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affinity ranks;
✽ AFFINITY RANKS | ||||||||||
Areas of Repute Within Aifaran are some unofficial factions that represent some of the interests or aspects of the city life. These are not ICly recognized groups (that is, there are no guilds or formal organizations representing these areas that a character can approach ICly) in that they have no defined structure, but merely areas of general repute.
Upon application acceptance, each character will receive a randomized set of starter rankings totaling 20 points altogether, which are randomly distributed throughout all the factions using RNG when a character joins the game. This point cap will prevent anyone from being able to max out too many affinity factions at one time. OOCly, each faction has ranks from 1-5 (with 1 being the lowest, 5 the highest), with each rank producing multiple different types of interaction with that group throughout the month. Players can choose to have their characters experience one or more of these instances to happen, depending on what their rank standing is with that respective group. Characters will not be required to experience all instances for all factions in a given month. This Google Spreadsheet is kept current by the mods that can be viewed by the players at any time, so players will always have access to their various Affinity standings at a glance. EXAMPLE: CRIME Rank 1 • Slippery Fingers: You are targeted for pickpocketing on the street! • Get Trashed: Your property (home, work, etc) suffers vandalism. • Shakedown: Your preferred places of patronage are harassed for protection money. Rank 2 • Supply & Demand: You sense eyes on you frequently, and when looking to purchase your usual staples, you find them either out of stock or ridiculously marked up in price. If asked, the shopkeepers will avoid answering the questions, as if they've been intimidated into silence. Rank 3 • Swag Swap: You are targeted for a mugging, but you're offered a cheap set of crystal glasses in exchange for all you lose. • Insurance: You're offered an insurance policy against theft for the month, but if you don't pay up, you may be more heavily targeted. Rank 4 • Mistaken Identity: During what looks like it will be a mugging, the perpetrator seems to recognize you and breaks off the attempt. • Guardian Criminal: Alternatively, during what looks to be a mugging, ANOTHER mugger will intervene, successfully chasing the first offender away from you. Rank 5 • Sudden Windfall: An anonymous person mails you a package containing what is definitely stolen, but likely untraceable, money and luxury items, the contents of which are now yours to do with as you please! Affinity Rank Changes Each month as part of AC, players will be required to submit their rank changes, moving 4 points total per month in any combination of their choosing. An affinity cannot be ranked at 0 or over 5, and all the Affinity ranks must collectively total 20 points - so points being added to one rank must come from subtracting from another rank, etc. Part of the AC requirement is a (VERY) brief description of the character's behaviour that led to the fluctuations in affinity. EXAMPLE AC COMMENT: Character: Bugs Bunny AC Proof 1 (required): LINK AC Proof 2 (optional): LINK Allegiance Rank Changes: +2 Sci-Tech, -2 Faith Notes: Bugs offered to teach a class on network basics to some less-than-tech-savvy elders (+2 Sci-Tech) but flipped off some Ban Om devotees when they wouldn't take a hint (-2 Faith). Affinity FAQ What happens if my character gets randomized Affinity starting ranks that don't make sense? IE; my sweet cinnamon roll gets a high Crime ranking? That's half the fun! ICly, it's explained by characters arriving that don't have any background in the city yet. Since these aren't literal, recognized factions, it's a little bendable. Maybe they're going with a gut feeling. Maybe they just don't like your character's face. Who knows! These rankings aren't static either - they go up or down with each AC, depending on what you want for your character. What if I don't want to use any of the monthly instances for my faction rankings? You don’t really have to if there isn’t anything in there you’d want to play with. Or make up something (reasonably) within the parameters that would be better suited to your character. Why do I have to move Affinities rankings around every month? As your character interacts with the peoples of Khu Ioduan, they will naturally get along with some groups and people, but not others, just as in the real world. Adjusting Affinities rankings is based on how you think your character's choices have been viewed by the various factions in the city. There is no 'right' or 'wrong' standing with the factions, so don't worry about keeping a set number; every option has new opportunities! | ||||||||||
FAITH
RANK 1
• Prophecies of Doom: A fortune-teller stops you in the street and tells you, in no uncertain terms, that your doom hangs over you like a storm cloud. They may or may not be a hack, but it might be worth watching your back this month.
• Post Hoc, Ergo Propter Hoc: On the third day of the droning noises, you happen to do something right when another round starts. However harmless - sneezing, stretching, tying your shoe - it sets off a very peevish Ban Om member who immediately blames you for the drone and tries to sprinkle you with holy water. They're persistent; it'll take until the droning ends for you to get rid of them, unless you can escape and hide...
RANK 2
• I'll Pray For You: Unbeknownst to you, a young Ban Om acolyte has decided that you are in need of a lot of prayer, or else are piloting a peculiar type of proselytizing. They follow you around. Everywhere. For days. Smiling. They are utterly unperturbed by yelling, threats, or anything intended to shake them off. Not a single word will pass through their lips, but after a week or two they will cease to pester you with prayer.
RANK 3
• Doubt.jpg: Something you said made a member of Ban Om question their own faith. For a time they were angry with you, giving you nasty looks whenever you crossed paths. Though after a week's time they leave you a note of which the gist is basically the doubt you instilled in them allowed them to think more deeply about what they believed, sought answers, and managed to strengthen their convictions. There's a pretty tortoiseshell hairpin in the envelope as a gift.
• Daisy-Chaining: The Sabonile are very fond of the Festival of Growth, and can be seen in the streets offering to bless people with hand-woven crowns and necklaces of flowers for a small donation. If you opt for one of them, you'll feel buoyed by a general feeling of goodwill until the flowers die, which usually takes a day or two. Even when the flowers have dried out, they still look pretty, and if you continue to wear them around, Sabonile will look at you with approval.
RANK 4
• Flutter By, Butterfly: A mottled-winged butterfly, long considered to represent good fortune since its wings are patterned in a very similar manner to that of a turtle shell, alights on you after taking off from one of the kedan spirit houses. As long as you don't wave it off, it will stay with you for several hours, wandering over your shoulders and arms before taking a liking to one of your ears. Ban Om witnesses to this event, particularly the kedan, will offer you trinkets instead of leaving them in the spirit house. None of it is worth anything, but there's an air about you that garners goodwill all month.
RANK 5
• Are You a Believer in Miracles?: You bought a charm from the Ban Om temple a few weeks ago, and it actually...seems to work. Really well. Things are going your way! You found some rhinn on the street, a cute kedan flirted with you, your Talent studies are progressing well; whatever you picked up a charm for, it’s working.