Welcome! Here we have the roster of some real dangers of the night streets!
Note: Please provide your apps as well (you can spoiler them above the sheet if you prefer)
In case you need it, I have a pregen character sheet that covers (most) Archetypes:
I don't want to call this a character sheet because it really isn't, its more of a template for the critical stuff. Feel free to use as is or modify. There are a couple archetypes (that aren't picked yet) that might need a bit more. Code for the table is spoilered below the visual
[left][B][tt=Intimacy Move]text here if its long[/tt][/B]: [/left][/table][table="head;width=500;css=cent"][B]Archetype Moves[/B]
[LEFT][B]{}[/B]: [/left]
(From Aware) Take two moves from non-Mortal archetypes. Whenever you use these moves, mark corruption.If You Can’t Beat Them…
(From Vamp) When you Persuade an NPC using promises or seduction, treat a 7-9 as a 10+ result. On a miss, your machinations succeed as though you rolled a 7-9, but attract the attention of a rival or enemy.Irresistible
(From Tainted) When you Mislead someone, roll with Heart instead of Mind.Don’t Look At Me
Corruption Move: When you break a promise or tell an outright lie, mark corruption.
When you share a moment of intimacy—physical or emotional—with another person, Intimacy Move: Demand a promise from them. If they refuse you or break the promise, they owe you 2 Debts.
Archetype Moves
Faerie Magic: Whenever you use a Faerie power, choose 1
Mark corruption
You owe your monarch a Debt
Suffer 1-harm
Scales of Justice: You may cash in a Debt with someone to use a power from Faerie Magic (including powers not normally available to you) on them at no cost.
Words Are Wind: When someone breaks a promise to you or lies to you and you find out, they owe you a Debt and you take +1 forward against them
Advancements
Mortality []
Night []
Power []
Wild []
In Our Blood: When you Trick someone, roll with Heart instead of Mind
Safe House: You have a secure location that you can hole up in.
Wild Fury - You summon an element of nature capable of striking your enemies (2-harm close area or 3-harm close/far).
Glamours - You create illusions to fool the senses. The effects don’t last long.
Bedlam - Touch a target to place them in a specific emotional state (your choice). Mark corruption to have that emotion directed toward a target of your choosing.
Background: Who are you? When a Fae steals a human child from our world for whatever reason, it is obligated to replace it with a simulacrum commonly known as a "Changeling". Most of these magical creations are poorly crafted and fail within a short amount of time, but some are well made and last for years pretending to be the child that they were switched for. Of those, some occasionally forget they are not human and proceed to live a human life. Earl was one of the latter group.
How long have you been in the city? His earliest memory is of sitting on the stairs at his mother's place just off of Nova street, eavesdropping. Below, his parents slung verbal barbs back and forth at each other, and to this day Earl still remembers the secrets they revealed as they each reached for more and more hurtful insults to add to the argument. As a child whose youth was shattered by an exceedingly messy divorce, he learned early on how to verbally dance circles around his family, using words to manipulate the emotions of those around him while remaining emotionally distant and aloof.
How did you learn about the supernatural? The physical and mental changes that occurred when Earl hit puberty, made the the human transition seem like a walk in the park by comparison. He was overwhelmed with animalistic urges at times and at others seeing things that simply could not exist. All of this came to a head when on his 15th birthday when he was admitted to the Greenman Psychiatric Hospital for what they thought was Hebephrenic schizophrenia. Later that night a woman with kaleidoscope eyes came to him in his secure observation room. She said her name was Nia, and she could help him if he would do her just one small favor. All he needed to do was find Greenman sometime in the next score of years, she was in no particular hurry. Not truly believing that she was real (but even if she was, how hard could it be to find someone with a hospital named after him) he readily agreed and suddenly he was stone cold sane and all of his illusions about what he was disappeared in the same moment. He also knew Nia for what she was and trembled in fear. Standing before him in all of her radiant glory was Titania, one of the queens of faerie.
Why is this city worth saving? Earl is sure that the city is home to the Green Man. However, it is also home to his adoptive parents who he loves despite all of their flaws
What do you desperately need? A score of years is 20 which means, that this is his last year. Find the Green Man, or find Madness.
Family and Friends: Darnell King: Earl’s Father, BPD Detective (retired) Eleanor King: Earl’s mother, Director of the Philander Smith Library Sandra Cho: Earl’s paralegal (formerly legal secretary) Eleni Evangelou: Earl's Fiance and Nic's sister
One Fact about the City: Blackbrooke is at a crossroads in many senses of the term. Literally, it is the intersection of two interstates (I-? and I-? depending on where Roekahs wants to place it) as well as the _____ river which serves to make it an ideal shipping hub. Mystically, several lay lines cross within the city limits (some of them powerfully) meaning that the walls between dimensions are paper thin in some places. Metaphorically, as Roekahs established with their premise we have all experienced a major powershift in recent times. "By the pricking of my thumbs, something wicked this way comes."
A Change in Power: Spring has not come. Or more aptly the Unseelie Court has not ceded power to the Seelie Court yet this year. This is suppose to happen on/cause the first day of spring. Without it occurring, the world could be faced with a new ice age.
What Mystery are you currently looking into:
RP Sample: You are at odds with your own people. How did this happen? Did a perceived ally suddenly gain power and turn on you? Did someone new step in? This does not necessarily mean that you are a werewolf that no longer has any werewolf allies, it could just be a small sect (the one that is suddenly in power) that you have issue with (or has issue with you). It could be larger, though; it could be that all the vampires in Blackbrooke have suddenly decided that feeding is a sport and you just can't accept this. Show me your character in this scene. This could have something to do with the Change In Power, or it could be completely separate.
Player Triggers: Please include (secret text to me is fine) any lines that you do not want to cross. There is no repercussion in selection. This is a dark, gritty setting with adult themes (which will be addressed at a PG-13 level, per site rules). For example, I can't stomach violence against children so that will not be explored (even off camera).
True Hunter: Mark Corruption when pursuing a human NPC at night. Your prey cannot escape you no matter where they attempt to flee; and you can prey on them or kill them at will.-
Adaptable Palate: You can feed on any creature, not just humans. Feeding on something wildly different than a human will have unexpected side effects.-
Pull Them Back In: When you cash in your last Debt on someone in your Web, mark Corruption to keep the Debt and keep them in your web.-
Blood Magic: Choose two Faerie powers. Mark Corruption to use one of these powers.-
Drama Moves
When you feed on an unwilling victim, mark CorruptionCorruption Move
When you share a moment of intimacy-physical or emotional-with another person, tell them a secret about yourself or owes them a Debt. Either way, they enter your web and owe you a Debt.Intimacy Move:
Archetype Moves
{Eternal Hunger}: You hunger for human blood. On a 10 or more, choose 3. On 7=9, choose two.
You heal 1 turn
You learn a secret about them
you take +1 forward
they don't die
On a miss, something goes horribly wrong.
Cold-Blooded When you Keep Your Cool under emotional stress, roll with Blood instead of Spirit
Put Out The Word when you cash in a Debt with someone in your Web, add this option to the list:
*Put Out the word with their Faction that you want something. You get +3 Forward to Hit The Streets with that Faction
Gear
Secluded Apartment
smartphone
comfortable car
Walther PPK (2-harm close reload small)
Debts:
I
owe Earl
2
debt(s) for
keeping me fed regularly
Nic
owes me
1
debt for
relying on me for their fix
Eva
owes me
1
debt for
bearing responsibility for me becoming a vampire
Nia
owes me
1
debt for
....
I
owe Nia
1
debt for
. . . . .
When someone comes to you to aks for a favor, look for advice/info, threaten your interests, they enter your Web and owe you a Debt. When someone is in your Web, you gain the following when dealing with them:
Get +1 Ongoing to Lend a Hand or Get in the Way of their efforts
Add this question to Figure Someone Out , "What is your character's true hunger"?
Preferred Archetype (Alternate Archetype): The Vampire (The Hunter) Name: Isa Li Race and/or Ethnicity:Korean, to be specificAsian Age (Look, actual): Looks 30: actually 230 Look (Appearance):An Asian woman in formal clothing. Demeanor: Volatile Background: Isa can remember her childhood. A fairly sheltered life, strict rulesa dn a strong emphasis on family. Taking care of the family's older members. Everyone coming together, helping each other work toward a common family goal. Outside of the family unit were friends, school friends, one or two boyfriends (but nothing super serious). What Isa most remembers about her childhood is how drawn people were to her. Whether it was her looks, her sense of fashion; she's still not quite sure, but
Family and Friends: Though much of her family has died, Isa has developed a circle of friends, some of whom are almost just like family. First, there's Anna a ghoul who acts as Isa's de-facto store manager when she is not there. In exchange for running the store (with limitations, of course), Anna is given an easel and canvas to paint as she wishes. Isa also maintains a collection of art supplies; which she cleans routinely. Some of Anna's work has been judged good enough to make it into the Museum of Modern Art. Second, there's Maggie a Curator at the museum, who oversees the sculpture exhibits. Privately, Isa believes Maggie is just a way for "The Collector" to keep an eye on her and other vampire within Blackbrooke. She's not sure how many Curators there are or what else Maggie does, but Isa is greatful for the friendship; even if it means hiding some of her frustrations.
Facts about the City:
* Among the vampires of Blackbrooke; "The Collector" is a feared and respected figure. The exact nature of what he collects (besides art, which is really just a front for his actual collection) is known to only a lucky few vampires.
* Li's Antiques (owned by Isa herself) is seemingly just an antique store, full of old nicknacks and what most mortals describe as "junk". However, she does keep a few valuable things within. Ghouls who haunt the storefront during the day move things around and tidy up the place when she's not there doing it herself.
* The Vampires of Blackbrooke consider themselves refined or sophisticated. Prey is not fed on openly, at least in most areas (The Slums are a notable exception).
A Change in Power: The Night faction has a problem. On the outside, appearances are kept up, things look okay. Not good, certainly not great, but okay. For two years, they have been passive observers to the pile of dead bodies stacking up higher and higher each day. Some believe they will eventually come under suspicion from somewhere (maybe a mortal who gets too curious? a rogue demon who takes out the wrong target?) and thus, they strike pre-emptively strike first. But, where is the softest target? Do they imprison a high ranking fey (if they can even figure out the ranking system, that is) and make him (or her) tell them the grand wizard's name? Basically, Night is experiencing an identity crisis, of sorts. For all the fear and control he seemingly has "The Collector" has not offered guidance to the vampires of Balckbrooke, leaving to create plans of their own....for better or worse.
What Mystery are you currently looking into: Isa has a love-hate relationship with antiques. Yes, she sells them, But, she believes that her shop holds nothing she personally considers valuable. However, she has heard that The Museum holds many wondrous things. The volatile nature of her personality (and 'The Collector"'s inaction regarding the grand wizard) has given her motivation to both discver the true nature of his collection and while doing so; steal somehting valuable from him and keep it for herself. Isa is sure she can get inside, but what to steal and how to get away with it are her two main problems.
RP Sample:
Isa took one last look around the small store before retiring to her office. Everything seemed to be in order. Displays were clean and tidy, price tags clearly visable on those items for sale. The modern electric lights had been dimmed just a little. She wasn't expecting too many visitors tonight,which was just fine. The books had to be kept up and that meant long boring hours of entering data into the office computer. A necessary evil., but not something she relished doing, I should find a willing human to do this; at least I'll have an easy snack out of it she thought as she began to type away. But, before she had gotten too number into the accounting, her tea kettle whistled in the small room that served as a kitchen.
Isa paused her typing and simply waited for a moment or two; as the tea cup, resting on a saucer made its way slowly towards her. Holding it in front of her, the shimmering form of Anna asked, "Long night ahead Ms. Li? I see you have chosen blackberry tonight. Is everything alright?" Isa nodded and offered a small smile towards her most trusted ghoul. She replied with a small sigh, "Yes, Anna thank you. Things are okay, just the usual gripes and groans. Nothing new". She paused and then added after a few seconds, "[B]You are dismissed for today. Do as you wish. If I need a refill, I will get it myself[B]". Isa suspected Anna would return to her painting and there would be a dirty brush in the sink for her to wash later. She wondered just what it was the ghoul was working on.
Isa returned to her typing, but was soon interrupted by a cold feeling all around her. Anna was nearby and moving quickly, it seemed. Isa rose form her chair and walked out towards the front of the store to greet her friend and fellow Vampire Maggie (dressed just as sharply as she was) with a warm smile, "Welcome, and good evening Maggie, I trust you are well?" Maggie nodded, but her facial expression suggested that this was part social call, but part official business. She held out an envelope, and said, "Thank you, as always. He requests that all read this." Isa took the envelope, opened it, and read carefully. Old fashioned though it was, this method of handing out orders ensured that all coven members (or Museum members, as they sometimes called) got them. Isa put the note on a side table and shook her head. Nothing had really changed, at least in her opinion.
The gist of the note was wait. Do not interfere. Further guidance will come in due course, Lord of The Night, The Collector. Looking at Maggie, who silently nodded understandingly, Isa could not hide her displeased expression.
After setting the note aside, Isa asked, "Why you? and how much longer do we wait? Until they start piling the bodies on the front steps?" Isa was used to her more direct Lieutenant, a Vampire named Clyde ( who oversaw the art section) delivering these notes. Maggie answered simply, "The word is ...soon. That's all I know. As for why me, I owed someone a favor, your place just happened to be close by. So, why not? Besides . . ." she paused to gesture around the store, "All of this isn't going anywhere. For now? I hunger. Let us hunt".
With that, Isa followed Magie out the door, locking it behind her and once more; leaving her ghouls to mind the place while she fed.
Player Triggers: Violence against children is very detestable indeed.
Isa Li, The Vamp
Hold
0
Ongoing
0
Stats
Blood
Heart
Mind
Spirit
1
1
1
-1
Factions
Mortality
Night
Power
Wild
1
2
-1
0
Corruption
[ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ]
Corruption Moves
Mark Corruption when pursuing a human NPC at night. Your prey cannot escape you no matter where they attempt to flee; and you can prety on them or kill them at will.True Hunter-
You can feed on any creature, not just humans. Feeding on something wildly different than a human will have unexpected side effects.Adaptable Palate-
When you cash in your last Debt on someone in your Web, mark Corruption to keep the Debt and keep them in your web.Pull Them Back In-
Choose two Faerie powers. Mark Corruption to use one of these powers.Blood Magic-
When you share a moment of intimacy-physical or emotional-with another person, tell them a secret about yourself or ower them a Debt. Either way, they enter your web and owe you a Debt.Intimacy Move:
Archetype Moves
The Vamp's Web: When someone comes to you to aks for a favor, look for advice/info, threaten your interests, they enter your Web and owe you a Debt. When someone is in your Web, you gain the following when dealing with them:
*Get +1 Ongoing to Lend a Hand or Get in the Way of their efforts
*Add this question to [B]Figure Someone Out[/B , "What is your character's true hunger"?]
{End Move}: When you die or retire your character, choose someone in the scene that you want dead. Your agents and/or allies relentllessly puruse them.
Gear
Secluded Apartment
smartphone
comfortable car
Walther PPK (2-harm close reload small)
Debts:
Isa
owes Earl
2
debts for
keeping me fed regularly
Nicowes me
1
debt for
relying on me for their fix
Harmowes me
1
debt for
bearing responsibility for me becoming a vampire
Nia owes me
1
debt for
Unknown...
Isa owes Nia
1
debt for
Unknown
Isaowes Eva
1
debt for aiding and abetting an escapee
{colsp=3}
Other:
Last edited by Howling Winds of; Aug 28th, 2021 at 07:47 PM.
Former Queenpin
Negotiator with the Night
Felon with Ambition
"Things may have changed while I was in prison, but you better believe I haven't. Don't think I've forgotten old commitments the way you've forgotten loyalty?"
Evalis favors her father in complexion and her mother in stature, leaving her both shorter and paler than many from her Cuban birthplace. Her shoulders are broad, giving her a stocky build that prison life did plenty to harden. Streaks of gray are prominent in her otherwise dark hair and her face is lined at the corners of her eyes and lips, attesting to the five decades she's put behind her.
Professional
Evalis was 10 when her family left Cuba and she has always been bitter about it. Her father, a respected neurosurgeon, was selected for placement in a program at Blackbrooke Memorial and that move allowed the family a more prestigious and stable life but she only thought about the friends she lost. It was hard for a young immigrant kid to make friends among the well-to-do types her father associated with in their new home and she quickly found herself associating with those who would accept her, regardless of their social standing. This brought into the company of drug dealers and gang members from her early teens and soured her relationship with her parents. By sixteen she was running with the Claves, a gang populated predominantly by latin american immigrants. In a couple years she was high up in the crew, privy to secrets the street runners and enforcers weren't.
The Claves, or Code, were longstanding associates of those members of the Night who dwelled in society's underbelly. Criminal vampires, werewolf contract killers, spirits with a grudge. Given the outlook of the city's vampires, those who don't meet the 'refined' criteria often turn to less savory means to provide for themselves. This created a sizable 'Night underclass' that functioned much like it's mortal counterpart. Evalis' forceful personality made her an ideal candidate to serve in an ambassadorial capacity, mediating disputes and brokering deals between the human gangs and the inhuman ones. Keeping the bulk of Blackbrooke's criminal types ignorant of the creatures that moved among them was part of the deal and she did whatever was necessary to keep the peace. If a mortal stole from a creature of the Night, she was there to set things right. Ignorance was no excuse, and among her own kind she became known as a sort of boogeyman. The one who would come for you, gang at her back, if you stepped out of line. Spread the word about something 'unusual' that you saw one night? She'd be at your door the next morning. Harker, a werewolf who served the Night in the same capacity that she served her own, became a respected confidant who assisted her in keeping the peace.
Evalis was running the Claves by her early twenties, using the gang's drug manufacturing and protection rackets to cover their other activities. While other gangs made a spectacle of themselves, the Claves took a page from the book of Night and kept their moves subtle. Careful manipulation allowed her to install her own loyal people into other local gangs and she was able to use them as the hammer when something needed to be done loud. Sacrifice for the good of the many was a cornerstone to her philosophy, and in the end it was her undoing. She got comfortable after decades of flawless manipulation, not realizing that one of her closest enforcers was nursing a grudge from years past. A cousin sent to prison as cover for another's mistake. Death by shiv. Tulio wasn't the typical banger, he shared Evalis' view of the long game. He took his time seeding thoughts in the minds of others until he'd gained the support of enough of the gang to make his play.
The cops were at her door before she even knew something was wrong. Evidence of a robbery, planted in her home, was enough to convict her. Greystone Correctional, a federal lockup north of the city, became her home for nearly a decade. 10 years of watching her back, breaking the arms that swung makeshift knives at her back. 10 years of plotting her revenge. But 10 years is a long time and when she finally walked out she found the fire of vengeance a low simmer in the face of freedom. Tulio had turned the Claves into something else, a group at direct odds with the Night. They'd gone to war while she was up state and had come out stronger for it. The criminal network of the city's monsters went further underground until even those in the know couldn't be sure they existed.
As she settled into her new life she was expecting a visit from Tulio's henchmen but she got one from Harker instead. Things were unmoored among the monsters and they needed, now more than ever, someone to bring the Claves under heel. Evalis didn't have the fire she once did but a call for help from an old friend is not something one can dismiss. Tulio needed to be shown the error of his ways, and maybe she could be the one to do that with the Night at her back. But that means taking back the reins of Humanity and she has to wonder if she's fit for the task.
Tulio Chavez: Tulio runs the Claves now. He's a wrecking ball of a man, both physically and in personality. Able to take the long view and a capable planner, he tends to favor options that carry a heavy body count. With the resources Evalis gathered for the gang now at his disposal, he has been able to buy off the right people and keep his illegal activities from garnering federal attention. One of the few Claves who is aware of the presence of monsters in the city, he has a serious hate on for all things that go bump in the night. Despite their current animosity, Tulio and Evalis were once the closest confidants and they still harbor grudging respect for one aother.
Harker: A werewolf of signifcant renown among the Night, Harker is one part diplomat, one part sheriff and one part secret agent. He keeps things in check among the monsters and has, until recently, been quite capable at it. The recent shift in the city's dynamic has hit him pretty hard, having lost his mate in the ensuing chaos, and he's reaching out for help wherever it can be found.
Pauline Wessler: If Evalis could be said to have friends, Pauline would be the closest. One of the few members of the social upper crust that she could stand, Pauline lived in the same neighborhood as Evalis when they were growing up. She never judged Evalis for her choices and was always there for a drink and a chat. As one of Blackbrooke's foremost defense attorneys, it was her work that ensured Evalis' sentence was reduced to nine years from twenty. She's been leaving frequent messages for Evalis since her release but Evalis has yet to gather the courage to reconnect.
The Heart of the City
Moonlight is a dance club in downtown that's been a popular spot for over thirty years. Popular among mortals, and moreso among others. It's serves as meeting place and social club for monster and mortal alike, with no breech of conduct tolerated. The
result of Harker and Evalis' efforts to establish a safe neutral ground, Moonlight is owned and maintained by Jurgen Vost, a powerful warlock with no conflicting interests to taint the operations.
Gunner's Row consists of two blocks of the grungiest slum in the city and is an established area for the manufacture and sale of firearms among the city's criminal society. While bribes keep many criminal crews safe from the law, Gunner uses threats of violence, and actual violence, to keep the cops at bay. Threaten someone's family and you get their attention is something of a motto for him. A man of imposing stature and eastern European stock, he takes no sides and sells to anyone who will pay his exorbitant fees.
What's Changed?
Three weeks ago, Evan Woodrow walked into a corner grocer and...exploded. The news painted it as a gas line rupture but many in the know disagree as Evan was a known trafficker in the infernal and an agent of the demon Penemue. Last week, Sandra Ingersol, an agent of the demon Malvoril, melted into a cloud of flies that infected an office building with black plague. Someone really tied themselves in knots with that cover up. Neither demon has been able to be reached for comment but most of the city's Tainted have gone underground. Whispers speak of a new presence in the city, something infernal and powerful beyond reckoning. Whether they're taking flight or girding for war, everyone with a hint of the demonic in them is on edge.
Scooby Doo-ing
Evalis and her family are not close. In fact, she hadn't spoken to her father in almost 15 years before she went to prison. Imagine, then, her surprise when he showed up at her release. It took some time sitting over coffee at his favorite bodega for the truth to come out. While he'd retired from medicine years ago after her mom died he was still in close contact with people at Blackbrooke Memorial and something has been going very wrong there. Patients once thought terminal were experiencing miraculous remissions. Others who were receiving care for minor ailments wind up dead from undiagnosed organ failures. The board is working double time to try and keep the trouble under wraps but the staff are beginning to dread their jobs. Whispers of hauntings and curses float free among the more superstitious types.
Evalis wasn't even aware that her father knew about the things she'd done related to the supernatural but someone talked and now he's asking for her help. She wants very much to keep hating the man who kicked her out and cut her off but in that moment he looked so frail and broken. She agreed to look into it, to ask around a bit. No promises. But something is definitely wrong there and she spent too long cleaning up the messes made by monsters and men to ignore it.
Too Old For This...
Harker looks twenty years older. It's all she can think about as she touches the bottle to her lips and swallows gulp after gulp of cheap domestic. Losing Joseph must have hit him hard. Or was it the chaos of the whole thing? Even in lock up, someone in the know can get information about the goings-on outside. She'd heard the whispers about mysterious deaths and the paranoia that followed. Now she is getting it straight from the wolf's mouth and it didn't paint a pretty picture.
"So your people are willing to go up against the fangs over this? Without even knowing who is to blame?" It isn't meant to be accusatory. Criminals aren't the most level-headed sorts in the best of times. Hell, she'd had to stamp out fires among the Claves plenty of times when someone crossed a line. But this...nobody even seemed to know who was killing who.
"It's bad, Eva. Even the spirit folk are retreating to the under tunnels. People are panicking. We need help from your side now more than ever." Harker scratches at the back of his neck and nurses the scotch and soda on the table in front of him. When did he get so tired? So gray? Catching sight of her own face in the mirror behind the bar answers that. She was plenty tired and gray herself now.
"I dunno. Most of the 'in the know' folks I knew were through the Claves. I'm not exactly anyone's favorite on our side of things these days." But she knows, even as she says it, that she is still going to try. There had to be some favors she could still call in. Some people who might have answers on what was going on. She could even crawl back to Tulio if she had to. He'd love that. "Okay. I'll see what I can do."
One Hold to Lend a Hand to Isa from any distance.
Evalis Jimenez, The Veteran
Hold
2 (Best Laid Plans)
Ongoing
0
Stats
Blood
Heart
Mind
Spirit
-1
1
2
0
Factions
Mortality
Night
Power
Wild
1
1
0
0
Corruption
[X] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ]
Corruption Moves
Mark corruption to arrive in a scene. Mark an additional corruption to bring someone with you.Catch You F-ers at a Bad Time?
Corruption Move: When you knowingly head straight into danger, mark corruption
Intimacy Move: Share a moment of intimacy, physical or emotional, with another person and tell them a story about the past and the lessons you learned. Choose 1: » You both take +1 forward » You take +1 forward and they take -1 forward » Hold 1. Spend the hold to Lend a Hand to that character from any distance
Archetype Moves
Old Friends, Old Favors: When you first encounter an NPC, you may declare them an old friend instead of Putting a Face to a Name and roll with Mind. On a hit, they offer you comfort and aid, even if it exposes them to danger or retribution. On a 7-9, tell the MC why you owe them a Debt. On a miss, tell the MC why they want you dead.
Too Old For This $hi+!: When you get caught up in a fight you tried to prevent, you get armor+1 and take +1 ongoing to seeing yourself and others to safety.
The Best Laid Plans: When you work out a plan with someone, roll with Mind. On a 10+, hold 3. On a 7-9, hold 2. You can spend your hold 1-for1, regardless of distance, while the plan is being carried out to: » Add +1 to someone’s roll (choose after rolling) » Dismiss all harm someone suffers from a single attack » Ensure your people have the exact gear they need on hand.
Gun to a Knife Fight: When you Unleash on someone by seriously escalating the conflict, roll with Mind instead of Blood.
Advancements
Mortality [X]
Night [ ]
Power [X]
Wild [ ]
Gain a new Veteran Move
Gear
Riverside Warehouse
Moto G7 Smartphone
Cherry Red '67 Mustang
Workshop (see Other)
Magnum Revolver (3 harm, close, loud, reload)
Debts:
Don Tuto
owes me
2
debts for
training and information.
Isa Li
owes me
2
debts for
working on Reaper and aiding Nic's escape.
Harm
owes me
1
debt for
looking out for his living relatives.
Jessie
owes me
1
debt for
a debt trade with Harm.
I
owe Earl King
2
debts for
always pulling my fat out of the fryer.
I
owe Anais
1
debt for
watching over the warehouse while I was in jail.
Other:Drug Lab from the Old Days (Science Lab, Medical Station, Regulated Growing Environment)
__________________
Playing - High Risk, Heist Reward | The Grand Tour
Last edited by PopCultureBard; Dec 21st, 2021 at 06:08 PM.
Corruption Move:When you give someone a false prophecy, mark corruption.
When you share a moment of intimacy—physical or emotional—with another person, you gain a specific and clear vision about that person’s future.Intimacy Move: You can ask up to 3 questions about the vision; mark corruption for each.
Archetype Moves
Foretellings: At the beginning of the session, roll with Spirit. On a 10+, hold 2. On a 7-9, hold 1. During the session, you can spend your hold to declare that something terrible is about to happen. You (and your allies) take +1 ongoing to avoid the impending disaster. On a miss, you foresee the death of someone important to you and take -1 to all rolls to prevent it.
Psychometry: Whenever you study and examine an interesting object, roll with Spirit. On a 10+, ask 3. On a 7-9, ask 1:
• What is the history of this object?
• What bans, wards, or limits are attached to this object?
• Where does this object belong?
• What secrets or mysteries has this object been privy to?
• What strong emotions have most recently been near this object?
On a miss, the emotion of the object overwhelms you and you take -1 ongoing for the scene.
Skim the Surface: When you touch someone, you can read their surface thoughts. Roll with Spirit. On a 10+, ask 3. On a 7–9, ask 1:
• What is your character thinking about right now?
• Who are you protecting?
• Why are you keeping secrets?
• What is your character’s hidden pain?
On a miss, you inflict 1-harm (ap) on them and yourself.
Advancements
Mortality [ ]
Night [ ]
Power [ ]
Wild [X]
...
Gear
simple apartment
cell phone
crappy car
„Apollo“ research
No Weapon
Debts:
Nic
owes
Harm
2 debts for
assisting him with the visions
Harm
owes
Nic
1 debt for
haunting him
Don Tuto
owes
Nic
1 debt for
realizing his potential through visions
Nic
owes
Earl
1 debt for
keeping his sanity safe/hidden from Victoria
Nic
owes
Earl
1 debt for
not knowing to avoid a dire prophecy about him
Nic
owes
Isa
1 debt for
providing him with drugs
Other:
Preferred Archetype: Oracle
Name: Nicephoros („Nic“) Evangelou
Race and/or Ethnicity: First generation American of Greek descent.
Age (Look, actual): Late twenties (both look and actual age).
Look (Appearance): Male, white (mediterranean), dirty clothes.
Nic is a moderately tall and lean man in his late twenties. He wears his dark brown, almost black, hair very short and usually has a three (or five) day beard, though this is more out of lack of interest in shaving regularly than a desire to be fashionable. His eyes are of a deep brown color though what is truly remarkable about them is Nic’s haunted look. He usually prefers casual clothes (that he wears for several days on end) like jeans and T-shirts, a denim or leather jacket and sneakers or ankle boots and is always seen wearing gloves of some kind.
Demeanor: distant/reserved (sometimes paranoid)
Background: Nic is member of an ancient bloodline reaching back to Pythia Aristonike, oracle of Delphi during the hellenistic era, and Echecrates the Thessalian, her rapist. The god Apollo cursed the offspring of the priestess and the man who dared defying him with Pythia‘s prophetic visions, though the bearer of the curse has no control over this power that slowly drives her or him mad. Every time the one bearing the curse dies, it passes randomly to another member of the bloodline. Nic manifested his powers at the tender age of eight, the very same day that his great uncle Antonis committed suicide by jumping off a cliff on the Greek island of Chios. The manifestation of this supernatural power meant that the child started seeing the city he was born in with new eyes and coming to realize that things were much different than most „normal“ citizens of Blackbrooke thought. Apart from being born in Blackbrooke and living his entire life there, the city is for Nic both a prison and his possible salvation. For some reason it attracts all manner of supernatural beings and the young man has reason to believe that even the one who cursed his bloodline (Apollo?) can be found in it.
Family and Friends: Nic’s parents are proprietors of a greek restaurant called „To nesi“ (the island). They are convinced that their son’s irrational behavior is due to a mental illness just like the one his great uncle suffered from. Being deeply conservative and considering such an illness taboo they continuously make up excuses so that the neighbors and the family friends will not realize the „truth“ about Nic’s condition. This hypocritical behavior irritates Nic who tries to stay away from them as much as possible.
The only relative that the young man actually trusts, even though she too thinks him mentally ill, is his sister Eleni (Helen). She is always there to help and advise him in his hour of need and is discreet or perceptive enough not to „force“ him to change his life „for the better“. Though Eleni is unaware of the real world behind the city’s lights and glamour, her fiancé (Earl the Fey) is not. In fact Nic has had a dreadful vision about him and would like to aid him to avoid this terrible fate to spare his sister the pain of losing him.
The one person that plays the most central role in his life is another, a psychiatrist called Victoria Wilson. One of the physicians at the psychiatric clinic where Nic was committed several years ago recommended Victoria so that the troubled man would have an experienced professional to make sure that he made progress even after being discharged. What the young man hadn’t known at the time however was that Victoria was a powerful sorceress, who made use of his special skills for clients of her own. Since she is the only one who can provide him with the medication Nic requires to sleep at night without the terrible nightmares that plague him (visions initially had by the oracles that came before him), he has no choice but to play along. The relationship between the two is extremely complicated and encompasses the bond between patient and physician, prisoner and warden and student and mentor to name but a few. She is also his main source of information about the immortal being that called itself „Apollo“ in antiquity.
Facts about the City:
1. The „Saint Anthony Clinic for mental health“ is a hospital specialized in the treatment of mental illnesses. It is located on the south bank of the river’s right branch, south of Canal drive.
2. The „Blackbrooke Museum of Modern Art“, one of the most famous in the world, is a magnificent building made of mirrors and glass, located on the river’s sole island (unimagibatively called „museum isle“). The museum is run by a powerful vampire lord called „the collector“. It is believed that he collects more than just works of art.
3. Blackbrooke’s „restaurant mile“, offering a variety of cuisines from over 70 different lands, is located on the eastern side of „Green Street“, running parallel to Canal Drive between Main Street and Parkside Avenue, next to the river.
4. The „slums“ of the city are located to the south of Grace Lane, which also happens to be the original site of „Blackbrooke“, taking its name from the „Black“ (because of coal dust) brook that flows into the greater river.
A Change in Power: For as long as anyone can remember Blackbrooke was controlled by the „Power“ faction and more specifically by a powerful and seemingly immortal wizard (or group of wizards?) with the ability to control the minds of others. Neither his (or her?) name nor his true face are known for he makes his desires (and orders) known through proxies chosen seemingly randomly. It has been about two years that the „Puppeteer’s“ (not an official name) proxies end up dead almost daily. It is believed that a group of demons („Wild“ faction) is able to detect these proxies and possess normal people in an attempt to exterminate them and learn the wizard’s true identity.
What Mystery are you currently looking into: Nic is obsessed with finding a way to end his bloodline’s curse. He believes that the so-called god Apollo is nothing other than a Demon Lord or powerful Fae. Having heard that the original „Omphalos“ of the oracle of Delphi (a large sculpted stone believed to mark the „center“ of the earth) is currently at the museum of modern art as part of the periodical exhibition „1000 faces of God“, he intends to use his powers to learn the false god’s identity and ask (or force) him to lift the curse. The real problem is how to obtain said stone.
RP Sample:
Nicephoros entered the doctor‘s office carefully, shyly even. He looked back at the secretary closing the door behind him and felt somehow trapped, had a sudden urge to escape the room and the one inside it. He briefly closed his eyes, controlled his breathing and tried to calm his racing heart.
Come on, don‘t be like that! This isn‘t the first time you come to her and it won‘t be the last. You need her. Calm down. That‘s it. Now open your eyes and don‘t behave like a total psycho.
Opening his eyes once more and wiping the sweat from his brow with the sleeve of his jacket, Nic took an uncertain step towards the doctor and the stopped. She was sitting behind her desk, waiting for him. Like a cat waiting for a mouse to approach…
Saying nothing, the psychiatrist beckoned the young man to come closer and sit at one of the two chairs facing her. Nic obeyed her unspoken command, careful not to touch anything in the doctor‘s office, his hands inside the pockets of his jacket. Hesitating for a few seconds he sat at the edge of the chair as if he expected to stand up and run at a moment’s notice. "Victoria…", he said in a low, slightly trembling voice.
"Why do you come to see me, Nic? Have I summoned you?" The woman‘s voice was clear and devoid of emotion as if reading loudly an instructions manual to someone who had never in used a smart phone or a computer before. Seeing Nic‘s blank stare, she added slowly as if talking to a dim-witted child. "What do you need? Do you come as a patient?"
"I need your help, Victoria. I am having…" Finally realizing what the woman had meant with her cryptic questions, the young man stuttered. "Oh! I… I see. Dr. Wilson, I require your expertise in… in the treatment of my… condition. The medication is no longer effective. I am having terrible nightmares… visions. I feel… I feel I am losing my mind."If I haven‘t already lost it.
Victoria smiled sweetly and nodded with understanding. "I see. Have you been taking the clonazepam regularly, just like you were supposed to?"
"Yes, yes!" The desperation was obvious in Nic’s voice. "I have even tried doubling the dosage but… but it no longer has any effect. It‘s been over two months since I have slept properly. The visions, they are…" His voice simply faded, unsure how exactly to describe the visions.
The smile never left the psychiatrist‘s lips, in fact it seemed to grow and become more feral. "Why do you think that is?"
"I don‘t know. How should I know? It‘s not that I can control the visions. You know it‘s a curse!" Nic wanted to stand up from the chair but something in Victoria‘s look told him not to. Her gaze was both mesmerizing and dangerous, like that of a royal cobra.
"Calm down, Nic. You are among friends here. Think."
What does she expect from me? What does she want me to say?"The visions… they have become much more… intense. Every time I touch an object or a person I feel… it‘s like an electric jolt. I see things. Things about other people. Sometimes it’s only an emotion like fear or sadness, other times it’s a smell, or a voice speaking or screaming or a scene playing out before my eyes. It‘s never the same." Taking a moment to lick his suddenly parched lips, Nic continued. "I also sense a… change. Something is not as it was. A presence? I‘m not sure..."
Victoria‘s smile vanished within a moment and the woman stood up, her arms firmly placed upon the desk, supporting her form leaning forward, he gaze focused on Nicephoros.
"You are right. There is a change, a shift in power. And we must know more about it or we might not survive it. Do you understand?"
Nic nodded once but said nothing. He feared he knew what that meant. What she would ask of him. And he was terrified of it.
"Your power, your „curse“ as you call it, is a very useful tool, Nic. You get to see things only those in the upper echelons of power actually know. It is not a power to be squandered or be suppressed, not at a time like this. You must pay attention, Nic, and keep me informed."
"Does that mean…?" Nic felt lightheaded and dizzy as if he was about to lose consciousness.
"No more medication." The woman’s words were final, unable to misinterpret, impossible to ignore. "You allow the power to take over and lead you where it will." The psychiatrist‘s gaze became suddenly more understanding, more compassionate, her voice softer. "Don‘t worry, Nic. It‘s only for a little while. Until things go back to normal. I am here for you, I will not let any harm come to you. Do this for me and I will do something for you in return. It might be possible to finally lift this curse of yours. There might be a way..."
The unexpected hope made Nicephoros look straight at Victoria’s eyes. Does she mean it? Does she know who „Apollo“ is? Can I really trust her?"Dr. Wilson, I…"
"Nic, please." interrupted the woman sweetly. "Call me Victoria. We are after all friends."
Player Triggers: Agreed, Roekahs, violence against children is a taboo for me as well.
Preferred Archetype (Alternate Archetype): The Spectre (The Wolf) Name: Harm Race and/or Ethnicity:Ambiguous
(Vietnamese, Senegalese, and Breton) Age (Look, actual): Lost count (Looks early 30s) Look (Appearance): Dark eyes, freckles, and messy waves: Harm's hair hangs down to the middle of their back, accenting a slim waste below wide shoulders. At times, Harm tugs it back--half up, half down--and paints their lips with deep red rouge; at other times, their hair hangs loose and wild, Harm's face bare but for the hint of a mustache. Demeanor: Volatile
Background: Although Harm had little invested in questions of gender and sexuality while they were living, death has made such things as "spectrums" seem needlessly complicated; Harm is as fluid in both as he is in form. Murdered, they're sure--there are sometimes bloodstains that manifest on their clothing, often dribbling down their back and hidden by their hair--Harm has little desire for revenge. They are attached to living, is the thing, even if it's simply an echo of what life once was--and they are attached to their sister's family; they couldn't protect her in life, so they will protect all her descendants in death.
Family and Friends: Harm has lived through the lives of many others, but they seem far too attached to a pack of Wolves who've made the Canal and its sewers their home for generations. Among the pack, two are most important: Val, who prowls the city's bridges and underpasses on a constant search for revenge (whom Harm also uses to keep tabs on their extended and well-removed family, all descendants of their sister and her awful husband), and Ric, who is the youngest and smallest of the pack and often accompanies Harm on their evening "strolls" through the city's dead.
Harm's sister's great, great--well, a descendant of their sister's first son, a mere mortal with weak awareness to the supernatural, is probably the closest thing that Harm has to a friend. Tre is charismatic and charming, able to draw laughter from the Spectre when the world threatens to drag them back to the darkness.
One Fact about the City: Beneath the city's streets, the labyrinthine sewer system collects society's off-casts, both in body and in spirit. Tucked among the fetid wastes and crumbling foundations of each generation that came before, the city's true soul is sinking in the run-off. This is what gives the river Black its name, shortened from Blackbone: years upon years of blood and guts spilled into water too thick to swallow. The sewer system is vast, its map always changing, but those who make it home call it The Swell. Whether the name was descriptive or ironic--or both--it was hard to say.
A Change in Power: It started about 18 months ago: At random, with no hints pre-or-post, Wolves began showing up dead, their entrails spilled and their bodies left to hang, muzzle-down, along the light-posts that lined the Blackbone's serene grass-and-stone paths. Val's mate was among them--a nobody in the power climb, but a somebody to them--and his death hangs heavy over the pack's second-in-command, who can only commiserate while the pack leader negotiates for investigation rights in the richer parts of town. The trouble is greater than their own miseries, however: Nearly every pack has suffered a loss, sometimes more than one, yet no one can let go of territory long enough to solve the crime.
What Mystery are you currently looking into: Tre, usually as open and accepting as Harm in his love pursuits, has recently taken to staying in--alone--and "locking" Harm out. They're not sure why, but Harm is beginning to think this has something to do with the female Wizard that Tre met at a party a few months back. Regardless, Harm will get to the bottom of it. They don't take well to forced separation from their sister's blood.
When Harm first embraced their fate, they likened it to fluidity. They were neither living nor dead, neither body nor spirit, and so they wandered the same streets they'd known and grew into a shadow. Still, in the nightlife, shadows disappear; Harm, especially in the beginning, was terrified to disappear. Somehow, someway, somewhere, they wanted to exist.
It was Yuri who took Harm underwing, Yuri who taught Harm to use spirit like body and death like living. A spectre for years and years, clothes more like layers of ancient robes and colourful embroidery, Yuri was a vision: skin shining like pearls, eyes dark like onyx, and hair an inky river that spread and curtained and protected Harm from heartache.
How awful it was, the first time Harm understood that Yuri belonged to no one. How bitter their friendship became until it erupted into a feud. For years, the two would compete for the same connections, and for years Harm would lose.
That was until Harm met a particular Wolf Pack and began to learn to exist on their own.
"I've heard you started lying with dogs," said Yuri, sidling up behind Harm to speak poison in their ear. They met here often, through the years--a dive bar that hosted the unnatural, changing ownership and decoration but never location. It was called Sunny's in this incarnation; Harm assumed it to be ironic. "Always were desperate for love."
Harm would have shivered, had they possessed the self-respect--but whether from anger or attraction, it was hard to say. "Friends," Harm murmured, turning just slightly to nip at Yuri's jaw. "You wouldn't understand."
Harm stepped away from Yuri, then, and took satisfaction in knowing their counterpart wasn't unaffected; Yuri's eyes flashed fire. "Their stink is all over you."
Harm made a big show of sniffing the air, their grin wide and sharp. "Still chasing those Vampires?" said Harm. "Or do the blood-stains just follow you, now?"
It wasn't the first time the two ended up in a fight--not the first time they'd both been thrown from the bar or pulled from each other by concerned onlookers. This time, however, they were ripped away from an invisible line--one neither would be the first to cross: Harm, with a wolf at his knee, and Yuri with a vampire at his back.
"You're not wanted here," said Yuri. "You've never been wanted."
It might have hurt--that rejection. Harm's eyes widened for only a moment before their slid a smile back on their face. "Don't watch as I walk away," said Harm. "It'll haunt your dreams."
Mark corruption to enter the mind of a weak-minded person (MC's call) in your presence and control their movements and speech for a short time.Possession
You can move and lift small objects at a distance by concentrating. Mark corruption to move an object up to the size of a car.Telekinesis
Mark corruption to enter the dreams of someone sleeping in you presence. While you're there, you can interact with them and their dreams as if they were spirits.Nightmare
Mark corruption to reach into someone's body, inflict 2-harm (ap) on them, and heal 1-harm.Siphon
Corruption Move: When you witness a scene of victimization and do nothing, mark corruption.
Intimacy Move: When you share a moment of intimacy--physical or emotional--with another person, Whenever they get into trouble, you can spend your hold to be there.you hold 1.
Archetype Moves
Manifest:Regular people can't sense or interact with you unless you manifest. You manifest by spending a few quiet moments concentrating and choosing 2: A) You can be heard, b) You can be seen, or C) You can touch and be touched by the physical world. You may mark corruption to instead choose 1 or all 3.
Won't Be Ignored: When you Get in the Way of someone, treat your roll as 10+ without rolling. If you Distract an NPC, roll with Spirit instead of Mind.
Wall? What Wall?: You always have an opening to Escape. You can choose an additional option off the list to bring someone with you. On a miss, you attract the attention of dangerous spirits and ghosts in the area.
Advancements
Mortality []
Night [X]
Power []
Wild []
Harm leads a colony of ghosts bound/linked to Sunny's; has access to Thin WallsBody of Ghosts
Gear
White button-down
Linen Pants
Make-up Kit
Pocket Mirror
Hair Tie (No Weapon)
Debts:
Nic
owes me
2
debts for
needing help to clarify his visions.
Isa
owes me
1
debt for
having a hand in my death.
Jessie
owes me
1
debt for
keeping 2 slaughtered Vietnamese ghosts at bay.
I
owe Eva, The Veteran
2
debts for
watching out for my family.
I
owe Earl, The Fae
2
debts for
breaking a promise to him.
I
owe Nic, The Oracle
1
debt for
haunting him (which he knows about).
I
owe Tuto, The Hunter
1
debt for
being a trouble-causing friend.
I
owe Tulio, Leader of the Claves
1
debt for
an undisclosed service.
Other:
__________________
Integrity has no need of rules.
(Albert Camus)
Last edited by Roekahs; Jan 17th, 2021 at 10:12 AM.
When you share a moment of intimacy—physical or emotional—with another person, ask them a question; they must answer it honestly. They will ask you a question in return; answer it honestly or mark corruption.Intimacy Move
Archetype Moves
Slayer: When you Keep Your Cool while on a hunt, roll with Blood instead of Spirit.
Prepared for Anything: You have a well-stocked armory, full of modern and ancient weapons. Take another custom weapon or add another add-on to each of your custom weapons.
Book Learnin': When you encounter a supernatural creature, roll with Mind. On a hit, the MC will tell you a bit about it and how it can be killed. On a 10+, ask the MC a follow-up question; they will answer.
Someone has enlisted you to protect them from something very dangerous.
Evalis Jimenez
I owe
2
debt(s) for
Someone keeps you equipped and supplied.
Harm
owes me
1
debt(s) for
You consider someone a friend even though the friendship keeps bringing you trouble.
Evangelou
is owed
1
debt(s) for
Nic is helping Don Tuto realize their potential
Evalis Jimenez
is owed
2
debt(s) for
Tuto relies on Eva for training
Nicephoros („Nic“) Evangelou
is owed
1
debt(s) for
Has enlisted you to protect them from something very dangerous.
Other:
Preferred Archetype: The Hunter
Name: Restituto "Don Tuto" Caretero
Race and/or Ethnicity: Puerto Rican
Age (Look, actual): At 5'8" and 135#, at first Don Tuto may be mistaken for a push over. But he has the wiry kind of strength and the tenacity of a boar. He wears a hooded tunic, leather boots and silk pants. He is seldom seen without his face mask. His hair if shown is black, wavy and tied in a ponytail that reaches nearly to mid waist. His skin is of olive complexion and his eyes hazel. He looks in his 20s.
Look (Appearance): His height, weight, complexion, hair and eyes are identical to his actual look. He wears a black western style trench-coat, a Metropolitans ball cap worn backwards, a t-shirt with an anarchy symbol, jeans and biker boots. His appearance is of someone 25 years old.
Demeanor: "One exciting challenge after another." Argues both sides of the point to learn. Brinkmanship. Tests the Limits. Enthusiastic.
Background: As a kid, Tuto could always see the werewolves, the vampires and other things that go bump in the night. Whenever he tried to point them out to his parents they told him to stop making up faery tales. So in time, Tuto learned to keep his mouth shut.
After his 21st birthday celebration, he went into an alley to do his business. Just as he was unzippering a fight broke out between a werewolf and what might be a fey. As the werewolf was a member of the Hell's Demons biker gang, Tuto sided with the fey. Together they fought it off but the fey was mortally wounded. She made Tuto take her chain and promise to fight the evil ones.
Tuto had been working on gaining influence to carry out the fey's wishes for the last four year. But now everything has gone topsy turvy and most of his allies aren't to be seen or worse, aren't willing to see Tuto. Desperately he reaches to the last few contacts he has left.
Facts about the City:
Most Puerto Ricans in Blackbrooke live in the slums. A minority live south of Parkside Ave across the river.
The werewolves congregate at night in the south west park of the city which is called Pennington Park. That is when they aren't causing mayhem.
The power company is owned by a band of tinkering kobolds.
A Change in Power: The Necromancer who controlled the sewers has disappeared. His minions are still there, some coming to the surface with no direction. Dead, captured, on hiatus... who knows what happened to him or her?
RP Sample: Here he was once again working "The Cuban's" food truck on restaurant row to make a bit of cash... boriiiiinnng! But a man had to make a living somehow, doesn't he?
The biker parked his hog in front of the truck and strolled toward the window. A werewolf- how quaint."<derogatory word for Ricans>," says the biker, "give me one of them pork, swiss and ham sandwiches and a side of that black rice."
"Coming up- a cuban and arroz muro."Stay cool Tuto, stay cool.
While he was making the cuban, Don Tuto thought about mofongo and arroz con gandules. Real Puerto Rican food, not this cuban stuff. Can't be choosey. A man gotta earn his mula even if it's cookin Cuban food.
When the biker turned his back, Don Tuto took the opportunity to spit on the pernil. Putting the bread on top of it, he then placed it into the press to finish it. Getting a foil plate, Don Tuto placed the sandwich in the foil, added two scoops of arroz muro and sealed it up.
Corruption Move :When you strike a deal with someone dark and powerful, mark corruption.
Intimacy Move : If you care for them, they take -1 ongoing to escape until they get their intimacy somewhere else.
Archetype Moves
Channelling:When you channel and collect your magics, roll with Spirit. On a 10+, hold 3. On a 7-9, hold 3 and choose 1 from - 1) Take -1 ongoing until you rest, 2)Suffer 1-harm (ap) or 3) Mark corruption. On a miss, hold 1, but you cannot Channel again this scene. Your hold lasts until you spend it. You can spend it to cast any spell you have as per the spell’s details.
Sanctum:When you go to your Sanctum for a spell ingredient, relic, or tome, roll with Spirit. On a 10+, you’ve got pretty much just the thing. On a 7-9, you’ve got something close, but it’s flawed or lacking in some significant way. On a miss, you don’t have what you’re looking for, but you know someone who probably has it in stock.
Tracking: Spend 1 hold to learn the location of someone. You must have a personal object that belongs to the target or recent leavings of their body (a lock of hair, fingernail clippings, their blood, etc.). Shielding: Spend 1 hold to provide armor+1 to yourself or someone nearby, or spend 2 holds to provide armor+1 to everyone in a small area, possibly including yourself. This armor lasts until the end of the scene. You can stack multiple uses of Shielding at once. Veil: Spend 1 hold to make yourself invisible from sight for a few moments.
Apartment (underneath Mary's Books and more)
Decent Cell Phone
Crappy Car
Sanctum (an extremely knowledgeable assistant, a library of old tomes, a focus circle, magical wards ) (contains volatile substances, location is known to many)
Focus (Leather pentacle around neck (Gain 1 additional Hold when Channeling)
Khar, small 9mm automatic (close, loud, reload, concealable)
Debts:
Owes
To {#}
# Debts
Why
Jessie
Issa
2
being my go-to when I get into trouble
Jessie
Harm
1
Keeping the Ghosts of some slaughtered Vietnamese Villagers at bay
Harker ('Wolf)
Jessie
1
Information on who might have killed their mate
Jessie
Maggies
1
Locating a rare tome for his library
"Walk Softly and Carry"
"Knowledge is Power"
"Family by Choice, not by Blood"
"I throw them a rope. Whether and how far they climb is up to them."
This story is not about LGBTQ rights, equality, or gender. When Jessie was born, everyone was either male or female, and being sexually attracted to someone of your gender was considered a sin. Being born in the 1910s in England, Jessie has seen a wide variety of discrimination - race, religion, socio-economic, sex. gender.
As the Author, I am using (or at least attempting to use) a set of gender-neutral pronouns for Jessie - ve, ver, vis, herself for he/she, her/him, his/hers, himself/herself. Jessie's androgynous nature is a part of Jessie's story.
They say that Wizards never die of old age. The reality is that Wizards die of violence or boredom. A powerful wizard can discover the magic necessary to prevent physical aging. Unfortunately, Wizards have many supernatural predators. As well, all too many Wizards find their insatiable curiosity leads them into danger. For those Wizards that avoid risk, there is an even more insidious danger - boredom. After a few hundred (or a few thousand) years, a Wizard loses the drive to learn, to explore to grow. Each Wizard needs to find their own magic for staving off physical aging. In the case of Jessie, it is the perfect coffee bean, ground, and brewed just so. Failure to get vis morning coffee leaves Jessie in a foul mood and possibly a little closer to death.
Some say that Wizards are the master puppeteers pulling the string to which mortals dance and maybe a lot of the supernatural world. Others say that Wizards are merely gifted with keen insight and surf the ebb and flow of the world. Either way, draw back the curtain on the significant events of the mortal world and you will find Wizards behind the scenes. As an example, Hitler invaded Poland in September 1939, but a cold war between the Teutonic Knights and Ancient Guardians had been in full swing for several years.
Typically, Wizards are organized into a Hierarchy roughly conforming to that of Universities and Colleges. A board of Chancellors runs each school. Individual Deans run an area and Rectors inserted between Deans and Chancellors if there are too many areas or they are too close-packed for the Chancellors to supervise them directly.
Theoretically, the Dean in an area determines who can and cannot teach and or practice magic. In reality, few Deans are willing to risk a Death Curse to enforce their will directly. As well, Wizards are notoriously independent. The analogy of cats and cat-herders best describes the relationship between Deans and Wizards.
Wizard Hierarchy
Chancellors run a School of Magic
Rectors may supervise several Deans (called a region) in larger schools.
Dean supervise the Wizards in a specific
Magnus is a particularly powerful Wizard who
Practicing Wizards are recognized by the Dean to practice magic in their area
Assistant or Associate Wizards technically get their license to practice from working for a Practicing Wizard
Preferred Archetype (Alternate Archetype): Wizard Name: Jessie MacHale (aka The Chameleon ) Race and/or Ethnicity: Scots/Irish Age (Look, actual): Teenager to early 20's / around 100 Look (Appearance): Ambiguous. Grey bodysuit, black boots, tunic (typically black) that goes to mid-thigh. Short, thin, red hair to the shoulder, pale with freckles. Sometimes Jessie will wear a bit of make-up (fingernail polish, a bit of lip blush). Style and Sexuality. Jessie has an androgenous style, incorporating both male (e.g., pants/bodysuit) and female (e.g. mid-thigh tunic). Depending on how ve feels, the look might be more masculine or feminine (e.g., belt with a large belt buckle and or a bit of make-up). Physically, Jessie has a penis, although high estrogen levels give ver a lack of body hair and slight breasts (hidden or accentuated by the tunic depending on ver mood). Part of Jessie's history is disguising verself as male, female, child, teenager. Demeanor: Reserved/Intrroverted (Detached ?)
Rough Timeline for Jessie. I am digging an older/longer backstory for Jessie, at the same time, I don't really want to write it all up (and actually leaving large gaps in vis history allows us to come back and insert details later.
Rough Timeframe
Title
1920s
Early Years (Hard Times)
1930s
Pembrokes School for Privileged Youth
1940s
In Her Majesties Paranormal Service
1950s
?
1960s
Discovery and Rebellion (US, Peace Movement)
1970s
1980s
2000s
2010s
Blackbrooke (Protecting the Marys, giving back to the community)
The Marys (Senior, Junior, and Little or Little Miss). Mary Senior was born in a Free Love Commune in the 1960s. She never really figured out who her parents were. Some of her earliest memories are of Jessie, who would show up from time to time to give her a gift or two and if necessary have a bit of a chat with her foster parents. Mary Junior was born in 1984. Mary Senior never talked about who the father was, or how she managed to get enough money to open a bookstore. Mary Junior married her highschool sweetheart in 2002, Little Mary was born in 2003. In depths of the Real Estate crash of 2008/2009, Mary Senior was able to buy a foreclosed property in a bit iffier part of town. The large store allowed Mary to add a coffee shop and a small 'Curiosities' store.
Marry's Books, Coffee, Consignment, and More.On the surface, no one is quite sure how this store stays in business. After all, who is really buying physical books any more? The coffee may be good, but who goes out of there way for a cup of coffee any more. Finally, the stuff in the Consignment section is bizarro, to say the least.
The reality is a bit more involved. Jessie lives in the basement of the store and uses it as vis sanctum. As well, the story serves as a front for Jessie's sideline business of acquiring information and the occasional artifact.
Coming to Blackbrooke. Ronnie Picket, Mary Junior's husband was tragically shot to death in 2015. The police report wrote it off as a robbery gone wrong. The reality was that his murder was the opening moving in a dance between several factions to take over the portion of town. It is not really clear which faction did the shooting, or whether the intent was merely to get protection money or to try and buy the property to tear it down and put something new back-up. In the end, it really didn't matter to Jessie. Someone had hurt his Marys. A multi-way gang-war had broken out. In the end, the various group spent themselves in gang war leaving
Who are you? A bullied kid who found out ve had power
How long have you been in the city? Five to ten years
How did you learn about the supernatural/how did you get here? Found on the docks in Liverpool. Came to save Mary
Why is this city worth saving? The city is not worth much. It is about the people
What do you desperately need? This does not need to be a novel. In fact, you can simply answer the questions with a sentence each if you want. You do not have to answer all of the questions either - the more information you can give me the better, but don't force things that just don't work for your character.
Family and Friends:
Do you have any living family? Probably not
What about adoptive family - those long-lived creatures need closeness too ... girlfriends, confidants, mentors, anything more than friends?
Maybe you are closer with your friends than your family ... who are they? The Mary's
What is your relationship with them (live at home, estranged from mother but not by your choice, etc.)? Jessie lives in the basement, and the Marys live in the apartment on the second floor.
Do any of these know anything about ghosts and vampires and things that go bump in the night? The Mary's know a bit about Wizards (or at least that Jessie does not appear to age).
What Mystery are you currently looking into: Jessie is looking for some way to protect the Marys when he is not around.
Mary's Books and More - I would like to place Mary's Books and More at the intersection of 3rd and Main. This puts it on a ley line, and relatively close to the slums.
Grace Lane Club and School for Disadvantaged Youth. Offering sports, tutoring, and even classes for poor kids from the slums.
Grace Street Irregulars. A loose collection of young kids from the slums who have been inspired by Sherlock Holmes. Can be engaged to find out information and report strange events within the Slum.
The Valkyries - a mostly female, mostly mortal motorcycle club.
Blackbrooke, like most more significant concentrations of supernaturals and Wizards, has or had a Dean (see the section on Wizards for their odd organizational structure. The oldDean, Lyle Bennington, and Jessie had an agreement. Lyle would generally leave Jessie and vis people and vis places alone. In return, Lyle could count on Jessie if the excrement really hit the propellor. Unfortunately, Lyle disappeared or maybe died in mysterious circumstances. The new Dean, Christian Hale, is an American and a patriot. Hale wants to restore law and order to the Blackbrooke. Hale looks suspiciously on Jessie and is looking for an opportunity to reprimand ver
Jessie gently blew the foam of vis Cappucino. The baristas knew better than to get between Jessie and vis cappuccino, just as Jessie knew that if ve got behind the counter during the morning rush, ve was going to wind up working.
As Jessie looked out over the cafe opening into the bookstore and thought, "They say Wizards die of boredom or violence. The reality is that we die of complacency. We lose the edge, the healthy paranoia of knowing that someone is hunting you. Who would have that that the young person being hunted by the Natzis in Europe would be today sitting in a cafe where anyone could find ver."
Despite the paper in front of ver, Jessie kept one eye on the street visible through the plate glass windows. As Jessie saw a trio ve slipped vis pistol out of vis concealed pocket. Jessie kept the gun under the table with his left hand as he sipped vis coffee with vis right hand.
The trio came through the door to the bookstore. All three appeared cut from the same mold - blonde hair, clean-shaven, three-piece grey suits. They screamed suits - either government, corporate, or something close.
The trio asked at the front-desk, covered by Little Mary, and were pointed back to the cafe. When the spotted Jessie, the trio made a straight-line towards Jessie - not unlike an arrow or a spear time.
Jessie smiled inside, "Seek first to understand yourself and then your opponent. Let me see what I can discern. They are seeking me, so they know me. To challenge a Wizard in vis lair speaks to power or arrogance."
Jessie's ruminations were cut off as the trio arrived at the table. The lead, clearly the leader, spoke in a contemptuous voice, "So, the Great Jessie MacHale. Hiding in a dive coffee shop. Personally, you disgust me, and the Chancellors are Upset with you. You are a coward."
Jessie swirled vis cappuccino for a moment or two and reflected, "Arogannce not power, although he thinks the Chancellors will back him."
Jessie smiled at the insult, "No, the Chancellors are merely disappointed in me. If they were upset, they would have sent a Magnus with a hit squad. As to cowardice, well, one person's weakness is another person's discretion. When you have spent a few years living among the enemy being hunted every day, then we can compare notes on what is prudence and what is cowardice."
Then Jessie's voice became cold, "Speak Wizard, you have sought me out too afraid to approach me alone. Say your piece and begone from my space."
At Jessie's tone, the two bodyguards started to reach into the jackets, a tell that they had weapons in shoulder holsters. However, the leader raised a hand and stopped them. The leader responded "I am Christian Hale, new Dean of Blackbrooke, appointed by the Chancellors of the School of Ancient Guardians. You are in my jurisdiction now. I have heard that the old Dean was too close to you. I have my eye on you."
Jessie smiled, although vis smile did not make it to his eyes, "Not even bothering to find out what happened to Lyle? One might wonder if you were part of what happened to him. For surely, you have considered that whatever happened to Lyle, might happen to you."
"As for me, I will have my eye on you as well. I don't know you, Christian Hale. However, I saw too many like you, on both sides of the wars. They seem to be a magnet for enemy fire."
Hale growled, "Are you threatening me?"
Jessie smirked, "Quite the opposite. Your little demonstration here shows me that you will soon be quite embroiled with the various factions in Blackbrooke. Probably far to busy to harass me."
" I'm just looking for an excuse."
Jessie was silent, know that Hale would want, would need to have the last word. As well, it would let Hale convince himself that Jessie was cowed. After a long silence, Hale spun on one foot and headed out of the coffee shop, his two bodyguards following him.
As they left, Jessie mused, "Well, at least I won't die of boredom."
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Preferred Pronouns: he/him/his | Posting Behind and posting |Location:Eastern US. GMT-5 Oath of Sangus | Shared World (new players welcome) The West Marches
Last edited by purplerook; Dec 21st, 2020 at 05:06 PM.
[ ] Mark corruption to Drop the Name of your demonic patron as if you rolled a 10+. You don’t have to have a Debt on your patron to use the move.Fringe Benefits
[ ] Mark corruption to assume your demon form without a roll and gain all the options listed.Just Below the Surface
[ ] Mark corruption to make their result a miss (after rolling) when someone Refuses to Honor a Debt you’ve cashed in on themNot to Be Denied
[ ] Mark corruption to have your patron send a gang of demons to work on your behalf for a scene (2-harm small 2-armor demonic)From Hell
Corruption Move: When you persuade someone on your patron’s behalf, mark corruption.
Intimacy Move: When you share a moment of intimacy—physical or emotional—with another person, they give you a Debt they hold on someone else
Archetype Moves
The Devil Inside: When you assume your demon form, roll with Blood. On a 10+, choose 2. On a 7-9, choose 1. On a miss, choose 1 and you owe your patron a Debt. » Gain armor+1 » Heal 2-harm » Inflict +1 harm » +demonic weapon (3-harm hand or 2-harm close) » +demonic movement (flight, flaming motorcycle, etc.) If you’re working a job for your patron, choose 1 more. If you mark corruption, choose 1 more.
Don’t Look at Me: When you Mislead someone, roll with Heart instead of Mind.
Advancements
Mortality [ ]
Night [X]
Power [ ]
Wild [ ]
...
Gear
Top floor apartment off Main Street near Haven DriveLuxry Flat
Weapon: Superscope Style Microphone (Sword (3-harm hand messy)
Debts:
Kurt
owes Earl
2
debt(s) for
Preventing Kurt's Son from moving into the city
Jessie
owes me
2
debt(s) for
Keeping Little Marry's Ouija board demons away from her.
Kurt
owes Čert
3
debt(s) for
holds the contract to Kurt's Soul
Other:Demonic Jobs: Collect Souls / Interfere with another Demon's Plans
Archetype: The Tainted Name: Kurt Heart Race and/or Ethnicity: Hispanic mix Age (Look, actual): the Mid 40s, but with great hair. Actually, Unknown - lost his mortality in the 80s, and hasn't aged since then. (So, depends on roughly when the game takes place?) Look (Appearance): In mostly human form, Kurt looks ready to host a game show at any moment! Perfect hair, giant smile, gallant chin, and microphone in hand. Sometimes, he slips a bit though, and some of his demonic side shows through. Kurt's eyes burn red with fire, a smoky halo circles his head, and his skin looks like cracked black obsidian with lava flowing between the breaks. If you see that though, you have really pissed him off, and somehow gotten underneath his skin.
Demeanor: Corporate (Game show host). Always the well-spoken, professional in front of the camera. Behind the scenes though, he has an axe to grind with the powers that be, and uses the same intensity to work against them.
Background:"You would like to hear my story? Well, have a seat and strap yourself in. It's going to be a ride, where not everything is as it seems. You remember that popular show, back in the 80s? The Deal is Right? That's right. Went off the air when the host mysteriously disappeared? Yes, I know the rumors chalked it up to copyright infringement with other 'similar' shows, but that was just a cover-up. Well, your eyes don't deceive you. I am AM Kurt Heart, your every loving host, not looking a day older than on my debut! How do I do it? A quick dial to 1-900-sins might reveal my secret, cause you won't find this deal in any stores."
"Every host has a dream of being a player. You know? Well, my dream came true. I got the chance to play a game of chance, and win some fabulous prizes from a Demon. I know all the tricks, so I won easily. Never knew it would cost me so dearly though. Turns out you really can be forever young. It just costs your soul. I should have noticed the fine print when I signed that contract. And, that is my warning for you. They sing about how the Devil went down to Georgia, where Johnny got the best of him. They never tell you what happened after he won that golden fiddle though. Well, in the end, the Devil won so many souls, jealous of that golden fiddle, that he was the real winner at the end of the day. I guess you could call it, in modern terms, 'play stupid games, win stupid prizes'. So, I have my looks, but I have to answer to old Čert whenever he comes a calling."
"And now, Čert's got his eyes on Blackbrooke. Might be some souls there for the claiming. But really, there is only one reason he cares. Turns out other demons have an interest in the city too. And that is all it takes for my master to care. Happy to show up, and make things difficult for his fellow demonic rivals. That might make you think he is 'the good guy'. But, you would be wrong. Chaos has no sides. Any my role in this? Work for Čert of course, but also try to star everyone clear of it all that will listen. Maybe, just maybe, one day, if I do enough, I might find my own redemption."
Family and Friends: Kurt's Mother lives in a nursing home somewhere in Mexico. He still sends money to pay for her living expenses. He was married at the time of his incident. His family assumes he is dead, but somewhere, his wife is living out her life, remarried, and his kids have grown up, now having families of their own living through the US.
One Fact about the City: The local Channel 2 News station has a storage shed in the back where many old show props are stored. It just so happens that they have several pieces of the set form 'The Deal is Right' still boxed up there. Kurt prefers not to think about them, doesn't want them to know about him, and would just assume keep them out of the public eye