The Haidao


Introduction


Not all dreams are bright and cheery. Some envision cruelty and shadow, glory and greed. For some people, such dreams aren't considered nightmares. And there are lot of those people out there in the world. That explains how the Haidao not only come into existence but thrive. The modern world fills up with hungry souls. Many of them are the unwitting servants of Banality. But for every treasure hunter who lusts solely for gold, another yearns for the excitement of the chase.

And for some, the sea and rivers alone pose endless possibilities of adventures. The lure of the earth's watery currents, combined with the dangerous lust for wealth and fame (infamy?) once spawned pirates galore. Nowadays, those people become defense attorneys for Mafiosos.

But some remember the old times. Some remember the fear that a black flag bearing the skull'n'crossbones emblem instilled. Some recall the siren song of the wide oceans and long rivers. Some still long for the grand battles: the clash of cutlass blades and the deafening booms of cannons. Some still thirst for kegs of rum on warm nights and the search by treasure map until "X" yields gold and jewels. Some remember the pirates of the seven seas.

OOC Overview


The Haidao Fringe Troupe exists for those who wish to play a European-style changeling, one of the Kithain, in the CoLA game. The main concept of the Haidao is "pirates". Thus, one's character should be willing to perform most if not all criminal acts of piracy. The Haidao engage in very real criminal activities while seeking the Glamour of high adventure, especially on the water.

Character creation mirrors that of the main standards for the CoLA troupe. Starting level characters are encouraged but not required. Please adhere to the following conceptual and statistical standards:

  • All characters must be one of the "normal" Kiths. This extends to the rarer families (e.g., Selkies, Piskies, and Clurichaun). But it does not include Gallain, Inanime, Nightmare creatures, or chimera (as player characters).

  • This is a spin off of the Year of the Lotus-themed CoLA game. This Storyteller does not believe Kithain are native to the Far East in any fashion. Thus, while full-blooded Asian fae will be accepted (if they were raised in America), descendants of noble samurai families of Sidhe who for some reason decided to take up residence in Japan long ago will not.

  • All characters must be Grumps or Wilders who are at least eighteen years old. Captain Sabia dislikes kids. So does this Storyteller…kid characters at least.

  • Any House will be accepted except Balor. No Balor or Thallain characters of any sort will be accepted, nor will members of the Shadow Court. Also, players should consider carefully before making a Gwydion or Liam character. Both Houses would clash with this game's concept. Secret societies of Commoner or Noble pursuit are not ruled out for this game, but bear in mind that should one's loyalty to such an agency be revealed, they will likely be kicked out of the Haidao (or worse, depending).

  • All Arts are permitted except Autumn's Way. However, rarer Arts demand an explanation in the background of the character.

  • The following Backgrounds are restricted: Allies, Dreamers, Holdings. Title is permitted but at no rank higher than ** (Knight). Chimera are fine; chimerical companions are acceptable, although appropriate ones should be chosen for the game (such as chimerical talking parrots?).

  • Kinain are acceptable characters, provided they are of the "normal" Kiths. If you choose to make a Kinain character, here are some Fae Gifts in addition to those found in The Enchanted resource book. You may choose from these homegrown abilities, too.

Up the River


The Haidao were a freshly created pirate gang. Formed under the visionary guidance of Sabia Suerte, the small but growing band set out in search of its fortune. Sabia began a quest to find her past incarnation's infamous fae ship, the a quest to find her past incarnation's infamous fae ship, the Cyclone. The Haidao started their search in Little Asia, Kansas City. Taking a small boat down the Blue River, the fae followed clues. Soon they would join the Mississippi and travel down to the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean…

Aboard the Cyclone


The Haidao are pirates. There aren't many rules to live by. But there is a certain "code" to which the Haidao adhere.

  • Everyone gets their fair share of booty as assigned by their crew position. This is cemented by a very loose Oath of Fealty the sailor pledges to the captain, and the captain pledges to the sailor.

  • The Haidao fights only to defend itself and its interests.

  • The Haidao will do nothing to endanger its freedom and livelihood. This includes upholding the Right of Ignorance.

  • To hell with the Escheat! Well, except the Right of Ignorance, of course.

This "code" is just a general philosophy. Actually, it's more like a guideline…

That means violators of the "code" are punished only on the Captain's whim.

The Cyclone


The Haidao have not recovered Sabia's original ship, the Cyclone. She believes it's hidden away somewhere (in this hemisphere). All she can remember of the craft is that its fae form delivers a beautiful, large, and swift galley. It also possesses a mortal mien to blend in with the banal world.

For now, the Haidao make due with a normal river craft. The boat isn't particularly large, able to hold up to ten passengers. Only one pilot is needed. There is also some limited cargo space: about ten by ten feet in the hull, and up to two tons. The craft was equipped with an extra engine, boosting its speed. It can outrun most boats on the rivers and keep pace ahead of police boats, too. Sabia named the craft Gato Azul.

Connections & Hideouts


Having just started out, the Haidao haven't made many connections. They have a few acquaintances among the Unseelie of the Kansas City area. Sabia intends to navigate down to New Orleans. There they hope to find some more leads to the Cyclone. Perhaps they'll also make helpful allies, too.

The Haidao have only one hideout currently, located in a small warehouse in the freehold-barren Little Asia district. The chimerae of that area are dangerous and wild, this serves to keep out most other changelings. Of course, the Haidao mostly avoid the shen of the area. Their penchant for justice and law and order disgusts the Haidao.

The Crew


The following lists the members of the Haidao. Only Kith will be noted in parentheses.

Officers

Captain: Sabia Suerte (Sidhe)

First Mate (Lieutenant): Brigita Bikinaite (Sidhe)

Second Mate (Master): Nikita Yu Vasili Aleksandrov (Sidhe)

Navigator: Dylan Manx (Clurichaun)

Seamen

Bosun: Luna Starling (Troll)

Quartermaster: Danna Valverde (Encantado)

Helmsman: Bre'anne Tiaishia (Eshu)

Gunner: Cyndi Briggs (Sidhe)

Communications: Fate Shammgod (Piskie)

Cabin Boy/Girl: Wanda Absalon (Piskie)

Sailors: Drew Connelly (Selkie), Jawara Pallassa (Kinain)