Fantasy The Conference Room (OOC)

[Kylesar1]

Kylesar1

I've been brainstorming some character concepts. Well, mostly one, but I want to introduce two characters at some point.

One will be another Stonerose recruit. I have almost nothing at all figured out about them. I know they'll be a lot different from Nancy, but they won't be foils of each other like Bogrum/Fergie. Probably won't interact as much together either. For this, I want to play out two very separate lives rather than two friends joined at the hip.


The other I have much more figured out. She's an old Naga/Gorgon sage who runs a magic shop (specialist or general, not sure yet). Large and frightening to the human populace, especially because she serves a Daedric Lord. She gets decent business with the other marginalized populace mainly, and also because of her hundreds of years of expertise.

She's in need of workers after an "incident" scared off her employees, and few are either willing to put aside their prejudice towards her or can't meet her high standards in general. This is where Nancy comes in. I figure after the upcoming Mirage Flower task, whether he succeeds or not, will highlight that he desperately needs proper guidance on alchemy if he's to do this professionally. Through whatever natural progression, Nancy will become her apprentice, and work part-time at her shop.
Not sure if the Guild would like one of their few members being unavailable for parts of the week, but perhaps the promise that he'll use his honed skills for the Guild either primarily or exclusively might sweeten the pot.
I'll be playing as her because I have a very specific vision for how their dynamic will play out. Matronly and emphatic towards his struggles, but harsh when need be. Nancy tends to victimize and limit himself, and those vices are what hold him back from his true potential the most.

She died during the first war, to explain her absence in the Pirate RP.

The sounds pretty damn good (the Naga/Gorgon since you've started figured it out already). Him working part time is perfectly fine since...... Well the only character that works for the Stoneroses full time is Efi and even she is trying to start her own shop. Nancy will just have to make an appeal to Arnold

There can always be a part 2 for the Mirage Flower. There's finding the Flower (which is the mission) and then there's transmuting it to something else. Of course he can pass fail that and it be a thing, but that can play out how it does.

Spoiler: There will be a transmutation part involved in the part 2

It'll be an interesting conversation between Arnold and Nancy though. The Mirage Flower will be a big deal. It's something that appeals to Nancy's skillset

 

[WayfaringWaaksian]

Kylesar1

Oh that's right. I forgor.

I have a few paths in mind of how the whole thing gets kicked off by this task, so that should be no trouble. Transmuting stuff (turning something into another different thing, rather than isolating and concentrating traits of ingredients) is def not something Nancy has a lot of experience in, so this is gonna be a doozy for him. More than the original quest was going to be, in ways, which is funny to me.
In some way, the Naga character is going to end up helping him in the task, so it's not randomly just "hey can I be your apprentice", "sure yeah". She's too damn picky for some rando to come up and ask for her to be their teacher (as much a fault as a benefit).

Only thing I'd need help with is developing what Daedric Lord she'd be serving, since Divinity is strictly GM domain. I'd have to develop her some more, as her own character isolated from Nancy, to figure out what themes I want to go with. But as a starter, I know she's been a spy/assassin in her earlier years, before settling down in the merchant's life. Something regarding to stealth, secrecy, and taboo knowledge would make the most sense for her, but motifs like shadows and such would be too obvious. She's more of a "hiding in plain sight" type. Huge-ass snake, and all.

Hell, I should probably do what I've done with Vlad, figure out her ins and outs first, then discuss the exacts of who she serves with you after the fact. I've been chipping away at a ref sheet, so I'll probably finish that, leave the Daedric Lord stuff ambiguous, then fill that out after we've talked about it.

 

[Kylesar1]

Kylesar1

Oh that's right. I forgor.

I have a few paths in mind of how the whole thing gets kicked off by this task, so that should be no trouble. Transmuting stuff (turning something into another different thing, rather than isolating and concentrating traits of ingredients) is def not something Nancy has a lot of experience in, so this is gonna be a doozy for him. More than the original quest was going to be, in ways, which is funny to me.
In some way, the Naga character is going to end up helping him in the task, so it's not randomly just "hey can I be your apprentice", "sure yeah". She's too damn picky for some rando to come up and ask for her to be their teacher (as much a fault as a benefit).

Only thing I'd need help with is developing what Daedric Lord she'd be serving, since Divinity is strictly GM domain. I'd have to develop her some more, as her own character isolated from Nancy, to figure out what themes I want to go with. But as a starter, I know she's been a spy/assassin in her earlier years, before settling down in the merchant's life. Something regarding to stealth, secrecy, and taboo knowledge would make the most sense for her, but motifs like shadows and such would be too obvious. She's more of a "hiding in plain sight" type. Huge-ass snake, and all.

Hell, I should probably do what I've done with Vlad, figure out her ins and outs first, then discuss the exacts of who she serves with you after the fact. I've been chipping away at a ref sheet, so I'll probably finish that, leave the Daedric Lord stuff ambiguous, then fill that out after we've talked about it.

The mission will go into Nancy's skillset. It can always be something like collecting it and then depending on Nancy to transmute it. It can be a nice pivot point.

If you want her to serve a Daedric Lord, just tell me the Lord and abilities. Only if it's world-breaking will I reject it. Same with Vlad. Then again, only if it's ultra-specific and bad will I ever reject it

• It to mean the Daedric Lord or the abilities it grants them. Go crazy and I promise I will reel it in.
  • OR if you're hesitant, just ask. I'll be honest without being an asshole lmao

 

[WayfaringWaaksian]

Kylesar1

Sounds good to me
I'll keep working on that ref, and I'll lay out a basic concept for the Lord (or Lady). Though a baseline of how Daedric Deities in this setting work in general might help, since the separation from "Unholy" wasn't long ago. I have a good idea of how Holy Gods work in this setting, but not the opposite folk. It's not a necessity, but I'm curious in general.

 

[WayfaringWaaksian]

Kylesar1

So now that Zeltzin is public, I'll share the concept I had for her Daedric Lord.

Coprini the Clandestine, Daedric Lady of Taboos ; AKA, The Clandestine Lady
Elements: Earth, Daedric
Animal Appearance: Scarab Beetle/Grub

Her theme is, if you'll excuse the pun, digging up dirt on people. Finding secrets buried underneath, whether that be something as benign as a diary full of scandalous musings, or unspeakable atrocities hidden under bloodied dirt. Genocides, cold-blooded murder, or sexual deviancy, to name the more extreme points of interest for her, but anything that brings social stigma is encompassed in her domain. Not necessarily celebrating the acts themselves, but the scandal they can cause, and using that blackmail as leverage.
Basically, she's a drama whore, but ramped to 11 because Divinity. Not sure how literal the ground theme goes, if her Earthen domain is the literal ground like Mariana's is the Deepest Deeps, or if she can detect when something isn't supposed to be seen.

Her Moral Alignment is very neutral, leaning towards evil given her willingness to use people's secrets for personal gain. But followers can be anywhere on the spectrum, using her power to whistleblow an evil leader, to tear down a political rival, or just defame someone they don't like. But of course, there's limits to what's approved, mostly to avoid contention with the other Divine and the Law. And there's a steep price for her knowledge, often in the form of servitude or to fulfill a grueling task at her whim.

One thing of note is that all of her most Favored followers, her highest disciples, are female or femme-presenting. They don't have to be cisgender or adhere to the gender binary, they just have to not identify as a man, though most are cisgender women. This is mainly because occupations where high-profile information can be gathered are predominantly female in most circles. Like servants, caretakers, secretarial work, people who aren't necessarily working with the high-profile stuff but can have access to it. It's also a thematic thing.

 

[Kylesar1]

WayfaringWaaksian
Add a weakness to Holy for Zeltzan (since she's Daedric) and she's accepted

I had to debate about having a God that keeps their ranks shut to an entire gender. Not against the idea per se, but I had to think about why (from a lore perspective) that would be the case since Gods are supposed to get power from their devoted. Like, if the ranks are naturally gonna be mostly women, why the explicit restriction. I'll allow it, BUT it'll have to be explained why within her lore


As for the location for the Daedric Lady of Taboos, Mariana is the Goddess/Lady of DOMAINS (like actual physical locations) whereas Coprini is a lady of a concept. Since Coprini's jurisdiction is NOT physical, all she needs is that sanctified location for commune/pilgrimage purposes

You can always make one up, like I did with Banera (the Deep Stone Crypt). It just has to be not easily accessible. For the Clandestine, I would say maybe a place that requires a process to even reveal, not unlike what they had to do to reveal Kraiven, a place that exists but is so rarely talked about that said existence is debated

Oh, and for this Lady of Taboos, she definitely knows Elaina as a common information broker to her followers...... And knows that some of Elaina's CS is a lie. That doesn't have to play into any of these RPs at all. Coprini is one of 5 who Elaina had rejected Divine Favor from before becoming a Witch

 

[WayfaringWaaksian]

Add a weakness to Holy for Zeltzan (since she's Daedric) and she's accepted

Shoot, knew I was forgetting something
Fixed it


So I deliberated on the gender thing, and... eh. I can't think of a good enough lore reason, so instead of all men being barred, let's say Coprini just has a bias towards women in general. It's not unheard of for her to choose a male disciple, but it's a pretty big deal when she does because it's so rare.

As for the sanctified location, that would be The Shrouded Pyramid. An enormous structure, not different from the ancient Egyptian pyramids save for the fact that it's completely upside down, held up by the single point of its apex. An architectural impossibility, how she built this is a secret she'll never share. It's completely black against the sunned sands of the desert it resides in, shrouded in its own shadow.
To see it at all requires a set of conditions that only those who've studied her texts can fulfill, appearing invisible to all else (though some say it appears as a hazy mirage to anyone lost in the desert and addled by dehydration). Entering through the door of the apex begins a trial of puzzles, each ascending layer more intensive than the last. Followers well-versed in her texts and gifted by her with knowledge of her ciphers will have little trouble reaching the "base". The unauthorized will quickly fall prey to the deadly traps littered throughout.
Upon reaching the top, the truth of the structure is revealed... which is something I'm tempted to keep to myself for now. But Followers will find a massive library full of forbidden texts, burned books and documents of secrets others tried their damnedest to keep hidden. A Follower who brings an offering of newly discovered knowledge will be greatly favored by the Clandestine.
After their first time entering, a Favored Follower can look back and always see the Pyramid in its true form, and it will always appear visible to them.


And as a side note, her personality is pretty candid. She's chatty and aims to loosen up whoever she speaks with-- to try to solicit info about themselves, of course. But she is absolutely RUTHLESS when it comes to her gossiper nature. Punishments to wayward followers often comes in the form of humiliation, their private matters revealed to those they'd most fear. It serves as a reminder that no one keeps secrets from the Clandestine, let alone her own devoted.

Oh, and for this Lady of Taboos, she definitely knows Elaina as a common information broker to her followers...... And knows that some of Elaina's CS is a lie. That doesn't have to play into any of these RPs at all. Coprini is one of 5 who Elaina had rejected Divine Favor from before becoming a Witch

There... might be some Coprini-related shenanigans in Pirate.
By might, I mean will. But that will be pretty slow-burn in terms of relevance. I imagine when Mariana became the Deepest Deeps, that was a point of interest for the Clandestine. So many secrets lay buried in the deep, after all.

 

[WayfaringWaaksian]

Honestly "the Shrouded Pyramid" is a working title, or at least the unofficial name used in rumors about it. It should be something fancier, but names always come to me last

 

[Kylesar1]

Honestly "the Shrouded Pyramid" is a working title, or at least the unofficial name used in rumors about it. It should be something fancier, but names always come to me last

Rumor names are fine. A real name won't be required until it comes into play

On second thought, maybe not the existence is so secret that it's debated. More like the rumors about it are so numerous that most people don't know what's true and what's not. A hidden in plain sight type of deal. Anyways, since it's your idea, you can decide



Both Zeltzan and Coprini are accepted. When you do an official lore writeup on Coprini, I'll add her to the list of Daedric Lords

 

[WayfaringWaaksian]

The hiding in plain sight idea I like a lot more, actually. It plays into Zeltzin's general theme as well, her being a giant snake person and all, with so many conflicting rumors that it's enough to muddle the truth.

Nice! I'll chip away at that, though my priorities now will be to get a Guild post out, as well as a ref for the character who will show up in the next Pirate arc. Then again, the details are already in for Coprini, so it shouldn't take long...
Whatever comes first, I suppose, but Guild post is top on the list.