The Practice. The art of contracting spirits and fantastic creatures called Others to perform acts of magic and power in your name in exchange for the ability to tell lies. Or rather, the ability to tell lies without losing power or even suffering a fate worse than death.
Many things can be accomplished through the practice. You can raise the dead to do your bidding, manipulate the elements, walk along the shores of reality and travel through different levels of the universe, bend space, trick time and even create Gods. But those things take power, and power must be earned.
That's where the Lordship comes in.
To be the Lord or Lady of a city means to be acknowledged as its ruler, keeper and master of all Practitioners and Others within. A treacherous position with high risks and high rewards, as the power you gain is proportional to the enemies and duties that come with the position.
Your motives are your own, but what matters is that you desire the position, and only you know to what lengths you'll go and what depths you'll sink to for it.
And where exactly is your future fiefdom to be?
[] POET'S HILL - A medium-sized port town with a decent tourist industry and a pretty unruly Other population. A bit of a dead end for people's lives at the moment, but the possibility for expansion
is there. In a few decades it might start becoming a city, or even a metropolis. Of course, it might go faster if the right people nudge it in the right direction. It doesn't currently have a Lord, as everyone is waiting for everyone else to make the first move.
Benefits:
1. Not Too Practiced: There's only three big Practitioner families in the town, plus a few loose ones that might be willing to help you out if you're charming enough. There won't be a lot of competition for the Lordship from that side, so your main concern will be the Others, and your kind was made for dealing with 'em.
2. Friendly Folk: The inhabitants of Poet's Hill live by a simple motto: 'Start No Shit, Take No Shit'. As long as you don't act like some up-their-own-ass city slicker, they'll be more than willing to help out if a goblin bites a hole in your car's tire or if they find you bleeding all over their marigolds because you looked at a Bogeyman funny. And they're certain to appreciate your honesty, at least.
3. Opportunity Abounds: Poet's Hill is like a healthy seed that you found on the street. You don't know exactly what it'll grow into, but with the right care and attention it's bound to grow big and strong. And you could be there, standing first in line to grab hold of the fruits of your labor.
Detriments:
1. Otherside: Poet's Hill has a bit of everything. Faeries, goblins, ghouls, revenants, animus, a few Bogeymen and a lot of ghosts. And absolutely none of them are eager to be under a Practitioner's thumb. These are Others with practice and Practice at getting around your type, and they
will use it.
2. Rumor Mill: Small town like this, most people know each other. If you're a newcomer, they'll call you the new kid. If you're an old face, they'll call you your grandma's grandkid. You'll have to be very,
very careful when you do odd shit unless you want to be the talk of the town.
3. Nothing Ever Happens Here: Whatever Poet's Hill
might be some day, right now it barely has enough people to support an O'Rilley and a Patty Queen. Won't be much to do here once you get the crown, except fight off assholes coming for your throne and do what you can to expand for decades. Good thing the Practice can make you live longer, I guess.
[] PORTWALL - A small city with a booming shipping industry, the Practitioners and Others of Portwall have been in a tense conflict for decades. The reason why it started stopped mattering a long time ago, as just the pattern and history of hatred and bloodshed has gained enough power to become its own being. Said Incarnation, Discord, is the current Lord of Portwall, and if he has his way, this conflict won't go down within anyone's lifetime.
Benefits:
1. Close-Knit Community: Say what you will about living in fear for your life, but it does bring people closer together. In opposition to the typical cutthroat attitudes most Practitioners have, the people of Portwall make a habit of helping each other out. Of course, the return of services and goods given is always expected, but they're a lot more forgiving than others.
2. Lost in the Hustle: With the state of this city being so hectic, its easy for details to get lost to time. Should you fuck up, laying low until people are focused on something bigger will always be an option. Of course, this doesn't really work with Innocents or if you kill someone in broad daylight, but y'know.
3. Let's You and Him Fight: It's hard to focus when you hate everyone equally. It doesn't take a whole lot of effort to get two groups fighting in Portwall, and from there you just have to make your best vulture impression and pick off the remains. Doing this too much might feed Discord, though.
Detriments:
1. Barbwire Throne: Discord has been Lord of Portwall for longer than you've been alive, and his very nature has warped even the most base spirits of the city. He is the status quo, to defy him is to cause discord, and to cause discord is to empower him. A War-aligned Incarnation like him can only be beaten through cunning, and you're gonna have to get up pretty early in the morning to beat someone that's been fighting off enemies for centuries.
2. Mean Ghouls: Oh, you want a passive binding? Fuck you. There is no Other here that wants to even look at you longer than needed to eat/possess/destroy/absorb you, and they want you to know it. If Practice can be denied to you, it will. You're gonna have to fight to get things going here.
3. Chronic Backstabbing Syndrome: You are not immune to the sway of the spirits, and neither is anyone else. The simple truth is that it's going to take a lot of effort and willpower not to betray any alliances you make, with things lining up to benefit you if you do so. And there is no guarantee that your loyalty will be returned. Enough resistance will guarantee that whoever you resist the urge to backstab is a true friend, though.
[] COPPERSTONE BAY - Now
this is a city. A metropolis divided into four districts, Copperstone is one of those cities that never slows down. Everyone wants to be here, and the input of people and Others that want to try their hand at making it big is only matched by the output of those that burn out and leave in disgrace. Those that manage to stick around, though, are some of the meanest people on Earth. Which is probably why the Lordship is occupied by the spirit of the city itself. Good luck binding her. She bites.
Benefits:
1. Resources: There's no way around it, if you want something or someone, you can find something or someone here. Every kind of Other you can need either was, is, or will be here, and you can bet there's plenty of people to connect with.
2. Busy: Bay, the spirit of the city, is usually up to her ears in people trying to bind her, only aided by her Council. If you're subtle enough, she'll never see you coming.
3. The Enemy of my Enemy: City this size, it's impossible not to step on someone's toes every so often. And Practitioners have long memories, so there are more than a few blood feuds going on. The upside is that whenever you make an enemy, you make an ally. Unless they think you'd be more useful as a distraction.
Detriments:
1. WHA: That stands for Witch Hunter Academy. Of which there are three in the city. Each one used to nurturing the bizarre and categorization-defying methods of its students, and each one full of people that abso-fucking-lutely hate Others and Practitioners. Maybe a few would be willing not to kill you on sight, but I wouldn't gamble on it.
2. Everybody Wants the Crown: Like the title says. A lot can be gained with the Lordship of Copperstone, and this city has more Practitioners-per-capita than any other option. You better get either really good at making friends or really strong, because this won't be easy.
3. Biggest Apple: Copperstone is really, really,
really big. Claiming ownership of this place is going to be a slow process of either getting one district after another so that Bay can't argue your ownership, or lining everything up so you can take it in one fell swoop. But a single misstep could be the difference between life, death or a Fate Worse than Death.
No matter what, it seems you have conflict ahead of you...
Who are you, anyways?
[] NEW FACE - Just moved in, and already having such big plans? Scary.
+ No one knows what to expect from you. You're functionally a wildcard.
- You have less claim to the Lordship than someone that spent their whole life here, not to mention no home turf advantage.
[] OLD FACE - Born and raised.
+ You know the big players in town, some of the people here, and the terrain. This is your home.
- The people also know you, and you're gonna have to be pretty discreet to act outside your enemy's expectations.
And your family? You
are pretty young, after all.
[] FIRST GEN - How you Awakened doesn't really matter. What matters is that you are totally new.
+ Again; totally new. The spirits have no expectations of you, there is no curse or pattern weighing you down.
+ You've got the option of every Practice to specialize in, or the option of none of them.
- Yeah, you're not exactly a behemoth here. You'll have to be careful with your power.
- Your family might get a little freaked out if they find you painting pentagrams on the floor with the blood of wolves or some crap.
[] SECOND GEN - Your parents had a rough start, but they survived long enough to meet each other and make you.
+ Familial support. Mom and Dad love you, and they want the best for you. If they have to fuck up a Goblin for you, they will, and then they'll buy you ice cream.
+ You have just a bit of power to your name, enough that you can go wild if you really need to, but still have the ability to explore different options within your Practice.
- Yeah, the older families don't really think much of you. First gens are at least unexpected, but you're just some no-history punk.
- Without the aegis of Innocence, your family is just as much a target as you, and they're not exactly heavy hitters. Careful who you piss off.
[] OLD NAME - Oh snap, you've got some real power in your corner, don't you?
+ Again, lotta power. You have names, favours and extended family to call upon at any time, and your Practice comes easy and hits hard.
+ You, or at least your family, is known. You've got a lot to offer, and you usually negotiate with newer families from a position of power.
- Your parents are jerks. To them you're nothing but a resource. At any time there's a chance you'll get married off for an alliance, and if you turn out to be part of the LGBTQ+ community in gender or sexuality, you'll have to put up with passive-aggressiveness at best and an attempt at tearing the gay out of your Self at worst. I'm not kidding.
- There's a lot of history on your name. The possibility of ancient enemies coming knocking, looking to beat up the heir to the name is always present. A big part of the Practice is holding grudges for generations, y'know.
And of course, there's what might be called the most important part of you. The main tool in your quest for the Lordship.
The finer details can wait, but for now, what is your Practice?
[] DABBLER - You don't really confine yourself to a single Practice, believing more in the usefulness of having a lot of small tricks ready and available at any time. Sacrifices power for flexibility. (Can't be picked with Old Name)
[] HOST - You know that little girl from The Exorcist? Total pussy. Your Practice centers around inviting one or more Others into your Self and manifesting them through your body for esoteric powers. A Wolf Spirit for tracking abilities, a Sunlight Spirit for illumination and/or healing, etc. Starting off with minor spirits, eventually you could have great beings stored up and ready to use. Extremely versatile, but there's always the risk of the one hitching a ride taking over.
-[] UNSPECIFIED - You haven't quite chosen what sort of Host you'll be. You just know that your Self is strong enough to withstand a hitchhiker or three. (Can't be picked with Old Name)
-[] PANTHEON - The polyamorous relationship of Hosting. Marking several Hallows within your body--on one part, such as your heart, or on an individual chakra, such as your brow or stomach--and putting a balanced assortment of Riders in them, keeping a careful balance of influences and being careful not to favour one overmuch, unless you wish for it to consume the others and take over.
-[] HOARDE - Materialism weaponised. Not dissimilar to the Pantheon, but a lot less personal. By keeping a mass of Others as physical objects, you essentially gain a deck of riders that you can draw into your body as needs arise. Requires careful tending of relationships, as neglected Others may break free or rebel while new ones may incite jealousy in the old guard. Actually maybe polyamory would be more fitting for this one.
-[] DUALITY - Basically monogamy. A partnership, more akin to a Familiar relationship than anything else. While a lot less versatile than the Pantheon or the Hoarde, this method has the benefit of familiarity and doing something enough that it becomes a pattern. And the spirits do like patterns, meaning you will get more out of the relationship as time passes, and your rider may increase in strength the more you use them.
-[] EATER - There's a joke about gluttony here, but we don't weightshame. Through the literal consumption of Others and symbols, the Eater actually creates their own rider from the amalgamation of their meals, a new being that must be controlled through care and rituals. While this is the option that gives you the most control over what powers you may develop, it also carries the most risk of 'poisoning'. Careful what you put in your mouth.
-[] ABOMINATION - Thanks for your sacrifice. Somewhere along the line, you found a Big Deal, and lacking any convenient teapots, had to trap it within yourself. This option makes you essentially a Harbinger without a storm, and while you always have power to call upon, every time you do so the binding weakens. And while your service to the community might be appreciated by those that don't want to have their faces eaten by Kaijus from before time, you're regarded as a ticking time bomb.
[] HARBINGER - Yikes. Harbingers--or as the more traditional might call them, Berserker Mages--are those chosen by Greater Powers to become their metaphorical weapon against the world. It's not a gentle process, with one becoming essentially a sparking bare wire for the Greater Other's power. They are always surrounded by a 'storm', an area where the Other's influence spreads. They can also transform into a monstruous state that they have little control over, thus the more traditional name. Usually carry a 'mark'.
-[] BRANDING - Did it hurt? Your mark is an unhealing wound or scar that glows from within, as if fire or gleaming metal shines under your skin. Your practice hits harder and your berserker form is more suited for raw strength and physical prowess.
-[] BLEMISH - I hear horns are in this season. A small physical mutation that can be hidden by clothing, such as some scales on your back, feathers in your armpits or horns hidden by hair. Your practice has more reach and your berserker form has a lot more reach and mobility.
-[] TOKEN - You've got that bling. A non-removable item representative of the greater power. Can be anything from a shackle to a ring to a piercing. Your practice is faster, and you either shift into your berserker form quicker or you get one with gear, like armour or a real-ass goddamn sword.
-[] TATTOO - Maybe grandma was right about those pagan tattoos. A visual representation of the Greater Other's influence upon your flesh, you
will get questions about who your tattoo artist is. Your practice is more accurate and your berserk form is more visually pleasing, which isn't great for combat but is great for not scaring children.
-[] WINDOW - Gaze into your navel, and through it, into Eternity. A hole in your skin through which one looks into a void. Or, as power is called upon, something might look out or press its mouth into it to whisper secrets. Might grant magical knowledge and this is the one Mark that doesn't try to expand much, but seriously, what the fuck?
-[] HEART - Oh fuck, we're dialing up the body horror. An engorged set of veins, usually with a nexus that will grow into a horrible tumor or external organ as more power is called on. Grants longetivity, as well as a berserker form with more durability and perhaps even a second life per use.
[] FAERIE MAGIC - The power of romanticism, stories and wonder. Or more accurately, the power of concentrated horseshit. Through careful use of the powder called Glamour, Faerie Magicians can create illusions that misdirect, trap or even harm their opponents. Anything you make is as real as others believe it to be. Then again, as soon as someone clues into its true nature your illusions will shatter under strong hits, blunt attitudes, foul language, loud noises, bad smells, sneezing, mean comments, close inspections or basically anything, really. Good for indirect attacks, bad for blunt approaches and involves dealing with the single most frustrating type of Other according to basically everyone.
-[] HIGH SPRING - The only place where you might see Fae movie stars. The Faerie Court of Bright Spring is all about celebrities and aristocracy, parties and gilded things. The Fae of High Spring spend their time making beautiful things, no matter if they are items or people enslaved and trained to be dancers of unimaginable beauty. Good for beguiling illusions that lure in and trap enemies.
-[] LOW SPRING - Tim Burton's fanclub. More similar to its High counterpart than either would ever be willing to admit, this Court is just as focused on crafting beauty, but it prefers a sort of tragic, horrible beauty wrapped in chitin and spiderwebs. They compete with purposeful tortures instead of their counterpart's more accidental ones. Good for cruel illusions that make others despair and go mad.
-[] HIGH SUMMER - Beowulf's fanclub. If glamour is stories ground down to dust, then this Court's glamour comes from heroic epics. Soldiers, warriors and duelist, though prone to falling to Winter the Faeries of this Court are some of the greatest warriors ever known. Though extremely dramatic ones, too. Good for combat based around duels and grand statements.
-[] LOW SUMMER - Dracula's fanclub. If unchallenged for long enough, glamour becomes reality, and these are Faeries that disguised themselves as other Others for so long that they became monstruous. Not subtle, fragile or pretty, they are only Fae in that they still have glamour and some of the weaknesses, hidden under hide and fang. Good for combat based around transforming into the right beast for the job.
-[] HIGH AUTUMN - Slightly less evil capitalists. This Court is all about change, changing and exchange. Their markets are enormous, full of odds and ends and cheating and wonder. They like beginnings, which is a nice way to say that they are fond of kidnapping children. Good for gaining the right tool for the job, even if buying it might reduce your existance.
-[] LOW AUTUMN - Slightly more evil capitalists. Other Courts change, but this is the Court of the changed and warped, home to the cursed. Their markets are sligthly safer than those of their High counterpart, but only because they are obvious in their dangers. The Court most fond of turning humans into Fae. Good for getting cruel little trinkets that bite and warp their victims, but be careful that you don't become one.
- [] WINTER - The piteous Court. This is where Faeries whose stories have become stale and unchanging end up. The inhabitants of this Court are more like automatons than anything else, to associate with this Court is basically to surround yourself with legions of malfunctioning Hal 9000s. Can offer everything the other Courts can and with great power, but it is the most treacherous and difficult to handle.
-=]_[=-
QM's Note: Alrighty then, welcome to my first Quest on SV. It's based on Pact and Pale by Wildbow, which I recommend reading on general basis but are not required for this.
The finer details of you, your family and practice will be voted on next update, but for now this should settle the main themes and difficulty of the Quest.
A few words of advice:
1) A large part of the practice is putting on a show. It has sort of a 'breaking the fourth wall' element to it, in that practitioners often comment on the narrative they are carrying out and the thematics of their magic. For example, if you choose a cat-themed Other for your Host magic, you might be karmically rewarded for choosing to wear cat-themed clothes or acting according to the archetype. Or, if you have an adversarial relationship with the Dog-Headed God that made you their Harbinger, then choosing an opposing theme and using it to stave off their influence could lead to you making it your bitch (heh).
Practitioners try to take control of their narrative, and to impose your own version of the story upon another helps you win fights.
2) While the city vote will set how difficult the Quest will be, do note that I put them from smallest to largest, not easiest to hardest.
Please vote by plan, and I hope you enjoy this Quest!
