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Post by Mowyer Pax on Apr 7, 2009 18:20:35 GMT
I'd like to do something parallel to Naseir and go guardsman-like. Me, supremely interested in Oasis and potentially opposing the group? Never! I suddenly flipped to female when I was signing up - why not I see her as the youngest of four, two older brothers and one older sister. All went in to some military or important service to the city. She has always felt driven to prove herself, and had been very focused and single-minded, gaining some position in the military of guards. She is usually calm, and because of her position in the family is used to defering to authority of others in the end. However, if she feels her position threatened her esteem is threatened and her need to prove herself kicks in. And secretly she has always desired her 'shining moment' to prove herself to her family. Hence why, in the midst of this nightmare, she isn't completely driven to find her family, and open to the idea of perhaps solving the mystery instead. Or something ... Anyway, unless you want some real evil there, she's an essentially good character who should be good for the group, but with some potential for major selfishness and conflict, especially when the group starts to fray or the sanity points start to fall away! Comments? Did you have an opening for something much different? I'm open to suggestion right now I just thought going fighter, but still with some mental flexibility, might be fun.
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Post by zipp on Apr 7, 2009 19:11:35 GMT
This is good, it will fill in some of the gaps Naseir left. I've already got some history for you, that I'll post later.
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Post by zipp on Apr 8, 2009 19:30:19 GMT
Your new secret background:
You are a citizen of Oasis. Many of the citizens have never left the city's walls. However, you are the daughter of Sylvaria Castle, one of the members of the ruling council, which makes you a citizen of Citadel. You have had much freedom and power throughout your life. Your eldest brother, Jason Rafael, is being trained to take over your mother's position some day. You other brother Charles is being trained to take over the city guard. And your older sister Alicia was married off to a Slovian for political reasons. Your fate has been left undecided, leaving you free to spend your vast wealth and free time where you would.
Or at least it had been so.
The plague seemed to strike at random, and spread rapidly through those who had contact with the victims. Because leaving Oasis is forbidden for its citizens, except under special appointment by the Council, things quickly escalated. The plague travelled swiftly through the trapped populous until the dead began piling in the streets.
With such chaos around them, it was no wonder that the citizens turned to rioting. The guard had their hands full dealing with citizens gone mad and beserk. Rumour spoke of monsters in the city, as well, but you imagined this the ravings of minds that had succumbed, no doubt, to the plague themselves.
Of course, you hadn't seen anything with your own eyes. You were now being kept in Citadel, and spent your once care-free days inside it's walls, where the plague had not reached. From within this safe haven, life went on in a bizarrely normal fashion. The remaining citizens watched with calm ease the destruction of the rest of Oasis. You watched with them, secure in the knowledge that the city would be rebuilt better than before, but at the same time hating your family for allowing the destruction to go on unabated. Your requests to meet with your mother or even your brothers went ignored.
Until yesterday.
You were walking through the open gardens of the Citadel when a hand closed around your mouth and you were dragged into the shadows. You wanted to scream, but then you heard the familiar voice of Charles. You calmed and he let you go. The person you saw was definitely your brother, but you'd never seen such fear in his eyes.
"We deploy in three days," he said. "Maybe less."
You assumed he was talking about going into the city to wrest it back from the plague, but with terror in his voice he told you otherwise.
"No," he said. "We are to kill all of the Citadel citizens. Including you, sister."
He didn't have much time to explain. The council, in his opinion, had gone crazy, ordering a genocide on their own people. They hadn't given so much as a reason, and the rest of the guard had obeyed without question, like they were under some spell. Charles feels there is little time before his aversion to the orders is discovered and he doesn't know what that will mean for him. He wants to save you before it's too late.
"We think we know who is responsible for the plague that has driven pain into the heart of our city," he tells you.
The woman, Sera Veshin, was once a member of Citadel who turned on the council when they refused to let her join them, and now seeks the downfall of the council so that she can rule Oasis herself.
"Kill her, and the madness stops," Charles says.
Together, the two of you formulate a plan. In the chambers underneath the Citadel tower (which extends skyward as well as underneath the earth) there is a portal which provides instant access to any part of the city. It's use, of course, had been banned following the plague's outbreak, but Charles sneaks you in and starts the mechanism moving.
All seems to be going well when voices suddenly shout the alarum. The last thing you see before the portal activates is your brother being surrounded by men, and a shrill voice you haven't heard in weeks commanding his arrest: it belongs to your mother.
Where the portal takes you will be made clear in the next scene. Keep an eye on the posts. I'll signal you when to arrive.
To summarize your goal: you must find and kill Sera Veshin. You also must get back to Citadel to discover the fate of your brother and the rest of your family.
Note: because you have spent so much time outside Oasis, you don't have the usual fear of foriegners that most citizens do. You also, however, don't know much about the city, having spent much of your time being escorted or living in Citadel. As a citizen of Citadel, you are marked with a tatoo on your cheek (make this clear to the companions when you meet up). The tatoo is a pentagram marked with runes at each of its five points and with a hand in the middle.
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Post by Mowyer Pax on Apr 8, 2009 19:59:33 GMT
Ooooh, cool! So a few questions then So is Mowyer still a guard herself then, or just a citizen who has journeyed on her own whims amd so possesses weapons and armour? If the former, can I decide when she joined and give her some extended travel? Would she have had to play down who she was in the outside world, or would she have been able to act like a travelling dignitary as her whim allowed? Could she have got to the King's Court as the daughter of a council member of Oasis, for example? I assume that she has no idea where Sera Veshin could be, and this is a blind jump out of the citadel? Does she know more than a passing amount about the city colour coding and zones since it sounds like she would have been immune to them? What is her colour? Does she know what the tattoo actually means (as in does it stand for something specific)? Is there a reason why jher mother and brother have different second names from her and each other, and does Charles have a second name? Does the merchant's guild operate in a known way in Oasis, or do I have to completely forget that facet from Mel's backstory now? And last, but by no means least, do I know of the existence of the Finger of Kai? Oh, wait - is Aram's family (assuming he is genuine) of high enough stature that I would know of him or his sister at all? I'm assuming no! Ok, and now last: do I know what is happening with Jason at this time? That should do it, I promise
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Post by zipp on Apr 9, 2009 0:43:31 GMT
So is Mowyer still a guard herself then, or just a citizen who has journeyed on her own whims amd so possesses weapons and armour? If the former, can I decide when she joined and give her some extended travel? It's the latter. She wasn't part of the guard at any point. She was like the runt of the litter, being set aside because she had no place in the hierarchy and wasn't being trained to take any place. She didn't have to play it down, but she didn't really have any power. Mostly she had money, so she could buy herself into anywhere. But no real political power. Mostly blind jump, though Sera will probably being leading groups of rebels across the city. Citadel mark allows access to anywhere. Unfortunately, Mowyer doesn't know much about any of the colours or zones, because she spent so little time in Oasis and mostly traveled the city with guides and escorts. No. Jason Rafael has two first names, or rather his full first name would be Jason Rafael. This is a reference to when middle names first started being used in the middle ages. There's a long complicated back story to Oasis that I'll make clear by the end of the game. Naseir knew a good chunk of it and some of the other characters have other pieces. Oasis was THE merchant's guild, with connections to all the other merchant's in Northern Magnamund and a good number of connections in Vassagonia and Shadaki. They even had trade with the... er... the tribe that lives in Southern Magnamund... one of the playable classes? There is a legend which I shall tell you now... You'd heard rumours your whole life of a gift given to the founders of Oasis by Kai himself. The legend went that a Vassagonian prince had turned against injustice by the nobility and had turned to a life of crime in order to work away at the nobility's foundation. The gods, among them Kai, appeared to him to warn him against his chosen path. But Augri, the Vassagonian god of spite and trickery, convinced the prince that his actions were just, and so he ignored the other gods. Eventually the prince was caught, and the Zahkan personally cut off one of his hands as a lesson to all thieves. Then he was made example of, kept in the hot public square during the day for people to ridicule, and thrown in the cold dungeons at night to think on his wrongs. Though he prayed and begged Augri for salvation, the spiteful deity didn't appear to him, having abandoned him. Kai heeded his call however, and offered the prince freedom if he would build a city far from Vassagonia where people could live properly without fear of the noble classes. When the prince agreed, Kai freed him from his bonds and showed him the way through the Zahkan's palace. He changed the prince's appearance to that of an old man and gave him strength of voice so that he could spread his message of salvation. For months, the transformed prince preached to the public. When again the palace took notice of him, Kai sent him warning, and he and his closest followers left the city and walked the desert, following Kai every day as he travelled across the sky to the west. At night they followed his brightest star, and in such a manner, they were led North West to the hills around Moytura pass. They reached the spot where Oasis was to be constructed on the night of a full moon, and Ishir shone brightest on the hill which would become their new home. Of course, to build such a home would not be easy, and so Kai gave the prince a gift. Cutting off one of his one hands, Kai affixed it to the prince's stub. It was a reward for the prince's hard work and faith. Many had died upon the road to Oasis, but the prince had led his people nonetheless, telling them no lies or false promises, just asking that they trust to Kai to bring them to a new home. With the power of the Hand of Kai, it is said that Oasis was built in three days. It is also said that the prince died minutes after the city was completed, and that the Hand had been guarded as a treasure of Oasis ever since. Nope. Nope. Now, just because I'm not giving you much info to start with doesn't mean Mowyer is an idiot when it comes to Oasis. In particular, she would have knowledge of the ruling council and the laws of Oasis, so if ever you want more information on those things, I can give it to you. I just didn't want to spell it all out right now. I do have something of a life outside the internet! Similarly, I'll award you a special ability kind've like Sherri's, in that you can get directions or information on anything in the city. However, unlike Sherri's being automatic, you have to roll Mental at a DC equal to the difficulty of the question.
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Post by Mowyer Pax on Apr 9, 2009 6:14:18 GMT
Thanks!
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Post by Mowyer Pax on Apr 9, 2009 17:07:54 GMT
Ooooooone last question - do the people n Citadel know the darklands army surrounds the gates?
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Post by zipp on Apr 10, 2009 5:58:07 GMT
No. Not that you know of, at least.
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Post by Mowyer Pax on Apr 18, 2009 7:19:53 GMT
Oh, a couple of last questions before I meet the peeps!
Are Citizens of Oasis / Citadel a proud people? While Mowyer is perhaps a special case, should she feel relieved if the king has sent envoys, or feel it is intruding?
Darn, I had a second question in my head yesterday, can't remember. I'm sure I will ask it if it comes up during meeting the group!
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Post by zipp on Apr 18, 2009 17:42:38 GMT
Oh, a couple of last questions before I meet the peeps! Are Citizens of Oasis / Citadel a proud people? While Mowyer is perhaps a special case, should she feel relieved if the king has sent envoys, or feel it is intruding? Darn, I had a second question in my head yesterday, can't remember. I'm sure I will ask it if it comes up during meeting the group! Intruding. The citizens of Oasis think they are a Utopia.
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Post by Mowyer Pax on Apr 18, 2009 19:41:13 GMT
It's what I thought. Mowyer might be more open minded about outsiders in general, but that doesn't mean she'll welcome people getting in her way, who have no idea of what is really happening, trying to help. Not considering how personal this has got during her time to shine!
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Post by Mowyer Pax on May 22, 2009 19:14:37 GMT
Hmm, I think...I think...I understand Mowyer now. As I said before, she's driven to be 'better' than her siblings and prove herself, even if she doens't know it. However, I think that means that everything she does she tries to do to the best of her ability, but there is no answering 'spark' deep within for the actions. Such as she tries to be tough in combat, but does not have that edge or bloodlust or drive that she attributes to Charles. Or the compassion for her fellow Citizens she attributes to Jason and her Mother. Things like that.
So I think she's going to find that when push comes to shove, she won't have conviction in certain situations. And I think especially as the pillars that she is trying to live up to appear false, she won't know what to do.
I htink if Mowyer lives long enough, it will be interesting to try and find out, and see if she discovers, something she genuinely does care about that is her belief and her conviction. Or is this the beginning of a long, slow fall in to apathy for the poor girl.
We shall see....
Gah, I smell! Need to not smell!
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Post by zipp on May 23, 2009 21:22:13 GMT
Well, I can't help you with the smelling, but I can understand if you're having trouble figuring Mowyer out. Your characters are almost always Han Solo style characters... selfish, but quick to make friends and ultimately ready to do the right thing for those friends. An Oasis citizen is, by nature of their birth, a much more independent character who wants everyone to be sacrificing themselves for their own good.
Now, you don't have to play Mowyer that way. She's been out of Oasis for a good portion of her life, and has had a chance to become her own character. If you want to have some real fun with the character, you could make her nearly schizophrenic... compassionate and trying to help the group one moment, surly and offended by some strange slight to her pride the next.
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Post by Mowyer Pax on May 25, 2009 7:51:38 GMT
Interesting Han Solo analogy. Of course, since you've pointed out my characters are always like that, I'm almost honour bound to try somehing new ;D I'm still sad I never got to play the arrogant racist knight for too long I like the split personality angle - her arrogant upbringing embedded deep versus her open mindedness from traveling. It would give her some fun reactions that would anno her to have, which would either catch her wrong footed or put her out of sorts. Anyway, I resisted the temptation to get another point of skill then a new tactical / thinky ability, and went to my initial character instinct for creating a fighter to help the group. If she survives the next scene, lets see about some toughness or maybe raising the skill but for a defensive ability...
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Post by Mowyer Pax on Jun 7, 2009 20:15:31 GMT
Well, I guess that's another fun Mowyer fact discovered. Perhaps it gives a reason for her pathological hatred of restrictions (mental or physical) and certainly adds to the fun twisted family dynamic.
Plus I figured you might like a dark twist, and also a good reason to have a different reaction to your twins than just terror. Little brats!
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