Interpreting the Real World for IN - Page 5

Phoenix42 · 10-22-2011, 03:18 AM

@tHEhERETIC: You have a point with overlooking the obvious... there should be a Saminga possibility in there. Also, Azel's point about the sorcerors should not be neglected. How about the following as a plot line-up (I've added names that would fit, for flavour):

Spoiler:

The baby's corpse vanishes from the Asklepios clinic in Altona, Hamburg;

Talking to the sacked staff-member, Tim Albers, who was supposed to take the box to the morgue, reveals evidence of supernatural intervention. Close to tears, he will tell a good listener that he honestly cannot remember what he did with the box - he cannot explain why he would have put it down in the first place. Probing his subconscious memory, either subtly (Songs, hypnosis) or through sheer panic (Habbalite Resonance, Songs to that effect) will reveal that he met a woman while outdoors for a smoke - young, blonde, evidently distraught - he remembers the need to help her, and then everything goes black.

Upon investigating, the players may find that the hospital morgue staff includes Anne Larsson, a Soldier of Saminga working as a pathologist (surprise? not really - but it's a cliché for a reason...) who hands out usable corpses to the resident Hamburg Death Servitors. Stillbirths are her specialty - which is why she was that much more ****** to find out someone stole her latest find, and suspects angelic involvement targeted at her (like so many of Saminga's guys and gals, she suffers from delusions of grandeur and paranoia - though the latter may simply be due to morgue climate). Hell-affiliates may find her to be forthcoming if offered a clear-up that makes her feel at ease...

Another optional addition: The baby's mother, Susanne Böhmer, is frantic - but not only for understandable reasons; she once made a deal with a demon (a Lilim of Nightmares, though she does not know that) in order to fight off her infertility. Susanne vaguely realised that something supernatural was going on, but went on regardless, being desperate for a child. The Lilim in question had her mind on other matters at the time and saw an easy Geas to be had (a Song of Healing sufficed) - but being a Servitor of Nightmares, she added a little spice, saying in parting that the woman's first-born would know the price of their deal. This was rubbish, of course - the Geas was only attuned to the mother - but Susanne suffered nightmares for the entire pregnancy, quite possibly leading to the stress that lead to the stillbirth. For goody-doers, finding the Lilim and trying to relieve the Geas is a side-quest in itself...

Finally, it becomes apparent that despite attempts by hospital authorities to cover it up, there have been break-ins at the hospital baby ward. Closer investigation reveals that there are two types of break-in. The one was clever, methodical and nearly untraceable, though evidently, only baby clothes, toys and the occasional doll went missing so far (the Remnant of Children is behind this). Successful searching will reveal a small item (hair particles, etc.) that could be traced with the Song of Attraction. The other type was unsubtle, people trying to sneak in without admission, trying to bribe hospital staff, etc. (a trio of local wannabe sorcerors from rich families in the area who think that sacrificing a newborn would finally get them some street-cred in hell). They can be found rather easily with a bit of street-work, or creative computer use - they were repeatedly googling the list of newborns on the hospital website, and can be tracked by their ping. However, even casual investigation shows that the sorceror trio is far too incompetent to have stolen the corpse.

Searching by facial recognition (given successful probing of Tim) or by Song of Attraction leads to the Hideout. Given the location, I would suggest the following place for the maximum creepiness effect: Altona is renowned for its higher cultural venues. As such, it sports the highest number of theatres per square kilometer than anywhere else in Germany. One of these theatres, recently shut down due to lacking safety regulations, is the "Prinzliches Marionettentheater". This puppet theatre was built for the Danish prince Christian in the 19th century, back when Altona belonged to Denmark. Its audiences quickly expanded beyond the Danish royal family and its retinue to the entire upper classes, and later to encompass all classes of children. The topics of the theatre were not only childish - in fact they portrayed all kinds of societal changes and influences, from politics to romance, religion to class structure, but in a manner that children could understand and process, thus allowing them to become gradually acquainted with the adult world. Naturally, this drew the interest of a Servitor of Children, who set up shop here in the 1930s, and worked hard to keep the theatre running. With his help, the theatre survived the Nazis, the allied firebombings, the building frenzies of the 1950s and the economic recession of the 1970s - for a time, it looked like it may become a Tether, since puppets and "old school entertainment" became fashionable once again in the 1990s. But then a few demons of The Media decided to put a stop to it since it might have curtailed the profits of their nearby cineplexxes. When the angel resisted, he met an untimely end somewhere in the theatre's cellars, at the hands of some Calabite of The Media, who, if asked, would have said that he was on his way to something more challenging. This was in 1997. The theatre was officially shut down three years later due to "safety hazards".

The theatre should, ideally, be portrayed as something fallen from princely grandeur, something once beautiful and magnificent, with faux marble arches and columns, gold paint and rich heavy curtains; a place where children came to be awed by life's beauties under the panoply of a grand stage. This wasn't just some punch and judy show - this was a stage as true as any other, where the performers simply happened to be puppets, with humans (and the occasional angel) steering from behind the scenes. Many an adult might have counted themselves lucky to be the accompanying party to such an event. Now, however, it is dark and gloomy, the building having been condemned in all senses of the word. Cobwebs hang from the walls, the curtains are caked with grime, and even the rats have long lost interest. The seats in the theatre hall are dusty and delapidated, the stage is rickety and partly caved in. Old mouldy posters advertise shows that have long been forgotten as floorboards creek underfoot.

The Remnant can be found in the cellar, where he busies himself "looking after" the puppets from the stage productions, as well as his other charges. His role, that of a puppeteer, and his true self, that of the angel who loves and nurtures children, have intermingled. To what extent is up to the GM; this can probably range from having the dead child arrayed neatly next to the puppets, with the Remnant trying to care for them, to the Remnant trying to "fix" the dead child with puppet parts. Anyone who really wants to go overboard could have him try the same with a kidnapped living child, such as from this Altona street festival (if you're gonna do it, you might as well go the whole way...).
I personally like the idea of the Remnant trying to cheer up the dead baby with puppet acts, for hours, trying faithfully to make this child happy, but failing, and not understanding why.

Anyway - that's my contribution to Hallowe'en for this year; let me know what you think, I think there is room for further developments in this - who knows, if we keep at it, there might be enough for a little pdf supplement...
Hope I haven't destroyed your idea, Azel :)

Phoenix42 · 10-22-2011, 03:19 AM

I know, double post - but it was slightly too long to put everything in one.

@ISNorden: Yeah, I heard of that even here on the other side of the pond... Kobal definitely had a hand in that one, it certainly made me chortle (and then feel slightly guilty) when I heard it - sounds very much like a joint venture...

Although, perhaps it was not actually by, but aimed at Nybbas? Thinking about it, Nybbas likes painting happy-fairy-disney pictures (or similar equivalents), making people enrapt and stopping them from thinking too much. Putting porn on would certainly disturb that picture as much as it would disturb Christopher. Maybe it was an angel of Janus having a go? Actually, I can just see an Angel of Christopher sitting in an angel bar somewhere in NY, shaking his head, downing one beer after another...

Angel 1: "Gimme another!"
Angel 2: "Jeez, what's up man? Since when do you Children guys hit the booze?"
Angel 1: "How was I supposed to know?! I just asked if he could give us a hand..."
Angel 2: "Who, what?"
Angel 1: "I just told him, hack into their servers, make the whole shiny thing crack up a bit while we move in and scrub their drives, and what does he go and do..? He only friggin goes and..." (downs an entire beer in one chug)
Angel 2: "Ok, whatever you're talking about, I think you need more than a beer - hey, keep, give us a shot of your best stuff, would ya?"
Angel 1 (looking up): "Shot... yeah... now that's an idea..." (gets up)
Angel 2: "Hey, you may wanna..."
Angel 1 (serenely calm): "No, I see clearly now... this is about content... he wants explicit content? I'll give him explicit content..." (vanishes in a Song of Celestial Motion)

*Newsflash*
Gruesome murder: The body of a vagrant was found in the Hudson river this morning, having been shot several times, stabbed and subsequently drowned while being simultaneously beaten to death with a copy of the Motion Picture Association of America film rating guidelines. Reacting to an anonymous tip, the police retrieved the body at around 5 o'clock, before media representatives could arrive on-scene. The police spokesperson announced that no pictures would be released, saying "we should think about the children watching the early morning newscasts, and think this is for the best."

ISNorden · 10-22-2011, 11:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Phoenix42

I know, double post - but it was slightly too long to put everything in one.

@ISNorden: Yeah, I heard of that even here on the other side of the pond... Kobal definitely had a hand in that one, it certainly made me chortle (and then feel slightly guilty) when I heard it - sounds very much like a joint venture...

Although, perhaps it was not actually by, but aimed at Nybbas? Thinking about it, Nybbas likes painting happy-fairy-disney pictures (or similar equivalents), making people enrapt and stopping them from thinking too much. Putting porn on would certainly disturb that picture as much as it would disturb Christopher. Maybe it was an angel of Janus having a go? Actually, I can just see an Angel of Christopher sitting in an angel bar somewhere in NY, shaking his head, downing one beer after another...

Angel 1: "Gimme another!"
Angel 2: "Jeez, what's up man? Since when do you Children guys hit the booze?"
Angel 1: "How was I supposed to know?! I just asked if he could give us a hand..."
Angel 2: "Who, what?"
Angel 1: "I just told him, hack into their servers, make the whole shiny thing crack up a bit while we move in and scrub their drives, and what does he go and do..? He only friggin goes and..." (downs an entire beer in one chug)
Angel 2: "Ok, whatever you're talking about, I think you need more than a beer - hey, keep, give us a shot of your best stuff, would ya?"
Angel 1 (looking up): "Shot... yeah... now that's an idea..." (gets up)
Angel 2: "Hey, you may wanna..."
Angel 1 (serenely calm): "No, I see clearly now... this is about content... he wants explicit content? I'll give him explicit content..." (vanishes in a Song of Celestial Motion)

*Newsflash*
Gruesome murder: The body of a vagrant was found in the Hudson river this morning, having been shot several times, stabbed and subsequently drowned while being simultaneously beaten to death with a copy of the Motion Picture Association of America film rating guidelines. Reacting to an anonymous tip, the police retrieved the body at around 5 o'clock, before media representatives could arrive on-scene. The police spokesperson announced that no pictures would be released, saying "we should think about the children watching the early morning newscasts, and think this is for the best."

Heh heh heh...I can easily see the following Wordbound involved in the prank:

The Demon of YouTube himself--not sure what his Band would be, but he's definitely a Media servitor with some Dark Humor attunements on the side. "Nah, some indie studio channel won't get you noticed if you foul up the owner's account. If the cops bust you, you might as well make headlines first!"
The Demon of Hackers, a Shedite of Theft IST Tech...possessing the guilty mortal(s), who were already so corrupted that the Shedite needed to tempt them into one HUGE attention-getting hack. "Let's see how secure that kiddie-show Tether's computers really are!"
The Demon of Cybersmut, a Djinn of Lust with some Tech attunements on the side. "Wait till Chris sees the look on some mommies' faces when they try to watch Elmo with the kids...he'll probably have a Heart attack!"
The Divine and Infernal Seneschals at Sesame Workshop's office, each dealing with the prank as soon as it's been pulled off.

All in all, the whole event sounds like a good hook for players in a light-hearted campaign with high contrast--whether the GM casts Heaven or Hell as the "good guys".

tHEhERETIC · 10-23-2011, 07:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Phoenix42

@tHEhERETIC: You have a point with overlooking the obvious... there should be a Saminga possibility in there. Also, Azel's point about the sorcerors should not be neglected. How about the following as a plot line-up (I've added names that would fit, for flavour):

Spoiler:

Oh! It's an adventure! Minus some statting it's a game I could run, it's that complete.

Rocket Man · 12-26-2011, 05:02 PM

This is either a Kobalite's plot in action, or else the beginnings of a potential Dark Humor Tether:

PORT RICHEY -- Deputies said a man walked into a bar and ordered a beer, then vanished for about a half-hour so he could rob a bank.

John Robin Whittle, 52, then returned to the bar and finished his beer, deputies said.

Full story here: http://www.baynews9.com/article/news...CukGM.facebook

Rocket Man · 01-07-2012, 02:20 PM

This has to be a celestial who hasn't gotten the hang of this Role business yet.

Beezow Doo-Doo Zopittybop-Bop-Bop, 30, was arrested Thursday afternoon on charges of carrying a concealed weapon, possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of marijuana and a violation of probation in Madison, Wisc.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/0...n_1190410.html

tHEhERETIC · 01-07-2012, 05:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rocket Man

This has to be a celestial who hasn't gotten the hang of this Role business yet.

Beezow Doo-Doo Zopittybop-Bop-Bop, 30, was arrested Thursday afternoon on charges of carrying a concealed weapon, possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of marijuana and a violation of probation in Madison, Wisc.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/0...n_1190410.html

This guy just screams Creationer (as the rest of Heaven facepalms at Eli's lack of supervision).

ISNorden · 01-08-2012, 12:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tHEhERETIC

This guy just screams Creationer (as the rest of Heaven facepalms at Eli's lack of supervision).

Either a Creationer on the brink of Falling, or a servitor of Drugs (considering the charges this weirdo faced); I'm betting on a Djinn of Drugs who took one hit too many. Either way, Kobal is probably having a field day: "Hey, guys...a wacky news story from Madison's real police blotter, not the Onion this time!"

Rocket Man · 01-09-2012, 12:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ISNorden

Either a Creationer on the brink of Falling, or a servitor of Drugs (considering the charges this weirdo faced); I'm betting on a Djinn of Drugs who took one hit too many.

One other possibility -- a Servitor of Dark Humor who lost a bet Downstairs. "I have to call myself what?"

Phoenix42 · 01-09-2012, 06:59 AM

Yup, I agree with Rocket Man; if this guy's a demon, then there's probably a lesson to be learned... Something like "don't use a third-rate geas to get hold of a new role. No. Really. Don't."

But with that name, I think he's an angel of Creation all right. And maybe when he said to the cops that he would "get even" he was in fact talking to the Shedite inhabiting the cop who busted him... The big question is: what choir is this guy?

10-22-2011, 03:18 AM	#41
Phoenix42 Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Mainz, Germany	Re: Interpreting the Real World for IN @tHEhERETIC: You have a point with overlooking the obvious... there should be a Saminga possibility in there. Also, Azel's point about the sorcerors should not be neglected. How about the following as a plot line-up (I've added names that would fit, for flavour): Spoiler: The baby's corpse vanishes from the Asklepios clinic in Altona, Hamburg; Talking to the sacked staff-member, Tim Albers, who was supposed to take the box to the morgue, reveals evidence of supernatural intervention. Close to tears, he will tell a good listener that he honestly cannot remember what he did with the box - he cannot explain why he would have put it down in the first place. Probing his subconscious memory, either subtly (Songs, hypnosis) or through sheer panic (Habbalite Resonance, Songs to that effect) will reveal that he met a woman while outdoors for a smoke - young, blonde, evidently distraught - he remembers the need to help her, and then everything goes black. Upon investigating, the players may find that the hospital morgue staff includes Anne Larsson, a Soldier of Saminga working as a pathologist (surprise? not really - but it's a cliché for a reason...) who hands out usable corpses to the resident Hamburg Death Servitors. Stillbirths are her specialty - which is why she was that much more ****** to find out someone stole her latest find, and suspects angelic involvement targeted at her (like so many of Saminga's guys and gals, she suffers from delusions of grandeur and paranoia - though the latter may simply be due to morgue climate). Hell-affiliates may find her to be forthcoming if offered a clear-up that makes her feel at ease... Another optional addition: The baby's mother, Susanne Böhmer, is frantic - but not only for understandable reasons; she once made a deal with a demon (a Lilim of Nightmares, though she does not know that) in order to fight off her infertility. Susanne vaguely realised that something supernatural was going on, but went on regardless, being desperate for a child. The Lilim in question had her mind on other matters at the time and saw an easy Geas to be had (a Song of Healing sufficed) - but being a Servitor of Nightmares, she added a little spice, saying in parting that the woman's first-born would know the price of their deal. This was rubbish, of course - the Geas was only attuned to the mother - but Susanne suffered nightmares for the entire pregnancy, quite possibly leading to the stress that lead to the stillbirth. For goody-doers, finding the Lilim and trying to relieve the Geas is a side-quest in itself... Finally, it becomes apparent that despite attempts by hospital authorities to cover it up, there have been break-ins at the hospital baby ward. Closer investigation reveals that there are two types of break-in. The one was clever, methodical and nearly untraceable, though evidently, only baby clothes, toys and the occasional doll went missing so far (the Remnant of Children is behind this). Successful searching will reveal a small item (hair particles, etc.) that could be traced with the Song of Attraction. The other type was unsubtle, people trying to sneak in without admission, trying to bribe hospital staff, etc. (a trio of local wannabe sorcerors from rich families in the area who think that sacrificing a newborn would finally get them some street-cred in hell). They can be found rather easily with a bit of street-work, or creative computer use - they were repeatedly googling the list of newborns on the hospital website, and can be tracked by their ping. However, even casual investigation shows that the sorceror trio is far too incompetent to have stolen the corpse. Searching by facial recognition (given successful probing of Tim) or by Song of Attraction leads to the Hideout. Given the location, I would suggest the following place for the maximum creepiness effect: Altona is renowned for its higher cultural venues. As such, it sports the highest number of theatres per square kilometer than anywhere else in Germany. One of these theatres, recently shut down due to lacking safety regulations, is the "Prinzliches Marionettentheater". This puppet theatre was built for the Danish prince Christian in the 19th century, back when Altona belonged to Denmark. Its audiences quickly expanded beyond the Danish royal family and its retinue to the entire upper classes, and later to encompass all classes of children. The topics of the theatre were not only childish - in fact they portrayed all kinds of societal changes and influences, from politics to romance, religion to class structure, but in a manner that children could understand and process, thus allowing them to become gradually acquainted with the adult world. Naturally, this drew the interest of a Servitor of Children, who set up shop here in the 1930s, and worked hard to keep the theatre running. With his help, the theatre survived the Nazis, the allied firebombings, the building frenzies of the 1950s and the economic recession of the 1970s - for a time, it looked like it may become a Tether, since puppets and "old school entertainment" became fashionable once again in the 1990s. But then a few demons of The Media decided to put a stop to it since it might have curtailed the profits of their nearby cineplexxes. When the angel resisted, he met an untimely end somewhere in the theatre's cellars, at the hands of some Calabite of The Media, who, if asked, would have said that he was on his way to something more challenging. This was in 1997. The theatre was officially shut down three years later due to "safety hazards". The theatre should, ideally, be portrayed as something fallen from princely grandeur, something once beautiful and magnificent, with faux marble arches and columns, gold paint and rich heavy curtains; a place where children came to be awed by life's beauties under the panoply of a grand stage. This wasn't just some punch and judy show - this was a stage as true as any other, where the performers simply happened to be puppets, with humans (and the occasional angel) steering from behind the scenes. Many an adult might have counted themselves lucky to be the accompanying party to such an event. Now, however, it is dark and gloomy, the building having been condemned in all senses of the word. Cobwebs hang from the walls, the curtains are caked with grime, and even the rats have long lost interest. The seats in the theatre hall are dusty and delapidated, the stage is rickety and partly caved in. Old mouldy posters advertise shows that have long been forgotten as floorboards creek underfoot. The Remnant can be found in the cellar, where he busies himself "looking after" the puppets from the stage productions, as well as his other charges. His role, that of a puppeteer, and his true self, that of the angel who loves and nurtures children, have intermingled. To what extent is up to the GM; this can probably range from having the dead child arrayed neatly next to the puppets, with the Remnant trying to care for them, to the Remnant trying to "fix" the dead child with puppet parts. Anyone who really wants to go overboard could have him try the same with a kidnapped living child, such as from this Altona street festival (if you're gonna do it, you might as well go the whole way...). I personally like the idea of the Remnant trying to cheer up the dead baby with puppet acts, for hours, trying faithfully to make this child happy, but failing, and not understanding why. Anyway - that's my contribution to Hallowe'en for this year; let me know what you think, I think there is room for further developments in this - who knows, if we keep at it, there might be enough for a little pdf supplement... Hope I haven't destroyed your idea, Azel :)

10-22-2011, 03:19 AM	#42
Phoenix42 Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Mainz, Germany	Re: Interpreting the Real World for IN I know, double post - but it was slightly too long to put everything in one. @ISNorden: Yeah, I heard of that even here on the other side of the pond... Kobal definitely had a hand in that one, it certainly made me chortle (and then feel slightly guilty) when I heard it - sounds very much like a joint venture... Although, perhaps it was not actually by, but aimed at Nybbas? Thinking about it, Nybbas likes painting happy-fairy-disney pictures (or similar equivalents), making people enrapt and stopping them from thinking too much. Putting porn on would certainly disturb that picture as much as it would disturb Christopher. Maybe it was an angel of Janus having a go? Actually, I can just see an Angel of Christopher sitting in an angel bar somewhere in NY, shaking his head, downing one beer after another... Angel 1: "Gimme another!" Angel 2: "Jeez, what's up man? Since when do you Children guys hit the booze?" Angel 1: "How was I supposed to know?! I just asked if he could give us a hand..." Angel 2: "Who, what?" Angel 1: "I just told him, hack into their servers, make the whole shiny thing crack up a bit while we move in and scrub their drives, and what does he go and do..? He only friggin goes and..." (downs an entire beer in one chug) Angel 2: "Ok, whatever you're talking about, I think you need more than a beer - hey, keep, give us a shot of your best stuff, would ya?" Angel 1 (looking up): "Shot... yeah... now that's an idea..." (gets up) Angel 2: "Hey, you may wanna..." Angel 1 (serenely calm): "No, I see clearly now... this is about content... he wants explicit content? I'll give him explicit content..." (vanishes in a Song of Celestial Motion) Newsflash Gruesome murder: The body of a vagrant was found in the Hudson river this morning, having been shot several times, stabbed and subsequently drowned while being simultaneously beaten to death with a copy of the Motion Picture Association of America film rating guidelines. Reacting to an anonymous tip, the police retrieved the body at around 5 o'clock, before media representatives could arrive on-scene. The police spokesperson announced that no pictures would be released, saying "we should think about the children watching the early morning newscasts, and think this is for the best."

12-26-2011, 05:02 PM	#45
Rocket Man Petitioner: Word of IN Filk Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Longmont, CO	Re: Interpreting the Real World for IN This is either a Kobalite's plot in action, or else the beginnings of a potential Dark Humor Tether: PORT RICHEY -- Deputies said a man walked into a bar and ordered a beer, then vanished for about a half-hour so he could rob a bank. John Robin Whittle, 52, then returned to the bar and finished his beer, deputies said. Full story here: http://www.baynews9.com/article/news...CukGM.facebook __________________ “It's not railroading if you offer the PCs tickets and they stampede to the box office, waving their money. Metaphorically speaking” --Elizabeth McCoy, In Nomine Line Editor Author: "What Doesn't Kill Me Makes Me Stronger"

01-07-2012, 02:20 PM	#46
Rocket Man Petitioner: Word of IN Filk Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Longmont, CO	Re: Interpreting the Real World for IN This has to be a celestial who hasn't gotten the hang of this Role business yet. Beezow Doo-Doo Zopittybop-Bop-Bop, 30, was arrested Thursday afternoon on charges of carrying a concealed weapon, possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of marijuana and a violation of probation in Madison, Wisc. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/0...n_1190410.html __________________ “It's not railroading if you offer the PCs tickets and they stampede to the box office, waving their money. Metaphorically speaking” --Elizabeth McCoy, In Nomine Line Editor Author: "What Doesn't Kill Me Makes Me Stronger"

01-09-2012, 06:59 AM	#50
Phoenix42 Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Mainz, Germany	Re: Interpreting the Real World for IN Yup, I agree with Rocket Man; if this guy's a demon, then there's probably a lesson to be learned... Something like "don't use a third-rate geas to get hold of a new role. No. Really. Don't." But with that name, I think he's an angel of Creation all right. And maybe when he said to the cops that he would "get even" he was in fact talking to the Shedite inhabiting the cop who busted him... The big question is: what choir is this guy?