On Strange Tides

[Dusky]

You would have a much better idea of literally everything if you went ahead and read up on the setting. Especially Chapter 9.

 

[Unyielding]

You would have a much better idea of literally everything if you went ahead and read up on the setting. Especially Chapter 9.

The setting would not tell me what kind of character you made.


Just because you are a priest does not make you a magical one. You could be a warrior preist (crusader) or something else... given this is a sandbox

 

[Dusky]

Religion and priesthood in Lama are, in fact, detailed in the link I provided. ( ) The fact is, it's a bit of both.


Edit: Also, the character pitches are generally here in the last four pages.

 

[Unyielding]

Religion and priesthood in Lama are, in fact, detailed in the link I provided. ( ) The fact is, it's a bit of both.
Edit: Also, the character pitches are generally here in the last four pages.

Look internet person, I really apprecaite the fact that you want me to read the lore. I will read the lore, but that is a 117 page document and i have just came across this today. I am making my character and i am trying to be different then everyone else. I so i would be grateful if you would answer my questions without saying look it up or assuming i have mastery of this lore.


And if this is supose to me sandbox (which it seems like) being a preist should not right out make you a certain character type. so please, do just tell me to look it up if i am not asking lore related questions. and If i ask a question about lore, it is because i looked it up and was confuse. And lets all get alone xD

 

[Dusky]

I realize this sounds like a sandbox, but isn't really - there will be a big honking plot with a visible end, it's just the route by which you sail there that differs and, if you're crafty, exactly where that end is.

That aside, Chapter 9 talks about the animist religion of Lama, how priests are many and serve very real godlike beings. In this case, I b'lieve The Fuzz's character - on page 2 or 3, I think - is a good example... You make pacts with them, sorta, and get something out of it. Here's a quote direct from the doc:

Tribes are lead by priests, who interpret the will of their patron and are granted power in exchange for a sacrifice of self.

 

[Unyielding]

... thank you for the lore info... but i'm not asking about lore... i am asking about the characters which will be in the rp...


thats all i care about at this point in time... please stop throwing this lore at me and confusing me please

 

[Dusky]

You can always scan through these mere six pages where everyone has been discussing their characters. ouo

 

[Unyielding]

Oh you were referencing this fourm.. my bad i though you were talking about the freaking rule book

 

[Dusky]

Ahah! Nah, the rulebook is a treat but the last few pages probably don't provide much enlightenment. xD

 

[Unyielding]

yea... its very verbose


i did my stats though


Im a young adult who specializes in deception... thats all i got lolz

 

[Dusky]

Ah, well, don't get ahead of yourself. You need to pitch a character concept first.

 

[Grey]

Are these priest magical priest or just religious priest
Also whats the different between misdirection and lying... they seem the same to me

Both. Priests in Lama can tap into the very real power of their patrons, but Crucible isn't a system or setting built to assume 'cleric' or 'wizard', so they can be quite adept at combat too. So, to put it in perspective; we have a persuasive, ambush-predator kind of priest, a probably more cunning, profit-orientated type of priest, an untrained warrior, a trained warrior, a blacksmith, and... well, the Heretic doesn't fit neatly into a role.


Lying is outright lies, obviously.


Misdirection would be avoiding a statement by directing attention elsewhere - like if someone asked "What do you know about the break-in at the treasury?" and the character using Misdirection replied "Have you tried asking the money-lender across the street?"

 

[The Fuzz]

Ok, Unyielding, this is what we have so far:


This game is set in a very (very) vaguely North African fantasy analogue. We're playing a bunch of Outcaste pirates. The society we're outcast from is a hierarchical caste society, very matriarchal, and potentially quite unjust. Primarily, said society is centred around the Coral City and its outlying provinces. For easy shorthand, refer to these as the Coral States. They are a theocratic oligarchy, basically, ruled by a caste of female priests, priests of the strongest, most established spirits on the north coast.


(The southern continent is called Lama. The Northern continent is Imeria. The Coral States are on the northern coast of Lama, with a sea roughly the size of the full Caribbean between Lama and Imeria.)


One of the reasons to go Outcaste is that due to strict religious rules, no-one in society is permitted to trade with the pale northern barbarians. Thus, going outcaste means turning your back on your old life....and potentially gaining wealth and power. This is a growing source of societal and political tension.


The characters we have so far are:


A teenage Earth mage who was supposed to sacrifice his magic to the gods, but refused the sacrifice and ran away, choosing to keep his (still growing) power. He went Outcaste because he had no choice, refusing the sacrifice is heresy.


A thug and organised criminal, a street brat raised on the outside of the law, who finally went full revolutionary after his mentor was killed.


A warrior mage who defied the ban on metal weapons and took up arms against her former city. One potential captain of the ship.


A woman who was raised in the scholarly caste and who has turned revolutionary. She was never supposed to be a priest, but she went out and walked the wildlands and cut a raw deal with a dangerous spirit of boundaries. Now she's a dreadful predator, bearing the power of a minor god who accepts acts of sudden violence as prayers.


A woman born without a soul, a freak mutant who causes pain to the gods, and whose main desire is to spit in the eye of everything supernatural.


WE'RE ONNA BOAT.


Oh, one more thing: this game may not exactly be what you think of when you say 'sandbox'. There is a setting, a full and somewhat fleshed out one, with some existing 'rules' of how the world works.


Couple of basics:


The system does not assume the existence of super high level folks and super low level basic peasants, so much. The best [mortal*] swordsman in the world can still get mobbed to death by less than ten farmers with spears and pitchforks.


Being a priest (or rather, a Priest or a Witch, with a capital letter) is sort of a character class which you take up by sacrificing elements of yourself and swearing service to a spirit, and thus in return receiving power.


Magic, on the other hand, is a thing you don't learn but rather is a rare-ass gift/curse which some folks are born with. Born magi in the Coral States are typically hauled off to the temple at about twelve or thirteen and told how they have a wonderful gift for the gods, and are then cajoled, lied to, and straight up coerced into sacrificing their magic for the greater glory and power of the gods which rule the Coral City.


Vampires are awful. Stay away from them.


Demons are worse. Stay away from them.


*About the only way to transcend the limits I outlined is to accept that being superhuman means not being fully human any more. Magi who let their Patterns reach full power can become this powerful. Priests who sacrifice much and gain vast power to share with their spirit patron can become this powerful. Becoming a vampire or cutting a deal with demons can straight up turn you into a superhuman engine of destruction.


Notice that none of these options allow you to remain the same person you really were. The wizzarding option comes closest, but even then it's a roll of the dice whether you make it that far, and physically, you retain human frailties.

 

[Dusky]

Here's what Jengo think of you suckers, assuming he's quite new on board.


Lintha


At first Jengo is willing to overlook that still really very unsettling hand for her soft voice and evident kindness, but as soon as he sees her demeanor towards the well-to-do of Coral City, he's going to be horribly conflicted. On the one hand he has no reason to fear harm from her, but on the other hand that ruthless hate is alien to him.


Talhar


Jengo, being a little ball of hormones, may be rather awed by Talhar's thuggish "cool" factor and spend some time laughably trying to be like him. This of course won't work out well for him, but he'd certainly continue to admire Talhar, especially if Talhar takes a shine to him in return.


Ufiya


Well, I don't know that I get her personality very strongly from those snippets as much as her background, but the fifteen-year-old is going to rebel against authority when he isn't feeling sorry for himself, unless she proves to be a friendly sort.


Seferin


Honestly, she terrifies him.


The poor kid is about as un-piratey as you can get. He just wants his Mommy. See if you can toughen him up, yeah?

 

[Unyielding]

“Help, Help,” call the kids while the sun still slept under the darkblue blankets. Xer kepted under the warm straw which softened the hard ground. Not wanting to respond he barely opened on eye and turned over. “Let us go” they screamed. He jumped up out of the stack grabbing his shirt which covered him down to his knees worried for trouble which always brew on the streets in the outskirts of the Coral States. Here where one strength held order. Here lies a kid, runt in a family of four brothers with no mama or papa. Here Xer played his game.


As it may he was not special. He was not big and strong like Cho who could pick up rocks his own size to beat up other kids. He was not as quick as Rek who could outrun the guards while carrying supper on his back. Neither was he resourceful like Vel who knew the lands and could guide them on the path for spare coin. Yet somehow he was always on top. His brothers did not know it, for they each held the belief that they were the best. Yes he who never lost a fight, he who never has been caught, and he who always knew the location thought they were the alpha but it was not their selves for which they used their skills for.


It was always Xer’s enemies who lost to Cho. It was always Xer’s wants which were stolen by Rek. It was always Xer’s location which explored by Vel. All three thought they were acting of their interest will but in reality they were manipulated Xer. The youngest brother whose gift was his brain. He would set up the situation in which his brothers wanted to act and allowed fate to take care of the rest. However such a skill in the hands of a child proved dangerous.


Xer knew nothing outside of the streets which he called homed. He knew not the dangers of noblemen and how small he really was in this big world. He knew that one careless mistake and all his power could disappear. What he did not know was how easy he could make that mistake. One night he witness a noble drop something of value. Some man picked it up but lost it to Rek. Xer was treasured it for weeks, never revealing its presences to anyone. The treasure was not his though, and his brothers knew it. They begged him to return it as Vel had received word that someone missed it. Xer did not care for now it was his. Then came that night. His brothers called him out. When he looked he saw that they were being carried away on a horse and disappeared into the night. Xer knew it was his fault and ran back to retrieve the treasure, but the treasure was gone. Xer was confuse as he held it under his eye at all times. Then he realized what his brothers did.


Years passed and Xer suffered being the runt in a family of 1. No more brothers to control, for they never returned. Only he remain. He learned to Move quickly in order to avoid and win fights. He learned to distract and misdirect in order to take what he wanted. He learned to read in order to learn about the land. Years passed and Xer took it all in, but he would never forget what the nobles took away from him. Now that he is 18, he is faster, wiser, more cunning, and more focused. His brothers sacrificed their life to save him, and now he will sacrifice the life of the nobles in order to right the suffering bought on to him.

 

[Cirno]

Ufiya is in her early to mid thirties and grumbles openly about how this lot is keeping her from retiring quietly. Privately, she feels the call of the land like younger sailors would the sea. Claims responsibilities to the crew first and Lama people second, although the latter has weighed more on her mind as she's considered just where to settle.

Here's what Jengo think of you suckers, assuming he's quite new on board.
Ufiya


Well, I don't know that I get her personality very strongly from those snippets as much as her background, but the fifteen-year-old is going to rebel against authority when he isn't feeling sorry for himself, unless she proves to be a friendly sort.


The poor kid is about as un-piratey as you can get. He just wants his Mommy. See if you can toughen him up, yeah?

Jengo


Scrawny thing. He'll work for a place on this ship. Depending on how well they get along when Ufiya finds out about his ability, her initial reaction will be either, "I'll not be having my crew killed by their own blades on the whim of some feckless brat," or a reverent, awe-filled and empathetic, "Shit." Either way, cue trusted ship mates convening.


Lintha


Most of the time, being a pirate is watching, waiting. Ufiya would respect Lintha for how she embodies both the calm, clear sea and the sky-shattering lighting, even if Ufiya wouldn't be able to put it into suchlike poetry. If she knew of how Lintha came to have her spiritual powers, she would have even greater respect her for being a more authentic priest than the ones in the Coral City. Ufiya might agree with some of Lintha's plans, but other parts may go over her head. Some days she might consider contacting pirate captains/potential revolutionaries she knows, but most of the time she won't entertain such notions.


Talhar


A brute, she'll think, lashing out like a beast in pain. What revolution? Best to have him channel his energy towards something more practical. An oddity, she'll think, should she hear of how he was raised on strange dreams of a different Lama (warped by palemen ways?) and holds both hope and vengeance.


Seferin


Strange creature. Spitting upon the Gods? Could put the crew at odds with a good number of pirate fellows who follow Gold Shark. On the other hand, she could terrorize soft targets of most any creed to hand over their valuables. Would take Ufiya lot of <drug of choice> to mentally frame denying the gods as a sort of a revolution of its own. Even then, she'd push that thought away quickly.


Xer


A thief? The crew Ufiya ran with before relied more on open acts of terror. With him and Lintha, they could try some different boarding tactics. Best have the Quartermaster keep an eye on this one though. If Ufiya doesn't find out about his skills, then she'll think him another set of hands to keep the ship moving.

 

[Grey]

Spoiler

“Help, Help,” call the kids while the sun still slept under the darkblue blankets. Xer kepted under the warm straw which softened the hard ground. Not wanting to respond he barely opened on eye and turned over. “Let us go” they screamed. He jumped up out of the stack grabbing his shirt which covered him down to his knees worried for trouble which always brew on the streets in the outskirts of the Coral States. Here where one strength held order. Here lies a kid, runt in a family of four brothers with no mama or papa. Here Xer played his game.
As it may he was not special. He was not big and strong like Cho who could pick up rocks his own size to beat up other kids. He was not as quick as Rek who could outrun the guards while carrying supper on his back. Neither was he resourceful like Vel who knew the lands and could guide them on the path for spare coin. Yet somehow he was always on top. His brothers did not know it, for they each held the belief that they were the best. Yes he who never lost a fight, he who never has been caught, and he who always knew the location thought they were the alpha but it was not their selves for which they used their skills for.


It was always Xer’s enemies who lost to Cho. It was always Xer’s wants which were stolen by Rek. It was always Xer’s location which explored by Vel. All three thought they were acting of their interest will but in reality they were manipulated Xer. The youngest brother whose gift was his brain. He would set up the situation in which his brothers wanted to act and allowed fate to take care of the rest. However such a skill in the hands of a child proved dangerous.


Xer knew nothing outside of the streets which he called homed. He knew not the dangers of noblemen and how small he really was in this big world. He knew that one careless mistake and all his power could disappear. What he did not know was how easy he could make that mistake. One night he witness a noble drop something of value. Some man picked it up but lost it to Rek. Xer was treasured it for weeks, never revealing its presences to anyone. The treasure was not his though, and his brothers knew it. They begged him to return it as Vel had received word that someone missed it. Xer did not care for now it was his. Then came that night. His brothers called him out. When he looked he saw that they were being carried away on a horse and disappeared into the night. Xer knew it was his fault and ran back to retrieve the treasure, but the treasure was gone. Xer was confuse as he held it under his eye at all times. Then he realized what his brothers did.


Years passed and Xer suffered being the runt in a family of 1. No more brothers to control, for they never returned. Only he remain. He learned to Move quickly in order to avoid and win fights. He learned to distract and misdirect in order to take what he wanted. He learned to read in order to learn about the land. Years passed and Xer took it all in, but he would never forget what the nobles took away from him. Now that he is 18, he is faster, wiser, more cunning, and more focused. His brothers sacrificed their life to save him, and now he will sacrifice the life of the nobles in order to right the suffering bought on to him.

Interesting. An Outcaste from day one, which is useful. The item may yet be significant again. So he fell in with pirates - might be good to tie him to Lintha or possibly Seferin, since they might have been the ones to teach him to read.


@Action Replay


You still down for this, by the way?


@Cirno - anything significant about your ship, such as a bound spirit or reputation?


I'm going to be starting you guys en route to a prize, and then returning to the dubious safe harbour of the barely-settled islands in the archipelago;


The Isle of Winds, ruled by a mysterious ghost-king and populated by the dead.


Greenstalk, a verdant island in the control of a venerable sea-hag.


Uassan, a large, uninhabited island with the beginnings of a settlement on the coast.


Or the scaffolds of Wandering Isle, where Gold Shark's immediate servants are constructing some sort of mobile temple-city.

 

[Dusky]

Jengo's gonna be drawn to Xer as Xer is closest to his age, and while Jengo's a stubborn mule and not particularly gullible, he's also pretty young and in a really unfamiliar situation, in addition to taking things at face value, so he may be easy for Xer to manipulate if Xer plays his cards right.

 

[Cirno]

@Dusky, @Carl, @Teh Frixz, @Unyielding: Any particular features/rumors that would attract your characters to one pirate vessel over another? @Grey: What are advantages/disadvantages to a ship having a mind of its own? Is the gang interested in having a bound spirit? (Cassandra the CI seems to add a fun dimension to Darkening Skies.) If a ship had a bound spirit and then got stolen by pirates, how would the spirit react?
One thing for reputation, while Ufiya and her former captain split the treasure caches when parting ways, the word that went around was that Ufiya grabbed everything, so she's inherited some enemies from her former captain. Rumour is Ufiya can sniff out other pirates' treasure, so that could be an incentive to join.

 

[Grey]

A bound spirit wouldn't be like a ship mind, more like a useful totem or weapon - depending on the spirit, anyway. For example, it might be a tidal spirit that allows the ship to travel even when the winds are too low to fill the sails.


The power and disposition of the spirit will determine how it reacts to theft.

 

[Dusky]

Jengo just joined the first ship he could - he's interested in not staying long in any spot, room and board, and protection, as well as somewhere that won't ask many questions that could lead to his magic being discovered. Of course, I don't imagine that's likely to stay secret long, but still. So a reputation for taking anyone on without question might draw him, but other than that he's just taking what he can get when it comes.

 

[The Fuzz]

Does Jengo.....know how to swim?

 

[Dusky]

WHAT NO I'M NOT A MAGE WHY WOULD YOU - oh.


He grew up in the Dark Water tribe, so I'm guessing he swam quite frequently for recreational purposes.

 

[The Fuzz]

When my forearm isn't killing me from bbcoding a table of almost all the weapon and armour values, I shall tap up a note on how Lintha likely initially reacts to other player characters.

 

[Unyielding]

If Xer saw someone who has value and that he could "Befriended" then he would gladly join the ship. Xer likes friends. Another thing about Xer is that he loves not only coin but value. He gives everything a value and if he beleives he has control, or an overwhelming influence of the person of group or object, he would gravitate towards it. Or you could just threaten him... that works best... However dont let him get the upper hand cause you will regret it.


Xer the Deciever.