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[ajf115]

That would be good. Perhaps make the document commentable?...

[ajf115]

Precisely. I kinda like the idea of having them be well-meaning and often more an irritation to Monarchs than an actual threat, but every now and then they stick their noses in where they're not wanted or inadvertently kick the hornet's nest, and that ends up with shit hitting everyone's fans. Also, they could occasionally employ other entities, or even Monarchs, to act as guides and protectors. That could lead to some interesting stories.

Alien Indiana Jones, anyone?...

[ajf115]

I'm not sure about the last part, but just from an academic standpoint the beneath would be a veritable goldmine. Anthropological studies, the chance to observe alien physics, study functional androids or alien biology both Endless and not? It's a scientist's wet dream....

[ajf115]

Why that name, if you don't mind?

However, we do already have a 'corporation'-type antagonist. They don't have that focus, granted, but I personally would say that one is enough, and that more can be fairly easily done by STs or players....

[ajf115]

When you say that I envision something like an unholy telepathic cross of Skype and Reddit. All the flamewars. Imagine a kind of 'duel' wherein you try to overload the other guy with so much telepathic ALL CAPS SCREAMING that they have to shut off the link because migraine.

I'm not sure I like the idea of a 'realm' per se, but I'd be more than happy with the telepathic equivalent of Geist's Twilight Network. Perhaps it's a job - maybe even a Merit - that can be assigned to a Monarch to act as a 'host' for multi-way telepathic conversations, or maybe they can build structures that...

[ajf115]

I could have a go at writing up some of those when I've the time, if you'd be happy with that, Almarck ....

[ajf115]

Oh thank the dark gods, I thought that no-one else was interested in this carrying on!

With reference to the mechanics of war, though, I think that something we need to consider is the fact that war has a price. War drains resources on a massive scale, especially when you have to construct not only your soldiers' armaments but their very bodies. Of course, Endless monsters are essentially expendable, but the fact remains that I doubt that Monarchs would like to go to war with one another all that often, especially when they have enemies like the Geodics at their backs. I feel that...

[ajf115]

Any specifics you'd like to share?...

[ajf115]

The funny thing is that I hadn't even thought of the Flying Dutchman. I do agree, though....

[ajf115]

This is probably going to be a very odd idea, given that it was actually inspired by the Kantai Collection of all things, but would a Horror in the shape of a naval vessel or, maybe better, a submarine work for a Makara? I have this image of an old - really old, by this point - seaman who served onboard the U-Boats during WWII who, when he left the sea after the war, kept his 'wolf of the seas' inside his soul. On the other hand, they could be one of the allied seamen who feared the U-Boats.

Given that this Beast would be quite old and powerful, I'm thinking that it should have the...

[ajf115]

Oh. Whoops. I think I got confused there. Apologies. ...

[ajf115]

To change the subject somewhat, what kinds of Horrors would people expect from the new Hungers? Transgression lends itself well to tempters (succubi, sirens and so on), of course, but what shapes would a fear of the Other take? Would there be lots of 'uncanny valley' situations, with beings that are almost human but not quite? Like, for example, the AI from Ex Machina and such?

[ajf115]

Sounds more like a Nightmare, if I'm honest. Creating hallucinations of 'clones' that get more real with Satiety Expenditure, Exceptional Success and so on....

[ajf115]

On a separate note, Ares from Wonder Woman would pe a perfect example of a powerful Outer God.

[ajf115]

hellovg and I have been discussing the Aspects and we're thinking about modifying them somewhat, partially to fit more easily into the five-splat model of most of the CofD and partly for the sake of re-skinning them somewhat and grounding them conceptually in reality rather than the fairly nebulous concepts that they are at the moment. We want the divisions of the X-splat to be primal and simple, the kinds of divisions that Sumerians or similarly ancient civilizations would make.

So far, we have two major ideas:

1) Attaching Aspects directly to deific symbolism:

• Gods

...

[ajf115]

So, let players define their own Astra powers? Or make a set of Astra powers for each Creed but make them cross-buyable? I personally think that Creed-based Astra powers - we need a better name for them, really - should be creed-exclusive. They're like the exclusive practices of the Covenants in Vampire or, more precisely, the unique things that Mage's Orders have. Techne, Egregore and so on. The powers are distilled from the symbolism of the Creed as a whole.

Given that each Empyrean has the capability to have 5 Astra at Communion 10, what about having 5 powers per Creed which scale...

[ajf115]

You've double-posted.

On what you said, though, I'm sorry, I should have been more clear. I meant Lucifer's wings as an example of the extreme end of the spectrum. Perhaps it would be better to make it so that an Astra must be removable and usable by someone else. So, a jackal-shaped death mask would be valid while an actual jackal-head would not. To pick a random example, the Sandman's helmet, gem and bag of sand.

Any thoughts with reference to 'set' trees? What would we do with Empyrean who don't belong to a Creed?...

[ajf115]

To elaborate, the threematters we're trying to decide are:

• What are the limits of what an Astra can be?
  • My two cents is that an Astra must be able to be lost. Lucifer's wings from Lucifer would be an example.
• Should Creeds have specific, defined 'trees' of Astra abilities which they grant, similar to Werewolf's Full Moon, Half Moon and such Gifts.
• If so, what should those be with respect to each Creed?
  • Titanes:
  • Grigorian Choir: What about Astra related to sanctification of spaces?
  • Descended Masters:
  • Fallen Devas: Perhaps related to better regulation of personal Od?
  • Defiled S

...

[ajf115]

None. All. Some. Who knows? It's not like anyone - mortal or Empyrean - can go up and ask them. They're mysterious in the same way that the Crone from Vampire is, that the Oracles from Mage are and the Principle from Promethean is. They're far more rarefied than Empyrean. Instead of a singular being, each Celestial is coterminous with all Spheres that fall within its nature. They are rain, fire, conflict, inspiration. They're kind of similar to Supernal symbols in that....

[ajf115]

The latter, I think....