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  • Game: Scions of the Divinity [OOC/Planning]

    Yes, again. Some folks may remember my original game on this [OOC Thread | IC Thread] concept, which ended up fizzling out just as the main part of the plot was intended to kick off.

    In retrospect, I probably got overly ambitious with the story I had planned.

    I want to try it again, though. But this time, instead of the PCs being established in the powers they have, they're as yet Unawakened-- i.e., unaware of their true heritage. The most they'd have in terms of power at this stage would be subtle stuff at best, and not really anything that screams 'superhuman.' Which is the point; at this stage in their divine development, they'd still technically be human.

    The game would start with the PCs receiving their Visitations. Someone connected to their specific pantheon would pop by, and, in some way, get the heroes to go to some one location... for their real Awakening, when the real power starts to come in.

    Anyone game for this?


    ============
    Background Info
    The Story
    The world as you know it is not all it appears. In this time of science and rational thinking, no one gives much thought to myths and legends. Those are all just old stories, told to explain the things that unenlightened men didn’t understand.

    But... All myths are true.

    The Gods are real. They helped shape the world and guided early Man to create civilization. They did this to help drive back the advance of the Titans-- the unfathomably powerful entities that represent the fundamental forces of reality-- which threatened to destroy the fragile world that the gods had created. The Titans were defeated and bound away in the Underworld, in the Great Prison of the Underworld, which Greek men called “Tartarus.”

    However, some time in the past-- no one is sure when, but at least in the last three hundred years-- the Great Prison was broken. The Titans-- the catch-all term for all of the wicked creatures, monsters, and specters bound within along with them-- escaped. The Titans count among their number the Frost and Fire Giants, the Oni, the Fomor, and most of the "evil" creatures of ancient myth.

    The Titans have bided their time since their escape. Their goals are mysterious-- not even their most trusted lieutenants know what they are-- but one thing is clear: if they overthrow the Gods, mankind will be the worse off for it!

    But the Gods have found themselves trapped in a binding, of sorts. If they ride out in force to drive back the Titans, they could do just as much damage-- both literally and figuratively-- to the World that the ruling Gods of each pantheon have sworn not to do so. The Titans battle the Gods on the celestial planes, but their lieutenants and minions are in the world, and must be stopped.

    Where You Come In
    The Gods are known to have had dalliances with mortals. Look no further than any ancient myth or legend or story of heroes-- from the strong who fought monsters and slew them in battle, to the cunning who tricked the devils into jars or chests, to the charismatic who rallied the people and defeated evil tyrants. Most of them were the children of the Gods.

    In these modern times, the mundane folk don’t believe in the Gods so much, and publicly announcing one’s heritage will lead to ridicule at best and institutionalization at worst. And showing off one’s abilities could lead to a panic and a fearful response from the mortal authorities. Both the Gods and the Titans want to avoid waking the “sleeping giant” of the mundane awareness of them.

    So both sides must work in secret, the Titans corrupting mortals or other divine children to their cause to work as their front men, while the Gods recruit their children to fight them as well.

    The Gods have plans. The Divinities don't always work in concert with each other, even within themselves, but the Gods have plans for their children. Their Scions will help save the world.

    One way or another.

    ============

    GM Rules for the Game
    1. Real Life Comes First. "Rule One" takes precedence over the others. If you're not able to respond right away, that's fine. We won't be going super fast with this, and if you need to bow out for a while because of RL concerns, that's fine. We can either auto-pilot your character for a while, or have them written out temporarily.

    2. Be Respectful of Others. This essentially boils down to "no power gaming." There are some exceptions to this-- which I'll elaborate on later. But basically, if you're dealing with another named character, defer to the judgment of the person running that character.

    ============
    Story Notes

    Pantheons of Note: Egyptian, Aztec, Greek/Roman, Vodoun (Loa), Aesir (Norse), Tuatha (Celtic), Amatsu-kami (Japanese), Chinese -- all others are on a case-by-case basis

    Divine Pecking Order: Descending in terms of power...

    At the peak, there are the Greater Titans. These entities are unfathomable, elemental forces of creation, their ways and thoughts unknown even to the most intelligent of their spawn. Long imprisoned by the Gods, they have no desires that we can understand but to be free to act once more, to stretch their muscles after their captivity.

    On the next tier, there are the Titan Generals, avatars of an aspect of their Greater Titan. They are usually more scrutable than the Greater Titans, with desires that are more readily understood. Chief amongst those desires, however, is that of revenge against the Gods for their long imprisonment. The Titan Generals seek to reshape, control, and/or destroy the world as they see fit. Roughly on par with the Titan Generals are The Gods, capable of fighting them to a standstill. The Gods have been the ones overseeing the world since antiquity.

    Below them are the Titanspawn, the "monsters" and "demons" of myth and legend. While less powerful than the Gods as a whole, the Spawn make up for their lack of power with sheer numbers. The Spawn vary in terms of power and motivation. Indeed, there are some Titanspawn that have forsworn their allegiance to their masters and have thrown their lot in with the Gods. The most powerful of Spawn are capable of defeating the Minor Gods, those of the divinity who have just ascended to godhood. The rest of the Titanspawn are little more than cannon fodder.

    Then there are the Divine Children, who also have varying degrees of power. At their peak, they become Minor Gods, and may even become more powerful with time in that role. The Demigods are Scions who are reaching the peak of their power in the mortal world, more than a match for the Titans' most powerful agents in the world. Then there are the Scions, those children of the gods who have just begun to realize their power for the first time. And lastly, there are the Unawakened, children of the gods who are functionally mortal, unaware of their heritage.


    ============
    Character Bio Sheet

    Name: (duh - bonus points if it's a meaningful name or evokes something related to the divine parent)
    Heritage: (who is the character’s Divine Parent? what pantheon are they from, and what is their purview?)
    Occupation: (what is/was your character’s day job?)
    Power Level: Unawakened (all player-characters start out here)

    Divine Aspect: (what trait or ability does the character have that is just slightly more than mere mortal?)

    Description:
    (what does your character look like? (visual aides are good) what’s their personality?)

    Backstory:
    (what’s your character’s story?)

    Flaws: (even the gods aren’t perfect; what flaws does your character have?)

    Fate: (why has your Divine parent tapped the character? what do they have planned for the character?) [NOTE: Feel free to be vague here in public. But at the least PM me any specifics, to work that into the story.]
    ============
    Characters

    Player-Characters
    • Riley "Ace" Thorsen - Poker Babe - Odds Ever In Her Favor [Awakened Scion]
    • Lupo Virtus - Boxer - Doesn't Know When To Quit [Awakened Scion]
    • Kiki Toshioto - Detective - Private Eye Out of Sight [Awakened Scion]
    • Liam O'Keefe - Bodyguard - An Island in the Storm [Awakened Scion]


    NPCs - Allies
    • Mattieu Carrefour - Con Artist and Thief - Absolutely Trustworthy [Unawakened] [Teammate] [Picture]
    • Selene Hoffman - IT Consultant - Hacker Par Excellence [Scion] [Ally] [Picture]
    • Paul Brighton - Promoter - Recruiter [Scion] [Ally] [Picture]
    • Art Mooney - Businessman - Hunter [Scion] [Ally] [Picture]
    • Anna Green - Businesswoman - Huntress [Scion] [Ally] [Picture]
    • Himy Holtzman - Promoter - Recruiter [Scion] [Ally] [Picture]
    • Dougal "Mac Dubh" MacDougal - Biker/Undercover Agent - Warrior [Scion] [Ally] [Picture]


    NPCs - Enemies / Other
    • Mark "The Meat" Cleaver - Boxer [Mortal] [Nobody] [Picture]
    • Baz Moran - Ex-Military? / Poker Player [Mortal] [Unquantified] [Picture]
    • Morgan MacBride - Terrorist - You Should Be Running (Seriously, Run.) [Demigod] [Enemy] [Picture]


    ============

    GM Notes
    - This OP will updated as we get underway and as more information is necessary.
    Last edited by Jay 2K Winger; 12-26-2012, 06:27 PM. Reason: Updating NPC list
    PWNADE(TM) - Serve up a glass today! | PWNZER - An act of pwnage so awesome, it's like the victim got hit by a tank.

    There are only Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse because I choose to walk!

  • #2
    Some NPCs to show you how a bio should look.

    First, another Unawakened Scion:

    Name: Mattieu Carrefour (pronunciation help-- Matt-tyu Care-four)
    Heritage: Son of Kalfu, Loa of the dark crossroads and ambition, of the Vodoun Divinity
    Occupation: Grifter/street hustler
    Power Level: Unawakened

    Divine Aspect: Trust Me (Charisma) - There's no two ways around it, Mattieu has that charm about himself. Capable of flashing a smile that would defrost even the chilliest heart, and weaving a little story with a silver tongue, Mattieu can convince anyone to at least bear with him and go along with whatever he's doing. In a hustle, this prevents the usually-savvy from just instantly dismissing him, keeping them involved long enough for the hustle to pay off (for Mattieu, if not the mark). In other dealings, this gets Mattieu the occasional free drink, or a nice one night stand.

    Description:
    Visual aid

    Mattieu always tends to be in a cheerful mood. He's quick with a joke or a snide remark, rarely seeming to take anything too seriously. He tends to focus more on the here-and-now, always looking to have a good time and to turn things to his advantage. He can't help it; he's a hustler, it's what he does. "Laissez les bon temps rouler. Let de good times roll, baby."

    Backstory:
    Born to a New Orleans prostitute, Mattieu grew up knowing he had no father, and if we must be frank, his mother didn't exactly raise him. That task went to his Gran-Mère and Gros-Papa (Grandma and Grandpa). They did their best, but young Matt was always getting into trouble. He eventually ran away back to the big city, where he took to hustling and grifting to survive, with some outright thievery when times were tough.

    Flaws: Mattieu is not a fighter. If it comes to combat, he's likely to slip away when he can and run. He's also a bit of a kleptomaniac, and a compulsive liar.

    Fate: Mattieu has been tapped by Kalfu to take part in one of the greatest cons ever. This will undoubtedly lead to the Divinity winning the war, but may not put Mattieu in an enviable or popular position.
    =======================

    Now, an example of a still-freshly Awakened Scion:

    Name: Selene Hoffman
    Heritage: Daughter of Thoth, Egyptian god of written knowledge
    Occupation: IT Consultant/Hacker
    Power Level: Fresh Scion

    Focus: Ankh pendant.

    Divine Aspects:
    * Read It in a Book Once (Eidetic Memory) - Even while Unawakened, Selene's eidetic memory was scarily good. She remembers everything she's ever seen, even for a brief moment. She could literally spend a few minutes flipping through the pages of a book, and be capable of recalling what it said.
    * Fast as the Desert Winds (Divine Speed) - Selene is capable of moving much faster than the average human, albeit only in short bursts.

    Description:
    Visual aid

    Selene is not always the most sociable of people. She exhibits some aspects of Asperger syndrome, not always connecting with other people. She has a particular way of speaking, in short, clipped sentences or sentence fragments, eliminating infinitives, and usually having to stop to inhale a sharp breath before completing a line of thought. (Not unlike Mordin Solus from the Mass Effect games.)

    Give Selene a computer, however, and she lights up. She can fix anything related to computers, figure out how they work in short order, and hack into almost anything. As a result, she's almost always "plugged in," owning a laptop, a tablet, and a souped-up smartphone.

    Backstory:
    Selene's mother, Heather Hoffman, never really knew how to relate to her daughter's computer obsession, but recognized that Selene had a talent there, and worked to encourage it. Her mortal father, Raymond Hoffman, was always a bit remote. Selene, post-Awakening, suspects he "knows" she isn't his daughter. Her eidetic memory, however, meant she was frequently bored; once she's seen or done something, she always remembers it, and thus she'd lose interest. When the Hoffmans got a computer with an Internet connection, Selene was instantly interested, and the course of her life since has been sailing due digital ever since.

    Working as a freelance IT consultant, Selene came on the radar of Hyperion International, a large corporation with deep ties to the Titans. After her hacking their network, she was saved from a team of mercenaries by Divine agents, who informed her of her true heritage, delivering her focus to her. Since then, she's worked as "support" for the Scions, monitoring the activity of the Titans and their agents online, organizing responses, and setting up transportation and accommodations for their people when they need to travel abroad.

    Flaws: Selene has trouble emotionally connecting with people at times, crippling her social life. She also doesn't function well if she's taken "off the grid." While she has a lot of "book knowledge," this doesn't translate into much "practical knowledge."

    Fate: Selene's not Fated to be directly involved in any overt conflicts or major battles, but she hopes to change her destiny somewhat to take a more direct hand.
    =======================
    And just to round things out, an example of a Demigod-level Scion:

    Name: Morgan MacBride
    Heritage: Son of The Morrígan, the Celtic goddess of war
    Occupation: Rogue terrorist
    Power Level: Demigod

    Focus: A tattoo on his back and shoulders, in tribal style made to look like a crow.

    Divine Aspect:
    * Terrifying To Behold (Presence) - MacBride's very presence invokes a fear response in those around him. If he's nearby, even if one haven't seen him yet, one tends to get on edge. In the mundane, this can relate to either a paralyzing sense of fear or triggers the flight response. Sometimes, people will try to fight him, which rarely goes well. It takes a strong effort of will for those of equal or lesser power to not feel fear.
    * The Implacable Man (Limited Invulnerability) - The greatest blessing of his divine mother is MacBride's seeming indestructibility. Except in hand-to-hand or melee combat, MacBride is apparently invulnerable to harm. Some reports say he's even walked away from a car bomb with only scorched clothing.
    * You Wouldn't Like Me When I'm Angry ([REDACTED]) - Specifics on this ability have been [REDACTED] due to spoilers. Suffice to say, you really wouldn't like him when he's angry. Trust me, you'll know when he's angry.

    Description:
    Visual aid

    MacBride is utterly without conscience. Caring only about causing conflict, chaos, and war, MacBride sees other people as merely tools to use to further his goals, or things to kill.

    Backstory:
    Morgan MacBride is wanted by several law enforcement agencies across the world as a result of his acts of terrorism. He no longer has any connections to the IRA or most of its splinter fringe groups, as his views have shifted from the pro-Irish to the nihilistic and anarchistic.

    Not too many details are known about his past before rising to prominence in the Troubles, but among the Divinity, it’s known that he is one of the Morrígan’s most favored children, thus explaining the power with which he has been bestowed. Despite this favor, however, he does not act in accordance with the Divinity’s will, and has been known to court the Titans and their supporters, looking for a way to perpetuate the war.

    Flaws: MacBride is a brute, plain and simple. He’s not slow-witted, but he’s not hugely clever. He also relies far too much on his nigh-invulnerability and doesn’t take pains to protect himself over much.

    Fate: MacBride's Fate has gotten increasingly tangled as he's associated himself with the Titans, but it is known that he has a major role to play in a major battle ahead in the war.
    PWNADE(TM) - Serve up a glass today! | PWNZER - An act of pwnage so awesome, it's like the victim got hit by a tank.

    There are only Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse because I choose to walk!

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    • #3
      Name: Riley "Ace" Thorsen (Thor's Son)
      Heritage: [redacted] (will come up eventually in role play, but it makes for better story if it isn't known ahead of time, though its probably really obvious from her description)
      Occupation: Professional Poker Player
      Power Level: Unawakened

      Divine Aspect: Chaos Theory (Wits) – Riley is able to look at a situation, account for many if not all of the variables, and instantly make a judgement that will relatively predict the outcome. (Think of Cameron from Alphas or the Sherlock Holmes movies starring Robert Downey Jr) This makes her an expert poker/chess player and deadly in a fight as she can often predict what her opponent is going to do before they know they intend to do it.

      Description:
      The best description for Riley is plain, unassuming or average. Standing at 5' 4'' she is neither remarkably short or tall. She sports short dirty-blond hair and watery-blue eyes. She often dresses in plain t-shirts and loose fitting jeans so as not to attract too much attention. Her greatest strength is relying on others to not notice what she is doing before its too late.

      Personality wise, Riley is the type to sit back and let others become victims of their own stupidity. If sometimes they need help getting there she has no problem helping things along, but she, rarely if ever, will tackle a problem head on. Instead she prefers to manipulate circumstances to such a degree that she backs others into a corner from which they are unable to escape.

      Backstory:
      Riley has no knowledge of her birth parents. She grew up in the United States foster system and bounced around from home to home until she ended up with Eric and Inga Thorsen of Detroit. There she lived a relatively normal and happy life. After graduating from High School as her class valedictorian she went on to college with designs on becoming a lawyer. It was then her adoptive parents fell on hard times and in a desperate measure she turned to gambling to try and earn extra money to pay for her tuition.

      As it turned out she had a knack for playing cards and quickly was able to earn more money in a single day than she had ever hoped to see as a lawyer. Consequently she was kicked out and banned from the MGM Grand in Detroit. But that did not deter her. She eventually gave up on a standard career and turned to gambling full time to pay her bills and get by in the world.

      Flaws: Riley gets bored easily and lacks the real patience it takes to be a full fledged conniver. It is this lack of patience that prevents her from being a truly frightening force.

      Fate: Whether she knows it or not, fate, and her divine parent, have many ideas in store for her.
      Last edited by Chanlin; 12-17-2012, 01:58 AM.

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      • #4
        Name: Lupo Virtus
        Heritage: Mars, Roman Pantheon, War
        Occupation: Boxer
        Power Level: Unawakened

        Divine Aspect: Stamina. He just doesn't know the meaning of the word 'quit'.

        Description:Half African American, Half Latino. Dark hair 'buzz cut'. ((If you've seen 'power man' on the new Ultimate Spider Man..something like that)).

        Backstory:
        He comes from a poor family, and has went into professional boxing in order to give his family a much better life. His mortal father is his coach

        Flaws:Won't quit. Has no idea about how/when to just give it up. Doesn't know how to back down or how to tell when something is lost.

        Fate: Mars likes fighting and conflict..Lupo is perfect for this. Mars has never been really complicated in his thinking.
        Last edited by Mytical; 12-17-2012, 06:47 AM.
        Engaged to the amazing Marmalady. She is my Silver Dragon, shining as bright as the sun. I her Black Dragon (though good honestly), dark as night..fierce and strong.

        Comment


        • #5
          Chanlin-- Looks good! I imagine Ace and Mattieu would probably have fun trying to play poker against each other, between Mattieu's ease at bluffing, and Ace's luck.

          Mytical-- One issue. None of the PCs are aware of their heritage at the start of the game. That's why they're Unawakened. Becoming aware of their heritage Awakens them.
          PWNADE(TM) - Serve up a glass today! | PWNZER - An act of pwnage so awesome, it's like the victim got hit by a tank.

          There are only Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse because I choose to walk!

          Comment


          • #6
            Doh. Fixed. Notice he also is in his Boxing Phase, before he became a MMA artist.
            Engaged to the amazing Marmalady. She is my Silver Dragon, shining as bright as the sun. I her Black Dragon (though good honestly), dark as night..fierce and strong.

            Comment


            • #7
              How do you play? This sounds interesting.
              Customers should always be served . . . to the nearest great white.

              Comment


              • #8
                If you look at the IC thread link in the first post (very first line of the first post has it) you have an example of play.

                It's a role playing game like Dungeons and Dragons except we're not using dice or any complicated systems like that to determine the outcomes of events. Instead its just a matter of agreeing that there are limits to what we can do and that the person moderating (J2K) has the final say. This game happens to be based of a table top game called Scion that's produced by White Wolf.

                Essentially we're playing a game where we tell a story by taking on roles. Mytical and Myself will take on the role of just one character (possibly more if we're willing and the story really "needs" it). J2K Takes on the role of the narrator and every other character be it a supporting protagonist or the major antagonists.

                And it is quite fun if you're into telling stories. Its an exercise in exploring different sides of a personality.

                EDIT TO ADD: If you have more questions don't hesitate to ask
                Last edited by Chanlin; 12-18-2012, 12:47 PM.

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                • #9
                  Quoth Kristev View Post
                  How do you play? This sounds interesting.
                  Chanlin pretty well hit the nail on the head.

                  The game draws a lot of inspiration from White Wolf's "Scion" RPG, but much more streamlined and we're not gonna waste too much time with dice-rolling and so forth.

                  All the PCs will start out as "Unawakened" Scions, people who have divine blood to them but don't know it, who are made aware of their heritage and grow into becoming heroes, battling monsters out of myth and so on.
                  PWNADE(TM) - Serve up a glass today! | PWNZER - An act of pwnage so awesome, it's like the victim got hit by a tank.

                  There are only Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse because I choose to walk!

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Double-post

                    Since we're a little light on actual recruitment, and I'm kind of hoping for at least three or four PCs, I'm going to go ahead and allow folks to submit a second Unawakened Scion to the story. They don't have to be related to your first PC at all, but it'll give us a little more to work with.
                    PWNADE(TM) - Serve up a glass today! | PWNZER - An act of pwnage so awesome, it's like the victim got hit by a tank.

                    There are only Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse because I choose to walk!

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                    • #11
                      Name: Kiki Toshioto
                      Heritage: Iris, Greek Goddess of the rainbow.
                      Occupation: Private Detective
                      Power Level: Unawakened

                      Divine Aspect: Blending in - Despite her odd green eyes, Kiki seems to go unnoticed even when she shouldn't. People just seem to over look her, even if she is trying to draw attention to herself.

                      Description :Oriental female, around 5' 6" tall. Her rare green eyes draw a lot of attention, but this is because although she looks oriental .. she is only half. The other half being Iris of course. Petite is the perfect word to describe her. Very athletic and fit.

                      She is very formal and honor driven, seeming a throwback to the older oriental ways. When she gets angry though, her accent slips away..and so do her manners. She has an innate dislike for males, however, because of something that happened in her past.

                      Backstory:
                      Kiki's innate dislike for males comes from what happened to her as a child. A bunch of male soldiers came and basically took over their house. They abused her and her family, and as they were being ran off by the government killed all but Kiki (that she knows of..there is rumors they took one of the family with them, but this is not yet been verified).

                      She studied martial arts, but found her real knack was as a private detective. She could tail people without being noticed, and find clues that others missed.

                      Flaws: Besides her dislike for men, she is bound by her code of honor. If she gives her word on something, nothing will make her break it.

                      Fate: Knowledge is power, and the gods have selected her to infiltrate the ranks of their enemies to gain all the knowledge they can.
                      Last edited by Mytical; 12-21-2012, 06:28 PM.
                      Engaged to the amazing Marmalady. She is my Silver Dragon, shining as bright as the sun. I her Black Dragon (though good honestly), dark as night..fierce and strong.

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Interesting. Although her inherited dislike of males doesn't quite make sense. Athena wasn't a misanthrope-- Artemis was.

                        Minor quibble, though. Kiki's dislike of males from her background as described makes a lot more sense.
                        PWNADE(TM) - Serve up a glass today! | PWNZER - An act of pwnage so awesome, it's like the victim got hit by a tank.

                        There are only Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse because I choose to walk!

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                        • #13
                          Doh..yeah. One of the problems with my memory issues. Use to know the mythology so well also. Greek, Roman, Norse, and Egyptian I once knew inside and out. *facepalm*
                          Engaged to the amazing Marmalady. She is my Silver Dragon, shining as bright as the sun. I her Black Dragon (though good honestly), dark as night..fierce and strong.

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Does this mean I can make a Scion of Cthulu?

                            I kid. I'll put one together, someone more combat oriented, though Ace is more of a hybrid.

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                            • #15
                              If Great Cthulhu has any children, they'll be too monstrous to pass as mundanes, like Scions can.
                              PWNADE(TM) - Serve up a glass today! | PWNZER - An act of pwnage so awesome, it's like the victim got hit by a tank.

                              There are only Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse because I choose to walk!

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