Last visit was: It is currently Thu Mar 28, 2024 8:32 am


All times are UTC - 5 hours




Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 8 posts ] 
Author Message
 Post subject: Story/Mechanics Disparity
PostPosted: Thu Jan 23, 2014 10:59 pm 
User avatar

Joined: Fri Sep 27, 2013 10:47 am
Posts: 2493
Location: Central Alberta
I was thinking about this recently, and I had to ask:

What is up with with Tier V Bloodline power for the val'Abebi? Their power is to be able to imbue shots of blast powder with their magical spark, but this makes almost no sense from a story point of view. Blast powder is Althares Second Gift, and is only given in 428 IC (only about 650 years before the Campaign). We know the val'Abebi have been around since the First Imperium of Man due to their involvement with the Nelgazzi Affair. So, how could their Bloodline power be something that didn't even exist for MILLENNIA?! Hell, the FIRST Gift of Althares only camp up in 120 BIC, little more than a millennia before the current story!

So, what does this mean? The simplest explanation is that it was an oversight on the part of the rules-writers. The val'Abebi are known for guns and blast powder, so that means they get a power involving its production. Though this works conceptually, it does show a certain lack of awareness of the history of the story, though in all fairness this Bloodline power dates back to the 3.5 days so maybe that aspect of the story simply was not fleshed out at the time.

That said, it could also represent something even more interesting: What if the val'Abebi's highest power was somehow changed a little over 500 years ago? What if their highest Bloodline Power has changed with the will of Althares (or his Valinor)? Maybe around the time of the Time of Terror they had a power relating with Electromagnetism relating to the First Gift? Perhaps before the Floating City of Khafre, they had yet a different, unknown power?

Questions. . .

(also, side note: Notice how the "Khafre" sounds very similar to several Kio words that we have come across in the story, and how both they and the Altherans have stories of Floating Cities. . . )

_________________
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


Top
Offline Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: Story/Mechanics Disparity
PostPosted: Thu Jan 23, 2014 11:00 pm 
User avatar

Joined: Sat Dec 21, 2013 11:10 pm
Posts: 51
Location: Omaha, NE
Or the val'Abebi get more powerful the more gifts Althares bestows?

_________________
Todd Morgan

Primary: Ss'agoth - Templar of The Fire Dragon 1.1
Secondary: Mathius val'Inares - Sanctorum Mage 1.1


Top
Offline Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: Story/Mechanics Disparity
PostPosted: Thu Jan 23, 2014 11:08 pm 
User avatar

Joined: Fri Sep 27, 2013 10:47 am
Posts: 2493
Location: Central Alberta
I question this because it has been said that the Val's of yore were more powerful than they are today, if for no reason than the bloodlines were more 'pure'. As such, surely over the course of 4,000 years SOME val'Abebi were able to manifest Tier V powers!

Again, this could be as simple as "Oh, oversight on our part ::facepalm::", but it could bring up so many questions about what we know about those we now call Altherans! Hell, we still have no history for them before about 200 BIC (about 1500 years AFTER the fall of the First Imperium).

_________________
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


Top
Offline Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: Story/Mechanics Disparity
PostPosted: Fri Jan 24, 2014 4:22 am 

Joined: Fri Oct 11, 2013 5:01 am
Posts: 84
Or they've always had the ability to imbue it but until the gift was given they literally had nothing that they could use it on? Would it would mean that for a long time most people would take it that they capped out at a Tier 4 gift? Would they have ben viewed as somehow weaker or would they still have registered as having the potent blood of a Tier 5?


Top
Offline Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: Story/Mechanics Disparity
PostPosted: Fri Jan 24, 2014 10:27 pm 
User avatar

Joined: Fri Sep 27, 2013 1:06 am
Posts: 2109
Location: Portland OR
To me the most interesting option is that the val'Abebi had their bloodline ability changed by Altheris or his Valinor when they were granted the Second Gift.

You are right, it is a disparity.

_________________
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


Top
Offline Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: Story/Mechanics Disparity
PostPosted: Sun Jan 26, 2014 8:58 pm 
User avatar

Joined: Fri Oct 04, 2013 10:23 am
Posts: 1026
Location: Miami Florida
val Holryn wrote:
To me the most interesting option is that the val'Abebi had their bloodline ability changed by Altheris or his Valinor when they were granted the Second Gift.

You are right, it is a disparity.


the real question.. was it a blessing.. or a curse?

_________________
Pedro Barrenechea
Stat Monkey
Minor Deity of Typos

Paradigm Concepts
Miami, Florida


Top
Offline Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: Story/Mechanics Disparity
PostPosted: Sun Jan 26, 2014 9:18 pm 

Joined: Fri Sep 27, 2013 12:08 am
Posts: 1473
There is no disparity whatsoever.

If the val'Abebi weren't able to create Blastpowder until the Second Gift was granted, then why would you expect them to have that ability PRIOR?

That's like saying someone from the Colonial Period should have the Car Driving skill, because a modern man has it.

_________________
Best,

Henry Lopez
President
PCI


Top
Offline Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: Story/Mechanics Disparity
PostPosted: Sun Jan 26, 2014 9:34 pm 
User avatar

Joined: Fri Sep 27, 2013 1:06 am
Posts: 2109
Location: Portland OR
This is Arcanis. A clear cut answer?!? No holding my breath. (The answer to me is obviously both).

PCI_StatMonkey wrote:
val Holryn wrote:
To me the most interesting option is that the val'Abebi had their bloodline ability changed by Altheris or his Valinor when they were granted the Second Gift.

You are right, it is a disparity.


the real question.. was it a blessing.. or a curse?

_________________
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


Top
Offline Profile  
 
Display posts from previous:  Sort by  
Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 8 posts ]  Moderators: james.zwiers, PCI Eric, PCI_StatMonkey

All times are UTC - 5 hours


Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 18 guests


You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot post attachments in this forum

Search for:
Jump to:  
cron
Powered by phpBB © 2000, 2002, 2005, 2007 phpBB Group
Theme created StylerBB.net & kodeki