< Visual References And Maps | Vault Of The Drow
<Mike_Holmes> BTW, Tom, I'm working on stuff for the Vault of the Drow
<Mike_Holmes> VOTD?
<Mike_Holmes> And the question I have is how is your cult flying under the radar?
<Mike_Holmes> I'm thinking that possibly they're putatively a cult of another goddess?
<Mese> mike: I presumed they wer eflying under the radar byy aiming not to be percieved asd a cult at all
<Mese> just a useful network of unscrupulous agents
<Mike_Holmes> Tom, that sounds good
<Mike_Holmes> Do they report to somebody in the power structure?
<Mike_Holmes> This would be network?
<Mike_Holmes> Or is the power-structure only vaguely aware of them at all?
<Mese> I think trhey are like acting as though they were mercenaries
<Mese> in an attempt to inveigle their way into the houses of powerfiul people
<D Weird?> Anyway. I think I'll turn in.
<Mese> of whom lectula is one
<D Weird?> Falling asleep here.
<Mese> so like they are approachin people they want to have an in with
<Mese> and going
<Mike_Holmes> Good night DW
<Mese> "Hi we are totally these honest mercs, got anything you want taking care of"
<Mike_Holmes> Ok...
<Mese> and then fulfilling those contracts and looking for opportinities to twist the to the cults advantage
<Mese> if that makes sense?
<Mike_Holmes> We have to somehow fit this all together then
<Mike_Holmes> That all makes sense internally
<Mike_Holmes> but
<Mike_Holmes> the game started with a ritual that they were doing
<Mike_Holmes> that resulted in the capture of Aurora
<Mese> so I figure the deal with the Aurora-snatching was like "hey if we do this L Ectula? will trust us which will be useful later and AT THE SMAE TIME we can execute secret plan Codename Dragon"
<Mike_Holmes> "do this" meaning capture Aurora?
<Mese> which appears to involve: 1. getting this aurora close to the dragon 2. ???? 3. PROFIT!
<Mese> yes
<Mese> that is what "do this" meant
<Mike_Holmes> Because Lectula had asked?
<Mese> yes
<Mike_Holmes> That's what I believe we estabilshed
<Mese> Lectula said "capture this person
<Mike_Holmes> So... Lectula has no idea of the methods they use?
<Mese> that I don;t know!
<Mese> maybe she does, maybe she doesn't
<Mese> maybe she is totally wise to the whol;e deal
<Mike_Holmes> Presumably it was Lectula who told them that Aurora would be casting the spell at X place at Time Y
<Mese> certainly she suspects something because Alba was asked to interrogate Izzdaer
<Mese> but that also suggests she doesn;t know EVERYTHING
<Mike_Holmes> I'm quite sure of that
<Mike_Holmes> What I had imagined is that she knew your group has magic powers
<Mike_Holmes> because otherwise it would be difficult to imagine how they would get Aurora
<Mike_Holmes> I suppose they could have gone on a trek to the location to get her
<Mike_Holmes> but that would have taken time
<Mike_Holmes> They could have had plenty of lead time
<Mike_Holmes> so it's plausible that they could have gotten there to get Aurora in time
<Mike_Holmes> but then if you wanted to maintain an illusion of having gone to get her,
<Mike_Holmes> your cult would have taken longer to get her to Alba
<Mike_Holmes> I would think
<Mese> oh I am sure she knows we do magic yeah
<Mese> I mean who doesn;t do magic
<Mike_Holmes> well the army
<Mike_Holmes> for one
<Mese> any organisation with a certain amount of manpower has magic peoples
<Mese> surely
<Mike_Holmes> All Drow do magic
<Mike_Holmes> But mostly it's like creating darkness
<Mike_Holmes> and faerie fire
<Mese> I am assumign she knows we used magic to do it
<Mike_Holmes> OK
<Mese> possibly that was the nature of the offer, even
<Mike_Holmes> So a mercenary group of magicians or something
<Mese> like 2Hi Lectula, we know secret majyyks and can help you ot with them for a price" and she was like "hmm, suspicious, try neutralising this threat then" and we were all "Ok great get right on that (also secret dragon scheme!)"
<Mike_Holmes> Gotcha
<Mese> excpet we didn;t say the "secret dragon scheme" bit out loud
<Mike_Holmes> That brings up the second point about what you were saying
<Mese> and I have no idea what we know about aurora that makes her integral to the scheme
<Mike_Holmes> I don't know what we established about the secret dragon scheme
<Mike_Holmes> but was it certainly that it was your cult's idea?
<Mese> the only things I think we have established about it are: 1) Izzdaer's cult orders were specifically to get her into a cell next to the dragon's pit
<Mese> 2) that's it
<Mese> everything has been extemporised based on that one fact, really :)
<Mike_Holmes> OK, that's what I thought
<Mike_Holmes> right
<Mike_Holmes> the unanswered question is whose idea it was to get her next to the dragon
<Mike_Holmes> (which'll give me an idea why)
<Mese> certainly Izzdaer appears to be operating on the assumption that there's something significant about aurora and how she relates to the dragon, but he doesn;t know what, and he might be wrong!
<Mike_Holmes> hmm
<Mike_Holmes> Things are coming together finally
<Mese> k
<Mese> :)
<Mike_Holmes> Took a lot of poking around to get enough data to work with before I started seeing some possibilities
<Mese> there's a loads of possibilities that fit with that established framework, I have no investment in any particular one, I'm happy to let you work it out
<Mese> I suppose my one caveat reamins being:: I would like the cult to be at leats partially real, and not just all some big front designed as a trap to catch heretic sor something
<Mike_Holmes> Heh
<Mike_Holmes> Defnitely not the case
<Mese> okay!
<Mike_Holmes> Not just a front
<Mese> then I look forward to unveiling the mystery in play :)
<Mike_Holmes> So what are Izzdaer's goals at the moment, Tom?
<Mike_Holmes> I mean he's got this immediate command from Alba to get Aurora back...
<Mike_Holmes> but other than that?
<Mese> he wants the cults plan to succeed, whatever it is
<Mike_Holmes> OK... not ambitious?
<Mese> he wants to figure out what the hell Rylfein is, and work out if he has a connection to the cult, or to his enemies, or what - work out Rylfein's agenda, really
<Mike_Holmes> Cool
<Mese> and ultimately he wants to smash Drow society
<Mike_Holmes> That's good
<Mese> but in an idealised way
<Mike_Holmes> heh
<Mike_Holmes> Meaning putting their group on top?
<Mike_Holmes> That seems to be what his deity is all about
<Mese> well, not in his MIND, no
<Mese> in his mind it is probably more like
<Mese> some moment of crisis occurs
<Mese> and he gives like a really impressive lecdture
<Mese> which convinces everyone he is right
<Mike_Holmes> Right
<Mese> and a new fairer society is created
<Mike_Holmes> Fairer?
<Mese> but that is why Izzdaer is too dumb to live :)
<Mike_Holmes> heh
<Mike_Holmes> Well his deity doesn't seem to be at all about fair
<Mese> he sees Lolth as oppresive
<Mike_Holmes> Sure
<Mese> and perhaps the position of men in dorw society as oppressed
<Mike_Holmes> That's absolutely what she's about
<Mike_Holmes> OK, cool
<Mike_Holmes> (he being male and all)
<Mese> so he has signe dup with Zinzerena as an anti-Lolth cult
<Mike_Holmes> OK
<Mese> but he is in for idealistic and not at all selfish reasons!
<Mese> or so he tells himself
<Mike_Holmes> Hmm
<Mese> Zinzerna is not necessarily and ideal ideological match for him, but that;s what he fell into, I guess
<Mike_Holmes> So he doesn' t buy into her "we're just waiting for the right moment to strike, and set up our own even more evil regime
<Mike_Holmes> "
<Mike_Holmes> OK, that's cool
<Mike_Holmes> Very cool
<Mike_Holmes> I thought he bought into the cult whole-hog
<Mese> yeah so there is lots of conflict there down the road potentially
<Mike_Holmes> Excellent
<Mese> it says "Uncertain Cultist of Zinzerena" on his charsheet :)
<Mese> basically Izzdaer is toally this champagne socialist type
<Mese> when the revolution actually comes he will hate it :)
<Mike_Holmes> Awesome
<Mike_Holmes> That gives me a ton of stuff to work with
<Mike_Holmes> I'm tempted to break into a solo scene right here and now
<Mike_Holmes> OK, Sophie, we had discussed the possibility that Alba is in a cult of Lolth, perhaps some subcult of secrets. Do we still want to go with that? Or shed it?
<Mike_Holmes> If Alba is a member of the cult, is Lectula her priestess? That would fit, but might not be what Sophie wants in terms of making her subservient to Lectula
<Mese> sophie says she likes that idea, her being the priestess
<Mese> so I guess she is thinking of being like a mainline Lolthian
<Mese> or whatever
<Mike_Holmes> Lectula being the priestess? or Alba?
<Mese> rather than like a Reformed Baptist Lolthian (Southern Convocation) :)
<willows> wait you're a hooman and the dudes are all birds
<willows> how does that eveb work
<Mike_Holmes> Heretic!
<Mese> yes, shreyas
<Mese> yes lectula being the priestess
<willows> also, i'm pretty sure that living with an 8 year old autistic girl is the wierdest
<Mike_Holmes> Gotcha
<Mese> how it works ia question indeed.
<willows> she is watching this show for, like, infants
<Mese> there's this backstory about this whole human-bird war
<Mike_Holmes> Thing is that I see Lectula as part of a specific sub-cult
<Mike_Holmes> She's not one of the priestesses of the mainline religion
<willows> where a little south american kid floating in white no-space follows instructions given to her by a vaguely british-sounding voice over
<willows> him
<Mike_Holmes> I can change that if that's too complicated
<Mike_Holmes> But it sounded like fun to me
<Mike_Holmes> :-)
<Mike_Holmes> If Lectula is in such a cult, Alba can be, or can decide to still be mainline
<Mike_Holmes> And once we have that worked out the next question is if Sophie has any notions for any goals, motives, or aspirations for Alba, either short or long-term?
<Mese> what were you thinking for L Ectula?'s sub cult, can I ask (This is T Om? speaking btw)
<Mike_Holmes> Like we had discussed, a cult of secrets and lies
<Mike_Holmes> "The Web of Deciet"
<Mike_Holmes> something along those lines
<Mike_Holmes> Basically the spy cult
<Mike_Holmes> :-)
<Mike_Holmes> Lectula, one way or another, is a spy
<Mike_Holmes> :-)
<Mese> sophie says she is happy being in such a subcult
<Mike_Holmes> OK, cool
<Mese> so I guess she is that reformed souther convocation baptist denomination after all
<Mike_Holmes> Sophie mentioned possibly a rival to Lectula...
<Mike_Holmes> I so, does she hope to become a priestess? Or just to ingratiate herself more to the Lolth hierarchy? Or are they rivals in some other way?
<Mike_Holmes> Or not rivals?
<Mike_Holmes> (BTW, Tom, this is the sort of stuff that I consider playing, and a lot of fun)
<Mese> sophie says: "they should be lovers (Lectula and Alba) and she thinks maybe A Lba? has preistess aspirations too, given her age"
<Mike_Holmes> OK, cool
<Mike_Holmes> very cool
<Mike_Holmes> any other aspirations, goals, motives, etc?
<Mike_Holmes> If not, then I have plenty to work with
<Mese> sophie also says, re aspirations: "alba wants to be loved"
<Mike_Holmes> Awesome
<Mike_Holmes> :-)
<Mese> "more specifically, that alba seeks love in spite of herself. She seeks it in the wrong ways. She uses her powers to get at it and it ends in them resenting her and she's confused and anrgy about that"
<Mike_Holmes> Oh yeah
<Mike_Holmes> :-)
<Mike_Holmes> "I will make them love meeee!"
<Mike_Holmes> Heh
<Mike_Holmes> OK, Tom, a question for you regarding Izz
<Mike_Holmes> Does Izzdaer know who his "priest" is who gave him the mission to take Aurora to Alba?
<Mese> "her strong desire to be loved and the methods she goes about to achieve it has left her with a conflcit within herself"
<Mese> "and she is very touchy about that conflict and doesn;t know how to get help about it because she can;t appear weak"
<Mike_Holmes> Awesome
<Mese> so yeah I think you are getting it
<Mese> she is very enthused about this she is pacing back and forth
<Mese> so, Izzdaer!
<Mike_Holmes> Cool
<Mike_Holmes> Hope DW shows up at some point
<Mese> as regards that qeustion re: Izzdaer, I think the nature of the cult is that we know very little about each other.
<Mike_Holmes> Before y'all have to go to bed
<Mese> we got lotsa time today :) will have to go to the shops at some point in the next four hours but otherwsie we are good for the next... seven or eight hours at least
<Mike_Holmes> Tell Sophie she did perfectly, framing her character's issue, but not going too far and resolving it
<Mike_Holmes> So the cult meets in darkness, to hide their identities. Very much a "cell" sort of conspiracy
<Mike_Holmes> that's cool
<Mike_Holmes> But how does it work?
<Mike_Holmes> Rather
<Mike_Holmes> I can figure out the details
<Mike_Holmes> but what does Izz know?
<Mike_Holmes> Like how did he get into the cult?
<Mike_Holmes> Was he recruited
<Mike_Holmes> ?
<Mike_Holmes> Or did he somehow find out about it, and made a move to join?
<Mike_Holmes> Oh... I forgot, one more question for Sophie... if she had no parents, how was she raised? How did she survive? Who taught her drow-ish ways?
<Mike_Holmes> And what did she do in her first 150 years for a living, once she was an adult? Before she became the dominatrix she is now?
<Mese> sophie says: "maybe lectula raised her?"
<Mike_Holmes> Interesting
<Mike_Holmes> And now they're lovers?
<Mike_Holmes> That's suitably twisted
<Mike_Holmes> :-)
<Mese> sophie says "another idea is that because she was an orphan, some of the ahem, angfels of mercy she now has working for her raised her"
<Mike_Holmes> How about both?
<Mike_Holmes> Lectula was, at the time, a "working girl" who raised Alba, along with others
<Mike_Holmes> Then Lectula left to become a priestess
<Mike_Holmes> Not "Left" but changed work
<Mese> sophie says "love it!"
<Mike_Holmes> Awesome
<Mike_Holmes> Wait...
<Mese> sophie says: "this would explain why alba sees love as a commodity"
<Mike_Holmes> Brilliant
<Mike_Holmes> Sure, sure
<Mike_Holmes> Even with 300 years of experience, it's all she really knows
<Mike_Holmes> Super
<Mike_Holmes> Hmm
<Mike_Holmes> So she only got her powers 150 years ago
<Mike_Holmes> But Vael is 300
<Mike_Holmes> So she got the egg way back then
<Mike_Holmes> Before she had powers
<Mike_Holmes> How did that come about?
<Mike_Holmes> Can we say it was a present from Lectula?
<Mese> sophe says "the egg was given to me at birth but Alba doesn;t know who from. maybe it was those parents she never knew"
<Mike_Holmes> ah
<Mike_Holmes> Very cool
<Mike_Holmes> Is Vael male or female?
<Mese> sophie says "I think it is a boy?"
<Mike_Holmes> OK
<Mese> I just had 1x crazy idea
<Mese> hahaha
<Mese> oh man
<Mese> (tom having this crazy idea)
<Mike_Holmes> :-)
<Mike_Holmes> What?
<Mese> the idea is that alba is a half dragon and doesn't know it....
<Mese> it explains the missing parents AND the magical powers
<Mese> and the dragon egg...
<Mese> or at least like, 1/8th dragon or something...
<Mike_Holmes> heh
<Mike_Holmes> I'll think about it
<Mike_Holmes> I'm working up the mystery background already
<Mese> sophie says: "thank you mike for all your help I couldn;t have made such an awesome character without you"
<Mike_Holmes> My pleasure
<Mike_Holmes> Oh, duh... I keep on remembering questions for Sophie
<Mike_Holmes> Does Guzara work for Zevara, or Alba?
<Mike_Holmes> the head guard
<Mike_Holmes> At one point Alba said something about the poor quality of the guards, and blamed Zevara
<Mike_Holmes> Not sure if she meant Guzara and his patrol,
<Mike_Holmes> or some other guards on the block
<Mike_Holmes> I'm imagining that, in any case, Guzara is inside Alba's place at least regularly (if not constantly) to prevent any issues
<Mese> sophie says: "I think they are Zevara's guards, but on loan to me"
<Mese> so a question there about whom they are truly loyal too, sounds fun :)
<Mike_Holmes> Excellent
<Mike_Holmes> How about my question about Izzdaer, Tom?
<Mese> still thinking
<Mike_Holmes> How'd he get involved with the Zinzerena cult?
<Mike_Holmes> Hmm
<Mese> my thought is that he was making super discrett inquiries about groups pof likeminded individuals, having intellectualised himself into a counter-culture stance
<Mese> and this is the first one he fell on
<Mese> not sure WHY this one though... might be they sought him out specially, because of his position as apprentice to the Lightweaver...
<Mike_Holmes> So he made inquiries, they heard about the inquiries, and decided that they wanted him in the cult?
<Mese> sure
<Mike_Holmes> So "they" know who he is, at any rate. Even if that might just be one person.
<Mese> sure, I picture the organisation as evry diffuse and need to know, which is probably why Izzdaer doesn;t understand the plot he's apart of
<Mike_Holmes> Cool
<Mike_Holmes> I'm thinking that his inquiries wouldn't have to go far, given that illusionists are favored by the cult
<Mike_Holmes> Are there other apprentices of Lightbringer?
<Mese> Light WEAVER? :)
<Mike_Holmes> Oops
<Mike_Holmes> Yeah, him
<Mese> lightbringer would be very non drow :)
<Mese> I am thinking no, no other apprentices.
<Mike_Holmes> In Drow, Lightweaver would be Lymetran
<Mike_Holmes> (according to a page on drow names that I have)
<Mese> okay I gotta go shops
<Mike_Holmes> There just happens to be a male NPC who is the consort of the female NPC who is head of the top noble house (Eilservs). His name is Lyme
<Mese> will pick this up again later
<Mike_Holmes> Interesting coincidence
<Mike_Holmes> Later
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