Super_Dave
2011-04-19, 04:45 PM
The Neptune Society
http://www.hellenicnavy.gr/upload/Yb%20Poseidon.jpg
The Ocean calls to me, and I answer her. I forsake the treachery of land for the stability of the Eternal Sea, and vow to forever defend her against those who would abuse her generosity. From the sea I came, and to the sea I return.
Modus Operandi: Founded in the days of Ancient Rome, the Neptune Society has spent more than two millennia keeping sailors (and occasionally land-dwellers) safe from the horrors of the Deep, and making aquatic travel within the Hedge safe for Changelings.
In recent decades, however, the Society has reversed its original goal, and been working instead to keep the oceans safe from Man. With increased pollution and development, overfishing, and global warming lurking on the horizon, the Society fears that Man has angered Mother Ocean, and that she may soon strike back at her wayward children, to remind them of her terrible power. A tide of mysticism has engulfed the Society: many Aquagraphers speak of Mother Ocean with as much awe and fear as they would when speaking of their own Keepers. New-Age beliefs about the ocean’s “spiritual field” being “out of whack” are commonly held as true within the Society. Some go so far as to actually worship the Ocean, though the Society views this as an unhealthy outlook, and tries to discourage it in general.
Titles: Aquagraphers, Flotsam (derogatory)
Prerequisites: Must possess some natural affinity with water (e.g., Swimmerskin, Water-Dweller, Waterborn, mermaid Fairest, etc.), because only "those with the sea in their blood" can ever truly understand her. Even possessing a few dots in Contracts of Elements (Water/Ice) may be enough to qualify. Aside from this, there are almost no restrictions to joining, though members are expected to place the needs of the sea above those of their Court or mortal lives. The sea is a harsh mistress...
(Note: if an applicant is truly dedicated to the cause but has no affinity with the sea, then perhaps the Goblin Markets may offer a solution.)
Joining: A Changeling who wishes to join the Neptune Society must participate in a mystical ceremony in which he or she swears “to serve the First Mother in all things.” This is followed by a ceremonial “drowning” in a pool of salt water (or in the ocean itself, if at all possible), to symbolize the initiate’s “rebirth” into their new family.
http://cache2.allpostersimages.com/p/LRG/22/2267/ESOZD00Z/posters/werner-u-s-navy-uniforms-1899.jpg
Mien: Aquagraphers frequently smell salty, or like fish. Often seem to be dripping seawater, as if recently emerged from a dive. Features of sea-animals and sea-plants are the rule rather than the exception.
Background: Because of their rule about “having the sea in your blood”, all Aquagraphers had Durances which were in some way aquatic. Perhaps they were pulled into a pond by a Kappa or Jenny Greenteeth, or enticed to marry a Selkie lass. Maybe they were sailors on an unearthly vessel, or were dragged into the very deepest, darkest reaches of the Abyss. This experience was (obviously) painful, but the ocean never brings back bad memories for the Aquagraphers; it was the Gentry who took them, not the sea. The Ocean is their father, mother, lover and savior.
Organization: The Society’s militant stance makes for tight, rigid organization. Many have military titles, especially naval ones, such as “Commodore” or “Admiral”. The Society has a chapter in almost every major seaport in the world, and most of the larger rivers as well. There are even a few chapters in major freshwater bodies, such as Lake Victoria in Africa, Lake Baikal in Russia, and the Great Lakes in North America.
Concepts: Evangelical diving enthusiast, sea-worshiping New-Ager, militant environmentalist, idealistic crusader, strong-armed guardian of the seas.
Privileges:
Unbendable
http://airplanegroundschools.com/Aeromedical-Factors/Figure%2015-5.%20Scuba%20divers%20must%20not%20fly%20for%20spe cific%20time%20peri%20ods%20following%20dives%20to %20avoid%20the%20bends.JPG
When a diver returns too quickly from a great depth, tiny air bubbles can form inside their soft tissues, making movement painful and threatening the functions of small blood vessels and delicate organs, such as the brain. This is known as decompression sickness, or more commonly as "the bends."
Members of the Neptune Society owe their allegiance to the sea, and as such need not fear decompression sickness. They may dive as quickly as they like to any depth that their bodies can withstand, and return to the surface as quickly as they like, without suffering from the bends.
This ability confounds scientifically-minded Changelings, who insist that in order to protect oneself from decompression sickness, one would need to form a Contract with air itself, not the ocean. Older members of the Society simply shrug off these comments.
Aqualung (Token ●●)
http://i.pgcdn.com/pi/73/89/46/738946799_640.jpg
Mien: Archaic SCUBA gear, worn and slightly rusty with many years of exposure to salt-water, though all its parts are in working order.
Effect: Normally, the tank only contains as much air as an average SCUBA set, about an hour’s worth of air. When activated, it contains an infinite amount of air, though divers should be warned that it does not protect against the bends, hypothermia, or being tracked by the bubbles rising from your mouthpiece.
Drawback: The user begins to feel so at home in the ocean that it becomes difficult to leave, even as health complications (such as hypothermia) arise. The user must make a Resolve + Composure roll to leave the water. Every half-hour spent using the Token (after activation) levies a -1 penalty to the roll. If the subject’s friends attempt to drag her to the surface, she will fight them to the best of her ability.
Catch: ?????
Aquatic Tracker (Contract ●●●)
http://thumbs.dreamstime.com/thumb_7/1107985513q5b384.jpg Action: Extended, Contested
Dice Pool: Intelligence + Survival + Wyrd
Cost: 1 Glamour
Effect: You know the ocean and her currents so intimately that you can track animals, divers, and even vehicles through the water. Every five minutes after the subject has passed, you take a -1 penalty to track it.
Catch: The Aquagrapher is using the Contract to catch someone who has somehow harmed the ocean.
http://www.hellenicnavy.gr/upload/Yb%20Poseidon.jpg
The Ocean calls to me, and I answer her. I forsake the treachery of land for the stability of the Eternal Sea, and vow to forever defend her against those who would abuse her generosity. From the sea I came, and to the sea I return.
Modus Operandi: Founded in the days of Ancient Rome, the Neptune Society has spent more than two millennia keeping sailors (and occasionally land-dwellers) safe from the horrors of the Deep, and making aquatic travel within the Hedge safe for Changelings.
In recent decades, however, the Society has reversed its original goal, and been working instead to keep the oceans safe from Man. With increased pollution and development, overfishing, and global warming lurking on the horizon, the Society fears that Man has angered Mother Ocean, and that she may soon strike back at her wayward children, to remind them of her terrible power. A tide of mysticism has engulfed the Society: many Aquagraphers speak of Mother Ocean with as much awe and fear as they would when speaking of their own Keepers. New-Age beliefs about the ocean’s “spiritual field” being “out of whack” are commonly held as true within the Society. Some go so far as to actually worship the Ocean, though the Society views this as an unhealthy outlook, and tries to discourage it in general.
Titles: Aquagraphers, Flotsam (derogatory)
Prerequisites: Must possess some natural affinity with water (e.g., Swimmerskin, Water-Dweller, Waterborn, mermaid Fairest, etc.), because only "those with the sea in their blood" can ever truly understand her. Even possessing a few dots in Contracts of Elements (Water/Ice) may be enough to qualify. Aside from this, there are almost no restrictions to joining, though members are expected to place the needs of the sea above those of their Court or mortal lives. The sea is a harsh mistress...
(Note: if an applicant is truly dedicated to the cause but has no affinity with the sea, then perhaps the Goblin Markets may offer a solution.)
Joining: A Changeling who wishes to join the Neptune Society must participate in a mystical ceremony in which he or she swears “to serve the First Mother in all things.” This is followed by a ceremonial “drowning” in a pool of salt water (or in the ocean itself, if at all possible), to symbolize the initiate’s “rebirth” into their new family.
http://cache2.allpostersimages.com/p/LRG/22/2267/ESOZD00Z/posters/werner-u-s-navy-uniforms-1899.jpg
Mien: Aquagraphers frequently smell salty, or like fish. Often seem to be dripping seawater, as if recently emerged from a dive. Features of sea-animals and sea-plants are the rule rather than the exception.
Background: Because of their rule about “having the sea in your blood”, all Aquagraphers had Durances which were in some way aquatic. Perhaps they were pulled into a pond by a Kappa or Jenny Greenteeth, or enticed to marry a Selkie lass. Maybe they were sailors on an unearthly vessel, or were dragged into the very deepest, darkest reaches of the Abyss. This experience was (obviously) painful, but the ocean never brings back bad memories for the Aquagraphers; it was the Gentry who took them, not the sea. The Ocean is their father, mother, lover and savior.
Organization: The Society’s militant stance makes for tight, rigid organization. Many have military titles, especially naval ones, such as “Commodore” or “Admiral”. The Society has a chapter in almost every major seaport in the world, and most of the larger rivers as well. There are even a few chapters in major freshwater bodies, such as Lake Victoria in Africa, Lake Baikal in Russia, and the Great Lakes in North America.
Concepts: Evangelical diving enthusiast, sea-worshiping New-Ager, militant environmentalist, idealistic crusader, strong-armed guardian of the seas.
Privileges:
Unbendable
http://airplanegroundschools.com/Aeromedical-Factors/Figure%2015-5.%20Scuba%20divers%20must%20not%20fly%20for%20spe cific%20time%20peri%20ods%20following%20dives%20to %20avoid%20the%20bends.JPG
When a diver returns too quickly from a great depth, tiny air bubbles can form inside their soft tissues, making movement painful and threatening the functions of small blood vessels and delicate organs, such as the brain. This is known as decompression sickness, or more commonly as "the bends."
Members of the Neptune Society owe their allegiance to the sea, and as such need not fear decompression sickness. They may dive as quickly as they like to any depth that their bodies can withstand, and return to the surface as quickly as they like, without suffering from the bends.
This ability confounds scientifically-minded Changelings, who insist that in order to protect oneself from decompression sickness, one would need to form a Contract with air itself, not the ocean. Older members of the Society simply shrug off these comments.
Aqualung (Token ●●)
http://i.pgcdn.com/pi/73/89/46/738946799_640.jpg
Mien: Archaic SCUBA gear, worn and slightly rusty with many years of exposure to salt-water, though all its parts are in working order.
Effect: Normally, the tank only contains as much air as an average SCUBA set, about an hour’s worth of air. When activated, it contains an infinite amount of air, though divers should be warned that it does not protect against the bends, hypothermia, or being tracked by the bubbles rising from your mouthpiece.
Drawback: The user begins to feel so at home in the ocean that it becomes difficult to leave, even as health complications (such as hypothermia) arise. The user must make a Resolve + Composure roll to leave the water. Every half-hour spent using the Token (after activation) levies a -1 penalty to the roll. If the subject’s friends attempt to drag her to the surface, she will fight them to the best of her ability.
Catch: ?????
Aquatic Tracker (Contract ●●●)
http://thumbs.dreamstime.com/thumb_7/1107985513q5b384.jpg Action: Extended, Contested
Dice Pool: Intelligence + Survival + Wyrd
Cost: 1 Glamour
Effect: You know the ocean and her currents so intimately that you can track animals, divers, and even vehicles through the water. Every five minutes after the subject has passed, you take a -1 penalty to track it.
Catch: The Aquagrapher is using the Contract to catch someone who has somehow harmed the ocean.