Dice The Soulbound Pact - OOC

[Raparth]

Here we can do all that extra chatting that inevitably needs to happen!

As a general note (and you are all welcome to come up with your own), the death of your character's previous existence (and how they gained the Black Exaltation) can offer great inspiration for Resonance Triggers. As an example, two Abyssal NPCs' triggers: "When someone humiliates, belittles, or puts me in my place" and "When someone tries to selflessly aid me." The former is basically straight off the Solar list and the second one (which I think might need a little tweaking, but it's that general idea) is probably far less likely for most Solars to have.

Threads:
Character Thread
Scroll of Lore (Information Thread)

 

[Esbilon]

I was thinking of using the Daybreak Anima power to have a cadre of chosen ghosts, but really I'd like to have large (infinite?) realm where I can store ghosts until they are needed.

 

[Esbilon]

Maybe an artifact sword, so that when asked "you and what army?" I can raise my sword, have a horde of mixed warrior ghosts appear and say "me and this army!"

 

[Crocodile]

I figure my guy will build a death cult around himself. As nice as the dead are for cannon fodder, Shadowland and other mortals devoted fanatically to a master is something I'm aiming more for. Kind of the whole idea that death is just a reward for good service. And that their spirits totally should rejoice in being taken and forged into Soulsteel implements for me. lol

Sort of Thulsa Doom from the old Conan movie. Vast followers that he's militarizing for carving out his dark empire.

 

[Black Prophet Legacy]

My Character idea so far is turning Krang from TMNT into an Abysmal. I am thinking an actual baby that was killed in some kind of Thaumaturgical sorcery. Appreciates the Deathlord(s) for the opportunity to have a chance at existence. Uses Necrotech to craft a hulking monstrosity to hitch a ride inside. From the way I read the rules in 2e Black Magic book this seems very easy to port over.

 

[Blackadder]

Hmm so it looks like one or more Daybreaks and a Midnight? Any Day or Dusk Castes people have in mind?

 

[Crocodile]

Dusk I think is my angle with the army of mortal fanatics but I can shift that.

 

[Raparth]

Maybe an artifact sword, so that when asked "you and what army?" I can raise my sword, have a horde of mixed warrior ghosts appear and say "me and this army!"

An infinite capacity of ghosts seems a liiiiiiittle problematic. That said, having more than a Twilight gets would make sense, given the harsher restriction to ghosts (i.e daytime in Creation). That said, with the sword as an idea, this might be more an evocation thing (possibly freeing you from the requirement to be Daybreak, if you only wanted the anima power). It might start as something that claims/stores souls (which can possibly whisper advice to you?), then has a high-level (maybe even capstone) Evocation of manifesting your ghost army. The ability to on-demand summon a Battle Group seems something otherwise unparalleled in the core (although I'll hunt for more comparisons later today), so (with the nature of ghosts considered) putting it up in an Evocation tree (to a serious artifact) seems like it should protect the balance better.

I figure my guy will build a death cult around himself. As nice as the dead are for cannon fodder, Shadowland and other mortals devoted fanatically to a master is something I'm aiming more for. Kind of the whole idea that death is just a reward for good service. And that their spirits totally should rejoice in being taken and forged into Soulsteel implements for me. lol

Sort of Thulsa Doom from the old Conan movie. Vast followers that he's militarizing for carving out his dark empire.

Sounds cool! Something that appeared in the very close neighborhood in Ex3 that I've been looking closely at (and you might as well) is Medo and Karasch, where the dead already serve alongside the living. Influence, Followers, and Cult seem right up your character's alley.

My Character idea so far is turning Krang from TMNT into an Abysmal. I am thinking an actual baby that was killed in some kind of Thaumaturgical sorcery. Appreciates the Deathlord(s) for the opportunity to have a chance at existence. Uses Necrotech to craft a hulking monstrosity to hitch a ride inside. From the way I read the rules in 2e Black Magic book this seems very easy to port over.

I will never cease to be surprised by your character concepts! If this is what you settle on, I think I have some Plot-y things that can line up to make it reasonable (well as reasonable as it can get). This would probably be a situation where your character has a Flaw that rarely comes up (since you have this handy necrotech body that helps you bypass it), but when you have trouble with something due to the Flaw, you'd qualify for the Solar XP (not that it is usually hard to get them, but that's the way the system rewards you for Flaws that impair your character).

Hmm so it looks like one or more Daybreaks and a Midnight? Any Day or Dusk Castes people have in mind?

No love for Moonshadows, Blackadder? Not even a mention!

 

[Blackadder]

I wasn't sure whether Erasmus' concept was a Moonshadow or not. A Moonie is also on the possible radar.

 

[Blackadder]

What sort of tactics does the Mistress prefer? That might help in shaping my character concept.

 

[Raparth]

I received a very quick response from the current Devs about necrotechy bits, relevant to several of you:

Necrotech isn't going to exist as a discrete category any more. Undead siege engines are likely to be the result of necromancy in Ex3, rather than Craft.

We can still work on all sorts of artifacts and artifice and what have you that are mechanically the same, but happen to be all deathly in whatever means, but here at least is a good indication that focusing on necromancy may be better for many of these things than Craft.

What sort of tactics does the Mistress prefer? That might help in shaping my character concept.

Without going into too many details and schemes, I'll tell you that the Bene Gesserit (if you're familiar with the Dune series) were a significant inspiration for the Mistress of Soulbound Pacts Written in Blood. If you're not, no worries, it's just an easy reference. So, here is an overview of things that can are publically observed:

The Keeper of Truths Most Forbidden prefers to have a web of influence, whether subtle or otherwise, in as many places as possible. Allegiance can be secret, so long as it answers when called upon, and the presence of her forces are often [publically] that of advisers or traders. She engages in theological discourse with the Bishop and the Walker, but is much more orthopraxic than orthodoxic in her focus. The Mistress has a network of embassies or other holdings, but it is more comparable to the spread of a powerful organization rather than a kingdom or empire. The area around the Chapterhouse of Obdurate Fetters is a lethal place to go if one has not been invited, however. Her troops might not be the most numerous in the Underworld, but they are incredibly efficient and are backed by powerful necromancers, as well as the massive barghests that the Deathlord keeps as pets.
She's in a cold war of sorts with the Lover Clad in the Raiment of Tears (who is now in the Far North in Ex3, with Gradefes MIA from new lore [I'm still figuring out where to plop it]). The Bishop (way west end of the North) and the Deathlords in the Scavenger Lands have given them a fairly wide berth. There are probably rare whispers (far from the ears of the Deathlords or their devoted servants) that maybe the Keeper and the Lover are just two faces of the same coin, and it's all just an elaborate ruse or passion play, as ancient ghosts tend to engage in.
The Timeless Order of Manacle and Coin has a... working relationship in the lands of the Mistress. Neither cares for the other, but neither wants an enemy. That said, the chapterhouses could become the biggest competitor the Timeless Order faces in the North, if the Keeper's principal concern was profit.
In general, think a sort of... quasi-religious order, wanting to guide what happens, instead of sitting on the throne. She's generally prefered to avoid open conflict, but

Feel free to ask any other questions, if I missed something you're curious about.

 

[Blackadder]

So it sounds like an Abyssal Bureaucrat Moonshadow is the way to go. I'll try that.

 

[Crocodile]

Very appealing to my inner Dune fan.

 

[Crocodile]

Ooooh, now I want to make my followers like Sardukar. lol

 

[Black Prophet Legacy]

I received a very quick response from the current Devs about necrotechy bits, relevant to several of you:

We can still work on all sorts of artifacts and artifice and what have you that are mechanically the same, but happen to be all deathly in whatever means, but here at least is a good indication that focusing on necromancy may be better for many of these things than Craft.

Feel free to ask any other questions, if I missed something you're curious about.

I don't care how this gets onto paper, so long as "thematically" we can agree that my baby body is inside the damn flesh engine.

 

[Raparth]

I don't care how this gets onto paper, so long as "thematically" we can agree that my baby body is inside the damn flesh engine.

The flesh-engine is easy. I'm just trying to figure out how to justify your character being able to consent to the Black Exaltation, since it's a deal that must be accepted. I'll try to dredge up some "creativity" from the depths of Malfeas and the Labyrinth.

That said, as far as mechanics are concerned, it's really easy to say "hey, I have this artifact/constructed body I'm walking around in that counteracts my physical limitations," and then just represent your character as, essentially normal. It just becomes an issue when, if ever, someone's able to separate the two parts.

 

[Black Prophet Legacy]

Well that is quite literally how the Turtles defeat Krang every time. I kind of expect that going into it. Do you want me to take some kind of construct out for the MoEP: Abyssals and just call it like a 4/5 artifact then? I guess the Bonestrider on pg 213 is exactly that.

 

[Crocodile]

If I might interject, the child could have been borne fully aware or was about to and awakened to a fully developed mind prior. God knows Creation has some weird situations, especially with magic and wyld energy bleeding through in regions.

 

[Vivisector]

If anyone is looking for editable PDF character sheets, Mr. Gone has made several. Mr. Gone has never let me down, and I've been using his sheets for years.

As for character, I'm planing a Daybreak Caste with a primary focus on medical/alchemical experimentation. She knows that death comes to all things, and one of the most effective and insidious methods of death is disease. Her goal is to bring the gift and release of death to the whole of Creation through sweeping illness. While she may find it necessary to cure the sick on occasion, it is only to discern the weakness of the disease to create a more perfect infection. Necromancy is a means to an end, fueling supernatural aspects of her great work. Mundane, everyday diseases are cured by the simplest of means and Charms; they simply will not do. One infused with the magical workings of death itself? Now that might do the trick.

 

[Black Prophet Legacy]

The flesh-engine is easy. I'm just trying to figure out how to justify your character being able to consent to the Black Exaltation, since it's a deal that must be accepted. I'll try to dredge up some "creativity" from the depths of Malfeas and the Labyrinth.

This might be too out there, but I was thinking maybe he was born deformed. In a world of magic would you try to "fix" a broken baby? If so, would Solars be OK with that?

 

[Raparth]

This might be too out there, but I was thinking maybe he was born deformed. In a world of magic would you try to "fix" a broken baby? If so, would Solars be OK with that?

There aren't really enough Solars around to be influencing society quite so quickly. They were just recently freed from the Jade Prison. Also, a Solar probably wouldn't have messed it up (Solar Medicine Charms are insanely good).
Now, thaumaturgy (kind of like "sorcery" in World of Darkness, but very unlike sorcery in Exalted) is the art that gifted mortals can use to do minor miracles. There would be societies where, in the event that a deformed child was born, they might use some sort of thaumaturgical art to try and fix it.

Feel free to say no (or "change A to B"), but here's a possible scene. It's something that can be easily put into [nearly] any culture in Creation. Also, you certainly don't have to, but if you like this setup, it's a good excuse to buy Whispers (a Merit).

Spoiler: Story Time

Sister Gentea carefully scooped up the sleeping infant. She bundled it in white cloth, which hid the strange tracings of scar-tissue across the mottled skin, almost like some alien ideograms. It's mother had suffered through her pregnancy and the healers had been unable to save her from the trauma of birth. The others were worried, whispering that the child was a curse, but Gentea knew that once she cleansed it of its physical deformities that the others would start to warm.
Night had fallen, but it was best to be reborn for a new day. She hurried across the courtyard, her feet moving with familiar surety, despite the moonless sky above. Within her ritual chamber, as she went to lay the baby delicately in the middle, she was startled to find those eyes watching her again. They were quiet eyes, for the baby never cried, but they were always watching. She'd hoped that it would sleep through the ritual, but there was nothing for it now.
"There there, sweet thing. You'll feel better soon."
As the Sister placed the bowls of pure water, fresh earth, and living wood, an attendant came in to ask if she need anything, and to offer a warm drink to keep away the chill. "Thank you, Owari, but I will be fine. The tea is appreciated, but you should really return to bed."
The younger woman bowed and left, leaving Sister Gentea to check her notes as she sipped the tea. She had never seen this particular deformities, but she had spent years helping those whose twisted bodies doomed them. As she checked some of her oldest texts, she noticed something in the margins. A quick glance back showed the child staring straight at her, still where she'd sat it, but otherwise doing nothing. In the tome, in a corner where some scholar from perhaps hundreds of years ago, had scribbled something akin to one of the shapes in the scar-tissue. It was uncanny, providential even. She smiled then drained the rest of the cup, sure that this merciful work was meant to be.

Lighting a fire of specially prepared incense in the final bowl, she raised her hands as she walked sunwise around the circle, beseeching the purity of the elements, those basic building blocks of all Creation, to remake the child.

"Blessed Earth, foundation of the world, hold up this child in its time of need." The sounds from outside quieted and the wind died. She felt as if she could not breathe, but steeled herself to continue, for she had done this ritual so many times before.

"Holy Fire, forge of life, burn away the darkness and imperfection that plagues this soul." There was a swirl of wind, and the malformed skin and tissue began to flake away like ash, revealing muscle, tendon, and bone. Something was caught in the Sister's throat, but the infant did not cry.

"Soothing Waters, lifeblood of us all, remak-" She coughed, and tried to start again, "remake the flesh-". This time, the cough brought blood, and she stumbled. As Sister Gentea fell, she who had healed so many, she saw her ritual failed, her last work left undone.

The infant, scourged of its deformed flesh, but none grown anew, gasped quietly, alone, and grew cold. The candles died as a silhouette, darker than the sky behind it, stood in the entrance.

Your fate was cut short, child, but another awaits.

 

[Blackadder]

So how are we going to handle the additional charms? Some Mirrors, some just altered, some whatever is in the hack?

 

[Raparth]

So how are we going to handle the additional charms? Some Mirrors, some just altered, some whatever is in the hack?

• Assume everything has a Mirror, unless it clearly needs to be altered (which is mostly high Essence Charms).
• We can alter anything that someone has a particular idea for (which will be our solution if Mirroring doesn't work for a Charm).
• Some of both are already within Whom Death Has Called. This is a starting, not an ending, point.

 

[Black Prophet Legacy]

Your fate was cut short, child, but another awaits.
[/SPOILER]

I like it

 

[Raparth]

Black Prophet Legacy What else will your character be good at or designed around? Specifically, I'm wondering if we make it a heavy armor artifact and then it can have Evocations that highlight the fact it's just not normal armor. Vixthral, the Cradle of Ruin, or something... It can still feel necrotechy, if you want, but it'll mechanically be a soulsteel artifact. The Keeper could have crafted it, or had someone craft it, to house/contain the Abyssal.

Esbilon Are there any powers of the sword that you're leaning to besides claiming souls and manifesting ghostly troops? (e.g. Does getting advice from the souls stored within seem like something that fits your theme?)

And, for all, let me know if there's anything I can do to help with characters.