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Miscellaneous Information
This section contains a wealth of information which doesn't really fit into any real category, including FAQ.
FAQ
What's the plural of "ductus?"
"Ductus" is a 4th declension latin word, so its plural is actually just "ductus." Confusing, yes, but that's the correct way to do it.
How do I get Experience?
Characters receive 3 experience for attendance, assuming they stay most of the day (that is, staying for less than an hour won't net you all these points). Characters also may get an additional 1 xp for sending in a summary or detailed set of between session actions, as well as keeping us updated on changes to their Viniculum ratings. This is to encourage people to let us know what their characters have been doing, rather than leaving us out of the loop.
How does the Vaulderie work?
Here's a quick summary of how the mechanics of the Vaulderie system work: First, all participants place a number of their blood traits of their choice into the chalice. Usually, ordinary pack members put in 2-5 traits, while the ductus tries to put in at least one per participant, and tries to put in more than anyone else has, though what is appropriate to put in varies based on the circumstances (for example, new packmates are often asked to put in as much blood as they can to ensure strong initial bonds to the rest of the pack). Each player then draws back out precisely as many traits as she put in. These are used to calculate Viniculum as follows:
- If you have never taken Vaulderie with someone before, you automatically receive a Viniculum of 1 to her, plus how many traits of her blood you drew. For example, if Luther is taking Vaulderie with Tweedle for the first time, and draws two of her blood traits from the cup, he has a Viniculum rating of 3 to her, but even if he hadn't drawn any of her blood, he would still have a Viniculum of 1 to her.
- If you HAVE taken Vaulderie with someone before, things are a little more complicated. For each person whose blood you drew, throw a challenge against that person. If you lose, your Viniculum to her goes up by one. If you win, you have the option of making two simple tests: if you win both, your Viniculum to her goes down by one (though you cannot reduce a Viniculum below 1), otherwise it remains the same. If you tie, compare your current Viniculum to the person against one plus the number of traits of her blood you just drew. If your current Vinculum is higher, treat it as though you won, if lower, treat it as though you lost, and if equal, your rating remains the same and you may not try to lower it. So, for example, on their second ritual observance, Luther draws 3 traits of Tweedle's blood. They throw the test and tie. Since his current Viniculum to her is 3, he loses, and his Viniculum to her thus rises to 4. Had he only drawn 2 of her blood, his Viniculum wouldn't have changed, and had he drawn 1 or fewer of her traits, he could have attempted to lower his rating to her.
- We are also making a slight change to the system: if you draw your own blood during the Viniculum, you may attempt to lower your Viniculum ratings to people who are not participating in this particular Vaulderie. For every trait of your own blood you draw, you can throw two simple tests against a Storyteller; if you win both, your highest Viniculum to someone outside of the current Vaulderie drops by one. Once again, note that no Viniculum can ever be lowered below one in this way. As an example, Luther observes a Vaulderie with the Blood Stryders as a show of good faith. In the Vaulderie, he draws two traits of his own blood. His highest Viniculum is to Tweedle at 4 (he hasn't gotten anything over 2 to the rest of his pack yet), and so, since she isn't participating in this Vaulderie he throws two simple tests against the Storyteller, and wins both. His Viniculum to Tweedle drops to 3. Since he drew two traits of his own blood, he decides to throw a second time; since Tweedle is still his highest Viniculum, hers would be lowered if he wins both tests. He wins one and ties the other, however, and so his rating to her remains 3.
It sounds complicated, yes, but it's actually quite simple; you'll get the hang of it after a couple of times. The ritual itself is also a great opportunity for roleplaying, and you're really cheating yourself if you don't come up with something unique to do for your Vaulderies; remember, your character takes them VERY seriously, and so you should, too.
Rants
This section contains essays from the storytellers about various aspects of the game.