Supra-Continuums: Notes
The following include notes, ideas, story arcs, key items, and other Storytelling-related materials that may be shared by others who participate in this Supra-Continuum, such as Mai-p.
Overview
This entire Supra-Continuum (THED) hinges on the machinations of several old and powerful beings, including a Tzimisce elder, Kura Sau diabolist, her Yomi Wan backers, a faerie queen, and one human mage of the Go Kamisori Gama Craft who seized upon this opportunity to initiate one of the most elaborate kunoichi missions of seduction, sabotage, and assassination to ever pass, the sort that superstitious old men used to blame on "Fox-women"--and indeed, of which the Nine Tails might hold envy.
Four players actually participate in the THED: myself (Cam), Kami, Matt, and Mai-p. Below are an accounting of all characters involved:
Cam: Nekoko, Jessica Smith, Serena Bellamy, Andrea Citron, Sofia Citron, Juliana Oates, Dalila Gaddis, Madison Gavrell, Gwen Coyle, Shannon Ransford, Autumn Shipp, Maylina Maytin, Stephanie Clarke, Abrianna Cunningham, Courtney Manson, Felicia Delany, Heather Chapeau, Karen Edwards, Regina Attenberry, Samira Rostami, Holly Roff, Lisa Eastley, Veronica Van Ness, Ivy Van Ness, Ophelia Strauss, Tabitha Hecht, Oona Bircher, Abigail Green, Erin Wallister, Leticia Rowbottom, Piper Beattie, Brigitte Causing, Rayleigh Dunham, Zarya Nagaya, Tori Cummins, Murakami Sho, Riley Carroll, Adaeze Osuma, Iria Tapihana, Nika Jasmine, Salali Amadahy, Sasa Longroad, Yewande Temitope, Huang Lifen, Usha Shastri, Pariwana Huamanga-Ñaña, Chelsea Chalk, Keelin Adger, Misty Goode, Reagan Edson, Shawna Coleman, Onaia Kaiwaena, Balthasar Rane, Javon Stout, Dawn Samhradh, Wanda Dame, Indiana Ripley, Vesna Zlatan, Ariela Samhradh, Sabia Suerte, Cyndi Briggs, Iris Ebner, Cristiona Paise, Midir Griobh, Cillian Ultan, Drew Donnelly, Vangelis Onesiphoros, Dylan Manx, Jawara Pallassa, Jade, Lexa Clemons, Esperanza Garcia, Amaya Lamb, Gemma Calabrian, Kiera Portman, Alixel Xaqab’ic, Kanika Tauaw, Tulliola Cicero, Ric Carver, Marjani Bola, Jengo Masika, Nemesio Zola, Gotta Butannaziba, Sipho Melisizwe, Claud Kobe, Shanakdakhete Meroë, Amagawa Kioshi, Caera Buchanan, Danna Valverde, Vania Natharshan, Nitte Kaede, Khat Kanya, Zhen Heng, Ki Bo-Ra
Kami: Kita Jean-Marioux, Amber Rowe
Mai-p: Erika, Jenifer, Karina, Kayla, Kennedy, Ojoki, Daphiel, Aguri, Lajila, Nesma, Tetsutose, Matsuyumi, Rachel, Samantha, Kylie, Fatina, Marina, Skye, Veronica, Katie, Hayley, Talora, Xinya, Himiko, Nina, Nike, Shizuko Harai, Jiho, Viorica, Ada, Lindani, Mai Nakamura, Shannon, Cassiola, Amora, Larissa
Matt: Kathy Mosier, Natasha Dering, Tajier Mosier, Tamrissa Darkstaff, Evangeline Smith, Ushi Lam, Maya Sharpshoot, Emma
The Cubed Conspiracy
Three primary plotters are at work behind this Supra-Continuum but at various dimensions, interest, and intrigue. Those schemers are: Nekoko, Viorica, and Xinya (and the Yama King behind her). Suborned to those three manipulators are the wills and schemes of Uzi, Serena, and Mai--or at least the mysterious and shadowy Nakamura Clan chunin, for whom Ojoki stands.
However, while the Tzimisce elder and the Kura Sau both invested a great deal of power and influence into their scheme, Nekoko has introduced the lynchpin for her victory, a victory that will cut into the heart of Yomi Wan itself. She will deprive Hell of key assets only a short time before the doom of the impending turn of the wheel to the nadir of the Sixth Age. Her success is all but guaranteed, for it counts on demons and their ilk being demonic--which they cannot help but be. And, should they decide to cease being demonic, then they are no longer the enemy, and Nekoko still wins!
Below notes the major players' intentions and, in broad sketches, outlines how they have begun to try to accomplish their goals.
Viorica: Both through her mastery of Vicissitude and blood magic and other Disciplines, this Tzimisce elder subverts humans and others who fall into her grasp through preternatural improvements to their physical beauty, playing on vanity and vice. As she builds her harem, she surrounds herself like an "Osiris" with devoted pawns who act (involuntarily) as shields against her foes in the endless Great Jyhad. Her goal above all, like all Kindred, is to survive the long nights and sharpening of the stakes to come.
Xinya: On behalf of her foul Yama King overlord, this Kura Sau employs black alchemy (Hac Tao) to feed her patron Yomi Wan, the Hell of Torrid Shames, with souls while their psyches suffer still in this dimension, bent to her will, or in partnership with Viorica, to the vampire's. She is a coward and a treacherous snake, this fallen Chu-Jung schemer, but possessed with the mantle of immense power through her control over a gateway to the Thousand Hells. A powerful i chih spell enables her to "pseudo-sacrifice" willing or unwilling souls to Hell. Their spirits, trapped there, are subject to all the torments that Yomi Wan can devise--and grow in power thereby. Meanwhile, her victims live on in the Middle Kingdom, unaware of their split-soul and what it endures. Xinya influences and employs a variety of street gangs, too, often seeing to their infestation with minor demons to become loyal bakemono servants. These enemies may ravage a victim here in the Middle Kingdom even as their split-soul screams in anguish in Hell. Her alliance with Viorica has proved most profitable; the callous vampiress discards plenty of souls worth surrendering to Xinya's dark lord. In exchange for her loyalty, Xinya hopes above all to be spared a similar fate upon the turn of the Sixth Age, to be elevated as a lieutenant of the conquering Demon Emperor, not one of his slaves.
Uzi: Uzi is one of the last Ajaba left in the world. His mission is simple: procreate. More Ajaba are needed; his race must survive, so that they can return to fulfilling their Gaia-given duties. To that end, he gathers onto himself numerous potential mates. In his growing harem count some he cannot mate (they're undead), but he cares little. Sometimes, mating is just for the fun of it. Alright, that's what it's usually for!
Uzi was a formidable bastard to begin. Nekoko surreptiously gifted him--while in disguise as one of his random victims of rampant breeding--a fetish. This magical object, containing a powerful spirit loyal unto Nekoko no matter who wears it, grants Uzi powerful influence over anyone who falls under his sway. Even those who would seek to only pretend to be his slavish whores, as do Viorica and Xinya in order to poach his harem for their own, are gradually subjugated by the fetish's power that it bestows upon its wearer. But the mage designed that fetish in the same way Sauron devised the Ring of Power after gifting nineteen lesser rings to the leaders of the peoples of Middle Earth--only she has true power, not only over the shared harem, but over Viorica, Xinya, and Uzi himself. She is the sultan of this harem, and it will serve her will. And Uzi cannot help himself; he can't keep it in his pants. Ever.
Serena: Queen Serena Bellamy and her Shanghaied Ensemble of Royalty are only tangentially connected to the conspiracy. The plans that Nekoko forms for her Shining Hostesses will draw upon the Glamour from Serena's realm and fae as well for one of the most powerful fae Junctures this side of the Sixth Age. Serena and those under her watch have not been drawn into the grimy underworld of either Uzi or Xinya.
The Tenryu & the Nakamura Clan: Nekoko members the Hinodi family of the Reiryu Clan of the Go Kamisori Gama. Four other clans stand. The Tenryu have long been rival to the Reiryu. The rivalry has grown so bitter over the centuries that both sides have produced traitors--barrabi and other diabolists. While most infamously in recent years were the schemes of Toji, the Avatars of Fate (of which Jessica is a member) from the Reiryu answered other Tenryu diabolists. However, an entire family within Clan Tenryu has long been subverted by Yomi Wan: the Nakamura, who were especially famous for the producing and training of unAwakened Shih demon hunters that they unleash against the enemies of Heaven.
But some time ago, the Nakamura clan was infiltrated by barrabi and demonic posers. Those Yomi serve none other than the same Hell for which Xinya so tirelessly labors. Indeed, many a Nakamura heroine has found her soul split and sent to Yomi to suffer while she endures still on Earth. Mai seems to have tragically joined the ranks of her sisters...
Shining Hostesses & Mao'lung Fragments: These individuals have not been drawn into Uzi or Viorica's harem and are unlikely to be save for a few fae Uzi already had his paws or gaze set upon (including Princess Kylie). However, Tess draws upon the source of these groups' power to further her ends within this conspiracy.
Tools of the Trade
Here are discussed some of the game-related technicalities of how these conspiracies are being realized, for the posterity of myself and Mai-p in particular.
Viorica: Viorica is a powerful Tzimisce elder of the 6th-Generation. Her Disciplines fall as follows: Animalism 3, Auspex 4, Dominate 4, Presence 4, Vicissitude 7, and Thaumaturgy 6; the following (Thaumaturgy) Paths are known to her: Corruption 5, Gift of Morpheus, Movement of the Mind 3, Prey on the Soul's Fear 3. Her elder-level Vicissitude powers include: Corrupt Construction (6), Perfect the Human Form (6), Liquefy the Mortal Coil (7). She has gathered the knowledge of many Thaumaturgical Rituals over the centuries.
Xinya: A powerful and experienced Kura Sau, she knows the following Wu Tan: Hou Tan 4, Lin Tan 4, Shui Tan 2, and Hac Tao 5. Among her favorite i chih: she likes to improve her silvery tongue to better turn street gangs to her will (Shui Tan 2 and Hou Tan 2), bless herself and allies with dreamy good looks, the better to seduce (Lin Tan 2), shapechange into a variety of disguises (Lin Tan 4), blast her enemies with sheer hellfire (Hou Tan 4), leap into and merge with power lines to escape enemies (Hou Tan 3), and all the gruesome power of the Black Way. Hac Tao favorite i chih of hers include: detecting the kinds of vices and sins a mortal or shen enjoy (level 1), corrupt the perception of others and force them to see the world as doomed as she does (level 2; Perception is the bound attribute of her particular Hac Tao), call lesser demons to do battle for her or ravage a defenseless human (level 3), summon more powerful demons to possess mortals and thereby create bakemono (level 4), and most notoriously, ritualistically sacrifice part of a victim's soul to her demon lord liege in the Hell of Torrid Shames for torment while the majority of the victim's psyche remains (level 5).
Uzi: Prior Nekoko's fetish gift, Uzi relied on Animal Attraction and the Gift of Sweet Hunter's Smile to help him seduce the ladies, at least long enough for them to drop their guard. The fetish makes it even easier to not only seduce but maintain affection. See the item's traditional description below.
Silver Circlet of Lordship
Level: 5
Gnosis: 8
Description: This thick silver circlet, fitted with cut amethyst gems, was designed to fit as a king's crown. The genuine silver thus burns when rested upon the brow of most shapeshifters and bolts spring out to latch it into the regenerative flesh of such a creature, binding itself even as the shapeshifter seeks to bind the fetish through activation. Though painful at first, the circlet soon becomes naturally fitted and causes no pain or discomfort (though, as a silver object of substantial size, costs the wearer a point of Gnosis).
Effects: The circlet has several effects that are often subtle but perpetually maintained. First, the wearer's Animal Attraction rolls are reduced by 3 (to a minimum of 3). Creatures not normally subject to Animal Attraction (non-mortals, such as spirits or even vampires) may be so affected. Additionally, whomsoever he seduces with that primal skill will then feel bound to honor the wearer of the circlet at all times, to respect, admire, and even love him. This can be resisted with a simple Willpower roll (difficulty 7) but failing that roll ensures she may not make another unless Uzi inflicts some harm that raises doubt (thereby enabling another attempt to break free of the influence). Furthermore, resisting it the first time doesn't immunize one to it. At a later date (24 hours or more), Uzi may once again try to seduce with Animal Attraction that target, who must again roll Willpower to resist. This seduction takes on a supernatural degree of affection, overriding vampiric Presence, Gifts, and faerie magic. (It cannot compete, however, with the Blood Bond. However, he could ostensibly seduce a vampiress domitor, and thereby gain control over all that Cainite's vassals indirectly!)
Additionally, Nekoko is wholly immune to this fetish's effects. She created it, she bound the spirit into it, and that spirit is friendly to her. (It is a Lioness-spirit of Preceptor honor.)
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