Genesis of Catlin - Long Read
Larson Gates A.K.A. Kevin has a very comprehensive questionnaire designed to get a player to hash out a Player Character for his game.
The basic premise is being born and/or raised in Shadow without knowledge of their Amber/Chaos heritage. Knowing they are different than normal humans and discovering certain abilities without guidance.
I took that last part and ran with it. Bending the Rules about Trump Artistry.
The conversation as follows:
Hi
Larson,
Whew... It's been a while. Lots of skull sweat.
Questionnaire:
Character Name: Catlin Theodore Josephs [Cat, like Meow *NOT*
Kate ~ That’s my twin sister -> We’re Cat and Kate] {Nick Name: Comet-Jo}
Gender: Male
Height: 5’11”
Weight: 180#
Hair Colour: Long wavy Sandy-Blonde
Eye Colour: Hazel
DOB: January 15, 1992
Both Parents: Alice and Ian Josephs (Disappeared during
Rodian War - Eldest Sister took care after that.)
Siblings: Lorraine (Eldest – March 13, 1982), Kathryn (Twin)
Ethnic origin: Caucasian(white)
Country of Origin: Canadian of
English/Scottish/Alsace-Lorraine
Place of residence: Hard Loft in Warehouse/Garage – West
Toronto Junction
Major City: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Current Education Status: High School/Apprentice/Self-Taught
If Day Release, then pick Apprenticeship: Forge & Foundry
/ Tool & Die / Machinist / Carpentry & Cabinet-Maker (Tools! Tools!
Tools! Give me more Tools!)
Rank the following in order of importance to your character
(1:Highest->4:Lowest)
1-Intellect – Give me anything and I can figure out how it
works and probably make a copy or repair the original.
2-Health – I can take a beating but I don’t like to fight.
Prefer to find a diplomatic solution.
3-Fitness – I like to take long walks (Hike), swim and cycle
but I don’t put any real effort into anything.
4-Competitiveness – Nope, not interested.
Sexual maturity of your character
- Serial Monogamist – Girl Friends ( Relationships lasted 2
months to 2 years ) [ I don’t cheat or play the field. ] [ I don’t find them,
they find me. ] [ nothing current. ] [ I’ll be faithful, but I don’t want to
get hitched! ]
- Religion? Militant Agnostic { I don’t know, and you don’t
either!!! We’ll all find out when we’re dead. In the meantime -> follow the
Golden Rule. }
Current Sexual Status: Active(as per above)
Internet presence:-
Email: (private provider) -> Yahoo Groups (5)
Other: (Forums – [Model Railroad, Metal Working, Steam
Engine, Off-Grid]) (5)
Select one of the following Abilities you may wish your character
to have:
Non-Unusual Items: (Gadget) Always carry a pocket knife!
Always carry a Multi-Tool! (Pets) Feral Cats, Pug Dogs.
Picture Magic: Trump (see 5 below) – Yes, but… Instead of
cards, I was wondering about using minis. (Like a bag/box of D&D type minis
that work like Trump Cards)
Describe how you might have gained/used this ability/item
(consider how people around you today might react if you used this ability):
Being a metalsmith, I started casting custom minis for my
TTRPG group. Got really good at it. Made a mini of one of my friends and as I
was finishing up the paint/details I accidently found myself eavesdropping on
them. Really freaked myself out. They didn’t know what was happening but I gave
them a massive migraine headache until they passed out and I lost the
connection. I know that I can eavesdrop with the minis I make of people I know
but I don’t know that I can use them for two way communications or porting.
Describe any hobbies interests your character may have (i.e.
what they do in their spare time instead of their homework/coursework):
Model Railroading. TTRPG. Took the engine/batteries from a
wrecked Smart Car and put it into a 1977 vintage Toyota Hilux Long Bed Pick Up
Truck. Put up solar panels and home built windmill to power home/workshop.
Describe any other concepts in relation to your character
that you may think are important:
I don’t always remember names, but I never forget a face.
Twin Sister is a Social Butterfly. I’m a Social Moth. Always attracted to
different flames, I circulate around various social circles and cliques. I
don’t like to be the center of attention. I can slide in and out of various
social groups and more or less fit in, but I miss out on a lot of the in-jokes
and sometimes appear to be clueless about current pop culture. If anyone needs
anything, I can usually find it. I like to make connections. I always know a
guy, or know someone who knows a guy who can hook you up with whatever.
Moved out of familial home when I graduated High School and
moved into loft in warehouse/garage where I am apprenticing. I take care of the
place. Mentor/Owner lives in a house nearby.
Describe how the events of the Rodian War affected your Earth
and potentially yourself and your family/friends. (You can find relevant background
on this on my website as above.
Parents disappeared during the Rodian War. Elder sister
Lorraine took care of us twins.
Lorraine is now married with infant children, living on a
horse farm just outside of the city.
Kathryn is in residence at University of Toronto Med School.
Larson Gates:
Thank you for that..
I can see where you're coming from, but unfortunately the "minis"
angle is basically Trump Sculptures which is an Advanced Trump Ability.
So if you want to go the Trump route then you're going to have to go the
traditional art route first.. I have an article about "How to accidentally
discover and teach yourself trump" which I hope to get up on the website
over the weekend. basically if you go the Trump route you start the game with
Trump Sketches, and Novice Trump.. so you can actually produce Trumps that work
within the same shadow(but not across shadow, you need access to one of the
major powers to do that)..
have a think and let me know how you want to proceed
If you go with your family history as written, your elder sister and your twin
are also Amberites, and even if I allow your elder sister to have a different
biological father, your twin sister can't have a different biological father,
so also has to be an Amberite.. which also doesn't fit. Basically your
biological father, by whatever mechanism, has to be different to that of any siblings.
Thanks Larson,
No Problemo.
I'll stick with Trump artistry - sketches.
Make me the youngest child of three and the girls' bio mother
passed giving birth to Kathryn. I'll be third child from second wife.
I'll update my questionnaire to match.
Edit:
Catlin
(Cat) Theodore Josephs – Comet Jo
Questionnaire
Character Name: Catlin Theodore Josephs [Cat, like Meow *NOT*
Kate ~ That’s my sister -> We’re Kate and Cat] {Nick Name: Comet-Jo}
Gender: Male
Height: 5’11”
Weight: 180#
Hair Colour: Long wavy Sandy-Blonde
Eye Colour: Hazel
DOB: January 15, 1992
Both Parents: Alice and Ian Josephs
Siblings: Lorraine (Eldest – March 13, 1982), Kathryn (Middle
– October 31, 1984)
Ethnic origin: Caucasian(white)
Country of Origin: Canadian of
English/Scottish/Alsace-Lorraine
Place of residence: Hard Loft in Warehouse/Garage – West
Toronto Junction
Major City: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Current Education Status: High School/Apprentice/Self-Taught
Apprenticeship: Forge & Foundry / Tool & Die /
Machinist / Carpentry & Cabinet-Maker (Tools! Tools! Tools! Give me more
Tools!)
Rank the following in order of importance to your character
(1:Highest->4:Lowest)
1-Intellect – Give me anything and I can figure out how it
works and probably make a copy or repair the original.
2-Health – I can take a beating but I don’t like to fight.
Prefer to find a diplomatic solution.
3-Fitness – I like to take long walks (Hike), swim and cycle
but I don’t put any real effort into anything.
4-Competitiveness – Nope, not interested.
Sexual maturity of your character
- Serial Monogamist – Girl Friends ( Relationships lasted 2
months to 2 years ) [ I don’t cheat or play the field. ] [ I don’t find them,
they find me. ] [ nothing current. ] [ I’ll be faithful, but I don’t want to
get hitched! ]
- Religion? Militant Agnostic { I don’t know, and you don’t
either!!! We’ll all find out when we’re dead. In the meantime -> follow the
Golden Rule. }
Current Sexual Status: Active(as per above)
Internet presence:-
Email: (private provider) -> Yahoo Groups (5)
Other: (Forums – [Model Railroad, Metal Working, Steam
Engine, Off-Grid]) (5)
Select one of the following Abilities you may wish your
character to have:
Non-Unusual Items: (Gadget) Always carry a pocket knife!
Always carry a Multi-Tool! (Pets) Feral Cats, Pug Dogs.
Picture Magic: Trump (see 5 below) – Yes, but… Instead of
cards, I was wondering about using minis. (Like a bag/box of D&D type minis
that work like Trump Cards) <- Goal
Describe how you might have gained/used this ability/item
(consider how people around you today might react if you used this ability):
Being a metalsmith, I started casting custom minis for my
TTRPG group. Got really good at It too. Then one friend asked me to do a mini
of him so I started by doing a bunch of drawings from different angles of him.
When I was finishing up the details on one drawing, the image started moving
around on the page and I started ‘hearing’ his thoughts. This really freaked me
out. He didn’t know what was happening but I gave him a massive migraine
headache until he passed out and I lost the connection. Now I know that I can
eavesdrop with drawings I make of people I know but I don’t know that I can use
them for two way communications or porting.
Describe any hobbies interests your character may have (i.e.
what they do in their spare time instead of their homework/coursework):
Model Railroading. TTRPG. Took the engine/batteries from a
wrecked Smart Car and put it into a 1977 vintage Toyota Hilux Long Bed Pick Up
Truck. Put up solar panels and home built windmill to power home/workshop.
Describe any other concepts in relation to your character
that you may think are important:
I don’t always remember names, but I never forget a face.
Middle Sister is a Social Butterfly. I’m a Social Moth. Always attracted to
different flames, I circulate around various social circles and cliques. I
don’t like to be the center of attention. I can slide in and out of various
social groups and more or less fit in, but I miss out on a lot of the in-jokes
and sometimes appear to be clueless about current pop culture. If anyone needs
anything, I can usually find it. I like to make connections. I always know a
guy, or know someone who knows a guy who can hook you up with whatever.
Moved out of familial home when I graduated High School and
moved into loft in warehouse/garage where I am apprenticing. I take care of the
place. Mentor/Owner lives in a house nearby.
Describe how the events of the Rodian War affected your Earth
and potentially yourself and your family/friends. (You can find relevant
background on this on my website as above.
Parents disappeared during the Rodian War. Elder sister
Lorraine took care of us.
Lorraine is now married with infant children, living on a
horse farm just outside of the city.
Kathryn is in residence at University of Toronto Med School.
Hi Ron
I've put up the article I was talking about.. linked on the AiRP page - "How to
Discover and Teach Yourself Trump"..
Happy for you to stick with discovering "People"
trumps first.. read the article.. you may then want to elaborate your
"first contact" bit a little.. note also I'm happy for you to have
broken the contact at the "vertigo" moment where you are about to
plunge into your friends consciousness..
Can you then elaborate on moving onto place trumps as these
are actually far more common and more useful in game terms...
Also need some more details vis you're parents disappearance
(from a GM perspective, even if your character doesn't know about it) and
exactly how affected world geography and stability was by the Rodian War.. and
yes you can write "Not much at all" if you prefer..
Can you also clarify a little (I'm obviously being dense),
how your family history pans out in respect to your biological father being an
Amberite, whist the father of your siblings is human, as is your mother..
unless their father married your mother when she was already pregnant with
you...
Hi
Larson,
Okay. Hmmm. My Mother can't be Aberite/Chaosian and have a
Human Father?
Sure, she could have been preggo and/or I could have been
already been born when they Married...
I need to study the Rodian War and the Trump stuff some more
over the weekend and flesh that stuff out.
How soon before we kick out the jams?
I
would guess sometime next week(ish) .. no particular hurry, worth taking the
time to do some reading...
The problem with Amberite mothers is there is a significant scarcity.. and I
sort of have a history for almost all of them..not that your mother in some way
shape or form couldn't be an Amberite but you'd have to come up with a **
Really, Really, Really ** good story
And having a Chaosite mother would make you a shapeshifter (and you'd start
with shapeshifting as it automatically kicks in at about the age of 6) , not
that Amberites can't possess that ability it's just they're nowhere near as
good.
either of the 2 works in regard to your mother, original single parent, one
night stand etc, etc..
Hi
Larson,
Here's a funny thing...
In the past I was very stuck on being an Amberite. Like, who
would want to be Chaosian? Yuck! Then, recently I started coming around to
thinking that Chaosians are people too. When you get right down to it Amberites
are really Chaosians anyway... Really. Originally.
So, anyway...
My first instinct was to go with shape-shifting but I always
did that in D&D being a Druid so I thought that I should try something
different with Trump Artistry but still wanting to be Chaosian. No matter. You
can't choose your parents.
Is the Shape-Shifting = Chaosian written in stone?
I did get my hopes up with the Trump minis idea thinking that
would be more of a Chaos twist over doing drawings. It would actually be a bit
of a handicap because you can't just sketch a doodle on paper. You have to
carve and sculpt which is much more difficult to do.
Also, silly me, the twins idea was a slip. Although... If you
needed an NPC... Or you needed another player character... In D&D I've
juggled two characters at once when a party needed an extra body.
Anyway, I'm enthusiastically looking forward to this.
Hi
Larson,
The self taught Trump Artistry is very interesting.
But it makes me want to take the sculpture/minis route even
more!
In the novels, the emphasis is on people trumps, but I see
that there's a gaming advantage to place trumps.
As a model railroader, I could see Cat making a scale
model/diorama of a place and discovering it's trump properties.
The amount of focus and detail would be the same.
Also, for his mechanical inclinations, it would make more
sense to go this route because he would be more interested in technical
drawings and blueprints, rather than drawing pretty pictures.
It would evolve from making a model of the whole subject (
Like a scale model of his sister's farm ) to just capturing the essence of a
place by making a model of the front door or fireplace, which would be more
portable.
Hi
Larson,
Magic is really dangerous. Especially self taught Trump Artistry.
Imagine building an exact scale model of your sister's horse farm.
Then leaning over it and getting that trump vertigo.
Suddenly you are falling a couple of hundred feet and landing *spat!* in the
middle of the horse paddock. To lay there for hours or days with a pair of
broken legs.
Then, the fun of explaining how you got there to your sister.
That would literally be a steep learning curve.
You would have to learn how to focus on where you want to go in the model. Then
learn to make a smaller target, like the door to your house or the key to your
car.
Now imagine if it was a mini of your friend. Do you want to fall out of the sky
and land on him?
After going through all of that, to then learn that you could have been safer
by just drawing a picture?!
That would be messed up.
Yes
I can see how that could work.. however, that would mean re-writing all the
trump artistry rules to allow it, as it effectively removes Trump Sculptures as
an Advanced ability. It would also mean having to workout crossover paths
between the two branches, pictures vs sculptures/dioramas. You'd have to start
with one branch but have some sort of base trump power that would then allow
you to cross to the other, similar to power words where you learn one form and
then have to cross or learn a different form.
Now you've suggested it, it's something that I will think about, but I don't
have time think through all the implications and do the rewrite now. I need to
be able to keep the Sketches/Novice/Full Trump progression, along with the
durability/use aspects of the different types of trumps. Which style
Picture/Sculpture doesn't really affect any of the Trump Tricks, but possible
does affect later abilities..
As to Chaosites=Shapeshifters, yes that is a hard and fast rule. All Chaosites
are shape shifters but not all shapeshifters are Chaosites. And as I said yes
Amberites can be shape shifters but they don't get the full range of
capabilities, which also explicitly excludes them from being able to Assay a
Logrus, in the same way as not having Blood of Amber excludes Chaosites from
being able to walk the Pattern.
Ignore
most of my last missive.. you're given me a damn rule worm ...
I'll have a draft of something by Monday.. so you'll be able
to have your Miniatures as people trumps and Dioramas as place trumps
Hi
Larson,
Thank You.
Give me 'til Wednesday and I could do it for you.
I found it interesting that the paint mediums are ranked. Oil
being superior to acrylic being superior to watercolour, while at the same
time saying that trumps could be done with pencil or charcoal.
I'd argue that it is the method, rather than the medium.
Hyper-realism can be achieved in all manner of mediums and/or
mixed mediums.
Can you tell that I am an art school drop-out?
Different artists have different preferences.
I also say that some painters make lousy sculptors and vice
versa.
Who knows what DaVinci could have achieved with acrylics had
they existed back then? Or maybe he would have been Ansel Adams. Trading paint
for photography. Which could be another branch of Trump Artistry if the artist
built their own camera and developed their own film...
Like any magic, it's really about the time and effort more
than the medium.
The more skill and experience, the less time and effort.
With Trump artistry, the medium shouldn't matter. However,
there are obvious advantages and disadvantages to different forms.
Like having to cart around a diorama or a mural.
Trump Cards or Trump Trinkets are portable and practical.
Larger items are more awkward and potentially more dangerous.
Like, anyone could accidentally trigger a painting hung on a
wall. Or fall into a diorama.
So, when Trump Artistry is taught to you, the Teacher would
introduce you to the safest and most practical forms first, but discovering the
ability and teaching yourself without guidance wouldn't be so safe.
Like the saying goes, all roads lead to Rome, but not all of
them are safe and or direct.
Hi
Larson,
One last thing.
I was thinking that there's a bit of a Voodoo twist to Trump
Artistry.
With cards, you would generally start out with the subject in
front of you in order to capture its/their essence.
Once you are proficient, you can do it by memory/vision.
For diorama/mini/trinket, perhaps an element of the subject
would be needed.
Like a chip of paint, splinter of wood or maybe a person's
hair.
Hi
Larson,
Hope you are enjoying your Sunday Evening.
I've updated my character bio but I'm waiting to see what you do with Trump
Trinkets before I rewrite that part.
As follows:
Catlin (Cat) Theodore Josephs – Comet Jo
Character Name: Catlin Theodore Josephs [Cat, like Meow *NOT* Kate ~ That’s my
sister -> We’re Kate and Cat] {Nick Name: Comet-Jo}
Gender: Male
Height: 5’11”
Weight: 180#
Hair Colour: Long wavy Sandy-Blonde
Eye Colour: Hazel
DOB: January 15, 1992
Mother: Alice Ginger Matthews-Josephs nee Micus - Chief Financial Officer at
Royal Ontario Museum.*
Maternal Aunt: Caitlyn Sage Smyth nee Micus
Father: Capt. Theodore Edgar Matthews (deceased - Afghanistan- Military ops -
[CSIS?] MIA-Presumed dead) - Mother says he came from a large family from
England but they don't keep in touch.
Step Father: Ian Donald Josephs - Architect
Mother of Step Sisters: Francis Marjorie Josephs nee Rice (deceased - Labour
complications)
Father went missing when Mother was pregnant.
Mother and Step-Father were high school sweethearts who went different ways in
university but remained friends.
Both widowed, they got back together after a suitable grieving period to
co-parent the three kids.
They married and fully adopted me.
Step-Siblings:
Lorraine Kennydie Smythe nee Josephs (Eldest – March 13, 1982) Married Hume
Patrick Smythe: (Young Children-Patricia and Lorilei)
Kathryn Elizabeth (Middle – October 31, 1984)
Upper Middle Class upbringing. Mostly un-eventful. Allowing plenty of leisure
time for me to pursue my solitary interests and hobbies.
Southern Ontario, Canada was mostly unscathed by the Rodian Wars except for the
huge influx of refugees. Canada's immigration is very welcoming and generous
and we absorbed most without incident. Unfortunately, many of those refugees in
temporary housing were lost in the floods.
Family relocated to the hobby farm North/East of the city during the crisis but
returned to the city after the floods and things went back to normal.*
Ethnic origin: Caucasian(white)
Country of Origin: Canadian of English/Scottish/Alsace-Lorraine
Place of residence: Hard Loft in Warehouse/Garage – West Toronto Junction
Major City: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Current Education Status: High School/Apprentice/Self-Taught
Apprenticeship: Forge & Foundry / Tool & Die / Machinist / Carpentry
& Cabinet-Maker (Tools! Tools! Tools! Give me more Tools!)
Rank the following in order of importance to your character
(1:Highest->4:Lowest)
1-Intellect – Give me anything and I can figure out how it works and probably
make a copy or repair the original.
2-Health – I can take a beating but I don’t like to fight. Prefer to find a
diplomatic solution.
3-Fitness – I like to take long walks (Hike), swim and cycle but I don’t put
any real effort into anything.
4-Competitiveness – Nope, not interested.
Sexual maturity of your character
- Serial Monogamist – Girl Friends ( Relationships lasted 2 months to 2 years )
[ I don’t cheat or play the field. ] [ I don’t find them, they find me. ] [
nothing current. ] [ I’ll be faithful, but I don’t want to get hitched! ]
- Religion? Militant Agnostic { I don’t know, and you don’t either!!! We’ll all
find out when we’re dead. In the meantime -> follow the Golden Rule. }
Current Sexual Status: Active(as per above)
Internet presence:-
Email: (private provider) -> Yahoo Groups (5)
Other: (Forums – [Model Railroad, Metal Working, Steam Engine, Off-Grid]) (5)
Select one of the following Abilities you may wish your character to have:
Non-Unusual Items: (Gadget) Always carry a pocket knife! Always carry a
Multi-Tool! Always carry a flashlight! (Pets) Feral Cats, Three Pug Dogs.
Picture Magic: Trump (see 5 below) – Yes, but… Instead of cards, I was
wondering about using minis. (Like a bag/box of D&D type minis that work
like Trump Cards) <- Goal
Describe how you might have gained/used this ability/item (consider how people
around you today might react if you used this ability):
Being a metalsmith, I started casting custom minis for my TTRPG group. Got
really good at It too. Then one friend asked me to do a mini of him so I
started by doing a bunch of drawings from different angles of him. When I was
finishing up the details on one drawing, the image started moving around on the
page and I started ‘hearing’ his thoughts. This really freaked me out. He
didn’t know what was happening but I gave him a massive migraine headache until
he passed out and I lost the connection. Now I know that I can eavesdrop with
drawings I make of people I know but I don’t know that I can use them for two
way communications or porting.
Describe any hobbies interests your character may have (i.e. what they do in
their spare time instead of their homework/coursework):
Model Railroading. TTRPG. Took the engine/batteries from a wrecked Smart Car
and put it into a 1977 vintage Toyota Hilux Long Bed Pick Up Truck. Put up
solar panels and home built windmill to power home/workshop.
Describe any other concepts in relation to your character that you may think
are important:
I don’t always remember names, but I never forget a face. Middle Sister is a
Social Butterfly. I’m a Social Moth. Always attracted to different flames, I
circulate around various social circles and cliques. I don’t like to be the
center of attention. I can slide in and out of various social groups and more
or less fit in, but I miss out on a lot of the in-jokes and sometimes appear to
be clueless about current pop culture. If anyone needs anything, I can usually
find it. I like to make connections. I always know a guy, or know someone who
knows a guy who can hook you up with whatever.
Moved out of familial home when I graduated High School and moved into loft in
warehouse/garage where I am apprenticing. I take care of the place.
Mentor/Owner (Tony MacDonald from Liverpool England) lives in a house nearby.
Lorraine has taken over the family hobby farm where they raise horses with her
husband and two young children.
Kathryn is in residence at University of Toronto Med School.
Hi Larson,
I've spent all day further developing my character's back
story. I'm six pages in with a few more to go.
I hope it blows your socks off when I share it!
Hi Larson,
Thanks. I'm not into astrology, but I hear
that stubborness is a Capricorn trait.
I really wanted to make a case for the type of
Trump Artistry that I wanted to pursue.
Amber Diceless, to me, is about Role Playing,
storytelling and mystery solving rather than hack and slash dungeon crawling.
Although, I suppose a throne war is hack, slash and backstab.
If someone prefers a dice game, they can play
craps.
I really don't understand a lot of the game
mechanics and point system or Magic systems either.
I'm a huge Roger Zelazny fan and over his
bibliography he's written about all sorts of magics. The Merlin books expand
out from Logrus and Pattern and into other esoteric forms. Within reason,
anything is possible in all of Shadows.
I certainly see one of the characters here is
following Merlin's lead with what appears to be a version of GhostWheel.
One of the other reoccurring themes in
Zelazny's stories is the hero who doesn't want all the power, but wants to
ensure that power is delivered into the right hands.
Anyway, I'm really looking forward to where
you take us.
Quote:
|
Originally Posted by Larson
Gates I have to say I'm really impressed.. |
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