The Gaming Den

Laertes, the duty of the last active portion of the round goes to you: choosing and developing a Legacy. You pick something (anything) that came up in the elements introduced this round and declare it to be a Legacy. Then you pick one of the existing Legacies (at this point there will clearly be only the one you created) and create either an Event or a Scene that relates to it.

Longes, you're the Lens for next round, and should pick the next Focus, but don't create any elements for it yet! Just let us know what it's going to be, and then we'll take an intermission to discuss what's happened so far.

angelfromanotherpin wrote:Also, I just realized that TFI's actual name didn't make it into the version of the scene I posted. As no-one has given her one in the meantime, I've done so now. If anyone wants to put her name into an Element they've submitted, let me know.

I assumed it to be intentional, so the TFI can remain nameless and mysterious, using whatever name is appropriate at the moment.

For my lens, it's going to be Contractor test. A test is developed, that allows clearly identify if someone sold the soul or not, but it has a small downside of being lethal 90% of the time.

What Longes said. I much prefer titles to names for immortals as it drives in how long they live and how easily they discard identities. However, the fact that she had a name once is possibly even cooler.

The title for my first scene will be "How Did King John III of Poland Save Europe at the Siege of Vienna?" It's Light despite John's corruption (more below thereon) because Europe has been saved. If you could add those points I'd be grateful.

The historican John Sobieski was that rarest of things, a liberator who did not go on to become a conqueror. Despite shattering the Ottoman army at the Siege of Vienna, he chose to return to Poland peacefully rather than press his victory and pursue the Ottomans to the gates of Istanbul. You can argue that he did it for religious reasons or because he believed in the Polish idea of Golden Liberty or because of sound logistical reasons, and all of the above are probably true, but it's all too easy to imagine him seizing the moment and conquering a Polish empire in the Balkans. All he needs is a little ambition to seize him.

Fortunately ambition is a sin under traditional Catholic theology, so the infernal is amply able to give him that. As such I wanted to hint at him becoming an Alexander-like figure, leading armies of pike and powder into the very depths of hells and carving out statelets there as he becomes consumed first by ambition and then by narcissism as he slips into madness and believes more and more in his own growing legend.

So yeah. He has been changed, and in a way that I hope will provide plenty of story.

As for the Legacy: Let me think on that and write about it.

I think you misunderstood. The Scene or Event you make has to be about the Legacy you pick. Unless John 3 is your Legacy, in which case when did he come up before?

The above is in answer to angelfromanotherpin's point about John needing to be changed somehow. If I understand correctly I now have to declare a Legacy and create an Event or a second Scene based upon it.

My choice of Legacies is going to be the Blade of Light. I'll write an event based on it.

Laertes?

Apologies - the weekend has been emotionally busy. I'll write this today.

Here's an Event, which fits in the "The Last Portals Close" era earlier than "Vive La Revolution."

The Pain Engine is Destroyed (Dark)

While the revolution spreads around the world, a small group of fanatical Purists slips into the catacombs below Paris. Despite the many traps and guardians, they succeed in locating the Blade of Light and withdraw it from the focusing circles. Without the Blade as its power source, the Pain Engine slows to a halt and one by one the minor demons bound throughout Europe cease their labours. The Antipope's reign begins to crumble.

Now we discuss the round?

I've decided to pick the following focus for the next round: Satan I, President of France. The first event will be located within "The First United Republic of Hell"

Yes, and I think that should happen in the actual history thread. The idea is not to plan ahead or mention ideas we have (that's verboten), but simply to talk about what we liked, what intrigued us, what surprised us, etc.

*poke* *poke*

Does it live?

Waiting on Longes, he's the Lens for round 2.

Longes?

Yeah, I'm here. I was waiting for the sign from angel that discussion is over and we continue. Also for some reason I didn't see that Laertes has already made his event.

Focus: The First Great Exodus

Period: First Great Exodus (light)
The period is set before "First Republic of Hell"

At the start of this period the corruption of hellgates became obvious and unbearable. The area around them is practically dead - no plant can grow within a kilometer from them, no beast wanders close. Swiss scientists and alchemists develop new technology that stops the spread of corruption and, as a side effect, stops all solid or liquid matter from passing. The cities whithin which the gates are located are surrounded with those perimeters, and their population is exiled into hell, to prevent the spread of corruption.
The period is light, because the immediate danger of hellgates is prevented, albeit with heavy cost.

Event: Perimeter is invented (light)
Event is located within "First Great Exodus"

Swiss laboratory invents a Perimeter - the network of towers that can create a forces field that stops the hell's corrupting influence and non-gaseous matter. The field takes gigantic ammounts of energy to sustain, although later a cheaper variant is invented, that can partialy use hell's amibant fields. The event is light, because a technological breakthrough is achieved.

I'm curious as to where the President of France is in this. Or are you working on a different Focus?

Event: The Amnesty of Lucerne (Dark), set within The First Great Exodus, after Perimeter is Invented

Refugees from hellgate-infested cities whom fled before borders were closed flock to the shores of Lake Lucerne. The neighboring forest cantons have adopted a massive repatriation effort, and issued a public proclamation asserting the rights of the infernally afflicted. The massive influx of people coping with various amounts of Corruption soon leads local scholars to consolidate their efforts and form the Hölleidgenossenschaft, outwardly dedicated to ameliorating the worst effects of hell's influence, yet privately experimenting on weaponizing Taint.

I realized editing a post a couple of days later is a dick move.

Laertes, you're up.

Event: The True Pure Bodhisattvas (Dark)

Oda Nobunaga's persecution of the Ikko-Ikki (True Pure Land) Buddhist sect led to them being exiled in large numbers following Japan's import of perimeter technology from Portuguese traders. In the following decades, heavily corrupted people cropped up across the world, preaching a dark version of Ikko-Ikki Buddhism and winning people over with their ability to intercede with a shadowy demonic figure they identified with the Amida Buddha and thus petition for infernal power. Their tales of the Pure Land which lay beyond the portals and which could be yours for the price of your soul were widely believed, despite savage repression and the horror of most communities, and led to a widespread secret infernal religion among the refugee communities following the First Exodus. This event is Dark because it leads to social upheaval and the spread of True Pure infernalism.

?

Sorry about the delay, I've been having trouble generating original stuff the last few days. I'll make sure to have something up this evening.

Laertes, you need to let me know where your Event is supposed to be located.

What Price Perimeter? (a Dark Event in the First Great Exodus, after the Amnesty of Lucerne.)

Amateur spies seeking to steal the secrets of the Perimeter discover that the taint effects aren't truly blocked – only diverted into living 'sponges,' mostly animals of little value, which become so warped as to be unrecognizable monsters. Disposal of the creatures proved to be hazardous, so when they became too warped for their restraints, they were released into holding chambers to starve, though often they would feed on one another, allowing a few to survive. Some of the spies attempted to publicize the information, others to blackmail the manufacturers. Authorities who wanted the truth and those who were invested in the cover-up wrestled for years before the facts were finally made public. This Event is Dark for animal cruelty.

It's in the First Great Exodus, after "What Price Perimeter?"