The Powers That Be (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
powersthatbe) wrote2019-01-12 06:24 pm
powersthatbe) wrote2019-01-12 06:24 pm
Market of the Vanities: Plot Role Info.
If you are not a plot infiltrator or someone with IC reasons to share knowledge available to plot infiltrators, please do not read the comments of this post.
If you ARE a plot infiltrator, please comment under your toplevel to let us know you've read it; please also pop over here to announce your plotroleishness to the game at large. We prefer that you do any confidential plotting with other plot-important folks in the comments here, rather than on plurk, and please comment no later than January 23rd, January 31st, February 8th, February 16th, & February 24th with a brief (as brief as 1 sentence; as long as you like) summary of your activity during the week & plans for next week. These comments will help the mods shape mingles and plot events to keep the story dynamic and player actions important to the outcome. Likewise, comment at any time with any questions you may have, and a mod will get back to you within 36 hours at the outside.
-Links to folklore are included not to pigeonhole you into using those names or background details, but only to share our inspirations for the roles and allow you to draw from them as much or little as you like.
-All your characters may be safely assumed to have access to monetary resources and minor magic items to sell or trade; doing so will constitute skill proof for the character receiving the item. Such magic items should convey a minor advantage, a cantrip or trick - an endless torch, a self-mending piece of clothing, a sword that draws itself in times of danger - but not an item that conveys a major advantage or wholly new ability, such as a sword that fights on its own, a torch that can light endless fires, or clothing that can alter itself into other outfits. If you're not sure of an item or want to sell or trade something more powerful, contact the mods under your toplevel and ask - the Market is meant to be a place of wonders and you're the biggest suppliers in it.
-Obviously the skills listed below are exceptional even by Traveler standards. If you have concerns about a skill, yours or someone else's, potentially unbalancing the game, please let us know ASAP so we can address that concern & work out a fix if necessary. Your characters are under no obligation to sell, trade, or give away these skills, but are able to do so, and we've worked to give many or most of you some possible motivation to justify the skill trades. If you cannot imagine a circumstance where your character would make any trades, let us know so we can clarify and explain.
If you ARE a plot infiltrator, please comment under your toplevel to let us know you've read it; please also pop over here to announce your plotroleishness to the game at large. We prefer that you do any confidential plotting with other plot-important folks in the comments here, rather than on plurk, and please comment no later than January 23rd, January 31st, February 8th, February 16th, & February 24th with a brief (as brief as 1 sentence; as long as you like) summary of your activity during the week & plans for next week. These comments will help the mods shape mingles and plot events to keep the story dynamic and player actions important to the outcome. Likewise, comment at any time with any questions you may have, and a mod will get back to you within 36 hours at the outside.
-Links to folklore are included not to pigeonhole you into using those names or background details, but only to share our inspirations for the roles and allow you to draw from them as much or little as you like.
-All your characters may be safely assumed to have access to monetary resources and minor magic items to sell or trade; doing so will constitute skill proof for the character receiving the item. Such magic items should convey a minor advantage, a cantrip or trick - an endless torch, a self-mending piece of clothing, a sword that draws itself in times of danger - but not an item that conveys a major advantage or wholly new ability, such as a sword that fights on its own, a torch that can light endless fires, or clothing that can alter itself into other outfits. If you're not sure of an item or want to sell or trade something more powerful, contact the mods under your toplevel and ask - the Market is meant to be a place of wonders and you're the biggest suppliers in it.
-Obviously the skills listed below are exceptional even by Traveler standards. If you have concerns about a skill, yours or someone else's, potentially unbalancing the game, please let us know ASAP so we can address that concern & work out a fix if necessary. Your characters are under no obligation to sell, trade, or give away these skills, but are able to do so, and we've worked to give many or most of you some possible motivation to justify the skill trades. If you cannot imagine a circumstance where your character would make any trades, let us know so we can clarify and explain.
Angel of Scorpions: Barry Bluejeans
Thread Expectation: two threads/ten comments per mingle.
Check-In Expectation: tell the mods whenever you bestow a Wholesale Sin; see below!
Privileged Information: Heaven has never cared about the Princedom of the Market, and Heaven did not tell you to expect the Marshal of the Hailstorms. The Divine moves in disgustingly mysterious ways, and as usual, you are left in the dark as to why.
Outlook: Being stationed among those who hover between Heaven and Hell is not comfortable for an Angel. Eschaton after Eschaton of this has left you thoroughly despising not only the selfishness of the demons and the vacillation of the Sithen, but the self-righteousness of your fellow Angels, the failure of potential of Peregrines, the hubris of the Immortali. You also despise your own jaded bitterness. How weary, stale, flat, and unprofitable seem to me all the uses of this world!
Goals: Damn the deserving. You care nothing for the negotiations.
Mythic/Folklore Inspiration: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zabaniyya
Skills: As Graces, these abilities may be loaned or bestowed freely to any others whose righteousness you trust. They may only be reported as skills for one character at the end of the Jaunt, but if you give the power away in a thread, that thread counts as a skill proof for you. You are still limited to two skills a month if you do not give away a skill, or three if you do give away a Grace. Get It For You Wholesale is not a Grace exactly, and the seven Wholesale Sins should be sold or traded, not given away.
Get It For You Wholesale. You possess, in storage, enough of each and every Sin to immediately move a character who’s a hair away from getting into Heaven into thorough damnation and ruin. A character who is granted this weight of Sin is immediately consumed with the compulsive need to behave according to that Sin. This does not wear off. A character who is granted that weight of Sin is assumed to be able to use it for its related magical powers at need, permanently. This store does not refresh, and you cannot use ir personally - it is, in effect, seven teaching proofs to give seven Peregrines or Immortali a permanent source of magic and permanent alteration in their behavior. You should only sell it to souls who you believe deserve damnation by their character, but have yet to earn it with their actions. When you have sold all seven sins, you no longer possess this skill.
Scorpion Sting. Any being struck by your barbed scourge, which resembles the tail of a scorpion and is wielded like a whip, will bear the pain and irritation of the wound - eternally. The same Grace allows you to alleviate their suffering, if you choose to do so. It has been a very long time since you felt merciful enough to do so.
Sceptre of the Prince of the Market. This Demesnes grants you a big space near the middle of the Market to erect a tent; permission to draw water from the Styx at need, a seat and a vote on the Market Council, and the ability to conjure one magical weapon or tool which embodies this authority. Losing physical possession of the tool, when conjured, forfeits the authority of the Princedom to the one who has the tool. The Princedom does not give you de jure authority over all beings of your type or kindred within the Market, but many behave as though it gives you de facto authority.
The power of the Sceptre is to make one being who opposes you fall to its knees for as long as the Sceptre is brandished in their direction and no harm befalls their body or soul. It may be invoked once per week, or after the jaunt, once per Jaunt
Re: Angel of Scorpions: Barry Bluejeans
I am delighted
Re: Angel of Scorpions: Barry Bluejeans
no subject
Next week he is going to be So Fucking Pissed if the Market ban includes him and Vulpes, and probably so much more frustrating to deal with.
Re: Angel of Scorpions: Barry Bluejeans
no subject
A plotting log (kept regularly updated) regarding Bart's victims and attempts at curing them have been noted down here/ for easy reference.
no subject
no subject
Re: Angel of Scorpions: Barry Bluejeans
Re: Angel of Scorpions: Barry Bluejeans
Bartholomew tried to strike down Saraiel, got his sceptre and princely authority stolen (and respect severely undermined) by Sahaquiel, and told them both, along with whoever else was listening to this spectacle (which includes the entire Network) that Heaven gives absolutely zero fucks about their seat in the Market.
Next week: come to terms with everything?
Questions
Does Barry have to actually disclose the amount of Sin he is trading to someone? Would it be immediately obvious just by the amount he hands over, or is it like a concentrate that's only obvious when they receive it?
Would the Sin affect the Traveller themself if given to an Infiltration?
...wAIT would this mean Barry could retain all of the unspent Sins as powers for himself post-Jaunt
no subject
SO: An Infiltrator who got a skill proof for it and did not claim the skill would be unaffected post-Jaunt.
An Infiltrator who Takes The Skill will have lasting effects, but not as extreme. It is meant to be a negative skill the way that Eldritch stuff in Harrogate is/was.
no subject
no subject
Hypothetically, he could retain the Sin stores post-Jaunt, and either use them himself or continue giving them to Travelers.
no subject
also could he just like. Clock people with the sceptre. Would it be able to handle a few knocks on skulls.
no subject
no subject
no subject
Yes.
no subject
no subject
There are almost certainly some skills which, if creatively applied, would work; but we did not design the Scourge with anything particular in mind as a counter - players who think they have an applicable talent are welcome to try it & ask us if it works!
not rika but
Re: not rika but