Season 1: Beneath the Surface

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Joshua
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Season 1: Beneath the Surface

Post by Joshua »

I would like to start by saying that the game last night was awesome. Thanks to everyone who showed up, and I hope the ones who couldn't make it show up next time. If you're new to game, this will hopefully give a basic idea of what this game is all about.

Last game marked the end-ish of the first season of the plot. We have 5 seasons planned total, and hopefully they will progress as interestingly as this one did. As the one who wrote most of the season 1 plot, some things worked out better then planned, some things not as good, but most were different. I hope I managed to adapt to the characters well.

I figured I would review a bit of what happened for those who missed it. The rumor mill in character would be going full steam at what occurred. Also, for those who were there, I'll be mentioning a bit of where the scenes came from. Sorry to be wordy, I just wanted people to see a little of that I do.

To start, the big scene last game was the prince pulling out a shotgun on Elysium and shooting an unarmed vampire named Ekkehard. (A new NPC who showed up last game.) For those of you aware of the issue, the prince isn't allowed to break Elysium. But the scene didn't start there. It started a few games ago, when the prince bloodhunted an out-of-town Invictus elder named Alexander. Since a number of PCs (and some NPCs) looked into why the prince would blood hunt Alexander, this elder became aware of what occurred. Alexander, being invictus immediately thought "An old associate/enemy has blood hunted me in a city I will never visit. This offends me." As such, he looked at his allies and thought, "Joseph hates Nazi's, and this scientist guy has been overstepping his bounds. That should do." So, Ekkehard was sent to court to make a nuisance, and die for Alexander's blood hunt.
Ekkehard was visiting to demand to learn blood alchemy from Martin, publicly threatening Martin with "Martin's real name". Then proceeding to make an ass of himself. Eventually, the prince found out that Ekkehard was a Nazi, and proceeded to violate Elysium, and demand court kill Ekkehard. He also demonstrated (blatantly) that both Joseph and Martin have power over the Elysium building itself, although Joseph's power is stronger. (There's a metaphor there.)
The aftermath was in a few parts. Martin and most of the prisci council asked Joseph to admit he was wrong, which he did.
Ekkehard was ashed in the back of a taxi while fleeing the city. (With the city itself trying to stop him from leaving.)
Some newcomers were given status, some others were chewed out by the prince. Political tensions are higher then they have been, and the prince was shown as both more powerful than the keeper, but weaker then the court.
Last, as every member of court will receive in a bight, laminated, note in big, bold lettering and fancy font, in a personally delivered envelope, "Devlin did not lose status for saying that Bishop Carl is a whipped dog."

There was more, and I might post some highlights.
jaf
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Re: Season 1: Beneith the Surface

Post by jaf »

it was a very cool scene.
Michael
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Re: Season 1: Beneith the Surface

Post by Michael »

I agree, if season 2-5 has anywhere near the intrigue and coolness factor I cant wait. great job True Brian and Josh.
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Joshua
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Re: Season 1: Beneath the Surface

Post by Joshua »

I've been trying to think of some other really good scenes. This one ends on a kind of dark humor.

The auction house comes to mind. An estate sale of Simeon's (the torpored elder's) house on the canal. There was a lot of good parts to that, including Pearl swapping / stealing all the important books from the silent auction of Simeon's library. That was the sane part of the scene. Also during the silent auction, Sol was entranced by a painting of Simeon. (Yes, I do mean the painting used Majesty 3.)

So after the auction, several vampires went to sneak into the house to steal the painting and other artifacts. Well, Sol snuck in with obfuscate, where he encountered the vaulted door in the basement, and managed to sneak into it. This is when two rat host, using stolen bodies of guards, decided to also steal the painting. (Rat host can burrow through the belly button, eat a persons heart, and animate the not quite dead corpse. Nasty stuff really.)

So, they kill the guards outside, and grab the painting. The painting (which has Auspex, seriously) asked Sol to save it. About this time, anther guard found the rat host trying to steal the painting, and one of them dissolved into a swarm of rats to deal with him. This freaked Sol out, naturally, but he did manage to grab the painting and obfuscate with it.

Also round this time, the Circle of the Crone decides to break in, killing what's left of the guards. This ends with the rat host fleeing and ditching the bodies they had, and the Circle picking up the two bodies where it looked like rats burst, alien's style, out of the chests. The bodies were stashed in Colin's character's car.

So, later that night, the Circle was investigating a mafia body disposal site. The conversation went about like this:

"We should call them and say we have a body to dispose of."
"Where are we going to get bodies?"
"Wait! I've got two in my trunk!"
Michael
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Re: Season 1: Beneath the Surface

Post by Michael »

you know josh that reminds me, do you and brian have a mortal kill count? just wondering how many innocent lives have been snuffed out before there time since game started?
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Joshua
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Re: Season 1: Beneath the Surface

Post by Joshua »

We don't have a current kill count for mortals. Part of the reason is that not all the deaths have been the result of PC action.

For example, it's a well known fact that meth labs explode. A bunch of Mehket charging into a meth lab where a uratha in garou form is tearing the place apart, well, that's just asking for it. Still, when there was reports of such a thing happening (multiple police cars were called for this one), I think every mehket in the game decided to enter the building and engage the werewolf. They snuck up to the top floor of the two story house, observing dead drug dealers and kicked down the door the werewolf was behind. As the circle of the crone leapt into the fray with the werewolf, the fire spirit totem that was following him decided to blow up the building.

Surprisingly, none of the Mekhet were killed, but a lot of them did take aggravated damage.
Michael
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Re: Season 1: Beneath the Surface

Post by Michael »

Sol was not there.
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Joshua
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Re: Season 1: Beneath the Surface

Post by Joshua »

I guess it was just the Circle of the Crone then. Still, burning meth labs are not where you want any vampire to be.

Looking backwards, we've come o the beginning of game. Bloody Mary. (And if you don't know who she is, go into a bathroom, look in the mirror, and say her name 3 times. I heard it also works with Candyman.) Of course, those who know me know I like to mix things up. So, this time, one of the NPCs (and it's still debatable on which one) delivered the Shield of Perseus to a place of power for her. This caused her to merge with the reflection of Medusa on the shield, and well, instead of tearing faces off, she started turning them to stone and having them fall off.

It's always amusing as an ST to see how players deal with threats that cannot kill them. Still, one of the real goals of the game was to inspire some actual horror. Vampire was originally a game of personal horror, before it became all about superpowers and sparkles (and politics). That isn't to say that politics or weird blood powers are bad, but one thing that enhances them (in my opinion), is the horror of it. Sculpting your blood to allow you to control others, move faster, or vanish from perception has a horror aspect to it. Even superheroes in comics occasionally realize that having powers makes them something other than human.

So, the goal was to come up with an idea that was horrific, but also encouraged tinkering. To create this ghost that turned peoples faces to stone and stole them, and on some level, to let people know how it was done, and how easy it was to do. There was no ritual, no spell, just an object of power placed at a ghost's fetter. To try to ask the question "We can do this, but should we?" There are two answers to that question, and we're hoping to see both of them.

Anyhow, this Mary was easy to summon in game. Maimed a few young girls, and yet, in the first reports of Mary, a child stopped her by breaking the mirror Mary emerged from. No superpowers, no Cruac, just a child with a heavy glass who knew where to throw it. A lot of the spirits and enemies in game are like that.

It also lead to humor. Frank (the sheriff) had his face turned to stone 3 times by Mary. The third time, he came into court with something covering his face, and was asked something like "Lose your face again?" (well, okay, i thought it was funny.)

So, if you are in the game already, or are thinking of joining, let me know what you think. If you've been to game, what have you really enjoyed scene-wise or plot-wise? If you haven't, what would make you interested enough to stop by?

and last, thanks to everyone for making this a great game.
jaf
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Re: Season 1: Beneath the Surface

Post by jaf »

it dosent end there does it? i mean is that the conclusion or it hasent concluded chapter 1 ? i never saw that marry chick.
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Joshua
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Re: Season 1: Beneath the Surface

Post by Joshua »

She'll be back. ^_^
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