[OOC] Mistwatch - Werewolf: The Apocalypse

[Al-Haleem]

Hi guys, I've thrown together some setting information, at the google docs link below. It's lengthy, but I hope it's mildly interesting/entertaining, and should give you a good idea of what to expect. Or not to expect. Use your characters from the Delaware Valley chronicle if you like, tweak them, discard them, whatever. All characters will start off as new arrivals to Mistwatch Sept, and while they'll have already undergone their rite of passage, they'll still have much to prove. If you guys could paste you character sheets into this thread, I'd appreciate it. Even if you want to completely re-do your character, we'll be using the character sheet format Jim provided, as it's pretty darn good.

That should be enough to get started. Questions and suggestions are most welcome.

Link to Google Doc:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1...it?usp=sharing




Right, so here's the character sheet template we'll be using (btw, I ripped it off someone):

Player: [Screen Name is sufficient, but feel free to put your first name if you care to share. I’m Josh.]
Chronicle: Mistwatch

Breed:
Auspice:
Tribe:
Camp: [If any]
Sept:
Pack Name: [Leave blank for now]
Pack Totem: [Leave blank for now]

Nature:
Demeanor:
Concept: [Optional]

Attributes
Strength: [Record attributes and abilities with a numeral, not a series of dots]
Dexterity: [If there is a specialty, include it after the relevant numeral in parentheses]
Stamina:

Charisma:
Manipulation:
Appearance:

Perception:
Intelligence:
Wits:

Abilities [Feel free to add Hobbies/Professional Skills/Expert Knowledges to each category.]
Talents
Alertness:
Athletics:
Brawl:
Empathy:
Expression:
Intimidation:
Leadership:
Primal-Urge:
Streetwise:
Subterfuge:

Skills
Animal Ken:
Crafts:
Drive:
Etiquette:
Firearms:
Larceny:
Melee:
Performance:
Stealth:
Survival:

Knowledges
Academics:
Computer:
Enigmas:
Investigation:
Law:
Medicine:
Occult:
Rituals:
Science:
Technology:

Backgrounds [Just names and numbers here; details go below.]
_____:
_____:
Totem:

Gifts
Name (Breed/Auspice/Tribe; Level 1; Book & Page Number)
Name (Breed/Auspice/Tribe; Level 1; Book & Page Number)
Name (Breed/Auspice/Tribe; Level 1; Book & Page Number)

Rites
Name (Type; Level X; Book & Page Number)

Metis Deformity: [If not Metis, please write “N/A”]

Rage: X (X) [Permanent, then temporary in parentheses, which will be the same at the start]
Gnosis: X (X)
Willpower: X (X)

Renown
Glory
Permanent:
Temporary:

Honor
Permanent:
Temporary:

Wisdom
Permanent:
Temporary:

Rank: 1 (Cliath)

Merits
Name (Type; Level; Book & Page Number)

Flaws
Name (Type; Level; Book & Page Number)

Background Descriptions
[Any background that requires an explanation, such as the identity of an Ally or the nature of a Fetish, should have a listing here.]

Age:
Apparent Age: [For Metis and Lupus, it will be the age your homid form appears.]
Sign: [For Garou Astrology. If you’re unfamiliar, leave blank for now.]
Race: [Racial phenotype of the character’s homid form. Use whatever descriptor you like.]
Sex: [By which I mean their anatomy]
Gender: [Use whatever descriptor you like, or leave blank if you prefer]
Sexuality: [Use whatever descriptor you like, or leave blank if you prefer]
Hair Color:
Fur Color: [Obviously this applies to Crinos, Hispo and Lupus forms]
Eye Color:
Height: [Homid form]
Weight: [Homid form]
Build: [Whatever descriptor you like, just a one or two word blurb to help us envision.]
Distinctive Features: [Any particular features useful in identifying your character, be they visual, auditory or olfactory.]

Appearance
[Give a general description of your character’s appearance in Homid, Crinos and Lupus forms. If you’re feeling especially industrious, you can do so for Glabro and Hispo as well. For homid form, include a brief description of the clothing that the character is most often wearing.]

Equipment
[Any particular or distinctive equipment that your character owns that you want to record. The make, model and color of her car, for example, or her heirloom pocket watch. Bear in mind the resources rating and be reasonable. Remember, this is not D&D- not every piece of equipment needs to be accounted for. Unless you really, REALLY want to be sure your character has that 10 foot pole and 50 ft of hemp rope.]

Personality
[Just a few sentences of summation of what the character is like, on the level of personal interactions. If you were this character’s friend, and had to describe what she is like to someone who had never met her, what would you say?]

Character History
[The character’s history and backstory, in your own words. Most of this will be what we discussed in the recruitment thread, but here is the chance to fill in some blanks and put it all in one place, for easier reference for all of us.]

Notes
[Any notes you want to jot down about your character to have readily available for easy reference. Names of family members living or dead, particular goals, aspirations or fears, etc.]

Renown Details
[This space is for me to record the details of any renown won (or lost) by your character, for our easy reference. Leave it alone for now.]

Experience
Saved: 0
Spent: 0
Total: 0

A few other notes:

- No Rite of Talisman Dedication. In this crazy alternate universe, werewolves don't shred their clothing when they shift. Trust me, it's better this way.
- No super-powered Fetishes or Talens. This goes without saying.
- Everyone takes at least one point in the Totem background. The pack will be stuck together for a while, and this will represent this. Remember, the more points in Totem, the more powerful it'll be. You guys will get to choose your totem as the game goes on.
- No Fate background.
- And no Dark Fate flaw.
- Silver Fangs must have a minimum of 3 in Pure Breed.
- Gnosis and Willpower may not be raised higher than 8 at character creation. No exceptions. Rage can be as high as you wish...

Attributes will use the standard 7/5/3 split. Ratings of 1 or 5 will require some sort of exceptional explanation. Also, choose a specialization for every attribute rated 4 and above. Custom one's welcome.

As for abilities, it's the regular 13/9/5 spread. However, there should be something in your character's background to justify all their abilities to some extent. Ratings of 5 in anything will be severely scrutinized. Kailindo, Klaiveskar, Iksakku are off-limits, even if your mentor happens to be an elder Stargazer (ahem). All lupus characters must take at least one dot in Primal Urge to represent their lupine instincts.

[Evilmarmelade]

Your setting is super unrealistic. Val as a wise and respected Ragabash? Come on. Write something more believable.

[Al-Haleem]

Shhh. The setting materials all written by him, so the perspective might be slightly skewed. I guess I got a bit attached to the character and wanted to do something with him.

[Evilmarmelade]

Man, I'm really uninspired for a character... I guess I'll rework Geoff, but I'm having trouble coming up with interesting twists for him.

[Al-Haleem]

Did you read through all the setting stuff? Was there nothing there that looked like a plot hook? I'm happy to help you come up with ideas.

[Vidyaraja]

Sorry for taking so long, been really busy. Life can be a bitch that way.

Player: Vidyaraja (Alessandro)
Chronicle: Mistwatch

Breed: Lupus
Auspice: Ahroun
Tribe: Silver Fangs
House: Wyrmfoe
Lodge: Lodge of the Moon
Sept: Mistwatch
Pack Name:
Pack Totem:
Nature:
Demeanor:

Attributes
Strength: 3
Dexterity: 4
Stamina: 3

Charisma: 3
Manipulation: 1
Appearance: 2

Perception: 3
Intelligence: 2
Wits: 3

Talents
Alertness: 3
Athletics: 3
Brawl: 4
Empathy:
Expression:
Intimidation: 1
Leadership:
Primal-Urge: 3
Streetwise:
Subterfuge:

Skills
Animal Ken:
Crafts:
Drive:
Etiquette:
Firearms:
Larceny:
Melee: 2
Performance: 1
Stealth: 3
Survival: 3

Knowledges
Academics:
Computer:
Enigmas: 1
Investigation:
Law:
Medicine: 2
Occult:
Rituals: 2
Science:
Technology:

Backgrounds
Rites: 2
Pure Breed: 3
Totem: 3
Contacts: 2

Gifts
Heightened Senses (Lupus, Level 1, W20-158)
Falling Touch (Ahroun, Level 1, W20-171)
Sense Wyrm (Silver Fangs, Level 1, W20-156)

Rites
Rite of Binding (Mystic, Level 1, W20-210)
Prayer for the Prey, Greet the Moon (Minor, W20-220)


Rage: 6 (6)
Gnosis: 6 (6)
Willpower: 6 (6)

Renown
Glory
Permanent: 3
Temporary: 0

Honor
Permanent: 0
Temporary: 0

Wisdom
Permanent: 0
Temporary: 0

Rank: 1 (Cliath)

Background Descriptions
Pure Breed : Many generations removed from his lineage, Shine Talon is still a Silver Fang, though some say "barely"
Rites : His traidtionalist tribe wouldn't teach him the Rite of Binding; he bargained with the Talons for tutelage in this Mystic Rite
Totem : Shine Talon has a good relationship with the natural world and spirits, so he naturally will have a deep connection to whatever totem adopts his pack
Contacts: An extended network of acquaitances and friends of convenience among the Red Talons


Age: 30 months (give or take)
Apparent Age: 20-25
Sign:
Race: Caucasian
Sex: Male
Sexuality: Heterosexual, not really interested in humans of either gender
Hair Color: Dirt blonde
Fur Color: A dirty, grayish white
Eye Color: Brown
Height: 177 cms
Weight: 77 kgs
Build: Well-developed muscles, strong and athletic
Distinctive Features: In lupine forms his claws are of the purest white

Appearance
Homid: Tall and muscular, would be cute but he scowls semi-permanently; only truly smiles at things he intends to hurt. Dresses in hand-me-downs, usually rips his clothes in places where they are too small for him.
Lupus: More white overall than your typical timber wolf; big, strong and mean-looking. Unusually colored nails that give him his deed name.
Crinos: His fur shifts more towards pure white in this form. His white talons also become really apparent here.
(As a side note, Werewolf art tends to show Garou with white claws, though wolves, even arctic woles, tend to have dark claws)

Equipment
None, thouhg at any given time he might have stashes of talens he bargained for or bound himself hiddne in various parts of his home range

Personality
Seems aloof and distant at first, but he just tends to put on a show to people he doesn't know. In reality he's quite friendly to people / wolves he gets to know, though he doesn't show that well in human shapes. Calm, analytical and patient, he nonetheless tends to snap even at friends if he doesn't get some time alone for self-reflection now and then. Values instinct over human-think and he's brutally honest because he chose to discard the concept of "tact" his tribemates tried to teach him. Overall people who know him well find that as long as they respect his boundaries he's friendly and loyal.

Character History
When the Fangs first came to the area around Mistwatch, a single lupus among them tried to claim a strong pack of wolves as his Kinfolk. After watching four generations of his descendants in which not even a single pup bred true, he left in search of better stock and the lineage became a footnote in the Homid-written history of the local Fangs.
Now, more than a century later, his efforts finally bore fruit. Though dozens of generations removed and unnoticed by a long-dormant Kin-Fetch spirit, a pup was not only bred true, but with enough lingering purity of blood that Falcon would not disdain him.
Shine Talon's life was pretty unremarkable for a wolf pup until his First Change. He played and hunted with his brothers, quickly outdoing them in both cunning and strength. When their father became too old to lead and hunt and it was time to make a play for dominance, though, things turned bloody. As he was holding down his struggling brother, the Change came on him. He tore the wolf from piece to piece, and the rest of the pack scattered, never to come together again.
The Talons found the young werewolf, wailing in a furless guise, overcome by emotions and understanding neither. They estabilished he was of their breed, but their spirits also showed them that he was not of theirs and they should contact the Silver Fangs.
The Fangs didn't really know what to make of the pup. They managed to identify his lineage, but his closest relatives dwelled in woods hundreds of miles away. Besides they had no heirloom, no title, no nothing to offer to a scion so far removed. So it wsa that Shine Talon stayed here in Mistwatch, he underwent tutelage by a Homid warrior and took his Rite of Passage with cubs from other tribes.
Nowadays the Fangs stationed him in Mistwatch because they don't trust him enough to keep him close but they don't trust him enough to let him roam free either. They taught him enough human get-by to not threaten the Veil then happily discharged the responsibility to Ragnar and his septmates. As for Shine Talon, he feels more kinship with wolves and the Red Talon tribe than with homids; he frequently visits his home range and trades favors and tutelage with the Talons of the Devourer.

Renown Details

Experience
Saved: 0
Spent: 0
Total: 0

Some details are missing, like Nature and Demeanor and Specialties and maybe I'll take some Flaws. But otherwise this is pretty much how it's going to be.

[Al-Haleem]

Great stuff Alessandro. I too have been rather busy, which explains my absence. Although no one else seems to have stopped by...Hmm...

Anyway, I have a few questions about Shine Talon:

1. You mention a 'Lodge', is this something from Werewolf: The Forsaken? I've never encountered it before. Is it just another word for 'camp'?

2. Shine Talon has a lot of contacts. Are you okay with me making them up, or is there a specific contact you wanted me to include in the story?

3. Who was the 'homid warrior' who taught Shine Talon to fight? That seems like a pretty big deal. Does Shine Talon still have contact with this person? They can be someone important from the sept if you like. Ariadne would be a good choice.

4. The way you've written the character history implies Talon (can I call him that?) is bound to Mistwatch. I'm okay with this, but he WILL get manipulated, and not just by Ragnar. If you're fine with this possibility, let me know.

5. The Sept of the Devourer aren't fans of Mistwatch. Do they know Talon is attached to the sept?

6. Talon's original pack scattered when he underwent the First Change. Does he want to find them and reconnect?


I'll let you handle nature and demeanor, (Loner might be a good choice though) although if you want to come up with custom ones, feel free, just check with me first. If you're intent on a Flaw, maybe Insane Ancestor? The Silver Fang lupus who wanted to produce garou offspring might have taken notice of Talon. He has fulfilled his dream after all, and perhaps this ancestor isn't pleased with the direction Talon has taken? Finally, if you're not versed in Garou astrology, here's a list and description of all the star signs: http://darkshadows.awardspace.com/shifters/calendar.htm I apologize for the terrible font and late-90s site layout, but it's the best one I could find (which is saying something.)

[Vidyaraja]

Yeah, I thought at first thet I wanted to wait to see someone else's work before I posted mine, but of course if everyone thought like this we'd never go anywhere. So I did hte opposite and hope that seeing us working on my PC will inspire someone else to post.

Anyway, on to your questions:

1 - Lodges are mentioned in both Silver Fangs tribebook and, I believe, in W20. It's a SF thing where each one of htem is encouraged to choose either the Lodge of the Sun or the Moon, which are kind of administrative bureaus with ritualistic overtones. The Lodge of the Sun is concerned with worldly matters, politics and the human population; the Lodge of the Moon with wilderness, the spirit world and wolves. A proper SF court is attended by at least a steward, shaman and squire from each Lodge, plus a seneschal from one or the other. They also have some Gifts like Camps do, but overall it's just a bit of flavor you can ignore if the story isn't that SF-centric.

2 - Feel free to make my major Contacts up. I wouldn't know what REd Talons NPCs would work best in your setting.

3 - I thought of that person as just some guy who wanted to score some quick and dirty Honor for mentoring then went their own way as soon as they did the bare minimum. That's why I didn't purchase Mentor. Even if we make it one of your named NPCs I don't relay think they'd have more than a casual, cordial relationship.

4 - Well, they can try! Of course a homid could be tricked into thinking Talon is too dense to be useful even if successfully manipulated. (He's not stupid at all, he just thinks very differently and values very different things from the homid around him.)

5 - I imagine they knew, and there would be some things he wouldn't be trusted with, but overall the relationship keeps working. Unless that doesn't work for your story in which case I'd have to tweak my backstory a bit.

6 - They were so terrified by the experience that they all started living as lone wolves and keep on doing so. Talon feels a lot of guilt over this, but he figures at least he can respect their wishes, watch them from afar and protect them when he can.

[Vidyaraja]

So, no one interested anymore I guess?

[Al-Haleem]

Duuude...I can't believe it. I mean I had like 6 people who said they were down for it. I have no idea what happened. I know I've been AWOL, but I didn't suspect I would come back to...this. It's kinda disappointing. I guess I'll leave things open for now, but there's no point running the game with one player, sorry Alessandro.

[Vidyaraja]

Eeeeh, I confess to having left hanging my share of online games, myself. It's just something that sometimes happens when there's no direct social contact involved.
Nest time, then!

[Stir of Echoes]

Ah... sorry for disappearing. Again. I had my sheet finished, but life's been throwing a lot of problems my way the past two months. >_< Would two players be enough to keep this alive?

The character was Stir of Echoes, reimagined as a Ragabash Red Talon.

[Al-Haleem]

That's cool Eve, you're here now. Let's see if I can drag someone else in first. Bashir also seemed quite interested, but I think he's got stuff to deal with at the moment. I just didn't want to start the game, then have people arrive late, but what the hell, I'll improvise.

[Stir of Echoes]

I see. I hope he's doing well.

I do have a friend who might be interested. I'll poke them and see if he'll come around.

[Abhimanyu]

And here I am. I don't really know the game, but I'm interested.