Talk:Ledaal Sarefine

Realm-Lookshy Relationship Question

I have been doing a lot of reading on the subject but still can't find a solid answer. How would you describe the Lookshy-Realm relationship? They have warred in the past but the Realm now recognizes Lookshy as an independent entity. My purpose is this - does it make sense for the Realm to have a diplomatic envoy in Lookshy? This matters for a background story I am working on. Kirkland 13:30, 7 October 2008 (EDT)

I would label their relationship as tense, they have warred in the past and if Thorns hadn't happened they may still be at war, or on the verge of it. Right now the Realm lakes the necessary resources to attack Lookshy, Lookshy has never had enough to lead any sort of attack against the Blessed Isle and with so much in the Scavenger Lands they're certainly to occupied. As far as whether or not the Realm has a diplomatic envoy in Lookshy I would think that they do not on a permanent basis. There may be times that it occurs, larger events or immediately following a battle between the two but I wouldn't think there would be any sort of embassy, certainly there would be no Realm troops. Dan and I have differed on our opinions of Lookshy in the past though, he may see things slightly differently. --FyreFly 17:12, 7 October 2008 (EDT)

Do any Realm DBs defect to Lookshy or is that unheard of? Kirkland 20:07, 7 October 2008 (EDT)

Not enough for it to be worth mention in a book, it's also not so unthinkable that I would say that no one has done it before. And certainly you could have a character or an NPC do it. It would be a big enough deal to be a major event in your backstory, but not some unthinkable crazy, unheard of event. Its certainly plausible. --FyreFly 20:19, 7 October 2008 (EDT)

Character Development Discussion

This is mostly for Tony, but Dan if you have anything to add feel free.

I want Sarefine's defining moment story to be the night she stepped in front of Arkanian in an attempt to prevent him from killing the small boy, but I'm going to need some help.

Update: I answered most of my questions by finding Typhon's page.

• Do you remember any exact quotes from the twos exchange in dialog? We can recreate it if not, but I don't want to be writing Arkanian's part because I probably can't do it justice.

Kirkland 10:48, 2 October 2008 (EDT)

• I don't remember the exact conversation the two had before Arkanian shot her, part of the reason that I picked up the story after the dialogue was over. I do remember the general exchange pretty well though, I think we could create a pretty accurate representation, or if anything something a bit more poetic since we'll each have more time to think about how the characters actually speak. I imagine that the story would start when we arrived in the village, though I don't remember exactly how that worked, we may want to talk to Dan as well on it.

• The other thing that I would really like to see, perhaps after the defining moment story, is an expanded Motivation and Intimacies section. I like what you have right now, but it seems to be to only be the building blocks of a better motivation. What I think would be best is if you focused her a bit more, gave here a little more drive to accomplish a singular objective, rather than the broad and ultimately beyond epic motivation of fixing all of creation. I just think that while epic, its too much and it makes it tough for a character to have focus or passion. Also, I'd like to see the intimacies spelled out as you'll see on all (I think all) of my characters and some of Dan's as well. (Hannah that is, good luck finding anything by DK) Sarefine will need to have 5 starting intimacies, and a few more would be possible given how long the character has been played, we can talk if you want to add more than 5. Try to take intimacies that aren't encompassed under her motivation, so if you decide she should be focused to kill the deathlords as a motivation, you can keep her other goals around as intimacies. (Stuff like against the Wyld Hunt, Against the Fairfolk, Injustice throughout the Scavenger Lands, stuff like that.) Also remember an intimacy should be able to be expressed in a sentence format, not just a list.

• Finally take a look at her stats and really make sure they are how you see her, look at each ability and if she doesn't have it or has a low score but you see her doing that type of thing you'll want to make sure it gets raised. I think you said you had about 44 exp and you can count on another 1 from the story, so 45 exp is enough to reshape a character a little bit so she is how you see her. Nothing is more discouraging for a player then when the stats wont let him do what he sees his character doing, as I'm sure you're well aware. Let me know you have any questions on what is best to accomplish something, or what would be best for her overall usefulness at a certain thing, as I know you're less familiar with the DB charm list and other abilities than some of us.

--FyreFly 14:13, 2 October 2008 (EDT)

• I plan on writing up some stories on what she did when she first moved to the Scavenger Lands and that should help me build some ideas for intimacies. I plan on using her extra experience wisely, so I will definitely look over everything and run it by you for advice before I set it in stone. How much time has passed between that Arkanian/Sarefine scene and the new storyline? I will need to know for training time purposes. I also may sneak a story in about her during that time.
• I completely agree with the need for expanded intimacies and motivation. Here are some of the ideas I had, and I haven't completely organized them so my thoughts might be a little cluttered, and mixed between intimacy ideas and background ideas.
  • I plan on having at least one of those related to Saros and the Sidereals. If you have any suggestions on how to pursue that one let me know. I was thinking about having Saros introduce her to another (existing) Sidereal, or a new Lunar or Solar that shares similar goals in the region.
  • With her being a "loner" in the region, I want to work on her building a coalition of people that share her beliefs. Perhaps she helps a powerful Lunar fight off the Fairfolk, that could be a good backstory to her helping the region and an intimacy against the Fairfolk
  • Now I need to read up on my intimacy purposes but can you have a negative intimacy? If so, Arkanian is one. After that incident she has a high determination to investigating deathknight activity in the scavenger lands. She wants to know why Arkanian killed that child, and perhaps that investigation can even be a side-story.
  • With her being a rogue dragon-blood in the area, I need to understand a few more things in order to play that correctly. She's already off on the wrong foot with many of the Dragon-blooded in the region, Alderis included. But one of her goals would be to get more of her dragon-blooded peers to turn on the corrupt establishment the Realm has created. I think this could have some potential, because she has to walk a fine line between being called an outright traitor and quietly rallying support. If this doesn't make sense, let me know, I am a little shaky in the area of Realm politics and I'd really like to play this one right.

And on a side note, Arkanian's side story is awesome so far. Kirkland 15:02, 2 October 2008 (EDT)

• I think a story saying some of why she left the realm in more detail, as well as what she did upon her arrival would be a great idea. People tend to forget to elborate on what happend before the start of storylines, myself included, and that can be a pretty good way to get into a character better. Just wrote a story on Frost before the Overworld began, and I'm in the process of writing another. I would be curious as to which parts of The Realm she so disagreed with? The Immaculate Faith? The constant fighting amonst themselves? Their disregard for those non-exalted? Or any of the other glaring issues taht could stick out to a compassion 5 character. Perhaps just the accumulations of them all.

• It has been a pretty long time, I'm at work and can't pull the calendar out for specifics but I think it's been at least 3 months. You should be able to get some pretty massive training in during that time, attributes being the only thing that would be close to that time. I'll hold off on too much advice because I can't look at the DB book at the moment, but I would strongley recommend Essence 3. Looking at Sarefine I am pretty pleased with her overall ability distribution, I really didn't see any major issues with them. At this point for her I might reccomend focusing mainly on charms, specilities, and giving her a combo possibily. Also temperence 2, it wont be a huge statistical help to you but I think Sarefine has grown beyond that level of hot headedness. (I saw that it was on your wishlist.)

• I like some of where you're going with your intimacies, negative intimacies are very possible and I think one for Arkanian would be very interesting. Though I may urge you to hold off if you intend to write a story about finding out why he did it, she has enough conviction that she might realize what he did wasn't completley crazy. Then again she still might want revenge for him being a bastard. :)
  • I think an intimacy with Saros would be very good, with other Sidereals I'm not so sure. First of all unless she intends to ally herself with the Cult of the Illuminated (A real possibility) it is unlikely that the Sidereals would pay her too much attention, one the disadvantages or advantages of being one of thousands of Dragon-Bloods. Also, Sidereals very much frown upon maintaining links to their previous lives, so Saros would be taking a very large risk bringing Sarefine into contact too heavily. I believe that Domino has already started to use that to his advantage, I think Saros has enough trouble for now. :) That certainly doesn't mean that they can't have an intimacy for each other personally though. I think they should. Maybe something about how Saros opened her eyes to the falseness of the immaculate order or something along those lines?

• As for being a loner in the Scavenger Lands, she couldn't have picked a better place to do it. The Realm actually has very little influence in the area, especially given that Aldaris is now dead. The only major city in the region that is affiliated with the realm is Greyfalls, which is pretty out of the way, though heavily linked to Lazarus' motivation. The largest Dragon-Blooded force in Scavenger Lands is Lookshy (The Seventh Legion), which shares many of the realms policies but also differs on many of them. Like the realm (and most of creation) the follow the Immaculate Faith, they do not however perform any sort of Wyld Hunt to exterminate those outside of their territory. They are a unified force, though perhaps only because they are so much smaller than The Realm and generally lookout for the small people in the world much more so, one of the few nations in all creation to ban slavery actually. They've warred with The Realm numerous times, though at the moment niether force has the focus to wage such war, both are more worried about Deathlords and other issues. (Message me or soemthing and we can have a more indepth converstion about stuff online, that is easier than me posting a books worth of info. If you wanted to read a book you would have already. :P )
  • As far as an organization in the area that she could join or create she has a few options there, first of all the previosuly mentioned Cult of the Illuminated is always looking for more members, though it has its disadvantages as well. Her wanting to join that may depend on what Saros has said about it and how much she like Aktulle at this point. The other option I would mention is that Sarefine and Arellious (Who have had very little interaction if any at all) actually have reasonably similar goals. Arellious is in the process of starting to train a small organization of peacekeepers to travel about the Scavenger Lands to bring justice to the region. They may be able to align their forces to create a single organization with a greater impact, Arellious could certainly use Sarefine's social skills.

--FyreFly 20:36, 2 October 2008 (EDT)

Defining Moment Story Notes

From Typhon's Page

After Seven Seasons Widow returned to Thorns, Typhon began haunting the northeastern reaches of the Scavenger Lands. The group first encountered him in a small village near the corrupted forest while completing a trial set forth by one of its insane sovereigns. Typhon had come to claim a child that another Deathlord had slated for the black Exaltation, and reached an accord with Whispers From Beyond, agreeing that Typhon would retreat peacefully if Arkanian slew the boy with soulsteel, forever depriving any Deathlord of his soul. Lazarus attempted to rally the town against Typhon, a sorcerer of some skill, who responded by unleashing a flurry of Obsidian Butterflies on the townspeople, slaying all but one of them. The group briefly encountered him again outside of the corrupted forest patch. Steel Heart's Fury was quick to attack, but, then inexperienced by comparison, was unable to overcome the necrotic energies the Deathknight brought to bear. Though the group has yet to identify the direct methods employed, they have drawn the conclusion that it was Typhon who, with his dark whispers of horrors otherwise untold, drove Gama to suicide and fed the spirits poisoned seeds, transforming them into rabid, corrupt creatures of darkness. Aktuelle and his companions theorize that Typhon was hoping to create a small Shadowland to use as a base of operations for Thorns' business in Great Forks.

From Arkanian's Story

Arkanian gritted his teeth in pleasure as he watched the body of the beautiful young Terrestrial Exalt fall limp at his feet; however, his emotions betrayed him as he looked again to his companions smoldering body. Shaking his head he moved across the room, drawing Mugenjin, his soulsteel blade from it's sheath. She was nothing to him...just as this child was nothing to him. The souls trapped within the cold steel cried out as it plunged into the heart of the peasant child, ending her life and any hope of entering the cycle of lithe in a single thrust. Arkanian wiped his blade clean before sliding it back into its sheath, looking back to the motionless body of his former companion for a moment before footsteps in the hall brought him back to the present, he could not stay here. He immediately moved to the window in the room, breaking the glass with the hilt of his weapon before nimbly sliding through it; coattails of his cloak vanishing from view just as Lazarus entered the room.

Alternate Pic

I like the alternate pic, you should use it in one of the stories perhaps? Definitely don't get rid of the old one, but we should find a use for this one as well. Both are too good to not use. --FyreFly 16:31, 6 October 2008 (EDT)