D&D 5E Hold Back The Night [OOC]

As promised,,, Lorelei's story. MUCH thanks to our esteemed GM Jago for help with this. Tomorrow we can work on shared details, which should be easy enough for anyone who has ever gone into an Entertainment Establishment
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There's something about this girl I know.

She's so sweet and kind, spreading that kindness wherever she goes. Even as the darkness of The Towers grows higher, her blue eyes remind me of the sky's brightness. The curls of her red mane bounce as she skips through the streets while playing with the other children, and I can't help but follow them as I tell her father that The Magi are pleased with our work: the tax collection was the highest in the Sector this year. He plans to put the money aside to pay for her instruction, as he tells me she wants to be a singer. I can see why: her voice fills me with ...

Her father tells me he wishes her mother were still alive to help take care of her. But he doesn't have to worry about that: I will be there for her. I will watch over her.



There's something about this girl I know.

She's growing now. I can see how her body fills out, how her youth sheds away into womanhood. The first swells of her breasts, the way her hips move as she heads off to school. I enjoy watching her go. I follow her without her knowing. My work with The Magi has placed me in the guard, so it is only right that I protect her. I told her father I would. The other children, they bully her sometimes. They don't like her father: they hear their parents curse his name and so they curse her.

I wait until those children are alone. I corner them. I remind them that they should be nice to others. But this only makes them act worse to her. That won't do. I accuse their parents of speaking out against The Magi. I have the golems take them away. I have the children relocated. Now they won't bother her anymore.

She finds me and asks me where the children who bullied her went. I tell her I made sure they wouldn't hurt her anymore. She's thrilled - she thanks me, she throws her arms around me and kisses my cheek. The feel of her body pressed against mine overwhelms me with carnal urges.

I knew she felt something for me.

I knew it.



There's something about this girl I know.

She's finally fourteen. I can't think of anything but her. I have made Ordinator. I am powerful in the Sector now, yet she makes me weak in the knees. Her voice is enchanting: I try to hear her as often as I can. I desire her immeasurably: she would do well as my bride. Her father would be happy to have it so.

But when I ask him, he is angry. He yells at me. He tells me that I am sick for what I desire, but how can love be a disease? How can the way she tells me that she's so happy to have me around be anything other than a vow? This won't do. This won't do at all. I need her. I will have her.

I wait until she is gone for the evening. I fetch the Golems. I make sure that all know that her father is a traitor to the state, a rebel with hopeless dreams. How he has killed innocents. I chase him down. The Golems carry him away.

Now he can't stand in the way of our love anymore. When I see her again, I tell her that I will protect her now. She cries, she cries in my arms and I hold her. I smell her hair and press her to my chest. I can no longer resist having her so I finally take her. She cries tears of joy when I do.

She's mine now.



There's something about this girl I know.

She's more gorgeous now than ever. She sings on the stage of The Velvet Rose, that thick, red hair still bouncing when she performs. I go to the Rose whenever I can, a source of brilliant light in this dark city. She is my light, she is everything I crave. She insists on working here even though I could take care of her myself. I allow her this small independence: it seems to make her happy, and when she is happy, I am happy. I know that the caged bird does not sing.

But she does not entertain just me: I see her taking others upstairs with her. It drives me mad, knowing that others have touched her. Kissed her. It fills me with fury, fury I take out on the prisoners of The Magi afterwards, but never on her. Sometimes she tells me I hurt her, but I know she is merely being dramatic. She's an actress after all, a performer. I would never hurt her. I love her.

Someday I will make sure she doesn't work at that filthy tavern anymore. Someday she will come with me and bring her cheerful light into my home, into the dark Tower where I live. She will sing only for me. She will be touched only by me. And she will love me for as long as she lives.



There is something about this girl I know. She is mine, and she will always be mine.

~ Absolom

Okay [MENTION=20323]Quickleaf[/MENTION], let's go with your R rated scenario, if you still want to and this sounds okay to you.

Lorelei's "boyfriend" is known for pulling her into the Towers, sometimes just to spend time with her. Obviously she doesn't want to spend time with him willingly, definitely not at first, before she has an actual reason.

During one of these "visits" she is waiting in a holding room for him and your Master thinks its time for his cruel joke... they go looking for the nearest suitable prisoner they can find - Lorelei. Commence R rated violation.

Absalom discovers what is going on and of course -loses his mind.- We're talking guts everywhere of anyone who even looked at her. Just whatever is worse than blind rage. That. He wants to kill Fitz for violating Lei, but Lei stops him, because, that is who Lei is. It's not his fault, she was kind of there for the whole thing, she knows this. So it would mean grumpy ol Fitz kinda owing her a little... she'd never see it that way, maybe he does, maybe he doesn't. Up to you.

Ab wants your Master DEAD. However, even Ab is not that powerful, not yet. So... grudge. It's possible as we go forward in the future we might be able to use that grudge to help us... just saying.

What do you think? [MENTION=6855130]Jago[/MENTION] and I discussed this today and thought it sounded like a great storyline. I'm up for it, up for any changes you'd like or just something else if you don't like this.




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Uff. [MENTION=8058]Queenie[/MENTION] that was a seriously dark character backstory. The tone of Absalom... *shudder* that was evil. Bravo.

I am good with that character connection. It would definitely be a strong way to play upon Fitz's guilty conscience and desire to repent (even if the curmudgeonly little bugger would never admit it with a straight face). I like how it also sets up a personal rivalry between the two mages Absalom and Severen the Gaunt - great material for our DM!

Fitz might even be an admirer of Lorelei's now - one of her many, I'm sure - though scarcely able to bring himself to a face-to-face meeting because of shame... Thus he contents himself delivering little sacks of gold through brass monkey clockwork toys, poems praising her beauty in music boxes, providing her a bit of insider information while cloaked in the night just outside the backdoor of The Velvet Rose. After all, a "Rumpel" like him would be laughed out of such an establishment, he is hideous compared to the effervescent Lorelei, and his dreams of once again feeling what he'd felt that shameful night frighten him too much to enter.

So...in our twisted fairy tale...he'd sorta assume a covert fairy god-gnome role for Lorelei.

[MENTION=6855204]tglassy[/MENTION] For a connection between Teryn, the academic investigator turned drunkard turned vigilante, and Fitz the gnome... What if Teryn and Fitz once worked together on an investigation regarding a new construct of The Magi going berserk and killing citizens? Sort of the experimental prototype going awry, possibly a problem with how the spirit was bound, or the nature of the bound spirit. We had a Holmes and Watson type dynamic maybe, with Teryn being the lead investigator and Fitz the sidekick brought on because of his specialty with constructs.

This opens up a dangling plot hook for [MENTION=6855130]Jago[/MENTION], might be another reason why Teryn's family was ordered killed, and might play into Fitz's guilt complex. Plus it gives your character the opportunity to say things like "That's a rather far-reaching conclusion for one with such small arms, Mr. Augertorque!"

EDIT: Also, does anyone have proficiency in thieves' tools? I'm contemplating whether that might fit Fitz better than alchemist's supplies, and was curious about others' tool proficiencies.

Sounds good to me.

Also, while Teryn has spent many an evening at Lorelei's establishment, he only ever drinks, despite offers for...more.


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You folks are doing pretty great on the connections and histories and backgrounds (Dear Magi, the Backgrounds), So I, your Ben(Mal)evolent Storyteller, is just going to sit back for now to let these connections form unless you need answers.

So, fun stuff!

Attached is a small glossary concerning some terms I've been throwing around, containing details that may help with further development.

View attachment City Glossary.pdf




I also have compiled a list, as promised, of Inspirations for my ideas of The Setting and Tone, so without further ado, I shall present these.

Literature
1984, by George Orwell

The big one. A dystopian nation where resistance against the government is, quite literally, impossible. Trust is impossible to give or receive due to the very nature of society. The people are constantly watched, propaganda has become truth, and even language is being destroyed to hinder the ability to rebel. Our protagonist is not a hero, but instead someone who just knows that this feels wrong, and so revolts in his own, personal way against this oppressive control. No grand overthrowing the government, but instead a case of personal liberties to fight fascism.


The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins

Though I myself have never read any of this series, I know enough about the themes and story beats to say that this definitely fits: city districts left to compete with one another against an oppressive elite to the point where any sort of revolt is considered suicide. Bonus points for having an attempted revolt in the backstory to the novels ... only to have it fail and so our story opens up after this unsuccessful uprising.



Film

V For Vendetta

I assume far more people are aware of the film rather than the graphic novel, so here we are. Once more: Fascist, Oppressive government that does horrible things to its people, lies about it and covers it all up with an amazingly competent propaganda campaign, and a hero who could be argued is far more a terrorist than a messiah trying to take the elite down, masking his desire for bloody vengeance under the noble shroud of Freedom. Just like V and his protégé, Evee, our players will be those who see the horribleness of the world but ultimately feel that it will take the People rising up in order to do anything to change the circumstances.


Chinatown

If you haven't seen this, literally stop reading right now and go watch it, then come back. An amazing tribute to the film noir genre, Chinatown tells a deeply dark and disturbing story of a man who initially does not want to get involved in a simple investigation, and instead goes far deeper than he ever could have thought this rabbit hole goes. The themes and ideas of the corrupt being untouchable, the good-hearted not necessarily being the winners, and the idea that choosing involvement of any sort means you're stuck in until the end, for better or worse, certainly suits our City Heroes. The more and more I've developed this setting, the more and more I've found that Noir is definitely a feel that is being evoked, and I plan to follow that. Forget it, Jake: It's Sector Five.


Dark City
A man with no memory slowly unravels that something is horribly, horribly wrong with his city. Nobody around him seems to know this or agree with it, making him feel like he's going insane even as he's hunted by strange, powerful men who clearly understand that this amnesiac is a threat. Another (much) more modern take on a Noir style of storytelling, Dark City follows a growing theme of being unable to trust your surroundings or those around you, and maybe even your own memory is suspect. In The City, plagued by propaganda, revisionist history, and the constant interference of The Magi, the average person is probably just as accepting of the strange circumstances as the citizens in Dark City, while our heroes may feel a little crazy as they learn more and those around them stay ignorant.



Music

The Protomen

Honestly the main source of inspiration (for me) for this story and setting. A Rock-Opera group with a very 80s sound, their main albums (the self-titled The Protomen and Act II: The Father of Death) tell a rather dystopian and dark take on, of all things, the story of Mega Man.

Yes. The Blue Bomber.

Their music speaks of a utopian world that falls into darkness, a man who has failed time and time again to rectify the mistake he's made to no avail, and a city that relies upon Heroes to save them but does nothing to save themselves. Just, go listen to it, both Albums are easily found on Youtube with a quick search, and then you two can understand why This City Needs You Now.


The Message, by Grandmaster Flash and The Furious Five

So, total tone shift. We go from 80s Rock Opera to quintessential classic Hip Hop. Written about New York City in the 70s and very early 80s, The Message very clearly encapsulates a sense of overwhelming frustration and anger at the circumstances of the misfortunate of the city, with an almost casual mentioning of some of the daily pains and horrors that The Big Apple could give to some people. It is an anthem of rebellion and yet acceptance, a warning to do better whilst also acknowledging that the odds are so far stacked on one side that it may be impossible for things to change. Our heroes of The City would probably feel this same pressure, this same sense of being overwhelmed with the madness of The City that it's all they can do to keep going. Try not to lose your head.



Video and Tabletop Games


Midnight, by Fantasy Flight Games
While I have never played this, some of you may be familiar with it. Another major inspiration behind this idea, Midnight is basically the quintessential Dark D&D setting: The bad guys won, overwhelmingly so. The whole idea is based around is Sauron managed to get The One Ring, and boy does it run with that idea (like how simply being an Elf or Dwarf is punishable by Death). Slavery is incredibly widespread, there are Ringwraith style creatures that hunt down anyone who dares to use Magic, pillars of obsidian that literally leach magic from the very world, and The Church of The Shadow has basically cleaved any connection to the Gods that may be able to do something to fix this broken world. Basically, being a true D&D-style Hero here kiiiinda sucks. A lot. Take a look.


We Happy Few, by Compulsion Games
An indie title, but a great theme: people either literally drink the Kool-Aid known as Joy to help forget some horrible, terrible event from the past that almost destroyed society ... or they exist outside that society as a "Downer" who has accepted The Truth of their world and this knowledge alone is enough to drive them to suicidal depression or homicidal rage. The city itself, "Wellington Welles", is rundown and dilapidated, but those who accept the nature of society (and therefore, take the hallucinogenic known as Joy) are perfectly okay not questioning why things are so broken, because to question is to invite trouble, and to invite trouble is to be a Downer. Our Heroes have a lot in common with these Downers: those that have rejected the "Joy" of The Magi and face the idea that something must change, no matter how much trying to change hurts. Our Heroes here are rebels against society, unwilling to just take their pill and fit in while being quiet and complacent. They're going to shake things up, even if it means breaking the illusion The Magi hold over The City and forcing the entire populace to come down from the High of complacency.

Quickleaf said:

EDIT: Also, does anyone have proficiency in thieves' tools? I'm contemplating whether that might fit Fitz better than alchemist's supplies, and was curious about others' tool proficiencies.

Click to expand...

Derngar does.

Edit: For when the great axe doesn't work

Fenris said:

Derngar does.

Edit: For when the great axe doesn't work

Click to expand...

What's a barbarian without his lockpicks?

Quickleaf said:

What's a barbarian without his lockpicks?

Click to expand...

Exactly. If only there were another barbarian thief we could think of as an example

Just alerting you all that I and Foxbytes will be away at PAX starting on Thursday, 01/26, and unlikely to be able to post until about Monday, 01/30 at Earliest.

I am hoping to get the game started before then so you all can make some introductions and then we can get rolling properly upon my glorious return.