[WoD] Aperta Terra (Vampire: Dark Ages)

[Apocrypha]

Originally Posted by Starship Tical

@All: Since we're talking about our opinions on clans in the setting, I always thought the Malkavians stuck out like sore thumbs... why would you tolerate a cabal of mentally unstable vampires who may be a serious danger to the masquerade? Would any subculture or secret society entrust the controlled secret of their existence to someone who could just walk into a TV studio one day and do an interview or demonstrate their immortality - powers to a live audience? I mean, I guess we can argue that it is doubtful if the masquerade would even survive the 20th - 21st centuries with instant communication, other options beside legacy media for news, cell phones, etc.

Malkavians are my absolute favorite - the only reason I didn't apply with one is that I've played and STed for so many before that I wanted to do something different (and there's still a little Malkavian hanging around Isabella, the way she turned out). But yeah, you have to look past some kind of dumb (and, frankly, ableist and offensive) stuff in some of the books to get there - the classic "crazy fish-Malk" stereotype is just as dumb as the stuffy Ventrue or the prissy Toreador or what have you. I like the idea of Malkavians as seers and prophets first and foremost - their madness is incidental to the supernatural insights they receive, and (at least some of the time) rulers find it worth keeping a soothsayer around who can give them information and insight that no one else can, even if that soothsayer is a raving madman.

And sure, some Malkavians are going to be Masquerade threats (or just unstable, dangerous monsters who can turn your brain inside out by whispering in your ear), but that's hardly unique to them. Every vampire has the potential to go into a frenzy if they're hungry or stressed enough, after all, and any vampire could be reckless, misguided, or suicidal enough to decide to blow the Masquerade on purpose.

As far as the Masquerade surviving in modern times - I think the trick there would be misinformation and muddying the waters, rather than concealment. In the WoD, YouTube is probably filled with shaky cell-phone video of vampires doing things that break the Masquerade... but it's also full of ten times as many fakes and hoaxes of various quality, and a lot of those fakes were probably put there by the Camarilla or their pawns to discredit or obscure any real breaches. I mean, I could probably go on YouTube right now and find a video that its poster claims is showing a real supernatural phenomenon, but I wouldn't believe it.

[Classic Gamer]

@1Skell Nosferatu! Nosferatu! Nosferatu!

Simply because one of these “spymasters” would be my other choice besides diplomat.

[1Skell]

Originally Posted by Starship Tical

@1Skell Thank you for educating me on what that statue was! I feel slightly more cultured tonight and I learned something! lol Corradini's La Pudicizia... I will never forget that for as long as I live.

Getting back to the business at hand-- I would rather not guide you into a clan or tell you what clan that you should play. Again, I feel that this works best when players choose a clan and concept that they feel in their heart at the outset. If you like Tzimisce, we can and will work something out! If you feel inspired by a certain idea, then we will go with that! Virtually any clan or bloodline can be worked into the story with some creative flexing on both our parts.

As stated by others in the thread, yeah, there is a political landscape already established in this part of the world, but that doesn't mean that there cannot be some slices and pockets of land here and there with minority clans holding some sway. Also, Cainites of other clans can always find prestige and station in a particular clan dominated place if a Prince or Primogen takes a liking to them thinking that they can add something to their power base.

@1Skell again: I remember being so excited for that VTM TV series back in the 90s... I was pretty young when I watched it, so I thought it was okay (just a lot of fanboy bias probably). Now, if I revisited it, I would probably find it lacking. If they do this again, I hope HBO - Netflix or another quality entity takes on the material. WOD should not be relegated to the formulaic, stale environment that is cable network TV (plus, no swearing and the fun stuff that should do the universe justice).

Ventrue have their place, but I agree, if you play them deadpan they can be a little stuffy. You can challenge yourself to make an interesting, out of place Ventrue.

No need to thank me. It was just something I found years ago when searching about Napoli because of The Borgias show. It has entered my list of things to see ever since and thank you for mentioning a VTM series. It is a challenge to me to find vampire content. Regarding series in general I am of the opinion that if it is subjectively good, if you have fun, then even shortcomings can be forgiven. Considering Netflix historic with adaptations, I think HBO would be a better new house.

Regarding the Tzimisce, the thing I liked the most was Vissicitude. I mean, becoming a flying abomination and spewing fire? But it didn't catch my eye beyond that. Other powers of other clans sounded just as fun to me (specially Quietus, Obtenebration and Thaumathurgy, though the latter seems a little bit too intimidating for me, mechanically speaking). I am gravitating towards the idea of either a Capadoccian or a Giovanni. With the battles of the Reconquista it seems easy to fit a scholar of death (Capadoccian) in Iberia, getting corpses from the battlefield to study while a merchant from Venice (Giovanni) could follow the war as an opportunity to do business and settle in a city to expand clan connections. At this point my doubt is what of those would be an easier fit because both seem equally interesting to me (although I must admit that I'll need help understanding Necromancy properly).

Regarding the Ventrue, I think I just saw them played in ways that seemed far too uninteresting to me. It will be interesting to try them someday, when I get better footing with the scenario.

[1Skell]

Originally Posted by Classic Gamer

@1Skell Nosferatu! Nosferatu! Nosferatu!

Simply because one of these “spymasters” would be my other choice besides diplomat.

Cross posting and I do have an idea and Nosferatu is super interesting, though it is a clan that I really wished to play on a Vitorian-era scenario. The idea of a charlatan that made his way through high-society by seducing lonely ladies, but was too arrogant so the Nosferatu decided to make him hideous for eternity to teach him a lesson.

[Classic Gamer]

It seems that you have a solid footing with your Cappadocian/Giovanni idea. So as the ST suggests, build what interests you most.

[1Skell]

@Classic Gamer

Honestly? I can't believe I didn't think on making a spymaster on the age of the Reconquista. There more I think about it the more I like the idea of making a spymaster. Thank you a lot for your suggestions. Nosferatu it will be.

@Starship Tical

How would the Nosferatu be connected on the area of the game?

[Ladytron]

Originally Posted by Starship Tical

Since we're talking about our opinions on clans in the setting, I always thought the Malkavians stuck out like sore thumbs... why would you tolerate a cabal of mentally unstable vampires who may be a serious danger to the masquerade? Would any subculture or secret society entrust the controlled secret of their existence to someone who could just walk into a TV studio one day and do an interview or demonstrate their immortality - powers to a live audience? I mean, I guess we can argue that it is doubtful if the masquerade would even survive the 20th - 21st centuries with instant communication, other options beside legacy media for news, cell phones, etc.

I disagree with you 100%. Why are Malkavians necessarily the threats to the Masquarade? Are you telling me a Vozhd wondering around the streets of your city is a good thing? What about the Lasombra who can't be seen in mirrors or cell phones that whips up shadow tentacles to attack people with? Or the Brujah who throws a person 100 yards then gets there before the person lands? Cappadocians with zombies walking around?

If anything I think Malks are the most likely to fit in. Name me one society without a reported case of someone who might qualify as 'insane'. I argue that, while 'the insane' might be more easily noticed, people don't tend to look at them and, when they do, they are more likely to feel something like pity or laughter than super-powerful Vampire.

Side rules questions:

1) Base char creation? Any extra freebies/xp?
2) I also noticed there doesn't seem to be anything in the book re: starting with specializations. Do we / don't we have any specializations?
3) How old would our characters be +/-? This partly ties into 1); if we're base char's we probably would be close-ish to our Embrace date, but if we have some meat on our bones we might be a little older too.
4a) How are you working languages? My char's French and at the time the Langue d'Oil was used in the North and Langue d'Occ in the south. Are you using that split or just using 'French'
4b) Are you using the Catalonian language as native for Tarragona (more correct) or 'Spanish' (easier)?
5) Can we start on a Path of a Road?

@1Skell If the GM doesn't object I'll help you with char creation if you like.

[1Skell]

@Starship Tical

Sent you a PM asking how you rule certain mechanics in your game.


@Ladytron

Your help would be very welcomed. I have a story in mind, a former merchant turned information broken turned Nosferatu. Soon enough I should have him written, but on the moment of making the sheet I am certain to have a ton of doubts.

[Starship Tical]

General announcement: I will probably not be available tomorrow as I have an all nighter planned with some friends!
I will crawl back onto my chair with whatever is left of my brains and get to your messages on Friday 2023-03-02 for sure though! I already took the day off from work just to be on the safe side!

@Ladytron: I have to say that I like how La Petite Ver is shaping up! We have been having discussions back and forth in PMs, but seeing the final product start to shape up is looking promising! I love that picture!

1) Base char creation? Any extra freebies/xp?
This will be a strictly by the book character creation process.
No extra xp - freebies; however, feel free to go beyond the 3 dot limit on anything you want...

2) I also noticed there doesn't seem to be anything in the book re: starting with specializations. Do we / don't we have any specializations?

I like specializations, so, yes, you can have specializations (no matter what the book says); whatever that makes sense with the attribute or ability, put it on the sheet and I will give you my opinion on whether or not it flies.

3) How old would our characters be +/-? This partly ties into 1); if we're base char's we probably would be close-ish to our Embrace date, but if we have some meat on our bones we might be a little older too.

I think you're average neonate would not be particularly old; general rule of thumb: follow the average ages for the age cycles of vampires -- Elders are hundreds of years old or even a millenium + old; Ancilla are generally 100 to a few hundred years old, etc. So, an average age for a neonate could be anywhere from 1 year undead to under a century in age in most cases. You can be old enough that humanity has been lost and you're now on a new philosophy - path - road.

4a) How are you working languages? My char's French and at the time the Langue d'Oil was used in the North and Langue d'Occ in the south. Are you using that split or just using 'French'

We're not being uber, super realistic when it comes to languages, however, we try to recognize that languages help in making the game more immersive. We recognize the major groups and will not be expecting PCs to know every local dialect... Latin, Middle English, French are the more common languages for example, and they will be sufficient for entire kingdoms in most cases.

4b) Are you using the Catalonian language as native for Tarragona (more correct) or 'Spanish' (easier)?
We're just simplifying this to 'Vulgar Latin' which is in effect common 'Spanish' or 'Italian' at this time.

Again, we're not going to be so detailed as to expect characters to have to walk around being fluent in 17 different languages just to get on from region to region and from village to village. In a world and a time where most people only understood one language (and could not even write or read in most cases), this would be a little unwieldly. Sure, vampires can learn more languages because they have all the time in the world to study, but do you really want to spend points and XP on the 17 different languages you might need to know?

5) Can we start on a Path of a Road?

You sure can! Go nuts!

I see your point on the Malkavians not necessarily being the weak link in the masquerade... again though, would vampires and many of the supernatural creatures in WOD even be able to exist as a whole by the 20th and 21st century? No way in hell that vampires control every media outlet or police force across the globe. I liked that how in Requiem you had a Hunter group that was based on trying to put out footage and evidence on social media - in the general population to out vampires and the other 'monsters' as being real. This being Dark Ages, vampires can and do get away with a lot more (you have vampires ruling out in the open to a certain extent) because you really only had word of mouth and while people at this time are very much superstitious, trying to do anything about it on an organized scale is not always possible. It took a while for the great Inquisition event to finally get vampires to formally reign in their excesses and try to rule more subtly.

In the case of the attack on Tarragona, the Tzimisce who sent that horde don't particularly care about the ramifications because this is not one of their domains. In fact, the event drawing mortal interest to the place in the form of inquisitors is probably one of the reasons they did it (this is all speculation of course)... whatever can cause the Prince trouble in his home is what they were going for after all. If the herd and economy here are in chaos, then this pleases the sender.

@1Skell: I answered your PM and I hope that my response from helpful!

The Nosferatu find their places anywhere and are usually pretty welcome in most domains as just so, they make good spies for the ruling vampires. Despite the low clan status, any Prince would want an intelligence network being kept up by a Nosferatu if they did not already have someone from another clan covering this item (or as an expendable Scourge or mercenary - 'hound').

I watched the Borgias myself and that was a great show! They managed to spin a convincing enough looking historical ambiance with a limited budget to make you believe they were in that time frame! HBO has rarely put out a dud and some of my favorite shows of all time were made here.... The Sopranos, The Wire, Deadwood, etc. The list goes on!

[Starship Tical]

I do not mind players helping each other either!

Go nuts!

[1Skell]

Originally Posted by Starship Tical

@1Skell: I answered your PM and I hope that my response from helpful!

The Nosferatu find their places anywhere and are usually pretty welcome in most domains as just so, they make good spies for the ruling vampires. Despite the low clan status, any Prince would want an intelligence network being kept up by a Nosferatu if they did not already have someone from another clan covering this item (or as an expendable Scourge or mercenary - 'hound').

I watched the Borgias myself and that was a great show! They managed to spin a convincing enough looking historical ambiance with a limited budget to make you believe they were in that time frame! HBO has rarely put out a dud and some of my favorite shows of all time were made here.... The Sopranos, The Wire, Deadwood, etc. The list goes on!

It was super helpful. You basically cleared all my doubts of how the features work on practice. I send some other questions, briefer than the others from before and hope you have a great time with your friends.

[Elanir]

Brother Theophilus Brother Theophilus Name: Brother Theophilus, born Georgios Melissenos in PeloponneseMorea, ByzantineEastern Roman Empire (AD 1171) Concept: Cleric (Monk) Clan/Bloodline: Cappadocian Road: The Road of HeavenVia Caeli / The Path of Christ (Christianity) Demeanor: Guru Quotes: Death opens the eyesMors oculos aperit Physical appearance: Theophilus used to be a tall and robust man in his mid-thirties, who could have passed as easily for a warrior as for a monk. With curly hair of a rich dark brown and a full beard, the man would have been considered rather attractive, if not for the fact that he had devoted his life to God and forever turned his back to matters of the flesh. This was before the Embrace. Death has changed the man a great deal, even though Caine’s blood triumphed over it in the end. The monk’s already fair skin grew paler still, gaining a sickly shade of gray, as if covered in ash. More importantly, it shriveled horribly, like olives from the island of Thasos left for too long in the sun. His entire body and especially his face is covered in wrinkles, making him appear ancient, even though it has been less than four decades that he has been walking in the shadows. His nails have grown long and his hair has almost completely fallen off, small tufts of brittle hair on his scalp and chin all that remains to remind him of past vanities. Theophilus usually hides his death-like visage with the hollowed out cheeks and sunken eyes beneath a large hood and covers his emaciated body with a voluminous black habit that at the same time signifies the man’s vocation. Since no amount of cloth can hide the full horror of his physical existence, however, he often claims that his body was left twisted and scarred by a plague, one he was able to survive only through God’s grace. In a sense he is right.   Brother Theophilus before the Embrace

[Silver Priest]

Been a very long time since I've played Dark Ages and am probably rusty on some of the rules, but put together a character concept that I hope seems interesting.

Name: Pietro Rossellini

Concept: Doctor and necromancer

Clan: Cappadocian/Giovanni

Road: Road of Bones

Demeanor: Pedagogue

Physical appearance:Pietro is an elderly man of at least 70. His skin tone is very pale, and he carries with him a somber disposition. What’s left of his hair has long ago turned entirely white, and he generally wears a modest outfit devoid if any personal touches or frivolities.

Personality: Pietro is a very serious and driven man. He speaks only when necessary, and attempts to communicate his point with as few words as needed. Otherwise he tends to be quiet. He prefers the company of corpses to most other cainites. But he does respect those who he believes he can learn from, and is occasionally willing to share his knowledge with others. He has written correspondences ongoing with a few kindred that he respects, some of whom are outside his own clan.

Despite his nature, his eyes betray an intense and quiet fanaticism.

 

 

[In the Mix]

Something to think about.

[Starship Tical]

@Elanir: Thanks for throwing your hat in the ring!

I have to say, that character pic is killer epic and I love your PC sketch so far! Top notch history and concept!
I enjoyed reading every word of your submission so far.

Those goals and desires have already lit my imagination on fire for some possible hooks and tie ins at some point!



@Silver Priest: Thank you for the beginnings of a character sketch!
Rusty and new players alike are always welcome to the game!

I will keep an eye on your developing character submission.

@In The Mix: Thanks for the interest!

@All: I am going to add a firm deadline for PC submissions: Friday (11pm Eastern time) 2023-03-17.
I will then make the final selections for the game.