Hey folks,
I'm in a poetry class and we're writing a series with common theme as final project for a small chapbook. This has helped me flesh out my game and so if you have anything written. Post here for kicks. Seems like a fun idea to barf forth.

Cheers,
Ampersand


The Golden Age of men had already ended. This is my world
where bullets fly, things break, bodies litter the ground that
undomesticated dogs have reclaimed in the name of nothing.

My best friend is a crowbar painted yellow. It busts open
doors, heads, windows, ribs, and locks with no distinction.
It helps me conduct my business (breaking knees) and leads
a symphony of thuds, yelps and crinkling bones. The sounds
 of rusted hinges surrendering  is a prelude to my favorite part.

I’ll never get tired of listening to broken glass.  It sounds sweet
as it falls, clattering like silver jingle and snow onto the streets.

My name is Atlas and I enforce the laws of Old Man Rickets.
I live in the Castle Hotel. Broken glass sounds pretty. It’s fun,
bubble wrap fun. My best friend is a crowbar painted yellow.

lovely

I think this is an amazing concept. But eh whole I'm part ghost screams to me for a beginning of session roll like a hocus or operator. Off the top of my head: One Foot in this World Roll +Hard at the beginning of each session. 10+ through sheer force of will you anchor yourself securely to this plane. 7-9 Your connection to here is somewhat shaky but choose 1 of the below.

• Your form is unstable take plus one to harm rolls
• You have to concentrate to maintain your self. When entering battle roll +cool. If you fail take -1 ongoing throughout the fight.
• The maelstrom perception is different than here... and its hard to think clearly sometimes. Take -1 ongoing to sharp based rolls.
  

6 or lower: Your existence is fragile indeed and your mostly in the maelstrom than here. Take two of the above.

Just a thought because Hard is imposing your will, so why not your very selfhood if you flicker in and out of reality?

My group loves taking NPCs and making second characters if they retire or something. The MC usually makes them choose sides and that in itself can used as a threat. I haven't tried it because I like to see how long one character can live and eventually change playbooks over and over again.

I like this idea a lot. I had a similar idea of a savvyhead who made mutant creatures using workshop and the improvement you get a gang for security.

Creatures of Habit

Heron and Ivan are attempting to find gainful employment at the 36 Chambers. The skinner showed off his swordsmanship since Ivan had been banned from the sparring area. In fact the only reason he was allowed back in was because  he had to leave his beloved chainsaw in a locker at the door. Heron's talents catch the eye of Thermite, the leader of the Yamaguchi family, one of the main gangs of New Edo. He tries to discretely attract Heron's attention when they go downstairs, but accidentally gains Ivan's attention, who awkwardly follows him until Atticus tells him off. He negotiates a bodyguard gig with Heron and Ivan, and arranges a meet for the next day.

The two malcontents decide to celebrate in the best way they know how. Heron nearly drinks himself under the table and opens his brain in search of "10" woman, he learns where to find her and that her husband is drinking right next to him. Atticus is bribed by the skinner to keep the husband busy at the lounge and heavily liquored. Ivan wants to tag along with his buddy, but is promised "another time".

Heron meanders off drunkenly and finds the lady, Ayanami. He convinces her he's lost and in no state to go home and coaxes her to invite him to stay the night. Ayanami lives a secluded life never leaving home and having nearly no human contact besides her husband.  Heron plays on her curiosity of the "outside world" and learns that she is in a loveless marriage and very traditional in her demeanor and approach to life.

Ivan opens his mind in search of prey that "no one would notice" so that he can sleep better. He follows a hallucinatory trail of blood and guts to a shack in the middle of a landfill. He smashes his way through piles of junk and the shack walls to catch a drunken hobo with his pants down. Ivan then purees said hobo and decides that this would be good a place as any to crash. Apparently he had accidentally set fire to Heron's old apartment.

Heron's natural charm and friendly drunken wit eventually lowers Ayanami's defenses. He's been alone long enough that he hypnotizes Ayanami and he shows off some of his sword katas and leaves her smitten. (His player doesn't know that she has a slightly obsessive personality and that he is her first love. He didn't ask.) He's so caught up in her beauty that he doesn't notice anyone at the window. Heron suggests she grab a blanket and that they continue "getting to know each other" outside under the stars.

Atticus had an easy time of keeping the husband busy although the mans surprising tolerance cost him some extra jingle to keep him soused. A man in a suit barges in and states "Shen, are you having a guest over?", Shen replies with a  maybe. Atticus tries to distract the two men and smooth things over but fails. The friend hurriedly drags Shen out of the bar. Atticus rolls manipulate using the unpaid bar tab as leverage, mixed success. He is offered much barter in exchange for calling it good. "Keep the change" says the man, Atticus simply grins and calls out after them "Come again soon!".

Heron hears a drunken "Honey, I'm home!" and hastily throws his suit jacket over his recently ripped shirt and tucks in the tails. They come in  and the sober one points his gun "We are going to get to the bottom of this. Who are you?" to which Heron starts lying through his teeth. He's halfway through a spiel about being a "traveling salesman of protection- yes protection because its a harsh world we live in and we all need protection. And this lady seemed like she needed my services because she is all alone, vulnerable..." Ayanami walks in wearing nothing but the blanket she went off to get. "...and naked... (Roll Cool: Success) See, she's completely defenseless! I had to do something to help!" (Manipulate: Partial Hit).  They ask for confirmation and the honor bound wife states that she cannot lie and that she is in love with Heron and embraces him. That doesn't go over well and Heron seizes by force their guns with his katana quick draw. He manages to disarm one but ends up bending the barrel of the other causing it go off in the sober man's hand.

Ivan woke up to pee and hears a gunshot off in the distance. (Open Mind: Success) and knows just where he wants to go. He bursts through wall and revs his chainsaw excitedly. This is too much for the delicate Ayanami and she runs out of the room. Heron tries to run after her while Shen and  Friend are distracted by "Scary-As-Fuck" Ivan. (Act Under Fire: Partial Success) He gets halfway to her but fat ass Shen has wrapped himself around Heron's leg. Shen gets bashed in the head with the pommel but doggedly hangs on. Heron tries to get an angle and talk his way out of this. He plays on Shen's honor and gnawing worry about their loveless marriage saying he's trying to help them both and that it is for the best they settle it like civilized men. It succeeds but Ayanami (spends one hold to fight on Heron behalf) stabs Shen in the face with a kitchen knife. Ivan turns the sober man's stomach into something that looks like the wastebasket in a sausage factory. He immediately notices Shen bleeding and lunges at him sweeps his chainsaw down in a rush to get him off of Heron. Heron (Acting under Fire: Success) and manages to yank his leg away before Ivan takes it off along with Shen's head.

Ivan cleans up his "toys" and disposes of the corpses while Heron starts to romance Ayanami. Ivan walks in half way through and wants to join. This leads to the two going Go Aggro, Act Underfire, Manipulate where Heron ends up fast talking Ivan with "logic" and something called the "Bro Code".y Great dialogue. "Friends don't always let friends do what they want willy-nilly, Ivan.", "You were getting willy-nilly with lady.", "You leave my willy out of this!". Ivan leaves after extracting the promise that Heron will be his wing man later. The mood is killed deader than Shen and Ayanami goes to sleep leaving Heron a very frustrated skinner.

I'm a late adopter since I moved away from my old MC. So I have the Touchstone and I'm willing to trade with anyone who can help me attain The other books. In particular Maestro'D, Quarantine and Hoarder.

Please E-mail me if you're interested.