Lee Deity Posted October 30, 2008 Share Posted October 30, 2008 It's brilliant! I'm feeling right back into the game! Wonderful! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jameson (ST) Posted October 31, 2008 Author Share Posted October 31, 2008 Originally Posted By: chat(08:11:31) ChatBot: (jameson) rolls 3d10 and gets 4,6,7.Archibald senses nothing from the dagger. Though Catori registers very strongly, and Ben and Kolya register moderately though now that you open yourself to it you notice that both have crystals around their necks that are rather potent magical reservoirs.Originally Posted By: chat(08:11:45) ChatBot: (jameson) rolls 3d10 and gets 9,3,4.Marion gains 1 Success ... +1 soak against cold attacks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SalmonMax Posted October 31, 2008 Share Posted October 31, 2008 Cool. I edited my post to show her entering the house after invoking Psychic Hand for some defense. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jameson (ST) Posted November 17, 2008 Author Share Posted November 17, 2008 Joani appears to be out with an extended illness so please continue forward and I will put Catori on autopilot until he returns. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jameson (ST) Posted December 2, 2008 Author Share Posted December 2, 2008 updated, I'm going to give you guys a chance to discuss events before I close out the chapter and open the next. Hopefully I'll have heard from Ben but if not I'll have to NPCize him for the time being. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jameson (ST) Posted December 3, 2008 Author Share Posted December 3, 2008 Folks, I'm planning the next chapter ATM but as usual PC/player input is key both for the direction you all want to go and whatever you want to do in the downtime. I'll give you all about a month which will put the date into late January. Think about it, let me know what you want to have done in the downtime and where you want to go in Chapter 3. Also once you all have finished your discussion just give me a heads up and I'll kick off ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jameson (ST) Posted December 4, 2008 Author Share Posted December 4, 2008 Since we're at the end of the chapter I'm not going to require a roll Catori, if you want to use your power just go ahead and describe its use with auto success. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jameson (ST) Posted December 9, 2008 Author Share Posted December 9, 2008 ok peeps, I think we're at a good point to end scene and chapter. IT will take Ben some time to clean up the Urn properly and then transcribe and decipher the Cueniform (which is a pictogram script and thus takes a while to translate). I'm going to start the next chapter after the new year back in Boston.Please your PCs actions (research etc) during the downtime to me by 12 pm EST on 12/11 so that I can lay out the next update properly and in a timely fashion. Edit: I'll leave the current post active until then so that if people want to have closing posts they can... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jameson (ST) Posted December 9, 2008 Author Share Posted December 9, 2008 +5 Experience for Chapter 2 for each player. If you want to spend any between chapters please let me know Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Count Janos Rakozi Posted December 9, 2008 Share Posted December 9, 2008 I was thinking that Janos could spend some time with Daphne and help her learn more about melee combat, since she seems to have a mentality for it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mia Foster Posted December 10, 2008 Share Posted December 10, 2008 Mia will spend time alternating between researching the owners of the building and trying to get a lead on the metal-skeleton-man, researching the artifact, and working up the rough draft of the story so far. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
z-Daphne Walton Posted December 11, 2008 Share Posted December 11, 2008 Daphne will take care of Spot, work with Janos (and spend xp on Melee). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jameson (ST) Posted December 11, 2008 Author Share Posted December 11, 2008 Hey folks, just a couple of things ...Firstly Archibald and Catori are lagging a tidbit behind so I'm going to push back the start of Chapter 3 until I've heard from them. Secondly, apparently I've got you all wondering what to do next. Fact is there's no wrong answer to that but since it was mentioned that maybe I should explain more about the kinds of options you have open to you ...What if anything do your parent organizations know? And whom could they possibly connect you to?If something is really freaking old why not look for a similarly old book? This may require finding or gaining access to a really freaking old library ...Or maybe you can find somebody who might have a clue ... angels and daemons are really freaking old. Likewise there are organizations out there that could be very very old (the Church, the Illuminati, the masons, etc)Why not stop and do some of your own research? Reading about something in a book is one thing but spending some time and mystical (or non-mystical) effort studying the actual objects you have might be well worth the effort. Sometimes you need divine inspiration ... sometimes you make your own - It might be costly but a little dramatic editing might get you what you want ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jameson (ST) Posted December 11, 2008 Author Share Posted December 11, 2008 gah, forgot to note one last thing. While I've setup the framework of this world and have some things set in my mind much of it is rather malleable. Does the Illuminati exist? Spend an inspiration on dramatic editing and you can make sure they do. Basically you'd be safe to assume that until you learn that X, Y, or Z is bunk it may well be for real in the world of Dark Tidings. So far you know 100% that Angels, Daemons, and Ghosts are real and while I've not confirmed it Mr. Lovecraft's little club would imply that Cthulu is as well ... Anyways the goal here is to have fun, if I'm not making that happen just say so and I'll do my best to fix the problem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SalmonMax Posted December 11, 2008 Share Posted December 11, 2008 Just to respond:If something is really freaking old why not look for a similarly old book? This may require finding or gaining access to a really freaking old library ...-- I sorta figured that the Magic Library would have 'freaking old' books in it. Now that we know that's not the case, we can look for alternatives. Or maybe you can find somebody who might have a clue ... angels and daemons are really freaking old. Likewise there are organizations out there that could be very very old (the Church, the Illuminati, the masons, etc)-- All of those organizations are reclusive secret societies that none of us have ties to, except the Church, who's documentation is generally either public...in which case we'd have already looked at it...or secret, in which case they wouldn't let us look at it. Just saying, these aren't obvious solutions here. Magical methods of inquiry, such as summoning, are probably more workable given our resources. How would that work, rules-wise?Why not stop and do some of your own research? Reading about something in a book is one thing but spending some time and mystical (or non-mystical) effort studying the actual objects you have might be well worth the effort. -- I thought we did that already. There was downtime shortly after acquiring the shard where research was done. Did that not include study of the shard itself?Edit -- I think the problem is that there's a dissonance in the assumptions we're operating under here. I, for one, tend to assume that if there are significant options that my character would be aware of, that I might not, you'd tell me. You also seem to assume that we all know the exact particulars of what we're doing, when we (or I at least) assume that there's a level of abstraction taking place.That is, if I say "Marion researches the artifact," I'm assuming that means she researches it using all resources and techniques available to her in the situation...not that she ONLY checks the library for the most recent possible publications on the subject. Similarly, when there's a mystic library that mysteriously has books on subjects occult, I assume that means it's more or less the definitive source on the subject, and therefore checking -other- libraries is a moot point. And further, if there are additional possibilities of research that are obvious (to Marion) that she did not undertake for some reason, I assume that information would be available to me, along with why she didn't do it, so I can make an informed IC choice about whether or not to do it despite the reason not to.Now, I don't want you to just solve the puzzle for us, despite what you might think. And I am sure that you don't REALLY expect us to somehow read your mind to find the super-special-exact-fiddly-thing-we-have-to-do-to-get-the-clue like I, in my most uncharitable and regrettable moments, sometimes grumble to myself. I think we just both need to be CLEAR on what's going on, and on what's NOT going on. As a player, I TRUST you to tell me what my character sees, knows, and does. I DEPEND on you to do that. As a GM, you trust me to communicate my intent clearly, so you can perform that function. A breakdown in that communication would seem to be the culprit here.So tell me what you need from me to help you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rachel Fiore Posted December 12, 2008 Share Posted December 12, 2008 Catori will remain close to Ben and help him with his research. Her worry for him is not as great as her feelings for him which she can't quite understand herself. She tries to hide her true motives behind the excuse of wanting to make sure that his connection to the evil shard will not taint his spirit - she is worried about his well-being far more than she is willing to admit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jameson (ST) Posted December 15, 2008 Author Share Posted December 15, 2008 -- I sorta figured that the Magic Library would have 'freaking old' books in it. Now that we know that's not the case, we can look for alternatives. **Yeah, the library is a good starter but I don't want things to be too easy for you all, having it have every book ever or relevant information about every plot point will damage the story I think.-- All of those organizations are reclusive secret societies that none of us have ties to, except the Church, who's documentation is generally either public...in which case we'd have already looked at it...or secret, in which case they wouldn't let us look at it. Just saying, these aren't obvious solutions here. **Fair enough, just don't be afraid to think outside the box. And remember that dramatic editing can basically "backscript" for your PC, a few points spent can posit a reasonable connection to the Illuminati for instance or provide knowledge of say a secret Vatican Archive ...Magical methods of inquiry, such as summoning, are probably more workable given our resources. How would that work, rules-wise?** Summoning would work much like with the Ghost/Shade/Spirit from Chapter 1 though I might put you through some adventurous hoops to get the materials or proper incantations. -- I thought we did that already. There was downtime shortly after acquiring the shard where research was done. Did that not include study of the shard itself?Edit -- I think the problem is that there's a dissonance in the assumptions we're operating under here. I, for one, tend to assume that if there are significant options that my character would be aware of, that I might not, you'd tell me. You also seem to assume that we all know the exact particulars of what we're doing, when we (or I at least) assume that there's a level of abstraction taking place.-snip-** Yeah this has been an issue, and is something I admit I need to work on. I tend to be somewhat the literalist. To clarify, when you researched the shard you basically expended all available library resources (commonly available to your PCs) to find information about the shard/The Heart of Darkness. Mystical experimentation on the object itself was not something I lumped in there in my mind. That's probably due to the differences in the way that I've always gamed vs how others have, no big deal we can remedy and move on. One comment I can't state enough though is that I ask you folks to be specific. I know I've mentioned it before but it bears repeating. The more specific you are the less I need to interpret of your intention.*****For the record during the downtime I have the following:Janos and Daphne will trainMia is going to: spend time alternating between researching the owners of the building and trying to get a lead on the metal-skeleton-man, researching the artifact, and working up the rough draft of the story so far.Catori will remain close to Ben and help him with his research.Mia: You said "artifact" do you mean the urn or the shard? Janos and Daphne: Anything else you want to do with your time? It's a month's worth of downtime, plenty of time to follow other paths.... On a personal note my area was pretty hard hit by the ice storms in New England so I missed work Friday and have not had power at home for a few days. What does this mean? It means I'll be busy at work and unable to write at night until power is restored. The next update may be a little while in coming. In the meantime though I am still waiting to hear from the last few PCs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lee Deity Posted December 15, 2008 Share Posted December 15, 2008 I've already sent a message via PM, but for the sake of everyone else, Ben will work on translating runes, as well as using Harvard's resources to do a little extra research on the jar and the shard. As it's the new year, Ben will also have committments socially to deal with, and will also be working on making previous XP purchases manifest. He'll also, naturally, be enjoying Catori's company, maybe even showing her the sights of Massachusetts Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Count Janos Rakozi Posted December 15, 2008 Share Posted December 15, 2008 Janos will be doing two other things besides his main mission of helping Daphne. First off, he will try to become more socially active in the Boston social scene. He is a Count after all.Secondly, he will see what he can discover about the message his sister sent to him. He'll check things like stationary shops to determine what kind of paper was used and were it is available and follow down such leads. He knows he's no detective, but he is bright and perceptive and he will make an effort anyway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jameson (ST) Posted December 18, 2008 Author Share Posted December 18, 2008 Still waiting to hear from Max and Katalyst but I've posted Ben's translation and will be PMing/posting information over the next week. I may hold off on starting Chapter 3 until after the holidays, but that will depend more on my ability to get everything else out to you all and less on the actual downtime. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SalmonMax Posted December 18, 2008 Share Posted December 18, 2008 Yar, sorry, got delayed. I will post Marion's actions in detail today asap. Thanks for your patience. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jameson (ST) Posted December 18, 2008 Author Share Posted December 18, 2008 no worries Max, it's a busy time of year and I can still move forward with other stuff in the meantime.PM sent to Janos, I expect another to go out to Ben soon/today.Mia, please get back to me with the clarifications I asked for. Daphne & Catori, is there anything else you want to do? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dawn OOC Posted December 18, 2008 Share Posted December 18, 2008 I can't think of anything for Daphne. She's pretty much willing to "play" with Janos, and hang with Spot. She's easy to please. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jameson (ST) Posted December 18, 2008 Author Share Posted December 18, 2008 must be all that time with the succubi ...fair enough though, I just wanted to make sure that nobody missed out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jameson (ST) Posted December 18, 2008 Author Share Posted December 18, 2008 fixed a couple of Ben's posts, Kolya never said HOW he got the Urn, only that it was dredged from the Tigris. Beyond that he was coyly mum. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mia Foster Posted December 18, 2008 Share Posted December 18, 2008 Jameson: Both artifacts, but if she has to prioretize she'll choose the urn. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SalmonMax Posted December 22, 2008 Share Posted December 22, 2008 What Marion Does* Studies the Urn- What kind of clay was used to make it? Where did it come from?- Check archaological references and contacts to see if there's records of it being unearthed.- Compare the translated story of Atlantis with existing materials about Atlantis, both occult and mundane. See if any more details can be inferred.* Ongoing research into Heart of Darkness- Try to locate other sources of information. This includes:-- Other occult libraries and other collectors of lore.-- Entities and/or spirits who are known in occult circles to be willing to trade information for considerations that Marion would not find too extreme to be acceptable. (ie - no murderdeathkill).-- Other occult cabals similar to, but opposed to, Rasputin's kids. Reasoning that the enemy of our enemy may be willing to help.Locating information sources is time consuming, and involves checking the Library as well as with contacts both major and minor. I would expect these activities to constitute the lion's share of the downtime.* Continue to study Grimoire and hone skills.- This is more of an 'unwinding' activity at this point. Provides in-game justification for experience point expenditure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jameson (ST) Posted December 22, 2008 Author Share Posted December 22, 2008 Just an FYI Folks. I'm on vacation from the 25th through Jan 4th. I may get chances to jump online but nothing is certain. I'll do my best to return to posting norms come 2009. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jameson (ST) Posted January 5, 2009 Author Share Posted January 5, 2009 I'm back.Per the Abandonment rules (here: http://www.rpg-post.com/ubbthreads.php/topics/119743/Re_Rules.html#Post119743) Archibald is technically now an NPC. however due to the holidays I'm going to allow Katalyst until Jan 8th at noon EST to contact me. Kat, I need Arch's downtime actions and any exp spends. In the mean time I'm going to try and update soon, hopefully you'll have something today or tomorrow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SalmonMax Posted January 5, 2009 Share Posted January 5, 2009 Yeah, I dunno what happened to Kata...Do you have what you need from me? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jameson (ST) Posted January 5, 2009 Author Share Posted January 5, 2009 I believe so, yes. I think I replied to your last PM so unless you needed to reply to that I think you are set. Everybody else has likewise been PMed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rachel Fiore Posted January 5, 2009 Share Posted January 5, 2009 I saw Kata just briefly a week ago and he seemed to have returned from his vacation. I don't think he is the type to go AWOL without leaving a message. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jameson (ST) Posted January 6, 2009 Author Share Posted January 6, 2009 All pools and such are refreshed to full during the current downtime BTW. I plan to have the first post for Chap 3: Shadows of the Past up sometime tomorrow or Thursday Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jameson (ST) Posted January 7, 2009 Author Share Posted January 7, 2009 ok well Archibald will be written out. I plan to do it in a way that hopefully feels right and can leave his return open should Katalyst come back. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Katalyst Posted January 7, 2009 Share Posted January 7, 2009 I humbly apologize for my absent. I do plan on catching up with my posts, tomorrow and the next few days, of course I wrote this before reading the Ch. 3 post so I'm not sure how I could get worked back into the scene. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dawn OOC Posted January 8, 2009 Share Posted January 8, 2009 Eh, at this point, Jim could just put you back in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lee Deity Posted January 8, 2009 Share Posted January 8, 2009 So, players at this point may have noted the marvellous Zeppelin that we've ridden to Marrakesh on. This Zeppelin, bought with the Abel fortune (and whose crew are my Followers), does not currently have a name. Part of me was really, really, really tempted to name it the Indomit Abel (Always nice to have a Zeppelin in the family...), but I thought that perhaps it'd be nice to see if anyone else has any names for the Zeppelin. Anyone? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jameson (ST) Posted January 8, 2009 Author Share Posted January 8, 2009 Removed the relevant passage (below) to reintegrate Archibald into the scene. Click to reveal.. Archibald was not with them. The prospect of a ten day trip across the Atlantic in a zeppelin paled in comparison to putting some foot to pavement and tracking down leads on his parents. He's respectfully bowed out of this adventure with the hope that the knowledge he'd gained from the Heart was at least real. Real and worth the price he'd paid; a price he still knew not what it was. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jameson (ST) Posted January 8, 2009 Author Share Posted January 8, 2009 Originally Posted By: Lee DeitySo, players at this point may have noted the marvellous Zeppelin that we've ridden to Marrakesh on. This Zeppelin, bought with the Abel fortune (and whose crew are my Followers), does not currently have a name. Part of me was really, really, really tempted to name it the Indomit Abel (Always nice to have a Zeppelin in the family...), but I thought that perhaps it'd be nice to see if anyone else has any names for the Zeppelin. Anyone? I had toyed with the Adora or the Depend Abelalso Hindenburg came to mind Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jameson (ST) Posted January 8, 2009 Author Share Posted January 8, 2009 Ahh, umm, a couple of things to set up the chapter that I forgot about.The shard and the Urn are both on board the zeppelin, given the break-in in NY it seemed wise to keep them nearas I posted before you are all fully refreshed (health and relevant pools)I've PMed everybody with information prior to the holiday break, this initial part of the chapter is here to allow you all to discuss your findings with the others, don't assume they know what you know.Your reason for coming to Marrakesh is to track down a contact of Marion's who specializes in ancient textsI'll kick you all off into the city proper once it looks like you've all said your peace at Tea. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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