Nightmares of conflict

[Xararion]

That's rather good. I've made a number of comments and a few corrections of grammar and such. I hope that you don't mind. I apologise if I overdid it.

No worries, you didn't overdo it. I know there was unfortunate amount of grammar fuck ups, and since I become very blind to my own text I appreciate you pointing them out to me. Your other comments were also welcome.

Master Aquatosic Yeah, I suppose that's fair. It's also lot harder angle to approach it. I also didn't want to go too hard on the "bringer of change" angle since there exists the homebrew "nightmare of chaos" already. I'll keep it in mind and think on it though, because you do have a point, it is kinda like little brother to Anakim as it stands.

[Master Aquatosic]

I like it, but there seems to be a trace of the fear of the unbeatable opponent in them, which is more Anakim. Maybe focus more on how they are the fear of conflict altogether. The fear that someone will break the fragile peace and bring the fight, which will change everything no matter who wins.

[ajf115]

That relation to heroes is something I hadn't even thought of it, and could indeed provide for very interesting points of view. The ideas of being able understand and see some of what the hero sees, yet never quite agreeing makes sense. The hero sees conflict as means to an end, to the happy end of his story and the glory it will bestow upon him. A Kishin would see conflict having inherent value in its own right, as something that prevent stagnation and regression.

The first draft of the family has been made a while back, but because it's littered with spelling errors I was hesitant to hand out the entire thing without knowing if there was any interest in it. But since feedback on the concept was positive, here goes.

Kishin, the nightmares of Conflict

I've enabled comments on the document if anyone wants to directly comment or give ideas for it. But any feedback, advice, ideas and such are also welcome here where there is more room for lengthy commentary. You will see there are few lair traits and atavism's referenced by the document. These are still under construction by my gamemaster and I, and is not my document so I won't link directly into that at least not yet. Though I'll answer any questions about them.

Any help, ideas and feedback is more than welcome.

That's rather good. I've made a number of comments and a few corrections of grammar and such. I hope that you don't mind. I apologise if I overdid it.

[Xararion]

That relation to heroes is something I hadn't even thought of it, and could indeed provide for very interesting points of view. The ideas of being able understand and see some of what the hero sees, yet never quite agreeing makes sense. The hero sees conflict as means to an end, to the happy end of his story and the glory it will bestow upon him. A Kishin would see conflict having inherent value in its own right, as something that prevent stagnation and regression.

The first draft of the family has been made a while back, but because it's littered with spelling errors I was hesitant to hand out the entire thing without knowing if there was any interest in it. But since feedback on the concept was positive, here goes.

Kishin, the nightmares of Conflict

I've enabled comments on the document if anyone wants to directly comment or give ideas for it. But any feedback, advice, ideas and such are also welcome here where there is more room for lengthy commentary. You will see there are few lair traits and atavism's referenced by the document. These are still under construction by my gamemaster and I, and is not my document so I won't link directly into that at least not yet. Though I'll answer any questions about them.

Any help, ideas and feedback is more than welcome.

[ajf115]

I agree with Dusksage This is a very interesting idea, especially in the way in which it could serve to highlight a reality which both Beasts and Heroes tend to gloss over in their obsession with stories and narratives. That's not to say that they wouldn't be just as story-obsessed, but it would be an interesting perspective. In fact, I could imagine an ancient Horror of theirs being a nameless war-god of some forgotten primeval culture, uncaring of the complexities which later myths and cultures attached to conflict: a hungry barbarian-god whose virtue is in his might and his savagery, not what we might consider virtuous today.

Actually, if you ever want to get around to writing this up fully, I'd be happy o help out.

[Dusksage]

Dito!

Plus the fear of predation is a lot more primordial than you give it credit for. The fight or flight instinct is one of the oldest, nature's fragile ecosystem is often dictated by who eats who, and as long as humanity has existed it has waged war against both itself and the natural world for supremacy. It should be noted also that this family would be the closest to understanding (or maybe even sympathizing) with Heroes, but there's just enough of a difference that there shouldn't be any dramatic overlap between themes. This family taught lessons of the grim necessity of conflict and battle, making sure the best of humanity would be strong enought to not be extinguished by the worst. It was Heroes who used conflict to define their existence, and created concepts like glory and honor to justify and romanticize the bloody buisness of taking another being's life.

[Nicolas Milioni]

i'm feeeliing it

[Xararion]

Hello there everyone. My table have been spending time lately bouncing homebrew ideas around, and one that was conjured up was the idea of new family. Since we heard there'll be few coming in in the players companion, we figured to write down few ideas of our own. I will post the actual googledocs with our version of the family if people are interested, but before I do that I'd like to know your opinions on the concept.


"Long has man feared the nature and all the dangers it represents, the threats outside of firelight, outside the city. But the fear that grips a man when he looks at his fellow man is as old as first time man claimed something as his own. Man desires peace, he builds himself a home, a castle of his own making, not just to keep the threats of nature out, but also to keep other humans at bay. But the more he builds the more he fears that another man will come and tear all that he has built down. He placates his neighbours for fear of having to argue, he avoids his estranged wife so as to not have to face the divorce papers, he shuts down the tv when the news come, pretending the conflicts abroad don’t concern him.

These concerns don’t touch you, you cherish the thought of conflict, to have someone to face against. Whenever an opponent rises, no matter big or small, you face them with all you have, to do otherwise would be to disrespect the glory of conflict. If it would ever look like you’d get to retire in peace and comfort, you cast it aside and seek out another conflict to nurture until it blooms like a rose. You are Kishin, conflict is your feast, lamentation of your foes your lullaby.

You might not be the strongest or the biggest, but your opponents will kneel before you nonetheless. They lament how they could never match your talent, no matter how long they practice they could never face against a natural genius. No matter what field you choose to wage your wars on, you always wield your chosen weapon with clarity and purpose unknown to the weak.

Younger sibling in the family, it wasn’t in the untouched wilderness where the dark mother gave birth to your kind. No, your kind were given birth in the first blood soaked battlegrounds by the lady of blades. Your lineage is of those who reject peace, be they men, gods or the unnatural. Your lullabies were the clash of blades and roar of fire, your mother's milk the blood of the fallen."

In fairness, conflict isn't quite as primordial as sky and darkness, but we thought it still carried enough resonance with mythological monsters. Namely, Nightmares of conflict, or under working title Kishin (asura as nickname) would be good place for more human-shaped beasts of raw talent rather than raw power. Some examples that were used were tengu, asura and rakshasa, but also sphinx (mental conflict), efreet and erinyes.

Tell me what you guys think.