Due to an extended, unexpected hiatus, italicized names are semi-open, as they have not returned. They will be fully open after I feel I've given them enough time to return. So, figuring most everyone around here fancies games with a more strategic or political bent, I've restored one of my old settings for use on the forums. It will run similarly to my King of Dragon Pass game I ran a while back, but with a few twists.
Basically: Take the KoDP setting, magic it up just a bit, apply it to a Battlestar Galactica-esque situation, and you'll have The Great Clan: A People in Exile (or just TGC). Here's the spiel from the doc, and a link to the whole thing if you'd like to take a quick look:
This is an adventure/political roleplaying game. Players take the role of one of the ring members in charge of a massive wandering clan of nomads in search of their promised land. You’ll either be journeying together to further the goals of the Great Clan, dealing with problems individually, maneuvering around your fellow ring members for authority, or you’ll be in meetings, making various decisions that will affect the clan as a whole....
The Great Clan: A People in Exile follows the adventure of a clan of nomads across a foreign land. The Great Clan was once three separate clans, united by distant bloodline alone. On their home continent they were seen as barbarians by the Fore Empire. Eventually the Empire started a campaign to rid the land of these barbarians. The three clans had no choice but to work together, despite their differences. [...]
The Entole people used a sizeable portion of their navy to transport more than 25,000 people to the New World. It was an arduous two month long journey. Over 5000 people died due to starvation, infection, and other illnesses. Worst of all, the three khans of each clan died, leaving one young heir and no ring members. The ships landed at an old, abandoned port, slowly dropping off the clans. The Entolese gave them all the supplies they could, including food, water, weapons, and tools. With heavy hearts, they left the Great Clan to their fate.
The game wouldn't run on a strict turn-by-turn basis, but a mix of private messaging between members or to npcs and events everyone can see and react to in the thread. I'm thinking there will be a few events specific to certain ring members I'll distribute, ring members will tell me a general summary of what they want to do/have their bevy or contacts do, then a 'call to action' in the thread, and finally an open discussion in the tribal rings yurt, where every member will seek to convince the Greater Khan on what action to take.
That's how I imagine it playing out for some time. Eventually, a particularly ambitious member might supplicate the npc Khan... or inherit the position.
Positions Claimed:Greater Khan: Milo Kaliss of Truthseekers (NPC)Lesser Khan: KingMurdockName: Layleth Sunchaser
Clan: Wanderers
Appearance: A woman bearing a still-youthful, if somewhat stern at times, appearance beneath a myriad of scars, including one running from just under her right eye (both of which is a piercing green color) to just above the corresponding ear. She keeps her somewhat unusual blonde hair in a braid. She's of somewhat greater height than the average woman and well-muscled, though not particularly bulky.
Position: Lesser Khan
Patron Deity: Pixius
Bio: Laylef has alternately been said to be blessed and cursed since birth. Possessed of both an unusual talent for getting into trouble and a knack for barely scraping her way out of it alive, those that didn't believe that misfortune grew in her shadow began to look to her for advice. A hunter by trade, she took up arms to defend her clan when its very existence was threatened, leading small parties of similarly talented individuals on raids against the enemy. She managed to lead them to a certain amount of success until the clans were pressed across the ocean, and this along with her keen intuition lead to her rise to the position of Lesser Khan, though some whisper about the occasion where all in her band were wiped out save Layleth herself.
Star Whispers: Layleth's spirit danced on the Edge of the World, seeking thrills and daring fate to call its bluff. Unfortunately, an unknown force tripped the spirit. It was Pixius who plucked the spirit from the abyss, saving it from annihilation. "Bravery brings safety, boldness sheds it," she said as she placed the awed spirit among the rest. +2 Intelligence
And so, the spirit continued with these words. Triumph, dignity, defeat; all came with the echo "Bravery brings safety." But perhaps the close call did too much to temper this daring spirit. -1 Agility, -1 Spirit
Attributes:
Body: 2
Agility: 2
Intelligence: 3
Charisma: 1
Intuition: 5 (6)
Spirit: 4
Master of War: NRDL Name: Nix Breathtaker
Clan: Battleborn
Appearance: Not a particularly large warrior, Nix has a sturdy, barrel-chested physique, revealing the strength that lies within his form. His forearms are covered with straight and curved scars, each one with a story behind them, some sort of battle or blow that he barely, but inevitably, managed to evade. His raven black hair is tied back in a slick ponytail. He prefers to wear simple leather armour, even in friendly situations.
Position: The Master of War
Patron Deity: Bade, the Relentless
Bio: A warrior through and through, Nix was born a sickly and frail child. Not expected to survive the harshness of clan life, Nix was protected by his big brother, the only family he ever knew. When said brother died in a hunt, Nix found himself alone, in a cruel world. As he grew, and somehow survived, he found strength within, and became determined to prove it to everyone else. Seeking battle after battle, conflict unending, he found himself appointed Master of War by the khan, who with the coming journey, would need a fighter as determined and ruthless as Nix.
Star Whispers: Before his birth, Nix was led astray by Wisp, who conjured illusions to trick him to the Doors of Death. Bade intervened, taking the form of a terrifying beast and dragging Nix, now disfigured but safe, to the Doors of Life. He was born, but frail and sickly. But this special attention from Bade instilled a power within him. +2 Spirit
But Wisp, angered by Bade's interruption, struck the Wheel that Turns in such a way that Nix would be cursed with terrible portents and omens. "You can't outrun the Stars, my child. You were meant to die..." -2 Body
Stats:
Body: 4
Agility: 5
Intelligence: 3
Charisma: 2
Intuition: 1
Spirit: 3
Master of Mystics: RobosonName: Moreau Wildwalker
Clan: Wanderers.
Appearance: Moreau is a lean man. His arms and legs are thin, but muscular. He bares several decorative tattoos, the most notable of which is a beautiful tattoo of The Trout on his right forearm.
Position: Master of Mystics
Patron Deity: Trout
Bio: Moreau was the son of the leader of one of the larger Wanderer tribes. His father was strong leader and knew much of the gods and spirits, much of that knowledge he passed onto his son. When Moreau was not learning of the mystical world he spent much of his time out in the wilderness. One night his father dreamed of Begnar and knew that the Empire would son be upon them. He passed his position as mystic onto his son and took up arms with whatever men he could. Moreau led his people to the ocean while his father and several men drew the Empire away. His father never returned and Moreau, along with the rest of his clan, boarded the ships to the new world. On the ships he used his knowledge of the spirits and gods to offer wisdom to those who sought it.
Skills: Knowledge of spirits and magic, fishing, swimming, speaking
Star Whispers: Moreau's spirit drifted among the stars for quite a time before returning to the world. There, it forgot many things about its past lives. Perhaps this was on purpose... -1 Intuition, -1 Intelligence
Eventually, Aet plucked this rebellious spirit from the skies and whispered to it secret lullabies. Heavy with the goddesses secrets, the spirit fell to the world, were it was born once more. +1 Agility, +1 Charisma
Body: 1
Agility: 2
Intelligence: 1
Charisma: 4
Intuition: 5
Spirit: 5
Master of Polity: AbstractTraitorHero Name: Ara Fox
Clan: Truthseekers
Appearance: A rather young one with a youthfull face Ara is a 19 year old female she has a long winding tatoo of cauda the black fox on her arm and her eyes are a vibrant blue,she has short black hair it is unbraided and left loose she is seen commonly wearing whatever looks cool to her whether that be a dress mens clothes,etc and what she wears seems to change on a day by day basis she has a tear drop tatto under her left eye.
Position: Master of Polity
Patron Deity: Cauda the Black Fox.
Bio: Truthseekers,before the voyage Ara was too young to do much and mainly talked and played with everyone she claims to have met cauda the black fox a few days before they were forced to leave when she had wandered away from everyone and gotten lost and fell in a river she claims cauda saved her from drowning and showed her to her family again and ever since those claims Ara has worshipped Cauda the black fox.
She eventually came to her position through her positive nature and ability to acquire what she desires.
Skills: bartering,trading,charming,intimidating((though kinda mediocre at it))persuading,swimming,cooking,general knowledge.
Star Whispers: When Morgane lost his Marking Bone, it was the ambitious spirit of Ara that was first to find it. His face may have been permanently disfigured by the burns, but Ara's spirit knew he smiled upon it that day. +2 Intuition
However, before Ara's spirit could enter the living world, Begnar trampled through the Sky Plains in a fury. Though not his target, Ara's spirit was an unfortunate victim of his rampage. -1 Agility, -1 Body
Body: 1
Agility: 2
Intelligence: 5
Charisma: 5
Intuition: 3
Spirit: 1
Master of Trade: Coolrune206 Name: Varin Pelt-Maker
Clan: Truthseekers
Appearance: Varin stands at just below average height. To account for this, he killed and skinned a wolf, and arranged the head of it into a sort of hood. At first, he feared that this would turn out impractical to the tribe. Instead, it earned him a title of respect, Pelt-Maker. Apart from that, he wears very standard fare. He never got a tribal tattoo, however.
Position: Master of Trade
Patron Deity: Cauda the Black Fox
Bio: Varin originated in a very small tribe, almost exclusively men. He was, as was to be expected of all of them at the time, a hunter. He slunk through the bushes, dispatching his foes with mild efficiency. He was no killing machine, and he still is not. His greatest advantage was the use of his brains. He realized the advantage of ambushing, and traps. Other tribe-men did not know the use of forcing prey into a closed area like a cave. They did not realize that if the prey could not escape, the only outcome was it being caught. Varin was confused. His tribe... was shockingly unintelligent. As such, he left. He discovered the great voyage by accident when slinking out. He claimed to be a very important individual, of course, which had him brought under the attention of the Great Khan. After a lot of lying, and a little bit of truth, Varin was flippantly assigned to the position of "Master of Trade".
Star Whispers: Varin's spirit was haughty enough to challenge any other spirit in contests of strength, even to the point of challenging Begnar himself. The god was never known for his good humor, so he trounced the spirit soundly. Even still, when the spirit recovered weeks later, it grinned knowing it was in the fight for a good eight seconds. +1 Body, +1 Agility
This boldness would catch up with the spirit, however. Seeking to prove its abilities once again, it climbed a great olive tree. The stars grew dim as the spirit climbed higher and higher. Even those who had goaded Varin's spirit into the challenge asked it to come down. And down it did. Hard. -1 Intelligence, -1 Intuition
Attributes:
Body: 2
Agility: 2
Intelligence: 5
Charisma: 5
Intuition: 1
Spirit: 3
Master of Forage: Romans Name: Leon RoughHide
Clan: Battle Born
Appearance: While not the Biggest of all the hunters, he is well built for his slightly smaller frame. He is adorned with numerous tattoos commemorating past hunts and feats. His black hair is long and tied into a great ponytail(Think Khal Drago). He has a single scar, a large gash on his side from a great Boar on his first hunt. You can often see him wearing the tusk from the beast as a reminder. And while you often see him in hunting gear, you can him just as often wearing normal clothes attending to the fields.
Position: Foraging
Patron Deity: The Boar
Bio: Born of some lesser known clan that was part of the Battle Borns and wiped out, it has since been forgotten him being the only survivor. Found by a nearby group of hunters from clan RoughHide, he was taken in and adopted by a family. Although smaller then most of the children he was quicker then most of them, and was driven to prove himself. And that he did becoming the best hunter in the group, managing to kill many mighty beasts through speed and intuition. Although he was taught and trained in the spear,Short bow(One he's best at), tracking, foraging, skinning all things hunting. He has little to no experience growing crops, and while not a particularly smart man. He has many loyal people who follow him, that he had handpicked himself. And with them behind him, he cannot afford to fail and so that fire in his eyes burns ever brighter pushing him forward.
Star Whispers: When time came for Leon’s spirit to be judged by Hourlaw, it was confronted by several charges few could escape damnation from. However, an invisible hummingbird trained by Baxter came to Leon’s aid, guiding it through the trial. He was able to avoid all punishment. +2 Charisma
Unfortunately, the hummingbird was unable to guide Leon’s spirit away from its destructive path. It stole one copper coin from the Good Drake’s horde. Although the treasure was but a trifle, the Good Drake found it necessary to serve the sinful spirit a dire punishment. His birth clan would be lost in a terrible tragedy. -1 Charisma, -1 Intuition
Body:5
Agility:5(6)
Intelligence:1
Charisma:2
Intuition:2
Spirit:2
Master of Tales: DwarminName: Tyra Firescar
Clan: Wanderers
Appearance: A middle aged woman with a gentle seeming, heart shaped face, and wide, dark brown eyes. Her features are delicate, almost refined in bearing. Her hair is usually worn long over the shoulder, with a slightly shaggy hairline she rarely bothers to fix anymore. Her hair is colored a sandy light blond, though it has begun to darken more at the tips-her girlhood is well behind her. Tyra is quite short, and remains as slender as a whip as she has been for most of her life-some liken her to a crouching spider in general shape, if they are not being very kind. She has two significant body markings-an old starburst tattoo at the small of her back, once vibrant red and now faded with time-and a chain around her left forearm, with a broken link. Her hands are knotted with small training scars and there is a long trailing scar that extends from her breastbone to her chin like a comet's trail, both faded with age and time. She usually prefers to dress in a hunters fashion when in proper company, in comfortable leather vests with soft soled shoes and fingerless gloves.
Position: Master of Tales
Patron Deity: Pixius
Bio: Once a full fledged fighting member of the Battleborn Clan, Tyra witnessed first hand the futility of fighting the Empire-they shattered her clans shieldwall, and they broke her spear, nearly killing her in the process-and yet, the third misfortune is always the worst, so say the Gods-swords and axes cleaved the soul of her young husband from his body, leaving her an even younger widow. She spent much time recuperating on the edge of life and death, meditating on her grief, and her rage. At last she recovered enough to fight, if only to hunt wild game. At first she chafed, thinking it a further fall from her former station and pride-but, eventually, It was in the wilds she found a sense of peace, and in travel and adventure a respite from the pain. Tyra dedicated this new life to Pixius, joined the Wanderers, and even cast her old name away-once Tyra Firefriend, a fearless young warrior's wife-now Tyra Firescar, widow of war, greater of wisdom and heavier of heart. She also vowed to the Gods to never to wield a spear or shield ever again, only the bow and knife...she began traveling, gathering stories, and listening to the old people's tales-it was not surprising, that in a such a time of turmoil, so much was being lost and forgotten. Instead of hunting game, she hunted knowledge.
In finding others tales and keeping them, she would only hope that her own might be forgotten...for she has no desire to remember them herself. Her travails in time led her across the sea with the rest of her people, and her mind-still sharp despite it's weariness-held enough for her to claim the spot of Master of Tales, though it was contested sorely.
Star Whispers:Tyra's spirit always drifted as near the stars as possible. Eager for a new life, it gleaned all the wisdom it could from the god's echos. Though this may have bewildered the young spirit, the time spent emboldened it's holiness. +2 Spirit
The spirit took on a number of responsibilities. To prove itself good, then to prove itself better, then to prove itself best. The determination was admired by some, but the wisest among its peers saw the truth of the matter. Tyra's spirit thought it was greater than them. These haughty ways would not do. -1 Charisma, -1 Intuition
Attributes:
Body: 1
Agility: 1
Intelligence: 5 (6)
Charisma: 3
Intuition: 2
Spirit: 5
Master of Scouts: Atian the Elephantman GodName: Atian Drakieng
Clan: Truthseekers
Appearance: Standing a bit taller than average height he has a tattoo of his family's elbem a blue eyed elephant head with red tusks on his upper arm, his black hair is shaved on both sides leaving only the center part is short, he is rather thin but his body has been kept in shape from running and sparring, his eyes are dark brown almost like there black, he wears the fur of a wolf around his upper body and cotton pants. Atian carries with him a copper spear and bow strapped to his back
Position: Master of Scouts
Patron Deity: Begnar, the Reaver
Bio: Atian was born with strong legs unlike most Truthseekers. He could outrun anyone in his clan and joined the fleetfoots at the age of 15 quickly rising through the ranks and making lots of friends who supported him and got him to where he is now, his goal was becoming master of scouts but before he could the Empire attacked causing him to go to the new world while on the ship his sister died from illness. He found himself chosen as the new Master of Scouts and now his journey begins...
Star Whispers: Atian's spirit skipped along the stars, asking questions of all he passed. It was far from stupid, it was simply overwhelmed with curiosity. The spirit was not even afraid of approaching Wisp and asking her about her disfigured form. This brash candor brought a smile to the Tricksters face, and so she told him the story.+1 Intelligence , +1 Intuition
Her story was enlightening, frightening, confusing... the spirit's eyes flew wide. The poor thing could not handle what it was told, the ways of the world and its vastness. All the horrible things that might happen in the next life...-1 Body, -1 Charisma
Attributes:
Body: 1
Agility: 3
Intelligence: 4
Charisma: 2
Intuition: 5
Spirit: 3
Master of Justice: sackheadName: Kron Breakspear
Clan: Battle Born
Appearance: A huge, heavily mucled man in his early 40s with olive skin and black well groumed hair and thick beard. one eye is covered by an eyepatch. He usualy wears Dark leather and furs and a gold torc and carries a heavy mace
Position: Justice
Patron Deity: Hourlaw
Bio: Kron was always much taller and more heavily built then others his age. However he always had an unbreakable sense of justice and would deal rather harshly with any bullies picking on the other children. This devotion to Justice is however also one of his greatest flaws as he is unable to leave an unjust action unchallenged. This is has lead him to several dangerous circumstances including an unarmed Kron challenging a group of armed muggers, managed to overcome them but lost his eye in the process.
Star Whispers: Misra plucked Kron’s spirit from a violent gust of wind. Knowing that this wind had addled the spirit’s purpose into violence and rage, she reshaped it into something smoother and tempered. +2 Spirit
More attuned with the world of the gods, Kron’s spirit floated gracefully from place to place until he came upon the Chained Minotaur. Mistaking the chains for tools of imprisonment, Kron’s spirit ineffectually attempted to pry the Minotaur loose. In doing so, it caust a glimpse at what the Chained Minotaur was guarding: The dreaded locustali. -1 Agility, -1 Intelligence
Attributes:
Body:5(6)
Agility:5
Intelligence:1
Charisma:3
Intuition:1
Spirit:3