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Old 03-29-2012, 05:31 AM   #11
Phoenix42
 
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: Mainz, Germany
Default Re: wordbound NPCS and overdoing it

Hmmm.... *petitions for the Word of Kilt Etiquette*... or should it be Random Facts?

Kilt Etiquette would have to be aligned with Novalis... behaving properly in a kilt is very important in preserving the peace...

Random Facts sounds like Yves or maybe Litheroy. Sounds more useful...

but mmhhh, kilts...

------------------

Anyway, back on topic, does God assign Words in the same way Lucy does? I thought that was one of the things the Council was for... minor point, I'll admit, but I was puzzled...
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Old 03-29-2012, 03:39 PM   #12
PenitentDemon
 
Join Date: Aug 2008
Default Re: wordbound NPCS and overdoing it

God CAN assign words, and the council wont question it, but they assign MOST words, and even apoint most archangels, these days. (its in the GMG)

So it gave me an idea, for a angel Suddenly given a word, that seemed to only be ambiguously related to her superiors word, and strongly at odds with her nature, not to mention a word she was VASTLY overqualified for, and then finding herself the perfect match for it latter on.


Thoughts?

Last edited by PenitentDemon; 03-30-2012 at 11:34 AM.
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Old 03-30-2012, 07:27 PM   #13
Phoenix42
 
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: Mainz, Germany
Default Re: wordbound NPCS and overdoing it

Well, I guess that makes sense in a quirky sort of fashion. I know it's in the gmg, it's just that the gmg also strongly urges the gm to keep God out of the game. But then, if you don't take that one too seriously (and no desperate reason one should, imho), I think the idea of God assigning an apparently ill-suited angel a word that they later turned out to be suited for is fine.

The question for me is, what are you trying to achieve with the character, i.e. what is her purpose in the game? I'd make any skills and similar stuff dependent on that.

As a side-note, however; I'm not sure how old exactly the angel in question is, but I would assume that most angels, wordbound or not, have dozens of redundant skills. Seeing as the majority of angels is easily likely to be at least millennium old, if not more... In Gurps: IN terms, I would set aside about 25 points/millennium just for old and no longer useful skills that the angel is still carrying around with them. Of course that depends on what qualifies as "old" in IN, the treatment of which is rather erratic throughout the rulebooks, imho.
Of course, one can rule that most of these skills have been Forgotten (I believe Yves says a few words on the subject at one point). In that respect, the question arises of what truly qualifies as a lost or obscure song. Hardly any songs can have been truly lost, save particular variations by Virtuosos who didn't get round to passing them on. Even the Songs of Light will still be known to a select few. Songs aren't Forgotten, as far as I understand, so someone, somewhere still knows them, it's just the question of finding them.

But that tangent aside, it depends on what qualifies as "normal" for an angel (the angelic median age, as it were) in your setting, and how does your wordbound diverge from that? If you answer that, I think it should get you closer to deciding whether or not the power-level is adequate.
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Old 03-30-2012, 10:50 PM   #14
PenitentDemon
 
Join Date: Aug 2008
Default Re: wordbound NPCS and overdoing it

wrote out a bio if youd like me to copy and paste it?



(wnot sure how to make this wrap around so People arent greeted by this block of text if they dont want to see it. lol


Nariel is a fairly minor word bound at this point, she had a grander day once.

Laurence is concerned, that shes dieing with her word... but has noted that though he is ANNOYED that she has accepted rites and attunements from the likes of Novalis and Eli, she seems content to take her word to the very end. Her forces have been repeatedly stripped by the Damage done to her word.

She is only a few months by his best guess from dieing. She has lost everything but her very very very last Celestial force.... if anything else happens to her word she dies forever... unless what happens is good... in which case if it lasts, maybe she'll be able to replenish her ethereal and corporeal forces then actively promote it again.

Laurence feels for her in spite of their differences... he know that in spite of his misgivings shes worked had to defend her word.

Her historys fairly complex

She was Created by uriel, Before the fall had even happened, she served him for millenia as a humble reliever.

She Watched the proceedings of the Fall and the Formation of the Council.

In spite of pledging as A Mercurian, she begged to be allowed an assignment on the front lines, Wielding a sword that she might not feel completely useless in this engagement.

Uriel was reluctant but agreed, and was not disapointed.

She won far more fights then she lost. And Helped recruit thousands of soldiers of god through the millenia

After accumalting a note of dissonance once, Uriel found her too useful in the field to remove her to heaven, so he Negotiatied a loan of her to Dominic for 3 or 4 centurys, so she could earn the Mercurian of Justice Choir attunement, making her even more deadly.
Another 10 millenia proceeded for her, Of beautiful slaughter.

When the Purification crusade came she EAGERLY took part.

And where Malakim and cherubim were attacking in the marches, she was helping to Find Priests of the False gods, on earth and destroy their shrines.

When Uriel was Recalled, she, in due turn transferred her fealty to Laurence.

She served him faithfully as she had uriel, sometimes being loaned out to other arch angels for a mission or two.

She had always been nervous of asking for a word, even though she had already claimed the Distinction of Master. Wanting to claim more and more accomplishments to make SURE they had no choice but to give her the word she wanted... she wasnt sure what it was yet, but knew it was important.

As combative as she was, for one of her choir, she was still a Mercurian.


And at the time she had a female vessel. (before then in the proceeding millenia she had used vessels of both genders)

Her orders were clear, to humbly beseach a duke to host a “group of monks” without asking too many questions.

She had swallowed her pride and tried to do her duty to laurence as she had always done.

Dressing up in a Fancy and frilly dress wearing Jewelry... then CAREFULLY curtseying like a cultured lady... at the time she HATED the gesture, but she knew it was the best way to Make a good impression

and it did, but not only on the duke

A Divine intervention occurred, and She could FEEL the presence of god himself... as he connected her very soul forever more, to the word that would till the end of time DEFINE her.

The word of “Curtseying”

after the shock wore off she blinked.

Feeling everything from confusion to outrage.

“this was her reward for 10s of millenia of faithful service, this kind of trivial -”

Wherever this thinking may have gone was interrupted unfortunately, by her knowing that where it would take her was Hell, and she had no desire to become an impudite.

Though started for nearly 3 minutes she managed to make quite the impression on the duke, who didnt understand what had happened.

And he donated a large quantity of money to make SURE the monks were well provided for.

She then finished her musings.

If the lord chooses to grant me a meaningless word, that is his right.

Im not in this for power or glory... Even if it is the word of “rabbits maimed by careless Wagon teamsters I should be honored to be charged with it.

Accepting that her word was valid as it was a form of ettiquite that was widespread throughout the world at the time, She First reported to Laurence. Informing him of what had happened and that shed decided to embrace her new word with both arms.

He was pleased with her enthusiasm, and while he accepted that if God had commanded it it should be, he found it personally inconvenient.

She had been a capable soldier, and a brilliant commander . The word seemed a waste of her talents, even if it DID strictly speaking fall under his purview, as it was associated with chilvaric culture.



It seemed wrong.

She sought 2 or 3 new vessels and roles which were immediately granted as socialites and courtiers

Curtseying was of course ubiquitous , in that day of course, but she made sure that it wasnt a empty gesture but that it truly did communicate femenimity, and deep respect, and where appropiate, submission.

Her word grew stronger and she felt its power flow through her.

She occasionaly dealt with Novalis who shed avoided before then as her own personality became increasingly Femenine.

Finally about the late 1800s it all came crashing down.

The rise of womans lib, caused the virtual death of the curtsey she could FEEL her words death bit by bit from the symphony, and though it had once confused and irked her being granted such a word, she can come in those 8 centurys to truly love and revere her word.

She Felt time and Again Word Forces STRIPPED away as handshakes were going where Curtseying had once occurred.

She knew some, including others she called friends called this social eveolution, but to her it was a terrible painful death.

Finally her connection with her word was as weak as it could get, so her own forces began to hemmorage, Laurence summoned her and Asked her if she wished to be stripped of her word, he preempted her fiery retort saying “Their will be little shame, in this instance, for forfeiting a word, whos role in the symphony would appear to be past... I will not command it however, if you feel you must carry this through to the end”

She sighed and begged to be allowed to die with her word, if that was to be her destiny.

He nodded and dismissed her.

She contacted Friends of various roles she had, asking them to take care of her homesteads if worse came to worse.

One day, she found herself in trauma... having lost her last corporeal force totally unable to become physical again

Her mental capacity diminshed and quietly faded alltogether

Memorys and skills are still in place, but something must cause the regeneration of Ethereal forces to restore some trace of her personality

whoever does so, she will owe a tremendous debt of gratitude.
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Old 04-06-2012, 11:32 PM   #15
Phoenix42
 
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: Mainz, Germany
Default Re: wordbound NPCS and overdoing it

Well arguments for or against statting of an npc aside, I think your story is the perfect way to get angels of the War faction into a plot that deals with frocks and frilly things. I can just see the Malakites grinding their teeth while they hand out fliers for the "Town X curtsey day". The pcs will want to have a look into boosting LARP as well as Renaissance and Steampunk fairs... :)

As far as the npc backstory is concerned, it may be somewhat contrived (some might ask what God was thinking doing that in the first place - ineffability only goes so far, after all), but it would not look entirely out of place even in a more sombre campaign.

Nice one! :)
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Old 05-01-2014, 07:51 AM   #16
PenitentDemon
 
Join Date: Aug 2008
Default Re: wordbound NPCS and overdoing it

Oh another curious question?

Is the Angel of Paid Vacation Violating his Word, by taking time away from his Pre reserved suite in Disneyworld

To go around promoting paid Vacation for all workers?
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Old 05-01-2014, 02:31 PM   #17
William
 
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Location: Upper Peninsula of Michigan
Default Re: wordbound NPCS and overdoing it

No, not at all. Paid Vacation exists in a context of work -- you can't take a vacation if you're not employed.

It's an awfully narrow Word, though. An Angel of Holidays as a general concept might be better.
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Old 05-01-2014, 05:13 PM   #18
robkelk
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Default Re: wordbound NPCS and overdoing it

I wouldn't be surprised if the Angel of Paid Vacations reported to the Angel of Holidays, assuming they're both Servitors of the same Archangel and that AA runs a hierarchical organization.

Hmmmmm... Would they eventually report to Marc, Novalis, or someone else?
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Old 05-01-2014, 10:22 PM   #19
PenitentDemon
 
Join Date: Aug 2008
Default Re: wordbound NPCS and overdoing it

Marc I think fits best.

And probaly yes he would have a day job as some Labor Spokeman.
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Old 05-04-2014, 02:56 AM   #20
tanksoldier
 
Join Date: Feb 2005
Default Re: wordbound NPCS and overdoing it

One thing about "Words" that has always struck me is that an Angel grows as they realize their Word covers more ground that was first apparent.

As mentioned above respect, tradition, courtesy and gender roles are all involved. an Angel of Curtsying needs to ask WHY do people curtsy, what is the modern/current equivalent of a curtsy, how do others appropriately respond to a curtsy or other formal expression of respect and deference and what are the cultural equivalents?

I also suspect that Angels don't communicate ideas and concepts in modern English. The "Word" we read is a translation of the idea/ concept so our minds can comprehend. "Curtsy" potentially involves MUCH more than the mere physical act as known in the West.

As teh Angel grows and expands their Word, perhaps the "Angel of Curtsying" eventually becomes the "Angel of Respect", "Angel of Social Conventions" or "Angel of Traditions" depending on how they promote their Word.

...and curtsying isn't as dead as one might think. MANY cultures still practice it or the equivalent for very formal occasions. It or the equivalent is still taught to the aristocracy of Europe and Asia.

Last edited by tanksoldier; 05-04-2014 at 03:00 AM.
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