[IK] The Corvis University Discreet Investigation and Retrieval Union (OOC)

[Blue_Genie]

I don't know if Blue cares, but if anyone that goes to the university wants to know each other, I can write that into the background as well.

I do care, and this actually prompts me to mention the first IC posting. I'd like to start the adventure in true pulp fiction fashion (the genre, not the movie) and begin in the middle of a story already in progress. I don't know if this will help you, but the first scene will begin with all of you in an upscale underground gambling hall in Corvis, awaiting delivery of an ... object. This means that everyone already knows each other, but you can decide on how long you guys have worked as a "team", how long the "team" has been in existence and how you feel about each other. If that doesn't seem like your cup of tea, tell me that you want to be an outsider, and I'll try and work you into the first scene in some way.

More details will follow as we get closer to actually being ready to go (i.e. after everyone has posted their characters and I've had a chance to look over them.) While I'm on this subject, I'd like to set a deadline for posting your character to the Rogue's Gallery: next Wednesday, November 3rd, 11 PM EST. That way I'll have a few days to review and we can hopefully begin posting IC the following weekend. If for some reason you think you won't be able to post by the deadline, please let me know, otherwise I will interpret your absence as a lack of continuing interest. Obviously if everyone posts and is reviewed before then, there's nothing stopping us from beginning earlier!

Blue (a.k.a Mr. Storyteller, a.k.a. Alex)

 

[Blue_Genie]

Hey there, Blue. I had a question about my character's motivations to be at the University. It would probably be more fitting to his age to be some sort of guest instructor or something of the sort rather than a student. Maybe a student teacher in the Law Department?

If not, do you have any good ideas as to what he may be studying at the school? Would the laws be much different in Corvis compared to Caspia, where he previously studied? Perhaps he could be studying local law and justice.

I thought he was in Corvis looking into the arson of the church? The faculty of the University are a pretty snobby lot, and it would be difficult to just come in and start teaching. It's a much more closed system than universities are today, built around private clubs, fraternal orders and various local brotherhoods. Given your background, most of your contacts would probably be in the church. (Not that you couldn't create some at the University, especially given your family's patrician background.)

 

[Blue_Genie]

In case you have this bookmarked, and didn't come in through the main page, I just wanted to warn you guys that I've changed the title of this tread to:

[IK] The Corvis University Discreet Investigation and Retrieval Union

OOC:

 

[Bobitron]

I thought he was in Corvis looking into the arson of the church? The faculty of the University are a pretty snobby lot, and it would be difficult to just come in and start teaching. It's a much more closed system than universities are today, built around private clubs, fraternal orders and various local brotherhoods. Given your background, most of your contacts would probably be in the church. (Not that you couldn't create some at the University, especially given your family's patrician background.)

You are right on, and when I think about it, I completely agree about my idea, it really doesn't make sense now that you mention the closed faculty.

I am just trying to think of a solid reason he is at the University, rather than the old "needs coin" excuse. Was Pendrake advertising for adventurers outside the school, or just recruiting among students? What do you think of my "brushing up on the local laws" thing?

Thanks for your input.

 

[Blue_Genie]

Krug,
I wanted to make you aware of an IK feat which you might be interested in, and which no one else in the party qualifies for (which is why I haven't mentioned it.)

FAITHCASTING [FAITH]
Clerics in the Iron Kingdoms rely on faith much more than they rely on acutal direct communion with their chosen deity. Even Morrow, the most benevolent of the human gods, rarely hands magic directly to his worshippers. To represent the power of faith, clerics of Cyriss, the Devourer, Menoth, Morrow, and Thamar can take the Faithcasting feat. However, not all clerics of these gods become faithcasters.
Prereq: Cleric of Cyriss, the Devourer, Menoth, Morrow, or Thamar.
Benefit: Each time the character chooses this feat, he can select a number of divine spells equal to his Wisdom modifier. The character doesn't have to prepare these spells in order to cast them, but he must leave spell slots open for the spell use. Casting one of these spells uses an un-used spell slot of the same level or higher. In addition, the cleric never has to pray to receive Domain spells.
However, the cleric must fulfill and exemplify the conditions of his faith (see Chapter Five: Magic & Mechanika, pp. 267-273). Failure to do so could potentially mean a fall from grace. Should the character fall from grace, he loses access to all the benefits of the Faithcasting feat and possibly access to spells acquired through normal prayer, at the DM's discretion.

 

[Blue_Genie]

And since everyone seems to be so keen on Morrow around here, I thought I'd give y'all a little crunch & fluff on him.

MORROW
The PROPHET, LORD OF LIGHT, THE HEALING TEACHER, PATIENT BROTHER
Alignment: Neutral Good
Symbol: Sunburst of Morrow, also known as The Radience
Domains: Good, Healing, Knowledge, Protection, Strength, Travel, War, Warrior
Preferred Weapons: Dawn's New Sun (heavy mace) and Dusk's Last Light (longsword)
Cleric Weapon of Choice: Heavy mace (can vary based on patron ascendant)
Cleric Alignment: Any good

Worshippers of Morrow seek freedom from the bonds and limitations of this world and liberation of mind, body, and soul. Followers of the Path of Light adhere to the teachings of the Morrowan Enkheiridion. Their mantra is: "No matter what you were in this life, with Menoth, you will always be his servant. But that is not the only path. Seek nobility of the soul. Seek transcendence. All things the better for you will in the hereafter be, for Morrow is the Path of Transcendence. He is the Lord of Light. He is Benevolence, Giving, Selflessness, and All Things Good."

It is this openness that also attracts non-humans to the worship of Morrow. Although some are yet viewed with suspicion or distrust by the faithful, in general, the clergy of Morrow welcome ogrun, trollkin, and gobbers into the fold with open arms. Still, it is a rare thing for gobbers and trollkin to be Morrow worshippers, but many ogrun are somewhat taken with the god and frequent the great churches and cathedrals of western Immoren; indeed, sometimes they are to be found among the clergy as chaplains, priests, rectors, and most often, battle chaplains.
Some few physical descriptions of Morrow have survived the millennia. A definitive statue of Morrow was crafted by Asc. Sambert over 1,200 years ago prior to his ascension, and now it stands in the center of the Archcourt Cathedral. Becase of it, Morrow is typically portrayed adorned in sweeping raiments, a muscled man with gray hair, broad shoulders, and a thick chest. He is often girded with a longsword and grips a heavy mace in his left hand and the Enkheiridion emblazoned wiht the Radiance in his right. In paintings of Morrow, the most famous of which hangs in the Cygnaran palace, he is often depicted with rays of light emanating from his body.

RELATIONS WITH OTHER RELIGIONS
The Church of Morrow's primary enemies are the Septs of Thamar. Although the Twins are irrevocably linked, their conflicting doctrines incessantly pit their priests against one another. Some clerics fight Thamar indirectly, inspiring good behavior and hope, preaching tolerance except when their followers threaten the well-being of Morrow's flock, while others proactiviely hunt down and destroy Thamarites. The Church is authorized to apprehend and sentence priests of Thamar, but has limited jurisdiction over her secular followers.
Their other, and many would say more prevailing rivalry is with the followers of Menoth. This is largely due to the often strident and antagonistic denouncement of Morrow worship by the Menites. There are those that feel the Menites are filled with envy because of the dominance of Morrow worship over the past millennium. Whatever their reasons, there's no denying hard feelings exist on both sides. The Church takes an espeically dim view of how the Protectorate of Menoth deals with people, not just Cygnarans but its own, claiming the theocracy uses propaganda, fear, and brainwashing as coercionary tactics to warp the minds of its citizens. Indeed, the Church, intertwined as it is in Cygnar, has been putting increased pressure on the Crown by reproving such treatments, espeicially in condemnation of the systematic torture of prisoners by the Protectorate's scrutators. If the Church hadn't already earned such animus, these claims and accusations, true or not, have set the hard-edged anger of Menite priests on a ceaseless crusade against the Morrowan faith.

 

[Blue_Genie]

A little more on Morrow's faith. Let me know if you're getting sick of these lengthy posts. It's just that it's lunch, and I have a little free time. I believe that this kind of background stuff only helps create a more visceral world which in the end, is more fun to play in.

CHURCH OF MORROW
As the state religion in four of the five human kingdoms--Cygnar, Llael, Ord, and Khador--the Church of Morrow, often referred to as simply the Church, is the most powerful religious institution in the Iron Kingdoms. Working on an international scale, the Church advocates peace and is a strong proponent of the Corvis Treaties (-which ended the wars between the kingdoms after the end of the Orgoth Rebellion-Blue). However, despite its peaceful nature, it does recognize that warfare is sometimes necessary and not all disputes can be settled with words. Concerns in times of war are that battles be fought honorably, that the wounded are properly tended to, and that last rights are given to the dead. Morrow's divine servants, the Ascendants, are an integral part of worship, providing a source of hope and inspiration for all Morrowans. Most devotees also pray to a patron ascendant whose teachings most closely match their own beliefs or lifestyle.
The Sancteum is the holy center of the Morrowan religion. Located within the Cygnaran capital of Caspia, the Sancteum is a large, self-contained section of the city composed of many churches, living quarters, smithies, libraries and other buildings. It is a sovereign kingdom in its own right, and is not subject to the laws of Cygnar, although the Church is, of course, on good terms with the Crown. The Sancteum is home to the Primarch, who is the ecclesiastical leader, and the Exordeum, which is the Church's ruling council. The Primarch resides in the Archcourt Cathedral within the Sancteum and he is typically the most powerful and favored cleric of the faith appointed by Morrow himself. (n.b. The current Primarch, Arius, is a remarkably fit man in his seventies and is a Ftr4/Clr20 - Blue).

 

[Bobitron]

What do you think of my "brushing up on the local laws" thing?

Thanks for your input.

Any thoughts, Blue?

Edit: BTW, thanks for the Morrow stuff.

 

[Blue_Genie]

Any thoughts, Blue?

The local laws thing is fine.

 

[taitzu52]

Preferred Weapons: Dawn's New Sun (heavy mace) and Dusk's Last Light (longsword)
Cleric Weapon of Choice: Heavy mace (can vary based on patron ascendant)

Okay, sorry to harp on it, or be all Bauhaus as you say, but for the purposes of possibly stating a Pious Templar of an Ascendant that has no weapon listed, would I be restricted to a heavy mace, or can I choose the longsword? I'm not sure what a "preferred" weapon is.

Alright, enough about stats after this!

So are fraternal organizations or other clubs are there at the university, and how does the church view them? Is there any psuedo-military orginizations by chance?