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 Post subject: Are the Val beholden to be dutiful?
PostPosted: Sat Sep 13, 2014 1:13 am 

Joined: Sat Sep 13, 2014 1:10 am
Posts: 22
I just picked this game up, and was wondering how typical it would be for a val to deviate from their mandate to guide humankind towards greatness? Would it be feasible, for example, to create a val who abandoned his family and responsibilities and joined the Shining Patrol, and is now just sort of bumming around the continent as a mercenary? Would such a val still be able to utilize bloodline talents?


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 Post subject: Re: Are the Val beholden to be dutiful?
PostPosted: Sat Sep 13, 2014 2:13 am 
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Joined: Fri Sep 27, 2013 1:06 am
Posts: 2109
Location: Portland OR
Hi Lorebane, welcome aboard!

Lorebane wrote:
I just picked this game up, and was wondering how typical it would be for a val to deviate from their mandate to guide humankind towards greatness?


:lol: :lol: :lol: ... ah. I. can't. breath.

To be fair, yes - it's the norm that vals generally live respectable lives of responsibility in some position of power. But you don't get good stories out of that. I assure you if you scratch the surface you can find NPC val villains who have been corrupted by their power. Perhaps more interesting are the NPCs who are in some way misguided. If I can ask, just *what* do you think leading humankind towards greatness entails? How do you define greatness? What sacrifices are acceptable along the way? I think that people on this forum won't perfectly agree on those points, and the NPC leaders of the world won't either. There are plenty of val NPCs who can and do generate a lot of conflict based on their (very different) answer on how to lead humanity (to a good place).

Lorebane wrote:
Would it be feasible, for example, to create a val who abandoned his family and responsibilities and joined the Shining Patrol, and is now just sort of bumming around the continent as a mercenary? Would such a val still be able to utilize bloodline talents?


Yes. All those concepts are perfectly feasible. Congrats - you're thinking about joining the ranks of the black sheep. My main character is the son of a val who essentially did just that, and has to live with some of the consequences. Just be aware that far more than most Organized Play campaign, I think you'll find that choices have consequences. So if you're a black sheep, the appropriate family isn't going to be all that happy with you.

And yes, you get your bloodline abilities regardless of whether or not you are a paragon of virtue or weasel & poltroon of the highest magnitude. (They come from your "genes" not some divine benediction that can be revoked on an angel's whim).

Again, welcome aboard!

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Eric Gorman

AKA Ambassador Tukufu, man of letters, tomb raider and Master Sword Sage
. . . and Sir Szymon val'Holryn, Order of the Phoenix
Formerly Sir Jaeger val'Holryn. Weilder of the Holy Avenger: Thonanos. Gave his soul to help free King Noen


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 Post subject: Re: Are the Val beholden to be dutiful?
PostPosted: Sat Sep 13, 2014 9:32 am 
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Joined: Fri Sep 27, 2013 10:47 am
Posts: 2493
Location: Central Alberta
Remember, the Val families are basically the High Nobles of the human world in Arcanis. While there are a lot of Human (and even some Dark-kin) nobles out there too, the Vals have always held power since their creation. . .

. . . and just like any other Noble family, they're going to have power plays, black sheep, cravens, psychopaths, etc. They were created to be good and noble, but despite their fancy powers they are essentially still human with all the frailties that that entails.

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Cody Bergman
Legends of Arcanis Campaign Staff
Initial Author Contact/Adventure Vetting

Haakon Marcus val'Virdan, Divine Holy Judge of Nier
Ruma val'Vasik, Martial Crusader and Master of the Spear
Jorma Osterman, Arcane Coryani Battlemage


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 Post subject: Re: Are the Val beholden to be dutiful?
PostPosted: Sat Sep 13, 2014 9:50 am 

Joined: Sat Sep 13, 2014 1:10 am
Posts: 22
Alright, cool! I was batting around the idea of a male val'Dellenov who never really liked the idea of playing a subservient role his entire life, so he bailed and went to Altheria for a while, and is now a free wheeling, somewhat good natured scoundrel. Can val easily disguise themselves as a normal human?


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 Post subject: Re: Are the Val beholden to be dutiful?
PostPosted: Sat Sep 13, 2014 10:00 am 
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Joined: Fri Sep 27, 2013 3:59 am
Posts: 813
Location: Ontario, Canada
Yep. The val have grey eyes (clear if psionic) but otherwise look perfectly human. Sounds like a neat character concept. Keep the questions coming!

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Akira Currier
aka Raseri 'Crash' val'Emman - Master of the Incandescent Flame (Martial 3.7)
aka Leif - Skohir Warped One (Martial 2.6)
aka Rurik - Nol Dappan War Priest (Divine 2.3)
aka Karthik - Tultipetan Stonemason (Expert 1.4)


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 Post subject: Re: Are the Val beholden to be dutiful?
PostPosted: Sat Sep 13, 2014 10:32 am 
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Joined: Fri Sep 27, 2013 10:47 am
Posts: 2493
Location: Central Alberta
It should be noted that, by and large, all Val of a given family look like one another. Not saying they are clones, but there is a distinct family resemblance, even among Val who are distant relations. There is obviously something in the Val genetics which 'overpowers' what we would otherwise consider to be dominant genetic traits (ie: the blonde hair of a val'Assante' will manifest OVER brown hair from a human parent). Of course, I have heard that there is one Val family which has changed somewhat over the past 4000 years, but it takes a LOT longer to erode them away than a 'normal' human family. As such, while you look human, you will also bear the common traits of a val'Dellenov as well as the obvious Grey Val-eyes.

_________________
Cody Bergman
Legends of Arcanis Campaign Staff
Initial Author Contact/Adventure Vetting

Haakon Marcus val'Virdan, Divine Holy Judge of Nier
Ruma val'Vasik, Martial Crusader and Master of the Spear
Jorma Osterman, Arcane Coryani Battlemage


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