Agathe De Lannuie, Weirdling Scholar and Ashipu Philosopher:

Background:
Nobody knows Agathe De Lannuie's past, at least not anymore… nobody except her and that is both her curse and her blessing.
She’s from a time people named the Dark Ages, when a book was worth an entire domain and women still weren’t allowed access to knowledge. However, since her birth, Agathe was different from others. She was an orphan and despite her illiteracy, every night her dreams pushed her to slip into the nearby monastery’s library in order to “read” old books written in languages that were long forgotten. It was rumored to be the Avatar of Ut-Napishtam, one of the first sorcerers of the Taftâni that was driving her on—to the verge of insanity, unfortunately. Nightly, that is, until an old master of the Ahl-i-Batin discovered her one night and brought her to study on the “FORS COLLEGIS MERCURIS” of Mus—an asteroid orbiting around the planet Mercury, far, far away from Earth.
There, under the tutelage of both Batini and Hermeticians, Agathe learned to instinctively bend Space and Time to her will, utilizing what they taught her was “true magick,” but her most impressive talent was actually her ability to memorize everything she saw—and read. This advantage, enhanced by subtle Mind spells she was able to cast in her mortal life, allowed her to memorize as much of Mus' library as she could. During this process she also learned some of the Solificati’s greatest secrets over Matter and Spirit. After three decades of study off-world she finally reached her Fifth Ritual of Occultation and was allowed to travel, alone and on her own, in order to save the last remaining lore of the asteroid's library before it was lost....
Upon her return, she still remembered the vivid dreams of an amazing library, hidden in Strasbourg by the Teutonic Knights. The details of her first meeting with the owner of the library are lost to all… surprisingly, even to herself. However, she would often return there to discuss magic with the library's strange owner—a being only known as the Sorcerer King. Together, the two tried to recreate many old formulae, meanwhile devising new ways to gather energies to a new realm in order to give it consistency. Suddenly, fifty years later, she was carelessly given to be Embraced by the young vampire called Jean Sans Lune. At the time, Agathe remembers the Sorcerer King was muttering something about a failed experiment and some disastrous blood sterility, then he simply turned his attention away to some other matter.
No one on earth seems to know what transpired for the next three hundred years of her new unlife, though some whisperers in the dark speak rumors of her penitence working as an immortal guardian in a Batini library off-world. (How she managed to find her blood sustenance in the umbra is unknown to most but other Kiasyd—it has never been really clear just how the Weirdlings managed to stay secluded inside their library for centuries at a time.) Other secrets, traded among the shadows of the Theatre of the Mind, talk about the “dark fae” that seized control of the nearly lost Mesopotamian wing of the Bibliotheca Iksandrina some time around the 15th century. Some of these last even mention how since then, “Wyld’s Spirits” have been seen roaming the Bibliotheca, turning the building and even the surrounding landscape into an ever-changing maze.
Whatever knowledge she may have gained from this position seem to have lead to her return to Earth during the year 1789. The French Revolution was barely starting when she reappeared inside the Tremere’s library—the very same day the gargoyle Ferox launched a large-scale assault on the Chantry of Paris. Some Tremere curiously remark that an old Tome relating to the creation of the Perdo Magica, along with documents related to the location of Goratrix’s lost library also disappeared that day… though, of course, this is often dismissed as mere coincidence.
On the Night of the Revolution the Lunatics gibbered insanity about “The Man in the Pallid Mask” and its “Yellow Sign descending into The Night.” Other rumors among the Gangrel talk of the “white ghost that provided some form of support to the werewolf hunts” and “against the most influential kindred in Paris,” while the Parisian Toreador imputed her actions to be those of the Lasombra known as the Croquemitaine…
Last time she was seen she was following the trail of Napoleon’s scientific expedition to Egypt, searching for the original edition of the Ex Libris Necro written in Sumerian. Some dreams inside the Bibliotheca Iksandrina lead her to believe that a copy is hidden inside the city of Cynopolis and guarded within the library of Anubis himself.

Haven:
Somewhere in the dreaming, inside the darkest place of the bibliotheca Iksandrina, in the wing dedicated to Babylon.
Image:
Standing eight feet and six inches tall and weighing a mere 108 pounds, Agathe has often appeared like a sheet of black silk wrapped around an impossibly white skin barely visible under the depth of her own shadows. When she reveals herself to other’s sight she looks like an old, fae-like creature… Silent, she’s terrifying to the point she’s typically ignored by others, but when speaking, she seems to enchant her surroundings by her tone—her shadows often seem to illustrate her speech. Few realize how pleased this tenebrous manipulation seems to make whatever local, dark spirits may in the area.
Black Metamorphosis: her legs and arms turn black and four other shadow-arms grow from the sides of her torso. While in this state she looks like a ghostly white face floating in the dark, surrounded by 6 shadow arms emanating from her in an unmistakably unnatural manner, and can even use her tentacles to walk in an eight-legged, spider-like fashion.
8 feet 6 inches; 108 pounds
Roleplaying Hints:
Agathe is a master of stealth; while naturally able to avoid notice, she has continued to reinforce that aspect of her training from the Batini and after more than three centuries, she’s amazingly good at it. The few times however, that people do notice her, they soon forget, rejecting her image in the shadow of their mind—either as a pleasant dream or a frightening nightmare. While she might seem like an aberration to the few enlightened ones able to actually see her clearly, most people barely look at this “monk” or “beggar” fading into shadows. Even in the midst of a crowd people often fail to see her, quickly forgetting this patch of shadow at the edge of their vision. On the rare occasions she decides to appear to mortals, she terrifies them to the point they forget the experience ever took place. Conversely, her voice is truly enchanting, humans and spirits alike forget their fear as soon as they hear her speaking gently in the crystal sound of a whisper.
While her main concern is to remain hidden, if she ever notices the activity of a vampire tempting humans (as the Followers of Set do), she’ll go to great lengths to bring their soul into a Tamimah, removing forever these corrupters from the cycle of reincarnation.
Finally, she is the shadow of a shadow, a Batini turned Kiasyd and what’s remaining of what was once a promising magus. She has lost her faith; no more will she believe that God is all good, as does the Batini. No, in the end it’s just the sum of blind forces. Now more than ever she wishes to supernaturally evolve and regain what was rightfully hers: her human Avatar—her soul. The way she see it, it’s just the continuation of her search for Ascension. Everything she went through allowed her to develop powers over her mind. From her training as a mage to her extended time spent in the spirit world, she developed a formidable will as well as an amazing ability to process the huge amount of information stored within her photographic mind. After improving her mind to near perfection she now wants to improve her body as well; while she managed to obtain a partial success via Obtenbration's Black Metamorphosis, she wants more, to become shadow itself and be released from her static form. She’s already in the process of learning to feed while in this state and then her body will become akin to perfect…. This is the real Path of Metamorphosis, a magical evolution instead of the physical one of the Fiends. Regaining her Avatar might be a dream, but she’ll search out and learn any power that could get her any closer to this goal. She's not merely searching for the Holy Grail, she's searching for the magic that created it; what she wants is to become akin to a God.

Quotes: "Bonsoir, je suis... Lannuie. Will you remember ?"

Stats in the XVIIIth Century:

Ok so first a Warning: the following material should be considered as being just before she gets to the last piece of knowledge she needs
It's just a writing in order to show what her goal could be like (for our working purpose only):
That's why she has powers level 6 while being only of the 9th generation. She also was able through the ritual called "From Marduk’s Throat" to raise her generation from 9th to 8th without resorting to diablerie (I'm wondering weather I should make her 7th generation, mention it's not from diablerie so it would be left as a mystery...)
Think about this writing not as something that should be used exactly like that in the book,
As I see it, its more akin to a method: defining the goal in order to be able to draw the steps...
From time to time I'll try to make some post of her progression through modern history... (please mention any place she should be between 1789 & 2010)
We'll see as I write if that might fit somewhere in the guide or some other place....

Btw:I don't plan to actually use this version, just to define +/- the goal she will try to reach

Background possible 3 century later:
She managed her first real succes at evolving. By accumulating enough knowledge her magic finally increased over her generational limits and she’s starting to become frighteningly powerful.

Here's here Thaumaturgy Program in order to Emulate Sphere (bear in mind that she has rituals that should provide the flexibility path don't have)
_Ars Mentis (Mind): Echoes of Nirvana (also Domination & Auspex)
_Ars Conjonctionis (Correspondance): Path of Praapti
_Ars Temporis (Time): Temporis
_Ars Fati (Entropy): Nhilistic
_Ars Vitae (Life): No use for a vampire, replaced by rituals like Recur of the Homeland & Alchemical potions
_Ars Manes (Spirit): Suleiman’s Law
_Ars Materiae (Matter): Alchemy
_Ars Vis (Prime): Path of Blood
_Ars Essentiae (Forces): Obtenebration (replace the Forces since Fire & Lightning are prohibited on her path)

Even if she is still young in blood, her mental became so perfect that it empowers her Thaumaturgy and allow her to transcend her generation limit… She feels ascension is at hand’s reach; her trip to Egypt and the following incursion into the lair of the Grey Jackal led her to research the final piece of Knowledge that will give her a way to reach the Epiphany called the “Well of Souls” inside the deepest part of the Abyss. She needs to find the Ritual of the Red Sign. With it she hopes to find a way to coerce a Psychopomp to lead her there. Then she’ll use her knowledge of the Abyss and Oblivion to reattach her Avatar.
The wide variety of powers she possess makes her a difficult target for any vampire trying to kill her as she is able to simply vanish into the dark, reacting at the speed of night to any threat. If she prepared, she’s absolutely deadly… And she’s always prepared!

Story Hook: She has been known to exchange magical lore, potions and others occult services to Anarch and Sabbat youngster... When she need some cannon folder for some kind of dangerous misson, she propose a trade implying knowledge, magic or money None of the vampire that dealt with her have ever bee able to say anything more useful about her than: " It was dark and I heard her voice like in a dream..." But it seem they always think they have been payed. And indeed all demand for magick or lore where met, mostly beyond the expectations of these young vampires. But the ones that demand money where all found in a delusional state, holding a stone like if it was gold.

_XXIst Century

Spoiler:

The reasons she became so powerful are:
_The Tamimah ritual allows her to bring the soul of a vampire into a amulet. From them she can takes the time to study and develop the power
_The level 6 of Mytherceria allow Kiasyd to "download" the memories of someone. If this person is killed afterward within the power's duration then the memories are kept forever. So through that and given time & experience she's should be able to reproduce the power herself.
_In the Umbra time does not run in the same way... There are places u could be in order to learn more than ur normal share in the same amount of time.

She has also acces to uniques source of knowledge in Vampire:
_The Bibliotheca Iskandrina in the vulgate in order to find the location of old knowledge on earth
_Prophetic dreams through her magic and the "Dream" background

Woah what a kick-ass-character! Very Happy

I really like the story and the concept. It's just as dark and spooky as I like it! I don't know much about fae, ghosts or umbras - so this is a really interesting read for me and I feel that the story takes me to a even darker place than the usual darkness of world of darkness. ...Alot of darkness! I love you

I'm not really good with stats so I can't give you any useful feedback on that.
I love how her background story ended in the 1800's, not sure if I love the fact that she actually already accomplished her goal in our nights. In my opinion I think it makes a better story (and are more useful for storytellers) if she still seeks her metamorphosis. But that's just my opinion.
Oh I must add that I love the metamorphosis-concept, brilliant!

Oh, and if you want me to draw her, how would you like her to be portrayed? I think in human form she might look too much like Nyx, correct? What if I would try to draw her in her Black Metamorphosis-form (oh boy, that will be a challenge), or do you have any idea? I guess I could draw her more like a spirit, in some type of ghostly dark form.... i dunno. What do u think?

Oh, and totally unrelated. Agathe makes me think of the Dökkálfr tongue

Quote :: Woah what a kick-ass-character! I really like the story and the concept. It's just as dark and spooky as I like it! I don't know much about fae, ghosts or umbras - so this is a really interesting read for me and I feel that the story takes me to a even darker place than the usual darkness of world of darkness. ...Alot of darkness!

Thanks Anda, nice to know u liked the concept...
My Initial idea was to bring together 3 kind of Darkness the WOD shared Vampire, Fae and Mage and to find a way to articulate them around one character. (I'll post more on that later)

Quote :: I love how her background story ended in the 1800's, not sure if I love the fact that she actually already accomplished her goal in our nights. In my opinion I think it makes a better story (and are more useful for storytellers) if she still seeks her metamorphosis. But that's just my opinion.

Actually that is a good remark since:
1) I didn't meant she had actually overcome all the difficulties. I made a mistake and I'm gonna edit soon the 2nd post in order to give the feeling of a treasure hunt for knowledge through her whole (un)life, something unfulfilled... maybe I'll gave her one last apparition in then 1950... got to think about it.
2) I do find it cooler if she is still searching during different period of time without mention of her characteristic at the present time

In fact I tend to think it would be more cool to have her make some apparition at some important event in the world (starting from the french revolution). Like finding her during the last moment of a civilisation/culture. Before the last tales and myths are lost in the dark... This would give an update on her and makes her kind of the historian that know things only other factions than vampire would know. (for that purpose I gave her a rare path of teleportation that will allows her around 1800 to appear where we would need)
If u have any world wilde event that could be the lost of a culture that has a link (even remotely) with darkness that happend during 1800 and 1950. I tired so excuse me i don't see one that should be obvious...

She should be as much a guardian of knowledge before it is lost and a seeker for godlike (lost) powers (that is her main reason for appearing through History).

Quote :: Oh, and if you want me to draw her, how would you like her to be portrayed? I think in human form she might look too much like Nyx, correct? What if I would try to draw her in her Black Metamorphosis-form (oh boy, that will be a challenge), or do you have any idea? I guess I could draw her more like a spirit, in some type of ghostly dark form.... i dunno. What do u think?

I would be glad, thanks that's cool cheers

Nyx: yes not so different... A bit more tall and thin with sharp ears (+/- like a dark elfe)
Eyes are inky black without white or pupils. V20 mention also some purple color.

I would think she's not too different from my own avatar in this forum
If you want some inspiration there is also something close to what it could be: "Sha, The shadow one"
but I'm already thrill that you want to draw her, don't feel limited by this pictures

hey, i got an idea, could u do it on a black background with a white pen ?
Finally in black metamorphosis only the top of her breast and her face are white... And she has a visual flaw that surround her with heavy darkness up to one meter around like a black background that is shading everything but her chalky white skin

Quote :: Oh, and totally unrelated. Agathe makes me think of the Dökkálfr

I had that in mind too, just didn't knew the Norse name Smile

I gave her
stats a closer look and I can't help but to feel that she's too far
overpowered. She's generation 8 but still has Attributes, Abilities and
Disciplines at level 6. I've been nagging on Gattison before that I don't think
it's realistic that a vampire knows several of the "unusual" and rare
disciplines, and Agathe has Mytherceria, Obtenebration, Dur-An-Ki, Necromancy,
Temporis, Obeah and Quietus! That to me at least isn't realistic. But it
doesn't stop there, she further more have artifacts that offer her more rare
powers like Melpominee 2, Vicissitude 4 and so on. Like I said before, I'm not
great with stats but to me it seems like she has way too many dots compared to
White wolf's NPCs.

Quote :: If u have any world wilde event that could be the lost of
a culture that has a link (even remotely) with darkness that happend during
1800 and 1950. I tired so excuse me i don't see one that should be obvious...

I'll keep my eyes open for sure!

Quote :: I would be glad, thanks that's cool
Nyx: yes not so different... A bit more tall and thin with
sharp ears (+/- like a dark elfe)
Eyes are inky black without white or pupils. V20 mention
also some purple color.

I would think she's not too different from my own avatar
in this forum
If you want some inspiration there is also something close
to what it could be: "Sha, The shadow one"
but I'm already thrill that you want to draw her, don't
feel limited by this pictures

hey, i got an idea, could u do it on a black background
with a white pen ?
Finally in black metamorphosis only the top of her breast
and her face are white... And she has a visual flaw that surround her with
heavy darkness up to one meter around like a black background that is shading
everything but her chalky white skin

Ah cool, I think I understand what u mean.
I can't do it with black background and white pen I'm afraid. I don't have
neither black paper or a white pen, and I wouldn't be able to shadow it like I
want to with that anyway. And it would look too different from the other NPCs
pictures. But I will try to draw something cool for you. Wink

Quote :: Ah cool, I think I understand what u mean.
I can't do it with black background and white pen I'm afraid. I don't have
neither black paper or a white pen, and I wouldn't be able to shadow it like I
want to with that anyway. And it would look too different from the other NPCs
pictures. But I will try to draw something cool for you.

Ok that's great. Do as u feel it was only suggestions...
You alway draw something cool so I'm not worried at all Wink

Quote :: I gave her stats a closer look and I can't help but to feel that she's too far
overpowered. She's generation 8 but still has Attributes, Abilities and
Disciplines at level 6. I've been nagging on Gattison before that I don't think
it's realistic that a vampire knows several of the "unusual" and rare
disciplines, and Agathe has Mytherceria, Obtenebration, Dur-An-Ki, Necromancy,
Temporis, Obeah and Quietus! That to me at least isn't realistic. But it
doesn't stop there, she further more have artifacts that offer her more rare
powers like Melpominee 2, Vicissitude 4 and so on. Like I said before, I'm not
great with stats but to me it seems like she has way too many dots compared to
White wolf's NPCs.

I do agree with you on that for the most part
My goal was to provide in the 1st post a "reasonalbe" character (quite powerful but still young in blood if not in age)
and then to give an example of what she was looking to be, Not to actually use the 2nd profil, in the Abyss guide

My main Goal with this second post was to give her the feeling you had when you where looking at "Samuel Haight": A scary powermonger....

I thought the approche to the Grey "Jackal mystery" could be a plot involving a character of our own that would be almost as much a walking paradox as Samuel was.
The main interest in the Samuel Haight story was that he unveiled totally different aspect of the game. In a similar way Agathe's concerns are linked to a great amount of wod players & factions. The main thing I see is that her concern with magical power should naturally draw her to the Tal'Mahe'Ra (after the XVIIIth century she will search for 2 Magickal disciplines: Temporis & Nihilistic). I think there could be a start to a quick metaplot involving theft of occult knowledge, Mythology related to Darkness, Winter Fae (With their "Dominion over Night"), the Black Hand & the Grey Jackal....

For the artifacts: She has many way to create them (Spirit manipulation, Alchemy, Tamimah ritual...)
It's not because John Dee has not artifacts written in his background that the gamemaster should not give him some (and he's quite younger). I alway felt that white wolf (in the vampire game line) was never writing any artifact but the most importants ones.
But I do agree with you so I'm gonna erase some of them in order to makes it more WW. Actually there might be some of artifacts that are not that interesting... She doesn't need life as she is now a vampire and has no direct need for melponine... I'll see if there is some other powers that can be ditched... [Edit: Done, check if u like it better: -Deleted powers: Obeah, Quietus; Deleted Path: Sepulchre, Warding; -Deleted Artifacts: Melpominee, Vissicitude]

I'm getting your concerns and I'll make sure it's taken into account at the end! Anyway I agree with that I don't want to provide stat of what she will become, its just a reminder of her goal for our working purposes only. Don't stop giving your opinion on it

But first I just want to see others reaction to a Samuel Haight's kind of metaplot... (I guess they are in Holidays at this time sunny

)
Rest assured that Agathe is not as mixed up between game lines as Samuel was... But she's a powermonger since she's looking for rare vampires powers and that could lead her to make interesting encounter along the way...

Spoiler:

Agathe De Lannuie wrote:: If u have any world wilde event that could be the lost of a culture that has a link (even remotely) with darkness that happend during 1800 and 1950. I tired so excuse me i don't see one that should be obvious...

19th Century wiki
Timeline of the 1800s
Napolean defeated at Waterloo. (which had global consequences)
Irish Great Famine of 1845-1852
American Civil War, 1861-1865
American President Abraham Lincoln assassinated, April, 14th 1865
Charles Darwin publishes "On the Origin of the Species." 1859 (Some would say "magic" died on that day, and Science took its place... or something like that...)
Samurai class abolished in Japan, 1873

Modern History (20th Century)
Galveston hurricane kills 8000, 1900 AD
World War 1
World War 2 (which had an epic impact on the Underworld, iirc, not to mention the two Atomic bombs that were dropped)
First documented case of AIDS, 1959

(the above list jumped out as me as interesting plot hooks or possibly applicable to your needs.)

Quote :: hey, i got an idea, could u do it on a black background with a white pen ?
Finally in black metamorphosis only the top of her breast and her face are white... And she has a visual flaw that surround her with heavy darkness up to one meter around like a black background that is shading everything but her chalky white skin

Quote :: Ah cool, I think I understand what u mean.
I can't do it with black background and white pen I'm afraid. I don't have
neither black paper or a white pen, and I wouldn't be able to shadow it like I
want to with that anyway. And it would look too different from the other NPCs
pictures. But I will try to draw something cool for you.

Anda, keep in mind that we can easily "invert the colors" of any picture you draw, so you could actually draw it on white, then we switch the black and white so it's a black background. That should also make drawing it easier for you, if you want.

Anda wrote:: I gave her
stats a closer look and I can't help but to feel that she's too far
overpowered. She's generation 8 but still has Attributes, Abilities and
Disciplines at level 6. I've been nagging on Gattison before that I don't think
it's realistic that a vampire knows several of the "unusual" and rare
disciplines, and Agathe has Mytherceria, Obtenebration, Dur-An-Ki, Necromancy,
Temporis, Obeah and Quietus! That to me at least isn't realistic. But it
doesn't stop there, she further more have artifacts that offer her more rare
powers like Melpominee 2, Vicissitude 4 and so on. Like I said before, I'm not
great with stats but to me it seems like she has way too many dots compared to
White wolf's NPCs.

I have to agree with Anda here, that was my first reaction too, when I read the stats... "wow, she is a total BAD-ASS and is only 300-600 years old as a vampire. And yes, the large amount of rare Disciplines is hard to not notice, but on the other hand, that s the point of this character... to try to find Disciplines that have powers that can imitate the Sphere of Mage, thus regaining the Avatar she lost upon her Embrace, which was probably a HUGE tragedy for her at the time, she might have been in some deep, depressed-as-shit Torpor for the first 300 years of her unlife, who knows. I also understand that she could possibly have gotten an extra few centuries out of using the Umbra, and she comes from a unique background that allows her to understandably see things beyond your typical vampire's perspective.

I think this character could be toned down a bit, maybe have the stats lessened and focused more on the powers that are truly necessary to her personal quest for her Avatar. After that, if there's still room, add a couple other powers that could have been failed experiments, so she abandoned learning them. Also, a discussion (probably in a side-bar) of how/why Agathe chose the Disciplines that she did to mimic Magickal Spheres would be helpful, because I'm not clear on all of them myself.

Agathe De Lannuie wrote:

But first I just want to see others reaction to a Samuel Haight's kind of metaplot... (I guess they are in Holidays at this time sunny

)
Rest assured that Agathe is not as mixed up between game lines as Samuel was... But she's a powermonger since she's looking for rare vampires powers and that could lead her to make interesting encounter along the way...

Spoiler:

Hey, I actually think the Sam Haight storyline is cool, because I honestly like over-the-top, virtually-unreasonable stuff sometimes, and I like the character agathe too, and the storyline is way better than Sam's, though kind of similar, so I see why you made the connection.

The problem is... look how "fondly" the whole Same Haight thing is looked upon today. It's probably more hated than the book Dirty Secrets, is that really the direction we want to take with our metaplot? Will other fans respond well to that?

Another thing, look how detailed Agathe's story is... to me, just like valis' idea concerning Enoch/Vicissitude, it's unfortunately, too good, and complex to be used as a vague metaplot... or maybe we still have different ideas of what our metaplot should be.

I still would like to put this character in a Grey Jackal book, but as for metaplot, hmmm.... It doesn't sound like you want Agathe's story to be the metaplot, but just to be loosely tied to it, so that's pretty cool, but we still don't know what the actual metaplot is...

Or should our metaplot actually be a way to tie all of our characters together into one big, crazy, multi-layered plot? (Children of the Grey Jackal) Every character could be connected in some random way to at least one other character, thus eventually tying ALL of our NPCs into one big giant mess of a [pretty much pre-made] Chronicle.... I like that idea, do any of you?

Below, we have the De Lannuie NPC as she currently appears in the book. I hope you don't mind, Agathe, but I of course took the liberty of giving it a run-through and making it sound more grammatically smooth (I edited it, sorry, lol). I did try to not change any of the MEANINGS behind the words with what I did, except maybe in a "colorful, descriptive" way. Please let me know honestly if you want me to change anything because it's your character, but I did try so I hope you like most of it. =)

Agathe De Lannuie, Weirdling Scholar and Ashipu Philosopher:

Stats:

And now of course, for the comments:
1. I assumed that "Attitude" was the French equivalent for "Demeanor," which is my first "problem." Why did you choose "Eye of the Storm" for such a rarely seen, mysterious figure? If it was to contradict her Enigma Nature, meaning she's like an invisible threat, then I can kind of understand that. Otherwise, seems odd, so just wanted to ask and make sure.
2. You mentioned that you might go add some more bits to her story, and I truly hope you do, because I feel like the part after the escapes Mus could be expanded, because the way it is is set up it looks as if something mysterious and BAD happened to her in the Umbra on the way back to Earth, something that not even she remembers happening... if it's still her at all.... Also, I re-organized a bit of your structuring too, because I felt like the "following the trail of Napolean's science expedition" was a decent segway into the modern times.
3. I got this complaint myself about the Cardinal and all her little buddies. You use a lot of non-Vampire-specific terminology, and I think you should either explain what they all are in her story (it would beef up the text, too), or substitute them with more-Kindred/Cainite friendly terms.
4. Yeah, as I reread the stats, I would like to see her drop a bunch of dots and become more reasonable, but still have them distrubited widely enough that she does have a ton of powers, but maybe mostly level 3 or below, with a couple she has been studying the entire time that could be at 4 and 5.
5. And again, just words and stats and traits and things that I am unfamiliar with in the Stats section all need to be explained to me, and thus also the readers/audience. And Anda, too, lol.
6. Also, we pretty much want to reference absolutely everything, so I know this may be a son of a bitch of a request, but page numbers where the reader could go read more about everything themselves, from the Ahl-i-Batin, to what a Gramayre is, would be completely awesome.
7. I think you write a side-bar for this character, basically a note to Storyteller explaining maybe what her true direction is or something. This way, you can kind of foreshadow the next time Agathe appears with advanced stats (it will be her 2e. version, heh), you know? Set yourself up for the next step in her presentation.

Quick answer

1) Eye of the Storm since she is spotted only where there might be chaos (doesn't mean she povked it but sometime it can be true)
2) I'll do, but not too soon sorry ;-). Mostly in the umbra she get lost in the Abyss for a long time before she manage to reach the library she now lives in... It's also her first trip (iirc) into the Umbra after being transformed and she adapt to the fact that kiasyd have some blood comming from spirits (Fae) ... Which makes her a legit part of the umbra and not a foreinger like most vampires even the Tremere. That's why she was able claim an umbral domain.
3) I'll see how I can deal with that. The pb with this is the fact that if you only use too vampire terminology the link will be only guessed. I think I prefer the side bar but I'm not sure.
4) Ok, i'll do it soon lowering Domination & Praapti
5) Ok, ok Wink

6) I'll give u the references with the sidebar
7)O I'll write her magical thesis... It might be 300 pages. just kidding. I'll just have to take some time to think the way I could express it

1. I double checked Eye of the Strom and you're actually ok there, sorry.
2. Ok.
3. Ok. Somehow, ignorant readers like me need to be made aware.
4. Ok. We talked about this in chat and we worked some stuff out, when you edit the 1st post, things should look a bit more balanced.
5. Ok, ok. =)
6. Ok.
7. Well if it's long, it's long, if it's not, it's not, whatever you feel is appropriate and you also have the time for... you know the rules, lol.

I did the Update and I wish to mention a few things:

1)

Quote :: Few realize how pleased this tenebrous manipulation seems to make whatever local, dark spirits may in the area.

Something might be missing here Wink

2)

Quote :: It should also be noted that Agathe seems to take the same, similar appearance each time she assumes the form of her Black Metamorphosis, though what this may actually imply is not something she is forthcoming with.

Lasombra clanbook mention the fact that black metamorphosis depend on the user's deepest beliefs regarding the nature of Obtenebration and that the manifestation of particular this power if unique to each vampire.
Imho it therefore sugest the vampire takes more or less the same appearance every time... That's why I didn't include this sentance

Maybe it could be good to think of the way it manifest in the other mystics of the Abyss and provide a special place for it in their description...

3) I have to say, I find her quite weakened now for someone totalizing 500 years of both life and unlife (+/- 1290-1790). An other Kyasid, Beatrice l'Angou of Montreal by Night is 230 years old and she is quite better regarding Attributes, a bit better regarding abilities and knowledge, and not so much behind regarding disciplines dots (she has 20 dots and maybe some other obtenebration tricks not mentionned in her stat since it wasn't even created by WW at that time)
So I'm wondering if that should not be wise to raised at least her abilities/knowledges a bit to reflect the 300 hundred year of this particular Life/unlife she has over someone like Beatrice. I think the disciplines are okay for now.
Look at the new stats and let me know your opinion...

1) I like the additions that I noticed. Good job.

2) The idea for a description for NPC's Black Metamorph form is interesting. I think that's side-bar stuff, mentioning how individual Black Metamorphs can be different, and reinforce that notion by having it be a part of the character's write-up. Meanwhile, I may think of a B.M. form for a couple of the NPCs I made and add that info in a side-bar, reminding STs they can make up their own BM forms... *cough*phrasing*cough*

3) If those are the updated traits in the 1st post, then it still looks reasonable to me, so far.

Subject: A Paradigm made of Shadows Mon Aug 27, 2012 9:10 pm

Here is Agathe's paradigm & philosophy
let me know if some things are still not clear
I'm not sure it should be included in the description of Agathe... Imho, She's interesting as a mysterious figure not really understood. what do you think ?

Btw, in the last post I used the "hide" command of the forum and i'm not sur what it does...
Can you all see the 3 squares box with the following paragraph in the previous message ?
_The shadows of Agathe’s mind: Paradigm
_Dark Metamorphosis: From Larvae to Butterfly
_The Road of the Abyss: Nightmares

I know I can't see them when i'm not connected... But can u see it when your logged in ? let me know

That's exactly what it does, it hides the text from non-members. You have to be logged in to the site to see "hidden" stuff. very James Bond-like of you, sir. =)

Thanks you Mrs Moneypenny Twisted Evil

Ok that's what i thought but I wasn't sure of it. thx

Okay, here's another section where it looks like I'm missing some stuff.

If you don't mind, please, Agathe, do me a favor and just make a quick list of all the items about Agathe you want in the book. You can look in the latest version of the book to check which ones I've already got in, but I don't think I have any good, interesting side-bars on her yet, although it looks like I should.

If you don't have the time, I can do it eventually, myself. Hopefully this week, even.

You mean in her library ?
I think the Leges Abyssi, the Black Book of Manu and the Black Bible

Other than that:
The Book of Worlds: no one know how she got her hand on this book before it was even written...
The Greater Keys of Solomon.

btw I had no feed back on the paradigm and philosophy part
do you think I should make it shorter and more dedicated to darkness

In the beginning I was thinking to give this version for the forum to explain a bit where the idea started but i'm not sure it should be in the Abyssal guide with this exact form. I was hoping for feed back to try to makes it more punchy...

What kind of side bar do you want I don't exactly see what you mean here ? I'll gladly do it, I have more time now.

Hmm, you're right, I never did give feedback on the stuff above, sorry about that. I'll do that soon. =)

As for the list i asked for, I meant a list of stuff about her that you want to appear in the actual Abyss Guide itself. I should probably actually read the stuff instead of skim through it though, maybe it'll be more clear to me then... =)

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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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

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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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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