Adrian writes: A treatise on playing Nobilis

Part One: Resources available to a Nobilis player.

Welcome, gentle reader, to the world of Nobilis. I am to be your guide on this small journey into some of the wonders that have been created within this wonderous world by the most important people within it: you, the players, who forge even such mighty personalities as my own Imperator from your own imaginations and carve chancels from your flights of fancy.

You may consider this work a collaborative project, and one that I hope will be mutually beneficial to us all both those of you who play the game and those of us who exist within the bounds of your games. A "win, win situation" if you will forgive the cliche. In the interest of proper organization and ease of records, however, I must ask that you keep all of your material in the appropriate location and keep it marked in some recognizable fashion so that proper credit can be given where it is due.

That having been said: let us not waste any more time with idle words, but go right to the goods themselves!
-- Adrian Dacks, Dominus of Wealth


The People of Nobilis

  • The Nobility, which describes some of my esteemed collegues and most hated rivals -- the Sovereign Powers of the Earth.
  • Chancels And Imperators, linked together by nature and the power of their mighty souls. Here is where you can find the Regi, and their Loci Arcani. This is also probably a better place to note entire Families of powers, if you also have information on their Regius and Chancel.
  • Excrucians?, Children of Harumaph, is the perfect place to put individual Dark Horsemen as well as information on additional breeds/castes. Anything related to the Excrucians, in short. The War makes the centralization of information only natural.
  • Our Rivals And Foes?, simply because the Nobilis can face other beings than the Dark Horsemen. Mighty spirit, ancient half-god, or some other type of being entirely can be placed on this page.

The World of Nobilis

  • Lord Entropy, the Lord of Earth, demanded his own page at the top of his own section. Thus, I have given him one, as I would never see fit to deny the wishes of the Darkest Lord. Anything on that individual should go here, as should information on the Locust Court, the Laws, and even on Anada and the other Imperator-Lords of the Earth.
  • The Prosiac? is an interesting place to put anything about Ash Earth. My world, after all, is not exactly the same as yours -- there are many small changes, and those changes should be recorded on this page. This is also a good place for the Cammora, the Cleave of the Botanists and other organizations that might exist in your vision of Nobilis.
  • Heaven And Hell? is somewhat ill-named, I will admit. This is not just the place for information on heaven and hell, though such information should indeed go here. Indeed, place all things on Angels (fallen and otherwise) here! However, anything related to the other types of Imperators should also be placed here (as opposed to /individual/ Imperators). Light and Dark, the Wild, Aaron's Serpents, True Gods: the buck stops here.
  • The Mythic World? is something of a nebulous category I'm sure. I imagine that one would place interesting spirits, essays on the mythic reality, and other such things here. I have confidence in your ability to fill this category, however, so I leave further definition in your capable hands.
  • From The Tree? describes other worlds upon the World Tree. I myself have visited many such worlds, and shall no doubt share some of my experiences when obligations elsewhere do not distract my attention so fully.

The Rules of the Game

Good rules summaries here:[1][2]

  • The Attributes? is the place where you put information on the four Attributes of Nobilis. Notes on use, new ideas for what attributes can do, optional rules relating to attributes, and maybe even new attributes.
  • Rites is more or less self-explanatory -- the minor magic of the Nobilis goes here. Information on actual miracles should go above.
  • Gifts? is another easy to understand category. Here is where you place example gifts; please include a cost-breakdown as well, and model them off the format used in the Great White Book.
  • Limits And Restrictions? is a page for new handicaps of all kinds. Mostly examples, of course, but I wouldn't put it past some enterprising player to invent entire new categories. Human ingenuity never ceases to inspire and amaze. Virtues, of course, also go here, and Affiliations (or Codes, as some call them) probably should as well.
  • Chancel Properties? and Imperator Properties? are somewhat related; I, myself, have never liked the systems in the book for these subjects, and will no doubt be adding quite a bit to these pages when time allows.

Nobilis Chronicles

  • River Of Souls tells the story of Loci Ythom and Amera, and events that there transpired.

Thus, our organization is established.