ry and Insight's Legacies (E6 - character creation)

[Ry]

You know, the early life of Cathemat is really interesting to me, and I think providing some concrete situations would really help get a sense of how he developed and what his aptitudes are at adulthood. I think I'd like to back up the timeline a bit ... what do you think of doing some flashback period roleplaying knowing that we're heading towards Yushia's assassination as our real "start"?

 

[Insight]

You know, the early life of Cathemat is really interesting to me, and I think providing some concrete situations would really help get a sense of how he developed and what his aptitudes are at adulthood. I think I'd like to back up the timeline a bit ... what do you think of doing some flashback period roleplaying knowing that we're heading towards Yushia's assassination as our real "start"?

That's a great idea. Depending on when we start the "flashback', Cathemat's abilities can be fairly mundane, such as basic literacy, perhaps some rudimentary combat skills, language skills, perhaps some basics in spellcasting. I figure if he's around chronological age 15, he would have been trained in the basic skills that nobles tend to have. I'm assuming that nobles in this setting are somewhat similar to those found in medieval Europe. If not, let me know and I'll amend my assumptions.

 

[Ry]

OK, rank the following (feel free to ask any questions, they're a slightly different list than in the .doc file for the playtest).

Agility
Athletics
Brawn
Command
Convince
Devices
Finesse
Fortitude
Intuition
Knowledge
Stealth
Will
Wits

Think about these as well, what's Cathemat most interested in?

Agriculture
Animals
Craft
Crime
Sail
Ride
Soldiery
Spirits

 

[Insight]

OK, rank the following (feel free to ask any questions, they're a slightly different list than in the .doc file for the playtest).

Agility
Athletics
Brawn
Command
Convince
Devices
Finesse
Fortitude
Intuition
Knowledge
Stealth
Will
Wits

1. Wits
2. Intuition
3. Command
4. Knowledge
5. Will
6. Convince
7. Brawn
8. Athletics
9. Fortitude
10. Agility
11. Stealth
12. Finesse
13. Devices

Think about these as well, what's Cathemat most interested in?

Agriculture
Animals
Craft
Crime
Sail
Ride
Soldiery
Spirits

Cathemat would be most interested in Soldiery, Spirits (is that drinking or ghosts?), Ride, and Sail in that order.

 

[Ry]

Ghosts, actually.

PS: expectation of sparse posts must remain. Short answers more likely.

 

[Ry]

OK, I figured out how I'm going to construct situations for Cathemat's youth (I've got some good tables in the Saga Companion from the good ol' days of the mid-90s). His first 12 or so years of life were lived in the Hune valley, mostly in the citadel itself. The first time he came to Padalat it was when his mother had conquered it; there was a HUGE parade but Cathemat wasn't the centre of attention - Irda and Varul were, as Yushia welcomed her children to the city at the palace steps.

At such a big even, what would Cathemat be doing?

 

[Insight]

OK, I figured out how I'm going to construct situations for Cathemat's youth (I've got some good tables in the Saga Companion from the good ol' days of the mid-90s). His first 12 or so years of life were lived in the Hune valley, mostly in the citadel itself. The first time he came to Padalat it was when his mother had conquered it; there was a HUGE parade but Cathemat wasn't the centre of attention - Irda and Varul were, as Yushia welcomed her children to the city at the palace steps.

At such a big even, what would Cathemat be doing?

When Cathemat was 12, he would probably have fallen right in line with what was expected of him. I expect Cathemat to develop a bit of a rebellious side later during his teenage years, but probably not when he was 12.

I figure Cathemat was fascinated by armor and weapons at that age, or in any display of magic, so if there was an opportunity for Cathemat to visit with soldiers, cavalry, knights, imperial guards, etc, he would take it, even if it meant straying a bit from the imperial retinue. This would go double for any warlocks or spellcasters that he spotted.

If Cathemat wasn't needed (or specifically told what to do during this ceremony), he might wander off, and would gravitate towards spellcasters or people wearing armor and weapons (in that order).

 

[Ry]

Imagine that Cathemat could walk up to any magic-using class from any source (let me know the source). They're all standing there: spirit shamans, warlocks, illusionists, favored souls of exotic gods, and so on and so on. Who would he gravitate towards?

How would Cathemat react to some kind of spiritual visit from his grandmother, (Yushim's wife, Yushia's mother)?

 

[Insight]

Imagine that Cathemat could walk up to any magic-using class from any source (let me know the source). They're all standing there: spirit shamans, warlocks, illusionists, favored souls of exotic gods, and so on and so on. Who would he gravitate towards?

At age 12, Cathemat would gravitate more towards magic users that have more of a showy side, so things like Diviners, Enchanters, and Abjurers would be out. To use D&D parlance, I'd say he'd be looking for Warlocks, Evokers, Illusionists, Warmages, Conjurers, those would be the most attractive. Of those, Cathemat would be the most interested in Warlocks and Evokers... he has a bit of an attraction to FIRE!!!

How would Cathemat react to some kind of spiritual visit from his grandmother, (Yushim's wife, Yushia's mother)?

Being around priests and spellcasters most of his life (perhaps all of his life), I don't think Cathemat would be all that freaked out. If spiritual visits were fairly common in the culture, I think Cathemat would feel honored by such a visit. Some of Cathemat's reaction would depend on the content of their conversation.

It might well be a life-changing event for young Cathemat. Later on in life, Cathemat respects his ancestry and place in society. I'm not sure how much of that Cathemat would have at age 12 (or whenever this visit takes place). I'm picturing young Cathemat as a bit of a petulant youth, somewhat disrespectful of those below his station, living in his own little world, until some event drags him kicking and screaming into the 'real world'.

 

[Ry]

Once again, we're on the same page 100% - I'm on a much needed vacation with limited access to screens as of this evening. I'll see if I have a chance to post some more situations / details / questions before I go, but it might be mid-next-week before I can really respond. Sorry about the inconsistency in the timing; we were really going, and we will do so again.