\ LABN Character Diary http://unlimitedi.net/taxonomy/term/34/0 en Diary? http://unlimitedi.net/node/195 <p><p>Okay I could not come up with a better name for this forum. But you can post anything here that is related to your character. Stuff that isn't part of the game or that you want to share without adding it to your character profile.</p> <p>Snippets of diary entries. Articles about your race. Notes on your groups and societies. Maybe a little short story about how you became who you are.</p> <p>Basically This is the space between the game board and your character profile.</p> </p> http://unlimitedi.net/node/195#comments LABN Character Diary Wed, 13 Nov 2002 19:53:22 +0000 MrDave 195 at http://unlimitedi.net Celestials http://unlimitedi.net/node/1113 <p><p><span style="font-weight:bold">Celestials</span> are essentially gods. This covers the beings known as Archangels, The Powers That Be, The Senior Partners, Devils, Planar Keepers, True Demons (as opposed to demonic races like the Kaoshian - I am talking True Demons like Mayor Wilkins and Illyria) and their ilk.</p> <p>The biggest difference between a really, really powerful being and a Celestial is that the Celestial transcends the planes. They exist simultaneously in many planes at once. So the Senior Partners can do something in our plane AND Pangea at the same time.</p> <p>Celestials are, by definition, NPCs. They are above the concerns of mortals and their ways and fates. They treat mortals like playthings and use them to suit their purposes.</p> <p>The lesser beings that serve them are generally considered to be part of the "<span style="font-weight:bold">Court of the Celestials</span>" and this would include powerful mages, lesser beings like angels and demons, high preists, Directors of Wolfram and Hart offices, and other highly placed beings. </p> <p>Basically any being who reports <span style="font-style:italic">directly</span> to the higher power but isn't created by it. Celestials sometimes avoid using creatures with free-will and opt for <span style="font-weight:bold">Avatars</span> instead.</p> <p>An Avatar is a manifestation of the Celestial in a single plane. These Avatars smetimes have a small element of free-will but lack souls (or spirits or life-energy) and are animated by the will of the Celestial instead. Cups and Pentacles (as well as Eve and Hamilton from Season Five Angel) are examples of Avatars of the Senior Partners. </p> <p>The amount of power that these avatars have is limited only by the commitment of the Celestial, although there may be limits to what a given form can withstand (i.e. Illyria was more powerful than the form of Fred could withstand and so she had to be 'drained' slightly so that she didn't destroy herself.)</p> <p>A Celestial that commits to complete manifestation becomes an insanely powerful being on a single plane and can effectively not be stopped without means that would ordinarily destroy that plane utterly. Such events are very rare.</p> </p> http://unlimitedi.net/node/1113#comments LABN Character Diary Sun, 06 Nov 2005 02:41:56 +0000 MrDave 1113 at http://unlimitedi.net LA by Night: the Animated Series http://unlimitedi.net/node/1077 <p><p><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v410/OhSiris/LA%20by%20Night/LABNLogo.jpg" alt="" class="bb-image" /></p> <p>Here's a little project I've been working on for a time--a little bit of fan-art. Yes! I'm making fan-art for LABN. Why? Because I'm a big fan--of all y'all. (I wouldn't have joined if I wasn't :)). Inspired by the intriguing--and, sadly, <span style="font-style:italic">lost</span>--Buffy the Animated Series, I figured it was about time that LABN got a toon, too. Or, at least got drawn like one.</p> <p>Now, I'm not finished with everyone I wanted to draw yet, but most of the current White Hats are here. In the future I hope to round out the Hats. I have drawn--but not completed--Tash, Blackthorn, Adriana, Nikolai, and even Black Jem...who wasn't a Hat...ever. I did some research on their styles and accessories, so maybe that helped a bit. But hey! If they ain't good, at least you can rest easy knowing they're just fan-art, and I'm a crazy-crazy obsessive LABN fan with waaay too much!</p> <p>(Oh, and big thanks to Shaun for his encouraging words!)</p> <p>These are the first wave I made: Alessa Hunt, Marcus Dalton, Daye Blaise, and Darian Gray.</p> <p><a href="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v410/OhSiris/LA%20by%20Night/AlessaHunt.jpg" class="bb-url">http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v410/OhSiris/LA%20by%20Night/AlessaHunt.jpg</a><br /> <a href="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v410/OhSiris/LA%20by%20Night/MarcusDalton.jpg" class="bb-url">http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v410/OhSiris/LA%20by%20Night/MarcusDalton.jpg</a><br /> <a href="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v410/OhSiris/LA%20by%20Night/DayeBlaise.jpg" class="bb-url">http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v410/OhSiris/LA%20by%20Night/DayeBlaise.jpg</a><br /> <a href="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v410/OhSiris/LA%20by%20Night/DarianGray.jpg" class="bb-url">http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v410/OhSiris/LA%20by%20Night/DarianGray.jpg</a></p> </p> http://unlimitedi.net/node/1077#comments LABN Character Diary Fri, 02 Sep 2005 07:19:36 +0000 Kent 1077 at http://unlimitedi.net Strong Demon - Weak Demon http://unlimitedi.net/node/796 <p><p>This idea of a "Strong Vampire Demon" and a "Weak Vampire Demon" comes from an interesting article in <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1932100334/latenightgame-20?creative=327641&amp;camp=14573&amp;link_code=as1" class="bb-url"><span style="font-style:italic">Five Seasons of Angel</span></a> by Margurite Krause "It's a Stupid Curse"<br /> <div class="bb-quote"><b>It's a Stupid Curse - Margurite Krause wrote:</b><blockquote class="bb-quote-body">The truth is, distinctions between beings with souls and those without is nebulous at best. Although Drusilla and Spike, in season two of <span style="font-style:italic">Buffy</span> are pure demon, without souls, they are also obviously, devotedly in love with one another. In fact, when the Judge first meets them ("Surprise" B2-13), he complains that they carry a "stink of humanity" about them. Despite bthe fact that they are undenialby dmons, and capable of great evil, Dru and Spike also are cpable of loyalty, devotion, tenderness, concern, love, - all traits associated with human "goodness" and the possession of a soul. Spike carries this un-demonic behavior to the ultimate extreme when, during <span style="font-style:italic">Buffy</span> season five, he falls hopelessly in love with the Slayer- not at all the proper way for a vampire to behave.</p> <p>The problem, I believe, arises from the fundamental nature of vampires. Not all demons are created equal. We have already noted that different kinds of demons display different levels of morality - good, neutral or evil. but even among the specific, inherently evil demons that become vampires, some appear to be more powerful than others.</p> <p>An average vampire wears its host body the way a human wears clothing. The original personality and mannerisms of the dead person are visible, but the individual characteristics and fundamental nature of the possessing demon shine through. most of the vampires enountered on a routine basis by Angel and his Team, or Buffy and the Scoobies seem to be of this type. The primary urge to kill and destroy with the remnants of the human personality providing little more than window dressing over the core of insatiable evil.</p> <p>In contrast, when a realtively weak demon rises as avapire, whatever individual personality the demon may have originally possessed is overridden by the personality of the human body it inhabits. Drusilla, Harmony and Spike all seem to be vampires of this type. The human Drusilla had visons of the future and was driven insane by Angelus, and both of these factors continue to dominate her personality as a vampire. The personality of vain, dim-witted Harmony seems completely unaffescted by her transition from human to vampire - the influence of the demon is discernable only when she actually vamps out and tried to bite someone. As for william, it might be tempting to think that his original human personality, the sensitive, emotionally needy young man and bad poet, has been replaced by a powerful vampire persona, the callus snarky Spike. But in fact, Spike's evolution over the years has proven the opposite to be true. Flashbacks show Spike's origins as a vampire (for example "Lies my parents told me" B7-17, and "Destiny" A5-8 ) reveal that Williams loving and generally eager-to-please personality remained dominant after he died. "Spike" is the ersult of Williams gradual reinvention of himself; a tough-guy protective shell for someone who's a softie at heart. </p> <p>...</p> <p>What happens, then, when an exceptionally powerful demon takes possession of a human body to become a vampire? The demon dmoinates and few if any traces of the human host remain. Which is exactly what we see when we compare the personalities and behavior of Angel and Angelus.</blockquote></div></p> <p>I find this concept facinating, and I am seeing traces of it in our LABN vampires. Especially those we knew some before they were vamped. Tash, or fallen sister, has a pretty run-of-the-mill vampire possessing her. It is a nice balance between the Savvy/tough Tash and the cruel/malicious vampire. </p> <p>Benji, on the other hand, seems to be one of these 'weak' vampires who stugles to push the host into actions he really doesn't care to do. You can almost feel the tension within him as the inner voice sreams "KILL" and the outer body shrugs and checks his 8-ball. Nice.</p> <p>Anyway, I wanted to share this article snippet becasue there is an idea here that might bear examination within the LABN storylines. Oh and pardon my slapdash transcription.</p> </p> http://unlimitedi.net/node/796#comments LABN Character Diary Mon, 04 Apr 2005 18:10:32 +0000 MrDave 796 at http://unlimitedi.net Rave On! ~ A Tale of Benji http://unlimitedi.net/node/708 <p><p><span style="font-style:italic">This is a short-fic about the fateful night when Benjamin "Benji" Law became a vampire. It's got some wicked repercussions for Benji this season (as well as next season...heh heh), but it's just a little siring tale. Comment away if you feel the need!</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight:bold">Rave On</span> <span style="font-style:italic">~ A Tale of Benji ~ Part 1</span></p> <p><span style="font-style:italic">Starring Edison Chen as Benji Law<br /> Ryan Carnes As Rhymer<br /> And ? as “Rave On” (The Raver Girl)</span></p> <p>…</p> <p>“Feel that, Benj?”</p> <p><span style="font-style:italic">Thump-thump-thump-thump…</span></p> <p>It was house-music. “You feel that?” the teen repeated, this time nudging his friend softly in the arm.</p> <p>Benji smiled, but only for a second. “Yeah, yeah. I feel it, man,” he replied distantly. As the boys approached the warehouse, the other, more enthusiastic one had some words of advice.</p> <p>“Benji-man, I think I know what you need.” He slid a cigarette from his pocket and raised it to his lips. “You need to follow Rhymer’s Rule of Rave…Number One…” He finished his sentence and lit his cigarette.</p> <p>Benji rolled his eyes. “Oh God, not that again.”</p> <p>“It’s all about a good time!”</p> <p>Benji reached for the door, but Rhymer stopped him in his tracks.</p> <p>“Hold up, man! It got a lot more to tell you. See, I know what you’re gonna do. You’re gonna go in there, take that party by the nads an’ live it up—<span style="font-style:italic">for about 5 minutes</span>. Then you’re gonna come to me and complain that you aren’t having fun.” He cocked his head smugly. “I just gotta feeling is all.”</p> <p>“Well, we’ll see.” Benji answered, reaching for the handle again.</p> <p>Rhymer changed his tone. “Look—just <span style="font-style:italic">promise</span> me you’ll have fun?”</p> <p>“That’s what I came for,” Benji said. With the opening of the warehouse door, a flood of techno beats washed out into the parking lot.</p> <p>Benji and Rhymer worked their way down the stairs, past the staggering and drunken bodies of their peers. The DJ’s sound just got louder as the boys pressed on. This had to have been the loudest graduation party ever.</p> <p>Rhymer began instinctively bobbing to the beat as soon as he stepped into the room, but Benji took a while to get started. After a moment of chilling by the entrance, Benji pressed his lips to Rhymer’s ear. “I’m going to see who’s here,” he explained.</p> <p>Rhymer had no idea what the Hell Benji had said, but it sounded good to him. He nodded his spiky head emphatically and propelled Benji into the thick of the partying crowd. “Rave on!” he cheered.</p> <p>The immediate shock of drowning in a throng of ravers wore off quickly, and somehow Benji navigated his way to the front of the room intact.</p> <p>“So…who’s here?” he thought to himself. He moved to the rhythm obligingly as he walked past the DJ, but wasn’t in the dancing mood. His parents had planned a grand graduation night for him: a party at the house, probably presents. But Benji has declined. After much insistence from his best friend, Benji decided to come to his rave.</p> <p>“So here <span style="font-style:italic">I</span> am, Rhymer,” Benji mused. His eyes darted around the room, almost desperately looking for someone or something to catch his interest. “Give me something to work with here!” he screamed silently. Party lights flashed and about a hundred kids waved their glow-sticks triumphantly above their heads. So why wasn’t it enough?</p> <p>Slowly, Benji drew away from the party, frustrated. In passing he nodded to a few classmates—<span style="font-style:italic">former</span> classmates as of 2:00 PM that afternoon. With a sigh, he sank back, shoulders against the cold, concrete wall. He felt the sound vibes quake against his clothes.</p> <p>His eyes snapped up when another dancer walked too close, practically stepping on his shoes. “Um…hey--”</p> <p>“Hey yourself,” she purred. This girl definitely wasn’t one of Benji’s classmates. She shook some glitter out of her pink and orange hair, and then blew her dangling bangs away from her face. “Hey there!” she shouted over the building beat.</p> <p>“What’s up?” Benji asked, perking to attention. This girl could be interesting, he told himself.</p> <p>The girl smiled. She heard him—Benji saw her react, but she didn’t answer. Strange that she even heard him over the racket around them. The raver leaned closer, placing her hand on the quivering concrete. “What’s your name?” she called out over the din. Her smile was inviting.</p> <p>“Benji!” he cried. It was as if he was screaming to someone over a wide canyon, but she heard him regardless. “What’s <span style="font-style:italic">yours?</span>”</p> <p>The girl leaned closer, putting her lips up to his cheek. She said something, but Benji couldn’t catch the name…</p> <p>“You know what I wanna do?” the girl said in a suddenly louder voice. She then said something else he couldn’t hear.</p> <p>Not knowing what else to do, Benji smiled falsely. “Rave on!” he exclaimed.</p> <p>“Yeah! <span style="font-style:italic">That’s it!</span>” The girl started gyrating to the song again. She extended her hand and pulled Benji out of his little corner.</p> <p><span style="font-weight:bold">To Be Continued…</span></p> </p> http://unlimitedi.net/node/708#comments LABN Character Diary Fri, 25 Feb 2005 18:51:45 +0000 Kent 708 at http://unlimitedi.net Bloody Mary - NPC profile http://unlimitedi.net/node/698 <p><p><span style="font-size:18px">Bloody Mary</span></p> <p>The first beginnings of "Bloody Mary" began back in Bahia, Brazil, nearly 200 years ago, with a woman named Maria. She was a widow, a <span style="font-style:italic">'cabocla' </span>(daughter of a white man and a black woman) freed by her father when she had come of age. Maria had only one child, a daughter named Clara. </p> <p>She was a very organized and quick thinking woman, known for never thinking things through. Maria was a very beautiful woman, but extremely narcissistic. When she wasn't doing the household chores, she was fixing herself up in the small cottage she shared with her young daughter or she was offering ebo to Ajé, her personal Orisha. </p> <p>Maria belonged to the phalange worshipping Ajé, a minor Orisha, but a really greedy one. There weren’t many adepts that worshipped her, Ajé marked them at birth with bloody tears. Only those children that cried blood at the moment of birth were accepted into her phalange. The main ebo for Ajé was blood, especially chicken blood, but she could accept lamb or sheep blood too, and she was always hungry for more, so Maria strived to maintain her satisfied. In return, Ajé kept Maria young and beautiful. </p> <p>Every Friday night, Maria danced the drums to summon Ajé with her phalange brothers and sisters, and Ajé always came to her. In the trance of possession, Maria danced and her life energy got renovated. But as the years went by, Maria offerings, possessions and prayers stopped to prove sufficient to hinder the passing of the years and their toll on Maria's beauty. </p> <p>At night, Maria used to look at herself in the mirror and notice the tell tale signs of her getting old, and she cried. Alas, one day, she noticed that Clara, now ten years old, was beginning to bloom. Angered, she ran from her cottage, and shouted. </p> <p>"Ajé, I have served you well all these years. Have I not always fulfilled my compromise to you and gave you <span style="font-style:italic">Ebo</span>? Have I not let you possess my body once and again to walk the earth? What do I have to give you to attain eternal youth a beauty!" </p> <p>Her cry was answered. Suddenly Maria's tears turned blood, as she had cried as a baby. Maria was approached by Ajé, who offered her her desired wish in exchange for her a very special ebo. She quickly agreed, and in return, Ajé taught her a ritual to restore her beauty and give her eternal youth: she was to offer her daughter's blood as ebo. </p> <p>The next night, Maria knocked out her young daughter, who woke up in the middle of a large circle, drawn in the middle of their floor in chicken's blood. Five red, black and maroon candles were lit around the circle. After mere minutes of drumming and chanting, the ritual took place. She cut the girl's wrists with a swift movement of her ritual knife. Before her eyes, Maria saw the youth of young Clara drain from her face into herself as her blood drained from her body into the hungry mouth of Ajé. </p> <p>Once she regained her beauty, Maria was ready to finally kill her daughter, when Clara, remembering the children name for the powerful Orisha Iemanjá, murmured at the last moment. "<span style="font-style:italic">Janaína</span>, please help me." Before Maria could slash Clara's heart, an entity cloaked in blue entered the home, and picked up the withered Clara. Instantly, her face returned to its original youth. </p> <p>Iemanjá then turned to Maria, who was cowering in the ground before her beauty. The black candles lit around Ajé's circle flickered and died, Ajé herself was afraid of Iemanjá. With a grand gesture Iemanjá made Ajé corporeal and scowled at her. </p> <p>"What does this mean, my child?" she asked the daring orisha, for Ajé was Iemanjá's daughter, one of many. "Killing a child to satisfy this woman's greed for beauty? To satisfy 'your' greed for blood?" </p> <p>"Don’t you know that children are my sons and daughters, just as you are?"</p> <p>Suddenly emboldened by the child's blood she had managed to drink, Ajé straightened before her mother and faced her. "I am tired of being one of many. I have no use for the watered blood of chickens and lambs!" </p> <p>"I am <span style="font-style:italic">Orisha</span>, I want more. I <span style="font-style:italic">deserve </span>more!" </p> <p>Furious because of her daughter's unrepentance and disrespect, Iemanjá grew before Maria and Ajé's eyes. </p> <p>“For your greed I punish you, Ajé, to wander the land of humans in the body of this woman. Shall you enter her body and never be able to leave. Blood will no longer satisfy you; shall you be always hungry." </p> <p>She then turned to Maria, "and you, shall you always be a 'horse'<span style="font-size:9px">(1) </span>for Ajé and never fulfill your ambition of eternal beauty. You shall be scarred and ugly, and your eyes shall always weep blood!" With this, Iemanjá left the house, taking Clara with her. </p> <p>She didn’t stay to witness what happened afterwards. Even if Iemanjá's power was as great as a typhoon, Ajé had been greatly empowered by Clara's blood, and Maria had become as invigorated by her life force. They mingled together, their evilness mixing and creating a new being, with human resources and Orisha power. They resorted to their waning power, and managed to enter the realm of Orishas, but with the ability to return to the human’s world. </p> <p>Sensing the devastation in her worshipper, Ajé talked to Maria. To be able to regain her freedom and Maria's beauty, they would just need sufficient ebo. She had enough followers, she could get it. But the thought of blood made her sick and she remembered Iemanjá's words, and she too despaired. </p> <p>Then she remembered the fear she had seen in Clara's eyes, and she smiled. An ugly smile, mirrored in Maria's ugly and scarred face, and a dark light shone in her destroyed eyes. Fear was an equally valuable ebo, humans' fears could feed them. If they got enough ebo they could free themselves. </p> <p>*******************************************</p> <p><span style="font-size:18px">Ajé - the Orisha of blood. </span> </p> <p><span style="font-weight:bold">Other names: </span>Bloody Mary, 'La llorona' <span style="font-size:10px">(she who weeps) </span>after she mingles with Maria. </p> <p><span style="font-weight:bold">Characteristics: </span>Ajé is a minor Orisha; she's greedy and opportunistic and would promise her worshippers much in exchange of ebo. </p> <p><span style="font-weight:bold">Number: </span>five </p> <p><span style="font-weight:bold">Colors: </span>black, red and maroon </p> <p><span style="font-weight:bold">Ileke: </span>five black beads, five red and five maroon, this pattern separated by one black one red and one maroon bead repeated five times. The pattern is repeated till the desired length. Ajé's followers wear these ilekes under their clothes. </p> <p><span style="font-weight:bold">Ebo: </span>blood, and after Iemanjá's curse, fear.</p> <p>-----</p> <p><span style="font-size:9px">(1)</span> the person possessed by the Orisha is called <span style="font-style:italic">'horse' </span>while he/she's being possessed. The Orisha is <span style="font-style:italic">'mounted' </span>on this <span style="font-style:italic">'horse'</span>, as he/she is directing the persons movements and actions.</p> <p><span style="font-size:9px">Special thanks to Meghan for providing the basis for this profile. </span></p> </p> http://unlimitedi.net/node/698#comments LABN Character Diary Fri, 18 Feb 2005 14:43:34 +0000 Allyana 698 at http://unlimitedi.net Orisha Worship religions and Iemanjá http://unlimitedi.net/node/675 <p><p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-weight:bold">Orisha Worship</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-style:italic">Orishas </span>(Spanish) or <span style="font-style:italic">Orixas </span>(Portuguese) are spiritual energies worshipped in the religion of the Yorubas (Western Africa -- current day Nigeria and Benin). Yoruba religion was brought by the slaves to the new world and is known under many different guises, among them Santería in Cuba and Puerto Rico, Candomblé, Umbanda and Quimbanda in Brazil, Regla de Ocho (or Orisha), Regla Lukumi, etc. </p> <p>These different currents have not written canon or formal texts of their religion. It is passed on orally to the initiates. This is because of the thick tradition of stories being told to convey the beliefs and ways of worship of the religion. </p> <p>With the amount of Cuban and Latin immigration into the United States, this religion spread there as well. It is estimated that the number of practitioners of Lukumi Orisha Worship in the United States surpasses five million. </p> <p><span style="font-size:15px"><span style="font-weight:bold">History: </span></span></p> <p>The Orisha worship originated in Cuba and Brazil as a combination of the Western African Yoruba Religion and Iberian Catholicism. "It is one of the many syncretic religions created by Africans brought to South America as slaves." It was developed out of necessity for the African slaves in order to continue practicing their native religion in the New World. Slave masters discouraged and sometimes prohibited the practice of their native religions. </p> <p>The slaves were forced to follow the practices of the Catholic Church, which went against the beliefs of their native religions. Noticing the parallels between their native religion and Catholicism, and in order to please their slave-masters and fulfill their own religious needs, they created a secret religion. Santería uses Catholic saints and personages as fronts for their own god and Orishas (spiritual emissaries). Thus, when a slave prayed to an Orisha, it looked as if they were praying to a saint. </p> <p><span style="font-size:15px"><span style="font-weight:bold">Beliefs of the Group </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-weight:bold"><span style="font-style:italic">Cosmology </span></span><br /> There are five different levels of power in the Yoruba cosmology: Olodumare , the Orisha, human beings, human ancestors, and the lowest group (which includes plants, animals, natural entities, and manufactured items). </p> <p><span style="font-style:italic">Olodumare or Olorun</span><br /> They believe in one supreme god, Olodumare (also known as Olorun ). He is the supreme source of <span style="font-style:italic">ashen </span>, the spiritual energy that makes up the universe, all life, and material objects. </p> <p><span style="font-style:italic">Orishas </span><br /> Olurun interacts with the world through emissaries called Orisha. Orishas rule over every force of nature and every aspect of human life. They can be approached through prayer, ritual offerings, and trance possession, and can be counted on to come to the aid of followers and guide them to a better life and spirituality. Each Orisha is attributed a special number and color, among other "favorite things," such as a food or day of the week. The member utilizes the colors by making beaded necklaces according to which Orisha they wish to worship, these necklaces are called <span style="font-style:italic">'ilekes'</span>. These distinguish the Orisha from one another when someone wants to make an offering to a certain one. </p> <p>Each Orisha is guardian over a certain aspect of human life. Some of the significant Orisha are listed below, as there are literally thousands of Orisha. The first three Orisha listed - Eleggua, Ogun, and Oshosi - are guardians over battle affairs and are called the Guerreros or Warriors.</p> <p><span style="font-style:italic">(Note: The following names are the Santerians versions, Brazilian names for the Orishas are different, but the deities themselves are the same. I'm choosing Cuban over Brazilian because the amount of Cuban immigrants in the United States makes it more logical for us to use them) </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight:bold"><span style="font-style:italic">Eleggua </span></span>- the owner of the roads and doors in this world. He stands at the crossroads of humanity and the divine, the intermediary between Olorun and the Orisha and humans. When one wants to pray, they call on Eleggua first, as he opens the doors of communication between this world and the other. Nothing can be done in either world without his permission. He lives at the crossroads, and is behind the opportunities and choices made in life. </p> <p>He is often depicted as a mischievous child, and has a definite reputation as a trickster. Eleggua is one of the three Warriors. The Catholic saint he represents is Saint Anthony . His colors are red and black and his number is 3. Followers of Eleggua wear necklaces with black and red beads, in a sequence of three black beads and three red ones, and then one black and one red repeated three times. The pattern continues till the desired length. (All the different <span style="font-style:italic">'Ilekes' </span>(necklaces) follow this pattern, according to the colors and number of the Orisha the practitioner wants to revere). </p> <p><span style="font-weight:bold"><span style="font-style:italic">Ogun </span></span>- the ruler of iron, war, and labor. He clears the roads with his machete after Eleggua opens them. He embodies violence and creativity, yet also integrity. He is the only Orisha with the right to control life and death. He depicts St. Peter. His colors are green and black and his number is 7. </p> <p><span style="font-weight:bold"><span style="font-style:italic">Ochosi </span></span>- the hunter, scout, and protector of the warriors. He is the provider of direction to human life -- he advises humans to follow the rules of the social institutions in which they find themselves. He represents St. Norbert. His colors are blue and yellow and his numbers are 3 and 7. </p> <p><span style="font-weight:bold"><span style="font-style:italic">Oya </span></span>- ruler of winds and whirlwinds. She rules over the dead and the gates of the cemeteries. She is a fierce warrior. She represents Our Lady of the Presentation of Our Lord and St. Theresa. Her colors are maroon and white, and her number is 9. </p> <p><span style="font-weight:bold"><span style="font-style:italic">Yemaya </span></span>or Yemana (Iemanjá) - rules over seas and lakes. She is the Mother of all and the root of all riches. She is deep and unknowable, like the waters which she rules. She is also the queen of witches and of secrets. She is considered the Orisha of mercy, while she never turns her back on her children. Her saint is Our Lady of Sailors (Brazil), in Cuba she's Our Lady of Regla (the Havana port). Also with Stella Maris (Mary Star of the Sea). Her colors are blue and white or crystal and her number is 7. </p> <p>Communication with the Orisha is accomplished through several means, including prayer, ritual divination, and offerings or <span style="font-style:italic"><span style="font-weight:bold">Ebo </span></span>(sacrifice). Here are a list of different <a href="http://w3.iac.net/~moonweb/Santeria/Chapter12.html" class="bb-url">Ebos</a> to solve a lot of situations. Although ebo sometimes refers to the practice of animal sacrifice, it encompasses a larger definition. Animal sacrifice is usually only used in important situations, such as death, sickness, or misfortune. Offerings can be made to the Orisha, with items such as candy, candles, and fruits, to name a few. A participant can give up things, such as a Roman Catholic would for the season of Lent. They can also heed advice given by the Orisha in this manner.</p> <p>The numbers, colors, and also certain animals instruct the person on how to sacrifice to each Orisha. Because each Orisha represents a different aspect of life, a person can selectively pick an Orisha or several Orisha to pray to, depending on their needs. A person wears a beaded necklace with elaborate patterns of beads of the colors of the Orisha they wish to pray to. </p> <p><span style="font-style:italic">Trance possession</span> plays an integral part in the religious life. This occurs during a drumming party known as a <span style="font-weight:bold"><span style="font-style:italic">bembe </span></span>. "The purpose of a bembe is to honor the Orisha by playing specific drum rhythms, performing specific dance postures, and acting out in pantomime of the behavior of the Orisha." An Orisha may be persuaded to enter the body of a person, if enticed by the proper drum rhythms associated to that spirit. The songs, rhythms, and dances are calculated to entreat the specific Orisha. "The drum rhythms and the dance postures are not ends in themselves, but are utilized to attain a sacred state of consciousness, manifested as a trance state or spirit possession. Spirit possession is desirable because it opens the channels of ashe as the dancers merge with divine rhythms."<br /> <span style="font-style:italic">(This is an Eleggua summoning recording i found while researching. Click <a href="http://www.latenightgames.com/files/winamp.m3u" class="bb-url">here</a> to listen to it)</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight:bold"><span style="font-size:15px">White and Black magic</span>. </span></p> <p>The difference between good or bad magic in the Orisha worship religions is mostly a difference in emphasis. Umbanda in Brazil (or Santería in Cuba) supposedly works "for good," while Quimbanda is distinguished by its intention to work "for evil." (note: I didn’t find the Cuban counterpart of Quimbanda) </p> <p>Quimbanda, also known as Macumba, is a ramification of Umbanda that practices black magic. They worship the same Orishas and the same entities, and perform the same ceremonies but there are some very marked differences. One of them is that they perform spells with animals like black cocks and hens, animal or human teeth, nails or hair. Also, they usually perform their ceremonies at night in places such as crossroads or cemeteries. In addition they use dolls similar to the Voodoo ones (which is not strange since Voodoo has the same religious root than Umbanda and Quimbanda)</p> <p><span style="font-weight:bold">Some links </span><br /> <a href="http://members.aol.com/ishorst/love/Yoruba.html" class="bb-url">http://members.aol.com/ishorst/love/Yoruba.html</a><br /> <a href="http://www.stirlinglaw.com/ea/macumba.htm" class="bb-url">http://www.stirlinglaw.com/ea/macumba.htm</a><br /> <a href="http://religiousmovements.lib.virginia.edu/nrms/macu.html" class="bb-url">http://religiousmovements.lib.virginia.edu/nrms/macu.html</a><br /> <a href="http://www.occultopedia.com/m/macumba.htm" class="bb-url">http://www.occultopedia.com/m/macumba.htm</a><br /> <a href="http://www.religioustolerance.org/santeri.htm" class="bb-url">http://www.religioustolerance.org/santeri.htm</a><br /> <a href="http://religiousmovements.lib.virginia.edu/nrms/santeria.html" class="bb-url">http://religiousmovements.lib.virginia.edu/nrms/santeria.html</a><br /> <a href="http://w3.iac.net/~moonweb/Santeria/Intro.html" class="bb-url">http://w3.iac.net/~moonweb/Santeria/Intro.html</a><br /> <a href="http://www.brasilfolclore.hpg.ig.com.br/candomble.htm" class="bb-url">http://www.brasilfolclore.hpg.ig.com.br/candomble.htm</a> (in Portuguese, but it has a lexicon of Santería words)</p> </p> http://unlimitedi.net/node/675#comments LABN Character Diary Mon, 10 Jan 2005 16:53:24 +0000 Allyana 675 at http://unlimitedi.net Faction Profile - The Demon Police http://unlimitedi.net/node/672 <p><p><span style="font-weight:bold"><span style="font-size:18px">Demon Police</span></span></p> <p>The Demon Police was founded in the early 2000 by the conjunct efforts of Ellis Longwood, Mike Coulter and the support of Longwood Inc. With Mike's knowledge of hunter's organizations and his not scarce experience in the field, Ellis' passion and the big import/export enterprise Longwood Inc.'s resources the 'Demon Police' slowly started to be a reality.</p> <p>In the years later to this, the Demon Police has slowly but steadily grown, although compared to some of the Hunter’s organizations, like Ulle, it’s still a very small and weak. In most of the places where there is a ‘Magic &amp; Relics’ branch of Longwood Inc., there’s a Demon Police quarter, and in those places, harmless demons tend to live happier and longer lives. </p> <p>The idea of forming the Demon Police came to Ellis Longwood after he realized that most Hunters' organizations are highly ruthless and cold-blooded when it comes to hunting demons. They usually don’t care about the kind of demon they are hunting as long as it's not human, thus preying on some demon species that are not harmful or dangerous to humans. Entire demonic species have been wiped out because of this.</p> <p>The Demon Police only acts when a hunter proves to be ruthlessly attacking and killing on harmless demons. The kind that offer no threat to humanity, but rather try to live in peace with them or just by themselves. They don’t attack those hunters that prey on dangerous demons, or vampires. They are not so naive to believe that ‘all’ demons should be protected. </p> <p>The organization is loosely knitted, its members respond to Ellis first and then to Mike's command and vow to respect the organization's book of rules. These rules are discussed, agreed or disagreed upon every year in a meeting between the heads of the different Demon Police quarters. Aside from that, its members are quite free to live their lives and conduct their business as they please. </p> <p>While not taking care of ruthless ‘demon hunters’ the demon police associates spend their times investigating and hunting those demons who are dangerous to either other demons or humans, and they have always time to hunt on the vampire population. The rest of the time most of them are just Longwood Inc. employees, at least those who are human or can pass for humans.</p> <p>Last June, 200, after helping an assortment of forces against the misguided Watchers' Council the organization suffered a big strike, losing many of its members. At the moment, they are trying to restore to normalcy and recover from their losses. They have also loosely allied to the White Hats. </p> <p><div class="bb-quote">Quote:<blockquote class="bb-quote-body">“Then what do you mean when you say you work with demons?” Alessa asked, intrigued, as she sipped her tea. </p> <p>Ellis drabbled his mouth with a napkin and leaned back. He looked the perfect English gentleman, it was strange to be talking about these topics with an English gentleman, she thought, amused. </p> <p>The man looked at her and asked in turn, “Now, what do you know of demon hunters’ associations?” </p> <p>Alessa grimaced, fortunately she hadn’t come across many of those in her life; the Council had been enough. </p> <p>“Not much. I try to stay away from them.” She looked at him with rounded eyes. “Don’t tell me you are a demon hunter!” </p> <p>Ellis chuckled. “No, I’m not. And I’m not surprised you avoid them, they usually are nasty bastards, murderers in their majority.” Alessa just cocked her head, and Ellis hurried to explain. </p> <p>“In the human world there are rules, laws, protecting people. A psycho starts killing people and he gets caught – most of the time, at least. A lunatic decides one race is better than the rest and makes a genocide and he’s stopped… again, most of the time.” He chuckled. </p> <p>“However, there are no rules to protect non humans; a psycho decides to start hunting demons and who would stop him? There is no human law to prevent it.” He stopped, and looked down to his now empty cup. “There are records of entire demon races wiped out of the face of the earth just because some crazed psycho decided to do some cleansing. Even some governments have sections dealing with these ‘sub-normals’, as they call them."</p> <p>“Mind you, I know there are demons and demons, and there’s always the vampires, but most of these hunters don’t care if the demons they hunt are peaceful or not, harmless or not. They just don’t mind. They get into the killing spree mode and don't stop until they spill all the green blood they can."</p> <p>“I try to put a little leverage to that.”</blockquote></div></p> </p> http://unlimitedi.net/node/672#comments LABN Character Diary Tue, 28 Dec 2004 14:33:55 +0000 Allyana 672 at http://unlimitedi.net Location Profile: Lone Peak Psychiatric Clinic http://unlimitedi.net/node/631 <p><p>The Lone Peak Psychiatric Clinic, originally Lone Peak Asylum, was set up post-WW1 as part of a government-backed initiative into the emerging ‘Shell Shock’ sickness of the War. Later, as Shell Shock symptoms decreased with the end of hostilities, Lone Peak expanded into civilian use. In the late forties it became the Psychiatric Clinic. </p> <p>During the course of its operation, the Lone Peak facility was effective in its role. It had one of the highest psychiatric cure rates in the Californian State, but it also had the highest intake rate. </p> <p>In nineteen sixty-one newer, more modern facilities had been constructed, and after a combination of budget cuts, staff reductions and the mysterious disappearance of Director Dr. H Ralls and several of his staff, Lone Peak Clinic was shut down. No buyers paid any interest into it whatsoever, and so for almost forty years it remained the old asylum abandoned since the nineteen sixties which all the kids call haunted.</p> <p>In 2007, Morris Giles set up in Lone Peak, though was shut down several months later by an unlikely alliance of the White Hats Chance and Alessandra Hunt, the vampire James and his followers Darlome and Vincent as they rescued Cole Matthews, leaving the complex battle-scarred. He fled shortly thereafter.</p> <p>Sometime later, Kyle Ashton, tracking Morris in service of Ambrose Delancre entered the Clinic. For two hours he suffered delusions of various degrees, to which he claimed were hauntings, before encountering an insane vampire in the basement, left behind by Morris, and escaping. </p> <p>Besides the main door, long since opened up by various squatters, the only other access to the Clinic is through a secret sewer-entrance that leads into the basement. A high wall covers the Clinic’s grounds, with only one main gate. At least one insane vampire prowls the basement, keeping away any unwanted visitors, and there is speculation that there maybe more. The Clinic itself contains a reception, offices, commons rooms and padded cells, is strewn with trash and, since the rescue mission, battle damage. There is also rumours that it is haunted by a particularly troubled spirit.</p> <p>A number of features remain from Morris’ occupation. The main commons room is still daubed with runes and arcane symbols, and there is a large circular pit dug into the floor. Throughout the facility there are also scattered arcane books and devices, leftover from Morris’ army.</p> <p>Besides these leftovers, to any observer the place looks as if it was left in a hurry, never to be bothered with again.</p> </p> http://unlimitedi.net/node/631#comments LABN Character Diary Thu, 22 Jul 2004 23:11:52 +0000 Disposable_Hero 631 at http://unlimitedi.net Demonic Races in LAbn http://unlimitedi.net/node/603 <p><p><span style="color:darkorchid">I was thinking that we have created quite a few original Demon races in the game, and there isnt a place where they are all together, so other players could use them if they so wanted. Maybe it is time we started a thread on the subject. :D </p> <p>I'll start with mine. </p> <p><span style="font-style:italic"><span style="font-weight:bold">Verbatis</span></span>- a race of demons from South America's rainforests. Physical aspect: in their natural form they are tall fur covered demons, their colors vary from black to light brown. Powers: Verbatis are shapeshifters, limited psychic powers. Characters: Alessa Hunt (PC), Inés Montero, Raúl Montero (NPCs). First Appearance: season 3</p> <p>And this one was created by Kris and me. </p> <p><span style="font-style:italic"><span style="font-weight:bold">Brashaks </span></span>- a race of demons from the Himalayas. They live in ice caverns. Physical aspect: a short thick blue fur covers them. Powers: unknown. Characters: Pelor (NPC). First Appearance: MidSeason 3</span></p> </p> http://unlimitedi.net/node/603#comments LABN Character Diary Fri, 16 Apr 2004 01:54:31 +0000 Allyana 603 at http://unlimitedi.net The Kalderash Clan and their History http://unlimitedi.net/node/581 <p><p><span style="color:seagreen"><span style="font-size:24px">The Kalderash Clan</span></p> <p>Of the different clans of the Rom (gypsies), the Kalderash have been most involved with supernatural world. From their first travels from North Western India in the early 1000’s <span style="font-size:9px">A.D.</span>, the ancestors of the modern day Kalderash had created quite a stir on their travels. Rumors of their success in predicting the future and majicks made them infamous.</p> <p>The clan stayed put in woods of present day Transylvania, Romania, formally Walachia. There, they had settled and watched the chaos of the world go on around them. In the 14th century, a powerful king came into power over Walachia. His name was Vlad Dracule, or more commonly known as Vlad the Impaler.</p> <p>Vlad’s armies managed to arrest a good number of the clan and, unsurprising, impaled them. This caused an uproar from the Kalderash. The clan women placed a curse on Vlad, sentencing his reign to be cut short and for him to die at the hands of the rival Ottomans, in which they presented his head to the Sultan. When he would be buried, his body and head would be rejoined, and was sentenced to spend the rest of eternity as a vampire.</p> <p>Soon after they cursed him, life seemed to resume back to normal. That was, until the government officially made all Roma people slaves. To avoid this, the Kalderash placed a spell upon their clan of people, in which the general public could not see them. This continued on for a good 500 years, before in 1855, when Romania made the practice of enslaving gypsies illegal.</p> <p>For the next 43 years, life amongst the Kalderash was peaceful once more. That was, until the future visionary of the clan was kidnapped by a beautiful, yet evil, vampire named Darla.</p> <p>She took the girl to her lover, Angelus, where they beat, tortured, raped, and finally, killed the girl. The sent the clan in a deep depression, with the only thing on their minds was revenge. So, for an entire week, they plotted the ultimate vengeance. The elder woman of the clan then cursed Angelus with a soul. This act sent Darla and her and Angelus’ traveling companions, Spike and Drusilla, to come after and kill a good portion of the clan.</p> <p>The survivors then reformed the clan and life continued. Then, in 1939, the Nazis invaded Romania. They began collecting local gypsies and sending them away to “work camps”. The clan then fled to France, where a great number of Romani. Unfortunately, one year later, Germany invaded the country, and, yet again, they fled, this time to England. The Kalderash remained there for five years until the war ended. They then reached the decision to return to Romania, since they grew attached to it.</p> <p>Alas, this proved fateful. Russia got rid of Romania’s old government and replaced it with a communist one. This one was not so bad for the Romani, since this destroyed anti-Roma attacks.</p> <p>Things continued peacefully for about 20 years. In 1967, they even had company. Yolanda, the wife of the current Rom Baro’s son, taught a former watcher named Morris Giles, while his girlfriend Alessa Hunt spent time with her son, Enzo. They left a year later, weeks before a truly tragic even occurred.</p> <p>The Kalderash came under attack by the Coven of Sindell, who wanted access to the visionaries of the clan. In the process, they killed the goal of their mission, the future visionary Violaine Lautari, Yolanda’s five year old daughter. This eventually led to the Treaty of Violaine, which promised that the Coven would provide for the needs of the clan as long as they told of all the visions they received.</p> <p>Although, in 1989, when Romania overthrew their harsh dictator and communism and caused the rise of anti-Roma feelings, the clan continued to revolutionize themselves. They soon abandoned their nomad lifestyle for a traditional lifestyle of being one place 24/7.</p> <p>The Kalderash, to this day, are still big into the dark arts while their leader and first ever female Rom baro, Yolanda Lautari, leading them into a new era.</span></p> </p> http://unlimitedi.net/node/581#comments LABN Character Diary Sat, 06 Mar 2004 02:29:51 +0000 Hola-Meg-a-Cola 581 at http://unlimitedi.net Verbati Demons http://unlimitedi.net/species/verbati <p><p> <span style="color:darkorchid"><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-weight:bold">About Verbatis: </span></span></span></p> <p> Verbatis are not very well known because they rarely leave their homeland in the South American tropical rain forests. They mostly live in the very depths of the jungle and hidden from human eyes, although they can be tracked into all the legends and myths of the rainforest Indian tribes. &#39;Civilized&#39; people regard this as Indian <span style="font-style:italic">supercher&iacute;as</span> (silliness) and they just don&rsquo;t pay attention. Other of the reasons the species has kept unnoticed for so long is that they are extremely careful when dealing with humans.</p> <p> In the very rare occasions when a Verbati approaches the human society, he/she does so in human form and adopts a human name. This human form and name is selected and communicated to the rest of the tribe; and once it is approved of, it is kept by the demon when treating with humans. But this is a very rare occurrence, only a handful of Verbati have chosen to socialize with humans, and even less to live among humans. A half-breed like Alessa is almost unheard of.</p> <p> Another motive for which a Verbati may abandon the tribe is because of punishment. There are three reasons a Verbati may be outcast: murder, rape and betrayal to the tribe. All three cases are attributed to insanity and the offender is cast away from the group to prevent further damage. There is no forgiveness. After a Verbati is shunned from the tribe, it is not known where it goes. This is also a very rare occurrence, but has happened.</p> <p> <strong>Powers and abilities:</strong>&nbsp;Verbatis are shapeshifters. They can morph into any animal, demon or human form they wish. These forms are taken easily and without discomfort. However they can assume only the physical aspect of other creatures. They cannot imitate their powers or gifts.&nbsp;A Verbati who morphs into a Morla demon doesn&rsquo;t have healing blood, in the same way if he morphs into a vampire his reflection will still be seen in a mirror. In the other hand the Verbati keeps his own expertises, either physical or psychic. Ironically, Verbatis usually don&rsquo;t morph.</p> <p> Verbatis also present psychic abilities in various degrees. Telepathy and telekinesis are the most common, but there are cases of other abilities. Not all individuals have psychic talents though, even if they are all capable of at least &#39;receiving&#39; thoughts from the elders or their teachers. Psychic abilities can be developed, their power increasing with age and training.</p> <p> <strong>Social and political organization:</strong> In their natural habitat, the demons have a very simple organization; they live in tribes with a political and social structure similar to the human tribes of the jungle. The biggest difference is that there are no gender related roles among Verbatis, males and females have the same duties and responsibilities. The caring of the young is collective and the whole tribe is considered as a big &lsquo;family&rsquo;. However, attachments are made between the individuals, usually lifelong; and bloodlines can be followed for millennia.</p> <p> The leader of the tribe is usually the oldest and most powerful demon, regardless of gender. The different tribes live in isolation but gather once every generation, usually to introduce the young and make an account of the dead. They have very long lives (the oldest Verbati alive is around 1200 years old) and their number keeps steady because the females fertility circle lasts 50 years, and even in those occasions when a female is fertile conception is rare, unless there is a decreasing in their numbers due to illness or attack. As in all long-lived races, their sense of time differs from that of humans.</p> <p> The Verbatis&rsquo; attitude towards life and nature is similar to that of the primitive Amerindian societies. Verbatis are hunters and collectors, and they haven&rsquo;t developed any technology. They live in intense communion with nature.</p> <p> Their spiritual life is very intense. Meditation and training are the paths to inner strength and clarity, as well as to enhancing their powers.They don&rsquo;t delve in magic, but they can use mystical tools to help their psychic powers, for example mystical drugs to induce precognition.</p> <p> &nbsp;Although basically a peaceful species, Verbatis are known to fight if need be, to defend their life or way of living. As a fighting force they can be terrifying.</p> <p> <strong>Appearance:</strong>&nbsp;The Verbati are 2-2.5 meter tall, fur covered creatures. Their fur may vary from black to white, going through all the shades of brown and gray. There are no known photographs &nbsp;of Verbatis, but their general appearance is that of a Wookie, from the George Lucas <em>&#39;Star Wars&#39;</em> universe (it has been debated that Lucas got his inspiration from these demons).</p> <p> <img src="http://shaveawookie.com/web_images/wookie01.jpg" style="width: 500px; height: 399px; " /></p> <p> <em>Wookies&nbsp;as depicted in &#39;Star Wars&#39;&nbsp;</em></p> </p> http://unlimitedi.net/species/verbati#comments LABN Character Diary Sat, 21 Feb 2004 06:05:33 +0000 Allyana 571 at http://unlimitedi.net Maxine Rudd - NPC profile http://unlimitedi.net/node/547 <p><p>Max, born Maxine Rudd to Caribbean immigrants, moved to L.A. when her mother died. She came to ‘make her fortune’ as a croupier with her nimble fingers and inherited speed. She was beginning to settle into the city when coming home one night after her evening shift at the casino, she was attacked. Her memories of the large grey shape that gave her all her numerous scars are vague and hazy and when she staggered back home to collapse in her apartment, it was only the pain that reassured her it had happened. How and why she survived she doesn’t know and a t first it didn’t occur to her to wonder - now she avoids all thought of anything connected to her change when human.</p> <p>Her scars refused to heal and though she bandaged them they twinged often. She never probed any deeper into her memories - but bought herself a gun and licence instead. In the following weeks, life seemed to be on an up - she did well at work dealing faster and sharper, knowing instinctively how to manipulate the cards, and across the filled hall she watched - and was watched - by another croupier. He was tall, dark with fathomless dark eyes that glinted beneath the neon.</p> <p>Occasionally they worked the same table and as they shifted cards and chips their hands would brush. Max was restless and agitated and blissful, standing shoulders rubbing with him. She wasn’t sure about love but presumed this voiceless communication was it. She shivered, skin clammy and hot and she seemed consumed with fire. Yes - definitely love, she thought as her change grew near.</p> <p>After work in the dark of the morning, as she pulled on her coat to leave, he was waiting for her by the door. He took her gently in his arms, always silent, and they left pressed together under his coat. Back in her apartment they stood facing each other and he gently stroked her face, then her shoulders and she seemed to surrender herself, still cold and hot and trembling. But as he lost his gentle touch and began to press her harder, pulling at her top, she resisted him. Pushing him away she felt anger, strong and pure, for the first time, interwoven with her fear.<br /> She would never properly remember the first time she changed - werewolf blood that had chilled her now burning through her veins. She lunged for him, brought him down - and killed the first and last man ever to try to force her to do something she didn’t want to do.</p> <p>She lived in constant fear of herself from then on and gave up her job and any pretence at a life. Taking the gun she put it against her temple, then in her mouth, and then back in the drawer. A week later when she hadn’t eaten or moved from her room she took it out again... but for a different purpose. Once nimble card-dealing hands became nimble thieving hands. Working alone, she was offered partnership in many forms, but she had built herself an image - she shaved her hair off, vaguely wondered about tattooing, but in the end brought a home gym kit and a leather jacket.</p> <p>Without much interruption this has been her life for the last few years - with only one intermission. The intermission was called Sarah. If she thought love was a hot cold feeling in the pit of her stomach, she found more than that with Sarah. And when Sarah died, caught between Max and unscrupulous people who had decided not to like Max, Max did not fully recover and gave herself up to her monthly transformation, depression haunting her rage, rage tinting her sadness. When she dredged herself up from her sorrow she did her best to confine herself, locking herself away to beat out her rage and depression against concrete walls.</p> <p>And now - Max is a werewolf lone gay gangster. And that’s as much as I really know about her right now apart from that her taste runs to glam rock, the early novels of Beckford and her hero is Semiramis.<br /> She is also an anti-violence campaigner (or would be if her career allowed it) and of undistinguishable age.</p> <p>Meg and I have been out of it for quite a while - I can only plead teenage angst (exams, over-extended family all appearing from Australia, no computer, my first grey hair... the usual.) But I think we’ve missed quite a lot - last I heard there were going to be some other werewolf NPCs and characters - if so I’d love to chat sometime. Merci.<br /> Oh god i hope i've posted this in the right place... it'd make a nice change.<br /> Love light and peace.</p> </p> http://unlimitedi.net/node/547#comments LABN Character Diary Fri, 09 Jan 2004 22:07:06 +0000 547 at http://unlimitedi.net Faction Profile - The Ministry http://unlimitedi.net/node/516 <p><p><span style="font-size:20px"><span style="font-weight:bold">The Ministry</span></span></p> <p>There are very few people alive that can recall the exact date when The Ministry was formed, as far as most can tell, The Ministry has always been in existence in one form or another. It has not always enjoyed the level of autonomy that it now holds, but there are few that would dispute that The Ministry holds real power in the world of Magic and the Occult.</p> <p>Based predominantly in offices in London, England; The Ministry is divided into two prominent (though often interchangeable) bureau’s – The Ministry of Magic (M.O.M) and The Ministry of the Occult (M.O.T.O). The Ministry of the Occult tends to be the more public face of the organisation, and is the bureau through which the Ministry asserts its authority in regulating practitioners of the occult and investigating the occurrence of magic in England and most of Europe. The Ministry of Magic has a more internalised agenda however, focusing on many various ‘special projects’.* One area in which The Ministry has become increasingly concerned over the past two hundred years is the connection between magic and science. Prompted by recent scientific discoveries, the emergence of a new sect within The Ministry completely devoted to the development of ‘Sciagic’ has made this a primary focus for the organisation.</p> <p><span style="font-size:14px"><span style="font-weight:bold">History ~</span></span><br /> The original founders are unknown, but the earliest records in existence report that The Ministry began as a gentleman’s club in the early thirteenth century for those socialites with a particular interest in the occult. The popularity of The Ministry grew rapidly amongst the rich and powerful elite over the next two hundred years, businessmen, magistrates and aristocrats alike sought admittance and the alleged good fortune that appeared to favour The Ministry’s members. However, the organisation soon fell into disrepute after a late night ritual got out of hand. The Ministry became branded a cult associated with worshipping the devil and the original headquarters in Drury Lane were burnt to the ground by a mob. </p> <p><img src="http://uk.geocities.com/crazywomanintheattic/Ministry01.txt" alt="" class="bb-image" /><br /> <span style="font-style:italic"><span style="font-weight:bold">The Ministry HQ - The Strand, London, England</span></span></p> <p>Eventually, the ‘Founders’ decided to disassemble the organisation, which had grown beyond their control, and for many years the doors to The Ministry’s new headquarters in The Strand, London remained permanently closed to the outside world. However, The Ministry still managed to keep several influential ties to the new emerging government. In 1794 a small bureau was created called The Office for Paranormal Investigation, the head of this new office was Westmore Blake Harrington – a promising young parliamentarian and son of a former Ministry affiliate. </p> <p>Over the years The Ministry flourished once more, Harrington brought many influential members to the organisation. It wasn’t long before the Ministry was given covert authority to enforce regulation among occultists and occult organisations, including The Coven of Sindell and The Watcher’s Council – two groups that had caused the ruling government much concern. However, even to this day links between government and The Ministry are shrouded in doubt and secrecy. </p> <p><span style="font-size:14px"><span style="font-weight:bold">Structure ~</span></span><br /> The Ministry has a basic hierarchical structure of leadership. Their main offices in London are managed by a multifarious group of agents responsible for overseeing numerous occult organisations including The Coven of Sindell and The Watcher’s Council. The Ministry also has several agents within the British government at Whitehall, (most prominent being the Minister for the Paranormal) and also agents within MI5 – the British Security Service. Although officially The Ministry is an independent organisation it has backing from the British government to investigate occult occurrences and has full access to the army and law enforcement agencies if deemed necessary. </p> <p>There is no formal mode of entry into the organisation; all agents are selected after months (sometimes even years) of careful observation and research by an elective. It is the responsibility of the elective to introduce themselves to their candidate and bring them before a council of peers for selection. Admission is based on individual criteria though most agents are exceptionally intelligent with specialisation in a specific subject. All agents are expected to have a complete devotion to The Ministry and are often segregated from the outside world for the first few years of their employment in order to foster a dependence upon the agency. </p> <p>Once initiated, agents are seconded to a selected department within the Ministry of the Occult and based solely in London. After a specified time frame and further testing an agent is given the opportunity to work further afield for the Ministry of Magic – such an opportunity is rare and not subject to refusal. </p> <p>Agents rarely leave employment with The Ministry, though exceptional cases are allowed, certain provisions are made to ensure absolute secrecy is maintained at all costs.<br /> ________________________<br /> *Example: See Abandoned Project #1461 - overseen by <span style="font-weight:bold">Michael Gemmel</span> involving an attempt to gain the power of immortality from the vampire-human <span style="font-weight:bold">Jadyn Lee</span>. See date: 10/09/05</p> </p> http://unlimitedi.net/node/516#comments LABN Character Diary Sat, 06 Dec 2003 01:16:45 +0000 Meredith Bell 516 at http://unlimitedi.net A Essay on Magic and Planes in Buffy http://unlimitedi.net/node/511 <p><p>Note: Im not posting this as anything to do with LABN, I wrote it as an explanation or theory on how some stuff works in buffy. Its kinda useless game wise since you dont need any real explanation of this stuff I just figured since I wrote this I might as well share it and perhaps give you guys some ideas.</p> <p>Earth and its surrounding universe exist as one in a series of an infinite number of universes existing, for theoretical purposes, in an infinite, linear continuum (also referred to as a ‘plane’). These realities are all bound by identical physical laws and are inhabited, when inhabited, by beings of more or less identical abilities and resistance to factors such as heat, cold, pressure, etc. There can be no transfer of materials or energy between these parallel realities, and therefore they have no bearing on each other, save that they occupy the same linear continuum. However, above this plane there are an infinite number of planes. In effect, creating an infinite planar continuum, which is perpendicular to any given linear continuum. These planes differ in the physical laws and the abilities and resistance of their inhabitants to factors such as heat, cold, pressure, etc. </p> <p>However, the inhabitants of planes can further be divided into the broad classifications of unintelligent and intelligent life. Unintelligent life includes all life that is not self-aware and is not capable of rational thought. Intelligent life or, more correctly, sentient life, is self-aware and is capable of rational thought. “I think, therefore I am,”. Only sentient life is capable of magic, as magic requires rational thought. The same is true of technology.</p> <p>Magic is an unnatural change brought about through the force of a sentient being’s will. Since magic is entirely dependent upon will, it is often associated with the mind and has been, in some instances, labeled 'psi'. This is an apt designation, as the term 'psi' is associated with and understood to entail the effects made possible through magic. Namely, extrasensory perception 1, telepathy 2, telekinesis 3, and clairvoyance 4, The term 'psychic', which, for all intents and purposes entails all that is covered under the term 'psi', is defined as anything "outside the known laws of physics; supernatural," (World Book Dictionary, 1966), this is an apt definition of magic as a whole.</p> <p>The above summary of magic fails to explain some of the more overt effects of magic, such as a fireball. If fire is made through conventional means and then propelled through use of telekinesis, the above summary can be used to explain the phenomenon. However, if there is no conventional fire present, it is necessary to introduce additional theory to explain the phenomenon. </p> <p>While the movement of materials and energy along a linear plane is impossible, however it is possible to move materials and energy up and down through the planar continuum. This is accomplished by use of a psi link between psychics who inhabit different levels of the planar continuum. Links such as these are established first by a magic-user of a lower plane using ESP and telepathy to detect and make contact with a magic-user of a higher plane. Once contact is made, the magic-users establish a sort of ‘psychic guideline’ down which the magic-user of the higher plane can telekinetically move materials or energy. Returning to the example of the fireball, A psychic occupying a lower plane would use his or her extrasensory perception to locate a psychic of a higher plane. He or she would then, through the use of telepathy, request that the psychic of the higher level allow him or her to establish a ‘guideline’ between the points they occupy in their respective planes, and that the higher psychic sends fire down into his or her world. Assuming that the higher psychic allows the establishment of the ‘guideline’, and that he uses his telekenesis to send fire to the lower psychic, fire will come into being in the immediate proximity of the lower psychic. The lower psychic will at this point take control of the sent fire with his or her own telekinetic ability and direct it as he or she sees fit. In this way, the phenomenon of the fireball in the absence of conventional fire is explained.</p> <p>This explanation brings up the question of why a psychic of a higher level would consent to the establishment of psychic guidelines with a lower psychic and why they would consent to transfer materials and energy to a lower plane for use by another psychic. Since materials and energy can move up and down the continuum and such transfers, therefore, can be mutually beneficial. However when a higher entity is drawn on by a lower entity a debt is created, the lower entity after the use of the higher entities power now owes that entity a debt of its own essence or natural power. However natural power is limited, a human may only ever have a certain amount of natural power at once even though natural power regenerates it may never exceed its natural maximum. However In the case of higher beings when they receive natural power or essence from a lower being they may increase the maximum natural energy they may posses thus making them more powerful in their own dimension.</p> <p>It is worth noting that the magical theory detailed above is by no means universally accepted, especially among the practitioners of magic. There are a virtually infinite number of schools of magic, ranging from Gardnerian Witchcraft to the Greco-Roman magic practiced in Antiquity. All of these differ in their explanation of the sources of magical powers and the ways in which these powers are to be invoked. Almost all magical practices involve elaborate rituals in the casting of spells and require extreme deference to psychics of higher planes. In some cases these higher psychics are even exalted to the status gods and ‘prayed’ to accordingly. Despite the divergences of the theory of the numerous schools of magic from the theory stated above, the magic employed by these schools is still subject to the same limitations and effects described above. Witchcraft requires calling on greater-than-human powers, and Greco-Roman magic relies heavily on the aid of ‘gods’ who are, for all intents and purposes, identical to the psychics of higher planes.</p> <p>Within the classification of intelligent life there are the further sub-classifications of the souled and soul-less beings. The souled beings are the minority in this respect, as only one example exists, namely humans. The soul-less beings, or demons, are by far the majority and consist of an infinite number of life forms which come in all shapes and sizes and are possessed of a myriad number of abilities and disabilities, such as shape-changing or a susceptibility to sunlight. The only difference between these two classifications of life is the presence of the soul, which is an ephemeral component of a corporeal body. It is know to contain a good deal of a souled being’s personality and has a bearing on higher brain functions, providing a, often defective, moral compass. Humans, being the myopic, egotistical beings they are, believe the soul to be evidence of their superiority to all other life and justification for the extermination and exploitation of soul-less beings. Human’s believe that the soul is evidence that they are favored by god, a mythical being created by humans to explain questions they cannot answer and to give themselves a sense of security. To be fair, soul-lees beings often find themselves driven to kill and torture humans, and the human tendency to exterminate demons is as much a function of self preservation as it is of bigotry.</p> <p>Humans within themselves are generic where as deamons exist in an infinitely varied amount of shapes and intelligences and wield an equally varied and infinite number of powers and abilities. These may vary from spiked hands to unique psychic abilities and even to shape changing and regeneration. Within deamon kind almost any physical trait is possible however traits designed to inflict pain and terror are by far the most common. Deamons also vary mentally, some are insane killers others cold practiced manipulators. It is also true that powerful deamons are very rare and lesser deamons are more abundant. Also not all deamons are truly evil in the conventional sense though none are truly good.</p> <p><span style="font-size:9px">1: Extrasensory Percetion: the perceiving of thoughts, actions, etc., through other than normal senses; thought transference; mental telepathy. Abbr.:ESP(no periods) (World Book Dictionary, 1966)</p> <p>2: Telekinesis: the ability of a person to exert influence upon the movement of inanimate objects, the 'mind over matter effect', also Psychokenesis (World Book Dictionary, altered for the purposes of this article)</p> <p>3: Telepathy: the communication of one mind with another by means other than the five senses.</p> <p>4: Clairvoyance: the power of knowing of things that are out of sight; second sight (World Book Dictionary, 1966)</span></p> </p> http://unlimitedi.net/node/511#comments LABN Character Diary Tue, 02 Dec 2003 16:13:02 +0000 Blackthorn 511 at http://unlimitedi.net