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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! | ||||||||||
OCTOBER 2018
JUSTICE
RANK 1
• Fire Hazard: In anticipation of the many, many candles being lit around the city, the block in front of one of your preferred places of patronage or your residence is designated as a fire lane. The Sentry disallows any open flame there and strips it bare of anything that might easily catch - no dried plant matter, no loose cloth, etc. Basically nothing that makes the seasonal celebrations interesting whatsoever. Oh, and there are daily inspections to make sure it's staying that way, dampening the cheer significantly.
RANK 2
• Permit Problems: A harried festival manager knocks on your door and barges in without looking up, rambling about missing information and misfiled paperwork and how did you mess this up? The manager doesn't seem to notice that you aren't who they're actually after, tossing paper in your face and forcing you to sit down and fill it out properly and they will not leave until you do.
RANK 3
• Candy Confiscation: The Sentry have gotten word that illegal products are being disguised as Shadow Nights candy by the Kel'ghau. That nice bag of sweets you just bought from a completely legitimate vendor? Collected as evidence, and probably eaten because it's never returned.
RANK 4
• Ghost Busters: With many nightly activities and an increased risk of accidents, the Sentry hosts free workshops covering things like fire safety, what to do if someone goes overboard on the alcohol - and some more arcane subjects like who to call if spirits and dream-visions become markedly more tangible. You're invited to attend and are asked to become a neighborhood coordinator!
RANK 5
• Apple-bobbing at the Assembly: The Ioduan Assembly is holding a special Shadow Nights party - it's not quite the shindig that the Aisling Tower holds, but it has great food and drinks, and the entertainment is top-notch. It is also invite-only, and someone has slipped an invitation under your door. Bring a plus one and have a stellar time!
CRIME
RANK 1
• You're the Devil in Disguise: You're set upon by a thug who want your rhinn. Unfortunately, she's wearing a mask and costume, and disappears into the festival crowd once she's done menacing you. Good luck finding her...and good luck reporting her to the Sentry, since you couldn't see her face.
• B&E: You return to your home to find that someone's stolen something from you! Nothing of too much importance, and nothing irreplaceable, but it's still worrying. Better replace your locks.
RANK 2
• Trick and Treat: Oh no! You've been pickpocketed! But at least whoever took your rhinn left you some sweets in return. Thanks?
RANK 3
• 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.
• I'd Like to File to Be a Reluctant Accessory: An Erol'a runs up to you, hurriedly asking for your help. You go along with him, only to find that you're an unwitting assistant in a robbery. He gives you a share of the profits, which is a perk, even if you're grumpy about being tricked.
RANK 4
• It's a Steal of a Deal!: You find something in the Kel'ghau that's being sold for far less than it ought to be. By Grapthar's hammer, what a savings.
RANK 5
• Drinking Buddy: At the festival, you run into a known member of the Neneka, who seems to be in a good mood, and buys you a beer - or a gourd-based drink, if you're underage.
FAITH
RANK 1
• Fire, I'll Take You To Learn: You accidentally set something on fire when lighting a soul candle. Near a Sabonile priest. Who then proceeds to hurriedly put it out. The Sabonile are a little wary of you after this, and try to subtly cross the street to avoid you. After all, Fire Bad.
RANK 2
• TMI?: Uh-oh. Looks like you’ve been cornered by a gaggle of Tariken monks who want to know everything about you - and they do mean everything. They don’t believe in oversharing, so they’re going to pester you for quite a while. Possibly for days, if you try to avoid them.
RANK 3
• The Great Pumpkin: Some pumpkin Daemids have taken a liking to you, and they're now pestering you. They won't leave you alone! That's good luck, or bad luck, depending on who you talk to. They're sometimes seen as the fortune spirits playing tricks on you. Good luck with the little hellions.
RANK 4
• I Am One With the Wind and Sky: You've been asked to help with the Kaka'i celebration of the Ma'akana. If you go with the worshipers to throw curamija hearts into the sea, you'll be invited to the later feast. Being asked to participate in their most important festival is a great honor.
RANK 5
• Peace Be With You: When visiting a Ban Om shrine, you feel a sudden sense of peace - and the worshipers seem to notice. Seems the Great Turtles are looking out for you today.
COMMERCE
RANK 1
• Kiss Kiss Fall in Drunk: Clumsy you, you just broke a rather expensive antique still on display at one of the fairground stalls. Paying reparations is out of the question for your salary so it looks like you'll be hawking beer and artisan cheeses in a ridiculous outfit. Just thank your lucky stars there aren't any lederhosen.
• Spirit Scalpers: You've been hunting for candles for your spirit lantern, but everywhere is fresh out. You manage to buy some from a shady, back alley seller for an exorbitant price only to find they're just regular candles!
RANK 2
• Little Shop of Horrors: Well that was a waste of money. Fortunately you didn't spend very much on it, but still enough that you'd like to head back on to that dingy, dodgy little pawn shop on a dark corner you went in on a cool, foggy night and get your money back. Going back during the day, however, reveals the shop is boarded up and abandoned. Asking around about it only reveals that it's been closed for years after the owner passed away. You are left with the strong suspicion you are the proud owner of a Very Cursed Relic.
RANK 3
• The Butcher, The Baker, and the Candlestick Maker: Volunteering for the Masquerade Committee is a huge responsibility, so you're told, and they've been running you ragged to pick up choice morsels and spirit candles for the upcoming celebration. The kind mercantiles of these establishments take pity on you, and give you more free samples than you know what to do with.
• Na na na na nana Bat Cat!: Someone managed to smuggle a litter of bat kittens out of the Aisling Tower. On one hand, they're expensive and this is also probably very illegal. On the other hand, that one with little emerald eyes just meeped at you and wiggled its little ears.
RANK 4
• Safe Haven: Bars and pubs are open all throughout the Night Parade, acting as safe havens for those too far from home (or without a home to go to) to escape the potential dangers of the evening. One owner is swamped with other preparations for the holidays, and he sends you out to collect red spirit candles. They're expensive as is, but he reimburses you three times over.
RANK 5
• A Growing Reputation: You've been invited to wine and dine with some of the more prominent of Aifaran's business owners at the Masquerade. It would be foolish to snub the invite, especially if you get to rub elbows with those willing to help fund your business.
ARTS
RANK 1
• Under Construction: There's a worker shortage in construction, and a few openings for work with the sewer maintenance. The money is too good to pass up, and with a bit of training you're ready to work! Things are relatively normal, albeit dank and smelly, though recently there's an overwhelming odor of dead fish, rumours of disappearing workers, and you caught sight of something huge lurking in the darkness before it slunk into the shadows. Needless to say, you resigned that day.
• House of Wax: You probably shouldn't visit wax museums, especially not ones in Aifaran, but the Dreamfolk who own this one had a sale on tickets and your curiosity overrode your common sense. The experience is… unpleasant. The place is hot and stuffy, and you constantly hear footsteps behind you, just to your right as though someone is following you, but every time you check, there's nothing there. Worse, the wax figurines seem to be staring at you. Do you dare attend a demonstration on how they're made…?
RANK 2
• The Evils of Fondant: One of the many traditions of the Shadow Nights Fairs is a cake decorating contest. Unfortunately for you, you're not looking where you're going when you bump into someone and their magnum opus of cake decor. They're upset to say the least, but you've never been covered in such delicious cake. And, unfortunately, fondant.
RANK 3
• The Mask: You found a unique, hand-made mask for sale, cheap. It's perfect for the upcoming ball. It really is striking, and the paint work is elegant. It also happened to belong to the merchant's deceased daughter and they cannot bear to have it in the house anymore. Nothing bad can come of that, right?
RANK 4
• Storebought is Fine: It's often traditional for the upper and middle echelons of Aifaran to make their own costumes for the Masquerade, and showing up with a storebought costume is considered rather gouche. The less creatively inclined, however, have found a way around this by commissioning others to make their ballroom attire. And guess who just got some sizable commissions? (Hint: It's you)
RANK 5
• A Little Light: Spirit Lantern decorating contests are definitely a thing in Aifaran this time of year, and your entry is top notch. The prize is a considerable sum of money as well as a big jar of candy. Happy Festival of Shadow Nights indeed!
SCI-TECH
RANK 1
• Ghost Train: An apparently empty Skyway train pulls into the similarly empty station you're waiting at. When you board the train, however, the seats are abruptly filled by spectral forms. None of them try to hurt you, but it is an immensely unsettling trip to the next station, where it may be advisable to deboard.
RANK 2
• Paranormal Photography: For some reason, every time you take a Xa Xa photo this month, there's weird glowing shapes in the background. Most of the time, they're formless blobs, but occasionally they seem to be the outlines of a person. When anyone tries to find the source of the problem, however, they can find nothing and all the photos they take are normal.
• Unpredictable Flames: An enthusiastic science student has been experimenting with how to make new and fantastic spirit candles. They give you a set for free! Unfortunately, some of them won't light at all, some go off like sprinklers (and will continue to re-light themselves no matter how many times you put them out), and others produce flames several feet high that smell like toasted marshmallow and do their best imitation of a bonfire.
RANK 3
• Test Subject: A researcher at the Ioduan Academy asks you to be a test subject as part of an experiment they're running. It includes a stipend, but the waiver you have to sign is a little concerning.
• Cryptochemistry: Want to grow wings or enhance any of your powers? This chemist has the solution for you! Just try one of their bubbling, glowing potions.
...it's definitely just some kind of soda, although you can't figure out what makes it glow.
RANK 4
• Mad Science Fair: Scientists at the Academy have banded together with the Opara Core to put on a high-tech, highly realistic haunted house with proceeds from ticket sales going to charity. You've been gifted a free ticket to attend one of the first tours (probably as a bit of a beta tester), and there is likely to be a lot of unique candy and treats, too.
RANK 5
• Research Grant: An idea you have for a project or academic study receives enthusiastic support! You'll have access to prior research, materials, and a nice workspace.
METAPHYSICS
RANK 1
• Candy Corn Creatures: You don't know how you did it but you managed to bring to semi-life tiny golems made entirely of candy corn. These calamitous cavity-causing candy creatures are surprisingly destructive. Fortunately, they dissolve in warm water.
RANK 2
• Haunted Hassle: You are presently being followed by somehow the least dangerous and most obnoxious poltergeist in the history of ever. Its antics consist of childish practical jokes and making fart noises every time you try to talk.
RANK 3
• Daemid Drudgery: You are one of the poor, unfortunate souls to have their living space invaded by the Gourd Folk. Little Daemids have already hollowed out their homes and there are vines and seeds everywhere. Hope you like eating pumpkin anything for the next week.
• Red Light: Spirit lanterns invite the dead, but those with a grudge may show up whether or not you put a lantern up. Fortunately, the ghosts can't hurt you, but they are troubling to say the least. If it's really a concern, red candles are sold to ward the dead, but there is a bit of a taboo around it. After all, if you need a red candle, what must you have done for a spirit to carry a grudge beyond the grave…?
RANK 4
• Shadow of Themself: Though the apparition you invited into your home is too weak to convey much of anything, but you are able to offer them sufficient strength to do so with your talent mark.
RANK 5
• Under the Surface:For all the hubbub about the Masquerade at the Aisling Tower, there is a certain sense of anxiety that doesn't come from pre-ball nerves. If one is clever and positioned just seemingly out of earshot, one might catch snatches of hurried conversation. Something "opening", and if one is really observant, one of the names of the crew of the Narrakra.