[OOC] Mistwatch - Werewolf: The Apocalypse

[Stir of Echoes]

We'll turn you into a proper nerd soon enough. ;D

[Al-Haleem]

Great...Although I hope Alessandro hasn't wandered off...Also, I've just realized I've been away for a week. Not a good example. I'll make sure to check this thread once a day. So, Abhimanyu, when you say you don't really know the game, how much of it are you familiar with? The background? The tribes you can play as?

PS: Also, with a name screen name like Abhimanyu, I'm guessing you're into Indian mythology? This bodes well...

[Abhimanyu]

Eve explained the basics of the game to me. What interested me the most was a Homid/Ahroun/Glass Walker. Born in India, came over to the USA to study engineering and then had his first change. And yeah, I used to watch Mahabharatha when I was a kid in Kerala.

I noticed the Narasimha avatar. You wouldn't happen to be Indian, if I may ask?

[Al-Haleem]

Right. Have any idea what this character's name is? Did you read the background info in the first post? How would your character fit in amongst the Garou of San Francisco? What does he want to get out of his new life?

And I'm half Indian, on my mom's side. Werewolf the Apocalypse is woefully lacking in Indian stuff, so I work as much of it in as I can, glad there's a chance of someone getting all the references now : p

[Stir of Echoes]

Just posting to let people know I'm still alive. :-D Holiday weekend ate up my time, but I should have her sheet (found a few things I wanted to work out) posted within the next few days.

I've talked to Abhi, too, and he'll have his full concept ready soon as well.

[Al-Haleem]

Thanks for keeping me informed Eve, and I'm glad Abhi's got a handle on stuff, looking forward to seeing his character concept. No clue what happened to the other dude, hopefully he'll check back, if not, eh, I can wing it.

[Vidyaraja]

I am still here, yeah, lurking and waiting. And thinking about Merits & Flaws.

[Stir of Echoes]

Okay, here's her sheet. She's... very specialized, but I hope that's okay. Still have a few things left to do, mainly the personality and background, which I wanted to ask about before I started writing it.

Player: Eve
Chronicle: Mistwatch

Breed: Lupus
Auspice: Ragabash
Tribe: Red Talon
Camp:
Sept: Mistwatch
Pack Name: [Leave blank for now]
Pack Totem: [Leave blank for now]

Nature:
Demeanor:
Concept: [Optional]

Attributes
Strength: 3
Dexterity: 3
Stamina: 2

Charisma: 2
Manipulation: 2
Appearance: 2

Perception: 4 [Uncanny Instincts]
Intelligence: 2
Wits: 4 [Cool-Headed]

Abilities
Talents
Alertness: 4 [Ambushes]
Athletics: 3
Brawl: 3
Empathy:
Expression:
Intimidation:
Leadership:
Primal-Urge: 3
Streetwise:
Subterfuge:

Skills
Animal Ken:
Crafts:
Drive:
Etiquette:
Firearms:
Larceny:
Melee:
Performance: 1
Stealth: 4 [Shadowing]
Survival: 4 [Tracking]

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

Backgrounds [Just names and numbers here; details go below.]
Ancestors: 5
Pure Breed: 1
Totem: 2
Mentor: 4

Gifts
Blur of the Milky Eye (Breed/Auspice/Tribe; Level 1; Book & Page Number)
Heightened Senses (Breed/Auspice/Tribe; Level 1; Book & Page Number)
Hidden Killer (Breed/Auspice/Tribe; Level 1; Book & Page Number)

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

Metis Deformity: N/A

Rage: 2 (2) [Permanent, then temporary in parentheses, which will be the same at the start]
Gnosis: 5 (X)
Willpower: 3 (3)

Renown
Glory
Permanent: 2
Temporary:

Honor
Permanent:
Temporary:

Wisdom
Permanent: 1
Temporary:

Rank: 1 (Cliath)

Merits
Homid Ancestor (Social/Spiritual; 2; Red Talons Revised, pg.78)
Wolf Sight (Physical, 1; W20 pg.472)
Acute Sense - Hearing (Physical; 1; W20 pg.472)
Acute Sense - Sight (Physical; 1; W20 pg.472)
Acute Sense - Scent (Physical; 1; W20 pg.472)
Untamable (Mental; 5; W20 pg.476)

Flaws
Sign of the Wolf (Supernatural; 2; W20 pg.484)
Strict Carnivore (Physical; 1; W20 pg.473)
Pack Mentality (Mental; 2; W20 pg.477)
Mark of the Predator (Supernatural; 2; W20 pg.484)

Background Descriptions
Perception, Wits, Alertness, Survival, Stealth
Forced to fend for herself from a young age, Echo has been honing these skills ever since. Without them, she would've never survived the worlds of both man and wolf. After her Change, the Talons noted her talent, and honed them even further, very intent on making her the "sneak and murder" type of Ragabash, over the stereotypical trickster.

Wolf Sight, Acute Senses
For long as she can remember, she's been sensitive to the slightest movements, sound and smells; perhaps this is another reason why she put so much work into her sensory skills, to obtain some sense of control against the overwhelming stimuli of daily life.

Untamable, Pack Mentality
Try as they might, Echo refused to be leashed by any man, and has proved resistant against mind controlling gifts (much to the chagrin of her superiors.) Her soul is wild, through and through.

At the same time, she is lost without her pack. Alone, she is nervous, prone to making mistakes.

Sign of the Wolf, Mark of the Wolf, Strict Carnivore
If you asked some random citizen to point out a werewolf, they'd probably point to Echo. Animals shy away from her. She's hairy, her eyes appear almost yellow and her palms just happen to have lines that look like a pentagram. Oh, and she only eats meat. Anything else makes her ill.

Homid Ancestor, Ancestors
A dark secret. Nobody, not even Echo herself knows that there is a homid in her ancestral tree. Her mother, or father, was Garou, and they certainly weren't Red Talons. Dreams and memories of both wolf and human plague her. She leaves out the human part when talking to tribe mates.

They likely wouldn't be forgiving if they knew the truth.

Mentor

Age: 2
Apparent Age: 15
Sign: Rorg
Race: White
Sex: Female
Gender: Female
Sexuality: Unknown
Hair Color: Reddish
Fur Color: Reddish
Eye Color: Dull green, gold specks
Height: 5'1
Weight: 124 lbs
Build: Wiry, lean; more muscle than fat.
Distinctive Features: Wild, unkempt hair; "Signs of the Wolf".

Appearance
Homid
Echo could be the poster girl for feral children, with her dirty skin, her animalistic gait, and her wide, round eyes that always appear to be on the alert, and which, on occasion, seem more yellow than green. She's pale, very pale, and quite short as well, made more apparent by the slouch in her shoulders - it's clear she's uncomfortable in this 'skin.' Her hair doesn't fall below the ear, and looks as though it's been cut with a rusty knife or sharp rock, with strands of various different lengths. It's a sort of dark coppery blonde in color, or auburn, and always tangled, never brushed. Physically speaking, she's scrawny, but tough, with what muscles she has readily apparent, lithe and limber.

She's not a fan of clothes, and, unless absolutely necessary, she doesn't wear them, preferring instead to wander nude (in breed form). If the situation calls for them, she grabs whatever's available, without regard to style or good fashion sense. Her choices tend to be very bland (or very garish, if you let go wild), very "blue collar", and often a size too big. She can't stand long sleeves, or collars that reach around the neck.

Lupus
Here is where she truly excels, moving with a predatory grace few outside the Talon's can match. Powerful muscles ripple under thick red fur, fur that's painted with black patterns that run down from the nape of her neck to the tip of her tail. In stark contrast, below the jaw, the stomach and the legs are white. Her eyes a bright, intense gold.

Crinos
She bears the visage of the penultimate hunter, a towering mass of muscle and sinew. Each limb is of equal width, made more for the chase and a quick, brutal kill over prolonged fighting. The red-black patterns of her fur have merged to become a dark, almost maroon shade, with one exception: at her knees and elbows, the color fades into a milky white, creating 'socks'. Her eyes are a brilliant gold, and they always seem to catch light in such a way that causes her pupils to 'glow.'

Equipment
Zilch.

Personality
To sum her up in one word? Quiet. She's a wolf lost in thought, trying to make sense of all this madness. This might make her come off as aloof or cold, but beneath all that is a passionate woman, struggling to reign in her emotions. This passion leads to strong opinions, and Echo's not one to hold her tongue when the pressure's on; if you've been acting the fool and ask for her opinion, she'll lay it out bluntly, explaining why you're a moron (and what you ought to do to fix that). This is not meant to insult (well, usually), but to help, as Echo grows attached easily, and only wants to see that her people remain safe.

Part of this is born out of insecurity. Echo fears losing someone again, and she's found that, if they don't respect wisdom, they certainly do respect fear. There's a darker side to this - she'll deny it viciously, but deep down, she gets a morbid sense of pleasure and comfort from seeing others recoil from her presence.

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


flaw +7 = 22 freebie points
-2, -1, -3 merits
-1 ancestors 5
-2 totem 2
-1 for pure breed
-5 for untamable
-4 for mentor 4
-2 for willpower 3
-1 for rage 2

The gist of what I had in mind for her history is this:

One of her parents (or grandparents) is garou, a homid that may still be in or near Mistwatch. Nobody, except for maybe a select few, know this. All that Echo knows is that she is plagued by weird dreams/ancestral memories, and that when she was a pup she was sold to a guy in the city. The idiot wasn't prepared to take care of a wild animal, so after a few months of home destruction, he dumped her on the streets, where she scraped by until she stumbled across Muir Woods, and the Talons took her in. Well, actually, there was squabbling between the Gnawers and Talons for her, but the Talons won. She is, after all, their kin, even if the blood is thin.

After she changed, they worked on making her the perfect killer.

And that's what I've got so far. I'm not sure why they'd send her to Mistwatch. Maybe to spy? Echo would want to leave, if only to figure out what happened to her. And to find a pack that wouldn't look down on her for her city origins.

That also brings me to my next question: would Val be available as a Mentor? I don't know how or why that would happen, yet, but it could be part of the reason she came to the sept.

[Al-Haleem]

Righto. I can see what you mean about specialized, which isn't too much of a problem. Alessandro wants to play a combat type character, and Abhi also wants to be an Ahroun (May I suggest a Philodox for balance reasons?) I'm glad you picked up on the Talons hatred of Mistwatch, and them sending Echo to spy makes sense, especially as she's a 'city wolf' and thus would blend in better. Also, most Talons would loathe the idea of spending extended periods in San Francisco, so Echo makes a good lackey. However, if she's a 'perfect killer' she might not be the most effective spy. Assassin maybe? And Val could indeed be a mentor, although he won't be very reliable. As for why he chose to mentor her...he moves in mysterious ways. Possibly he knows her homid ancestor. Maybe he approached Echo when she arrived, presenting himself as a friend and ally. And Echo would need all the allies she could get, after all, she's in enemy territory. If you want to link him with Echo's reason for coming to the sept, maybe the Talons believe Val can be turned against Ragnar, and thus weaken Mistwatch. Just an idea.

[Vidyaraja]

To be honest my concept doesn't revolve that much around an Auspice, so I can play a Philodox or whatever is needed, if you'd rather have a different Auspice for every player.

[Al-Haleem]

Only if you want to. But going by Talon's desire to network with his fellow garou and keep things civil, he does seem to have the balanced mindset a good philodox would have. It's not imperative, but seeing as we only have three players (so far) having everyone be a different auspice allows for more roleplaying opportunities (and helps me create specific content for each player). Hopefully I'll get a glimpse of Abhi's character sheet soon. Remember guys, the sooner you complete them, the sooner we can start playing!

[Stir of Echoes]

However, if she's a 'perfect killer' she might not be the most effective spy. Assassin maybe? And Val could indeed be a mentor, although he won't be very reliable. As for why he chose to mentor her...he moves in mysterious ways. Possibly he knows her homid ancestor. Maybe he approached Echo when she arrived, presenting himself as a friend and ally. And Echo would need all the allies she could get, after all, she's in enemy territory. If you want to link him with Echo's reason for coming to the sept, maybe the Talons believe Val can be turned against Ragnar, and thus weaken Mistwatch. Just an idea.

Sounds good to me. They send her to keep tabs on things, and to see if Val can be swayed to their cause. They could also try to spin a story around her arrival, claiming that it's an act of goodwill that they're handing over one of their few, precious pups. Surely, if they had insidious intentions, they would not be risking her life.

Not likely that anyone would believe that, but it's a cover story.

News from Abhi: he should have his app up by tomorrow night. He's sorry for the delay, but he's been incredibly busy, being his last month in grad school and all. He's also cool with going Philodox.

Although, with two Ahrouns and a Red Talon, we'd have the market cornered on murdering things.

[Abhimanyu]

Sorry for the delay. I was a bit busy with college.

Player: Abhi
Chronicle: Mistwatch

Breed: Homid
Auspice: Philodox
Tribe: Glass Walkers
Camp: Random Interrupts/Cyber Dogs*
Sept: Mistwatch
Pack Name: [Leave blank for now]
Pack Totem: [Leave blank for now]

Nature: Survivor
Demeanor: Judge
Concept: [Optional]

Attributes
Strength: 2
Dexterity: 2
Stamina: 2

Charisma: 3
Manipulation: 3
Appearance: 3

Perception: 3
Intelligence: 4
Wits: 3

Abilities [Feel free to add Hobbies/Professional Skills/Expert Knowledges to each category.]
Talents
Alertness: 1
Athletics: 1
Brawl: 2
Empathy: 3
Expression:
Intimidation:
Leadership: 2
Primal-Urge:
Streetwise: 1
Subterfuge: 3

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

Knowledges
Academics: 2
Computer: 4 [Hacking]
Enigmas:
Investigation:
Law: 2
Medicine:
Occult:
Rituals:
Science: 2
Technology: 4 [Computers]

Backgrounds
Resources: 4
Totem: 2

Gifts
Persuasion (Homid; Level 1; W20 153)
Truth of Gaia (Philodox; Level 1; W20 166)
Plug and Play (Glass Walkers; Level 1; W20 183)

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

Metis Deformity: N/A

Rage: 3 (3) [Permanent, then temporary in parentheses, which will be the same at the start]
Gnosis: 1 (1)
Willpower: 3 (3)

Renown
Glory
Permanent:
Temporary:

Honor
Permanent: 3
Temporary:

Wisdom
Permanent:
Temporary:

Rank: 1 (Cliath)

Merits
Computer Aptitude (Mental; 1; W20 474)
Languages (Mental - Hindi, English; 2; W20 475)
Supporter (Social; 2; W20 480)

Flaws
Persistant Parents (Social; 2; W20 481)
Hunted (Social; 4; W20 481)

Background Descriptions
Persistant Parents
They're rich, and he's their only child. They won't let him go so easily.

Hunted
One of the three people he attacked during his First Change survived. Not only that, but they remember everything. His face before he became the monster that killed their brothers. They know who he is, where he lives, and they won't stop until they've got their revenge.

Random Interrupts/Cyber Dogs
While not formally apart of either of these camps, they interest him the most.

Age: 21
Apparent Age: 21
Sign: [For Garou Astrology. If you’re unfamiliar, leave blank for now.]
Race: Indian
Sex: Male
Gender: Male
Sexuality: Hetero
Hair Color: Black
Fur Color: Black
Eye Color: Brown
Height: 5'10
Weight: 142 lbs
Build: Tall, wiry
Distinctive Features: Slight accent.

Appearance
In homid, he's tall & wiry, skinnier than most garou would like. Dark skin, dark eyes, and black hair that's begun to grow past his ears. Similarly, he's been forgetting to shave, sporting stubble over his angular face.

In lupus, he's slim, even for a wolf, with shaggy black fur and yellow eyes.

In crinos, he's finally got something resembling muscles, standing at almost 10 feet and dressed entirely in black (even his eyes) with long, wicked claws.

Equipment
Top of the line computer equipment, disposable cellphones, duffel bags to carry it all around.

Personality
Jovial, or, at least, he tries to hide what he's really thinking behind a grin. Incomplete.

Character History
Nobody knew of his garou heritage, not his mother, or father, or anyone else in his family, stretching generations back. He was a single child to a wealthy family (his birth rendering his mother infertile), their "crown jewel", and they pushed him to excellence, whether he wanted it or not. When, at 19, he got the chance to leave the country, he jumped at it, flying over to San Francisco to study engineering.

Life was good, for a little while. Almost a year, in fact, until one night when the First Change hit him. He killed three people before the Glass Walkers found him. That, combined with being forced into another, even more alien culture, is what drove him to run away, to try and escape back to India. He failed, of course, and got a good beating for they called cowardice. He begrudgingly accepted his fate.

Later, when he earned back a little respect, he was tasked with hacking into the computers, phones, and communications of the other tribes kinfolk, hunting down blackmail material to give the Glass Walkers an upper hand in taking Mistwatch.

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

Freebies Spent
21 Total

-1 for totem 2
-2 for empathy 1
-2 for empathy 2
-2 for law 2
-2 for subterfuge 3
-5 for manipulation 3
-1 for computer aptitude
-2 for languages (english, hindi. tamil is his native language)
-2 for supporter
-2 for empathy 3

[Al-Haleem]

I like the concept Abhi, but I think he needs a name : p Unless I've missed it somehow? I have a few questions though:

1. Who did he kill and where? Why was your character around these guys, and why was his First Change triggered in their presence? SF has some pretty dodgy areas, so I suppose a triple homicide wouldn't cause absolute hysteria, but it would probably be front page news. Did someone cover it up (maybe Diego) and if so, does your character owe them?

2. Philodox works, but looking at your character's interest in knowledge and the like, theurge might be better. The reason I say this as, although he has a judge demeanor, I'm not really seeing that in his background, or personality, which I'm assuming you're gonna expand on. However, feel free to keep philodox, but I only suggested it as an option. If you all really wanted to be ahrouns or whatever, that's perfectly fine, my only requirement is it makes sense for your character.

3. I like the fact he's already helping the Glass Walkers undermine Mistwatch. I'm guessing this is how he's repaying his escape attempt. But why would the Glass Walkers want to prevent his escape? The garou generally aren't presented as a brainwashed cult, where it's loyalty or death. That's closer to the Black Spiral Dancers. So how did the escape attempt fail? If he'd made it back to India, the Glass Walkers probably couldn't have done much. Is there a reason they consider him so valuable? Also, does he resent the Glass Walkers for forcing their will on him? (much like his parents.)

4. Resources 4 is a crap tonne of money. I'm assuming it's courtesy of his wealthy parents. But if he's disobeyed them, why do they continue to finance his exploits? They may decide to cut him off...

5. As a star sign idea, perhaps Shantar? She favors philodox who are perceived as having great potential. If a Glass Walker theurge believed your character has been blessed by Shantar, they might have thought him essential in their effort to take Mistwatch, and thus, would be unusually insistent in keeping him in San Francisco, Just an idea. You can read about her here: http://darkshadows.awardspace.com/shifters/calendar.htm And I can post her section from Rage Across the Heavens if you like.


Also, Eve, I think that's a great cover story. And you're right, no one will believe it, but they'll all insist they do. Garou are funny like that.