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 It’s a golden age in the coastal cosmopolitan city of Shanghai - economically booming, politically formidable, culturally vibrant. Elites from the newly-formed Republic of China as well as guests and investors world-wide all gravitate to to the ‘Pearl of the Orient’, an endless wellspring of opulence and opportunity to those who are willing to get their perfectly manicured hands dirty on occasion. Of course, the city has another nickname, well known to those trapped in its poverty, in rickety shacks and neighbourhoods dominated by crime syndicates. To them, Shanghai is no Pearl, just the ‘Whore of the Orient.’ In both interpretations of the city, however, opportunity exists, and where opportunity exists, the supernatural soon follow. In the views of some learned individuals, Shanghai’s current prosperity is owed to canny creatures who guided it from the shadows into the splendour of the dawn. Their grip on the city is unshakeable and invisible, nowadays. The times of monsters leaving mountains of corpses behind them on their path to pre-eminence is long gone, but the city’s heartbeat still lurks in the supernatural, connected in a network of veins beyond the sight of most of its inhabitants. Every business, from the seediest opium den or brothel to the grandest casino or stock exchange is linked in some way. While some would seek to distinguish between the two halves of the city, those in the know will tell you they are inextricably linked. There isn’t a single politician or mogul in Shanghai who is not in some way linked with the Triads and Syndicates and thugs. Even in the brightest galleries or most luxurious parties, you’ll see foreign elites rubbing shoulders with barely-literate gang bosses. Some of these elites were once thugs and middlemen, evidence of the simple fact everyone in Shanghai knows - that with enough effort, anyone can make something of themselves in this city. And you’re not just ‘anyone’. Either you’re someone making a name for themselves or someone just trying to hold onto what they have, you know how the city works. Whether you’re in it for money, power, maybe even to try and clean things up, you’ve got something different than most out on the strip. You’re willing to do whatever to make sure you get what you want, keep what you have, do what you came here to do. If you weren’t, you’d be dead or worse. It’s definitely not worth it just to get by. ------ What is this? This is a recruitment thread for an Urban Shadows game set in a fictionalized version of 1920s Shanghai. While the game may end up using actual parts of the real-world city, the important parts and people of the supernatural city will be set up by the players in some way or another. My personal knowledge of Shanghai in specifics isn’t very high, but the theme of the city as a fictional place full of both decadent opulent vices and murky crime-ridden poverty is something with a lot of potential. IRC Whilst this is open recruitment, having access to IRC is so important for quick communication that it is a requirement of applying to this game. The IRC channel for this game is on synirc and is called #ShanghaiShadows So, how can I join? Any of the archetypes/playbooks are allowed, even though I don’t have the official copies of the backer-only ones. I don’t remember them changing too much from the playtest version, so they shouldn’t do anything too bad. That being said, reserve the right to change that view if something pops up in play. Generally speaking, however, I won’t do something like that unless it is affecting the fun of the other players. Along with a character application, there are a few questions for the city that the game will happen in. Even if you don’t make it, some of your ideas may make it in, with permission. There may be another round or two of questions after this, depending on how the questions are answered. -Who’s an important person locally from your faction? -What’s one thing that your faction known for in Shanghai? -Who’s an important person locally outside of your faction? -What’s an important part of town for your faction? -What’s an interesting place in town? I’m aiming for a game focused around a semi-Period 1920s Shanghai setting - I say semi-Period because I’m making allowances so that women and LGBT characters aren’t horrendously discriminated against, because inclusiveness>verismilitude. This means characters that play into that in some way are more likely to get in than those who don’t. This doesn’t mean just as criminals , but also cops, vigilantes, politicians, etc. Depending on the number of apps, I’m taking somewhere between 6-8 people. When does recruitment end? I'll give it about two weeks, though I will reduce the time if I get an overwhelming number of apps. If you want to be sure you have a chance, make an interest post, that way I’ll PM you to notify you if I shorten the app time.  Please answer the intro questions from the playbooks!
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Dec 7, 2015 18:56
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Reserved for OOC bookkeeping
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Dec 7, 2015 18:56
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Jian Taisu, the Tainted Yes? You want to hear about me? Who are you, exactly? Oh, alright. I used to be a mere orphan, barely surviving from month to month in one of the many fishing villages devastated by tsunamis that never quite recovered even forthy years after. But, one fateful day, I met the honorable Guo Liu Hong. Yes, that one. Before he rose to power in our family. He took me in, and I vowed to serve him in return. I have always heeded his orders and advice since. Actually, that would be untrue. I ignored his advice, once. Back then, I thought, to assist Guo Liu Hong better, I required more power. As such, I sought to call upon the dragons and ask for their power. He told me it was a bad idea and I should refrain from doing so. Heedless of the warning, I completed the ritual, blinded by my quest for power. That day, I learned not all dragons are honorable.  This is the form 'granted' to me by the dragon Chilong, in return for my eternal service. Not that the dragon mentioned that part. »» Who are you? I am Jian Taisu. I am the one who makes Wo Shing Wo's biggest problems disappear. Not necessarily quietly. That is all you need to know. Those on the wrong end of Guo Liu Hong or Chilongs favor know me as Long. Dragon. A simple nickname, but I suppose it suits me. »» How long have you been in the city? For a few years. I moved here along with some of my oath-brothers and -sisters to expand our influence. While I do not know the city by heart yet, I am neither alone or lost. »» Who would you die for? Guo Liu Hong. Our Dragonhead. Basically, the top of the family, for those that do not know. He took me in when I became an orphan all these years ago, gave me this family. And now, that I have, uhm, 'acquired' this extra power, he doesn't mind too much if I disappear for a short while to do some... business. »» What is your daily release? I meditate in front of a pond or other source of natural water. It may sound strange, but it calms me like no other activity. »» What do you desperately need? A drink. Actually, lots of them. Although salvation from this cursed bargain would also work for me. quote:-Who’s an important person locally from your faction? quote:-What’s one thing that your faction known for in Shanghai? quote:-Who’s an important person locally outside of your faction? quote:-What’s an important part of town for your faction? quote:-What’s an interesting place in town? quote:Look: Male, Asian, Expensive Clothing Yami Fenrir fucked around with this message at 13:07 on Dec 20, 2015 |
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Dec 7, 2015 18:57
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Apping a Wizard.
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Dec 7, 2015 19:05
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Jiao Mei Welcome to the Crimson Lotus. I'm Jiao Mei, the Proprietress. Is this your first time here? Allow me to show you around then. We've been the first choice for people of taste for nearly twenty years, founded by my mother when she arrived here. That's her photo there on the wall, Jiao Mei, yes we do rather look alike don't we? Of course the main attraction is the opium, we have open beds and private rooms, but whatever else you want, we're happy to deliver food, drink, women, men. Whatever you desire. And for those of a more... discerning tastes or... special needs... we do what we can to bring satisfaction. You don't understand? Well, best not to think about it then. Here's an empty room, take the pipe and lay down. Relax, and just let one of the girls know if you need anything. Don't worry if you don't have enough, I'm sure we can arrange some alternate payments. The Vamp posted:Name: Jiao Mei Who are you? Jiao Mei, Founder of the Crimson Lotus, and Vampire. How long have you been in the city? About thirty years now, it took about a decade to build the funds and connections required for my masterpiece, the Crimson Lotus. How do you keep your cravings in check?/What scheme are you invested in now? It was a trial at first. And nearly impossible to find anyone willing to share. Living practically on the streets and feeding off anyone you can lure away is no life for a woman like me, or a vampire. So silver by silver, I saved up, and drop by drop satiated myself and one rumor or lie at a time, I built up my reputation and position, until I built the Crimson Lotus. On the surface, it is as it appears, an opium den and pleasure house. But underneath, it is so much more. Scrounging on the streets and feeding from the muck is no place for a vampire, at least not one with any dignity and class, or as it might be, money, and so I've gathered humans here, to drown in their vices, and feed us with their blood. Oh, no one dies, and we have rather a lot of humans perfectly willing to give up some of their blood for free access to our services, or even just money. Which isn't to say everyone willingly provides, someone lost in an opium dream isn't likely to notice the soft kiss of a vampire. Along with the true purpose of the Lotus, I gather information, secrets and rumors to sell to whoever comes calling. People are rather more free with their secrets in private rumors and under the influence, and outside of The Lotus, my birds and rats have eyes and ears everywhere. The entire city is a web, with me at the center. Or if it isn't yet... it will be. The latest use I've started to put the Lotus to, is assisting the Onyx Tortoise and Alabaster Tiger's rare joint operation, smuggling, jewels and drugs for the most part I believe. I don't allow any of the goods themselves to pass through my establishment of course, but we've lured in officials who might get in the way, and learned their habits, and the private rooms are quite safe from any eavesdroppers. Any eavesdroppers who aren't mine, that is. Who turned you? Huh. Well if you really want to know. Liao Liu. I wasn't from Shanghai, though he was. He was passing through where I lived, looking for a meal I suppose, and chose me. Perhaps he was attracted by my nature, as I'd just successfully picked his pocket while sharing a drink with him in the bar. Regardless, he noticed before I could leave, took it back, and shared a different drink with me. And then he left. I didn't particularly expect to see him again, and I went to Shanghai because that was where everyone not entirely normal seemed to be going in those days. When I went there, he wasn't there, though some questions eventually lead me to determine he had had to flee because of some conflict he'd had with the Onyx Tortoises, one of their leaders. The man is dead now, 30 years later, so maybe he'll be returning soon. I'd like to meet him if he does, though weather to 'thank' him, or to thank him, I don't know. Who’s an important person locally from your faction? Ying Qi is one of the three legs of the Alabaster Tigers in Shanghai. Nominally. He runs the biggest, nastiest and smelliest of the Werewolf gangs. He's beaten, bribed or threatened nearly all the smaller gangs into answering to him, though otherwise allows them to act mostly autonomously. But, he's got trouble brewing. Word on the street has it that the second and third biggest gangs are planning to team up and topple him. Even if its true though, there's no way either of them will agree to let the other one take his place, so the whole leg is going to go up like a hairy fireworks factory soon enough. What’s one thing that your faction is known for in Shanghai? Gambling! We own most, if not all of the gambling halls in Shanghai. Cards, dice, Tiles, you name it, the Alabaster Tigers have got it. I don't really do that, though of course I allow gambling and provide the tools for it in my establishment, but if you want a proper experience, I can direct you to the right locations. Who’s an important person locally outside of your faction? Tsao Chunhua is a Phoenix. Literally, almost. She's one of the power players of the Vermilion Phoenix, but that isn't what I meant. She's, technically, a Faerie Queen, I think, from the Summer Court, and as far as anyone knows, she's (apparently) unkillable. I saw it happen once, an assassin blew her head off during a business deal, and her corpse burst into flame and reformed, as good as new. So, not killable by normal means anyway. What’s an important part of town for your faction? The Crimson Lotus, obviously? Though if you wanted something else, well. The Red Light district is almost entirely our territory, with the 'Palace of the Golden River' located in the center. That one isn't a pleasure house of any sort, but rather a grand hotel owned by the heads of the Alabaster Tigers, and used for meetings calling together too many Tigers to house elsewhere. Doesn't happen often. When its not being used for that, which is almost all the time, its one of the larger Mahjong houses. What’s an interesting place in town? The Shanghai Railway Central Station. It's relatively new, and gets trains in every hour of the day and night, so no one ever looks twice at a few people hanging around. But better than that, you wouldn't believe the sorts of things you can hear going on there. So many secrets, so much information, and so many valuable documents left in briefcases unattended. A treasure trove. GodFish fucked around with this message at 03:38 on Dec 18, 2015 |
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Dec 7, 2015 19:08
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 No its not "ancient Chinese wisdom", its common bastard sense. You need us to work in the Casino and we need enough to be able to feed our families. Yes I know who your boss is. But I also know who his boss is and what character they will scrawl into the skin on your back if you don't keep the craps tables running. Yes, I thought we could come to something of an arrangement. Who are you? My name is Jing. Yes I know everyone is named Jing. I am Jing who went to the west and came back from the universities with some books and things that needed finding out. How long have you been in the City? Almost 3 years now. It seems both longer and shorter. Yes I'm from a bit further South. Guangzhou, that sort of area. Its been interesting trying to find out exactly what and why so many things have been happening here and I thought that the "pearl of the Orient" might be a good place to start something. Doesn't seem to have worked out that way. How did you learn about the Supernatural? My father collected old exorcist swords. He always liked them and always insisted that I keep one with me if I was going to "the land of hungering ghosts". I thought it was sweet and, being the filial younger son I took it along with me. Then I was in London and I'm attacked in my rooms at University by something I couldn't see. It wraps what I presumed was its hands round my throat and I hit it with the nearest thing I had at hand. The sword burned its skin like hot iron. I found out that it had been stalking the halls for years and it was something that had been "summoned" by a group of idiot students who thought it would be good to get the coloureds out of their precious halls. Its why I came here. I know there are more of them. And I know they like to hide in foreign groups. Why is this City worth saving? The city itself can rot. I feel endless sympathy for those caught here though, we don't deserve to be told not to go into parks because the westerners want to feel less "crowded", nor should we have to work constantly for little pay whilst people make such huge amounts of money. What mystery are you currently looking into? I'm currently looking into something strange going on behind a minor gambling house in the international quarter. Technically it should not be making money, not least because the green gang go in there every day and come out significantly poorer, but there seems to be something pulling the strings behind it to make it both profitable and protected. -Who’s an important person locally from your faction? Calls himself "Grandfather Lu" though he can't be more than 20 years older than me. He lost an eye during the great war and keeps a little shop selling armaments off of the main street in the international quarter. He also hunts. Not very often, but he makes sure that more of our members don't end up in the river and that sometimes particularly horrible creatures don't see the sunrise. -Who’s an important person locally outside of your faction? She calls herself Dian Mu. Apparently after the mother of lightning, all we know is that she buys and sells a great deal of different artifacts for collectors in the interior and refuses to sell any to anyone from the west. We also know that when one of the Green Gangs more stupid muscle men tried to give them a bigger cut his remains were found scattered over a very large radius. -What’s an important part of town for your faction? Well there are lots of bits that we find important. The Chinese quarter tends to be where all the really good food halls are, where people sleep and all that. One of the most important though is the Lucky Pig. Its a resturant of sorts, it deals mainly in gossip, hot food and noise. Its a place where you meet the next shift and tell them whose drunk at work and who is sleeping with who. Its a great place to catch up on everything that's going on. -What’s an interesting place in town? Ask almost anyone and they'll say the race track. Its the center for where all the obvious politics is conducted, you can gamble, you get to be seen. All of that is great for being on show and for making yourself obvious to the various players of the various games that grow around here. But it's also neutral territory for the gangs, and it's one of the few places people aren't quite as restricted from mingling, so you see a lot of the lower orders taking their orders a bit more directly from the men in the stupid hats. quote:Look: Male, Asian, stylish clothing. Josef bugman fucked around with this message at 01:15 on Dec 16, 2015 |
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Dec 7, 2015 19:57
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Absolutely love this setting, might buy the game for a chance to play. Is this going to be set pre-White Terror, during the anti-Warlord campaigns but before the civil war between the KMT and CCP?
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Dec 7, 2015 20:03
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Yes, game is set before the civil war between KMT and Communists, but don't focus too hard on that; the focus is in the overall themes and aesthetics of Shanghai's golden age, not the regional politics of the time. Also Rockopolis, I'd prefer it if you didn't app. Based on past game ideas, I don't think your ideas mesh well with my GMing style, sorry!
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Dec 7, 2015 20:17
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Gonna app an Immortal.
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Dec 7, 2015 20:57
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Okay. At least this saves me  , thanks. Good luck.I would probably have picked a Communist or a refugee or something, anyway. I'll leave you with my thought that Shanghai's golden age is inextricably tied into regional politics. If nothing else, it's on everyone's mind because of bloody great wars next province over.
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Dec 7, 2015 21:42
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I might app for this, if complete newbs to the system are all right.
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Dec 7, 2015 22:02
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Doing an awesome Fae, that is tired of all this bullshit.
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Dec 7, 2015 22:03
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Not to answer for Nown, but Urban Shadows has been out for like a month or two, so we're all noobs in a way. Also, thinking Oracle or Dragon for an app. See how things roll out.
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Dec 7, 2015 22:13
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ShootaBoy posted:I might app for this, if complete newbs to the system are all right. Totally fine. We're all pretty new to this, but like all PBTA games this is fairly easy to pick up the basics of. Don't hesitate to ask if you have questions, either! EDIT: This is just a pet peeve of mine, but when using Chinese names try to use Pinyin rather than Wade-Giles translations. Wade-Giles just looks really weird and off-putting to me :x EDIT 2: Instead of calling the factions 'Mortal Faction/Night Faction' etc. We're going to get into the spirit of things with more colourful almost Wuxia style names! These are the generally accepted names among the Shanghai underworld, but of course some individuals might have slightly different names they use! For the factions in general, I'm going to base it on the Four Sacred Beasts of Chinese Mythology: Mortal = Onyx Tortoise - Patient and Everlasting Night = Alabaster Tiger - Predatory and Beautiful Power = Azure Dragon - Ancient and Wise Wild = Vermilion Phoenix - Vibrant and Uncontrollable. For any specific organizations/triads, just go with something like 'colour adjective/adverb animal/plant' - Jade Dancing Dragon or Alabaster Patient Lotus etc. AdjectiveNoun fucked around with this message at 22:48 on Dec 7, 2015 |
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Dec 7, 2015 22:20
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AdjectiveNoun posted:EDIT: This is just a pet peeve of mine, but when using Chinese names try to use Pinyin rather than Wade-Giles translations. Wade-Giles just looks really weird and off-putting to me :x This probably applies to someone besides me so I'll say it here: I have no idea what this means. 
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Dec 7, 2015 22:48
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GodFish posted:This probably applies to someone besides me so I'll say it here: I have no idea what this means. It means hope the name you pulled off google/wikipedia isn't from the wrong kind. :P
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Dec 7, 2015 22:50
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GodFish posted:This probably applies to someone besides me so I'll say it here: I have no idea what this means. Okay, long story short, and I'm sorry for having to do this because it really is just a pet peeve of mine - there are two ways to translate Chinese to English. One is super old and out of date, the other is more modern. I prefer the more modern version. For an example, old version says 'Peking', new version says 'Beijing'. If you're in doubt about whether a name is, don't worry, just post it, I'll figure out a correct pinyin version. :p
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Dec 7, 2015 23:03
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Arban Tomor-ochir, The Wolf Yes? Well you have found him. Why are you looking for me? Foreigners don't come this far south just to talk. You want my story, have I heard you right? Very well, it would be rude to turn away someone that had come this far. Come in and find a seat, I'll make some suutei tsai. You can most likely tell that I am not Chinese, and indeed I am not, I come from the steppes of Mongolia. Times there have become difficult as of late and some of us decided to head into China and find work and make useful connections. We found a smuggler willing to get us into the more developed parts for an agreeable price. The journey was hard, we were not used to the sea, but it was much faster than overland so we endured it. After our arrival in Shanghai things changed, the work we had been told about was there, yes, but we were not to be workers. I don't know where the others were sent but my new home was the basement of a bathhouse, where I was to shovel coal into the furnace to keep the waters hot. It was hot and grueling work, but thankfully my imprisonment only lasted until the next moon. > Who are you? I am Arban Tomor-ochir, and I help people with 'problems'. > How long have you been in the city? Almost 2 years now, though I do not know much of the city very well, I stand out when not in the slums. > What is the best part of the change? The growth. To go from normal to towering over most men is something I think everyone would enjoy. > Who is trying to save you? There is a kindly old medicine man, I think he is Korean, that I go to when I am hurt too badly to fix on my own, and he sometimes talks of a cure, for what I am not sure as I have not told him of the change. > What do you desperately need? I need money and connections, enough to feel like I have done well for my people, so I can leave this city and return to the steppes. > Who’s an important person locally from your faction? Guo Peiyan, a spirit who knew the land before the Wall was built. The respect he commands from all around gives his word great weight when he mediates conflicts. > What’s one thing that your faction known for in Shanghai? There is a mercenary mindset among us. There are limits, but most will do most anything for an agreeable price. > Who’s an important person locally outside of your faction? Officer Murong, he patrols the slums edge. He will forget our activities if they are kept reasonably quiet, and he is willing to assist in keeping the rowdier residents down, for a price. > What’s an important part of town for your faction? The slums in the south, a crowd can hide many things. > What’s an interesting place in town? Something interesting can almost always be found happening in the park along the river, once the night settles in. Name: Arban Tomor-ochir Look: Male, Asian, Tribal Clothing Demeanor: Aggressive Playbook: The Wolf Stats Blood: 2 Heart: -1 Mind: 0 Spirit: 1 Factions (Mortality) Onyx Tortoise: 0 (Night) Alabaster Tiger : 2 (Power) Azure Dragon: -1 (Wild) Vermilion Phoenix : 1 The Transformation You change into your wolf form when the full moon rises, you inflict 2-harm and gain armour-1, you can resist the change but it’s not easy and you can only change back at sunrise. > You are all but immune to magical attacks while transformed > When battling a group, you fight as though you are a small group > Silver weapons ignore your armour > You can’t resist the change at night Territory You’ve claimed an area of the city as your own. By default, your territory covers a city block or two and has the trouble: +crime. > Your territory includes grounds for you to roam and hunt (add blessing: +hunting ground) > You are widely accepted as this place’s protector (add blessing: +supported) > Your territory owes fealty to someone more powerful than you (add trouble: +obligations) > Your territory is plagued by a mystical or supernatural presence (add trouble: +haunted) Moves Comes with the Territory If you are actively patrolling your territory atbthe start of the session, roll with Blood. On a 10+, your territory is secure and trouble is at a minimum; take +1 ongoing to Hitting the Streets in your territory. On a 7-9, one of your troubles surfaces (your choice), but things are mostly stable. On a miss, or if you aren’t attending to your territory, things go south and your troubles are fast and furious. Bloodhound When you hunt someone, roll with Blood. On a hit, you know exactly where to find them and can follow their scent until you do. On a 10+, take +1 forward against them. On a miss, someone unpleasant finds you first. From the Brink You can exit the wolf form at will. When you do, roll with Spirit. On a hit, you change back. On a 7-9, take 1-harm or mark corruption. On a miss, you change but the transformation is incomplete, lengthy, or painful. Wolf Corruption Move When you begin a hunt for someone, mark corruption. Intimacy Move When you share a moment of intimacy - physical or emotional - with another person, you create a primal bond with them and always know where to find them and when they’re in trouble. This bond lasts until the end of the next session. End Move When you die or retire your character, anyone in the scene you wish to protect escapes and reaches safety, no matter the odds. Debts > Someone is hiding you from someone, or something, powerful. You owe them a Debt. Jian > Someone hired you for a job and you hosed it up. You owe them 2 Debts. Phillip > Someone lives in your territory, benefiting from your protection. They owe you a Debt. Luc Gear Worn travel bag A friend willing to sneak messages into the paper Snubnosed revolver (2-harm close loud reload concealable) Small boot knife (2-harm hand concealable) Ok it should be updated to reflect the fact that I'm not using ancient PDFs now. ShootaBoy fucked around with this message at 20:31 on Dec 18, 2015 |
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Dec 8, 2015 01:27
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Going to withdraw my app, I am sorry Nown. I really want to be in your game, but I don't feel very good lately for some reason. Sorry to take a spot of anyone else who was going to app. It is all yours! 
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Dec 8, 2015 01:54
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 Ling Chao, the Mage quote:Who are you? I'm also mourning one of my cats, so I'll need you to be brief with all the questions you're about to barrage me with. She died yesterday night - it was her time - but it's still appropriate that I do the proper rituals and see that her passing into her next life is given the respect it deserves. quote:How long have you been in the city? quote:What keeps you up at night? You see, there are three fundamental forces to the universe. Creation, stasis, and destruction. They flow from one to the next, an endless cycle - a Great Wheel - that guides all towards enlightenment, spiritual perfection, and eventual Ascension. But there are forces at work in Shanghai that seek to see the wheel grind to a halt, for them and the city. Foul undead perverting the order of the universe to save their corrupt souls, psychopaths and serial killers ending lives before their time... It is my duty to give them the Good Death, to see the energies captured and stagnated in these perversions released and harnessed appropriately. It's an act of love, of care - and one that I have performed before, many many times. quote:What have you sacrificed for your power? I chose wisely - and those sacrifices, those losses, enabled change and transformation, let me embrace my true calling in this world. quote:What do you desperately need? I need more spells, more power. There's so much to be done here, I can feel it. Dark times lay ahead for Shanghai, but not if I stop them. I've dreamed of it, both lifetimes ago and in this one. It's not hubris to assume that's why I'm here; it's Fate. But if I'm going to be able to prevail, I have to be stronger than I am now, wiser. quote:Name: Ling Chao quote:Who’s an important person locally from the Azure Dragon?  My former teacher, the Revered Li Wei. Wise, stern but kind, and possesses more knowledge of the workings of Karma than anyone else I've ever met. I've since struck out on my own - killing Voljek and seizing his chantry for myself helped with making it known throughout the secret parts of Shanghai that I was an apprentice no more. quote:What’s one thing that the Azure Dragon is known for in Shanghai? quote:Who’s an important person locally outside of your faction?  Voljek, the necromancer I destroyed, was an important figure. Though he was Chakravanti, and knew better than to extend his life as unnaturally as he did, he was scared of this life of his ending and hid his lichdom from the rest of us. When it was discovered, well, as I said I killed him and took his Sanctum for myself. It did seem awfully easy, but perhaps his spiritual corruption made him weak. There's no chance at all he's still alive. (Obviously he's still alive / associated with the Alabaster Tiger now.) quote:What’s an important part of town for your faction?  (This but more rundown / dilapidated.) The Thaisaidain, a Chakravanti sanctum that had once to fallen into disrepair and disuse under Voljek. Despite my best efforts to restore it, it seems to be a losing battle. The buildings spiritual resonance is in decay... which, in combination with other seals and spells located upon it, actually makes it very suitable for my work and research. quote:What’s an interesting place in town? quote:What's the hardest part of your work? Even then, though... I still feel bad for most of them. Li Wei recommended I meditate upon what I've done afterwords, to understand and accept what Fate dictated, and it helps some. quote:What's the most rewarding? quote:Would you consider yourself a hermit, or do you make allowances for human interaction? Rauri fucked around with this message at 07:39 on Dec 18, 2015 |
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Dec 8, 2015 02:47
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 Art by JGBishop 24 on Deviantart Fang Yin, The quote:Name: Fang Yin Nea fucked around with this message at 04:09 on Dec 8, 2015 |
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Dec 8, 2015 03:49
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 No, for Gods sake you listen to me, Bartleby! I've been sending reports about the growing threat of radical groups in this city for months now, and I haven't heard so much as a 'thank you'! Socialists, traditionalists, White Russians claiming to be the Tsar, the whole lot! If Whitehall don't want to hear about it from me then you need to send a new man out. What? No, I'm not going to resign. Not until I get the sense that someone in London is paying attention to what this station needs. Hello? Are you there? drat it all! Blasted impertinence of the man. I saved his life in Afghanistan and this is thanks I get? Oh, my sincerest apologies, I didn't realize you were awake. Where are my manners? No, I'm afraid I can't untie you, I know exactly how capable a boxer you are. An old man like me wouldn't stand a chance. Now, I have a few questions I hope you can answer for me about this Fei-Hong fellow. Don't try to play dumb, it's well known you're an associate of his. INTRO QUESTIONS Who are you? Phillip Devitt-Pendlebury, at your service. Passport Control Officer to the British Embassy in Shanghai. And Station Chief Shanghai for His Majesties Secret Intelligence Service, although you already knew that or we wouldn't be having this conversation. How long have you been in the city? Since before the Great War started, and I would very much like to not see the next one start here. Long enough that my superiors are convinced I've gone native and can't be fully trusted. What was your greatest accomplishment in the city? I managed to stop a traditionalist warlord called Li Xianyun from storming the city and proclaiming himself Emperor with a lot of very fast negotiation between the Municipal Council, the leading Tongs, and what passes for the Republican government. We were able to bluff the blighter into thinking a British garrison had occupied the city by making sure everyone was in the same uniform and when he came to negotiate with the Empire the SMP arrested him. His army broke up after that. Why did you stop? Some strange things happen in this city, and a fellow in my position tends to collect stories about unusual events and anomalous behaviors. I made the mistake of compiling a report on the influence of 'supernatural' elements in local politics and sent it back to London, but all I got for my trouble was ridicule. My budget was reduced, I was passed over for promotion, and left here to rot. I focused my efforts on trying to tell Cummings what he wanted hear about - Bolshevism, mostly - but it's no good, I'm the Chinese ghost-hunter as far as London is concerned. What do you desperately need? Oh, about a dozen extra people and a 100,000 pound budget increase. A battleship on station and a private aeroplane. Embassy staff who aren't quite so obviously corrupted. To be taken seriously again. Who’s an important person locally from your faction? Albert Smythe is the director of Imperial Imports and one of the wealthiest Englishmen in China. A shame so much of his money has come from opium, illegal weapons, and the flesh trade. It's even more of a shame he's not who he says he is, and his real identity would likely scandalize even the jaded Shanghai scene. Still, a gentleman is discrete where the affairs of other gentlemen are concerned. Should he cease to be a gentleman, the gloves could come off. What’s one thing that your faction is known for in Shanghai? Controlling contact with the outside world, trade, and innovation. Who’s an important person locally outside of your faction? There are any number of powerful criminal associations in the city. They rise and fall like the tides, but like the rock on the shore one has existed at least as long as there have been records kept. They are headed by a leader who is widely believed to be immortal and who claims to be a eunuch and sorcerer from the court of the first Emperor of China. Probably nonsense, but Gang Bing is a dangerous man who commands the loyalty of a small army either way. What’s an important part of town for your faction? The various Concessions are the parts of town that have been ceded to the British, French and American governments the longest. While natives have been allowed to buy property in here for some time it's still a very strongly European place. What’s an interesting place in town? The Settlement Racing Club is a meeting place for foreigners to socialize, do business, wager, and generally feel at home. It's an excellent place to do a little espionage, pass messages, that sort of thing. quote:NAME thatbastardken fucked around with this message at 07:03 on Dec 15, 2015 |
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Dec 8, 2015 04:13
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I am still working on my app but thatBastardken? That is an amazing character archetype you have there. Also holy poo poo there are a lot of citations needed in the Shanghai history Wikipedia page. Josef bugman fucked around with this message at 22:31 on Dec 8, 2015 |
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Dec 8, 2015 22:21
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Haha, thanks. I have a guilty love of late British Empire weirdos picked up from reading Roald Dahl as a kid. And yeah, I'm not surprised that colonial history in one of the biggest cities in the world is a hotly contested topic on the wiki.
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Dec 9, 2015 01:25
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thatbastardken posted:Haha, thanks. I have a guilty love of late British Empire weirdos picked up from reading Roald Dahl as a kid. And yeah, I'm not surprised that colonial history in one of the biggest cities in the world is a hotly contested topic on the wiki. I can just imagine Peter Cushing saying it too. It makes it all so perfect!
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Dec 9, 2015 01:40
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 Maiyu Liang the Hunter Greetings Sir. Welcome to my establishment. You'll find that the Silky Fox is one of the finest institutions of it's kind in all of Shanghai. Now if you're interested, prices are listed on the walls. Any extras are negotiable with my girls and are down purely to their discretion. You may want to leave any jewellery in the house safe and I'll of course have to insist you remove any weaponry you may be carrying while on the premisses. Oh my apologies, I didn't realise it was my ahem "personal services" you were interested in. Let's just step into my office and we can discuss it in peace and quiet. Now what can I do for you Mister? Answer a few questions sure although I'm afraid I'll have to charge you for the privilege. I don't work for free you know. Good. quote:Who are you? Well Presumably you know who I am otherwise you would not be here. I am Maiyu Liang. I'm from a small village. Several hundred miles from here. I'd tell you it's name but since I am certain I am the only survivor it will probably do you little good. My age hmm well a lady doesn't like to say but I'm closer to 20 than I am to 30 if that's what you wish to know. quote:How long have you been in the city? Must be going on three or four years now. I'd have to check to be exact. But it feels like a lot longer. I was still at bottom the wide eyed village girl I'd been brought up as when I arrived in Shanghai with nothing more than the clothes on my back and a rusty old sword stuck in my pack. I'd never imagined so many people could gather in one place. Big Wei must have seen some fancied vulnerability in me. But he did not know what he was dealing with. He had his men drag me here obviously intending to "recruit" me. I objected strenuously. But it seems Wei was in no mood to accept my objections. Till I expressed them more forcefully he bellowed like a pig when I broke his kneecaps. And well I'm afraid the old bouncer of this place is now plying a trade as a beggar. I drop a coin in his bowl when I go past in memory of a particularly stubborn fool. Then I seized this place for my own. The girls were happy enough with the change of management after all. After all I was hardly likely to force myself upon them. And by all reports Wei was not big where it counts anyway. The Tongs objected at first. But they soon learnt to leave well enough alone. I mean they could probably take me but I'd kill more and leave the rest in the hospital. So now I pay a small fee out of respect to the master and he refrains from sending his men to me for target practice. A deal that suits everyone I feel. quote:How did you become a hunter? Ah it is a long tale of woe and I will not tell it without a drink. What is your preference? Ivana, get my guest some plum wine. You like her? Hmm she's surprisingly popular the men queue up for her. Poor girl since her husband was shot by the reds it's the only trade she knows. But I'm digressing. It's my story you wanted yes? Well I was no one special. The daughter of a village headman. Who as far as I can tell qualified for his position by having one more cow than his neighbour. But he was a good man was my father. He looked after all the villagers and treated them like part of his extended family. All was pleasant until the day the bandits came. The Sons of the Jade Wolf. At first they were not too bad. They merely demanded supplies from us. Meat, beer, rice whatever we could spare, They even defended our village driving off many other bandit gangs. We would rather have had no gangs at all but we had little choice. After all we were but poor peasents with no more than a few rusty swords for arms. So we gave them what food we had. At first they were satisfied but eventually they began demanding more and more. After a while we began notice that people were going missing. Children were going missing. At first we thought it was a coincidence. Children run away all the time or leave for the big wide world. But then the bandits came for me. I still remember the predatory gaze in his eyes. My desperate flailing. My fearful struggling the lucky blow and the sickening sound of his neck snapping watching as the life faded from him.... It was the first time I killed. But sadly not the last. That night the bandits came. All of them for vengance or perhaps they merely tired of toying with one tiny village. I watched in horror as first the leader changed. His face taking on a bestial countenance. Then his followers. They attacked the village. I watched as one of them clawed at my father's gut. With his last breath he told me to run. So I did. I ran and ran until I sought shelter in a haystack. I saw them burn our village. I am the only survivor as far as I know. But I was left orphaned with no place in the world. I vowed then I would do anything to eradicate the bandits who were responsible for their deaths. Anything at all. quote:What do you hunt, primarily? You westerners have a name for them. Werewolves. Men imbued with the bestial fury of nature. They fight and kill with the savage instinct of a beast and the cruelty of a man. They are both much more and much less than man. They are not all I hunt after all. I have to keep my skills honed and pay for my lifestyle after all and yet it is the hunting of the wolves that brings the most pleasure to me. quote:What are their strengths and weaknesses? When such a man gives in to his animalistic impulses he becomes stronger faster, tougher, a brutal and tall mass of fur and fang. But I have certain advantages and training that they lack. They gain something of the animalistic instincts of their chosen form and when they lose control react like any animal would. A weakness to be exploited. Finally like many creatures they are vulnerable to silver. I have had a pair of blades made of the material for me to assist in my hunt and I can testify to it's effectiveness. If not the scientific explanation for how it works. Still as long as it continues to work I will not object. quote:What terrible thing have you done to yourself to help even There are those who would recoil in horror of what I have done to even up the score. So I will have to insist what is said in this office will not be shared with the outside world. See when my family and my kin died under the fang and claw of the wolves I was but a waif of a girl. Attractive perhaps but not a warrior. I struggled to lift a blade. I had no training in the use of sword bow or gun. And yet my heart yearned for vengeance. I prayed day and night to the gods the christian saints and my ancestors in the hope that someone would answer my desire for vengeance. Eventually my prayers were answered. An ancestor of mine was once a great warrior feared and respected alike by friend and enemy and he heard my prayers and appeared in my dreams. He promised me training. Skills to fight my foe. And he delivered without him I would not be the fighter I am today. But such things do not come without prices. Such is the way of the world. See my ancestor hungered to live again to experience life one more time. So we made a deal. In exchange for each hour of training I would let him possess my body for an hour. He could experience life anew and I would get the skills I needed., It seemed a fair trade. What I wasn't counting was the blackouts. When he takes over I have no memory of what has happened to me. He does not mean me harm I think but much about modern china is strange and confusing to him and he may lead me into danger out of ignorance. quote:How are you like them? I am hardly like them at all. They indulge their passions I seperate myself from them. They are bestial violent and utterly unrestrained. I must control my anger and take me vengeance slowly. One thing we probably do share though is the love of the hunt. I enjoy stalking my prey luring it into traps and killing it. AdjectiveNoun posted:-Who’s an important person locally from your faction? Hong Ming is a local arms dealer. He has a seemingly inexhaustible supply of surplus wartime weapons that he'll sell to anyone who can spare the cash. And best of all he never asks questions about what they're going to be used for. After all like he told me "some questions you just don't want to know the answer for." AdjectiveNoun posted:-What’s one thing that your faction known for in Shanghai? The flesh trade. Aside from my own fine establishment there are brothels that cater to every taste and price. Men, women, both at the same time, Chinese, foreign women. Even rumour has it in some of the less scrupulous parts of town ones that supply children, animals and even it's whispered monsters. Although what kind of sick individual is turned on by a ghoul or a vampire I do not wish to know. I cater to those with a little more money and I establish strict rules that the girls and clients are expected to follow. If everyone else was that scrupulous Shanghai would be a much nicer place. AdjectiveNoun posted:-Who’s an important person locally outside of your faction? Lu Zuzhang controls all the gang in the French quarter with an iron fist. Rumour has it he has some sort of mystical edge. Because anyone or anything he wants he gets. It's downright uncanny. One day the green gang decided to try to seize control of his territory. The next day their chief enforcer publicly swore loyalty to him and turned on his own boss. And he wasn't the first. And I doubt he'll be the last. AdjectiveNoun posted:-What’s an important part of town for your faction? The old quarter. It's plagued by gangs and some of the slums are old and decaying but providing you don't fall afoul of the gangs they'll keep you safe from the scary things in the dark. AdjectiveNoun posted:-What’s an interesting place in town? Have you seen the new offices of the Shanghai tram company. They imported an architect all the way from America to build it. And quite frankly it sticks out like a sore thumb. There are all sorts of rumours about the site claiming it was built upon some old battle, that it's weird shape is somehow conductive to magic. That if you look at the tram tracks from the air they form an occult symbol. Of course officially the company denies all these rumours but it doesn't stop what seems like half of Shanghai telling each other they know exactly what's going on there. quote:Name: Maiyu Liang Ferrosol fucked around with this message at 19:03 on Dec 30, 2015 |
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Dec 12, 2015 11:25
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 Luc St. Pierre, aka Monsieur LeBeau, The Oracle This isn't Paris, but it will do. Because what I do, it is not so welcome back home. Sure, this is the 20th century, they aren't afraid of witchcraft or any silly superstition. Even worse! They think I have nothing going for me, that I am another fraud that happens to tell people what they want to hear and take their money. At first, I felt like I had to put on the act, the silly hat, do the thing with the crystal ball so that people would be willing to come to me with their problems. Well, a mixed blessing that I did not see that particular change in the marketplace ahead of time. A new start, one without the turban and the crystal ball. Especially because I believe this would end with me being stabbed or shot should I do so. Instead, I've found my place in Shanghai. In this case, very literally. I now have a proper place to live, and a proper place to work. The locals living in the flophouses were rather put off by my occasional dips into the future. I'll need to get used to the idea that some people may still think witchcraft is a thing. Demon possession. Et cetera. Thankfully, while Paris may be far away, most of what makes France worth living in can still be found here. I doubt it should be too bad. The Oracle posted:Name: Luc St. Pierre Who are you? My name is Luc St. Pierre. I am a.. psychic, for lack of better English words. It is less that I can use a crystal ball and divine the future, and more that I can have the future hit me in the face at various different speeds. Back home, in Paris, I was called Monsieur LeBeau, and if you find any of those placards I made, I apologize. It was not the best decision, which is why I'm here. How long have you been in the city? About six months, give or take. Mostly finding a place that is both affordable but nicer than most of the slums. I mean, I have done odd jobs around the city, and I can pay my rent, but it took a few months to get everything properly lined up. The Dragon locally does not welcome those of us with magical talents very easily, especially when you claim to see the future. But they have come around. Somewhat. How do you cope with the visions? Wine. Well, if we're being serious, although the wine helps, meditating and relaxing the body while they happen tends to avoid things like pain and violent feedback. Unless you mean in a bigger picture, then I really don't do that much at all. Try to make a bit of a living from my talents, but I am what my parents would call a complete mess. If they spoke English. But they're not going away soon, so maybe it's for the best that I have things as they are. What are the nightmares like? I believe the phrase one of the British sailors used, that I liked, was "bloody shambles". I can feel pain, actual pain during them. My body moves, twitches and it is like I am being forced to go through all these terrible events. I can't tell if they're past memories or I have a very vivid imagination, but I see people from all time periods, all nationalities. Everything is so vivid, it is like I am actually going through them, or at least have before. Sometimes they repeat. Sometimes they're new. What do you desperately need? I need a clear mind. Control over my situation. I also need respect, but that is far behind just knowing I won't hit the ground in a pile over visions happening at the wrong time. I am a simple man if not for the ability to see into the future. I just want to be able to live my life, without thinking at any moment I may be on the ground, not in control of all of my faculties. Then again, I am getting there. Slowly. Too slowly for my liking. Who’s an important person locally from your faction?  The Dragons, as they are, tend to keep themselves in a few groups. There's the academics, the spiritualists and the realists. Not that they keep themselves as such, but Ning Shi is most definitely one of the leaders among the former group. He's always going on about some principle of chi or leylines or whatever he's currently working on. He maintains a library that I could build an apartment out of that could protect me from the elements as well as my current one does. He's pleasant, however, although I'm not sure he knows half the things I've spoke to him. What’s one thing that your faction known for in Shanghai? Ah, well, things are strange for the Dragons currently. I stumbled into it myself, but we tend to deal in smuggling as a means to our ends. Magic isn't exactly treated very friendly at the port, so most thought, if we're already smuggling small things, why not make some money and handle some larger orders? Who’s an important person locally outside of your faction?  Don't let the looks fool you, this woman is bad news. The Phoenixes do not even say her name, but refer to her literally as the Herald Of Winter. Luckily for most of us, she doesn't seem to want to hurt anyone most of the time. She's primarily a messenger, but she has more of the hoodoo than most of the people here. I saw her once shred a man alive with that instrument of hers. He did spit on her, thinking she refused to play for him out of disrespect. He most likely deserved it. What’s an important part of town for your faction? The docks, obviously enough. There are a few Dragon-held warehouses and transport companies that work there, plus it is a good place to find out exactly what is going on. It is centered around the Wooden Anchor, the newest of the businesses. What’s an interesting place in town? The Lore Bear fucked around with this message at 08:00 on Dec 17, 2015 |
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Dec 14, 2015 09:08
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Hi there! So this isn't dead or anything, but given the rate of apps, I think I'm going to start winding down so we can get to actually playing quicker! Limit on new applications is 24 hours from this post.
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Dec 15, 2015 21:28
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Okay! All of my section is filled out, if you have anything you want to ask the character go right ahead.
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Dec 15, 2015 22:04
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Everyone: I should have mentioned this earlier, but obviously considering the setting, there are no mobile phones! Feel free to replace them in your gear with anything that sounds right and is of roughly the same quality (so if you have a 'lovely' mobile phone you could replace that with 'low quality drugs' or 'battered sword' etc.) Also, none of these following questions are compulsory, they won't affect if I pick you or not, so don't feel pressured to answer them if you don't want to. Just thought you might want some things to help flesh your characters out a bit, maybe! Jian Taisu: What's the best thing you've done for the Wo Shi Wo? What's something you've done that you have to hide from them? Jiao Mei: (Finish your appppp or at least your bio!) Jing: How have your studies in the West changed you? What do you think are more dangerous - the supernatural, or other humans, and why? Arban Tomor-ochir: What do you do now that you've escaped imprisonment? Have you been able to find any of your other travelling companions, alive or dead? How long have you known you were a werewolf? Ling Chao: What's the hardest part of your work? What's the most rewarding? Would you consider yourself a hermit, or do you make allowances for human interaction? Fang Yin: (Finish your appppp or at least your bio!)x2 Phillip Devitt-Pendlebury: What have you been able to achieve since London left you to rot? Do you have any allies left, either in the city or across the Empire? What's your next move? Maiyu Liang: What are your views on other supernatural beings, aside from werewolves? How do you balance being a Hunter with the demands of Shanghai life? Luc St. Pierre: Who is your best,and most reliable customer, and what do they usually ask for? How do you plan to get more control over your current situation?
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Dec 15, 2015 23:16
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AdjectiveNoun posted:Jing: How have your studies in the West changed you? What do you think are more dangerous - the supernatural, or other humans, and why? Did they change me? Well I've come back knowing a lot of interesting swear words, a passable bit of English and a dislike for idiots. Oh and I got a lower second in civil engineering. Which I do hope will come in useful eventually. To answer seriously? I don't know, I hope they haven't changed me any more than time has done, but once you've done something big like that, its kind of impossible to take it back. And as for more dangerous? I'd say probably humans. From what I have seen so far supernatural threats are usually contained to simple areas and have little ability to change things across huge areas. We are all living in a country ruined and made by humans. I'd have to say us. Until I figure out if the First Emperor really died and is going to come back as some sort of terrifying ghost of course.
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Dec 16, 2015 01:39
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AdjectiveNoun posted:Phillip Devitt-Pendlebury: What have you been able to achieve since London left you to rot? Do you have any allies left, either in the city or across the Empire? What's your next move? Well, I haven't exactly been idle. London may not be interested in any report I have to send but I have compiled a series of comprehensive dossiers on native and foreign criminal and intelligence community figures, along with my rather less official files on the occult and supernatural. My staff, along with those at the Embassy I can trust to keep their mouths shut (not many, these days. You just can't get the help anymore) have worked long and hard to ensure that persons sympathetic to the British Empire remain on the Municipal Council in positions of influence. To that end we have had to cultivate close ties with the American consulate, and a personal friendship on my part with Stirling Fessenden, an eminent lawyer who acts as a sort of spokesman for the Americans. In terms of remaining allies? Well, I still count Edmund Bartleby as a friend and confidante, but his position in London limits his ability to provide official support. One of my protegees from before my career took a downturn, Robin Bidwell, is deputy station chief in Hong Kong, and I hope he still feels some loyalty towards me. Olga Belinskaya is a Russian woman who claims some noble ancestry (but then, they all do) and who more impressively has managed to secure ownership of a small theater where she teaches ballet to the children of wealthy natives and has a number of contacts among them. I can't count many true allies among the Chinese as there is a great deal of resentment against the British among the lower classes and the educated poor, but Wang Jingwei of the nationalist movement has been seeking international support for his position and could easily become a friend of convenience. My next move will likely have to be against the Japanese. Their position in the city is growing stronger to the point that it could become a problem at any time, and anything I can do to destabilize that position will buy time for London to realize the danger and act. If only I had more to work with...
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Dec 16, 2015 05:40
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AdjectiveNoun posted:Everyone: I should have mentioned this earlier, but obviously considering the setting, there are no mobile phones! Feel free to replace them in your gear with anything that sounds right and is of roughly the same quality (so if you have a 'lovely' mobile phone you could replace that with 'low quality drugs' or 'battered sword' etc.) Also, none of these following questions are compulsory, they won't affect if I pick you or not, so don't feel pressured to answer them if you don't want to. Just thought you might want some things to help flesh your characters out a bit, maybe! Hmm. A curious question. Let me think. Ah, yes. There this one time our family duelled with a rival one. I forgot the name, just like the world forgot them as they now rot in their graves. But anyway, it started with what was supposed to be a duel to the death between the champions of our families, that being me against their heir. It was the hardest sword duel I have ever fought, but in the end I was victorious. With his heir dead, their dragonhead was outraged and accused me of cheating, but I did not, and the judges remained just and confirmed such. In his anger he drew his blade and charged me. ... He proved much less of a fight than his son. As for what I regret... There has been a time where we had a serious spy problem. Naturally, it was very important to me to deal with said problem quickly. I ended up killing about 20 members of our family. Problem is, only around 15 were actually guilty. I had gotten overzealous. ... I was able to convince the dragonhead that they too were spies, but I sincerily hope he never finds out the truth. Yami Fenrir fucked around with this message at 13:08 on Dec 16, 2015 |
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Dec 16, 2015 10:30
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Neopie informed me over IRC they're dropping out, which leaves us with 8 players, all of whom will get in, even if some people still need to finish their character sheets, please do that ASAP :p Debt sheet is here! Go work out your Debts, write some fiction in this thread, and hopefully we can get started by the weekend, just in time for people to be AFK due to the holidays! : D
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Dec 17, 2015 00:23
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quote:Someone has enlisted you to protect them from something very Chao was having some problems with vampires and a mutual acquaintance put her in touch with me. Why she couldn't handle it herself given her arcane talents I don't have a clue. But she was paying me well enough. I cleaned up one family of vampires that came after her. But she remains convinced that there will be more. "It's only a matter of when." So she has me on an occasional retainer as a bodyguard cum leg-breaker. quote:Someone keeps you equipped and supplied. You owe them 2 Debts Ah yes dear Phillip He's some sort of British spy who's pretty heavily tapped into the local supernatural community. He first approached me to see about doing some information gathering for him. There are things men will say to a woman during sex that he would not say while undergoing extreme torture. A fact I was well aware of course. And he paid well enough for what I provided. Then of course he gradually became aware of my... sideline business. Far from offending him it seemed to intrigue him and now he's proved very willing to keep me supplied with weapons and anything else I might need to do my job It does mean he calls on me to deal with how did he put it? "The odd spot of bother." which is a delightfully understated way of putting it. But I don't mind. He's quite the gentlemen and never asks unless he really needs to and the work he sends my way is always interesting. quote:You consider someone a friend even though the friendship keeps Who told you about Jian? He's officially just a mid-level enforcer for one of the street gangs but he's a lot more than that as well. Aside from being some sort of protege of one of the Dragon Masters he's made some... unwise decisions when it comes to reaching for more power. Not that I can talk. But still it'd be a shame if he made the same mistakes I did. We met when we were both dealing with the same street gang. I'd found out they were fronts for some sort of smuggling ring being run by werewolves. I dunno what Jian was investigating them for but we found ourselves working opposite sides of the same jobs. I actually ended up shooting at him once which is kind of embarrassing but he seems to be ok with it. Eventually we pooled our resources and the gang just curled up and died. I've been trying to help him out ever since. Yami Fenrir posted:Someone is trying to save you and keeps suffering for it.You owe them 2 Debts Jian is different from a lot of the other men. He has so much sadness that the keeps bottled up. So much regret. But he can't see that his bosses are just using him. I've tried to get him to quit. I know people who could help him. Make sure he get's out ok. But he won't let me help him. And if you tell anyone else I said this I'll deny it and I'll hunt you down and kill you for free. They way he carries himself, the look in his eyes the way he laughs to hide the pain he's feeling. It's attractive. But I think I'd have to hit him to get him to notice me and I don't want to ruin that pretty face. But I'm only going to wait so long you know. Josef bugman posted:Someone told you their secrets and you haven't told anyone about them yet. They owe you 2 Debts Jing is quite an interesting character. I first met him when he was harassing a couple of my girls trying to get information about one of our clients. Now that kind of I simply won't allow. I took him to one side in my office and was about to teach him to keep his mouth shut when he started telling what he wanted the information for. He can be very charming when he wants to be and he's actually studied abroad. He's a font of useful information. I'm afraid I became quite distracted from my original intent and we consumed copious amounts of wine together. I'm afraid I may have said too much to him while I was in my cups but so far he appears to be keeping quiet. So maybe It's all just a drunken mistake and he doesn't remember what I said anyway. Ferrosol fucked around with this message at 20:21 on Dec 19, 2015 |
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Dec 17, 2015 01:50
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AdjectiveNoun posted:Arban Tomor-ochir: What do you do now that you've escaped imprisonment? Have you been able to find any of your other travelling companions, alive or dead? How long have you known you were a werewolf? Now that I have escaped, I work for those who have need of an outsider and have either coin or connections that can help myself and my people. Unfortunately I have not found any of the other men I set out with. I do not know if any of them were taken here like me, but I still investigate any rumor that reaches my ears. I have known of the change since I was... 9 or 10 summers old. One of the hunters found me in the woods the morning after the moon, surrounded by the remains of a hare. Our shaman taught me of the change and my luck in being so chosen to bear it.
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Dec 17, 2015 04:07
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Quick note, like I mentioned in IRC - in China (and I think in Mongolia too, but not sure there), people put their names as Family Name -> Given Name. So for an example, Yamifenrir's PC Jian Taisu would suggest Jian is his family's name, Taisu is his given name. Just to be clear, when you're filling in your PC's info in the Debt Sheet, on Row 2 (where the 'Debt Owed By' stuff is), put your character's Given name. So for instance, Rauri's PC Ling Chao has the given name 'Chao', and has put that in the row, to make it clear.
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Dec 17, 2015 06:49
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Oh awesome, will finish up Ling Chao's questions tomorrow. To clarify - her family name is Ling, her name is Chao.quote:Someone is helping you keep your demons at bay. You owe them a Debt. Luc is both a legitimate psychic, and - I hope - something of a friend. I suspect he's in touch with the Great Wheel, or the will of Ka and Karma... he's seldom wrong, even if many dismiss his talents. We meet at my home weekly, to share a bottle of wine and discuss and debate. Its one of the few appointments I'm fastidious about. quote:Someone is your go-to when you get into trouble. You owe them 2 Debts. Phillip is both more than he seems to be and well connected. I'd almost suspect him of being capable of performing magic, or at least divination - he's better informed than he has any right to be, and he's been willing to intercede on my behalf before. He's the one that acquired the deeds and proper paperwork for me to secure my mortal ownership over the house Thaisaidain, for example. I owe him a great deal. quote:You are helping someone keep a dangerous secret. They owe you a Debt. Arban's a werewolf. I discovered it one night, pursuing what I assumed was a dangerous beast via teleportation effects as necessary to stay out of its range. By the time the morning came, I was exhausted - but it shifted back to reveal the man. I've agreed to keep it quiet for him, since from what I've been able to tell he's not bad intentioned, nor tries to hurt others without good cause. Rauri fucked around with this message at 08:04 on Dec 18, 2015 |
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Dec 17, 2015 06:50
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Ferrosol posted:Was thinking Phillip for this one but I'm open to other ideas. It is something of a truism that a man seeking to impress a woman will tell her almost anything, especially secrets that burden him. It was in hoping to exploit this that I first contacted Maiyu - a woman running any business in Shanghai needs friends, especially a business so closely linked with crime, and I approached her to offer the tacit support of my office in exchange for any information her, ahem, employees might find on their pillows. Her other business was even more useful to me, and I have enjoyed a fruitful partnership with her on that grounds. I supply her weapons, information, official documents and the like. She occasionally kills someone in exchange. A remarkable young woman. Rauri posted:Thinking Phillip for this one, pending approval. Also up for this one, indicating that for all his veneer of jaded worldliness Phillip still harbours some pretensions towards chivalry. quote:DEBTS Possibly Jing? He's the kind of western educated, forward thinking young Chinaman Phillip would be interested in grooming as an agent. quote:• You’re working on something big for someone, and it’s nearly Things that Phillip can readily be assumed to have been working on - gathering information, or smuggling items via the British diplomatic service. Arranging meetings with powerful people. Who wants something like that? Jian Taisu is an interesting fellow. At first glance nothing more than one of the gangsters who swarm like flies around Shanghai, but he has hidden depths to his character and is in a position to become quite powerful in the local underworld. The organization he represents is under pressure in the Japanese quarter of the city and he knew enough to approach me for information on their unofficial military and police presence. The dossier is almost ready. It will be a pleasant change to have someone read and use a report I've compiled. quote:• Someone keeps pulling your bacon out of the fire. You owe them 2 Debts. Luc St. Pierre can see the future, sort of. How often is that going to keep a spy from getting bitten by something he didn't see coming? As often as it happens. Where did I get this information? Oh, that French fellow. Yes, I'm sure he can be relied on. You say he was a stage magician in Paris? How very interesting. Well, what we do is more than half illusion as well, and the rest is sleight of hand. No, don't bother trying to find his sources by tracking him. And don't try to play cards against him either. thatbastardken fucked around with this message at 13:34 on Dec 21, 2015 |
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Dec 17, 2015 07:46
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AdjectiveNoun posted:Quick note, like I mentioned in IRC - in China (and I think in Mongolia too, but not sure there), people put their names as Family Name -> Given Name. So for an example, Yamifenrir's PC Jian Taisu would suggest Jian is his family's name, Taisu is his given name. We may be in China but British Grammar is extraterritorial, thank you very much.
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Dec 17, 2015 07:48
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