| | | A World of Darkness: Abyssal Locations |  |
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| Author | Message |
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valismedsen
Posts : 75
Join date : 2012-06-11
Age : 41
Location : Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| Subject: A World of Darkness: Abyssal Locations  Sun Jun 24, 2012 9:26 pm | |
| The Black Magister- Spoiler:
Deeply initiated occultists, most demonologists, some Abyss Mystics and all Infernalists know about the gruesome practices of the Baali, including their construction of pits filled with the remains from eviscerated victims to serve the purpose of various profane rites. Some of these pits became the stuff of legend. Even mortals had a glimpse of such horrors, when excavations near and in Carthage revealed the remains of infants and children in large numbers conscripted to a fiery pit. Other examples of these infamous abattoirs remain thankfully hidden from mortal eyes, including the Ashurite Well which reportedly was the cradle of the bloodline, hidden beneath the ruins of Ashur, and the Iblii-al-Akbar¬ beneath ancient Damascus. All of these are of potential interest to Abyss Mystics, because of these places’s connection to spiritual darkness and sinister mystical resonances.
But one pit has marked the story of both Lasombra and Baali, inspiring dread and an unholy curiosity, its infamy and importance second only to the ruins of Chorazin. This pit is the so-called “Hell’s Mouth” aboard the Dark Magister. By the end of the vampiric Long Night the Dark Magister was known to be a Moorish pirate ship, its hold filled with two centuries’ worth of victims and booty, manned by a crew of Baali and infernal Lasombra corsairs. The Dark Magister stalked the Mediterranean coast, and the most common rumors had the ship’s home port being somewhere along the North African coast, possibly near Tripoli – once a Phoenician colony. During the War of Princes, the Dark Magister was also known to spend a great deal of time ferrying individuals and correspondences among Infernalists in the coast of the eastern Mediterranean Sea, linking the accursed Baali cities of Tyre and Damascus. It is even rumored to have sheltered the infamous Mary the Black after she devoured the Patriarch of Constantinople, safely delivering her at the hands of Tanith in Tyre.
Some of those in the know speculate that the Dark Magister might have been even older than its medieval incarnation. Stories about a hellish vessel haunting the Mediterranean exist since the nights of Carthage, which was a powerful maritime power. If this is true, the alliance between Lasombra and Baali seafarers might be extremely old. Worse still is the evidence that the Black Magister continued its notorious pirate and infernal practices long after the Dark Ages. Rumors about its whereabouts and activities remain silent during the Inquisition and Anarch Revolt, but once the Age of Discovery rekindled sea travel, the Dark Magister is said to have returned. No more restricted to the Mediterranean, it took open sea and haunted the seven oceans.
Others say there is not one Dark Magister, but several. This theory is grounded on evidence that the Moorish ship was cursed by Assamite Sorcerers of Andalusia to never leave the Mediterranean waters. But it is said its infernal crew found a loophole by simply transferring the Hell Mouth to a new vessel. It is true that during the Great Navigations the Dark Magister preying on New World colonies was a caravel. Later, during the golden age of piracy, it was a pirate frigate tinting the Caribbean waters with blood. Nowadays, several ghost ships that could possibly be the Dark Magister haunt all of the world’s oceans with its metal hulls harboring death, darkness and decay inside.
Some Tzimisce Kolduns whisper that Infernal tainted Fiends were the responsible for the Hell Mouth’s transfer from the Mediterranean-bound Moorish ship to its other vessel hosts. These same rumors say that Vicissitude enabled the pit, full of organs and viscera, to be partially transferred instead of whole, actually creating new Hell Mouths through a process similar to parthenogenesis and mitosis. These rumors are substantiated by the fact that the Dark Magister of the Sargasso Sea was crewed by crustacean-like buccaneers and employed abominable sea monstrosities that could only have been flesh-crafted – a terrible sight, especially when coupled with the strangest Rituals of Darkness any Abyss Mystic has ever heard of, employed by the Lasombra Capitan of the frigate.
On the other hand, the metallic Dark Magister of modern times was never reported to have flesh-crafted monsters, but its association with the practice of Abyss Mysticism is well-documented. That there is more than one has been implied by different sighting at the same time. These modern Dark Magister show evidence of being less powerful than their older counterparts, and at least one has been destroyed. No one has been able to explain why there are differences of vessel and crew between the many incarnations of the Dark Magister, and perhaps they are not merely continuations one of the other, but were all inspired by their predecessors. Thus, it might simply be that different captains have different tastes and inclinations on how to control the powers of darkness and express their evil. This is a dark prospect, because it is possible that there are not only several of these hellish vessels in the world, but that the older ones – perhaps even the original Carthaginian ship – are still in existence.
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| | | | Anda
Posts : 174
Join date : 2012-06-21
Age : 40
Location : Sweden
| | Subject: Re: A World of Darkness: Abyssal Locations Tue Jun 26, 2012 7:03 am | |
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| | | | Gattison
Admin
Posts : 306
Join date : 2012-06-03
Age : 44
Location : New England, USA
| | Subject: Re: A World of Darkness: Abyssal Locations Tue Jun 26, 2012 2:53 pm | |
| (Same here, again, lol) So, with two locations and done and some more on the way, I think it's time to make a list. This will, at first, be weak, little, puny, girly list, but hopefully that will inspire us to write stuff and beef this list up a bit. =) List Begin: (Abyssal Locations)The Congo, Heart of the Dark Continent The Black Magister, Queen of the Deep (see above) | |
| | | | Anda
Posts : 174
Join date : 2012-06-21
Age : 40
Location : Sweden
| | Subject: Re: A World of Darkness: Abyssal Locations Sun Jul 01, 2012 11:19 am | |
| Y'all think we should have a second name for the loactions? I'm refering to "Heart of the Dark Continent" and "Queen of the Deep". Personally I think on locations it's not needed, but that's just me and not something I burn very strongly for, so if you guys want that then I'm fine with it  | |
| | | | Gattison
Admin
Posts : 306
Join date : 2012-06-03
Age : 44
Location : New England, USA
| | Subject: Re: A World of Darkness: Abyssal Locations Sun Jul 01, 2012 4:42 pm | |
| I also like to give EVERYTHING a title, just because I think it's cool. Heh
I could also go either way here. They aren't necessary, but they don't hurt, so, popular opinion will decide this issue. =) | |
| | | | Anda
Posts : 174
Join date : 2012-06-21
Age : 40
Location : Sweden
| | Subject: Re: A World of Darkness: Abyssal Locations Fri Jul 27, 2012 1:11 am | |
| Laguna de
la SombraOk so this is my suggestion for the Laguna de la Sombra, and I would really like to hear your thoughts about it. Is the concept good? Is it suiting for Abyssal Locations? Is the English good?
- Spoiler:
Laguna de
la Sombra
Located deep within Argentina's wilderness and too many miles from closest
village, a visitor can easily feel intimidated and vulnerable as he walks along
the lake known as Laguna de la Sombra after midnight. Especially when he realizes
that the neither the moon nor its stars is reflected in the dark water surface.
Kept within a fenced area of the southern parts of the lake, a old wooden cabin
stands alone and, by the looks of it, deserted. Once inside though, a huge
collection of books, journals and telegrams could tell a tragic story for the
observer with enough skills to put the puzzle together.
With the puzzle solved, each bit helps to tell a dark story about a vendetta
between two big families; the Ramos and the Vargas.
Once upon a time they both lived on each side of the lake as good neighbors.
Back then the lake’s water was of bright cyan and the surrounding landscape was
a tropical dream full of colors and fertile earth. Both families made a small
fortune supplying the freshest fruits and vegetables to the close by villages
in the area and there were never any feelings of competition between them. Life
was good until one tragic evening when Ewa, the youngest daughter of the Ramos
family, drowned in the lake. The terrible accident had happened when she had
gone for an evening swim with her romantic interest Juan, oldest of the sons in
the Vargas family. Juan claimed that he lost track of Ewa in the darkness and
it wasn’t until he found her floating dead body that he understood the
seriousness of the situation. Failing to report what had happened to Ewa, the
Ramos family blamed Juan for the girl’s death, and so the feud came to be. To
revenge his youngest daughter, Marco, head of the Ramos family, lured Juan out
in the woods were he brutally murdered him with a shovel, the Vargas later
responded with a bullet it Marco’s skull. The following years consisted of full
on war between the families making the lake and the land around it a
battlefield. The battle didn't pause until all that remained of the families
were its youngest children. Fire had killed all vegetation and blood had
colored the water dark as the night. The children's handwriting is hard to
decipher but they tell about a horrible creature awakening in that darkness,
offering its services to whoever that could supply it with the right knowledge.
Since none of the children had it in them to kill but still carried the hatred
of a killer they all accepted the creature's challenge so they could call upon
it to demolish whatever was left of the opposite family. And so they all went
out in the world to seek after "the right knowledge". How long the
children were gone is unknown, but one of them came back with what the creature
wanted. So dark was the knowledge that the "child" carried that it
had colored its eyes and thoughts black. The creature honored their agreement and wiped
out what was left of the others as well as blessed the "child" with a
spell that would forever protect it from the faith of its family.
If the unwelcomed visitor of this cursed place wish to seek proof of this story
he eventually will find it. If he digs deep enough into the dead soil he can find more
than a dozen of skeletons laying around, as well as remains of a burned down
cabin on the other side of the lake. If there is time he might even find one of
the many hidden cellars around the area, filled with books and scrolls containing
the secret knowledge about Abyssal Sorcery. Once upon doing so, the visitor better
pray to God that the Master of this place won't be home soon. God has left this
place a long time ago though.
| |
| | | | Agathe De Lannuie
Posts : 78
Join date : 2012-07-09
Age : 45
Location : France
| | Subject: Re: A World of Darkness: Abyssal Locations Fri Jul 27, 2012 12:45 pm | |
| I like the place and I like the way you wrote the background, slowly raising the intensity As I'm never really satisfied by anything, as a GM I would like to see also some rules to embody it. _The exact interest for Abyss Mystics (low gauntlet, night spirits roaming or bonus for invocation related to night spirits) _Whether a hint pointing to an actual abyss mystic inhabiting the place or better a brand new NPC Both would help a GM trying to make something out of the place Maybe I'm asking too much  | |
| | | | Anda
Posts : 174
Join date : 2012-06-21
Age : 40
Location : Sweden
| | Subject: Re: A World of Darkness: Abyssal Locations Sat Jul 28, 2012 1:47 am | |
| Thank you for that, nice to hear your feedback! - Quote :
- Whether a hint pointing to an actual abyss mystic inhabiting the place or better a brand new NPC
I actually wanted this to be the haven of The Casuli but not make it too obvious. That's why I wrote "child" with ("") cuz he/her wasn't probably a child when he came back. I also wanted to make the creature's nature a mystery. That he gifts the "child" with immortality suggests that it's a vampire. That it rises from the darkness of the lake, which is the result of all the blood, also suggests that he was awaken by blood. However, it could also by abyssal creature who arose from the darkness of the lake and searches for the only knowledge it can relate to, knowledge about it's own realm and darkness. It's all a bit blurry, but that's often how legends are and how I wanted it I guess. However, I still don't know if Gattison approves this cuz The Casuli is his creation. I don't know either if I should make the Casuli connection clearer, but since the NPC is a mystery I wanted this to not be obvious. - Quote :
- The exact interest for Abyss Mystics
Yeah this I struggled with, there isn't really anything in what I've written that could bring a character or a coterie to the place, other than if the ST comes up with a good way for the group to track The Casuli to this place. So I'm really open to suggestions here. Could you explain what you mean with "low gauntlet, night spirits roaming or bonus for invocation related to night spirits", cuz I don't really understand. Google translate isn't really helping me on this one either  | |
| | | | Agathe De Lannuie
Posts : 78
Join date : 2012-07-09
Age : 45
Location : France
| | Subject: Re: A World of Darkness: Abyssal Locations Sat Jul 28, 2012 11:16 am | |
| - Quote :
- Thank you for that, nice to hear your feedback!
Ur welcome... Reading it was nice ;-) - Quote :
- I actually wanted this to be the haven of The Casuli but not make it too obvious. That's why I wrote "child" with ("") cuz he/her wasn't probably a child when he came back.
I also wanted to make the creature's nature a mystery. That he gifts the "child" with immortality suggests that it's a vampire. That it rises from the darkness of the lake, which is the result of all the blood, also suggests that he was awaken by blood. However, it could also by abyssal creature who arose from the darkness of the lake and searches for the only knowledge it can relate to, knowledge about it's own realm and darkness. It's all a bit blurry, but that's often how legends are and how I wanted it I guess. Ok I must not have got it, my bad I got the clues about abyss and vampire, I just didn't felt it was pointing to one vampire. - Quote :
- However, I still don't know if Gattison approves this cuz The Casuli is his creation. I don't know either if I should make the Casuli connection clearer, but since the NPC is a mystery I wanted this to not be obvious.
Ok, that's why... Low gauntlet: The Spirit world is separated from the Earth by the Gauntlet. The Higher the rating of the gauntlet the harder it is for one side to affect the other side. (It's the difficulty in order to cross between the Earth and the Umbra) Typically what Mage call Node is a place where spirituals energies are strong. As a result of the power of the Node, the Gauntlet is Low and sometime an effect called "Swallowing" cause people and spirit to accidentally cross to the other side. - Spoiler:
Rank Gauntlet
1 4
2 4
3 3
4 3
5 2
Night Spirit roaming: That goes with a low Gauntlet and a "Swallowing" effect that allow some spirit to cross. One of the thing to make a place easily usable in a chronic is to give it a bunch of pnj (the kind of Abyss spirit hanging in the area)and some effect characteristic of the place U gave hints of that when u talked about "Especially when he realizes that the neither the moon nor its stars is reflected in the dark water surface." Imho this should also have an mechanical effect on the game. Maybe the Gauntlet is lower at midnight. Night/Abyss spirits might cross between world more easily... Rituals calling to spirits might be more easily performed than in other place. (I gave an example of a ritual that is able to create a place similar to a Node: "Infuse the Abyssal Well". I'm not suggesting u should use the ritual but it might gives u hints to what a mystic place could provide for mystic using it and foreigners coming into the owner's lair...) If u have other effects that could give life to the place, so when the GM describe it he will have mechanic 'ready made" to help in his story. But, since it might be the lair of an old one u might want to leave some things I the vague... | |
| | | | Anda
Posts : 174
Join date : 2012-06-21
Age : 40
Location : Sweden
| | Subject: Re: A World of Darkness: Abyssal Locations Mon Jul 30, 2012 12:08 am | |
| Again, thanks for that.
I changed some small parts of the story and it would be awesome to know if u like it better! It's always hard to weave in mechanics into a storytelling text, so let me know if this did the trick or if I can do it any better. Hopefully it's clear now that the place has a low gauntlet during night, and that you may find night spirits sometimes.
I also added Casulis name at the end. I don't know if this is a good thing or not. Or if Gattison approves. But would be awesome for me to know what u think Agathe, is it better to point out the vampire and make it clear that it has a master (the creature that arose from the lake) or not?
Oh and besides Agathe, I would love to hear what the rest of you guys think too.
- Spoiler:
la Sombra
village, a visitor can easily feel intimidated
and vulnerable as he walks along
that the neither the moon nor its stars is
reflected in the dark water surface. During the several hours of when the earth
of this place is covered in shadow, the barrier between this one and a far
darker one is greatly weakened. For the most part the nights remain as quit as
the day, while some are not that pleasant. During those dreadful nights the
area is haunted by terrible night shades who dances in the thick mist of the
lake, crying painful songs of agony that can only be silenced by the command of
its master.
stands alone and, by the looks of it, deserted.
Once inside though, a huge
observer with enough skills to put the puzzle
together.
between two big families; the Ramos and the
Vargas.
Back then the lake’s water was of bright cyan
and the surrounding landscape was
fortune supplying the freshest fruits and
vegetables to the close by villages
was good until one tragic evening when Ewa, the
youngest daughter of the Ramos
gone for an evening swim with her romantic
interest Juan, oldest of the sons in
it wasn’t until he found her floating dead body
that he understood the
Ramos family blamed Juan for the girl’s death,
and so the feud came to be. To
in the woods were he brutally murdered him with
a shovel, the Vargas later
on war between the families making the lake and
the land around it a
were its youngest children. Fire had killed all
vegetation and blood had
decipher but they tell about a horrible
creature awakening in that darkness,
Since none of the children had it in them to
kill but still carried the hatred
it to demolish whatever was left of the
opposite family. And so they all went
children were gone is unknown, but one of them
came back with what the creature
had coloured its eyes and thoughts black. The
creature honoured their agreement and wiped
spell that would forever protect it from the
faith of its family.
he eventually will find it. If he digs deep
enough into the dead soil he can find more
cabin on the other side of the lake. If there
is time he might even find one of
the secret knowledge about Abyssal Sorcery. Once
upon doing so, the visitor better
place a long time ago though and all that remains is the Casuli and its master.
| |
| | | | Agathe De Lannuie
Posts : 78
Join date : 2012-07-09
Age : 45
Location : France
| | Subject: Re: A World of Darkness: Abyssal Locations Mon Jul 30, 2012 4:33 am | |
| I'll do it quick (for Once) I am bit tired, gotta go sleep I think weather this text is not complete or it does not display well on my screen. Has anyone this pb ? Maybe it's just my eyes...  btw: I wasn't suggesting you should integrate rules in the text, but maybe in a side bar. But if you managed to do it, it's even better! Hope I'll be able to read it later | |
| | | | Gattison
Admin
Posts : 306
Join date : 2012-06-03
Age : 44
Location : New England, USA
| | Subject: Re: A World of Darkness: Abyssal Locations Sat Aug 04, 2012 12:03 am | |
| The text is jumbled and missing pieces (apparently) to me as well, so yeah, maybe a re-post or an Edit is in order.
As far as the idea, I approve, but I think the "master" of the lake should be the Casuli, rather than have one of the Ramos' or Vargas actually be the Casuli. Not that your idea isn't good, I just think it would not affect your story much at all if we simply made the Ramos/Varga-survivor a servant rather than the Casuli himself, since for now I still want to preserve the mystery of him. Again, no offense, but giving the Casuli an origin feels like it brings us one step closer to stating that he is in fact a vampire, and I'd rather leave it questionable.
Beyond that, I like the short little story, and I like how you left the exact details about everything vague and undefined, including whether it was a Varga or Ramos who ended up "finding what the creature sought." I thought that technique was excellent, especially for something connected to the mysterious, ill-defined Casuli.
No paycheck until you re-post something legible though, lol. | |
| | | | Anda
Posts : 174
Join date : 2012-06-21
Age : 40
Location : Sweden
| | Subject: Re: A World of Darkness: Abyssal Locations Sun Aug 05, 2012 2:43 am | |
| Ah damn it, somehow when i pasted in the text it went all f*cked and bits are missing. I didn't even save my document but I think I can rewrite it, not much changes anyway.
Regarding the changes you suggested, making the Casuli the creature. I think I can do that, even though my whole purpose of the place was to give him an identity and purpose. I'll get to it later this week. | |
| | | | Gattison
Admin
Posts : 306
Join date : 2012-06-03
Age : 44
Location : New England, USA
| | Subject: Re: A World of Darkness: Abyssal Locations Sun Aug 05, 2012 8:48 pm | |
| Well, then if that was intention, perhaps you could try and propose the information as an inference, and then mention the Casuli's name in a modern-nights context, giving him some connection, and making it possible for ST's to make the connection, but that way it isn't so heavily implied that it can be perceived as his "canon" origin.
...if that makes sense to you, anyway, if not, just do whatever and I'll bitch and complain some more, lol | |
| | | | Anda
Posts : 174
Join date : 2012-06-21
Age : 40
Location : Sweden
| | Subject: Re: A World of Darkness: Abyssal Locations Mon Aug 06, 2012 11:38 pm | |
| Ok, so I made some changes and hopefully the text now will be readable.
At the end you see that I mention the Casuli, but I'm not revealing wether it's the "child" or the monster in the lake. If you are okey with that Gattison we both get our way since it's left open for the Storyteller to decide. Me personally don't like to build stories upon creatures who I can't explain who they are or their purpose, while you like the mystery factor in yours. I think if I write it like this it could be any way. The fact that I used the words "creature known as the Casuli" suggests that it's the creature in the lake though.
Are you happy with this or do you want me to fully state that the Casuli is the creature in the lake? Do you want me to remove the name Casuli completely and just leave it open for the reader to put whatever else they wish there?
And I have one more question which I want a truthful answer to. Is this story really suitable for this section? I'm thinking of the fact that this place is not based upon anything White Wolf has written but the other places are. Also it's written more like a story than a description of a place so I'm a bit sceptic. | |
| | | | Anda
Posts : 174
Join date : 2012-06-21
Age : 40
Location : Sweden
| | Subject: Re: A World of Darkness: Abyssal Locations Mon Aug 06, 2012 11:40 pm | |
| oh, I frogot to post the story. - Spoiler:
Laguna de
la Sombra
Located deep within Argentina's wilderness and too many miles from closest
village, a visitor can easily feel intimidated and vulnerable as he walks along
the lake known as Laguna de la Sombra after midnight. Especially when he realizes
that the neither the moon nor its stars is reflected in the dark water surface.
During the several hours of when the earth of this place is covered in shadow, the
barrier between this one and a far darker one is greatly weakened. For the most part the nights remain as
quiet as the day, while some are not
that pleasant. During those dreadful nights the
area is haunted by terrible night shades who dances in the thick mist of
the lake, crying painful songs
of agony that can only be silenced by the command of its master.
Kept within a fenced area of the southern parts of the lake, a old wooden cabin
stands alone and, by the looks of it, deserted. Once inside though, a huge
collection of books, journals and telegrams could tell a tragic story for the
observer with enough skills to put the puzzle together.
With the puzzle solved, each bit helps to tell a dark story about a vendetta
between two big families; the Ramos and the Vargas.
Once upon a time they both lived on each side of the lake as good neighbors.
Back then the lake’s water was of bright cyan and the surrounding landscape was
a tropical dream full of colors and fertile earth. Both families made a small
fortune supplying the freshest fruits and vegetables to the close by villages
in the area and there were never any feelings of competition between them. Life
was good until one tragic evening when Ewa, the youngest daughter of the Ramos
family, drowned in the lake. The terrible accident had happened when she had
gone for an evening swim with her romantic interest Juan, oldest of the sons in
the Vargas family. Juan claimed that he lost track of Ewa in the darkness and
it wasn’t until he found her floating dead body that he understood the
seriousness of the situation. Failing to report what had happened to Ewa, the
Ramos family blamed Juan for the girl’s death, and so the feud came to be. To
revenge his youngest daughter, Marco, head of the Ramos family, lured Juan out
in the woods were he brutally murdered him with a shovel. The Vargas later
responded with a machete beaten into Marco’s skull. The following years
consisted of full on war between the families making the lake and the land
around it a battlefield. The battle didn't pause until all that remained of the
families were its youngest children. Fire had killed all vegetation and blood
had colored the water dark as the night. The children's handwriting is hard to
decipher but they tell about a horrible creature awakening in that darkness,
offering its services to whoever that could supply it with the right knowledge.
Since none of the children had it in them to kill but still carried the hatred
of a killer they all accepted the creature's challenge so they could call upon
it to demolish whatever was left of the opposite family. And so they all went
out in the world to seek after "the right knowledge". How long the
children were gone is unknown, but one of them came back with what the creature
wanted. So dark was the knowledge the "child" carried that it had
colored its eyes and thoughts black. The
creature honored their agreement and wiped out what was left of the others as
well as blessed the "child" with a spell that would forever protect
it from the faith of its family.
If the unwelcomed visitor of this cursed place wish to seek proof of this story
he eventually will. If he digs deep enough into the dead soil he can find more
than a dozen of skeletons laying around, as well as the remains of a burned
down cabin on the other side of the lake. If there is time he might even find
one of the many hidden cellars around the area, filled with books and scrolls
containing the secret knowledge about Abyssal Sorcery. Once upon doing so, the
visitor better pray to God that the Master of this place won't be home soon.
God has left this place a long time ago though and the creature known as the
Casuli is not merciful when it comes to intruders.
| |
| | | | Agathe De Lannuie
Posts : 78
Join date : 2012-07-09
Age : 45
Location : France
| | Subject: Re: A World of Darkness: Abyssal Locations Thu Aug 09, 2012 4:07 pm | |
| Oh great, you did integrate the spirit world in the text, cool that gave me some inspiration (see below), I hope that u'll like it Like gattison I prefer when you're not sure weather this is the story of the Casuli or the story of his servant  The dark god of the abyss inspired me a sidebar with some written rules: Feel free to correct me of course, after all I'm just guessing your intentions here.  So it should be something like... - Sidebar: Cray Rules:
Node:
Level: 4
Gauntlet : 3
Type: Node of the Abyss (see below)
Totem: Night Shade
Node of the Abyss:
Any attempt to summon Arms of Ahriman, Shades and Night Shades gets a -1 difficulty (some other summoning linked to the Darkness could get bonus at the Storyteller's discretion)
On moonless nights the lake serve as a portal between Earth and the Abyss, "swallowing" anything crossing the surface of the water.
During these dark nights, any summoning tend to produce unexpected consequences as other Night spirits around gets "swallowed" by the portal between worlds created by the summoner.
 Everyone So what do you think about adding a sidebar with rules to this location ? And what about doing this for other locations ? Anda Does the rules seem to embody accurately the place you created ? Do you see something I missed ? Other Idea ? | |
| | | | Gattison
Admin
Posts : 306
Join date : 2012-06-03
Age : 44
Location : New England, USA
| | Subject: Re: A World of Darkness: Abyssal Locations Thu Aug 09, 2012 10:17 pm | |
| Well, Anda, I like the story, but would you mind if I rewrote it, adding some "english-as-a-first-language" flair, lol? I mean no offense, of course, but I see some parts that maybe you weren't able to think of the best words in english to describe what you were going for. If you'll agree, I'll definitely let you have approval over whatever I change, which will only really be some adjectives and sentence structure and stuff like that.
And Agathe, I always like the ideas you come up with. Even if we don't end up making a side-bar with "rules" for every location, I think it would be a good idea for this location, because as Anda pointed out, this one is completely unique and original to us, and not WW's idea. I know you're a big Mage fan, Agathe, but since Werewolf is the #2 game of WW, what do you think og writing the "Node" as a Caern? Not that it makes a big deal to me one way or the other, but I just want to see what you think about that. I guess it would really depend on "which Crossover direction" we would want to "lead" the readers in, maybe. | |
| | | | Anda
Posts : 174
Join date : 2012-06-21
Age : 40
Location : Sweden
| | Subject: Re: A World of Darkness: Abyssal Locations Thu Aug 09, 2012 10:58 pm | |
| Agathe Ah cool, I have no problems with a side bar for my location. Since I've played neither mage or werewolf I don't really know what the stats mean but I trust your judgement on the matter. I like the idea of that the lake swallowing everything crossing it's surface on the moonless nights and that it serves as a gateway. Can i ask, what is a moonless night? Is that during a solar eclipse or something? Gattison Ofc I have no problems with you rewriting it, proper english is more important than my pride  | |
| | | | Agathe De Lannuie
Posts : 78
Join date : 2012-07-09
Age : 45
Location : France
| | Subject: Re: A World of Darkness: Abyssal Locations Thu Aug 09, 2012 11:25 pm | |
| Anda I thought a moonless nights would be on the new moon (the dark moon). In the Abyss the moon is the only light existing. The brighter the moon the more light in the abyss... So I would guess the Abyss is a bit stronger when no lights are coming from the moon... But an eclipse would also do it... Would you prefer if it would happend only on eclipses ? Gattison Node or Caerns whatever, but if u want to use a propre Vampire Term, then it's Cray (cf. P'sGtt Lows Clans p.173) So maybe we could use this one ? In the end do as u feel, I trust your judgment  | |
| | | | Anda
Posts : 174
Join date : 2012-06-21
Age : 40
Location : Sweden
| | Subject: Re: A World of Darkness: Abyssal Locations Fri Aug 10, 2012 11:29 am | |
| Agathe - Quote :
I thought a moonless nights would be on the new moon (the dark moon).
In
the Abyss the moon is the only light existing. The brighter the moon
the more light in the abyss... So I would guess the Abyss is a bit
stronger when no lights are coming from the moon...
What is the source of this cuz in every VTM-book I've read the abyss only contains of different shades of black. No moon ever mentioned. I have to assume this is from Mage or Werewolf. If VTM only speaks about the abyss as black but another game (Mage or Werewolf) speaks about a shadow umbra, something like the Abyss but with a moon, shall we really believe that this is the same realm then? - Quote :
Would you prefer if it would happend only on eclipses ?
Doesn't matter really, I'm fine with it happening more often than at a solar eclipse. So probably keep it as you have written it | |
| | | | Agathe De Lannuie
Posts : 78
Join date : 2012-07-09
Age : 45
Location : France
| | Subject: Different layers of Abyss Fri Aug 10, 2012 4:19 pm | |
| - Quote :
- I have to assume this is from Mage or Werewolf. If VTM only speaks about the abyss as black but another game (Mage or Werewolf) speaks about a shadow umbra, something like the Abyss but with a moon, shall we really believe that this is the same realm then?
I know the problem your mentioning but as it is also written in the Werewolf book on the Umbra: Every 300 feet you travel down into the Abyss You get a +1 difficulty to lighted based sight perception. So after a short while you don't get anymore light at all... In the Abyss, due to sensory deprivation, peoples that are not able to see in the dark and reach a difficulty over 10 to their perception rolls start to hallucinate). That's why I tend to associate the abyss the Lasombra reach with the deep caves at (one of) the bottom, more than with the pit at the surface. As I mentioned in an other post, Lasombra don't seem to enter the Abyss through the bottomless pit as the Werewolves do; or through the cracks as Mages do... Lasombra seem to be directly linked to a deeper layer that doesn't gets any light.... Imho it's just a deeper level where the pression of the Abyss is stronger but not entierly different from the sensory deprivation describe in the Werewolf book. I made in the Polonia topic the hypotesis that Lasombra might use the part of the Null Zone close to the deep caves as a shortcut to reach into the Abyss... In the Umbra, Realms don't have always precises boundary mostly because the Umbra is a Dream (cf. the Spirit Ways): It's not something as versatile as the dreams you have at night; the ever changing Maya (aka the Dreaming). Realms are strong Concepts, dreams that are necessary for the course of the universe and that solidify into a large realm according to their importance. Realms are dreams that became concept. Therefore Realms' only boundary are the same ones as the concept they embody. Sometime concepts have defined boundary and sometime the borderline are less obvious. Death/Night/End are all linked together and the different layers they must be connected (as in the dark no boundary really exist). There is others realms that are involved with the concept of the Abyss (ex: The Nether Realms aka Hell) as it is also show in VtM. I hope to make a long topic on the subject (...well maybe next month) The concept of the Abyss on seem to be "the End" (weather as an Absence aka end of something, or as a Bottom aka dead end, it's where things End... even gods/devils): That include end of Light, Desire, Hope, Consciousness, Identity, Life, Space, Time... And at the end even the end of Gods (the way of Silver is proof of it). In fact it's the End of all "Pattern" leaving only unending darkness ! In itself the Abyss is a Paradox: it's the Presence of an Abscence. Even if there is no proof of a link between both:1) Both Description seem to work together if u make some simple hypotesis: _Mage/Vampire/Werewolfs don't share the same link with the Abyss so it's normal for them to have other road to access it. _Werewolves describe the pit they've seen the White Hollower going into. _Mage describe the Entropy process that open Abyssal Rifts (Chasms) in the stuff of dreams/concepts that becomes obsoletes. _Lasombra describe the Abyss through the quite unique spiritual connection they have in their blood (as well as their mainly christian paradigm). Plus the fight against inner evil is an important thema that you tend to find in VtM. That gives the description of the Abyss a more hellish feeling. _Wyrm creature of Malefas seem to enter the Abyss through a "bottomless pit under the dungeon of the castle of Cthonus inside Malfes" (BoW). - Descriptions are different because Supernatural being have different problem:
_Mage have no major pb seeing in the dark so the rules do not really cover this aspect...
_Lasombra have to have a level 6 obtenebration before going into the Abyss ,so mostly they get the Level 4 obtenebration before and they won't suffer from hallucination due to sensory deprivation. Their power tend to make me belive they still feel deepness inside the darkness as a pressure (level 4: they can "feel" the darkness).
_Werewolves have fewer gift allowing them to see in the Dark and any tribe could reach the realm through the Umbra so they have to provide major rules for Werewolves that want to duel in such a alien place (at least for them)
2) The Light of the Moon is in my opinion really important here because: _It show the link the Realm has with Arcadia the realm of the Fae. Arcadia is the realm of the dreaming and it's supposed to be on the dark side of the Moon Leaving the light of the moon over the Abyss (and only this light) might have been a way to show the link between the night/darkness and the dreams. In a way the sensory deprivation effect is a form of dream. It creates creatures from shadows. Not so far from the powers experssed through Obtenebration level 2 or 3 (or even the level 4 D.A.). That link between Obtenebration and dream seem to be also present inside VtM itself with the background story of Marconius and the Kiasyds. _It also show that the Abyss is a bit stronger (& scarier) during the periode of New Moon. Wich seem logic because the darkness are linked to the nights and shadows of earth and therefore the darkness are stronger during the nights of the new moon. 3) The deprivation effect also show, in a smaller scale, how from the disparition of something, enough "Creativity/Glamour/Tass" is recycled for the creation of a dream (hallucination). It might be the process of the creation of Vista (wich are possible worlds/realms). Some Bastest claim seem even to support this someway. Of course this description seem to lessen the mood of the VtM gameline since it is a crossover description. I'm trying to show the other side of the Abyss and to show the links with Vampire. Then each storyteller wil be able to link the realm with a more appropriate mood. But why reject the official tools that are already there when there is no imho major contradiction ? We just need a way to convert already existing official rules and thema to a more VtM game feeling. Btw: Vampire doesn't get very talkative with the metaphysical system of the Umbra. Even The Auspex level 5 doesn't clearly state it's linked to the Astral Umbra (but it's obvious of many VtM, Werwolf and Mage reasons). The main theme of vampire is their loss of link with the Spiritual. So this part of Obtenebration linked to the Abyss is only refereed with as few details as they could: Look how few mentions of the Abyss realm there is in VtM, look how short are the description of the Abyss (or for that case any umbral realm at all, even the Astral Umbra quite commonly reached through Auspex 5). Imho that's why there is no mention of light. For the most case it's not relevant to the VtM mood they're setting. | |
| | | | Gattison
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| | Subject: Re: A World of Darkness: Abyssal Locations Sun Aug 12, 2012 10:34 pm | |
| - Anda wrote:
- I have to assume this is from Mage or Werewolf. If VTM only speaks about the abyss as black but another game (Mage or Werewolf) speaks about a shadow umbra, something like the Abyss but with a moon, shall we really believe that this is the same realm then?
- agathe de lannuie wrote:
- Of course this description seem to lessen the mood of the VtM gameline since it is a crossover description. I'm trying to show the other side of the Abyss and to show the links with Vampire. Then each storyteller wil be able to link the realm with a more appropriate mood. But why reject the official tools that are already there when there is no imho major contradiction ? We just need a way to convert already existing official rules and thema to a more VtM game feeling.
You both pointed out somethign important, that I'd like to make official. This IS a VtM book, first and foremost, so, like Anda kind of said, we should stick to a Vampire-centric presentation. However, since this book is up to us to create, we have the option of also doing some thing kind of unprecedented in a WW book before... ACTUAL crossover rules, based on real research into the CWoD, which, I personally, think would be a nice touch. So, the next logical step is, to me, figuring out how we segregate crossover material from VtM material. Also imho, this would depend on how much crossover material we come up with. Just a few pieces and we could spread it out, put it in side-bars, and place them near the appropriate sections. A bunch of crossover material, and we may dedicate a portion of a chapter to it, and a ton would maybe warrant an entire new chapter. I do like the crossover idea though, because then a simple botch could mean your ST could dump your little Abyss mystic out in the middle of a sacred, spiritual meeting of Shadow Lord werewolves at one of their holy Caerns dedicated to Darkness or Shadows, or some Euthantos mage trying to perfect some crazy spell with his Entropy magic accidentally sucks you into his personal, little Realm on an asteroid that will soon be under the sun's direct rays won't let you out... all types of crazy new stuff could happen in a game involving a Lasombra that has already been running for years... Also, we could suggest ways to maintain the Vampire-centric feel and still explore Stories like these. That'd be a good idea. All in all,Agathe, you did make some impressive points I thought, so I definitely would like to see more on the topic. | |
| | | | Agathe De Lannuie
Posts : 78
Join date : 2012-07-09
Age : 45
Location : France
| | Subject: Re: A World of Darkness: Abyssal Locations Mon Aug 13, 2012 4:47 pm | |
| Ok I made a first map to show what I mean I still have to work on it but here's a first result  | |
| | | | Gattison
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Location : New England, USA
| | Subject: Re: A World of Darkness: Abyssal Locations Mon Aug 13, 2012 5:13 pm | |
| I want to be the VERY FIRST to sign up to a Complete, VIP Tour of this facility... lol
Seriously though, I am very curious as to why, what and where you chose to place these things, and how would a Vampire (Lasombra or Kiasyd, more than likely) actually travel through this place? Like, would they have to start in the middle of the Abyss-section and find a way to navigate to another section? | |
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| Legalese: The Small Printing | | Sat Jun 23, 2012 9:27 pm by Gattison | The following text was copied and pasted directly from the only source I could find it using Google-fu. If you know of a more official source or a more up-to-date release, please let us know. Don't "suggest" I contact WW themselves... that's on my to-do list, lol. =)
General Source: The Carpe Noctem website.*
Main Source: The Carpe Noctem Reference Guide: [url=http://carpenoctem-online.com/wiki/index.php?title=Reference_Guide%3A_WHITE_WOLF_SITE_GUIDELINES]White Wolf Fan-Site …
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| Like a Pack of Grey Jackals | | Sat Jun 23, 2012 9:16 pm by Gattison | So far we don't have that many friends, but we seem to be steadily expanding, albeit slowly, so hopefully this list will eventually get much bigger. =)
Allies of the Grey Jackals:
Steve Markley's The Howling Void
Echoes of Empires
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| Memories: We Were So Young and Stupid... | | Sat Jun 23, 2012 7:43 pm by Gattison | This is the original version of our mission statement/greeting/recruitment attempt, posted here for posthumous appreciation, enjoy!
Gattison, valismedsen, and I have decided to combine our abilities and formed 'Grey Jackal Fan Productions'. We’re going to be constructing a compendium, book by book for Vampire. As we complete supplements they’ll be edited and slotted into the greater …
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| The Grey Jackal | | Fri Jun 22, 2012 10:07 pm by Gattison | Firstly, it all started here, so go ahead and check that out if you actually haven't yet. =)
And, I suppose you're all wondering why I've summoned you...
Welcome, to Grey Jackal Fan-Supplements, a group of creative and enthusiastic fans of the Classic World of Darkness. So far, our members from the boards are valismedsen, Anda, DanielPLanman, Gattison, Drkcv, and Ihatealllife.
We have …
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