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The Heavens Aflame - A Civil War Among Deities

Except for Svanus and Mysia, the children of Ventu are -not- born of Lymaeus and Ventu's mating -- that only happened once.

HeySeuss

Updated my CS to reflect this. Still subject to strange, struggling a bit with a good parentage idea.

The Heavens Aflame - A Civil War Among Deities

Paichnidi

Name/Titles: Paichnidi (PAICH-knee-dee), the Blind Advisor, Grandmaster of Games Sex/Gender: Naturally assumes a male form, but may present himself as female if it confers some advantage. Pantheon/Affiliation: Ex-deity (exiled many years ago to Sharzunates) Patronage:

Games (especially mental games of skill), puzzles and riddles, strategy, manipulation, advisors, and gambling/gamblers.

Appearance:

Image

Image credit: http://jialu.deviantart.com/

Paichnidi's natural form appears as an old man clad in a loose, white robe made of a rough but supple material. His face is lined with a god's lifetime worth of wrinkles and pockmarks and bears evidence of frequent frowns, but equally frequent smiles. Many believe him to be blind as his eyes are almost always kept shut. In actuality, Paichinidi can see quite well. The truth behind his hidden eyes is their uncontrollable shifting of colors according to his mood and feelings. This is one of his most closely guarded secrets, as many of his plots and strategies rely on careful deception and misdirection. He prefers to go barefoot. Alternate Forms Paichnidi will sometimes take the form of a young and attractive male or female to distract and unbalance his opponents (whether they be across the game or negotiating table). He has also been known to appear as a greying raven to gather information that is of interest to him without attracting undue attention. However, he does not enjoy leaving his natural form. Furthermore, any alternate shape he takes will share his eyes' quality of shifting colors, necessitating keeping them closed. This is one way of identifying him for those in the know.

Eye color/emotion list (adapted from V:TM by White Wolf):

• Orange - Afraid
• Purple - Aggressive
• Red - Angry
• Brown - Bitter
• Light Blue - Calm
• Pink - Compassionate
• Lavender - Conservative
• Gray - Depressed
• Deep Red - Lustful
• Light Green - Distrustful
• Dark Green - Excited
• Rose - Generous
• Vermilion - Happy
• Black - Hateful
• Yellow - Idealistic
• White - Innocent
• Blue - Lovestruck
• Green - Obsessed
• Silver - Sad
• Gold - Spiritual
• Dark Blue - Suspicious
• Mottled, Shifting colors - Confused
• Sharp Flickering Colors - Daydreaming
• Rapid Rippling Colors - Frenzied
• Hypnotic, Swirling Colors - Psychotic

Parentage:

Paichnidi sprung from Ventu's mind in a moment of boredom and as a passing whim. Many view him as the weakest of his brothers.

Centres of Worship/Places of Power:

Paichnidi's ancient place of worship, called Iudicium, is now a lost ruin. It was once a great arena where mortals (and, rarely, demigods) tested themselves against each other in games of skill, hoping to impress Paichnidi and win his favor. The arena was built of stone, with many ingenious mechanisms, hidden traps, courts, fields, and rooms with tables and equipment for challenges of every kind. At its center was an altar tended by his followers. Those who demonstrated skill and ability were allowed to pray there for Paichnidi's blessing. His special favor fell upon geniuses in games of mental skill. The most famous of these games was the Teglon, a geometric puzzle of near-impossible difficulty created by Paichnidi himself (note: I borrow this from Neal Stephenson's highly recommended novel Anathem. Read about it here: http://anathem.wikia.com/wiki/Teglon). The Teglon has been solved by only three mortals, and even many less mentally-inclined deities find it baffling.

Servants, Prominent Followers and Worship Base:

As he was exiled many thousands of years ago, few followers of Paichnidi remain. Present day, some mortal scholars may still know of Iudicium, and perhaps one or two even have an idea of where it is. Records exist of Paichnidi and his "temple" in the greatest of mortal libraries, though few would know or care to look upon them. An old saying exists among gamblers, "By the luck of Paichnidi." Some still use it, but none remember its true origin and meaning. Paichnidi employs a demigod servant to guide him around and perform some tasks for him. In reality, this is completely unnecessary and a ruse to maintain the impression of his blindness. However, it is a ruse he enjoys both because of the company and the excuse it gives him to be criminally lazy.

Psychology:

Paichnidi loves mental challenge, whether it be against an opponent or inherent within an activity (i.e. the Teglon). Therefore, he tends to view most things in the context of a game, especially the intrigue of the pantheon. This makes him an excellent manipulator and conspirator. However, he balks at the responsibilities and restraints of those who must actually hold positions of power. So, he assumes the role of advisor and confidant. He is calm, encouraging, and almost never fails to find the right words to assuage or inflame. Others find his advice valuable because of his strategic mind and ability to carefully plan, often thinking many "moves" in advance. He is usually very beneficial to the individual he becomes attached to, but he never becomes attached unless there is a benefit for himself as well. He prefers to stay in the background, with his partner unaware of his manipulation. Open confrontation must be avoided as much as possible. Paichnidi would much rather settle things with a game, riddle, or puzzle. His thing most feared and abhorred is boredom - thus, his time in Sharzunates took a significant toll on him both mentally and physically. Also, Paichnidi almost never loses a game if he does not wish to - doing so would likely drive him to temporary insanity.

History:

Before his lengthy exile to Sharzunates, Paichnidi was a generally trusted and well-liked member of the pantheon. In the eyes of most deities, he posed little to no threat to their power or holdings. He freely gave advice, and provided delightful pastimes for gods who had grown bored or disinterested with their responsibilities. However, Aroesus was ashamed of his brother's relative weakness to the rest of Ventu's sons. He was tolerated before the death of Ventu and Aroesus' rise to power, but soon after his ascension Aroesus grew more and more displeased with his younger brother. Furthermore, Paichnidi had refused to lend his support against the other contenders for Ventu's place, wishing to maintain neutral until there was a clear winner. Aroesus took this as disloyalty and Paichnidi lost further favor. The breaking point came when a young deity named Proditus began visiting Paichnidi at his estate on Lake Miphas more and more frequently. He would come, and they would play games, exchange stories and riddles, and speak of the happenings of the court. Eventually, Proditus came to lean heavily on Paichnidi's advice, and gained much valuable information from him. One day, the rage of Aroesus could be felt and heard all across Hevas. Sileon was summoned from the bowels of his mountain, and the gods gathered to witness Proditus' utter destruction. A conspiracy to overthrow Aroesus had been uncovered, and Proditus sat at it's heart. It was known that Proditus spoke often with Paichnidi. In a rage, Aroesus flew to Paichnidi's estate, intending murder. Paichnidi threw himself at Aroesus' feet, pleading for mercy and insisting of his ignorance of Proditus' plot. At the behest of Mysia, with whom Paichnidi was a fast friend, Aroesus stayed his hand and instead exiled Paichnidi permanently to Sharzunates, knowing it to be a fate much worse than death for the Grandmaster of Games. And so there has Paichnidi remained, imprisoned before many of the current Pantheon were even sired. Now, Aroesus is dead and the guards of Sharzunates are gone. Many who knew of the quiet Paichnidi are either dead or have forgotten, and the time is ripe for a new King or Queen to take their place on the throne of Krona. Paichnidi is ready to play the game again, with new pieces and a new strategy. His unassuming advice is offered to all who seek it, as he reinstates himself in his long abandoned estate.

Relationships:

• Aroesus: Paichnidi was ecstatic to hear of his death and the opening of Sharzunates.
• Mysia: Paichnidi has always held a fondness for the queen (perhaps a jealous love?). He seeks to comfort her and would readily support her in a bid for power.
• Dihira: Paichnidi has a love/hate relationship with the Dark Librarian. He envies her access to such great knowledge, but respects her position and power. He is also aware of that access to information possibly contributing to his downfall to Sharzunates at the hand of Aroesus. It worries him that she is one of the few beings who would remember his involvements from that time period. He also worries that she may uncover his most carefully guarded secret, his treacherous eyes. If she found out, he would do anything to prevent the dissemination of that information. Therefore, his present plans are to stay within her good graces, or at least out of her thoughts.

Anima (Super-human Experiments) {more than you thought it was}

Im back :)

The Prime Movers [Character-driven Speculative Fiction with Tabletop Elements]

Just so my players or anyone interested is aware: I will be leaving on business from the 5th to the 15th of August. I will be unavailable during that time, however, I fully expect to resume the roleplay when I return. Please continue posting here if you are interested, and if you have any questions. I will address them upon my return.

Anima (Super-human Experiments) {more than you thought it was}

Quinn, dazed, watched the scarred man retreat back up the stairs to the floor they had come down from. He felt sick: slightly nauseous, and had a headache that turned the world into a blur of pain. He glanced around the room and noticed a chair near one of the walls. He stumbled over and let his head sink into his hands. He massaged his temples and took deep breaths. The pressure slowly started to lift.

He looked up and around at the people in the room with him. He could tell there was something different about them all. Himself too. But what? Everything before today was an empty void - he knew he had lived a life before this, he just didn't know what kind of life. Had he been a good sort of person?

Maybe he could find some answers. Quinn looked down at what he was wearing. A white pullover sweater, with black pants and polished brown shoes. He had a white lab coat on, with a nametag. He pulled it off his front pocket and held it up to the light to read. "Quinn Forester. Intern - Experimental Biology, Somdium Corp. Age: 22. Sex: Male. Hair: Brown. Eyes: Hazel." Looking at his watch, he was surprised to see it frozen. The year is what caught his eye. 2030. The digital clock on the wall read 2032. Quinn frowned and looked back and forth between the two times. It couldn't be. Two years doesn't just disappear.

The headache came raging back. "What the hell?" he mumbled to himself. Then he noticed what felt like a small cardboard box in his front pocket. He pulled it out. The box read "Parliament." His headache pulsed again Guess, I was... a smoker then. He flicked open the top of the box, to find a few stale and crumbling cigarettes. He closed the box, slipping it back into his pocket. He would keep it. He'd keep everything from... before.

Quinn turned his attention back to the room. "Hey, ah, I hate to be that guy, but, anybody got a smoke? Sorry... my head's killing me."

The Woll Manor (Dark/Mature/Interactive Murder Mystery)

Very interested. Fair warning: I'm going to be traveling for business from the 5th until the 15th, and will be unavailable while on my trip. Will this be an issue? If not, I look forward to sending my intro PM soon. If so, I understand.

The Prime Movers [Character-driven Speculative Fiction with Tabletop Elements]

Mechanics

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Below I will discuss the game mechanics of this roleplay. As stated in the thread title, this RP will incorporate some tabletop elements. This means you will be rolling some dice, crunching some numbers, and advancing your character through gaining experience.

The basic die roll for this game is a d10. In any situation where a die roll is determined necessary to decide an outcome, a d10 will be rolled. There are two types of rolls: simple and stress. On a simple roll, what comes up on the die is what you get. This is used in situations where your character is in little to no pressure, and therefore does not have the chance for significant failure. The second possibility when rolling a d10 is a stress role. These function slightly differently. On a roll of a 1, you will roll again and double your next roll. For example, let's say I roll a 1 on a stress role. I roll again and get another 1. I now quadruple. I roll again, and get a 5. 5 * 4 = 20. 20 is my final total for that roll. The flipside to this, is when you roll a 0, you risk a botch. You will then be required to roll a number of botch die appropriate to the stressfulness of the situation you are in. If any of these botch die come up 0, your character fails utterly. If none come up 0, you simply recieve a 0 total for the roll. For example, I am trying to climb a steep, slippery wall in the rain. I roll a stress die and get a 0. The DM determines I roll three botch dice for this situation. Luckily, none of them come up 0, so I only take a 0 for the roll. If I had rolled a 0 on any of these, I would have botched.

Magic

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The magic system for this game is a heavily modified version of Ars Magica 5th Edition. All Magic can be described by the Forms and Techniques. There are five Techniques, named in the old tongue as follows: Create, Destroy, Change, Control, and Understand. There are ten Forms: Animal, Water, Air, Body, Plant, Fire, Image, Mind, Earth, and Magic. All magic is performed by combining a Technique with a Form. If one wished to create a gout of water from their fingertips, one would use Create Water. All magical effects can be defined this way. Your character (if you choose to play a mage) will have a numerical score in each of these Forms and Techniques, representing their magical strengths and weaknesses. A more in-depth explanation of these rules will be provided in the OOC.

Technology

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TBD. Open to discussion and suggestions. I'm thinking sharks with lasers.

Everything else

---

I wish to keep die rolling to a minimum. As advanced players, you will know what your character logically can and cannot do. Keep that in mind, and we should have no issues.

The Prime Movers [Character-driven Speculative Fiction with Tabletop Elements]

Please visit the RP's new channel at #primemovers on Foonetic IRC.

Table of Contents:

• Mechanics

The Premise

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Energy is humanity's most coveted resource. From transportation, to agriculture, to medicine - everything runs on energy. And, even now, advanced as we are, energy is not free. Far from it. Wars are fought over it; people die for a barrel of oil. Billions are made, lost, and stolen because of energy. It is the lifeblood of our entire race. And it is our greatest weakness.

Imagine for a moment, another civilization, much like ours. Except, this civilization has been blessed with magic. Powerful magic gifted to a select few. None know whether by divine providence or a genetic mutation. And it does not matter. These people stand in the light, as beacons of power and paragons of the glory of humanity.

However, there are some who have not received any gifts from gods, no lucky twists of the genetic code. These people also stand in light, but of a different hue. They stand in the cold light of science, technology, and progress. They are innovators, experimenters, designers, developers, creators. These are people who shape their world not through some arcane ability, but through their wit and mettle.

Both of these forces have defined civilization. Cities have been raised miles above the surface of the planet, built by technology and given life by magic. Arcane philosophers have stared into the void, looking for meaning, and sometimes even finding it. Great thinkers of the world's universities have found a unified field theory of physics, and with it, have unlocked the previously thought impossible.

Tragically, however, such a golden age cannot last forever. Why?

Energy.

The lifeblood of the planet, a form of matter called vim, drives both the exotic technology of the scientists, as well as the spells of the arcane. And vim is fading. Even now, mages find their spells harder to cast, and the price of vim is rising, making operating the machines that drive civilization more and more costly. The planet is being drained of its lifeblood, and so are its inhabitants.

The Prime Movers

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You are a Prime Mover. You are a cause, and the world is your effect. You are either a mage or a scientist, engineer, inventor, or other master of technology. What will you choose? Will you wield forces of seemingly unknowable orgins, and probe secrets deeper than any mundane mind could comprehend? Or will you turn your mind to machines, weapons, devices of science? Will you reimagine the world in a manner closer to your liking, and then make it that way?

Or, will you be someone else? Will you break the cycle of destruction that you have recognized in magic and technology? Will you advocate a simpler way of life, closer to the original intention of nature?

Choose wisely. The world is dying, and so are we. More details to follow.

---

Music: Exogenesis Symphony Pt. 1: Overture - Muse

Nebular Delirium (Mature, intellectual, Char-Driven Sci Fi)

VikingLogic said
So ... is this not happening then?

I'd like to know as well. Has this been abandoned?

Anima (Super-human Experiments) {more than you thought it was}

Quinn Forester

Age: 24

Appearance:

Image

(photo credit: http://lorandesore.deviantart.com/)

Quinn is tall (slightly over six feet) and lanky due to his habit of forgetting to eat during bouts of intense concentration. He wears a white pull-over sweater with khaki Dockers. Polished brown penny loafers are his footwear of choice. He is pale - pale enough to have, in all likelihood, been prescribed Vitamin D supplements prior to his present situation. Long white hair tangles and frequently falls across the right half of his face, much to his annoyance. However, it's preferable to the inconvenience of a haircut. He has thin hands; described kindly they are pianist's hands - not so kindly they are spindly twig-fingers. He usually wears thin and white cloth gloves to avoid inadvertent contact.

Initial Ability:
Nervous system control. To put it simply, Quinn can alter the signals that his, or another's, nerves are sending back to the brain. For example, he could make someone feel cold, or heat. Pain, or pleasure. He could send signals of his own choosing, like a particular sound or image. Any sense is fair game. However, his ability has some significant limitations. He must be either touching the person he's trying to affect, or have some sort of conductive connection between himself and them (example: a copper wire). Furthermore, this ability does not induce any actual physical effects. Anyone affected is invariably left physically unharmed. Furthermore, if someone is strong of mind and will, they could potentially reverse the connection and tap into Quinn's own nervous system - effectively turning his own power upon him.

Who Quinn was:
Quinn was born to an upper-middle class family in the American city of Seattle, Washington. His early childhood was a haze of the smell of wet pavement, long walks to and from school, and the sound of piano music from his father's study. In fact, when thinking of his early years, the music stands out the most. Classical pieces with a sprinkling of Beatles and Stones filled the house during the hours his father was home from work, coloring Quinn's afternoons and lulling him to sleep in the evenings. In a way, the music was one of the few ways to connect with his distant and aloof father - as indirect as it may have been.

High school opened many doors for Quinn, and closed others. His parents decided they had grown apart, and Quinn elected to stay in Seattle with his mother. Quinn spent more and more time away from home. His new friends were introducing him to a world he had never experienced before. Over the course of the next four years, Quinn developed a taste for alcohol, women, and the occasional few hours of blotter paper induced enlightenment. However, everything has a cost, and Quinn's came in his junior year.

The speedometer read 120 miles per hour and the girl next to him was laughing, hands in the air, as the convertible wound down the Interstate 5. The semi jackknifed across the road came up faster than anyone could react at that speed; the car clipped the side of the trailer and spun for a quarter of a mile down the road until coming to rest upside down by the side of the highway. Amazingly, Quinn was alive and conscious. The girl next to him had not fared so well, as blood streamed from her forehead, staining the pavement below scarlet. The next few months were spent in court proceedings. In the end, Quinn ended up with only a revoked license. And the stain of another person's death on his hands. For Quinn, the party lifestyle was over. He spent senior year in torment, remembering the look on the girl's parent's eyes as they stood over her grave. He stopped caring for appearances and spent his free time at home. Dusting off his father's grand piano, he began learning, seeking solace in the same music that had so defined his childhood.

Quinn sought to escape Seattle, so he applied and was accepted to the University of Maine on a biology major: a subject he had favored throughout high school. Quinn made an effort to ensure the next four years were uneventful. He succeeded. Most of his time was spent in class or in front of his dorm room keyboard. Finally, he graduated with a B.S. in Molecular Biology. He then applied for an internship with Somdium Corp, leading to his present predicament.

Personality:
Quinn can best be described as soft-spoken. He likes to think carefully before he speaks, and carefully considers his words - except when he's baited into a discussion about something he is particularly passionate about. He enjoys meeting and getting to know new people, but often avoids making the first move, instead preferring for others to engage. He greatly enjoys playing the piano - it's his most cherished and developed skill, and he appreciates when others recognize it.

I prefer to develop my character's personalities through roleplay, so I think that's a good foundation for now.