On The Thirsts Of The Damned or whatever (one week post-Take A Load Off)

[extrasaltypotato]

In my searching through the Stacks I had a thought about how to use my understanding of their filing system for fun and profit and I found a rare treasure.

While it’s not quite the set of On The Thirsts Of The Damned, the Rage of the Garou, the Hubris of Sorcerers, and the rest of the On the Foo of Bar games, nor my native Dungeoncrawlers, I found the next best thing from two tales to the left: the substantially similar games Vampire: The Masquerade and Dungeons And Dragons Fifth Edition, Revised, in the form of finished manuscripts with placeholder art and full of references to Page XX, on which presumably is found all wisdom.

I’ve half a mind to run both. If anyone has interest in a tabletop roleplaying game about being in the contemporary vampire mafia, or of renaissance derring do in a Free Company (doesn’t that seem familiar), you know how to reach me.

- 光
Hikaru

Comments

[aetherweaver]

While I'm familiar enough with the doings of Free Companies, could you explain the former to me?

What is a 'mafia', and what exactly is a 'vampire' in your understanding?

[extrasaltypotato]

Mafias are organized crime families. I’ve found the game works best under the assumption that vampiric politics are shaped like the elaborate honor codes of criminal syndicates: turf wars, inviolable neutral grounds in “Elysium,” concern with face, position and seniority; ossified power structures, and the like.

Vampires, according to this book at least, are formerly human (there are no other kiths on it’s Earth) unliving beings who must subsist on blood, preferably human blood, to survive and to fuel their inherent magical abilities. Animal blood is unappetizing and not very nutritious to them, while the blood of other vampires though potent compels you to trust and obey those you supped on.

So, very much unlike the asshole leeches of Mundus who have earned the particular ire of the goddess Flamma, but still their own brand of deeply unsettling.

- 光
Hikaru

[aetherweaver]

I see. Hm.

Criminal syndicates I'm familiar with, both benign and not so much. Though to be honest I've met some business syndicates that should be labeled as criminal.

I've met creatures that subsist on stolen aether of varying levels of threat. Blood, not as much - though some species of cloudkin do bite and subsist on blood, most larger things would probably absorb aether.

I would be interested in learning more, at least?

- Nara'a

[extrasaltypotato]

Learning more is precisely what ‘session zero’ is for.

My experience with real crime families is limited to literature and theatre, for the most part, though in hindsight one of the Indian buffets I frequented as a youth was the sort of place where you could taste the tax evasion in every morsel. My game will be more reflective of The Godfather than reality by neccessity.

- 光
Hikaru

[aetherweaver]

I'm unfamiliar with this... play? That you're referencing. But I understand the need to exaggerate things for media. My own deeds have had that treatment by certain people. Minstrels, mainly.

[extrasaltypotato]

Screenplay to a major motion picture, yes. A prerecorded theatrical production.

Gods, the thought of my deeds esteemed and embellished on in the Moonlight Ampitheatre… though I did manage to defeat a band of pirates, so there’s something concrete to sing about.

- 光
Hikaru

[aetherweaver]

I'm familiar enough with security footage, or seeing something projected on a screen. I suppose if you had a camera you could indeed record such things and play them later.

There is an 'idol' I know of who records herself for her fans, but I admit I'm a newcomer to such things.

... It does tend to be a bit embarrassing, yes. They make it sound grander than it was - not that it wasn't heroic and exciting and all of that, but even still... they'll say things like my opponent had the ability to rain meteors about the arena and I deftly evaded them or some such thing.