A humorous supplement for the White Wolf Storyteller system, at least in some loose sense :)
The Storyteller system and various World of Darkness material mentioned
here are all copyright of White Wolf
Game Studio. 
Click
here for legal stype stuff: (C)1999
White Wolf Publishing Inc. All Rights Reserved
Magical Knights Rayearth and company are copyrighted/trademarked, etc by CLAMP and various other Japanese companies.
This supplement should not be taken as a challenge to said copyrights, trademarks, etc, not that suing me would get you much other than my WW products and a jar of pennies :)
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Milly sat beneath the window and ground her teeth as she listened to the conversation inside. "WHERE'S MY DINNER?" her friend Tina's father bellowed, and then there was the sound of a slap and a woman whimpering. She could hear Tina crying as well, although it was probably her mother who had been hit instead of her. "And why haven't you done your homework? Why are you wasting your time on that stupid softball team? Sports are for men!"
I will not break into the house and chop Tina's father into giblets, Milly told herself over and over. She'd seen Tina sporting a lot of bruises lately, even though Tina wasn't the sort of person to have frequent accidents, and with the way her life went, she'd assumed the forces of the Lords of Nightmare had something to do with it. But no, it was the far more mundane problem of a family sunk into darkness. When I'd heard her father lost his job, I should have guessed, Milly thought. It's no excuse, but I wouldn't be dolled up in armor and praying their dog doesn't sniff me out, hiding under a window in their backyard.
She tried to decide what to do; beating the hell out of Tina's father would be satisfying, but it wouldn't solve anything. And unless Tina and her mother pressed charges, going to the authorities wouldn't help much. And telling them that 'the house looks creepy if you can see the Dreaming' wouldn't help much. There were shadows everywhere, and the dog house looked splattered with blood to her sight; she hoped a normal person wouldn't see it that way.
A breeze blew, and she knew her partner, Andrea, a Knight of Wind, had arrived before she heard the footsteps. Ignoring the continuing yelling inside the house for now, she slipped over to the corner, around which Andrea came. Andrea was tall and slender, with long blonde hair that had a faint blue sheen to it, and vivid blue eyes. She wore blue scale armor, and had a quiver of javelins slung over her shoulder. Very quietly, she whispered, "This place is probably generating minor Nightmares, but I don't think there's any here sent by the Nightmare Lords."
Andrea nodded, and whispered back, "We're going down to the plant."
"What, the beer factory that got shut down and they fired everyone? What's that got to do with anything? Well, besides Tina's dad getting fired from it."
"Didn't read the paper this morning?"
Milly scratched her head. Andrea was always going off on weird tangents if you didn't reel her in frequently. "What about it?"
"Reopening under new management, but they're not hiring back any of the old people. They brought in a whole new crew of workers from another factory. Which normally, I wouldn't care, but take a look at this picture." She pointed to the picture of Simon Legree, the new plant manager. He had a sigil branded on his cheek, which Milly suspected only faeries and the Magical Knights could see, unless tatoos were now in for middle management, a sigil she had seen before, when they had raided the lands of one of the Lords of Nightmare, Lord Uilo the Greedy.
"Oh, just great. Now everyone who drinks Duff is gonna have freaking nightmares and make more trouble than a busload of soused fratboys," Milly grumbled.
"Do you hear something outside?" Tina's father asked rather loudly, and fortunately for them, Andrea and Milly heard him.
"Time for us to amscray," Milly said. "Even though I wish I could do SOMETHING about this bastard."
Andrea sighed. "Perhaps once we settle this, we can collect enough evidence to get him arrested. And you can work on convincing Tina she'll have to stand up to him if this is ever to end. Assuming she'll trust you enough to talk about it. But we have to stop the greater evil first."
"Race you to the factory."
Andrea reached back into her quiver and pulled out an umbrella. "Hold on." Milly grabbed onto her, wind filled the umbrella, and they rose out of sight just as Tina's father stepped out onto the back porch.
"Dammit, my hearing is going," he muttered, and then went back inside.
Part I: Introduction
What is this?
This is a supplement for the on-line utterly non-canonical, non-official,
non-whatever Net supplement, Senshi:
The Merchandising, designed for use with the Storyteller System.
If you've never heard of the Storyteller System or you hate it, this probably
won't be of much interest to you. If you're interested in learning
more about the Storyteller System, you can jump to White
Wolf's Home Page and find out more. Although I'm not sure how
you got here if any of this applies...:)
This is what is colloquially known as a 'splatbook', a supplement detailing one of the major character groups of Senshi: the Merchandising (known in Senshi: The Merchandising as Cliques). This particular one deals with the Knights of Arcadia, derived from the animated series 'Magical Knights Rayearth'. It takes more liberties with the source material than you can shake a stick at :)
A Brief Description of The Magical Knights of Arcadia As They See Themselves:
The Magical Knights of Arcadia are a collection of teenagers and young adults who have sworn fealty to the Queen of Arcadia, and now fight against various evils which threaten her realm and her subjects on Earth. They are human champions of the Dreaming, possessing special weapons and equipment given to them by the Queen which can grow and evolve as they do. They tend to have strong ties with the Seelie Fae, but fight to defend both courts, though they strongly oppose the Shadow Court.
Clique Merit: They can interact with chimera and fae seemings as if they were completely real, but are immune to Banality.
Clique Flaw: They take real damage from chimerical weapons and creatures.
The Magical Knights of Arcadia, Seen From the Outside:
Outside groups continue to debate on whether or not the Magical Knights are actually in contact with the real Arcadia. It is known that they can enter the Dreaming, and it's possible that for some strange reasons, the powers that be in Arcadia have chosen them as champions. This makes the fae of Earth wonder why the Arcadian Fae haven't contacted THEM, though.
Some speculate that some Lord or Lady of the Deep Dreaming has chosen them as his or her tools in some great game. The truth remains to be seen.
Part II: A 'History' of the Knights of Arcadia
The Knights of Arcadia trace their origins back to some time in the late eighties when the first of the Knights began to appear. It began with an incident in Japan, at the Tokyo Tower, when three young girls vanished during a tour by young schoolgirls from several different schools. The precise date is unclear, but the key experience for all the early and later groups remains the same. People who did not know each other are thrown together into a magical world, where they build a strong emotional bond among each other, then return to this world to fight against the Nightmares which have escaped to plague this world.
In the last ten years or so, the Knights have gradually grown in number and spread across the World of Darkness. Still, they largely remain few in number, divided into small groups. They are most noticable in Japan and North America, where they have tried to prevent the outbreak of another commoner/noble war, arguing that it would only open the way for the destruction of both sides by the building invasion from the Nightmare Lands. With King David missing, and themselves only marginal and often distrusted, it seems unlikely they will succeed, more the pity. But they will not give up.
This chapter deals with various aspects of Magical Knight Society
Becoming a Magical Knight
Magical Knights always seem to come in groups, although there are a
handful of Knights Errant out there. Typically, a group of girls,
somewhere between 14 and 21 in age, find themselves transported together
to a magical land, where they become drawn into some sort of quest.
In the process, they learn to draw upon the magic inside themselves, and
become Magical Knights. By the end of the quest, they discover they
have been drawn to Arcadia, and are given a choice of returning to a normal
life, or of swearing themselves to the service of the Queen of Arcadia
and becoming champions of the Dreaming. Almost all choose the latter,
for only those who already feel the call to adventure within themselves
are drawn to Arcadia in the first place. This quest should definitely
be detailed in preludes, and also makes a good way to start out a chronicle.
While Magical Knights cannot enter Arcadia at will, they sometimes will find themselves summoned there by the Queen, to give them advice, to set them on the path of a quest, or to reward them for deeds well done. And the memory of Arcadia stays with them always.
Being a Magical Knight
Magical Knights must balance the demands of normal life and their involvement
in the Dreaming. This can be quite difficult, as the Dreaming will
not leave them alone, but at the same time, the Magical Knights have yet
to make a full place for themselves in Changeling Society. Many Changelings
are both disbelieving of their claims to have seen Arcadia, and jealous
of them at the same time. Still, most gradually manage to prove themselves.
The Magical Knights tend to find themselves drawn to the Seelie Court,
but consider it their duty to protect both courts from the forces of Nightmare,
their greatest enemies.
Magical Knights typically form long-lasting teams, united by the bond of their common first adventure. Leadership is typically informal, and they have yet to form structures above the team level. Many Knights swear oaths which bind them into the various structures of Changeling society, however, and they practice many of the same oaths that Changelings do. Oaths which would provide additional Glamour provide them with additional Purity instead.
The Forces of Nightmare
The great enemy of the Magical Knights is the forces of the Lords of
Nightmares, who dwell in the Deep Dreaming and seek to taint the dreams
of humanity with fear, terror, envy, dread, and other unpleasant things.
The Magical Knights believe the Shadow Court to be their mortal pawns,
although the Shadow Court would probably not be amused by this belief.
The Lords of Nightmare draw power from a circular relationship in which
they spread bad dreams which taint people's waking existences. Their
waking misery then causes them to have more bad dreams, which feeds the
power of the Lords of Nightmare, and taints the areas where bad dreams
predominate. The enemy section describes them in more detail.
Certain rumors exist of a collection of so called 'Dread Knights' who serve the Lords of Nightmare, as the Magical Knights serve the Queen of Arcadia. These rumors are unsubstantiated as of yet, but do seem to make sense...everything in Dream is often mirrored.
Living in the Dreaming
Like faeries, Magical Knights live in the Shallow Dreaming all the
time, which can make life difficult at times. They see the 'dream'
aspect of places, where everything becomes more iconic, colorful, and sometimes
more nightmarish. They can see the Chimera running about which ordinary
people ignore. Sometimes, this can be a source of valuable information,
and sometimes it tells you far more than you ever wanted to know...
Unlike Faeries, they cannot choose to ignore some aspect of the Dreaming and take on banality for it. The Dreaming and Mundane Reality are simultaneously real to them, which can make their life difficult at times. It's especially bad for those suffering the Signs of Power flaw, who have massive wadges of resonance.
Signs of Power
Many magical knights are so infused with the Dreaming that it begins
to reshape them and the world around them. Their clothing and appearance
are reshaped by their Elemental Power, their personality begins to shift
to match the qualities associated with their element, and strange things
begin to happen around them. They also take on some of the fears
of Faerie Kind, such as the fear of Cold Iron. Some Knights who spend too
much time in the Near or Deep Dreaming begin to slide into greater and
greater manifestations of this, a process rather like Bedlam, which typically
culminates in them vanishing into the Dreaming, never to return.
Such a slide can be corrected by immersing oneself in mundane affairs and
exposing oneself to Banality, which while it cannot slay the Knight, will
drag them away from becoming the very Eidoleon of their element.
The Magical Knight Credos
Arcadian Chivalry
Purity = Hope + Courage
The Magical Knights of Arcadia see themselves as chivalric warriors protecting the dreams of humanity through strength of arm and their friendship with one another. Thus, their code prescribes Hope and Courage as the highest values, although Justice and Love are important to them as well.
Hiearchy of Naughtiness for the Credo of Arcadian Chivalry:
Other Cliques Sailor Warriors The Espers and Miracle Girls The Wedding Warriors The Tuxedos (or Guardians) The Idol Angels The Holy Thieves The Fairy Princesses The Card Captors The Good Witches and Warlocks Other Supernaturals Vampires Werewolves Mages Wraiths Changelings Places The Umbra The Dreaming Arcadia The Shadowlands Horizon Realms Tokyo
They're pretty cool, although some of them seem to hate faeries for no apparent reason. We get along well with them.
I can't understand why they don't do something with their powers besides look up people's skirts and cheat at basketball. What a bunch of losers.
They're good people, but I also think they're completely insane.
If they didn't have tiny brains, they'd be really cool. On the other hand, they all look so good, I want to take one home and keep him.
They give the greatest concerts, just what I need to relax and soak up some peaceful, happy vibrations. I suspect the Lords of Nightmares will target them as one of the first blows to try to bring about the Age of Nightmares.
Hold on to your wallet around them. Stealing is very dishonorable. They're on our side, I think, but I don't trust them.
Protect them at all costs, for they are emissaries of the Queen of Arcadia, as are we. Respect and aid them, but don't expect them to ride into battle. They are one of our best hopes to prevent the Great Darkness rising.
They have their own private war to fight, but they're usually good people. I pray they finish their quest before the Great Darkness comes for their powers could be of great help to us.
They have a lot of power, but like the Espers, they seem to largely waste it. Some are good, others need a kick in the head.
Kill them all. The Great Darkness rides within them, and it hungers.
They are noble warriors. We shall face the Great Darkness together...if we can convince them not to kill us. Gaining their trust is hard, but important, for if we gain their enmity, they will harvest us like wheat.
So much power, and so little understanding in what they should do with it. Best avoided, although some are friendly. Like the Good Witches and Warlocks, but more so. Some among them are deadly to faeries for some reason...those ones must be destroyed.
Never met a wraith, but I have heard that the Great Darkness is already reaching out its fingers to overwhelm their lands.
They should be our friends and allies, but they often do not trust us. Yet, even if they hate us, we must do our best to protect them, for the sake of their Queen and ours. Protect the Dreaming and all its residences, except the Nightmares, who we must destroy and root out. Both Seelie and Unseelie must be protected, but beware the Shadow Court, for it serves the Great Darkness, and we must root it out before it brings down doom on us all.
[OOC note: The Knights of Arcadia are fairly familiar with all the standard Faerie kiths, although the intricacies of Changeling society typically elude them at first]
Chimera are also our friends and allies...well, the nicer ones are.
There are also many great and hostile chimera who serve the Lords of Nightmare,
or who are simply dangerous forces of nature. We cannot hide from
them, but we have to learn when to ignore them and when to pay attention.
We have little dealing with it, except for the Dreaming.
The Dreaming is open to us, and it is our playground. We must fight to protect it, but remember that the waking world is our home as well. Those who fail to balance this either lose their dreams or become trapped in them.
We divide the Dreaming into two major parts: the Lands of Sunlight and the Lands of Nightmare. The Lands of Sunlight are the lands of happy dreams, inhabited by the great and good lords of pleasant dreams, who hold much wisdom, though they share it only cryptically. The Lands of Nightmare are fueled by the nightmares of the living, and from them spill forth nightmares which reinforce the fears of humanity. Some regions of the Waking World are tainted by nightmares and tend to attract such beings. In the heart of such regions, one can find gateways that lead one deeper into the dreaming, and nightmare roads that lead to the Deep Dreaming, where the Lords of Nightmare make their home. Such roads are dangerous to walk, as you might well imagine.
Safer it is to enter the Dreaming through Trods and Freeholds, when such are accessible to us, and they enter into the sunnier regions, usually.
You will never find a more glorious place. It is a land of beauty and nightmares. We protect one and battle the other.
The Great Darkness is most powerful there, and in my nightmares, its maw opens wide, and it reaches forth its fingers to pull everything into it. Perhaps one day we will have to storm the Shadowlands to do battle with what dwells within the Labryinth.
A what?
It is where we began, and sometimes it calls to me in dreams. Any of us can enter Arcadia from the Tokyo Tower with ease...it makes me wonder if the builders of it knew what they had wrought.
Knight of Air:
Age: 15
Nature: Scholar
Demeanor: Scholar
Colors: White and Blue
Attributes:
Strength: 2 Dex: 3 Stamina: 2
(When transformed: Strength: 3 Dex: 4 (Steady Hands) Stamina:
3 )
Perception: 3 Intelligence: 4 (Knowledgeable) Wits: 2
Charisma: 2 Manipulation: 2 Appearance: 2 (3 when transformed)
Talents: Alertness 1, Expression: 2, Kenning 3, Make Speeches:
1
Skills: Missile Weapons: 2, Research: 2
Knowledges: (Add 1 bonus die for Know-it-all Merit) Changeling
Lore: 3, History: 2, Magical Knights Lore: 2, Nightmare Lore: 2, Science:
2
Virtues: Love 4, Justice 2, Hope 4, Courage: 3
Credo: Arcadian Chivalry
Purity: 7
Merits/Flaws: Know-it-All (M4), Nearsighted (F2), Shy
(F2), Signs of Power (F2)
Backgrounds: Age 1, Familial Resources: 3
Willpower: 6
Merchandising: Glove of the Winds (2 -- Grants +3 dice with
Air Powers), Evolving Bow (4), Evolving Armor (4)
Power-Up: 3
Powers:
Air 3, Enter the Dreaming: 2
Personality:
You are a shy, quiet future professor with an interest in science and
history. You haven't quite decided which way to go yet. This
whole Magical Knight business is a bit of a shock to you, but at the same
time, it's kind of exciting to have these powers, and you get to have all
sorts of experiences you never had before. You welcome new and interesting
experiences, even though they are sometimes rather more exciting than you're
used to. You're a bit of a closet romantic; you tend to get intense
crushes but find it hard to get up the courage to do anything about them.
History:
You grew with your nose in a book, and if you hadn't become a magical
knight, it likely would have stayed there except for your archery hobby.
Now your life is full of more excitement than you ever knew existed.
And to your surprise, you're starting to like it.
Knight of Fire:
Age: 16
Nature: Gallant
Demeanor: Bravo
Colors: Red and Orange
Attributes:
Strength: 3 Dex: 3 Stamina: 3
(When transformed: Strength: 4 (Strong Arms) Dex: 4 (Agile)
Stamina: 4 (Energetic) )
Perception: 2 Intelligence: 2 Wits: 2
Charisma: 3 Manipulation: 2 Appearance: 2 (3 when transformed)
Talents: Alertness 1, Athletics 2, Brawl: 2 , Dodge:
2, Flirt: 1, Make Speeches: 2, Subterfuge: 1
Skills: Leadership: 2, Melee: 3, Pose Impressively: 1,
Survival: 1
Knowledges: Changeling Lore: 2, Magical Knights Lore:
2
Virtues: Love 3, Justice 2, Hope 3 , Courage: 5
Credo: Arcadian Chivalry
Purity: 8
Merits/Flaws: Knack for Fencing (M3), Signs of Power (F2),
Enemy (F2)
Backgrounds: Age: 2, Familial Resources: 3
Willpower: 6
Merchandising: Evolving Sword (4), Evolving Armor (4)
Power-Up: 3
Powers:
Fire 3, Might 1, Speed 1
Personality:
You bubble over with life, throwing yourself whole heartedly into everything
you do. You're a very friendly person, sometimes to the point of
driving people insane, and you tend to solve things with the direct, blunt,
physical approach. Touch everyone you know, and stick your nose into
things. Meddle, but mean well. And never, ever run away if
your friends are in danger.
History:
You were just an ordinary, vivacious student athelete until you ended
up going to the Mall and being sucked into another world. Now you
try to balance school, sports, and Knight business. It's not easy,
especially after you mouthed off at the Sidhe Lord who didn't trust you.
Now he's out to prove you're some kind of...something. Who knows
how that cranky old whacko thinks?
Knight of Water:
Age: 15
Nature: Director
Demeanor: Regal
Colors: Blue and Green
Attributes:
Strength: 2 Dex: 2 Stamina: 2
(When transformed: Strength: 3 Dex: 3 Stamina: 3 )
Perception: 3 Intelligence: 2 Wits: 4 (Quick Thinker)
Charisma: 2 Manipulation: 2 Appearance: 3 (4 (Regal) when
transformed)
Talents: Alertness 1, Intimidation: 1, Kenning 2
Skills: Leadership: 3, Makeup: 2, Melee: 2, Pose Impressively:
2, Skip School: 2
Knowledges: Changeling Lore: 2, Clique Lore: 1, Fashion
Lore: 1, Magical Knights Lore: 2, Nightmare Lore: 1
Virtues: Love 3, Justice 3, Hope 4 , Courage: 3
Credo: Arcadian Chivalry
Purity: 7
Merits/Flaws: Faerie Knighthood (M2), Enemy (F3), Signs
of Power (F2)
Backgrounds: Age 1, Familial Resources: 4, Groupies: 3
Willpower: 5
Merchandising: Evolving Sword (4), Evolving Armor (4)
Power-Up: 3
Powers:
Water 3, Look Good at All Times 1, Speed 1
Personality:
You are the Queen of your social set and you know it. Used to
getting what you want, it's a new experience adjusting to treating people
as equals, and you tend to revert to being bossy if you're not careful.
You radiate confidence and wealth (and often snobbery). You see yourself
as steadfast, but you're more fickle and excitable than you realize.
History:
You grew up with money, and have become used to being deferred to.
Thus, you've found it easy to adapt since the adventure that drew you into
the society of Arcadia. You feel you've earned your knighthood, but
you have a rival who sees you as an upstart and will likely stop at nothing
to bring you down. But you're used to dealing with jealousy.
Dreamer Knight:
Age: 18
Nature: Visionary
Demeanor: Artist
Colors: Purple and Gold
Attributes:
Strength: 1 Dex: 3 Stamina: 2
(When transformed: Strength: 2 Dex: 4 (Lithe) Stamina:
3 )
Perception: 3 Intelligence: 2 Wits: 4 (Creative)
Charisma: 3 Manipulation: 2 Appearance: 2 (3 when transformed)
Talents: Awareness: 2, Flirt: 2, Kenning 4 (Chimera),
Make Speeches: 3
Skills: Crafts: 4 (Painting)
Knowledges: Changeling Lore: 3, Art History: 2, Nightmare Lore:
2
Virtues: Love 4, Justice 2, Hope 5, Courage: 2
Credo: Arcadian Chivalry
Purity: 7
Merits/Flaws: Signs of Power (F4)
Backgrounds: Age 4, Freehold: 2, Dream: 3, Resources: 2
Willpower: 6
Merchandising:
Power-Up: 3
Powers:
Dreaming 3, Enter the Dreaming: 2, Inspiration: 1
Personality:
You are a dreamer who brings your dreams to life through your art,
and now through your interaction with the Dreaming as well. It consumes
you, and your Signs of Power are rising, reshaping you as you reshape the
world to fit your dreams. Your hair and eyes have turned purple and
you wear yellow obsessively, and if you weren't in college so people would
just say 'rebellious' college student, and if you weren't an artist, you'd
have a hard time of it. As it is, the weird things that happen around
you are starting to disturb people. You try to be non-violent; you
carry out the half of their mission that most MK neglect...to renew the
spirit as well as defeat the darkness.
History:
You've always been a dreamer; you started scribbling pictures with
crayons as soon as you had enough coordination to hold one. Your
skill has increased swiftly, and you're already well-known on the local
art scene. In fact, your art earns enough that you can pay your own
way through college and live better than 95% of college students.
Your parents think you're weird, but they're very proud of you as well.
Since becoming a Magical Knight, your vistas have opened wider, and your
art become both more beautiful and more strange. Things are looking
good...assuming the Dreaming doesn't devour you completely.
Knight Errant:
Age: 19
Nature: Judge
Demeanor: Bon Vivant
Colors: Yellow and Black
Attributes:
Strength: 4 (Strong Legs) Dex: 2 Stamina: 3
(When transformed: Strength: 5 (Strong Legs) Dex: 3 Stamina:
4 (Tough) )
Perception: 3 Intelligence: 2 Wits: 2
Charisma: 3 Manipulation: 1 Appearance: 3 (4 (Beautiful)
when transformed)
Talents: Alertness: 1, Athletics: 2, Brawl: 3, Dodge:
2, Intimidation: 2, Make Speeches: 1
Skills: Crafts: 3, Melee 4 (Sword)
Knowledges: Changeling Lore: 3, Computers: 1, Finance: 2, Law:
1, Magical Knight Lore: 1
Virtues: Love 2, Justice 4, Hope 3, Courage: 4
Credo: Arcadian Chivalry
Purity: 7
Merits/Flaws: Driving Goal (F3), Nightmares (F1),
Signs of Power (F3)
Backgrounds: Age 5, Animal Companion: 5, Resources: 1
Willpower: 5
Merchandising: Evolving Sword (4), Evolving Armor (4)
Power-Up: 3
Powers:
Lightning 3, Might 1, Toughness 1
Personality:
You love to make things, and you greatly enjoy travelling about the
countryside. However, you now also burn with desire for vengeance
against the forces of Nightmare for slaying those who would otherwise have
been your companions in Knighthood. You won't rest until you bring
them down. You have yet to find a new set of companions, indeed,
you fear to do so, because they too might die. You wake up at times,
reliving their deaths, in a puddle of your own sweat. Still, you'll
go to the aid of any Magical Knight or Faerie who needs your help.
You try to put up a happy, shiny front to put people at ease, but all your
partying doesn't help you forget.
History:
Your parents were travelling craftsmen who went around selling their
goods at craft fairs and renaissance faires. You've learned quite
a bit from them, enough that now you can survive on your own by making
your own goods. Your entry into Magical Knight culture was rather
a shock, for you were the only survivor of your initiation. You have
sworn to make the forces of Nightmare pay for what they have done and the
innocents they have consumed. You've thrown yourself into your duties
as a Magical Knight with gusto, while supporting yourself by travelling
about from faire to faire in your Winnebago the way your folks do.
Part VI: Magical Knights of Note
Andrea Baker and Milly Collins
This duo of Knights of Renown are most noted for their daring rescue
of a gang of Changeling children from an insane asylum run by a notorious
Dauntain, Brian Percy. They also have defeated a dragon that was
devouring freeholds by finding its hidden heart and burning it, put down
an insane mummy, and slew a homocidal werewolf who attacked the Freehold
of the Four Winds, whose Lord, Lord Silverhair, has made them Knights of
the Realm. Andrea, a Wind Knight, is a gentle artist and future doctor,
while Milly, Knight of the Earth, is athletic, strong, and fierce, planning
to eventually become a softball coach. Assuming they manage to pass
their classes this semester, which is another story entirely.
The Red Knight of Celephais
There are many realms in the Dreaming; one of them is known as Celephais,
the eternal city, a great port hewn of rose tinted marble, gold, bronze,
and silver. It is a beautiful place, defended by seven knights who
serve noble King Kuranes. One of those is Asuka Langely, the Red
Knight. She is of mixed Japanese and German ancestry, with firey
red hair and a temper to match. She does most of her Magical Knight
work in the Dreaming, although from her home in Munich, she also sallies
forth to deal with nightmares in the streets, of which Munich has plenty.
The Knights of Concordia
Five they are in number, Joan Scott, Anna Williams, Susan Smith, Lara
Witt, and Lucy Perkins. For two years, they served King David of
Concordia, casting away their mortal lives to answer the call of destiny.
And now he is gone. And so they search for him endlessly, striving
to find him, for they know that a land without a king lacks both a leader
and more importantly, its heart. Their quest has taken them across
the length and breadth of North America, and still they seek for him, now
in the Dreaming. One never knows when the lonely cry of their hunting
horn may be heard.
The Knights of the Tower
The Knights of the Tower are legends among the Magical Knights, for
they are the first of the Magical Knights, risen to the Level of Knights
Protector (the near-legendary sixth level of Power-Up) or beyond.
Each of them has formed an alliance with a powerful elemental, and their
powers, it is said, could save a city from an army...or destroy it.
The Red Knight (childish but with fiery passion, ruling over Fire), the
Blue Knight (cool but strong-willed, ruling over Water) and the Green Knight
(shy and intellectual, ruling over Air) seem to appear where they are most
needed, turning the tide when all is lost.
The Rose Knight
Her name is unknown, but her pink hair, her tendency to dress like
a boy, and her rose signet ring mark her unmistakably among all the Knights
who have met her. She wears evolving armor that looks like a blue
eighteenth century Bavarian army uniform, although those who have heard
her speak say she has an unplaceable accent, and indeed, some rumors claim
all who speak to her hear her in their own tongue. Her skill with
a sword is nigh-unmatchable, and she is an athelete of some reknown.
Those who have spoken with her have heard of her desire to become a prince.
She is usually accompanied by her quiet, shy companion, an African woman
with curly purple hair and glasses, as the Rose Bride. Whether they
are lovers is also unkown. The Shadow Court desperately seeks the
Rose Bride for some unknown purpose, though it cannot be good, whatever
it is.
Most of the enemies of the Magical Knights tend to be things from the faerie end of the WOD spectrum, especially evil faeries and the chimerical servants of the Nightmare Lords. Some nightmares are simply manifestations of the fears associated with particular location (Think Youma), some are more powerful ones capable of inspiring humans to further nightmare (Youma Lord), and then there's the Lords of Nightmare themselves.
Thus a schoolroom notorious for a teacher who flunks students might eventually produce a Lesser Nightmare, which would resemble a twisted version of the teacher. The teacher herself might be a Greater Nightmare, who uses the misery of her students to breed Lesser Nightmares. And she would then report to one of the Lords of Nightmare, whose realm might be that of 'School Misery', accessible only through a secret portal in the basement.
Nightmares come in both the spontaneously generated and deliberately created varieties. The Lords of Nightmare spawn Nightmares to cause misery, and that misery in turn spawns more Nightmares. Both ends of the cycle must be attacked in order to shatter it, although the Knights tend to be better at dealing with the more overt foes (monsters) than the more subtle one (misery).
Dread Knights
Should the Storyteller choose to make this rumor real, the Dread Knights
have power and equipment much like the Magical Knights, but oriented towards
gloom, nightmares, fear, terror, pain, and other unpleasant things.
Dread Knights are more likely to work 'alone', alone meaning with a horde
of Lesser Nightmare followers, rather than as part of a band of Dread Knights.
They can take a Evil Horde background which gives them the background squared
in lesser nightmare minions.
Banality
The Magical Knights typically have a fairly low banality because of
their Arcadian ties. One can use their purity score to get an approximate
result:
The Mists
Magical Knights are unaffected by the Mists.
The Magical Knight Power-Up Rank Titles
A Senshi's Power-Up Stat reflects how powerful they can potentially become. Raising one's 'Power-Up' stat is like raising one's Arete in Mage; it requires achieving some sort of special task which reflects a growth in maturity and spiritual power. Or possibly just bribing the Storyteller with donuts, but that's out of our hands.
In the case of the Magical Knights, Power-Ups usually come at the end of some major quest OR at a point just before the climax, enabling you to achieve the level of power you need to overcome your foe.
No Power can reach a higher level than one's Power-Up level, and each level of Power-Up comes with an appropriate title within your Clique. In the case of the Magical Knights:
Physical:
Knack for Fencing (M3)
You have a knack with a blade. -1 difficulty with any bladed
weapon.
Trademark Hair(F1)
Your hair has changed color to match your powers, usually to something
fairly unusual, like blue. This makes disguising yourself harder,
and may cause you problems with job interviews, as well as making your
elemental power evident.
Mental:
Knack for Riddles (M1)
-1 difficulty to figuring out riddles, puzzles, and logic tricks.
Social:
Title in Faerie Society (M1-5)
You hold an actual noble title in Faerie society. The higher
the merit, the higher the title.
Freehold Ties (M2)
You have the right of refuge at a freehold.
Clueless About Faery Etiquette (F3)
You've just started at this knight thing, and you haven't had time
to pick up how things are supposed to work in faerie society. You
have a +1 to all social difficulties when dealing with fae, because you
just don't know the right thing to do.
Supernatural:
True Friendship (M2+)
You have a strong tie of friendship at an almost supernatural level
with one or more people (generally your band of Magical Knights).
This merit costs X +1 freebies, where X is the number of people covered
by it. You gain +3 dice to resist any magick which seeks to make
you betray them.
Signs of Power (F1-5)
Your magical power manifests itself for all to see to a greater or
lesser degree with this power, affecting how you dress, the impression
you give off, and at the highest level, causing spooky things to happen.
Mages would call this resonance.
Talents:
Kenning is available to Magical Knights, as per the Changeling rules.
Skills
Knowledges
Magical Knight Lore
You know all about the Magical Knights. You know who the most famous ones are, where they live, and where in the Dreaming they hang out.
Nightmare Lore
Unlike most people, you are aware of the horrible creatures which lurk just out of other people's sight. You know their origins, what kinds there are, where they come from, and how to destroy them.
Chimera:
Exactly like the Changeling background.
Dream:
This is exactly like the Mage background. Go buy it. Now.
Freehold:
This is just like the Changeling background. However, Knights
rarely have freeholds, so you have to pay an extra 3 points to get the
first pip.
Listed as:
Item (Merchandising level): Game effects
Evolving Armor (4):
Evolving Armor grants soak dice = to your Power-Up level with no dex
penalties. It can soak aggravated damage. Only you can
wear it, and by voice command, you can send it to hide in an extra-dimensional
pocket that follows you around.
Evolving Weapons (4):
Evolving Weapons inflict Strength + Power-Up dice in aggravated damage.
Only you can use it, and by voice command, you can send it to hide in an
extra-dimensional pocket that follows you around.
Power-Augmenting Pommel Gem (2):
This is a weapon accessory. It fits in the pommel of your evolving
weapon, and grants three bonus dice with your elemental power.
Elemental Powers:
Dreaming
This power lets you try to manipulate the very stuff
of dreams itself.
Non-Elemental Powers:
Enter the Dreaming:
By spending a purity point and rolling Wits + Enter the Dreaming against
local banality, you can step into the Near Dreaming or back. You
can also use this power to open Trods.
Extradimensional Pocket:
Many Magical Knights have the ability to keep things in a sort of personal
extradimensional space (the same one where Immortals from the Highlander
series keep their swords). You can store one man-portable object
in your 'pocket' per level in this power.