Building things, repurposing things, helping people with their mechanical problems.
Dislikes : Seeing things go to waste or be forgotten, bullies.

About : Scavenger works as a car mechanic in one of the less reputable garages in San Francisco, because it is still too difficult for her to make a living through more official channels with her magic. She is very mystical and philosophical when it comes to machines, insisting on treating them as living creatures, and demanding certain rituals from people who seek her advice.

Reputation : She is known throughout SF's street racing community as having the "magic touch" when it comes to cars, and is starting to develop a similar reputation for computers in the hacking community. Among the mages of the Consilium, she is known as a Dreamspeaker, one in close communion with the Astral Planes, which makes her useful, but also damn weird. More than one mage has heard her talking to invisible "machine gods", and seen her performing bizarre rituals in her workshop.

Sexuality : Probably straight, but Scavenger is currently a virgin, so she's not entirely sure.
Player Sexual On's and Offs : As per profile
Character Ons : Not yet explored - she likes cock, maybe?
Character Offs : Not yet explored.

Player : HopeFox

Magical knowledge An experienced character can have up to 9 levels in the different types of magic. Younger or more inexperienced characters can be made with less. Sleepwalkers do not possess any magical knowledge at all.

Time :
Fate :
Space :
Mind : Initiate
Life :
Spirit :
Matter : Adept
Death : Disciple
Forces :
Prime :


I do notice that we already have two Free Council Moros with Adept Matter, though, so if anyone feels that this character would be stepping on their toes too much, I'll happily submit one of my other concepts first.
If you're such an iconoclast, where were you when we trashed Constantinople?

Xurtan

Quote from: CShades on October 04, 2014, 09:46:30 AM
Silver ladder is fun! There wouldn't be a consillium if it weren't for them, because almost everyone else is focused on something else. Since this hierarch is an Arrow, the opportunities for SL politicking when he's removed are bound to be pretty high! Also, I love Space. It is the final Frontier, and rocks my socks. Also sounds like he could get along well with Guardians and Mysterium. Your library/bookstore/artifact shop idea I like too, if it often is more of a Mysterium front. Do you mean to have it as a Mundane thing to deal with sleepers who could have things they don't know the power of, or more of a storage/tracking for the Ladder's artifacts and  information?

Oh Oh, you'll only get more confused, promise. And then when you /think/ you get it, you'll get into a hardcore game and realize you never will. It's good reading, though.

Somehow, I'm used to becoming even more confused. :P Maybe it's a tabletop book trait they fiendishly inscribe in the bindings.. hm. I agree in that Curator will probably get along well with Mysterium and the Guardians. Mysterium, particularly. The only thing stopping him from going that route is he's too ambitious. I'm not totally sure on what direction I want to take the shop yet. But yeah, partially to deal with things the Mundanes shouldn't have. The other part of it was kind of a 'first stop' for new Mages, for information or advice, etc. I don't really know how the system works for the newbies though, so that might not fit with the lore. Going to try to get my hands on the books today. *snort*

Lockepick

Traditionally: The Mysterium and the Guardians are kind of at odds. Not all the time, of course, and the members can certainly interact and be friendly -- but when an object of questionable usage comes up, the Mysterium is like: "It belongs in a museum!" and the Guardians are like: "We need to destroy it." The Order's key philosophies are almost opposite in that way.   

Not to say a member of the other orders couldn't try to skirt the line between the two, but it might be difficult to not pick a side if the two orders come head to head.

@HopeFox: Mare has a Demanse, which I believe is required for any kind of Astral Journey -- I'd be happy to work out some past interactions for Mare and Scavenger to have giving her access in the past.
Like what you see? I am currently looking for new plots!

Detailed List of O/Os and Plot Seeds

All of my image links were previously photobucket and broken -- I'm fixing them as I use the avatars again, or for current games. Please let me know if there is something that needs updating!

HopeFox

Quote from: lockepick on October 04, 2014, 06:14:39 PM
Traditionally: The Mysterium and the Guardians are kind of at odds. Not all the time, of course, and the members can certainly interact and be friendly -- but when an object of questionable usage comes up, the Mysterium is like: "It belongs in a museum!" and the Guardians are like: "We need to destroy it." The Order's key philosophies are almost opposite in that way.   

Not to say a member of the other orders couldn't try to skirt the line between the two, but it might be difficult to not pick a side if the two orders come head to head.

Not to mention that the Guardians often come into conflict with the Silver Ladder and the Free Council on the subject of encouraging Sleepers to Awaken. The Ladder and the Council are both pretty keen on awakening as many people as possible (they just disagree on whether to use Atlantean or modern methods), whereas the Guardians are much more conservative about bringing Sleepers anywhere near magic.

Quote@HopeFox: Mare has a Demanse, which I believe is required for any kind of Astral Journey -- I'd be happy to work out some past interactions for Mare and Scavenger to have giving her access in the past.

That would be great! Now, as a Dreamspeaker, Scavenger can access the Astral Plane without a Demesne or the need for prolonged meditation (if Caehlim approves of that), but doing it from a Demesne is bound to be safer, and they could go on Astral Journeys together from time to time, which is much safer. I'd like that.
If you're such an iconoclast, where were you when we trashed Constantinople?

HopeFox

Quote from: Xurtan on October 04, 2014, 03:33:31 PM
Somehow, I'm used to becoming even more confused. :P Maybe it's a tabletop book trait they fiendishly inscribe in the bindings.. hm. I agree in that Curator will probably get along well with Mysterium and the Guardians. Mysterium, particularly. The only thing stopping him from going that route is he's too ambitious. I'm not totally sure on what direction I want to take the shop yet. But yeah, partially to deal with things the Mundanes shouldn't have. The other part of it was kind of a 'first stop' for new Mages, for information or advice, etc. I don't really know how the system works for the newbies though, so that might not fit with the lore. Going to try to get my hands on the books today. *snort*

Running a magic shop is a pretty good plan, I think:


  • It gives you a central place in the occult community, which includes Atlantean mages, hedge mages, other supernatural creatures (such as Bone Shadow and Ithaeur werewolves and Crone vampires) and mundane mortal dabblers. That gives you a lot of privileged information, and may let you ward off some kinds of trouble before they start.
  • It is entirely likely that a newly awakened mage might go to a "magic shop" to find out what the hell is going on.
  • It can help you spread your particular brand of cultural magic throughout the community, if your magic works along cultural lines as many Silver Ladder magics do.

The downside is that it makes you obvious to mortal mage hunters, Seers and Banishers. Some hunters will be dissuaded as long as you can put on a proper "oh, I know magic isn't real, I just sell trinkets to idiots" façade for them, but that won't fool other mages.
If you're such an iconoclast, where were you when we trashed Constantinople?

Xurtan

That sounds fantastic actually, HopeFox. *grin* Magic shop it is! I like the idea of having something of a central place in the community, and it fits nicely with his Silver Ladder plans. It gives him an excellent place to network from, gather information, and everything else. I'm not too sure what you mean by the cultural line magic, however. I have the core rulebook and the Silver Ladder book, so I'll go through those tonight when I get a chance. Although the fact there are an additional.. 26 books on top of that makes me pause. :P

I don't particularly mind being more obvious to the less desirables. It's an excuse for intrigue!

HopeFox

Quote from: Xurtan on October 04, 2014, 10:20:49 PM
That sounds fantastic actually, HopeFox. *grin* Magic shop it is! I like the idea of having something of a central place in the community, and it fits nicely with his Silver Ladder plans. It gives him an excellent place to network from, gather information, and everything else. I'm not too sure what you mean by the cultural line magic, however. I have the core rulebook and the Silver Ladder book, so I'll go through those tonight when I get a chance. Although the fact there are an additional.. 26 books on top of that makes me pause. :P

I don't particularly mind being more obvious to the less desirables. It's an excuse for intrigue!

By "cultural" magic, I just mean the traditional magical practices of a particular human culture, religion or mythology. It's not uncommon for mages, particularly of the Silver Ladder, to pursue paths like Jewish kabbalah, Muslim Sufism, various kinds of Christian or Hindu mysticism, or the traditional magics of many, many different cultures around the world. They often see these traditions as containing a kernel of Supernal truth, as much as is possible for Sleeper traditions to contain. Others, of course, reject all Sleeper mysticism as a product of the Lie, and insist on a purely Atlantean approach to magic and Awakening.
If you're such an iconoclast, where were you when we trashed Constantinople?

Xurtan

Ah, that makes much more sense. Thank you. That sounds very intriguing, actually. I could see where that would be fun to bring into play, and it really does fit the whole character. Also gah, the core book alone is over 400 pages. This is going to be a busy night. -_-

Caehlim

Quote from: Xurtan on October 05, 2014, 12:05:22 AM
Ah, that makes much more sense. Thank you. That sounds very intriguing, actually. I could see where that would be fun to bring into play, and it really does fit the whole character. Also gah, the core book alone is over 400 pages. This is going to be a busy night. -_-

Honestly I found the books a little hard to delve into at first. It wasn't until I'd played mage for a little while before I was able to really wrap my head around it completely.

My home is not a place, it is people.
View my Ons and Offs page.

View my (new)Apologies and Absences thread or my Ideas thread.

Xurtan

It's interesting so far, but admittedly I am also only.. 22 pages in. *snort* So we'll see. I'm just worried about messing up on the lore and what not.

EDIT: Possible final sheet:

Spoiler: Click to Show/Hide
True Name : James Evvard
Shadow Name : Curator
Age : 34
Sex : Male
Gender: Male
Classification : Mage
Relationship Status : Single

Path : Mastigos
Order : Silver Ladder

Height : 5'9"
Weight / Body type : Muscular, but he's no bodybuilder.
Hair : Black and kept short
Skin : White
Eyes : Blue
Distinguishing Features :
Standard Clothing : Rarely seen out of full three-piece suit, he prefers dark and light greys rather than blacks. Never pinstripe, or plaid.
Face Claim : David Gandy

Likes : Being in control, secrets, favors owed to him, books, artifacts, anyone that respects magic
Dislikes : Blatant Politicians, people that know more than they should, anyone that has a hold on him, perpetually loud people, anyone that dislikes books, drama

About : Growing up, Curator was a smart, if fairly manipulative child. He knew what he wanted and how to go about getting it. Of course, with both of his parents being high profile lawyers.. well, that was expected. Working long hours, his parents often left him alone.. which suited Curator just fine. He enjoyed the quiet, enjoyed books and reading. What he loved most was collecting things, whether it be books, people, trinkets or information. Especially any that seemed otherworldly, or connected to the Occult. He had many acquaintances, but few friends. He had little interest in gaining any either, either; he primarily only spoke to others when he wanted something. He learned early the power of networking. Over the years, he's cultivated a 'friendlier' mask, but he still comes off as somewhat haughty. These days, he runs a well known (in certain circles, at least) magic shop. A place to buy and sell artifacts and ingredients, to trade information, and a good place for newer mages to get their feet wet before they settle fully into the general drama and politics. Keeping anything important in the back, the 'front' of the store is a safe haven for the Mundane 'magics'.

Reputation : Well known and well trusted, no one has ever questioned that he is suited to the Silver Ladder. Constantly networking, many seek him out for information or to find specific items of worth. The more cunning are wary of his politics and the way he moves through people, always attempting to gain their favor and trust. In general, he is simply viewed as a helpful member of mage society. Perhaps as an odd 'collector'.

Sexuality : Homosexual
Player Sexual On's and Offs : https://elliquiy.com/forums/index.php?topic=214271.0
Character Ons : Submissive partners, almost anything kinky, the shy and blushing type
Character Offs : People expecting too much, clinginess, relationship drama, mind games

Player : Xurtan

Time :
Fate :
Space : Adept (4)
Mind : Master (5)
Life :
Spirit :
Matter :
Death :
Forces :
Prime :


Thoughts, concerns, questions? Want more for either his background/reputation, or? Still working my way through the books, either way. Hopefully I'll at least have more of the lingo down. Not sure what else to add at this point, but I'm certainly open to criticism.  ;D

Caehlim

I've created an approved character thread. The following characters are approved and can be placed in there.

Trevisanus - MrAlanNH
Mare - Lockepick
Teuthis - CShades
Gloria - CurvyKitten
Curator - Xurtan
Scavenger - Hopefox

These characters are looking great, but are still WIP so I'm holding off on approval until you're ready.

Logos - VonDoom
Carly - Kythia

Hope I haven't missed anyone.

There's also now an Out of Character chat thread as well.

Just finally, thankyou everyone for helping eachother out and chatting about the lore while I was busy over the last day or two. It's great to see.
My home is not a place, it is people.
View my Ons and Offs page.

View my (new)Apologies and Absences thread or my Ideas thread.