For any OOC chat and discussion on how characters know each other.

Hey hi everyone. Vampires! Rar, scary monsters.

Sorry, can't help it. Nosferatu.

was that a wink or the twitch of a nictitating membrane?

Good evening everyone.

I suppose I ought to start figuring out some numbers, eh?

Math is strictly for nerds, like the Mekhet. You don't want to be a nerd, do you?

But I do so adore a sweet little nerd...
Hi all o/

So, because I'm bored, I would love to kick-off establishing relationships and ties between characters. We all work for the Caterer, so we have plenty of reason to know each other.

I suppose I'll start. I don't know much about the other characters, so I'll lead with a bit about Fey and let others hang their ideas on that!

Fey is mysterious. Conversation would reveal her past as some sort of student, maybe at the University. She certainly knows a lot about someone named Carl Young? But that's not really her job in the Caterer's retinue. There, she's mostly the bait. Drawing in the powerful for those who want them, or discovering their secrets. She's a born spy, with uncanny powers of observation.

Most nights she's not working, I'm currently imagining Fey spending quite a bit of time in Matthias' bar. Hanging around, pretending to drink, while making catty asides to the bartender.

I'm still figuring out what Janet actually does; I had a strong idea for the basic concept of the character as a mortal, but didn't walk into this with any idea of what the numbers would look like or what kind of person they'd describe. (Beyond, of course, some basics about mortal life.) She's a bit of a generalist, but likely to be good at sneaking about and frightening people.

Janet's been working for the Caterer since 1897. I'm not sure where that puts her relative to the rest of you.

Talking with Albert would reveal his Dutch accent, and an odd combination of English and Dutch words in his sentences. He sometimes talks about events from a century ago like they were recent occurrences, and brushes it off when someone brings the remark to his attention.
He has worked for the Caterer since 1890.

Fey: Has worked with Fey on a number of jobs from time to time tracking down and capturing meal requests (Does that work for you, Fey?).

Janet: Has known Janet since her employment with the Caterer (he always emphasizes the word "employment" when talking about the Caterer). Though I'm not sure how they would act around each other. Thoughts?

Matthias: Has very rarely worked with Matthias, though appreciates his decorum and ingenuity.

Please let me know what you all think. This is mainly just to get the ball rolling.

Janet's also involved with the Ordo Dracul, which is another point of contact with Albert.

Three of you are with the Ordo Dracul, amusingly.

Heads up, I've updated the off limits topics, if y'all could take a look before we really start on Sunday that would be great.

I'm going to be more active this weekend and I'm planning on starting play on Sunday, but right now work is trying to kill me.

That sounds right to me. Fey is a pretty great tracker, as long as you don't need to leave the city.  She's also the type who might occasionally need a bodyguard/muscle. She's... Very squishy. Mekhet. It's all about not getting in trouble.



In that case, I might just drop that Merit dot. I wasn't planning on using it anyway.

In reply to Fey Deveraux (msg # 13):

... Albert has 4 Strength (2 Vigor) and 3 Stamina (2 Resilience). Can very easily help as a bodyguard/muscle.

As Fey mentioned Matthias is the owner of a speakeasy called Lucre.  I'm working with the ST for specifics right now, but the general idea is that it's a higher end club that caters primarily to wealthier patrons who want to feel like they're slumming it just a bit.  That doesn't mean the up-and-coming can't get in, but if you aren't there on daddy's dime you're going to need to look good enough to add to the ambiance.  Entertainment of one kind or another is available every night, ranging from the newest in jazz to the drag and pansy shows that are becoming all the rage.  More than that though, people come to Lucre because they are (or so everyone claims) the best drinks in town.  Lucky patrons who catch the owners eye might get a cocktail mixed with all the splendor and panache one could wish for, and if the star's align you might just be around to witness one of the rare shows where he goes up to dance himself.  They claim it's an unforgettable performance, one that enspells every eye in the room, but beware the spectacle, because if you believe the rumors one look can steal more than just your breath.

As far as connections go, other vampires (and accomplices under the Caterer) are welcome to visit and hunt on Matthias' turf provided they toe the line and look the part.  He's good at playing the fop to distract or draw in a particular target, but moreover he's good at catching the Kine off-guard.  If you need someone removed just invite them over to Lucre for a drink and whisper your request in the owner's ear.  They'll never want to leave, and they'll sing your praises for as long as they have left.  On the other hand, Matthias occasionally needs a hand covering up his own messes.  His affairs are passionate, and those lucky Kine who catch his eye live the high life in his tender embrace, but that just means a lot of loose ends to tuck away once things fall apart.

Sounds like Janet is our most likely "close to the ground" person. She's experienced with the high class world--but as a servant. She's got access to the freight tunnels beneath downtown Chicago and probably specializes in "cleanup" and discreet moving of things that need to be moved discreetly.

Man is it awful trying to shift my sense of scale from Exalted to nWoD.

---

In 1920, they took the telephone cables out of the Chicago Tunnel Company's network of freight tunnels under downtown. Some people say something else moved in. Nixie. Russalka. Tunnel haunt.

Never more than a rumor, of course. Never mind the other rumors, the ones that she was a pet of the North Side Gang, something Dean O'Banion's personal warlock summoned to keep the Chicago Outfit out of the tunnels.

It helps, of course, that Janet's got several of the Tunnel Company's employees on her own payroll. They're the ones who make sure that the special packages end up in the furnaces (though always under Janet's supervision). They're the ones who make sure that a certain steel door at the north end of the tunnels remains locked and the rails leading to that passage are never fully repaired...

hey hey everyone

Jo isn't affiliated with any other group is particular, apart from his own little brood. Most of his operations are in and around Central. He sticks close to Miss C and tries to help her with whatever she lets him with.
He could fit about any role in a standard kidnapping. Good at sniffing out people, in the literal sense, too. Could get you some opium or cocaine, if that's what you need.

I imagine he got kicked out of Matthias' bar once or twice, if he was even let in, in the first place. Though, on the  flipside, he could have helped with tying up those loose ends.

I am getting absolutely slammed at work and will be grading stuff until bedtime tomorrow, but I'll try to sneak a post in when I need to procrastinate can sneak a few minutes.

And then there were six!

Unless one other person surprises me and comes back with their character application done, this is our full cast for the game.

Welcome! I know we've already started playing, but there is a detail for all of you that I forgot to include:

The Caterer has given you all steel rings to wear on your pinky finger of your dominant hand. For any Canadians, yes I'm stealing this from engineers, but it is a simple way to remind you and any Kindred who look at you that you belong to the Caterer.

Salvete, Omnis autem cognatio amici mei.

Apparently that is Latin for Greetings, my Kindred Friends.  Glad to be apart of this wonderful group.  I should be joining in shortly, but want to get 1 or 2 more things sorted with my character before hand.

In reply to Janet Cavaco (msg # 19):

Thanks for the update, good luck with marking!

Alright, just so everyone is aware, Latin is my characters native language.  He knows English as well, but that is why on occasion there are Latin words in his sentiences.  Also, his accent would be VERY hard to place, but seems vaguely Italian.

is sure that her backstory reasons for having a dot in Portuguese are going to be central to advancing the plot at some point

I cannot describe how much having languages that have a mechanical cost aggravate me. It is... Just one of my deepest, pettiest grievances with RPGs.

You know? I never really liked it either. Opening up to discussion: I'd rather that you don't know more than five languages, but how would people feel about removing the cost of languages?
Pros? Cons?
Perhaps if a a language is more dead than you are then you need to spend a dot... Hmmmm. (By which I mean, older than your vampire)

My thinking is that I enjoy seeing what people do with their XP. So, freeing up a dot for those who have taken languages would be interesting and open up options for those who have not taken languages.
With the caveat that it should make sense for your character to know that language. No one here has any real reason to know Linear B or the Elder Futhark, for example.

Share your thoughts.

Well, personally, I understood the mechanical need for it.  BUT, I also, as a DM myself, always was on the side, languages are an easy and not game breaking thing to give players for good backstories, or the like.

For example, me.  Latin, was what was spoken in Rome.  Odds are, where I am from, I would also know Greek and Thracian.  Would Thracian EVER come up in a game?  Not unless I was in that region of the world on some excavation OR I met a vampire from that region that was as old as I was.  Personally, given my backstory, I would probably also know Arabic and Hebrew since I spent allot of time in that region, fighting holy wars.

Now, where things could get intersting about languages:

The Group I played with in RL.  They learned a version of Chinese (In character), that is spoken by like 200 people worldwide.  I can't even remember what it was called, but they used it as their main communication language to each other, and for documents, BECAUSE I don't believe anyone else in our region knew it.  SO it was near impossible for our messages to be intercepted and translated.

Now, should I feel it, I could teach this group, Thracian, for example.  It woudl be a dead language, that few people outside scholarly circles would know.  So, we could communicate with little fear of being overheard.

English, I believe I would need to spend a point for, or at least MODERN English, as I would not really know it otherwise.  So, in this context, I believe that me spending my point on English makes sense.  It isn't something that would be in my background, or something I would just know, so needing to learn it makes sense to me.


I always enjoyed having multiple languages, but hated just how hard some systems make it (Green Ronin SOIFRP is one example).  DND does it decently, with knowing x languages (Usually Common, and your Racial) and then your Int mod in additional Bonus Langauges (Which were usually their own list of what one could know based on Race.)

A DM of mine House Ruled Languages in d20 Modern, since they have languages broken down into Groups.  For Example:  Romance: French, Italian, Latin*, Portuguese, Romanian, Spanish.
Those were all the languages we could speak and understand if we picked Romance as our language group.  We could spend an extra point in ONE of them, to be able to speak it better, if we wanted, but this was the common every day ability.

Man, this was WAY longer then I thought..

TLDR:  I do not mind getting free languages if they fit.  I see no reason why it would be game breaking or otherwise create OP characters.  However, I do feel they need to explain WHY they would have those languages, like I did above for example, and once decided, they would need to spend points on other languages as normal.

I mean Jo wouldn't know any languages eitherway but don't let me rain on your parade.

But since we're talking mechanics, are we using aspirations at all ? I noticed they're missing from the sheet you provided

Yes, a friend and I both learned Deep Speech in a D&D 5e RL game because it was rarely spoken and had no written component. It is a good way to pass notes or speak to one another without fear of people listening in.



This is what I'm leaning towards. Let people know languages so they have a repertoire of languages from their past, if they so choose, and buy into any new languages. I'd like to hear from everyone first, though.



....So it is. I completely missed that. We are using those. If everyone could add two short term and one long term aspiration to their character sheets, that would be excellent. As it is stated in the rulebook, aspirations can change, just let me know if you change yours in the future.

I'd be up for a house rule of letting characters know [Intelligence] languages--maybe beyond their first--without taking the merit, provided it is justified by background.

I concur with Janet. I have spent a few years running DnD games, and my most common question to players when creating a character is "Does it makes sense?" so I do think that is the best approach.

Our seventh has joined! I know it's a large cast, but I'm excited to have you all here and see where this game goes.

Little late to that convo, but I think it could add a little verisimilitude to some of our characters without really compromising any mechanical integrity so I'm all for extra language systems.

Alright, when it says 1 free language, I am assuming that is the language of our birth?  OR do you mean that in the we get our common language, 1 free languge + Int language?

Make it a common language, I don't want anyone unable to communicate with the others.

So everyone gets english for free, + int?

That's correct, yes. English + Int of other languages. Then the standard cost for new languages learned during the game.

Greetings my fellow players.  I am currently trapped in a realm of darkness (in real life) and  I call this realm LODUSIA (Land Of Dial-Up Speed Internet Access).  I am very much looking forward to playing with all of you.
I have played the card game version of this universe, but this will be my first foray into the roleplaying game, so please be kind.
I will be playing a vampire cop relatively recently arrived in Chicago from France.  His mundane American name is Job Miles, but no doubt some of his friends and coworkers call him Frenchie because we are in an era where such things are not only acceptable but commonplace.
I was going to have him be a fanatic baseball fan, who attends night games, but apparently they didn't start playing night games until the 1930s, so probably he'll be a fanatic ice hockey fan instead.  In real life I am a Blackhawks fan but in this game's timeframe they don't exist yet I don't think--I'm sure I can figure something out.  Feel free to make suggestions.
The character's stolen identity is an ex-soldier, and so is the character himself.  I look forward to putting him in harm's way on your behalf.  However I am in no way an expert in character design and probably haven't designed a particularly effective fighter, but it's the thought that counts, right?
Job hangs out Southside when off-duty, he likes his job, and he's a team player more than a lone wolf.  I haven't decided the exact nature of his sense of humour, but I will try to give him an appropriate one.
That's it for now.  Are you ready to rumble?  Let's get it on!

If you want to have big conversations about baseball, the Chicago White Sox are under investigation for game rigging in 1920. And, as far as I know, most baseball fans prefer to follow the game through score boxes and stats. Attending games is hardly mandatory.

Though if he's French, football/soccer might make more sense?

Might be boxing makes more sense? Professional team sports just weren't that common yet. The French Football Federation started only in 1919. Boxing was pretty common all over, popular, brutal, and easy to follow.

Unless anyone has any strong feelings about figuring out how to get to Lucre, I'm going to open up the next scene.

I would like to know, HOW we are getting there in one car....

I like your suggestions.  Perhaps Job initially took an interest in sports as a way to reinforce his masquerade, but then became a fanatic.  Now he follows baseball, hockey and boxing...any other sports fans out there?

You're not, just checked with Albert and he also owns a car. Just a lot less fancy that Matthias'.

Alright.  Just checking.  I thought about bying a vechecular of sorts as well.....

Oof, I'm exhausted. I'll be back with you all momentarily.

In reply to Fey Deveraux (msg # 46):

Rest up! Take care of yourself, this week is a rough one.

For expedience and clarity, Job is a detective. He covers up Kindred activity with the police. The Caterer sent him to Lucre to offer his services to whoever might need them this month.

Everyone besides Lucious would know that Job's work as a detective takes precedence over staff meetings because he's upholding the Masquerade, so he can't always make the actual meetings.

Just so everyone has access to the same information I've based some of Lucre's foundations on, there's a significant disparity between what most modern people think of as being permitted during the 20s and what actually went on.  Initially I had intended to make my club a very Gatsby-esque fancy speakseasy.  Lots of women in flapper dresses and tuxedoed guests and all the things that immediately come to mind with the roaring twenties, but while doing research on what speakeasies were like I stumbled upon mention of the "pansy craze" and after looking into things a bit discovered a really interesting turn-about.
Our characters exist in a period when LGBT entertainers are some of the most popular nightlife attractions available.  Drag Balls, female impersonators, and cross-dressed singers are going to be a hot ticket for the next decade or so, only really falling out of favor when prohibition ends and the legal push to move liquor sales to 'upstanding vendors' removes patrons from the less than legal bars where LGBT nightlife could openly flourish.  For a few more years Gene Malin is headlining performances in New York, flouncing across the stage on Broadway, and getting drag parts in films.  Gladys Bentley will be dressed in menswear and openly flirting with her female patrons in Harlem Blues clubs for another decade and they're just some of the ones that make it into the news.  That doesn't even begin to touch on 'the black and tan' clubs and how the mindset on racial diversity and popularity of jazz and blues is starting to affect views on what constitutes normal for the average American.
It's a very interesting time, and unfortunately most of the progress made during that era will be lost in the moral panic that starts to take hold around 1936 in regards to 'sex fiends,' but for at least a couple years we get to enjoy a much more permissive atmosphere.  All of which ties together to let me add that if Fey wants to come sing some night in the most glamorous tux Matthias can afford for her I can almost guarantee great returns for all parties.  ^-^

---

Spoiler for references for the scholastically curious: (Highlight or hover over the text to view)
The Pansy Craze:
https://www.pinknews.co.uk/201...-of-lgbtq-nightlife/
Normalization of homosexuality in 1920s Chicago:
https://www.chicagomag.com/Chi...er-2005/The-Gay-30S/
Drag balls and female impersonator popularity:
http://outhistory.org/exhibits...le/part-2/drag-balls
http://www.loftgaycenter.org/s...ime_at_the_speakeasy
Prevalence of LGBT events in the 20s:
https://www.history.com/news/g...twenties-prohibition
Scholastic essay on the topic:
https://www.apa.org/pi/lgbt/resources/history

---

It was an interesting time, and there are quite a few people who view it as a time of 'decadence' beacause there were no hard times in the Roaring 20's.  Or you know, so the stories go.  Was also mostly in the cities, while very little changed out in the country.

Hell, im Roman.  Sex is a part of my culture probably more then any other.  So, no complaints here.  BUT, being the good Catholic Death Dealer, I find it surprising :P

Get in fuckers, we're going feeding! (if any of you feel like playing the mouse... lol)

Since you asked so nicely, sign me up! ^-^

Request a thread and we can figure out who exactly you're trying to eat in PMs.

I'm going to be quiet for the next week and a bit. Black Friday is coming and thus I must sacrifice sanity and sleep for success.

Well, more quiet.

In the meantime, give some thought to where you want to go after Lucre.

Oooof, that sucks! Good luck, stay safe!

Hopefully sufficient sleep was gotten to survive and recover from Black Friday. I managed to "win" NaNoWriMo and not completely blow off my students, so I have more bandwidth to spare than I did a few weeks ago.

Janet doesn't have any immediate plans before "going to work," though she might pop in on some of her Irish friends.

I'm back! Spending the weekend getting things in this game going. Thanks for your patience folks.

In reply to The Storyteller (msg # 56):

Welcome back.  I'm ready to rumble.  Let's get this show on the road!  Cheers.

The night beckons and we answer, let the hunt race on!

Happy new year you undead folks!

Making a new years post to see if we still undead, or if we took the great sleep.

In reply to Lucious Antony (msg # 59):

I am ready to proceed whenever everyone else is.

Still about and ready whenever the time arrives.

Deader then me up in here...

In reply to Lucious Antony (msg # 62):

Quiet as the grave, as it were?