Questing Country: The Next Jaunt.

[powersthatbe]

QUESTING COUNTRY
July 22nd - August 26th

Nobody knows quite how Questing Country works. Any species who are capable of lucid dreams can enter it. Six Known Worlds are connected to it - planets which may or may not remember one another in the waking world, but whose Chosen have formed alliances through Questing Country for thousands of years. The landscape changes, but the place is real - anyone who dreams of Questing Country vanishes from their bed, and wakes up with the wounds, marks, or treasures they earned there. But a few things are clear: it taps into the most powerful beliefs in the minds of sentient beings. When those beliefs are too dangerous, Questing Country births strange talking beasts who lend abilities to the young, the only people hopeful and naive enough to believe one person really can change the world - and so, they’re the only people who ever have the chance to change it.

But there’s more to Questing Country than the Champions it anoints and their dangerous lives and uncertain fates. These troublesome beliefs - they take shape, too. The Fire Mushrooms range out from the place called Nuclear Winter. Hordes of Men in Black come from Conspiracy Country. If they’re not stopped here, they gain power in the dreams of the Known Worlds… and those are only a few of the more obvious ones.

Sometimes, though, the untapped powers of Questing Country find other shapes, as well. There are unstable nodes of energy called Valences that appear only a few times a generation… and when they do, Champions and Oracles and Adversaries all fling themselves into Questing Country with wild abandon. Because every Champion has some belief they’re fighting for, some hope they want to come true… and deep in their hearts, every Champion believes that one day, if they’re strong enough and pure enough, it will. The Valence is that belief, taken shape, the hope of hopes, the power to make dreams come true in an instant… but because Champions believe they have to prove themselves worthy, well, they’re right about that, too. To gain the Valence, they first have to succeed in a series of tests, tests that will send them against their friends and allies from across the worlds...

Age & Gender Swaps | Roles | Species | Casting Call | Bonds & Bonded | Skills | Calendar | World Info | Player Resources | Questions | Plotting

Comments

Age & Gender Swaps

[powersthatbe]

In Questing Country, hope and perception are powerful tools. If you, or people where you’re from, believe that only the young have this kind of hope and power, or only girls do… well, you might end up a thirteen-year old girl if you’re hopeful enough to be a Champion. If you only ever read adventure stories about boys in fantasy kingdoms, you might become a boy. If you have the potential for one of these roles, but for any reason your body doesn’t suit the kind of person you think plays that role… then as long as you’re in Questing Country, you’ll have the body you need to be what you need to be.

Roles

[powersthatbe]

Champion - “magical girls,” anointed by Spirit Animals, come from any world on which sentient beings dream. Because they have great hope and great selflessness, they are empowered to defend their worlds from the powers of negative thought and nightmare, healing the psyches of their species by literally combating metaphorical threats. Young enough to not know what is impossible, Champions’ fearlessness and innocence is the root of their power. Champion Magic tends to be showy, grandiose, and direct, unless their Archetype is not. Their keyword is HOPE.

Adversary - some Champions lose their selfless heroism before they lose their naivete. They become Adversaries - free agents, radially independent powers seeking their own good. Adversaries may only be a “phase” a Champion goes through on their way to being an Oracle, a Pillar, or even a Champion again. As such, while an Adversary may be hostile to Champions, Champions are rarely hostile towards them. Adversaries are not evil, or even misguided exactly - they simple prioritize their own freedom and survival above greater causes, and walk their own paths. An Adversary’s Spirit Animal sometimes temporarily becomes a Doppleganger, an insubstantial image of the Adversary that tries to make trouble for them, as they reject its guidance. An Adversary’s magic is usually more subtle, indirect and manipulative than a Champion’s, sacrificing a little punch for more deliberate effect. An Adversary’s key word is AGENCY.

Oracle - as Champions age, they learn what is possible and what is not, gain experience, lose some degree of hope, and so their power fades. As it fades, however, it transmutes into wisdom, vision, and knowledge in their chosen Archetype. Oracles’ Spirit Animals become Familiars, perfectly comprehensible to them at last, but unable to communicate with anyone else. Adversaries who become Dark Oracles devoted to themselves lose their Spirit Animals entirely; they become full-time Dopplegangers. Most Oracles are mentors and resources for Champions, still devoted to their cause but less able to take action on their own. Their keyword is KNOWLEDGE.

Pillar - a Pillar is a very different way a Champion can go wrong. A Pillar has Power, Knowledge, and Agency. But a Pillar has lost Hope. Pillars are burned out, jaded by their experiences, and while they still find themselves drawn into supernatural crises and situations, they wish merely to be left alone and rest, not to fight. A Pillar cannot use their magic, doesn’t care about their knowledge, has no use for their agency. But all these qualities symbolically and supernaturally give them a great reservoir that they can, on the rare occasion they begin to care, lend to others. or which they can use to endure or avoid the supernatural. Nonsentient monsters do not attack Pillars. Spells wash off them without effect. Strange phenomena are repelled by them, if only for a few feet. A pillar no longer has a Spirit Animal of any kind. A Pillar’s keyword is RESISTANCE.

Species

[powersthatbe]

Human - what it says on the tin.

Elf - elves come from a low-tech world of vast, sweeping forests and intense natural beauty and wildness. Given to music, woodcraft, art, & philosophy, elves are nimble and keen-eyed, but fragile & weak-willed, and have none of the benefits of technology, living rustic, simple lives.

Gorgon - Gorgons have brightly tinted skin, prehensile tentacles for hair which have sensitive eyespots & other sensorium, & the ability to slowly calcify what they touch or breathe on. An individualistic people who prefer to dwell underground, Gorgons are very practical, great architects & engineers, often cranky and withdrawn & with poor long-range vision & light sensitivity.

Hecatites - are humanoids who can grow crystalline structures from within their bodies. Hectatites have a great deal of scientific advancement, but they tend not to use tools except what they grow, instead focusing on the disciplined acquisition of knowledge & yogi-like control of themselves . Hecatites tire easily and are vulnerable to loud noises and bludgeoning, but have much keener intellects than other species.

Spartoi - warlike, with bone spurs, a scattering of scales, and a wide range of mutations, Spartoi are an authoritarian, impatient, and militaristic people. Passionate and loyal, they are not intellectual by nature and scavenge most of their tools and technology. Spartoi Champions have a shorter life expectancy and a greater chance of going Adversary or Pillar than they do Oracle, but Spartoi Oracles are remarkable for their psychological knowledge of how to bring peace and calm to any situation.

Vodyanoi - aquatic, with finned ears, shining, smooth scales, & mild hydrokinetic abilities, the Vodyanoi are a naturally timid race of observers, slight in stature, with quick maturation and shorter lifespans. As such, Vodyanoi advance from Champion to Oracle very quickly, so Vodyanoi Champions tend to be overworked and yet inexperienced, burdened with far too much advice and inclined to indecision & paralysis.

Other - players may feel free to devise other species that play with fantasy and magical tropes and have about this mixture of strengths and weaknesses.

Casting Call

[powersthatbe]

Investigators are just as capable of being Champions, Adversaries, Oracles, or Pillars as anyone else. An Investigator who takes on this role will have a Spirit Animal along to lecture them on their abilities and responsibilities before long…

But there are also eight specific parts we want filled. Below are some ideas we have about them - if you want to play these parts, or something very similar with a few small tweaks to suit you, sign up here. We’ll start casting on the 17th.

Champion of Butterflies (an unstable young knife-wielding Hecatite with a missing Spirit Animal.)

Champion of Void (a starry-eyed elven waif with untapped and volatile powers)

Oracle of Will (an unshakeable Spartoi, a stabilizing influence and wise mentor to all)

Oracle of Shackles (a Human who still acts like a Champion, despite losing their power)

Adversary of Earth (a subtle Vodyanoi with an ambitious agenda)

Adversary of Rebirth (a dramatic Gorgon with more style than forethought)

Pillar of Disaster (an unlucky Human resigned to doom)

Pillar of Mourning (a Hecatite whose powers lead them to misery)

Bonds & Bonded

[powersthatbe]

Bonded are a supernaturally connected group of Champions & Oracles, which may rarely include an Adversary or a Pillar. Bonded fight and work together and are stronger for it, but any gain they make is also divided between them, and a Bond that is large or unwieldy is unlikely to get much of anywhere in Questing Country. A small Bond can face down bigger challenges, but the power of a Valence can only go to ONE of them, possibly at random, so a Bonded is commonly only made of people who love and trust one another with near-absolute devotion. Bonded can share physical health, mental resiliency, magical power, & supernatural insight. Their familiars & spirit animals may combine into a larger creature called a volksgeist, often used as a mount or battle companion.

For purposes of game balance and CR generation, Bonds will usually be from 4 to 6 people in size, although you may ask to form a larger or smaller Bond. Single-canon Bonds are permissible but discouraged. A Bond may be a long-standing team, or it may be a group of people who are thrown together during the events of the plot forming new connections.

If you want to be a part of a Bond, but do not have a group in mind, comment here and we will randomize Bonded companions for you. If you have a small Bond and would be open to random individuals joining it, let us know, and we’ll set that up for you as well.

Skills (updated)

[powersthatbe]

Dream Body: In Questing Country, everyone has the body they feel they need to have for their role. This allows an age, gender, and/or species swap to one idealized form.

Spirit Animal/Familiar: an advice-dispensing animal companion that accompanies champions and oracles. Adversaries who take this skill will still find that their companion occasionally becomes a duplicate of them and stirs up trouble.

True Bond: Bonded can share physical health (healing opne another’s wounds), mental resiliency (breaking, resisting, or transferring enchantments and status effects), magical power (mana pool), & supernatural insight (visionary or magical senses of any kind). Their familiars & spirit animals (if they take this skill) may combine into a larger creature called a volksgeist, often used as a mount or battle companion. When you take this skill, you must indicate who you are Bonded with, and they must take this skill as well to have any lasting effect after the jaunt.

Pillar Resistance; A Pillar is about 95% resistant to all magical effects. Anyone with this skill may not take Archetypal Magic or Spirit Animal.

Archetypal Champion Magic: Champions know roughly half a dozen powerful, flashy, splashy effects that they can use to attack enemies, deflect attacks, or which aid them outside of combat. Champion magic is always accompanied by some visual or audio effect. The majority of these effects must tie into a Champion’s archetype. Champion magic is powerful, but often sloppy and obvious, not likely to allow for gentle or indirect handling of a situation unless very carefully employed.

Archetypal Oracular Knowledge: supernatural visionary knowledge of an archetype. An Oracle is an expert on all lore connected to their archetype, whether its literal embodiment or its metaphorical resonance. They can sense its presence, absence, power, or direction. If they are shown or come in direct contact with something that matches their archetype, they can rapidly educate themselves on all relevant details about it, even if there is no source for that information. Finally, Oracles have visions about any events which involve their archetype, and may also have dreams or visions (but no other expertise) about any Bonded partners they have.

Archetypal Adversary Magic: Adversary magic is low-key and precise, often unseen. it can never directly counter or overpower Champion magic, but can evade notice, slip through loopholes, and exploit vulnerabilities. like Champions, Adversaries should select roughly half a dozen such effects, focused on stealth, manipulation, and escape.

Dreamcatching: breaking down inert Liminal substance to become usable energy, powering devices or refilling mana. Outside of Liminal Spaces, this may be done to less effect by siphoning the dreams of sleeping individuals.

Gorgon Racial Traits: prehensile tentacle hair, brightly colored skin, darkvision, vibration and electromagnetic field sensing, calcifying touch/breath; light sensitivity, poor long-range vision, antisocial tendencies.

Elven Racial Traits: keen sight and hearing, agility, lack of stamina, health, and willpower.

Hecatite Racial Traits: mineral composition, easily overwhelmed by sound, metabolic control, crystal growing, bludgeoning vulnerability, high intellect, low stamina.

Vodyanoi Racial Traits: hydrokinesis (up to the amount of water they could reasonably carry), finned ears, shining, smooth scales, amphibious, water-breathing, natural timidity, low physical strength.

Spartoi Racial Traits: quick temper, berserker tendencies, bone spurs and scales, high strength and durability, more militant than intellectual.

Genre Savvy: the knowledge of narrative structure and tendencies needed to predict the typical paths and variations of stories, dreams, plots, and character types.

At the end of August, due to long exposure to the energies of Questing Country, all characters will be eligible for one free Liminal or Telepathic Skill or one Skill from this Jaunt.

Calendar

[powersthatbe]

July 22nd: the Gauntlet of Hearts. A scavenger hunt in a maze of illusions.
July 29th: the Trial of Wits. A series of riddles whose proof is not right words, but right action.
August 5th: the Crucible of Virtue. A battleground of monsters and obstacles; direct competition.
August 13th: the Ordeal of Breath. A test of character.
August 19th: the Valence descends.

World Info

[powersthatbe]

Questing Country - the shared dream-space of all thinking species, metaphor made real, the place where the power of Champions comes from, and a physical space which they travel to train, learn, and do battle.

Collective Unconscious - not of one species, but of at least six. Most Champions & Oracles come from the listed species above, but other thinking races do exist, & can be devised by players. The Collective Unconscious is at the root of Questing Country, & of the power & knowledge of Champions & their ilk.

Spirit Animals - guides, embodiments of the collective unconscious, and as such, incredibly cryptic and mysterious, incapable of clear or straightforward communication, are responsible for selecting & anointing Champions. Spirit Animals seek Champions who believe in some great and selfless cause with great hope and idealism, and that cause can often somehow be represented by their Archetype.

Archetype - the grand symbolic idea which lends its power to a Champion or Oracle. Roses, Romance, Lions,Apples, Swords, Fire, Ice, Darkness, Light, Lightning - a theme or leitmotif to their magical powers. Not ALL magical powers of a magical girl will rely directly on their Archetype, but it forms the core of their identity & speciality, & probably has something to do with the cause they serve.

Dreamcatchers - devices made to siphon energy from Questing Country. Champions & Adversaries use them to replenish spent power, Oracles for knowledge. Pillars neither have nor need them, as their own abilities are built up but inaccessible.

Exoliminality - all of Questing Country is a Liminal Space, and so most Liminal powers work in Questing Country, but with reduced effect. The amount of space or material that can be manipulated is reduced by roughly half, the time it takes to do so multiplied (but not by one specific number), and it takes much more tangible effort. LIKEWISE because Travelers are attuned to something very like Questing Country, an Investigator can still become a Champion, Oracle, Adversary, or Pillar with the appropriate abilities and Archetypes if it suits their essential character.

Twilight Time - like Liminal Space, Questing Country can undergo vast and sweeping changes. These are preceded by Twilight Time, where things go dim and blurry around the edges, signalling a “change in the weather” which will remake the world around them.

Valence - the power of the collective unconscious sometimes forms a node of energy which can grant one wish. A Valence is hidden somewhere in Questing Country, and Oracles (or investigators with Questing Sense) can vaguely feel its presence and direction. A Valence will bestow itself on one worthy being to help them achieve their cause. Champions flock to Questing Country to prove themselves worthy of a Valance, using Nobility, Courage, & Genre-Savvy to make themselves the Ideal Champion, the narrative embodiment of a person worthy of having their wishes granted. This leads to a great deal of competition, but at the same time, most Champions recognize that they are all in this together, all branches of a common cause of hope and goodness, and would not dream of doing serious lasting harm to one another.

Player Resources

[powersthatbe]

http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/SoYouWantTo/WriteAMagicalGirlSeries
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/TrueCompanions
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/MagicalGirl
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLuBIBljQOrHbYTujyO9sS42enaJgG7qOH

(we'll make this neater later)

Questions

[powersthatbe]

Go here!

Plotting

[powersthatbe]

Go forth!

Re: Questions

[shiroganeheir]

Two questions: Those who come to Questing Country, how isolated or connected are their homes? Are there different cultures/countries/areas even among each race?

Question 2: If one's gender is changed, would any other physical attributes change as well, such as, would the rest of their physical appearance fit a mental picture?

[thirdarrow]

With regards to the physical mutations of the Spartoi, are they mostly land-based or can we have aerodynamically or aquatically inclined ones?

[someonetocarry]

Are the other races in contact with each other in real!space, or only through Questing Country? As in, will people be surprised to see the other races, or will they be familiar?

Also, is there a real moon, or is it close enough to regular liminal space that Lyall won't be doing his werewolf change for another month? ^^

Re: Questions

[detectivewonder]

Yes, there are!

Yes, you can be as flexible with that as you need to be!

[powersthatbe]

No flyers, but there could be amphibispartoi!

[powersthatbe]

The Hecatites and Gorgons are space travelers, but the others are not! Still, Champions who have been around a while have seen the others in Questing Country before!

[someonetocarry]

Might as well get this party started :D

Lyall is investigating and being genre-savvy about it all, because he is a total nerd, okay. Liminal space/OOC developments will determine what he'll pass for, in-Jaunt, so I don't know yet, there. I am probably randomizing him, but if Nick is still in-game, limiting the randomizing to being tied to him somehow still.

Zoe here is infiltrating for her first-ever Jaunt, as a Spartoi Oracle. ... yes I did toss her name into the pot for Oracle of Will, since that's pretty much exactly what I'd planned for her ANYWAY, but as I had Lyall plot-important last Jaunt, it's not likely I'll get it :B So I'm thinking Oracle of Arrows, maybe. Symbolizing directness, truth, and of course projectile weaponry, because that's where she shines. Undecided on the familiar. Might go with a wolverine, seeing as that's my headcanon for if she ever had a daemon, or might go kestrel, to fit in with the arrows theme. I am randomizing her.

ETA: Nope, no Oracle of Will for her, so she will be Oracle of Arrows ^^ Still pretty calm and parental, though, and still a Spartoi.

Neeshka is also infiltrating, as Champion of... I think Lions. Fire seems too on-point for her heritage, and I like the idea of working her powers around Lions. Symbolizes bravery, bonds of pride and family, working together, and might include some fire powers as well as some like. Animal-summoning powers because why not. Again with the randomizing, with the limitation that I think PG and I want her and Sabetha connected somehow?

Riddick is on walkabout and off in Summer Solstice :D

[darkhourdear]

Phillip is going to be Investigating, but literally the second he walks into Questing Country he's going to become the Champion of Stars. His magic will be incredibly sparkly and showy, and stars for him means a number of things- hope and happiness ala tarot, costume change and spotlight re: 'star' performers, sparkle and light in the general sense... basically if it has to do with stars, he can probably do something with it. And he will totally be getting into this, so feel free to wonder if he's actually Infiltrating. XD

Melissa will Infiltrating as a Pillar of Justice, which seems like too positive of a term until you realize the idea that it's she doesn't think Justice exists/works. She is going to be very cranky and no-nonsense about everything, but if and when she does get dragged along she's going to fix shit herself because the only Justice she really trusts is the type she delivers. She's also probably going to be aged down to 15 or so and may be a Spartoi.

[gitanes]

LILA is a Champion of Gunmetal, with liquidized metal-based magic and a mercurial cat for a Spirit Animal. she is Spartoi and always leaning a little towards Adversary, but has managed to retain her hope thus far. she is aged down to 16. she is bonded with B and SOME OTHER PEOPLE tbd, and i want all kinds of stuff with everybody pls.

MELLO is an Adversary of Shadows, his powers based in the dark side of the moon, lies hidden where the sun can't reach. he is human and only recently turned Adversary from Champion as a result of his parents' death. he is going to have many doppelganger problems, may lose and find his shadow, may have peter pan motifs going on, MAY ENGAGE IN A REDEMPTION ARC?? WHO KNOWS. he is aged down to 16. again, i want stuff with everybody.

[gitanes]

throwing lila & b in here to be randomized, please!

Re: Plotting

[leftbehindagain]

Okay, figured out a few things.

Definitely infiltrating, and going for gorgon (as noted, calcification tho). Naoki's going to be a Champion of Healing - you never know when you'll need a healer, and I want to play up something other than the wind this time. He and his sister have Big Plans for things at home, but she's not cut out for the whole quest thing, so he's taking it on.

Kanji and Naoki are going to have a Bond (this isn't their first round), but we don't want them to be the only ones! We're looking for three or four one or two more people to join the group, particularly some more non-SMTs. Currently stands at Kanji, Naoki, Dorian and Lupa. Investigators ending up part of the group after the jaunt starts also welcome!

ETA: We've also picked up Janos for once the jaunt gets rolling - still open to one or two others! We're a little Oracle-heavy at the moment, so preference is for not-Oracles.

(Not sure if I'm going to cook up a different name for him or not. Stay tuned!)

Re: Questions

[leftbehindagain]

Doesn't apply to me, but in general: Can Pillars become something other than Pillars with the right catalyst?

[thirdarrow]

what about gliders, or at least slender build ones?

[tothefly]

In my head Nat was the previous Champion of Shadows, who struggled with becoming an Adversary and fought her way back to becoming Oracle of Spiders. I would v like her to mentor Mello, trying to pull just enough strings to nudge him back onto the path of the Champion. Because Shadows don't have to mean darkness and endings.