IDEAS FOR A PROGENY "SLARP" (Second Life Action Role Play)

I mentioned yesterday I might be teaming up Lachiel and his team to help initiate a "live action role-play" in Second Life a little bit more structured than the free form one we have been playing.  This is my first shot at the rules, based on White Wolf's "Mind's Eye Theatre" game.  This is far from the final version--Lachiel and his committee will need to review them and may reject or radically change them--but I thought I would share the process with all of you.  So for gamers and Progeny fans, enjoy! 

PROGENY SLARP RULES V 1.0

Creating your Character

1. Step One: Archetype

No matter what kind of character you are playing, Vampire, Human, or other, start with your Archetype.  This is your general character concept, the kind of person you are.

Sample Archetypes

• Architect—You seek to create something of lasting value, a legacy.

• Bravo—You are something of a bully; you like to be feared.

• Caregiver—You seek to nurture others.

• Child—You never really grew up, and you want someone to take care of you.

• Conformist—A follower at heart, you find it easy to adapt, adjust and comply.

• Conniver—There's always an easier way, one that usually involves someone else doing your work.

• Daredevil—You love taking risks and will seize any opportunity to do so.

• Dark Pioneer—You can't change the traditions of the past, but you'll do everything you can to create the traditions of the future.

• Dark Poet—You want to share the beauty of darkness with the rest of the world.

• Deviant—You're just not like everyone else.

• Director—You're accustomed to taking charge of a situation.

• Drunk Uncle—When things are going well, you're everyone's best friend. When things are going poorly, you're their worst nightmare.

• Fanatic—You have a cause and it gives your life meaning.

• Gallant—You are as flamboyant as you are amoral.

• Hedonist—Life is meaningless, so enjoy it as long as it lasts.

• Interrogator—It's not the answers that matter, it's the pleasure you get asking the questions.

• Jester—Always the clown, you can't take life, or death, seriously.

• Judge—You seek justice and reconciliation.

• Loner—You are forever alone, even in a crowd.

• Martyr—You need to be needed, and enjoy being morally superior.

• Rebel—No need for a cause; you rebel out of habit and passion.

• Recruiter—It makes sense to build your side up before trying to tear theirs down.

• Shamanist—You see your killer's role as part of the supernatural order.

• Sorority Sister—You do whatever the in-crowd does, and do it better.

• Stalker—The chase is all; the capture and feeding almost anticlimactic.

• Survivor—You struggle to survive, no matter what the odds.

• Torturer—Pain isn't a profession for you, it's a calling.

• Traditionalist—You prefer the orthodox and conservative ways.

• Visionary—Wisdom is your quest, insight your key.

2. Step Two: Traits

Traits are the heart of the Progeny: SLARP system.  They are arranged into three categories; Physical, Social, and Mental. 

Beginning characters must first prioritise which category is most important to the character.  Are you primarily cerebral, with high social skills and weaker physical traits?  Or are you a charismatic charmer, with good physical attributes and less smarts?  However your choose, your Primary Category starts with 7 Traits, your Secondary starts with 5, and your Tertiary gets only 3.

Primary: 7 Traits

Secondary: 5 Traits

Tertiary: 3 Traits.

The Traits are as follows (you may notice a great deal of overlap, which is intentional, see “Playing the Game” below);

Physical Traits

Athletic: You have conditioned your body to respond well in full-body movements, especially in competitive events.

Uses: Sports, duels, running, acrobatics, grappling.

Brawny: Bulky muscular strength.

Uses: Punching, kicking or grappling in combat when your goal is to inflict damage. Power lifting. All feats of strength.

Brutal: You are capable of taking nearly any action in order to survive.

Uses: Fighting an obviously superior enemy.

Dexterous: General adroitness and skill involving the use of one's hands.

Uses: Weapon-oriented combat (Melee or Firearms). Pickpocketing. Punching.

Enduring: A persistent sturdiness against physical opposition.

Uses: When your survival is at stake, this is a good Trait to risk as a second, or successive, bid.

Energetic: A powerful force of spirit. A strong internal drive propels you and, in physical situations, you can draw on a deep reservoir of enthusiasm and zeal.

Uses: Combat.  Speed.

Ferocious: Possession of brutal intensity and extreme physical determination.

Uses: Any time that you intend to do serious harm.

Graceful: Control and balance in the motion and use of the entire body.

Uses: Combat defense. Whenever you might lose your balance (stepping on a banana peel, fighting on four-inch-thick rafters).

Lithe: Characterized by flexibility and suppleness.

Uses: Acrobatics, gymnastics, dodging, dancing.

Nimble: Light and skillful; able to make agile movements.

Uses: Dodging, jumping, rolling, acrobatics. Hand-to-hand combat.

Quick: Speedy, with fast reaction time.

Uses: Defending against a surprise attack. Running, dodging, attacking.

Resilient: Characterized by strength of health; able to recover quickly from bodily harm.

Uses: Resisting adverse environments. Defending against damage in an attack.

Robust: Resistant to physical harm and damage.

Uses: Defending against damage in an attack. Endurance related actions that could take place over a period of time.

Rugged: Hardy, rough and brutally healthy. Able to shrug off wounds and pain to continue struggling.

Uses: When resisting damage, any challenge that you enter while injured.

Stalwart: Physically strong and uncompromising against opposition.

Uses: Resisting damage, or when standing your ground against overwhelming odds or a superior foe.

Steady: More than simply physically dependable: controlled, unfaltering and balanced. You have firm mastery over your efforts.

Uses: Weapon attacks. Fighting in exotic locations. Piloting oil tankers.

Tenacious: Physically determined through force of will. You often prolong physical confrontations, even when it might not be wise to do so.

Uses: Second or subsequent Physical Challenge.

Tireless: You have a runner's stamina—you are less taxed by physical efforts than ordinary people.

Uses: Any endurance related challenge, second or subsequent Physical Challenge with the same foe or foes.

Tough: A harsh, aggressive attitude and a reluctance e ver to submit.

Uses: Whenever you're wounded or winded.

Vigorous: A combination of energy, power, intensity and resistance to harm.

Uses: Combat and athletic challenges when you're on the defensive.

Wiry: Tight, streamlined, muscular strength.

Uses: Punching, kicking or grappling in combat. Acrobatic movements. Endurance lifting.   

Social Traits

Alluring: An attractive and appealing presence that inspires desire in others.

Uses: Seduction. Convincing others.

Beguiling: The skill of deception and illusion. You can twist the perceptions of others and lead them to belie ve what suits you.

Uses: Tricking others. Lying under duress.

Charismatic: The talent of inspiration and motivation, the sign of a strong leader.

Uses: In a situation involving leadership or the achievement of leadership. Awe contests.

Charming: Your speech and actions make you appear attractive and appealing to others.

Uses: Convincing. Persuading. Entrancement Challenges.

Commanding: Impressive delivery of orders and suggestions. This implies skill in the control and direction of others.

Uses: When you are seen as a leader. Presence.

Compassionate: Deep feelings of care or pity for others.

Uses: Defending the weak or downtrodden. Defeating major obstacles while pursuing an altruistic end.

Dignified: Something about your posture and body carriage appears honorable and aesthetically pleasing. You carry yourself well.

Uses: Presence Challenges. Defending against Social Disciplines.

Diplomatic: Tactful, careful and thoughtful in speech and deed. Few are displeased with what you say or do.

Uses: Very important in intrigue. Leadership situations.

Elegant: Refined tastefulness. Even though you don't need money to be elegant, you exude an air of richness and high society.

Uses: High society. Might be important in some clans for advancement. Defending against Social Disciplines.

Eloquent: The ability to speak in an interesting and convincing manner.

Uses: Convincing others. Swaying emotions. Public speaking.

Empathetic: Able to identify and under stand the emotions and moods of people with whom you come in contact.

Uses: Gauging the feelings of others.

Expressive: Able to articulate thoughts in interesting, significant, meaningful ways.

Uses: Producing art, acting, per forming. Any social situation in which you want someone to understand your meaning.

Friendly: Able to fit in with everyone you meet. Even after a short conversation, most find it dif ficult to dislike you.

Uses: Entrancement Challenges. Convincing others.

Genial: Cordial, kindly, warm and pleasant. You are pleasing to be around.

Uses: Mingling at parties. Starting an Entrancement Challenge. Generally used in a second or later Social Challenge with someone.

Gorgeous: Beautiful or handsome. You were born with a face and body that is good looking to most people you meet.

Uses: Modeling, posing. Entrancement Challenges.

Ingratiating: Able to gain the favor of people who know you.

Uses: Dealing with elders in a social situation. Entrancement Challenges. Defending against Social Disciplines.

Intimidating: A frightening or awesome presence that causes others to feel timid. This Trait is particularly useful when attempting to cow opponents.

Uses: Inspiring common fear. Ordering others.

Magnetic: People feel drawn to you; those around you are interested in your speech and actions.

Uses: Presence Challenges. Seduction.

Persuasive: Able to propose believable, convincing and correct arguments and requests. Very useful when someone else is undecided on an issue.

Uses: Persuading or convincing others.

Seductive: Able to entice and tempt. You can use your good looks and your body to get what you want from o thers.

Uses: Subterfuge, Entrancement, Summoning and Seduction.

Witty: Cleverly humorous. Jokes and jests come easily to you, and you are perceived as a funny person when you want to be.

Uses: At parties. Entertaining someone. Goading or insulting someone.

Mental Traits

Alert: Mentally prepared for danger and able to react quickly when it occurs.

Uses: Preventing surprise attacks. Defending against Dominate Challenges.

Attentive: You pay attention to everyday occurrences around you. When something extraordinary happens, you are usually ready for it.

Uses: Preventing surprise attacks. Seeing through Obfuscate when you don't expect it. Preventing Dominate.

Calm: Able to withstand an extraordinary level of disturbance without becoming agitated or upset. A wellspring of self-control.

Uses: Resisting frenzy or commands that provoke violence. Whenever a mental attack might upset you. Primarily for defense.

Clever: Quick-witted resourcefulness. You think well on your feet.

Uses: Using a Mental Discipline against another.

Creative: Your ideas are original and imaginative. This implies an ability to produce unusual solutions to your difficulties. You can create artistic pieces. A requirement for any true artist.

Uses: Defending against aura readings. Creating anything.

Cunning: Crafty and sl y, possessing a great deal of ingenuity.

Uses: Tricking others. Command Challenges.

Dedicated: You give yourself over totally to your belief. When one of your causes is at stake, you stop at nothing to succeed.

Uses: Useful in any Mental Challenge when your beliefs are at stake. Defense against mental attack.

Determined: When it comes to mental endeavors, you are fully committed. Nothing can divert your intentions to succeed once you have made up your mind.

Uses: Facedowns. Useful in a normal Mental Challenge.

Discerning: Discriminating, able to pick out details, subtleties and idiosyncrasies. You have clarity of vision.

Uses: Sensory-related challenges.

Disciplined: Your mind is structured and controlled. This rigidity gives you an edge in battles of will.

Uses: Facedowns. Useful in a Mental Discipline contest.

Insightful: The power of looking at a situation and gaining an understanding of it.

Uses: Investigation (but not defense against it). Using Heightened Senses. Seeing through Obfuscate when you expect it.

Intuitive: Knowledge and understanding somehow come to you without conscious reasoning, as if by instinct.

Uses: Reading auras. Seeing through Obfuscate.

Knowledgeable: You know copious and detailed information about a wide variety of topics. This represents "book-learning."

Uses: Forgetful Mind contests. Remembering information your character might know.

Observant: Depth of vision, the power to look at something and notice the important aspects of it.

Uses: Heightened Senses. Picking up on subtitles that others might overlook.

Patient: Tolerant spersevenng and steadfast. You can wait out extended delays with composure.

Uses: Facedowns or other mental battles after another Trait has been bid.

Rational: You believe in logic, reason, sanity and sobriety. Your ability to reduce concepts to a mathematical level helps you analyze the world.

Uses: Defending against emotion oriented mental attacks. Defending against an aura reading. Not used as an initial bid.

Reflective: Meditative self-recollection and deep thought. The Trait of the serious thinker, Reflective enables you to consider all aspects of a conundrum.

Uses: Meditation. Remembering information. Defending against most Mental attacks.

Shrewd: Astute and artful, able to keep your wits about you and accomplish mental feats with efficiency and finesse.

Uses: Defending against a Mental Discipline.

Vigilant: Alertly watchful. You have the disposition of a guard dog; your attention misses little.

Uses: Defending against investigation, Forgetful Mind and Command. Seeing through Obfuscate. More appropriate for mental defense than for attack.

Wily: Sly and full of guile. Because you are wily, you can trick and deceive easily.

Uses: Tricking others. Lying under duress. Confusing mental situations.

Wise: An overall understanding of the workings of the world.

Uses: Giving advice. Dispensing snippets of Zen. Defending against Dominate Challenges.

3. Step Three: Abilities

Abilities are areas of expertise that your character is trained in.  They work with your Traits to help you perform tasks in the game.  Staring characters will select 3 Abilities from this list.

NOTE: Vampire Abilities are treated differently.  See section Seven below.

Animal Ken

The ability to train and work with animals.  

Brawl

The art of using the body as a weapon in unarmed combat.

Bureaucracy

Knowledge of manipulating and governing hierarchies and power structures.

Computer

Use, repair, and programming of computers and electronic devices.

Drive

Use of land, air, or sea vehicles.

Finance

Knowledge and manipulation of financial systems, banking systems, investment, etc.

Firearms

Knowledge and use of guns, rifles, and projectile weapons.

Investigation

Knowledge and use of investigative techniques, espionage, and forensics.

Law

Knowledge and manipulation of legal and judicial systems.

Leadership

Skill and knowledge in and of leadership techniqueues and strategies.

Linguistics

Knowledge and mastery of multiple languages and the study of languages.

Medicine

Knowledge and practice of human medicine and biology, first aid, surgery, etc.

Melee

The knowledge and use of all physically powered arms, armour, and weapons.

Occult

Knowledge of magic, folklore, and the supernatural.  

Performance

Knowledge and skill in one or more of the artistic or performing arts.

Repair

Knowledge of repair and maintenance of all machines.

Science

Knowledge and experiences of the sciences; biology, chemistry, physics, etc.

Scrounge

The knowledge and ability to come up with money, resources, and shelter in the city streets. 

Security

Knowledge and manipulation of locks, safes, and security systems.

Streetwise

Knowledge and ability to get by and thrive in the urban jungle. 

Subterfuge

The art of deceit, manipulation, conniving, and conning.

Survival

The art of finding food, shelter, and direction in the wilderness.

Character Creation So Far, an Example

Name: Amelia Greene

Archetype: Sorority Sister

Primary (Social): Alluring, Charming, Persuasive, Ingratiating, Gorgeous, Magnetic, Seductive 

Secondary (Physical): Athletic, Energetic, Graceful, Lithe, Quick 

Tertiary (Mental): Alert, Cunning, Intuitive

Abilities: Bureaucracy, Performance, Subterfuge

Amelia is a spoiled rich girl at a prominent East Coast Ivy League school.  She got in on charm and Daddy’s money.  She is a devious little snake who uses charm and great looks to manipulate the boys and claw her way to the top of the sorority scene.

4. Part Four: Playing the Game

Playing Progeny: SLARP is easy.  Most of the time it can be done without the presence of a Narrator, though sometimes a N3P (Neutral Third Party) can help make challenges run smoother.

“Rock-Scissor-Paper”

Rather than dice, the basic engine of the game is rock-scissors-paper.  Unfortunately, this is harder to do in Second Life than in the real world, because to work both sides have to throw down simultaneously.  Lag can sometimes make this a problem.  The best way around it I have found is to get a HUD like the totally free and transferable “Huddles” Rock-Scissors-Paper HUD

https://marketplace.secondlife.com/p/HUDDLES-Rock-Paper-Scissors/97333

This HUD allows you to target someone else near you wearing the HUD and play R-S-P with them.  Just push the button and your choices are revealed in Local chat at the same time.

Challenges

Whenever you try to do something import ant in the game, and it can’t be handled by role-play alone, it’s a Challenge.  There are five steps;

1. In the presence of another player, decide what Ability and what Trait are suitable for the Challenge.
2. If the action is not opposed by another character, engage in R-S-P with another player (this player is not actually challenging you, just providing the in-world “difficulty” and witnessing the result.
3. If you have the correct Ability, you win the Challenge with either a “win” or a “tie.”
4. If you don’t have the Ability, but you have the Trait, you need a “win” to defeat the Challenge.
5. If you win, you succeed in the Challenge.  If you lose, you cannot use that Trait again for the rest of the play session.  It is considered “defeated.” 

Example: Amelia wants to plant a bag of pot in the dorm room of a rival, and call the floor monitor to frame her for drug possession.  Amelia’s player finds another avatar to act as the N3P.  They decide Amelia must use her “Subterfuge” Ability and “Cunning” Trait.  They throw down.  Amelia throws a Rock, and so does the N3P.  A tie.  She succeeds though because she has the correct ability.  If she didn’t have “Subterfuge,” and used only the Trait, she would have lost on the tie.  In any case, if she had lost, she wouldn’t be able to use Cunning the rest of the evening.

Opposed Challenges

If two characters are actively engaged against each other, the rules are a little different.

1. The challenger declares which Ability and/or Trait she will use.  The defender selects an appropriate Ability and/or Trait.
2. Both sides throw down.  If one side has only an appropriate Trait, and not an Ability, that side loses on a “lose” or a “tie.”  If both sides have appropriate Abilities and Traits, a clear “win” is needed for victory.  NOTE: You automatically lose a Challenge if you don’t have an appropriate Trait.
3. The losing side is defeated, and suffers the logical consequences.  In addition, the Trait they bid cannot be used the rest of the night, UNLESS…
4. The defeated side may declare an “Overbid.”  This is a dangerous ploy where he or she bids one or more additional Traits.  The opposite side may refuse, and his win then becomes a “tie.”  Or he may agree, and match the wager or even counter with a higher bid.  This continues until one side backs down or both agree.  If one side backs down they lose only their initial bid.  If a second throw down occurs, this time the losing side loses all the Traits it bid. 

Example: Amelia is and her beau have run into the beautiful new History lecturer at a bar and he is all over her.  Amelia wants to show the woman who is boss and scare her off.  She uses her “Subterfuge” again and bids her “Gorgeous” Trait to keep her man’s attention on her.  Amused, the new professor counters with “Subterfuge” and bids “Alluring.”

They throw down, and Amelia wins with a Rock to the professor’s Scissors.  “Not so fast,” says the professor’ player.  She demands a re-throw, with Subterfuge and three additional Traits “Persuasive,” “Witty,” and “Seductive” (she can’t rebid “Alluring” because she lost the first round).  Amelia scoffs—no old hag is going to outbid her—and counters with  “Alluring,” “Charming,” “Persuasive,” “Gorgeous,” “Magnetic,” and “Seductive.”  Six Traits to the older bitch’s three.  Ha!  

Then smiling, the professor counters again with “Charming,” “Persuasive,” “Gorgeous,” “Magnetic,” “Seductive,” “Persuasive,” “Witty,” and “Elegant.”  There is no way Amelia can beat this.  She backs out and loses the Challenge, along with the initial Trait she bid (“Gorgeous”).  If she had been able to match the professor’s bid and lost, she would have lost all her traits.

The “Why” of Overbidding

Overbidding exists for two reasons.  One, it allows the character to initially conceal how many Traits he or she actually has.  Second, it makes older, experienced characters far more powerful than younger ones.  This is why Fledgling vampires, for example, are wise not to Challenge their Elders…

5. Part Five: Consequences

Congratulations, you have lost.  What happens now?

You are defeated and you lose the use of that(those) Trait(s) for the rest of the session.  If it was physical combat, you may be injured.  If it was social or mental, you may be humiliated or fatigued.

If your Traits are reduced to zero in a category, the winner gets to declare your fate.  For example, if your physical traits are zeroed after combat, the victor may decide to capture you, leave you unconscious, or even kill you (but for this a Narrator must first approve).

6. Improvement

When you create a human character, write the date on the character notecard.  Every fifty days of play you may add a new Trait or Ability.  Progeny vampires who enter play, get to start with additional Traits and Abilities right away.  Simply look at the character’s Age and give an additional Trait or Ability for every fifty days.

Example: Justinian is a thousand days old.  He gets 20 additional Traits and/or Abilities.  Don’t screw with Elders!

7. Vampire Abilities

Progeny characters start with 3 additional Abilities, chosen from the list below. These are the vampiric powers of myth and legend.  Option: Narrators may restrict the choices a character can make based on his Bloodline and/or Clan.  In addition, new Abilities may be added specific to a certain Clan.

Vampire Abilities work a little differently than other Abilities.  First, they can be resisted with only a Trait and NOT automatically win on a tie.  Second, each comes in five “levels,” and those levels count as “Traits” for Challenges and bidding purposes. 

Example:  Justinian attempts to use Dominate (One) against a younger Outcast vampire.  The younger vampire resists with his Trait “Disciplined.”  Justinian needs to throw a “win” to defeat the younger vampire.  If it is a “tie,” the power doesn’t work but Justinian doesn’t lose his level of Dominate.  If it is a “loss,” Justinian loses that level and can’t use Dominate again that session…

…but wait.  Let’s say the younger vamp loses and decides to overbid, wagering “Determined,” “Attentive” and “Alert” to resist.  Justinian then reveals he actually has four levels of Dominate and bids them.  This counts as a bid of four Traits.  The younger vampire is forced to back down.   Note that Justinian could also keep his strength to himself and bid Dominate (One) plus three other Traits (like “Persuasive,” “Magnetic,” and “Intimidating”) instead.

Starting characters may take level one in three Abilities, two levels in one and one level in another, or all three levels in one Ability. 

Animalism: The power to summon, communicate with, and control animals and beasts.

Auspex: Heightened senses, the ability to see the unseen and communicate telepathically.

Celerity: The ability to move with blinding speed and grace.

Dominate: The ability to command and control the minds of others.

Fortitude: Superhuman strength and endurance.

Obfuscate: The ability to move unrecognized, unseen, and unnoticed.

Potence: Superhuman strength and physical power.

Presence: The ability to enchant, enthral, and enrapture others.

Protean: The ability to shape shift, growing animals features, changing into an animal or mist, or meld with the earth.

Thaumaturgy: Blood magic, the ability to cast sorcerous rituals and spells.  

PROGENY: BEHIND THE SCENES

When I started this project, I never expected the Progeny story to run twenty chapters (nearly half a novel) or to get the feedback that it has.  It was, for me, just an experiment.  I love writing fiction.  I love roleplaying.  I wanted to see what would happen if I tried to combine the two.

From the start it proved trickier than I had expected.  Lachiel Vaher's Progeny is a game system, not a story, and I have had to take several liberties to translate it into an ongoing saga.  In the virtual world of Second Life, the Progeny "HUD" (head-up display) attaches to your avatar and makes you a vampire.  It gives you a "blood pool" and certain other stats, and like any good vampire requires you to prey upon the living as your blood slowly depletes.  But this is all it does, by design.  It doesn't grant any of the mythological powers of the Undead, it doesn't make you vulnerable to sunlight.  Unless the resident has put up ban lines around their property you can still get in without an invitation.  For a writer telling a story, this meant I had to embellish and, in fact, interpret.  Because there are certain things about Second Life that don't work in the real world.

For example, the Grid has its own islands, landmasses, and continents.  To translate it, I needed to think about real world locations to move the episodes to.  Another oddity is that avatars can speak either in private or local chat.  Obviously, in local chat everyone can hear, but you can be in the presence of two people deeply engaged in conversation but not know what they are saying.  Hence I needed to come up with my weird, ultra-sonic vampire speech.

Other liberties were also taken.  Every character appearing in the blog (with one notable exception) is a real Second Life resident.  Athena, Kit, Stefan, Lee, Alexa, Decem...these are all real people.  Obviously their names have been changed, but the real liberties I took were in sometimes putting words in their mouths (or taking words out!) to improve the story flow.  I appreciate the patience of all involved.

As a writer, I was able to do things in Progeny that I wouldn't normally allow myself.  As I mentioned in my review of Enter, Night (and as an aside am very pleased the author enjoyed it), I stay away from traditional vampires in my fiction because they have been, ahem, done to undeath.  Progeny gave me a chance to write about these archetypical bloodsuckers in a way I wouldn't in other stories (though I have come close...see "Unquiet Slumbers" on this blog).  For that I am grateful.

In addition, Progeny allowed me to play around a bit more with LGBT characters.  Though I have had gay and lesbian characters appear in other stories, I don't consider myself a writer of "LGBT fiction," and most of my characters are straight because statistically most people are straight.  But there is a strong tradition of the homoerotic in vampire fiction, from Sheridan Le Fanu's magnificent Carmilla (1871) through subtext in Stoker's Dracula (Harker's horror when the Count "rescues" him from the vampire ladies declaring "This man belongs to me") right into Anne Rice.  I have tried to stay true to the sexualities expressed by the real avatars involved.

Last but not least, Progeny is a lot more stream of consciousness than my usual finished work.  My rule in writing it was "no rewrites."  I wrote each chapter and posted at a whirlwind pace.

This story, now, is over.  Progeny always in my mind was a way to get Damien from A to B; in other Second Life role-plays, I usually play a "Harrow" type character, whether as my cruel and exiled Dark Elf in Taure Ru  or my obsessed and sinister rebel Time Lord in New Gallifrey.  Entering Progeny was a challenge because I had to start as a new and fledgling vampire (even though I own quite a bit of land and have all these ridiculous castles and palaces I live in).  What I decided to do then was take my fledgling and slowly make him into something else.  Now that he is there, it is time for a new chapter.

Here's the good part.

I have been kindly invited by Lachiel in helping his team put together new LARP style storylines for Progeny.  What this means, I think, is that Damien's adventures will continue here, but they will be less one author spinning a tale and more several collaborative players doing so.  

And so, gentle reader, au revoir for now.  Sleep tight, don't let the vampires bite, and see you very soon.  

      

 

  

PROGENY, PART TWENTY

KATSUYAMA

Draegonne looked past me, walking slowly towards his boy Friday.  He reached his hand up, fingers on the kid's cheek.  "It's me, Stefan.  You have nothing to fear."

The boy's eyes welled with tears, and he lowered the Molotov.    Draegonne opened his arms and the kid embraced him, weeping.  Closing his arms around the boy, Draegonne looked over at me.  "You came all this way to save me."

I narrowed my eyes.  The spectre I had seen hovering behind him was gone, but I still felt it, coiled invisibly around Damien.  "Too bad I was too late."

Draegonne closed his eyes and kissed the boy on his forehead before releasing him.  His eyes went to the cowering girl.  She was backed into the corner, eyes wide and empty.  Her mouth worked but no sounds came out, her entire body shivering.  Damien waved his hand at the Shades in the kitchen, and they faded like smoke.  He smiled at the girl.  "Lee Harper," he said, his voice low and soothing.  "Sleep and forget."

The girl's eyes rolled back into her skull, eyelids fluttering and closing.  She slid down the wall to the floor, suddenly in a deep slumber.  Terrific.  He's commanding ghosts now and his hypnosis is on fucking steroids.

"It's not what you think, Kit."  He still had his back to me, looking down on the girl.  

"It isn't?  I was there at the Night Palace.  You haven't been the same since."

He turned and put his arm around the boy, stroking his hair.  "I would think you of all people would understand what has happened to me, Bastet."

With that last word, he looked straight at me.  I felt my mouth go dry.  "How long have you known?"

"Since I first met you, and tasted your blood."  He replied.  "Though at the time I didn't have access to the knowledge I have now.  I knew you were not entirely human, but only now is your nature clear to me."

I bristled.  "Oh yeah?  And where does this 'knowledge' suddenly come..."  The words died on my lips.

I felt him, his mind sliding smoothly into my own, sifting through my memories.  It was like getting fucked, and not in a good way.  I opened my mouth to protest, but Draegonne found what he was looking for, activating the memory.  It exploded in my brain in full colour and stereo surround sound.  I saw the nursery, the half-Asian infant sleeping in his crib.  It was a hot summer night, and I could feel the heat on my skin...the baby's skin.  My mother had left the window open, to let in the night air.  That was all the invitation it needed.

The cat was little more than a black shadow on the windowsill, except for the glow in its green eyes.  It slid easily through the opening, landing softly on the floor.  It purred soothingly as it padded across the carpet.  With a single, graceful leap it landed inside the crib, inches from the baby.  Ears pressed back against its skull, tail lashing behind it, it placed its paws on the baby's chest, and brought its snout right to the infant's lips.  Its tongue darted out, licking the baby's face.  The child stirred and opened its mouth.

And the cat...it began to dissolve, fading into a swirling black smoke.  As I watched the vapour formed a funnel, and the child sucked it all into its lungs.  The small body shuddered, tiny limbs thrashing.  Then seconds later it fell still, calmly opening its eyes...

I shook my head to clear it, gritting my teeth.  I glared at Damien.  "You ever fuck around in my head again and I will end you, you son of a bitch."

He nodded.  "Fair enough, Kit.  Fair enough."  Damien let go of his Familiar and stepped towards me.  "But I am going to need you with me Kit.  You, with your fused souls, understand better than anyone in the world what has happened to me.  I need you to guide me through this."

I narrowed my eyes, trembling slightly, and mostly because I was pissed off.  The rest was fear.  "How much of you is him?"  When I asked the question, I wasn't sure if I was addressing the Harrow part or the Draegonne part.

"I don't know for certain, and that's partially why I need you. I need you to make sure Harrow doesn't overshadow Damien."

I looked over at Stefan.  No good deed goes unpunished.  I stuck my nose in to help out the kid, and now I was a hostage to whatever chess match the vampires were playing.  This is not the way I rolled.  But I thought of the Nikolea in Geneva, and the red-haired twink I got killed.  I was in this game for real.

"What's the plan?"

Draegonne smiled slightly, and I couldn't make out if he was relieved or just gloating that I was bending to his will.  "Thank you, Kit."  He paused a moment, glancing around the hall.  "We return to Europe now."

I nodded.  "The Night Palace, I suppose?"

He shook his head.  "No, bitch."

Three emotions went through my head at light-speed; surprised, offended, and fucking ticked off.  "Fine, bastard."

Damiend stared at me, and then suddenly let out a laugh.  "No, Kit, no."  He grinned at me.  "Bitche.  A small town in the Lorraine region of France.  Le Pays de Bitche in French or Bitscherland in German.  It's just across the border, less than one hundred kilometres from the Night Palace."

"Why?  What's there?"

"Home," he replied softly, and there was a wistful nostalgia in his voice that I was pretty sure came from Harrow.  "Château Harrotte.  The Night Palace was the home of the House Draegonne.  The chateau is where I...where Harrow resided the last three centuries he was in Europe.  It belonged originally to his Sire."

I scowled a bit at this new twist.  "Why there?"

"Pragmatism.  The Night Palace is still in Dragon territory.  But as per the terms of a truce between the Order of the Dragon and the French Carolingian bloodline, the Lorraine is a sort of demilitarised zone.  It's less likely they will launch an assault against me there, attacking not only a Raven but also breaking their Carolingian truce.  It will be safer until we consolidate our position."

So okay now...everything he says is 'we.'  Is he speaking for Harrow and himself, or like, 'we' as in 'you, Stefan, and me?'

Draegonne smiled slowly.  "Besides, Harrow has hidden something there.  Something we need to reclaim."

"And something tells me you aren't inclined to share what that is."

He put both his hands on my shoulders.  "Patience, Kit Kat.  Put your faith in me.  Trust me.  The game is about to change."

PROGENY, PART NINETEEN

KATSUYAMA

It was time to go in after them.

The kid--Stefan, his name was--scrabbled over the wall first and then helped the girl over it.  From my vantage point I was high enough to see over it, and a minute later watched the two of them make a beeline for the front entrance.  I cursed under my breath.  They couldn't seriously be that stupid, could they?  But then he kind of redeemed himself in my eyes, changing his mind at the base of the steps and signalling for her to follow him around the side of the house.  Maybe he was thinking they could find a window, or a back door.  Either way they disappeared from sight, and scowling, I went after them.

I raced down the wooded hill towards the edge of the road, looking both ways as I emerged from the tree line.  Between the road and the wall was a narrow ditch, no more than a meter wide, and the wall itself was less than three meters tall.  I didn't think it would present much of a problem.  Taking a running start I leapt, springing from the yellow line in the middle of the road and landing on the top of the wall, crouching there.

Yeah, I know.  I've got some mad skills you haven't seen yet.

I scanned the yard and then slipped down into it without a sound, heading after them.  Whoever was doing Harrow's landscaping, I decided, needed to be fired in a big way.  The front yard was a high tangle of dead, yellowed grass and black briars, and the few trees scattered around hadn't put forth any leaves in a decade.  The soil itself was a wet, sucking mud that stank...well, I preferred not to think about what it stank like.  Let's just say I had some vivid ideas about what was buried beneath my feet.

The worst thing though, was the whispering.

I am not quite as tuned into the world of the Dead as the vamps are, but I know a Shade when I feel one.  The air around me hummed with them, a tangle of weeping and screams and pleas.  It's an unmistakable sound, really, something that hovers right on the lowest edge of your hearing range, making the hairs on your arms and the back of your neck prick straight up.  The last time I heard it this bad was Chelmno (fun fact; the Third Reich had been crawling with vampires).  Harrow had to be a motherfucking butcher.

I glanced uneasily around me, and up at the black windows of the house.  I had a clear image in my head of a ring of shuffling ghosts around me, inches away but invisible to my eyes.  It was almost enough to make my balls of steel crawl right back up into my body.  Swallowing, I forced myself to move on ahead.

I really didn't want to be there.  Harrow scared the shit out of me.

See, here's the thing about vamps; the young ones?  Not so bad really.  I mean most of them are basically idiots.  You can spot them coming a mile away.  Give "Eugene Blatz" or "Mary Sue Smitty" a pair of fangs and suddenly they are calling themselves "Lord Venger Nocturnus" and "Countess Carmilla deVille" or some bullshit like that.  They strut around in black leather pouting in goth clubs, looking around for Blood Dolls to bite.  Because they haven't let go of their humanity yet they call their Clans "their Family," refer to their Sires as "Mummy" or "Daddy," and their fellow Get as "brother" and "sister."  It's some pretty sad Emo shit, really.  If they weren't out to drink your blood you could feel sorry for them.  

But the Old Ones?  They are a whole other fucking story.

These guys are the real deal.  They're not going to walk up and ask to bite you, they're just going to take what they want and most of the time you will never know what hit you.  If they leave you alive.  The Old Ones don't walk around trying to look like vampires--they're not seeking attention.  They are well-groomed predators who slide smooth as silk through crowds of their prey, charming and deadly.  Or, on the other side of the spectrum, there are the ones that just completely slide into madness and monstrosity.  They don't bother seducing, they just come out of nowhere and leave drained husks behind.  

And looking around this place, I was pretty sure which category Harrow fit in to.  Come nightfall I didn't want to be within twenty kilometres of that hell hole.

So I ignored the army of ghosts whispering in my ear, pretended I couldn't feel the thin, wispy chill of them reaching out for my skin, and concentrated on catching up with the kid.

It was easier than I thought.

The place had a back porch of sorts, and I say "of sorts" because the wood was mostly rotted away.  The kid was on his knees at the back door, and to my surprise he had lock picking tools and was working on getting in.  I guess he had some mad skills I hadn't seen yet.

The girl had her back to me, but the kid spotted me right away.  And you know, the kid didn't even stop what he was doing.  His eyes widened a fraction in involuntary surprise, but a split second later he was back at his task, concentrating.  There was no "Kit! What are you doing here" or "Thank God, Kit!  You came all the way from fucking Europe to save our sorry asses!"  Nothing.  Instead, he waited for the lock to click, before nodding in my direction.

"Kit."

The girl, on the other hand, whirled around and nearly screamed.  I started to spring forward but the kid beat me to it.  In a blink he had his hand covering her mouth, lips pressed to her ear.  "It's alright.  He's on our side."

She nodded, seeming to relax.  "Kit Katsuyama," he said.  "Lee Harper."

I raised an eyebrow.  "Like the To Kill a Mockingbird chick in reverse."

The girl flushed and nodded.  "Yeah.  Dad was a fan."

My eyes went to Stefan's face.  "You don't seem surprised to see me."

He shrugged.  "My Master is easy to love."

My mouth opened, and I was about to say something exceptionally witty and deeply scathing...but I thought better of it.  We were still in Harrow's backyard.  Banter could wait.

Instead, I narrowed my eyes.  "Please tell me you've got some sort of plan."

The kid grew stiff, glaring defiantly at me.  "He has taken my Master.  I am going to kill Harrow and get him back."

I sighed.  "Wow.  What a relief.  For a minute there I was afraid you were going off half-cocked or something."

The kid frowned at my sarcasm, and opened the tote bag he had slung over his shoulder.  He had whipped up some Molotov cocktails.  "We will go in there, find my Master, and get him out while Harrow sleeps.  Then I will burn the house down around the monster."

I frowned.  "What if he wakes up?"

The kid shook his head.  "He will not.  My Master's generation is much higher than Harrow's.  His blood is stronger.  He can resist the Daysleep better."

"How do you know?"

"My Mistress told me."

"Your what?"  I was genuinely puzzled at this.  Unless Damien had done an amazing job of fooling me, I was pretty damn sure he had the wrong equipment for the title of "Mistress."

"We do not have time for this, Katsuyama.  Either help us or stay out of my way."

This last bit got my temper up.  The fucking kid had no idea what he was doing, and he was going to get himself killed.  Seriously, who did he think he was?  

But then I saw his eyes.

The kid was fighting back tears, as terrified as he had ever been...but not for himself.  For Damien.  He knew it was a suicide mission, but he didn't care.  He was going to get his Master out no matter what the cost was.  I had joked about him being a puppy before, but realised now I was wrong.  He was a guard dog, and something about his determination made me bite my tongue.  "Ok boss," I nodded.  "I've got your back."

The relief behind his eyes was gratitude enough.

I took up the rear--hey, I heard that, mind out of the gutter!--and followed the pair in.  I still didn't know the girl's story, and from the way she was shaking like a leaf it was clear she had never done anything like this before.  Where did the kid find her?  But the backstory had to wait.  We we inside.

I thought Lee Harper was going to scream again.

We were in the kitchen...or what passed for it.  There was an old Victorian ice box in the corner, and a wood-burning cook stove.  It stank, really stank...reeking of filth and rot and roadkill.  Even I gagged a little.  There were rat droppings everywhere, and the black and white tile floor was smeared and spattered with brown streaks and spots.  It was obviously dried blood...we could still see bloody handprints, even a face print from someone whose throat must have been torn open while Harrow held him (her?) pinned to the floor.  The girl's eyes bulged.  She was close to freaking.

"I don't know," I said, my voice shaky.  I swallowed and continued, stronger.  "With a coat of paint and some floor polish, Damien could turn this place into a charming bed and breakfast."

The girl stared at me, baffled, but the kid knew right away what I was trying to do.  To my surprise, he nodded at the ancient kitchen appliances.  "Yes.  My Master will make a fortune.  Pretentious Americans love antiques."

We moved on.

The dining room was, well, let's just say Harrow hadn't entertained in a long while.  We moved through it quickly, opening a pair of double doors into a dark hall.  A staircase swept upwards, and another door, leading towards the cellar, plunged down.

The dining room at Harrow House

I looked at the kid.  "Which way?  It looked to me like this place had three stories, plus an attic.  Are you thinking up or down?"

Stefan looked back at me, frowning.  "Umm...down, I think.  This is a a wooden house.  If there was a fire, Harrow would not want to be sleeping on top of the blaze.  That is a mistake only the young ones would make."

I nodded.  It made perfect sense to me.  Of course, that meant going into the cellar.  The idea didn't thrill me.

The kid went first.  He was prepared, pulling a flashlight out of the bag.  The girl stopped in he doorway, shaking her head.  "No.  No, I can't do this."

The boy looked at her, hard.  "We agreed, Lee Harper.  We made a deal.  You assist me and I will make sure my Master knows you helped him.  He will be grateful.  But if you don't..."

I watched him, guessing a little bit of what had gone before.  You manipulative little bastard.  I kind of liked him.

She swallowed, nodding.  "I know, I know...but I just can't..."

The boy nodded, and then quick as a flash had a knife pressed against her throat.  "I should kill you right now, Lee Harper, to ensure you do not run off and tell others about my Master..."

Okay kid, that's a little too far.  I started to move towards him, but stopped when he spoke again.

"...but you have aided us, so I will release you."

Lee swallowed, shaking badly.

"But you will give your car keys to me.  I have need of your vehicle."

Mental note; teach the kid to stop talking like a bad movie villain.

She agreed, turning over her keys before giving me a wild-eyed look and racing for the back door.  The kid slid them into his pocket and nodded at me.  "We should hurry.  There are only a few hours of daylight left."

"I couldn't agree mo..."

The scream sounded impossibly loud in the narrow hall, like a steam train blasting its whistle in a tunnel.  My hands actually went to cover my ears.  The kid looked at me, then turned away from the basement in the direction the girl went.  he was chasing after the scream.  Everything was happening so fast.  I started to go after him, but standing there at the top of the cellar stairs my psychic whiskers twinged.  I froze, staring down into the inky blackness, until I was was positive my nerves were not playing tricks on me.

Something was coming up the stairs.

"Kit!"  The kid shouted.  "Kit!"

Fuck, I thought blackly, slamming the cellar door closed and turning towards the hall.  This pretty much smells like a trap.

The girl was in the kitchen doorway, and the kid was right behind her.  I came up behind them.  It's not often that I have the height advantage, but in this case I was tall enough to see over both their heads.

Kind of wish that wasn't the case.

The way out was blocked.  Between us and the door was a line of extras from The Walking Dead.  I knew what they were right away, even though, like I said, I never actually saw them before.  They were Shades, the restless dead greedy vamps leave behind.  But this...this was different.  They were aware of us.  They saw us.  Somehow, Harrow was controlling them.

"Have you ever seen one that could do this before?"  I hissed in the Kid's ear.  Eyes wide, he shook his head.

There were three of them...what looked to me like a father in a plaid sports coat and matching trousers, all very 70s.  His wife stood beside him, and a young son.  They were all bled white, their eyes like black glass marbles, lips twitching over badly stained teeth.  I had a flash in my mind of a Pinto station wagon driving by this place sometime around forty years ago.  Poor bastard probably took a wrong turn.  Harrow fell on the car out of the sky, draining the father instantly before dragging the screaming mother and son off to his larder.

How sweet that they were all together now.

To our left something moved.  There on the floor, where just the hand and face prints had been before, was a young man, peeling himself up.  His head was on backwards, twisted all around.  

The girl screamed again, but the kid had the presence of mind to rummage through his bag.  He tugged out one of his Molotovs and a lighter, raising his voice.  "Harrow!  Call them off!  Call them off or I burn this place down!  There are still hours left before the sun goes!"   

He flicked the lighter and held the flame inches from the makeshift fuse.  The Dead, meanwhile, just kept coming.

"I will do it Harrow!  I will do it!"

"I know you will, Stefan..."

This time, I was the one who shrieked.  I kind of hate admitting that.  I whirled around and jumped back against the wall.  The cellar door was open, and the figure I had seen climbing the steps was there in the shadows of the hall.  He looked past me at Stefan, smiling.

"...but I would appreciate it if you didn't.  You have nothing to fear."

The boy let out a strangled gasp, bursting into tears of joy.  "Master!  Master!"

Damien Draegonne stood in the cellar doorway, a faint smile on his pale face.  At the sight of him, Stefan started to lower the cocktail.   But I threw up my hand, warning him.  "No!  Wait, Stefan. Don't."

Stefan stared at me.

But my eyes were on Damien...sort of.  See, I was also looking behind him.  There was a shadow there, a tall, spindly thing, barely visible, with clawed hands and a face like a skull.  I didn't normally see Shades, not really...but I have been to the Lands of the Dead before.  I picked up a few tricks in my travels there.  I wasn't sure what I was seeing, but my instincts told me it was Harrow.  He seemed bound to Damien somehow...they seemed horribly connected.

"Don't put that down Stefan.  I'm not sure it's really him."    

PROGENY, PART EIGHTEEN

KATSUYAMA

I'll say this much for Damien's pet twink; the kid's got balls.

I watched the car pull up and park right beside the front gate of Harrow House from my position about a hundred meters away.  I was pretty well concealed by the trees.  The old Victorian dump was surrounded by wooded hillsides, and I had been careful to hide my rented motorcycle beside the road a ways back, sticking to the woods as I approached the place on foot.  I had a pair of binoculars, and had been slowly circling the house, watching it for signs of life and looking for ways in.  After about two hours of careful reconnaissance I had a few ideas, and was in the middle of deciding which one to go with when I heard the car engine.  It was daylight, so if these were Harrow's minions it meant they weren't vamps.  I risked creeping closer to get a good look at them.

The girl I didn't know; she was cute in a slightly emo slightly androgynous kind of way.  The boy she was with I knew immediately.  Three things flashed through my head.  One; if the kid was here that meant Damien was here, and honestly I had kind of been hoping he wasn't.  If he was, that meant he was probably Harrow's prisoner, or worse.  Two; the kid had cojones but wasn't big with the brains.  Just moments after the car was parked he was out and scurrying over the wall.  I frowned at this.  The kid was probably just planning on storming the front door of the Ancient-Scary-Fucking-Vampire's Stronghold.  Not smart.  And Third; I wondered which one of them I was going to end up shagging before this was over...the kid or the girl.  I took a second look at them through the binoculars.  Maybe the correct answer was "both."

I just had to make sure they didn't get themselves killed first.

Them being here complicated things.  I was best on my own, and there were things about myself I wanted to keep hidden.  I had mentally prepared myself for Damien to discover them--hell, he was halfway there already after sampling my blood--but exposing myself in front of his pet and a stranger hadn't been part of the plan.  I shrugged it off.  Sun Tzu pointed out it was better to rely on contingencies than plans, and I was already pretty good at making things up as I went along.

I'd just have to play this by ear.


DAMIEN

Harrow said nothing for several moments, his unblinking eyes silvery in the dark.  I realised he was waiting for me to speak.  The problem was, I had no idea what to say.

I knew we were playing a game of chess, he and I.  Harrow had just blindsided me with an unexpected move and I was off guard.  I needed time to figure out a response, and the clock was ticking.  Stepping away from the wall, I circled the laboratory, keeping my distance from him, my eyes roaming the shelves of rotting, leather-bound books and tables of twisted glass vessels and tubes.  The word "alembic" popped in my head, and the oven in the corner looked like an "athanor."  But really, all I knew about alchemy came from what I had read in Jung.  The actual function of all this equipment was beyond me.  

Then, my eyes caught large sheets of yellowed paper nailed to the walls.  In thin, spidery handwriting, hundreds of names were scrawled, connected by lines.  It looked like some sort of web.  Stopping to stare, I realised what I was looking at.  My own name was down near the bottom.  So was my mother's, my aunt's, and my cousin's.

"You've been breeding us," I whispered.

Yes. 

If I was reading this right, and I was certain that I was, then my father and mother were actually second cousins...something I had never known.  As my eyes ran over the other names, it became clear that half the town was interrelated, all bred from the branch of the family Harrow managed to save in the 18th century.  Those yearly scholarships he had handed out, such as the one I won?  All of the winners were in fact part of his family, year after year.    The Old Man was more than the town's Patron...he was it's Patriarch.  He'd been arranging marriages, giving donations, managing charities for two hundred years.

I had to keep the Family alive, Damien Draegonne.  I had to prepare for the day when one of them would become Progeny again, and the House Draegonne would rise once more.

I turned back towards him, slowly.  "Why is this so important to you?"

The thing across the room chortled again, a sound like a prolonged death rattle.  You cannot bring yourself to believe a creature such as myself has paternal instincts, can you.

"I am having a pretty hard time with that, yes."

Then, if it is easier, tell yourself it is all because I refuse to be beaten.  He stood taller, and I saw a glimpse in his bearing of the nobleman he had been so long ago.  The Dragons butchered my Get and massacred my living Family.  They drove me into Exile and deprived me of the ability to create more of my kind.  They thought they had exterminated the House of Draegonne forever.  But I....HAVE....WON!!!

The last three words exploded so loudly that the stone walls of the catacombs trembled, and dust fell from the ceilings.  I stood frozen, seeing for the first time a flicker of humanity in his face.  Pride.  Vengeance.  Ambition.  Jubilance.  He had been carefully planning his moves and stratagems for centuries, and now it was all so close to paying off.  

There will be a new House Draegonne, a House beneath the protective aegis of the Ravens, a House my enemies cannot ever touch.  A House I will make so strong they will NEVER tear down its walls again.

"Unless I refuse," I said softly.

He froze, staring at me, and I felt a strong stab of fear again.  He took a few gliding steps towards me, his long fingers clenching and unclenching.  Why would you deny your own blood?

So this was it.  The Endgame.  I forced myself to hold my ground.  "Because this is all about your ambitions, your revenge, your victory.  I didn't ask to be fed your Blood, Harrow.  I didn't ask to be bred like some racehorse.  And the Blood in my veins is now Athena's, not yours.  I gave my allegiance to her."

I didn't know what to expect, whether he would fall on me and rip me to shreds, wall me up alive, or just add me to his collection of staked vampires.  I will not lie and say I didn't care, but there is a certain kind of resigned clarity that comes with knowing you are so overmatched you don't stand a chance of fighting back.  The last move was his.

And slowly, a smile twisted his lips.  That is why you will accept my offer, Damien Draegonne.  In the end, you will do it for yourself and for her.