Vampire: The Masquerade

[General Havoc]

Among other things, I was hating everyone.

[Lys]

We love you too, Havoc.

[Lys]

OMG! OMG! OMG! Just found the best thing! Last session Lucretia said that each generation must choose of its own will to uphold the oaths of their fathers. They actually did this! In this time period, when a free commune entered into a particularly important treaty or agreement, it was customary for every free man between the ages of 16 and 70 (the Parliament) to swear an oath to uphold it. This also had the effect of making any settlements not agreeable to the general populace easily rejected by the simple expedient of the great body of the people refusing to swear to it. It's amazing.

Also i apparently underestimated the sheer viciousness of the feuds that occurred in Genoa. We happened to arrive in a good year, as back in 1195 the city appointed a foreigner as Podestà (hired city manager) in order to have someone who could lead the city in an impartial manner. This was absolutely necessary because in 1194 warring factions had started building god-damned siege engines to hurl rocks at each other's towers and palaces. The Podestà was a Milanese noble named Drudo Marcellino, a man renowned for his valour, wisdom, prudence, and honesty in all his dealings. As a foreigner he was uninvolved in the myriad internecine feuds that plagued the commune, and was able to quickly bring peace. Podestàs usually served for one year to keep them from getting too involved in the city's affairs, but because of the severity of the conflict and the fact that the appointment was made in the middle of the year, Marcellino's term was until the end of 1196 so he's still in charge. In fact, the Genoese trust him so much they'll hire him again for 1197. So yeah, when i described the city i should have mentioned that it looks like it's fortified against itself, because it rather is. Though the rest of it would have stayed unmentioned, as Lucretia wouldn't say anything that would make her city look bad.

And i was a bit off about the state of slaves in Genoa. While it's true that most of the slaves were meant for export to the Muslim world, there was high demand for enslaved domestic servants among the wealthy. They were a sign of status, as slaves were nearly always exotic foreigners and generally more expensive than hiring poor freemen. Surviving sale records indicate these slaves were around 80% female, and it's understood that many of them were held as concubines. It seems the Genoese just weren't as pious as the Kingdom of Jerusalem, which by law would relieve any man who raped a slave of both his slave and his genitals. Interestingly there were no serfs in Genoa's domains, as in 1166 the city made them all Cives Romani, which is to say free men.

[frigidmagi]

It seems the Genoese just weren't as pious as the Kingdom of Jerusalem, which by law would relieve any man who raped his slave of both her and his genitals.

That would seem to discourage reporting the crime if you're the slave in question wouldn't it?

[Lys]

Uh, no? The rapist is castrated and the victim removed from his possession. How is that a discouragement for her to report the crime? It sounds to me like it's rather the opposite.

[rhoenix]

Uh, no? The rapist is castrated and the victim removed from his possession. How is that a discouragement for her to report the crime? It sounds to me like it's rather the opposite.

It seems the Genoese just weren't as pious as the Kingdom of Jerusalem, which by law would relieve any man who raped his slave of both her and his genitals.

Yeah... that doesn't sound like a strong incentive.

[Lys]

The "her" in the statement refers to the slave. The man loses his slave and his genitals. This should be obvious both from the sentence construction, and the fact that women were simply not castrated as punishment (instead their nose was cut-off). To be honest it boggles my mind that anyone would consider yours a valid reading of that sentence, but i have amended it regardless.

[rhoenix]

The "her" in the statement refers to the slave. The man loses his slave and his genitals. This should be obvious both from the sentence construction, and the fact that women were simply not castrated as punishment (instead their nose was cut-off). To be honest it boggles my mind that anyone would consider that a valid reading of that sentence, but i have amended it regardless.

Regardless of any stunned sense of awe on your part, thank you for clarifying.

[Marcao]

Hello Guys and Gals,

I will not be available this monday 07/13/2015. It is my wife's birthday.

[General Havoc]

So what happened this Monday in my absence?

[Lys]

Well, i got to roleplay the withered remains of Lucretia's human side for once, showing her acting genuinely happy and kind for the first time in the game. She was awed to see that her beloved liege-lady Monica had finally grown into the beautiful woman Lucretia always knew her to be on the inside. It was a truly joyous occasion, and Lucretia was effusive in her praise. Can't wait until she finds out that Marcus knew about it and didn't tell her. They also talked about the nature of Perpenna, which lead to this line from Lucretia, "From what Marcus has implied and intimated through gritted teeth, I expect his nightmares resemble my own, only it's always the same face. I don't know if that's better or worse, I don't want to know, and I shudder to think how one goes beyond that." Oh and Lucretia was officially made Bishop of the Genoese Quarter, so hurray for me.

Then i also got to roleplay another one of Lucretia's rages. You know, the ones that she just lets build steam for a while before unleashing them as a towering rage in private. They do seem to be something of a signature. This one happened on account of Lucretia finding out the Grimaldi had been acting strangely because they're planning to abandon the patronage of Agostino Canella and become clients of the Hungarian Tzimisce. Naturally Lucretia was beside herself with anger, but not at the Grimaldi, rather at her sire for letting this happen through his own neglect. In her own words, "I am willing to tolerate a lot of things from you, father, but not weakness. I will not be bound to a man who cannot keep his own house in order!" Lucretia was somewhat less angry after he slapped her and told her to mind her place, because Path of Tyrants, also Blood Oath. Then she promised to do her best to fix it, even though what she actually wanted to do was tell him to go fuck himself and fix his own damn mess, but again: Path, Oath.

Little else of consequence happened.

[White Haven]

Ciara got to fuck about inside Helgi's head, and didn't even get beaten into a pulp for it!

...Well, no, no, that's not true. The beating just happened to precede it this time.

[Hotfoot]

And she got to see just how DEAD 'ARD his 'ead is, too.

[General Havoc]

To speak for Marcus for a second, one goes beyond it by killing a vast number of people cathartically.

[Lys]

Lucretia meant how does one exceed the kind of depravity that left scars on both her and Marcus, since Monica said that Perpenna has gotten worse in the intervening time. That said, in terms of how one gets over such things she would definitely agree that murder is quite cathartic. Really the only point of disagreement there is how to go about said killing, as Marcus prefers his own hand whereas Lucretia prefers the hands of others.

[General Havoc]

I'd wager that is more a matter of Marcus and Lucretia have different things to prove to different people.

As to Perpenna having gotten worse, Marcus has only whispered rumors to explain how that is possible, and he's getting really worried about what he has heard. The problem isn't that he can't imagine Perpenna getting worse. The problem is that he knows and remembers just enough for his imagination to come up with all manner of awful possibilities.

[Lys]

Oh Lucretia can very well imagine how one plumbs the deepest depths of depravity. She has her own sadistic inclinations, but they're kept tightly under wraps because she's seen and been disgusted by those who choose to revel in and be controlled by their hungers.This is part of why Lucretia loathes the Bishop Alfonso so much, she knows him to be a dark mirror of her own self. So it's not really failure of imagination why Lucretia would rather not dwell on such matters, but rather the opposite.That's why she said that she shuddered to think of it, not that she couldn't imagine, she meant it quite literally.

And yes the two of them have different things to prove, and frankly nearly diametrically opposite responses to trauma. It makes for interesting interactions and drama.

[Marcao]

I wanted to inform everyone that I will be on vacation from the 3rd of August until the 13th. I will be in Florida with the wife so I will not be online at all.

[Lys]

Might as well mention myself that i'll be on vacation from the 5th to the 12th in Chicago. While i will have internet access for the game on the 10th, i do hope you understand that my family takes higher priority, and so unless there happen to be no other plans that evening i will be otherwise occupied.

Also creeping you all out by having Lucretia act sweet and motherly to her daughter is now one of my all time favourite role-playing moments. It's right up there with the time a psychology student was able to figure out my character's traumatic past based entirely on how i was roleplaying the effects on her psyche.

[General Havoc]

You may not want Lucretia to creep out literally everyone present in such ways. There are vampires about who have very specific things to say about Kindred who cross the line with children...

[Lys]

Then it's a good thing that only the players were privy to the scene in question, and that it did not involve any children as Lucretia's are all grown. As far as the characters know, Lucretia doesn't even have a sweet and tender side, which is precisely why her acting as such is so beautifully unnerving.

That said, given she is an unageing vampire Lucretia might at some point take to rescuing street kids for the purpose of raising them as loyal servants. Marcus may have difficulty objecting to the practice given that she'd be providing them food, clothing, shelter, education, and future employment. It's not like she would abuse them, Lucretia has no interest in owning damaged goods.

[White Haven]

Not sure if I'll be available tonight, things are a bit up in the air. Don't wait up if I'm not here.

[Cynical Cat]

So how does everyone like Warhammer? I ask because we sure as hell invoked the Blood God last night.

[Lys]

We painted the halls in the blood of our enemies. Those poor servants, those who did not become collateral damage will be stuck cleaning out Alfonso's Marcus' palazzo for weeks after.

[Lys]

So apparently the Rinmaru Games Mega Anime Avatar Creator was updated some time after i last used it.

Do you know what this means?




That's right, it's time for Luci-chan! ^_^