AsBloodTurnsEverCold

Oh I think that'd be perfectly fine honestly. I'd even take acknowledgement of them even if the group never quite sees them just as news or something while they're traveling on the airships. Admittedly the Gliders is a holdover from the other group since...different world. I just copy and pasted lol but my intention was for them to be another glimpse at the future which is fast approaching rather than to totally remove anything cause Gliders are cool and fun but it did take a good while before the became planes which I do see is an exclusion.

@WickedCadrach Honestly a bit of a mix between A and B. I wasn't really thinking a rival to trains or horses for sure. A new threat of encroaching tech that threatens to upend air travel but right now because of the capacity issue, elevation, spread, passenger capacity its in its infancy. You really couldn't ship stuff on gliders that well cause they couldn't handle that much weight and would likely need trains to actually get back to where they were so those industries could be friendly in places. I did say I think they should be rare cause they'd need to be built by eccentrics but in areas where they are (They weren't made on industrial scales or anything) there would definitely be an Old Guard vs Start-up sort of rivalry cause they really are much faster and take up less room than Airships would so people with money can travel on them more to shorten the time to get place to place. They also wouldn't really be viable in a lot of places yet so its controlled areas of rivalry you wouldn't encounter often but they sure are trying and obviously the makers are trying to improve them. Its more a vision of what might come. That technology is still moving and even Airships aren't gonna be safe forever. They might also make a fun set-piece at some point. Its no deal breaker of course, I really do like the history of gliders but if no one else wants em thats fine.

You know your stuff! I'd say still preforming just trying to control it but stopping isn't really an option a mix of hesitancy and compulsion. Music is their life and they can't just stop, but if they stop paying the music will just be in their head, playing eternally, and may drive them insane and doing the same thing to them it does to those who hear it. It seeps into much of what they do looking for an escape. It must be played in the same way the Zahir (If you've ever read that) must be looked at. Willpower helps extend the periods but there's no quite escaping the need and playing for people does help for a time. Shares it though it won't nearly always be as harmful of course just depends on the song or moment. I figure there's no reason to play it like its just Psychosis though ones willpower can obviously affect it and someone whose life is music can't just stop doing the thing that gives them purpose.

@MagnificentBastard Thank you! Oh for sure, the occasional machine around unless its someplace expensive would make sense to me but I definitely want em around.

@StarlitSiren Howdy! @WritesNaughtyStories Thanks for the welcome. Excited to play with y'all.

Howdy folks! Migrating over from Group 2, but been keeping up with everything here. I've loved pretty much everything going on here! I'm just gonna post some statements I did have over from that group but most of them line up and I'm more than willing to go with everything already noted as it is. I know it says no planes but no idea if you count Gliders as part of that and it was brought up over there of the extraterrestrial remnants so that's what that part is about. As for the character Idea I was thinking of myself: An Ethnomusicologist (Depending on how you guys feel about Anachronisms given this discipline came about way later but doesn't need a name atm its just kinda shorthand) and performer (Multi-talented in that area) who in the course of study discovered a strange notes related to music that's occurred in multiple cultures of unknown origin (Or this knowledge was in their predecessors notes left to them so they could grow up with the knowledge and might be why they even went into Musicology and Archaeology) Strange musicality, melodies, rhythms, etc that are out of this world (Obviously not really planning to move much beyond the music of the time in idea unless we imagine the way technology movies would allow music to evolve a little faster too and could even be part of the influence). They learned from these old instructions, unknowingly (at first) opening themselves up to communication and influence with entities beyond their world. Cursed even. They've gotten quite famous but on another side that trouble has appeared at his performances with people appearing not themselves leading to all sorts of things like violence, out of body experiences, debauchery, etc. The music, at least so the rumors go, does something to the brain. Its explained away but it happens and when they preform they sometimes lose track of even themselves. Still they eventually realize something is wrong as they lose themselves more and more so choose to look for answers, becoming a gunman in the meantime to protect themselves. Basically just try to mix the Archaeologist with the Singing Cowboy archtype with a little bit of lovecraft. Might be a bit much but thats the main idea I have rn apart from a fairly simple gunrunner.

I don't think having characters who might not be initially socially accepted would be too much of an issue...if anything the opposite. Its a social game essentially so the interplay between types could heighten the story with drama. I wouldn't overthink it just how much friction story wise are you willing to face. Sexuality seems baked in so I imagine Isabella would accommodate those situations as well as the people you are playing with and so far you do have @DreamsnThings interesting in playing Beastkin too and Saitai doesn't seem to oppose.

Well yes we're meant to be fleshing out the world, seeing what sorts for the players and whatnot rn. What I listed are details I definitely think would make the game world more interesting and would really like so we can discuss and all that so anything you really want you can list, and anything you don't as well but definitely what you might want. Helps keep the players on the same page and of course see what works for Isabella.

I was busy and distracted but I'll expand on some things I posted about in the main thread. I'll see about getting the ball rolling I suppose. On Automatons: I think they're a must for this sort of setting, and interesting to have as a sign of the coming advancement. Since we're now in a separate world from the other group I suppose it can be debated if they're new or older though if they're more recent given the 1880's setting we could always say (if we're fine with any historical reference) that after the release of Steam Man of the Prairies (1868) that people did come to realize they were quite partial to the idea of mechanical servants and workers. Research and development went quickly but that didn't leave much time to ponder on the fact that these mechanical creations might actually develop their own sense of selves. God mad Man in his image. Mad man made Machine in his image. What did you think would happen? Airships: Anachronistic but with the accelerated pace of technology I imagine airships could be around and more luxurious and ready for travel than they really were more akin to modern Hybrids or closer to the Hindenburg without the unfortunate disaster (Normally). Different classes of them like for military use, regular ferry, or luxury. They're practically mastered but they are slow overall. Gliders: I would think in a world like this George Cayley's ideas (though I do suppose we should avoid literal historical figures) took off much faster than they did in our world which was actually already pretty fast. Essentially John J Montgomery or his equivalent proved that controlled passenger Glider travel was already viable and while they are much faster and much easier to plan they obviously have much lower capacity, are more rare, and cover shorter distances for the time being. Rivals to the airship industry, perhaps ruthlessly so, but the future is creeping up and fast. Ruins: No such thing as a good adventure without ruins of some sort so featuring these heavily would be nice. Ruins of old civilizations no longer named, remnants of worlds that might not be our own ready for plunder, marvel, trade, and dangers that show that just because the future is uncertain the past wasn't exactly much safer nor is its influence so innocuous especially if you got rummaging around in a corpse. Magic: Esoteric rather than gamified. Rituals, unseen hands, consequences and trades. I do think magic is on a decline but is no less powerful. A witch is a threat, obviously not immune to a bullet (unless her magic is just that good) but being cursed is still one of the worst things that could happen to you...its just not a thing you'll encounter easily. This is more of a sign of spiritual decline though, old traditions beings pushed and snuffed out by "progress" which isn't always positive. Technology can't solve everything and sometimes looking past the studies and surefire things yields unexpected answers. Those dedicated to progress aren't paragons either. Its a type of rivalry. Technology: Teslatech should probably be more upperclass stuff. Cities more civilized than those "steamers" and whatnot. City Automatons could even run more on that than steam engines or whatever interesting energy source people discovered. I do think the holy grail should be whatever can be salvaged from potential crashed vessels should be holy grail...mostly rumors obviously but one or two people having something they really shouldn't. Lovecraftian influence: A sort of grey force in preference not quite magic, not quite human, something more than alien. Not evil, not good just something unknowable that can be anything because it ultimately doesn't adhere to the binary itself but how the people use it. No clean answers when its involved. Its beyond people but its there. Cults: I'd like to see cults dedicated to both magic, lovecraftian influence, and tech even the synthesis of the two. I think that'd be fun. I do think this group should be more itinerant, traveling from place to place without a solid base of operations except maybe whatever way they choose to travel. A chose train line, a specific zepplin, etc. America is a changing place with dangers all over so for whatever reason they drift dealing with adventures all over a changing nation and the troubles arising therefrom.

I believe that is part of the point of the Pathways set-up and of course the OOC areas she set up for the games.

Well as part of Group 2 I will admit that I do think it would be best to as close to the initial idea as possible personally. The character(s) I have in mind is with that in mind (or at least I think so). I don't think personally think the presence of Animal folk would be too much of a distraction as long as the origin and reaction is suitably mad science enough (which I did think Dream's origin fit well enough though maybe not the leading happy lives part and more isolated), but push comes to it I'd rather stick as close to what was proposed cause that's admittedly where my interest is.

Idea I'm currently into character wise An Ethnomusicologist (A bit anachronistic here if that's alright, the discipline only started in the 1970s though we don't have to give it a name) and popular performer who essentially becomes a cursed to be a conduit for some manner of Eldritch entity to preform music that causes momentary like momentary Psychosis while preforming (whether they're playing guitar, singing, etc and somehow hearing full arrangements or feeling the emotions the music evokes literally and acting on it.) during their study of ancient musics. I mean potentially causing a orgy while singing, or forcing people into a little musical...literally. This would mostly happen when they "give in fully" to the music which happens at random or they can choose to do but they must preform. They're trying to find a way out but obviously its not that easy and people might want them (be they law, or cults devoted to the entity). Not sure how viable that is in play, would definitely have to be cool with unknowable entities of some sort. Kinda playing around with the Singing Cowboy archtype and mixing it with some Indiana Jones and Robert E Howard and or Lovecraft.

That's a pretty neat idea I think! I don't know what your guy's references for Weird West and Steampunk is so no idea how weird you guys like it or how far Isabella wants to take it but I do like it fairly weird, and a bit anachronistic myself so that sort of origin strikes me as proper. As for a list of things I'd personally definitely liked to see touched on: - Automatons - Airships (barring that just anachronistically good trains) - The Ruins of Ancient long-dead (or are they?) civilizations to explore or utilize especially if we're a traveling people. - Magic being more esoteric and difficult to fully understand, not something fully controllable even with all the science. It'll really help it feel special especially with a consequence and less gamified even if whatever problem happens to crop up is using it like an evil cult or some such. Can't think of much else though. Think I've narrowed down the character I wanna play though thinking about all this. Excited to see where all this goes!

Well I was thinking the tribe idea for the origin if there really needed to be more beastfolk but differences within is another matter. I don't think it would cause too much an issue as we're currently in the "fleshing out setting details" stage I believe but its just a suggestion if there are to be more animal types in the world between groups.

Well if the world involved the supernatural in any way it could always be the result of tribal myths. Rare enough but with an origin if a bit undefined maybe they trace to a singular tribe but if they don't come exactly from the same place its because that tribe has obviously spread out. Some measure of truth sort of situation.

I'll either be going with abomination or the Singer for this particular group. Well see, might be giving the group its Odd Man.

I definitely want Automatons to be part of the world

Oh what I've listed I've narrowed it down to: The Abomination: A former Archaeologist turned unfortunate victim of a mad scientist that has been turned into a freak of nature and seeks a way to regain their humanity, or come to grips with their new state of being and its potential gifts. "Sexy" Lean: Might have been changed to satisfy those with peculiar taste. A perfect party favor. The Conductor: Grew up around trains all their life and fell in love with the roar of their wheels, and workings. Eventually came to own their own line and aggressively expanded it, and further seeks to expand it outward even dealing with negotiations and troubles themselves . "Sexy" Lean: Can't think of one, might offer special services for special client that are quite popular. The Bounty Hunter: Lover of money, amorous, and selfish they hunt down just about any target for the right price. "Sexy" Lean: Might prefer not to kill their targets and instead subdue them through the use of their body no matter the target(s). The Cursed Singer: A rising star who had a voice "blessed by god" but unfortunately breaking some poor woman's heart got them cursed so its the exact opposite and their hypnotic tones causes them trouble just about everywhere they go now. "Sexy" Lean: Known for their salacious lyrics the type of trouble they cause tends to involve a lot of naked people. The Writer: A failing writer desperately searching for new leads to write about to regain their former glory. They don't care whether its true or false, they seek the perfect tale and will stop at nothing to find it. "Sexy" Lean: A particularly prolific smut writer looking for new adventures, and will even go so far as to make it happen in order to have the perfect material to write about. The Excommunicated: Loyal to God but along the way got themselves into trouble that caused them to be exiled from their church. "Sexy" Lean: Somewhere along the line they got the idea that sex and all manner of debauchery would get them closer to God and their desire (and frightening ability) to spread these teachings has gotten them in trouble...worse it might be effective or dedicated to the wrong god but they don't know it. Extra: The Submariner: A master of all things aquatic, they came to captain their own submarine to explore the deep dark depths of the ocean. The danger of the oceans, however, caused them to turn their diving suit into one fit for war but when the water is involved they're more than ready. (Just to touch on the Jules Verne area)

I have quite a few ideas I'm really into though among my favorite at the moment: - An unfortunate archaeologist whose physical form has been twisted either by the work of another or due to certain strange experiences - A foreign hunter who moved to the West to experience a new frontier - An automaton bartender or bartender hopeful - A wandering bounty hunter with a weapon addiction - A writer looking for a good story to save a failing careers looking into strange happening - A cursed singer looking for ways to save themselves - A nun/priest who could also be an automation whose church was destroyed by a cult making them the last Will narrow it down once I know what group I'm rolling with of course, might change entirely. I'm never short of ideas and all that.

2 groups is probably for the best I think though one will have 5.

Always helps to have a common goal. Will just have to decide what it is once actual set-up gets going.

Pretty good list though I imagine no matter what the given groups decide (Whether it be one super group given the interest or two separate) that the found family angle just kinda naturally comes out. I don't think an origin should be fully picked though until the players see what their running mates are able to put together. Personally thought I quite like 9, 3, 6, 2, and 7 in that order not that some of these can't be combined in some way.

Magic is actually pretty common in any sort of "Pulp" genre like Steampunk and westerns just more lowkey. Witches with mysterious works, magical societies, mystic power sources, the obvious inhumans and the like. Could fit in easy but plans and group decisions. I'm so excited for the possibility of this that I'm just de-facto building up my image choices for any sort of character that might fit in.

https://www.donbisdorf.com/cortex/players/ListenYokelBreath/ Found this on a basic search but don't know how specific you might need it but it can set up a room and we can see other rolls.

Miro looks like a pretty neat way to keep track of things or build it out. I've never used it before but it looks like a good way to reference things. I am curious how the rolling will be handled myself but I imagine the players will need to make sure to keep track of any changes as a group effort. Cortex, at least in the ones I played, did rely on constant communication which I'm good with. Kept notes and all that.