Canon Q&A With Storytellers

[Azraeth]

Some questions on Relics:

1. Where do they come from?
2. What gives them their power?
3. How were they created?
4. Are they specific in their design (are there examples that one is a ring with a ruby, etc.)?

1. Relics are enchanted items, so they come from past enchanters. I know, that's not a lot of detail, but I'd rather leave it open for people to decide how the relics they acquire might have been made (assuming they even care to write that).

2. Faeshards, enchanting, etc. When enchanting is added to the game, I believe David has mentioned, people will be able to craft some of their own relics.

4. Currently, the policy is that the different relics can have an appearance based on the desires of the relic holder, so long as it makes sense to the item. For example, an Arcane Fetish would look something like a voodoo fetish, etc. However, I was planning to delve deeper into the relics at a later date. I haven't had a chance to write anything up just yet. David has said he'd be happy to make images for the relics if someone writes up descriptions for them.

If someone wanted to take on that project, that would be epic. If not, I'll be doing it once I've gotten a few other projects out of the way.

[Azraeth]

If is plausible for a vampire with changeling to turn into an individual such as a celebrity, stranger etc. during roleplay, not having it reflect with an ID on grid?

That depends on the situation. Changeling allows a vampire to mimic another vampire's appearance (much the way they mimic the appearance of an animal with meaner things), but it's not just an image. Changeling also mimics scent, spiritual 'signature' etc. Really the only thing it doesn't cover is how a person speaks (as in the way they phrase things, the inflection to their voice, etc), and how they act. To get the full effect, a vampire has to either A) Be very close to the person they are mimicking, or B) Have them visually in sight when they use the changeling power. So a vampire wouldn't really be able to get that off of a television screen. They might be able to do it with a stranger, if the stranger were in close proximity though.

[Azraeth]

More questions on Wraiths…

How do they communicate with their masters?

On grid, you can switch back and forth between Wraith and Vampire, to give you an idea of the surrounding area. For instance, you use your Wraith as a scout in a building to locate goodies for your Vampire to collect.

In terms of RP, how does this happen? Are the Wraith and Vampire psychically linked to communicate from a distance, or are we cheating by using OOC knowledge to move our Vampires into the position a Wraith has seen as full of treasure?

I feel like I am shooting myself in the foot by asking this question, but, there it is!

Wraiths talk to their masters, unless the master has the 'Master's Gaze' power.

However, I wouldn't worry too much about the grid reflecting a 1:1 time ratio for RP. For example, if you want to use your wraith to find NPCs, in real time, you'd obviously have the wraith search an NPC down, swap back to the vampire, go kill the NPC, then swap back to the wraith and rinse and repeat.

It would be a little odd and clunky to expect the wraith owner to drag the wraith back to the vampire, have a grid convo with them, etc etc. So no, it's not crossing to use your wraith without writing out every little detail. However, if you did want to write it all out, you could easily just take the information and say the wraith reported back to the wraith master.

[Azraeth]

Game Mechanics Question:

Since the masquerade has fallen, and humans know about vampires and how to look for vampires, (ie non-reflecting in mirrors etc, casting no shadows) Will the game start showing all names on the grid now?

Is there still a point to having a vampire identity secret?

I'd suggest you lovely ladies move this convo to a different thread, if only because this one is really designed less for game mechanics questions and more for canon material. So I can't honestly answer your question one way or the other, and David is a lot less likely to see it if it doesn't have its own thread (especially since he really only looks at this thread these days if I have a specific question for him, or one beyond my scope of understanding).

However, to be topical, I really really really think it should be substantially easier for humans to identify vampires now. Really all a human needs is a compact mirror and they can tell if anyone is a vampire.

That being said, there is a LOT about vampires humans either don't know or don't understand. How much information humans, in general, find out about them including specific vampire identities is still entirely up to the players. It would just be realistically much easier for humans to learn vampire identities.

[Charlie]

I'm wondering what we can say about what relics look like, there isn't any image on grid (yet?) and nothing in the wiki but I suspect that; as there are plans for us to be able to dress up our grid avatars and that plan includes some wearable relics from what I understand, this will change. So in the meanwhile, can we get written descriptions of some of them that might be being given as gifts in an rp? Like what is a 'Sanguivore`s Bane' for example? Can it be worn like an amulet, is it made of bone, etc.?

There's quite a lot of these, so I wonder if anyone else would like to write a wiki article about their descriptions? I'd create the images based on those descriptions. #

I've bookmarked the Relics page which I constantly refer back to, however there are no description of the relics. The same goes for the Items page. In some cases, like the ring of or the like, it is blatantly obvious what it is. What's the generally accepted idea of the Sanguivore's Bane physical form? Is there any specific physical noteworthy quality to it? Ta!

[Myk]

I'm wondering what we can say about what relics look like, there isn't any image on grid (yet?) and nothing in the wiki but I suspect that; as there are plans for us to be able to dress up our grid avatars and that plan includes some wearable relics from what I understand, this will change. So in the meanwhile, can we get written descriptions of some of them that might be being given as gifts in an rp? Like what is a 'Sanguivore`s Bane' for example? Can it be worn like an amulet, is it made of bone, etc.?

There's quite a lot of these, so I wonder if anyone else would like to write a wiki article about their descriptions? I'd create the images based on those descriptions. #

I've bookmarked the Relics page which I constantly refer back to, however there are no description of the relics. The same goes for the Items page. In some cases, like the ring of or the like, it is blatantly obvious what it is. What's the generally accepted idea of the Sanguivore's Bane physical form? Is there any specific physical noteworthy quality to it? Ta!

I think Josh answered this one just recently because I queried the same thing.

4. Currently, the policy is that the different relics can have an appearance based on the desires of the relic holder, so long as it makes sense to the item. For example, an Arcane Fetish would look something like a voodoo fetish, etc. However, I was planning to delve deeper into the relics at a later date. I haven't had a chance to write anything up just yet. David has said he'd be happy to make images for the relics if someone writes up descriptions for them.

If someone wanted to take on that project, that would be epic. If not, I'll be doing it once I've gotten a few other projects out of the way.

So, it will be up to a volunteer to suggest what they look like, or, we load more responsibilities in Josh's direction and make him decide.

[Azraeth]

A question was brought to me via PM. I'm going to post the answer here (since it's pretty important), but I'm keeping the asker anonymous.

They asked: At what point does a sorcerer gain the ability to make the runes on a paladin. Basically, when can the sorcerer participate in creating a paladin.

After discussing it briefly with David, we agreed that a sorcerer can perform the tattoo/rune ritual when:

1) They know how to do it (they would need to be taught by a more experienced sorcerer such as an NPC or a PC with the knowledge).

2) They need to have a sufficient knowledge of chi manipulation. For the purposes of lining up roleplay and gameplay, a sorcerer should hit that point (at the very least) when they gain the 'Healing Touch' power. Basically, they need to demonstrate a really good control over chi manipulation, because the tattoo process is exceptionally intense.

[Roderic]

The healing touch power can be bought at any stage. Should the sorcerer need to know gaia whisper, force of nature or could they have an array of powers that lead up to that point?

Does that make sense?

So say I have chi focus versions 1 and 2, rock skin, charged touch and then that power, or really any pattern that isn't from point A to B, does that matter?

[Azraeth]

Well it's less about how much time the character's existed or how much PXP the player has expended, and more about knowledge of how to use power, and proficiency with those powers, so as long as they have Healing Touch, it's fine. Really the only reason I list that power to begin with, is because it's a really good example of a power that represents chi manipulation on someone else's body. As long as they've got the skills, they're fine.

[Levi DAmico]

Could I have clarification on a Shadow Power?

Commander of Darkness: Decrease or increase the security of any location until sunrise. Essentially this power allows the shadow to lower visibility of cameras and humans for feeding or hunting, it also allows the shadow to raise security thereby protecting themselves from enemies by making it easier for them to be spotted by human police and others.

Would anyone be able to explain exactly how it's possible to lower the visibility of cameras?