Unmanifested Witches?

[Cind]

Nothing less than a year old please.

I once played an unmanifested vivaduan in the Byn who manifested on a contract. That was pretty fun.

I once had an unmanifested rukkian as a Kadian jeweler in Tuluk. She was also a sociopath, but a calm, pitiable one that got liked. I never brought out the witch card with her.

[LauraMars]

The moderators are keeping a weather eye on this one, just so everyone knows...but we will let a staffer make the final judgement call on whether or not this type of thread is allowed.  Regardless, let's have no discussion of game mechanics or spell details svp, that stuff is way more fun to discover in game!

[Cind]

Oh, sorry.

I just thought it would be fun to talk about ones that happened a real real long time ago. Unmanifested witches are fun, if limited in how well they can be crafters/hunters/fighters/spies/etc, and I thought it would be neat to hear stories of how somebody once had a bynner whiran for three game years and how bad they sucked on contracts.

[RogueGunslinger]

Staff has never stated if it's okay to talk about your PC's, whether that's a year old, or a week old, or ten years old. This is probably because they don't want to make any hard-lined rules that would stifle the fun of talking about past events, but they also don't want people sharing IC sensitive information that might ruin plots, or give away game secrets.

For instance I had a character that lived all of 1 real life day, nobody should care if he's talked about, even if it was yesterday. On the flip side you can have a PC that was alive ten years ago, and if they were involved in some magickal other realm with beasts made out of psionic energy, and personally had conversations with Tektolnes about the reaches of magick... Don't discuss that.

Basically what I'm saying here is that you can share whatever you want about your PC's, so long as it's not sensitive information. Otherwise sharing who you were to you clannies in clan forums wouldn't be allowed.

So this thread should be fine, just don't get too into the details of magick, and don't talk about PC's who are still alive.


On Topic: I have never done the rogue magicker thing and then lasted more than a week. I should probably give it a try again some time.

[Gunnerblaster]

I tend to have the most fun with unmanifested mages.

Actually went through the whole life of one mage without ever using a spell, instead having become successful off of his subguild choices. He eventually was stored a happy and well-off individual working for a House, doing what he loved.

In hindsight, I regret storing him but, tbh, he was one of the most fulfilled and happiest characters I ever had so I was content enough with that storage-ending for him.

[Pale Horse]

I remember having an unmanifested magicker character who spent the early part of her IG years being a grebber and trying to keep her two siblings in comfortable living conditions while they tried going for their own goals.  I don't remember what her subguild was, but she did pretty well as an obsidian miner and salt grebber.

She found out her mage side by being outed by another in the middle of a bar.  She tried begging a Templar to take her magick away but eventually got put under the tutelage of the very same gicker that exposed her.  A less happy character I have rarely played.

[RogueGunslinger]

Was she outed by magickal means? Seem strange that someone else would know she was a 'gicker before her.

[LauraMars]

The unmanifested mage is a really fun trope to play out, I agree.  I had an aide who was a whiran, but nobody ever knew it - not even her.  She did lots of stuff, helped plan a big party, tracked down a runaway mul, got into all kinds of plots. This was when I had no life and could play Armageddon for 12 hours a day.  She eventually was assassinated by a rival without casting a single spell. One of my favorite characters, and the only skill I used was listen.  YEAH THAT'S RIGHT, I'M ONE OF THOSE ROLEPLAYERS

[Clearsighted]

The gicker that leads a rich, fulfilling life without ever manifesting their powers or leaving the city. Otherwise known as karma bait.

[Pale Horse]

Was she outed by magickal means? Seem strange that someone else would know she was a 'gicker before her.

Without going into details, yes she was.

Her first introduction to magick in work was to have what she thought of as her life going down in ashes.

[Asmoth]

The gicker that leads a rich, fulfilling life without ever manifesting their powers or leaving the city. Otherwise known as karma bait.

Karma isn't the end all be all goal, but all of us want more of it.

If you do it playing a kick ass bynner warrior them great, if someone does it by playing a role OUTSIDE of the roles main "plan" then great too.

I don't see why people seem to sometimes be critical of other people's attempts at gaining trust/karma when it doesn't hurt them.

To my knowledge the staff doesn't say, we have 100 karma points split between x players, don't hand out anymore unless you take some away from the ones who have it or one of these high karma folks dies.

So unless the unlikely above scenario is how it goes, who cares? Why make a sarcastic comment about it?

[valeria]

I've always wanted to do one of these.  Unfortunately I don't play many mages (I think only 2 in my six years here?) and they've all known they're mages.

Some day I'll do a nilazi that manifests abruptly at an RPT after a year played.  Just you all wait.

[LauraMars]

The gicker that leads a rich, fulfilling life without ever manifesting their powers or leaving the city. Otherwise known as karma bait.

For me it was fun knowing that at any moment my Aide could manifest crazy wind powers and everything she worked so hard to build - her relationships with the nobility, other political figures in the city - would be utterly destroyed.  I think a secret of such magnitude adds a poignancy to a role, even if it's never revealed.  I didn't get karma for the role (at least I don't think I did)

That said, I know the "SECRETLY SOMETHING" minion concept can be ultra frustrating for nobles and other leaders.  But so can the "SECRETLY OFF PEAK" and "NOT SO SECRETLY MUDSEXXING" minion concepts.  

[wizturbo]

I vastly preferred playing "secret" magickers to unmanifested ones.  I loved going about my daily affairs, and then sneaking off into some nook and cranny to practice my nefarious 'gickery in secret.

My favorite was an ungemmed whiran who worked as a common aide type in Allanak by day, and a vigilante magicker by night.

[Clearsighted]

The gicker that leads a rich, fulfilling life without ever manifesting their powers or leaving the city. Otherwise known as karma bait.

etc etc

So unless the unlikely above scenario is how it goes, who cares? Why make a sarcastic comment about it?

The gicker that leads a rich, fulfilling life without ever manifesting their powers or leaving the city. Otherwise known as karma bait.

That said, I know the "SECRETLY SOMETHING" minion concept can be ultra frustrating for nobles and other leaders.  But so can the "SECRETLY OFF PEAK" and "NOT SO SECRETLY MUDSEXXING" minion concepts.  

Laura gets it.

But it's not something I'm critical of. It's just amusing.

[FantasyWriter]

Played an unmanifested Whiran once who ended up lifesworn into a Tuluki noble house, but died to a bahamet shortly after manifestation.
My one and only Bynner was an unmanifested whiran as well, and that was where I came to truly appreciate the trope.
Having two or three game years worth of relationships built up when you character realized they are an evil abomination,
is probably one of the best Arm experiences you can have. The decisions of ignoring what you are, trying to use/hide it in secret, or let it take you over...  Good stuff.  Yet another AFK death. *sigh*

[Clearsighted]

Played an unmanifested Whiran once who ended up lifesworn into a Tuluki noble house, but died to a bahamet shortly after manifestation.
My one and only Bynner was an unmanifested whiran as well, and that was where I came to truly appreciate the trope.
Having two or three game years worth of relationships built up when you character realized they are an evil abomination,
is probably one of the best Arm experiences you can have. The decisions of ignoring what you are, trying to use/hide it in secret, or let it take you over...  Good stuff.  Yet another AFK death. *sigh*

Imagine how great this storyline will be, with the new sorcs. Since they really are a mundane class and everything people might expect of them - but then have unknown, hideous potential.

It's harder to do that with an elementalist (and was even harder before extended subguilds) since people would start giving you funny looks after awhile. Gee, Runner Amos, I notice you can't parry for shit. Can you skin that scrab for us? No. Oh, okay Amos. Hey, can you pick this lock for me, Runner Amos?  Can you craft this spear? Bandage this wound? Backstab that necker? Gee, what CAN you do, Runner Amos?

[FantasyWriter]

Only sorcery doesn't "manifest". It's something you learn, something you have to work at.
You could chose to ignore the fact that, after witnessing it, you understand how that Krathi you went on contract with uses the power of the sun to do 'X' and the spell's meaning makes sense to you.

Elementalism is something that is innately part of you, and in a way, it's not something you can truly ignore or hide from.
Most manifestations, from my experiences, are involuntary acts of self-preservation/rage/fear in times of stress or dire need, not: Hey, if I say 'wek un vivadu make water' I bet I will turn into a water gicker!

[Clearsighted]

Only sorcery doesn't "manifest". It's something you learn, something you have to work at.
You could chose to ignore the fact that, after witnessing it, you understand how that Krathi you went on contract with uses the power of the sun to do 'X' and the spell's meaning makes sense to you.

Elementalism is something that is innately part of you, and in a way, it's not something you can truly ignore or hide from.
Most manifestations, from my experiences, are involuntary acts of self-preservation/rage/fear in times of stress or dire need, not: Hey, if I say 'wek un vivadu make water' I bet I will turn into a water gicker!

I meant more along the lines of the hidden potential angle. But yes.

[FantasyWriter]

Ah, sorry. I was reading something else into your post.

[PriestlySiren]

I've never played anything but the mundane, but I'm sure I would like this. I really want to have the will power to go through a character without touching their guild skills. I nearly pulled it off once, the second time... I just got bored.

[Case]

I played a deaf woman in Kurac. Who was also a nilazi. She knew it, but thought that it was psionic, not magickal.

When she had the chance to dabble with her magick, she decided she didn't like it because it made her feel distance to her friends and family, and the person she loved. So she stopped and forgot about it entirely.

This wasn't a short term character.

[BadSkeelz]

High-karma roles are kind of soft-capped at the number that are active in the gameworld, right? Are psions, nilazis, and sorcerers who never manifest counted against that cap?

[Bast]

The two times I tried to play an unmanifested mage I was outed inside of 4 days by other mages :/ horrible luck on my end.

[The Silence of the Erdlus]

Oh my god I remember when that happened to me. When I mentioned that <something> used to find me out in a character report, staff nerfed <something>.

edited by Delirium - find out IC

[Clearsighted]

The two times I tried to play an unmanifested mage I was outed inside of 4 days by other mages :/ horrible luck on my end.

It's extremely difficult to go undetected very long in Allanak, without knowing all the meta tricks of how people use to identify you (even beyond looking for say, a red-haired man with a suspicious inability to parry), without being equally aware of all those tricks and getting lucky on the side. And being aware of the need to avoid certain situations, even though your character ICly, (as ignorant and unmanifested) shouldn't need to avoid them.

At least, if it's your intent to go unmanifested beyond a RL week or so. Tuluk had its own very special reason why it wasn't plausible.

Oh my god I remember when that happened to me. When I mentioned that <SOMETHING> was used to find me out in a character report, staff nerfed <SOMETHING>.

Ah, that's one trick nerfed then.


Edited because of quoting IC stuff - Delirium

[The Silence of the Erdlus]

I will say that I've managed quite well outside of the one time to play unmanifested in Allanak, but you just cannot get away from witches giving you hints and talking to you in ways they would be wise not to do.

[Gunnerblaster]

My most successful unmanifested mages started off in Tuluk...


And stayed for many in-game years. 

[valeria]

I've moderated some posts out of this thread.  They were exactly the kind 'going into magick details' thing that was warned about at the beginning of this thread.  You may think you're being vague enough, but please just don't.  Thanks!

[ibusoe]

I once played an unmanifested vivaduan in the Byn who manifested on a contract. That was pretty fun.

Pardon me, but isn't this the awesomest way for an ungemmed to manifest?  When I hire the Byn for a contract, I'm a bit disappointed if something freaky and unscripted doesn't happen.