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
• How is this MY fault?!: You’ve either upset some deity or other, or you are just supremely unlucky - and people have noticed. Aside from getting some luck charms shoved at you by members of the Ban Om, people are avoiding you like you’ve got the plague and a bad case of halitosis all rolled up into one. Even the Tifauiti are avoiding you.
• Um...I didn’t do it?: Don’t panic. You didn’t mean to break that vase in the Ban Om temple, and they’re surely not on edge after that riot last month. Just...everyone be calm, all right? Oh, oh dear. People look angry. You’d better make the requisite apologies and run for it, and you probably shouldn’t show your face back here for a little while...
RANK 2
• TMI, man!: Oh, no. You’ve been trapped by a Tariken monk, but this time, they’re the one oversharing. Someone really needs to come save you before you hear all about this Erol’a’s marital problems like they’re your birthright to know.
RANK 3
• The ocean and I are getting married!: It’s nice to be down by the beach in the sunny weather. The Tia-Cheal pantheon thinks so too. You’re splashed with a wave, suddenly knocked over, but it, weirdly enough, just seems to be the ocean saying ‘hello’. Some nearby Castians laugh and say that auntie’s a little enthusiastic at making friends today. True enough, the waves seem to lap at your feet, no matter how far up the beach you get. Try talking to it - er, her? She seems to like you.
• You’ve gotta have faith-ah-faith-ah-faith-ah!: You pick up a pamphlet on the skyway for what looks like a rock show of some kind. Little did you know that “Nectar of a Thousand Sorrows” isn’t actually an awesome band name, but a fire-and-brimstone warning. At least, it might be if the Arybar trying to give it didn’t look so crestfallen that you’re literally the only person who showed up. Taking him out to dinner seems to cheer him up a little and remind him that everything isn’t completely awful, and he resolves to go back to his Sabonile faith, thanking you profusely.
RANK 4
• Sometimes, being nosy pays off.: You came upon an argument in the street, and helped a Tifauiti Igheeri straighten it out and smooth some feathers. Impressed by your kindness and willingness to help total strangers in need, the Igheeri gives you some rhinn for your troubles, saying that it’s another kindness, this time from them to you, and refusing it would be churlish. Free money, right?
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.