Fellowship of the Witching Hour OOC Thread (Full)

[Lucean]

Doctor Phillip LeGraid continued

I decided to alter slightly my approach in giving the background here. In the first part of the background I posted I tried to give out information one might learn of my character through little investigation or talking with the right people. Not that any of the PC's would, but it was supposed to be information easily learned. I however understood that such information would be difficult to get from his days abroad, so I'm kind of skipping it here. I'll send the background to GM through email, but here I thought I'd rather post how he appears, what kind of a family he has and what is known of him in the town if anyone bothers ask around. I hope that's alright, thought it might make it easier to decide how to deal with the character.

Phillip himself is a frail looking man in his mid-thirties. By appearance he has many traits associated with the french-rooted people in New Orleans. His hair completely black, his eyes a darker shade of grey and his complexion slightly darker than normal. A plain looking man, Phillip is always dressed with formal style, favouring cotton or wool coats and pants with dress shirts with the collar always pulled up. His right leg is completely busted, he cannot bend it at all, and he requires the cane to walk. At times one can see hints of scarring at the side of his neck or at the back of his right wrist, both times seeming to continue towards the back. He is utterly devoted to his wife and children.

Phillip's family in Arkham consists of his German wife Elsa and his 6-year old twin children Charlene and Mathias. Elsa is a quite striking woman also in her mid-thirties, being almost taller than Phillip with long blond hair and shallow blue eyes. She has already managed to acquire a few assignments in translating some books and letters, being fluent in six languages and understanding a few more. Their children take after both parents in differing parts, with Charlotte having dark hair and blue eyes and Mathias blond hair and grey eyes. Both are active, happy and all around normal children.

The family arrived in Arkham only a few months ago, moving straight in to the rich district. Due to their status as outsiders and foreigners, there are several rumors and whispers about them. Most of them are somehow related to the following facts:
-Elsa is German, who knows far too many languages than she should and who should be far above Phillip's class. Who knows what are the true reasons behind that marriage?
-Phillip was in Europe for the last few years, acting as a doctor when the Second World War waged on.
-There is no way they should have afforded the house they currently reside in, they do not pay that well to the doctors serving in the Red Cross. Several rumors float concerning this, some claiming that Elsa brought with her some treasures they sold to pay for the house or that they carried the spoils of war back home, robbed by the good doctor from his suffering patients. The rich are more willing to spread these stories, resentful for these new residents. More reliable sources tell that the house was bought by lawyers, with no one agreeing who had hired them.
-The doctor himself is said to be extremely professional with his patients and an excellent doctor. From time to time they however say his stare will be distant and that what he witnessed during his travels around the world, especially in Europe, have left it's mark on him.
-All however agree that the family does at least seem to be very loving when together and they have already made some friends in the area. It is supposedly an old friend of the doctor who got him the job at Arkham in the first place.

As I said, I hope this format is alright with everyone. If not, just let me know and I'll post more detailed accounts of Phillip's times overseas.

 

[Dlsharrock]

What's so unrealistic about an otherwise introverted person having one thing he likes to do that involved getting together with other people who share his interest in a subject? I don't see why interest in the Occult needs to be the main focus of the characters. If that were the case they would all be allot more similar, and therefor allot less interesting. Adam does have a library of manuals, they're just mostly in his head and scattered around near the things they're used with.

He's started out somewhat interested in the occult but became more so as he continued visiting the bar. Like I said, my character's background is great. That's why I thought I should improve it.

Firstly, you shouldn't feel the need to be defensive. I'm commenting, not attacking.

Secondly, you've misinterpreted much of what I said

An interest in the occult needn't be the driving force for all characters. I'm suggesting that their mutual sharing of this *interest* should be the driving force for the group getting together and each character should have an integral reason for wanting to join the group, something in their makeup that makes them *want* to join and which brings them to the Witching Hour bar. They should feel compelled enough by their interest to come across town, sit around with a bunch of strangers and discuss that interest. I don't want to say 'each player needs to give a reason why their character would join the Witching Hour Fellowship' as that's a bit too meta. But I'm quite content to prod things in that direction.

I can't find where I said Adam West is unrealistic in my previous post. I think the passion for the occult and extensive and expensive library of books warrants further integration into his character, and probably should be given more air time as a reason for his attending the Witching Hour group, rather than relying solely on the idea of his being a barfly who has a past with the owner, but that's got nothing to do with realism.

Likewise, Sam has no current reason to join the group other than the Bermuda incident and the fact that she runs the bar. I'm not saying all characters in this game must follow the same basic premise, just that they should all come part and parcel with a reason for wanting to be in the game.

I felt the OOC discussions were moving away from the original idea and setting the group up more as a collection of drinkers, chatting about one anothers' pasts, or hanging out together as barflies, rather than following the original concept outlined in the first post of this thread.

 

[Dire Lemming]

I wasn't being defensive, just confused.

Now I'm not really sure how I can develop the Occult library more. If you remember I couldn't think of any character at all in the beginning and picked the inventor because I liked the idea. Occult interest was never the character's driving force. I'm not sure why it makes a difference whether he comes back to the bar regularly because he's got an interest in the occult as well as the owner, or because he's got an interest in the owner as well as the occult. They're both still reasons he comes back. I mean, his reason for going to the inn in the first place was interest in the occult... maybe even driven further by what happened to Sam. He could be the only one that believes her that something otherworldly really did happen there, so his passing interest would have been reinforced as he tried to find out more in hopes of helping her cope with her trauma.

Consider that Sam is the owner of the meeting's venue, I'd think that was a pretty good reason for her to attend the meetings, but maybe she feels like these people might help her come to terms with her own supernatural experience...

How's that?

 

[kookalouris]

A most peculiar obsession...

Hey everyone...

Let me correct or amend some previous posts on my part. I've either not addressed a few points and/or mis-addressed some others (I've got to lay off of the plutonian space mead. ).

First and foremost, I will start with the assumption that Sam is a member of the Witching Hour 'coven.' She knows all of the PCs and is fond of them (for various reasons or just plain familiarity). To Sam, these are her friends and she values them all more than anyone else here in this strange town (except maybe Auntie Keziah).

As to why Sam would have an interest in the occult...

Being of a curious and inquisitive nature, Sam might just have a natural interest in strange mysteries.

Possibly having a little ichor in the blood, Sam might have an unnatural attraction for such mysteries (a sort of subconscious knowledge that her knowledge of the world is wrong, or the world is. Think of the Matrix's Neo and his instinctive knowledge that the world was wrong somehow, even before the red pill.).

It could be both of the above, although Sam would only be conscious of the first.

Perhaps some of the odd discussions or pictures from mouldy old tomes tickle her memory. Remember Sam has suffered from temporary (but not complete) amnesia from her time over Bermuda. In a sense, she may be a sort of 'alien abductee.' So, imagine being an abductee with very cloudy memory passing through a science-fiction convention at a hotel. A group starts talking about UFOs and it rings true, but you don't yet know why. All you know is that you are compelled to listen and participate. Think of the main character from Close Encounters of the Third Kind.

Actually, Sam doesn't need an interest in the occult to be part of an occult group. Let me explain.

Sam has been saddled with trying to keep a bar afloat. She needs to keep every loyal customer she can. If she had found nothing but sports collectables at the Gilman's she would have opened a sports bar. If she had found only rock music goodies, she would have opened a karaoke bar (well, a few decades later, maybe).

Had she opened a sports bar, she would have to develop (or at least fake) an interest in sports and sports teams.

Had she opened a karaoke bar, she would have to grit her teeth and become familiar with pop music.

As it was, she found a dying bar she could only decorate with weird old tomes and bizarre figurines, so by Azathoth, she's learning about the occult.

It might be that Sam herself is considered a minor mystery. Although she (and the authorities) believe she simply cracked up in a sudden storm, others may think that Sam was at the center (or was the center) of some paranormal event. She may be popular with mystery-hunters. If the bar is barely keeping afloat, Sam may have to 'work' her mystery status. Or curious folks may hover around her anyway.

Think of the haunted look B-actors in struggling science-fiction series get when cornered by obsessive fans in sci-fi cons. (Doctor Lazarus from Galaxy Quest). It could be she can't politely avoid these 'nuts.'

It could simply be that Sam became friends with any one and them and later the group from that one first friend. She may be a part of the occult-researching group simply out of loneliness, boredom, isolation and a terrible need to keep her mind from wandering. Don't forget, a group that believes in 'alternate' possibilities might be the last folks to cast instant judgement on poor Sam (something she would value terribly). Having been judged herself, she would no longer be so quick to judge eccentrics.

Don't forget, Sam could be the group's Scully. Scully's skepticism didn't stop her from getting into the same scrapes as Mulder, simply because she worked with her open-minded friend. And having a 'doubting Thomas' might be a useful counterpoint for David's plans.

Whew, I hope that suggests a few ideas why Sam might now hang out with these eccentrics. I can probably come up with more if David needs it.

Feedback, as always, is welcome (and improves me).

Next up, let me see if can correct my misunderstandings about Adam and Sam's past...

Gerry

 

[kookalouris]

"The beginning of a beautiful friendship..."

Now let me see what I can do about understanding Adam and Sam's relationship better...

First off, so the game is not slowed down. Whatever their relationship, Sam and Adam are good friends and won't hinder the group with any kind of spat. I would assume their good friendship would actually speed the group's actions along. In game terms, this subplot takes a distant back seat to the main game.

OK, to work...

I assume Sam was found by her powerful birth family very soon after the accident. It is amazing how much power and command the Gilmans have over the seas, especially Bermuda. It could be that the Gilmans had Sam all the way to Arkham before most of her American friends and family knew of it. The US government might have been slow to release details of the incident to the media.

In short, no matter how devoted Adam was to his friend (and I assume that they are devoted to each other, no matter how badly any romance turned out), Adam may simply not have known before it was too late.

Don't forget, Sam volunteered to be sent to Arkham Asylum, believing herself to be delusional. With Sam's outright consent, the committal process was probably sped up. After leaving Arkham Asylum, Sam may have stayed in Arkham partly because of Adam, in addition to looking after the inn.

As far as whether they knew each other or not before Bermuda, I must admit I went ahead and jumped the gun and assumed that they did. Reunions are more charged than meetings for dramatics purposes (IMO). Casablanca, another 1941 production, worked so much better for me because it was a reunion after trauma (don't forget the classic tear-soaked letter in the rain, gets me every time).

I do like your suggestions on how the two might have gotten together and then broken up. True to form, trying to ground Sam would only make her more determined (and again echoes her earlier relationship with her family).

If Sam was Adam's 'first and last,' it could be that Adam was Sam's inamorata as well. Her crew member romance may have been a subconscious defiant rebound (not that she wouldn't have felt just as guilty, if not worse. Her misguided pique may have got the poor guy killed as he would have had no other real reason to be on the plane).

It could also be that Adam's inventions kept the plane together longer than any other plane could have lasted. Perhaps several other planes were simply destroyed (of course, this is up to David as he is the only one to know the real reason for the crash). In which case, Sam would have to admit not only was Sam wrong about being utterly reckless but that Adam, via his inventions, saved her life. If so, she would feel a terrible mix of guilt and gratitude regarding Adam.


Now, if Adam and Sam had met each other after Bermuda, Sam would react to Adam as she would to her perceptions of his inventions (from unlikely disappointment to utter gratitude). A slow romance could then have started. It would have to be slow given Sam's shattered heart.

Let me stop here and hear what you think, DL. I've no problem RP-ing Adam and Sam's relationship (with David's permission and not to the detriment of the game).

Looking forward to anyone's feedback...

Gerry

 

[Dire Lemming]

Your idea of the reunion is very convincing and I think we should go with them knowing each other before hand.

I actually think everything in that last post is great and should be used, except for the mutually exclusive stuff at the end of course.

What can I add... hm...

Well nothing really that hasn't already been said. Adam of course isn't the type to hold a grudge, and would be as supportive as possible.

If information about her was covered up then it neatly solves the problem of Adam not trying to keep/get her out of the asylum.

I know, I've got a question. What was Sam's experience in the asylum like and has she told anyone about it?

 

[kookalouris]

Arkham Asylum

Sam's experience in Arkham Asylum was quite relatively pleasant.

Since Sam volunteered to be committed, she didn't see her committal as imprisonment. Since Sam was so agreeable, no 'extreme' techniques were used.

In any case, Sam considers her time in AA to have been a kind of penance and would have welcomed some suffering as expiation.

From a game standpoint, here is what I am trying to achieve.

I want to hint that the Gilman family is very protective of Sam, as if they have found a long-lost daughter (which they have) or a recovered asset (which she might be), probably both. Is a coincidence that, right out of the nuthouse, she suddenly has a place to stay and employment while in Arkham (under the watchful eyes of her witchy aunt)?

Sam's gentle treatment in Arkham may have been to put her at ease and to set a legal precedent for a forcible committal later. It could be that the whole of Lovecraft Country is a gilded cage for Sam.

And who knows what odd doctors or patients she met while in AA?

Or not, it's up to David. But I am setting up some plot background should he need it.

Gerry

 

[Dlsharrock]

Don't forget, Sam could be the group's Scully. Scully's skepticism didn't stop her from getting into the same scrapes as Mulder, simply because she worked with her open-minded friend. And having a 'doubting Thomas' might be a useful counterpoint for David's plans.

Yes, this is the sort of thing I meant. Background details explaining integration with the Fellowship as opposed to background details explaining integration with one another or reasons for attending the bar. This latter is fine to explore, of course, and important to establishing player character relationships. I just wanted players to think about the former as well.

In this instance, for example, its a valid reason, but the role of group skeptic has already gone to the good Doctor Now, I suppose it's feasible to have a mythos interest group consist largely of skeptics, but that does clash with my original vision In the opening gambit the group is formed as a means to explore the mysterious aspects of Arkham (which abound) and gives the members (who have an interest in such things) a cheap and distracting thrill as they head out in search of evidence, or at least visit sites of the more famous urban legends (first post in this thread).

So this is the basic premise and one I'd prefer players adhere to as best they can. I'm not insisting the occult be the sole driving force in their lives (as DL said, that would make the game pretty dull): it should be a part of them, but not all consuming. But the reason for their joining the Fellowship should be based around their interest in the strange and mysterious.

As I said, so far this seems to be tagged onto Adam and Sam's complicated and evolving backgrounds as an afterthought - and that's *ok*, really, I'm not trying to be negative. This is merely the reason I wanted to prod things in a certain direction, to establish before we play why they joined the Fellowship.

I honestly think the occult book collection is very likely the key for Adam (finally he has a chance to discuss the contents of his books with people of a like mind, instead of hiding his collection like some grubby secret) and Sam's might be her experience in Bermuda (she's not looking for understanding, but like the young guy sailing his dinghy who, bitten by a shark, goes on to become a marine biologist with an avid interest in Great Whites, Sam has developed an illogical but driving interest in the strange and mysterous.). I would suggest this for the reason behind her opening an occultist based bar, because, on the surface at least, it seems to have captured her imagination. If you know about her internment at the asylum and loose sanity, things appear less flippant (more akin to the guy in the dinghy whose friends and family are eaten by a shark who then goes on to become a marine biologist ) To me it merely ties the game and the group together with the purpose of the Fellowship. As those development seeds are already there it makes sense to me to use them rather than come up with alternates. Make sense?

These are *just suggestions* btw. I'm absolutely not attacking anyone's characterisation or writing, or trying to take over player roles or anything like that. Both Sam and Adam are great characters and I'm enjoying watching their friendship emerge before my eyes. If any of my comments come across as derogatory or overly critical, I apologise for that's not my intention. Nor is it my intention to confuse and apologise for so doing with any of my previous posts.

Sam's experience in Arkham Asylum was quite relatively pleasant.

I'd like to place her asylum treatment elsewhere if I may. Nobody gets gentle treatment in my realisation of Arkham Asylum AA is mainly used as a quassi-prison for the criminally insane and is somewhere you wouldn't send a relative or attend voluntarily (more Gotham City than One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest). If investigators require treatment they'll be taken to one of the more mundane asylums or state clinics, maybe even Arkham hospital provided the high fees can be paid (and in this instance it seems they probably can). That said, they *could* wind up in AA, if things go very very wrong for them

 

[Dire Lemming]

I like your idea about the library. Like I said, Adam's original reason for going to the witching hour was his interest in the Occult. With the latest development of their background I'd say he'd probably lost track of Sam, so it was a surprise to find her wording there and guaranteed that he returned regularly. Of course he doesn't just hang in a corner watching Sam the whole time. The original reason he visited the place was interest in the Occult, and who knows, he might have been the Fellowship's first member. Have we yet figured out how the other characters actually joined the Fellowship?

As for his place in the group, he's an eccentric inventor with a large bank account and an interest in the Occult. Isn't that a role?

 

[Dlsharrock]

Have we yet figured out how the other characters actually joined the Fellowship?

Yes, hence my saying only Adam and Sam lacked a reason, though we're making strides
Arabella's is simplest and ties well with greenstar's short but sweet background. She's a bohemian and joining discussions in the Fellowship is an alternative enough activity to fit perfectly with her favoured idiom. I can also see her getting a lot out of the nocturnal sojourns the group eventually graduate to when discussions alone no longer satisfy their desire for paranormal intrigue and excitement. Somehow her whole character just slots neatly into the premise (not to detract in any way from anyone else's character, just that hers answers the initial premise very nicely).

Lucean has come up with a cool skeptic angle for the Doctor, though this may or may not be something Lucean wants other players to know in-character as I'm sure he has plans to explore the idea in-game. I think, as far as the other PCs are concerned, the Doctor's there because this stuff really interests him. I might be wrong and he might be completely open about his intentions. One for Lucean to confirm or correct as appropriate.

I think Adam's occult library is likely his dial-in to the group. He may even be the one who set the whole thing up! He's certainly eccentric enough to come up with an idea like that.

While Sam's overall background is the most detailed of all, I think she still lacks the best motivation with regard to the basic premise of the Fellowship. I just don't see her joining a club like this. In fact, I see her actively avoiding it, though she'd likely maintain contact with Adam because she and he have that intriguing past.

As for his place in the group, he's an eccentric inventor with a large bank account and an interest in the Occult. Isn't that a role?

I don't recall stating that players needed to provide a 'place in the group'. That would insinuate meta-gaming and I'm deadly opposed to such things. If you're referring to Lucean's character as a skeptic, well, two skeptics in a four strong group of paranormal enthusiasts *does* seem like a contradiction in terms.

Things could be altered I suppose, depending on how strongly Kook feels about Sam being a non-believer. We could have a group of four who met at the bar and just sort of drifted into conversation over beer and chips, two discovering they shared an interest in the strange and paranormal, two discovering that they're both skeptics for different reasons and the group forming that way. Their discussions have become a sort of tradition each week and now the believers want to prove the skeptics wrong by taking them to find evidence, or maybe the skeptics want to take the believers to some Arkham site of wierdness in order to show them there are no such things as spooks. That might work and would perhaps rationalise their getting together better than the forming of some kind of club through word of mouth, newspaper ads and so on.

What does everyone think of that idea?