Revision as of 21:27, 17 March 2006

Fair and Just

It did not take long for raksha who made his freehold their home to learn that Artaxis the Fair and Just was only fair and just when it suited him. In most cases, he was brooding, menacing, quiet and notoriously fickle, even for one of the Fair Ones. He, however, had an astoundingly beautiful 'wife' by the name of Dew Takes Wing, an Ornamental who had entered the relationship mainly because she had heard Artaxis was a fierce man beneath the sheets. When she had found this to be true, the two entered into an arrangement where they would act as husband and wife, in the manner of the Creation-born.

This was not to say that such a relationship was closed and pristene. Dew was a notorious slut, and she'd drawn a fair number of others into her embrace. New Day's Blood was no exception. He was a randy buck, a Xia of great flair and daring, and one of Artaxis' own retainers. Dew had started on him weeks ago... a teasing smile here, a casual bending-over there, and it was not long before they were fornicating quite frequently. She had to admit, he was an eager one... if a bit too quick about it. Of course, his speed meant that Artaxis never interrupted them.

Until today.

"Morning, Dew." He stood at the foot of the bed, a statue of stone skin with a mane of horns and armor of the finest glass and dreams. He stood there, watching the two as they reacted with a mix of surprise and mild fear. The Just One's eyebrows rose, and he shrugged, turning away. "You may continue. I simply wished to check on you."

"Sir... most glorious... and excellent sir... I can explain everything." Blood was many things; stupid was not one of them. He was a bit of a groveler, though.

"You need not do so. The matter is well in hand." Pausing, he looked over his shoulder. "Although... there is the matter of my children. I'm sure you remember what I told you, hm?" Blood nodded dumbly. "Grand. Go and take care of that. I need to speak with my wife."

Before Dew could protest, New Day's Blood had spirited himself out of his master's abode in the shape of a red-and-gold wolf, tail tucked between his legs. That left Dew Takes Wing alone with her so-called husband. She reached out to him, pleadingly, even as he drew something from his cloak. "My... my lord..."

In the blink of an eye, a single red rose, made from glass no mortal hand could spin, rested lightly at her throat. Naturally, she flinched... then relaxed, exhaling angrily. "Must you always do that?!"

Artaxis simply smirked. "Now then. Shall we?"

New Day's Blood, dressed and decked out in his battle gear, flinched as he beheld his master taking his position on his throne. In his hand was the cleanly-severed head of Dew Takes Flight, that glass rose clenched tightly between her teeth in rigor mortis. Blood looked between master and slain mistress, and paled. "Did... something go wrong, sir?"

"She said she had a headache."

"... ah."

New Day's Blood wisely left it at that, and another day in the freehold of the Just One began. A shame, really, he thought to himself. That's the sixth one so far...

Sex, Lies and Gossamer

Not too terribly far from the Ruby Court lay the freehold domain of a particularly noteworthy Noble. A Cataphract known as Artaxis the Fair and Just, he is the sort of raksha who is in power because he is a power; a terrible and fierce warrior by their standards, he has parlayed his aura of menace into something approaching a tiny household.

While he goes through raksha lovers as a steady pace (it's something of a game, in the Russian Roulette sense, amongst Entertainers to see if they can be the one to remain his; so far, none have succeeded, and only three have survived to tell about it), it is said that he once enjoyed the company of a talented Creation-born mortal woman, and went so far as to sire children with her. Some unknown event caused them to separate, and he never spoke of the matter. Now... now he would like to see his half-Wyld children.

By any means neccesary. Thus, he is in the hunt for a few talented raksha who know Creation, and would dare to enter that realm in search of his spawn. The reward? A place of power close to him, and even some degree of sway within the Ruby Court... although perhaps the task is a reward in and of itself, depending on how one looks at it.

Starting Location

The location of Artaxis' domain is slightly south and somewhat east of the Ruby Court's present home, and spans an area of a five-dot Freehold. The land is lush and somewhat humid, with plentiful forests that would be a hunter's dream were it not for the fact that raksha themselves readily hunt the hunters themselves.

The Freehold itself is located within a ring of marble pillars, and is a place of gold, glass and light; beautiful to look at... but there is always a lingering sense that someone is watching everything that goes on. Nonetheless, most raksha are welcome, so long as they abide by Artaxis' simple, direct rules. Failure to do so can be... unenjoyable, to say the least.

Needful Information and Whatnot

Character creation is pretty standard, but understand that your raksha must be a Noble and will be readily moving from the Middlemarches to Creation and back again. I won't exactly recommend particular Charms or Mutations, but to keep the aforementioned in mind. Additional tidbits are listed below.

• Preliminary Build is (as of 3.14.06) Standard + 250 XP. (Blame CANADA.) The players are meant to be experienced, skilled Fair Ones... since, y'know, they're being sent into nasty old Creation. Extra BP will be granted for sexy-sexy profiles and backstories and shit.

• Assume that the PCs will have access to a small communal pool of gossamer funding from Artaxis, on top of whatever gossamer they may have on their own through various means. Within Creation, this pool will be understandably inaccessable... and requests to use it when it is within reach can come with some strings attached.

• This will be an IRC-based game, and nothing will sway me from this. Not even a suitcase full of hundreds. Maybe three suitcases, but not one.

Prospective Fair Folk

NOTE: Until further notice, initial submissions are welcome; however, PCs will probably be chosen via review and follow-up PC-to-ST blabber. While this is mainly a feel-out-the-system game, I don't want it to be an outright disaster from Day 1.

... also, the plural's Raksha. :P
-only in creation, not in reality. Will keep it in mind -Norhg

Potential Fair Folk PCs may be listed here, although you may also shoot me a character sheet email-style, at darkheart01 @ gmail.com. Quality is the name of the game, folks.

House Rules

• Lures can now be resisted by spending a point of Willpower instead of forcing the channel if they fail any applicable Virtue tests, swallowing the compulsion. However, denying their nature in such a way causes considerable spiritual distraction; they suffer a dice penalty equal to the denied Virtue for the remainder of the scene.

• Raksha may summon and banish perma-glamour (or otherwise 'solid') possessions into Creation with the normal shaping action roll and unrolled shaping action. They still may not banish items Creation-born are holding.

• A big whack of Mutation-cost Charms are getting gossamer-buy allowance houserulings. Stay posted for updates and whatnot.

Comments

Where are you hosting this game? - Dasmen

Seconded, as is my interest. I'd like to see someone run a Fair Folk game -- Somori

Not completely sure... I wanna run it, but I gotta figure a few things out. I'll keep you peoples posted, though. -DarkheartOne

Wait... are you looking for players? (please please please please please) -- OhJames

All I can say is that I'd prefer no more than 4 PCs, and the gametone would be dark humortastic. ¬_¬ -DarkheartOne

Heck yes am I in on this. Also I want to run a raksha game on the Ex Libris Nocturnis forums, and I need players, so if you ever happen to frequent over there... -- OhJames who just headbutt his dog out of excitement

Two questions:

1. Can I get in on this?
2. So, Artaxis beheaded Dew Takes Wing... But he and she are both Fair Folk, so what stops her from just immediately re-shaping herself back to life? Is she just staying dead because it's more interesting that way? (I'm still iffy on my full understanding of the Fey.)

-- Kukla

If he cut off her head as a shaping action, yes, but if he used a normal action, she's dead. Remember, you can only ignore the normal actions of being less real then you. - Dasmen

Wait, you're sure? That seems amiss. Kukla

Well, even most 'normal' means of death can be shaped away while in the Wyld; that's why raksha duel so often---they don't usually have to worry about duels being career-enders, and it keeps their lives thrilling. It takes explicitly magical and intentional means to kill, or the actions of the Creation-born. To kinda settle the question: Wing is dead. Really dead. Artaxis carries four swords with him all the time; one is cold iron. Do the math.--DH

You need to look at the book again. "The Attacks of Wyld creatures, Wyld-mutated creatures and various hazards of the Wyld, cannont permanently affect raksha unless specifically stated. Damage and change from such sources can simply be wished away by a shaping action (see pp. 133-135). Nor can mental or social influence from such a source turn the raksha from this option. The raksha are still vulnerable to the direct actions of the Creation-born, other raksha, and certain phenomena of the Wyld." The bold is mine. - Dasmen who infroms you he was never here

I despise the layout of the Fair Folk book. So hard to find information, and what you do find is so confusing... Kukla

Didn't RBS explain that she meant something completly different than what she wrote in that part of the text? Just look at Subarto in the Introduction fluff? Skewered but not dead. Speaks for itself, no? -Norhg

To my knowledge, no - and I followed the whole Fair Folk thread for quite a while. Several other people have said that, but, to my knowledge, never someone accully connected to White Wolf. - Dasmen

Raksha have to go to considerable lengths to kill one another permanently, which I imagine covers cold iron (which would have people looking at you nastily if you readily carried!). Normal means just don't cut it; Subarto dueled with the lady, threw the fight, and she ran him through. Then he blew his shaping action to will himself alive again. His spirit was under no special requirement to accept her killing of his body, so it was not to be; she was probably only using a 'plain' gossamer weapon. It's noted in the rear of the book that they duel each other often because death is painful, but temporary, so long as "magical weapons and certain Charms" (page 302) aren't used.

Possibly, or she might actually be dead. Or, at least, a reasonable facsimile thereof. He might have hit her with some weird and unpleasant shaping effect to force her to remain as a severed head for a year and a day(etc), or possibly just stolen and crushed her heart or all sorts of other things. Without more detail, noone can truly say ^_^
-- Darloth

-I'm certainly in, I have no game going at the time and I have been looking for a Rakshasa game for long!- Norhg

Need moore Fair Folk storytellers... -Talion

If it gets us more games, yes! Norhg

Anyway, as far as getting in, I've got one person so far (OhJames) that has expressed enough interest for me to take any submissions he sends over into high regard. Still, I'm not sure how to go about fairly filling the rest. Keep posted, I might come up with something. --RakshaBoy

Oh boy oh boy! I sure hope I could get in. Kukla

So what do we need to do to get in? Make a character I suspect. -- Somori

Why would you assume that? It's the standered proof of entery, but it doesn't in and of itself show you understand the Fair Folk. -Dasmen who wants to know himself

I'm inches from saying 'open submissions, but I will review and approve those which look to be the most likely to fit in the game's tone'. First-come-first-serve is somewhat unfair, and I'd like to be able to see what there is all to offer before I dive headlong. Besides, nothing is actually set in stone... lemme clarify a few things. -RakshaBoy

In understanding is nothing, in nothing is the only understanding. Err, yeah. Question answered with a very sensible plan. Now to actually contrive a being of the Wyld Places. -- Somori

-Blame Canada indeed -Norhg