The empire he leaves in his wake, set perilously adrift.
In the dark underbelly of mage society, rumors swirl. The old man had had many secrets, but above them all was one that was easily accessible to anyone. A vast reservoir of magical potential there for the taking, without the ramifications of participating in a Holy Grail War.
Mana crystals.
Created through a technique stolen from the late magus Atram Galliasta, after greatly upgrading the effectiveness of the conversion process the Scladios had effectively eliminated the need for leyline suitability. All that was necessary was to continue on as they always had, as an organized crime family, a self-sustaining cycle when its mere existence can generate new enemies daily as needed and justifies any methods taken towards ultimate success.
All one had to do was have no problem with the ritual sacrifice of hundreds of thousands of fellow humans, and freedom was ensured. As magi, you should already be ready to do the very same with your own hands if it comes to it, right?
This was the essence of Galvarosso’s promise.
But it had been a flawed promise from the beginning. As a non-magus, Galvarosso could never fully comprehend the importance of the relationship between a magus and the land upon which he works.
However, a town created from nothing, built for the specific purpose of housing heretics, what could possibly be more of a godsend than that?
Perhaps he invested in the mana crystal plan as a potential fallback in the case of Bazdilot Cordelion losing the Fake Holy Grail War. Or perhaps he was simply obsessed with giving magi more and more power, a miracle that he could never participate in but one that he could potentially help others realize. No one was close enough to him to have ever known the truth, with the exception of Bazdilot. And even he, mad dog of the Scladios, had eventually succumbed.
However...
Voyeurs witnessing this unfolding drama--what little one may glean without being killed--might be drawn by the siren call of the lost treasure of the Scladios. For a treasure to be “lost” is to forcibly ascribe it Mystery, whether or not it’s truly deserving of such a status is not for those who seek it to decide. The act of treasure hunting itself, then, could be called a microcosm of the destruction of Mystery as a concept. Surely there has to be a reason it’s such a popular, romantic idea? The whip-slinging rugged adventurers of modern cinema are only the most obvious example of this base desire.
You are one of these voyeurs privy to the intoxicating information sent in waves from the depths of Snowfield. The wealth of an entire criminal organization extends before you, awaiting its discovery. If you wish to take it for yourself--or, perhaps, destroy it--you will need to familiarize yourself with the inner workings of a mafia.
Nestled within the desert valleys of the United States, a city once in turmoil is on the repair…
Who wants to become il Capo dei Capi? Set a year after the events of Fate/Strange Fake (~2010) in the city of Snowfield, Il Capo is a magus-focused exploration of organized crime. But no one makes it through the life alone, or without painting a few houses. Knowing when to make and break connections can and will mean the difference between progress, and an unmarked grave. But be warned, you aren’t the only greedy mook out to make it big for yourself.
As of this writing, Fate/Strange Fake is not over and is unlikely to ever end. We will be taking some minor liberties with the plot ending, which will be revealed eventually.
General Information
Il Capo is an Adventure quest, with some influence from the social party game Mafia (aka Werewolf). We are sure to be ensnared with many pressing concerns, therefore we may take such things as basic sustenance for granted.
Each in-quest day will consist of only two phases: Night and Day. Because we are exploring the Moonlit World in more than one sense, the beginning phase will always be Night unless stated/voted otherwise.
As an addendum, the city of Snowfield runs much like any other of its placement and population found throughout the United States. Therefore, certain locations and actions will only be accessible during the Day or Night phase, respectively. This is the most crucial time management aspect of the quest we will concern ourselves with, but it is not intended to be particularly stressful--unless our protagonist finds themselves in a sticky situation. It should also go without saying that the Night phase will be inherently more dangerous.
Which brings us to our next, and arguably most important mechanics--Trust and Suspicion. Honor among crooks must always be taken with a grain or two of salt, but the most important quality for a wiseguy to exhibit is trustworthiness. Building Trust with your fellow goons is vital to ingratiating yourself further into the family’s higher ranks, including opening up possible avenues that were once unavailable. Conversely, Suspicion keeps track of how much heat you bring on yourself from the local constabulary. Even though you’re a mage, even though you’re a gangster, one can never be too careful. Ever since the conclusion of the False Holy Grail War, general surveillance of your ilk has noticeably increased. The containment of Mystery has become more pressing recently, meaning there will be greater efforts to impose mage society martial law on those who would jeopardize Mystery’s continued secrecy. It will be up to your discretion whether or not that’s something you care about.
Which brings us to character creation.
To expedite the process, a number of “backgrounds” have been created for player convenience. This of course is merely to establish a foundation upon which growth will be determined by future choices. Voters may include their own expanded ideas of the backgrounds if they wish, while the faceclaim chosen will also influence our protagonist’s history to some extent.
Note: Background choice will fundamentally alter certain “starting perks”--in essence giving the protagonist different “class bonuses”. These bonuses will remain unknown for the time being, but educated guesses can be easily made and are encouraged.
Even More Important Note: Background choice will place potential limits on magecraft, once chosen.
Game Select
Backgrounds The “Henry Hill”
As far back as you can remember, you always wanted to be a gangster. To you, being a gangster is better than being the President of the United States. You were witness to Galvarosso’s attitude towards life and magic at an early age, which left a deep impression on you growing up. You genuinely believe in Galvarosso’s dream, and will deny anyone greedy or stupid enough to try and profit off his death.
The “John Gotti”
You are the antithesis of the “Henry Hill”. You are from a family who had to fight for anything and everything good you’ve ever had. You fell out of proper magus society not because you wanted to, but because the alternative was easier. With Galvarosso out of the picture, you have a chance to secure that kind of comfortable life for yourself. You’ll accomplish this task by any means necessary.
The “Donnie Brasco”
For whatever reason, you want the destruction of the Scladio Family more than anything. Perhaps you were on the receiving end of some unpleasantness. Perhaps you have a moral obligation. Regardless, infiltration of the organization has presented itself as the most logical course of action. Stay safe.
The “Jimmy Hoffa”
You are not from within the family’s ranks already, nor do you have any interest in joining. Officially, that is. Unofficially, you would rather control the family from the outside. For whatever reasons, using the Scladios privately as a club to beat any competition into submission is good enough for you. Besides, if they help you out, you’ll help them out...probably.
The “Galvarosso”
You are not a magus.
But you believe in magic.
What won’t you do to achieve a miracle like that?
(DANTE MUST DIE MODE)
All in all, we will need to make four decisions before we may proceed. 1. Name
2. Face
3. Background
4. Magecraft foundation
Suggesting all four at once isn't necessary, of course. One may post a name that is gladly taken, with another's suggest background, etc.
Good luck.
Last edited by Bugs; February 28th, 2020 at 02:33 PM.
3) Background: The “Henry Hill”
4) Foundation: Benedicaria, the "Way of Blessing," it is a hybrid of Italian Folk Witchcraft and the Sacraments of the Holy Church, mainly utilized for protection and healing. With His Authority to supplicant the versatile nature of Witchcraft, one can easily ward of negative forces or recover from all manner of wounds. The lack of offensive potential aside, this would make the wielder extremely difficult to kill. (Includes: Healing Magecraft (Medicinal), Sacraments, Protection against Curses/Other ailments)
Last edited by SleepMode; February 26th, 2020 at 01:39 PM.
The Act of dozing off in the afternoon is a luxury indeed. Coffee would be nice, though.
Thank you for the votes so far. Voting for this first set will end sometime this Friday, at which point we will proceed. Decisions from now on will also have roughly the same time limit.
We gave HBM, of all people, access to a morals loosening field
Originally Posted by Faux, December 25th 2019
Senta deserves the right to a life where she gets to choose if she's actually a Nazi
True Rider
A wise and beautiful woman who exudes an aura of grace. She is a sly, cunning, manipulative person who always gets what she wants, whether through trickery or ruthlessness. Her own fighting abilities are low, but she should not be trifled with. What does she ride? Men, of course!
Addtional materials, but You made an elaboration on Benedicaria through their use of incense and utilizing it as hand-wrapped cigarettes:
Originally Posted by In Regards to Benedicaria:
How about he or she is an illusionist who uses myrrh and frankincense to create illusions?
So going with what sleep said with Benedicaria, myrrh is an embalming oil symbolizing death the underworld and frankincense is angelic/heavenly protection. The smoke from the incense creates illusions of either Dante's Inferno or Dante's Paradiso depending on what's used i.e. Italian Hell or Heaven.
Considering myrrh is an embalming oil, the character works in a funeral home which is where their branch of the mafia launders their money. Thus the Catholic part of the foundation (Baptismal Sacrament, exorcisms etc) which deals in spirits is for warding away evil spirits with regrets of the people who passed away. In that line of business the illusions are mainly used to calm grieving families down and things like that.
For more combat situations, when he or she actually takes a drag from the cigarette, they'll be magically taking in either the underworld or heavenwithin themselves.
Depending on additional ingredients in the cigarette, he can take on aspects and powers from specific circles of hell with the myrrh or spheres of heaven with the frankincense.
Last edited by SleepMode; February 27th, 2020 at 02:18 AM.
The Act of dozing off in the afternoon is a luxury indeed. Coffee would be nice, though.
Dead bodies smell. They really smell quite bad, shocking enough as it is to believe. The movies never explain that well enough. Sure, you have guys and gals on the big screen coughing, and choking, and even dry-heaving sometimes; but when it comes right down to it, it’s still fake. Actors are actors. Anybody can do it. The only difference is some of those assholes get paid a pretty penny for it.
Not that I’m jealous or anything, I’ve got the greatest job in the world. Nobody would believe me if they saw me now, but that’s the best for everybody involved. One more dead body might have to end up on my table, if that should happen.
God, this fucking smell.
It’s the formaldehyde, honestly. Somebody could honestly walk by a corpse rotting out in a ditch off I-80 and it’s possible they’d never know it was there. Between the desiccating effect of the Great Basin and the many hungry coyotes roaming around, a body will be gone before you know it. But if it’s embalmed first, have fun in the slammer when the cops and their dogs find it from 10 miles away. You deserve it, jackass.
Death is a pretty natural smell, as humans evolving from cavemonkeys there’s no doubt in my mind we were pretty much surrounded with the aroma of the deceased on a near constant basis. At some point, though, we must’ve collectively decided on an alternative method as a species, because now I have to smell this awful, chemical crap every other day.
Thankfully, it’s the greatest time of the day: quitting time. I wash up in the dingy sink off to one side of the processing room, taking my time like the nonne of old would. It takes far longer than the state recommendation for hygiene, but I don’t mind. Keeps me fresh, in more ways than one. Having finished, I take a quick peek at the clock on my way out.
Midnight.
The witching hour, depending on who you ask.
Everyone I know, myself included, would answer to the sound of the affirmative. I’m something of a witch myself, after all.
The weathered mahogany door of the Sandy Shores Mortuary swings shut behind me with a wooden creak. It’s a shitty name and an even shittier door, but I can’t complain. The Family decided this is where I fit best for the time being, so here is where I’ll be. Still, I’m glad to put my unmoving friends behind me for the night, as I embrace the cool Nevada air. That’s the thing about the desert, if you’re not from here you don’t realize just how cold it gets once the sun goes down. Embarrassing as it may be, it takes a second to get my breath back. I cast a scornful look over my shoulder at the culprit. A mortuary is an enclosed space filled with the dead, with the conceptual purpose of housing said dead and readying their mortal shells for the final journey. Funeral homes and the like are creepy, sure, but there’s a bigger reason that isn’t immediately apparent unless you’re someone like me.
In essence, it becomes a “death world” unfit for living humans. A liminal space that exists as a subspace of the texture of the world--yadda yadda yadda. Bro knows more about this stuff than I do. More about everything, really. The point is, I can’t even open a damn window if I want to keep things running smoothly, if you get my drift.
Speaking of Bro...that guy wanted me to meet him when I got out today, if I remember right. Come onnnnn, don’t they celebrate Fridays wherever your weird ass comes from? I’m a highly popular girl in the Snowfield social scene, for fuck’s sake! Well, not really, but it wouldn’t hurt for him to assume some things like that every now and again.
I have more pressing concerns as it is. Namely, cigarettes. I only felt a tiny handful rolling around inside the box the last time I checked, and retrieving the crumpled cardboard box confirms my worst fears. Only three left. Shit. I’d have to go home first if I wanted more, but keeping Bro waiting is always a toss-up.
Reply With Quote
Originally Posted by Faux, July 20th 2019
A wise and beautiful woman who exudes an aura of grace. She is a sly, cunning, manipulative person who always gets what she wants, whether through trickery or ruthlessness. Her own fighting abilities are low, but she should not be trifled with. What does she ride? Men, of course!
