Re: Sneaking into a rokari mass / reading : your opinions

From: hcarteau_at_eBjYt_7arwDdTeUT-dupvv3u1xeWGm7JfmWYcQ-mNM3713BStaOiTsRwcybxPNgl-1c
Date: Tue, 26 Jan 2010 19:39:09 +0100

> > How hard would it be for a stranger to infiltrate a rokari mass / reading
> > ceremony ? Of course, he/she would be disguised, use concealment
> > magics, etc.
> >
> No harder than sneaking into an Orlanthi Holy Day ritual, but not really
> any easier, either. The bit he's going to have most trouble with, I
> suggest, is when they all enter the Hero Plane and notice he's no longer
> with them - unless he's invisible, or some such.
/// Yes, that's the part I was most wondering about. But do the rokari workers enter the Heroplane during a regular mass / reading ?
>
> > More specifically, how could the church's Guardian react ? Could it
> > sense a foreigner among the pious, even if said foreigner has no hostile
intention beyond listening in ?
> >
> Yes, I think it would be able to do that (again, much as an Orlanthi
> wyter would). Wandering around a town is one thing, actually
> infiltrating the sacred rites of the cult is the sort of thing that
> guardians get pretty narked about. Being a proselytising faith, however,
> they might react less aggressively than Orlanthi would if he can somehow
> convince them he isn't hostile and has a genuine interest in converting
> to the faith.

/// No way they want to converse to rokari ; in fact they want to break the growing threat it represents for House Caroman of Fay Jee, which they serve. They thought to begin with learning more about them.

> Clearly, there's going to be some contest between his disguise
> ability/magic and the Guardian's defence or perception, and since the
> Guardian is being backed up by the community, that's not going to be
> easy.

/// OK, that's step one. The infiltrator could also be backed up by rituals from the local sorcery school, which hates the rokari, to balance this.

One thing to remember is that a key part of the ceremony is the
> casting of ceremonial blessings or curses, and you can probably do
> something with that. You could have him try and resist succumbing to the
> "Work Hard for Church" blessing (which is a mandatory part of the
> service), or suffer the ill-effects of something like "Curse Questioner"
> or "Curse Worshipper of Graven Idols" (which the vicar picks as part of
> the lesson).

/// I love this one. THIS is going to be very good indeed. Thanks for the suggestion.

It may help if he has some idea that this sort of thing is coming - and, that he's going to be right at the epicentre of the magic - but doesn't know exactly which one he's going to get saddled with until it happens. /// Yes. The players, although a heathen (raccoon totem), does belong to the Church of Asahara and attends service, so she knows what it feels like.

As the vicar goes through his sermon, it will slowly become clear which particular curse/blessing he has in mind for today, other than the standard ones. Pick one he's really not going to like :) /// I love the growing tension, I'll even write a few lines of the sermon. But said player being my own child, I don't have the heart to pick something too cruel !