None yet.
Okay, then. A surprising number of the people interested in LoLaD (Lords of Life and Death) never heard of it before. (This is all JacobRiis’s fault, so I have to actually make an introduction to the world for those who know nothing about it.) To quote from the first LoLaD campaign:
“Welcome to the world of the Lords of the Living and Dead, where were-beings who can change into animals and animal-like things exist, hunting and being hunted by vampires. A world a lot like ours, but the stories and myths have some truth to them and magic exists in quiet alleys and hidden rooms, where those who are seen by humans open doors to other worlds, and gods and demons answer the call of those who follow them. This is a world of secrets, where men and things that might have been men fight silent wars, and children coming of age can do more deeds of good and evil than they can ever imagine, be things they never thought existed and maybe find a way to get a few drinks at the local bar with all this new power.”
Of course, this isn’t strictly true anymore. In 2001 a group of weres came into their own in San Franciso, where the local Pack was unable to find them in time and teach them about their nature. They managed to offend one of the heavy hitters (a vampire named Edward DeAth) who banished them from the city on pain of death. They went north on a kind of Homeric odyssey, if the Homer in question was Homer Simpson, and managed to get into battles with undead, magicians, fairy queens and at one point ended up changing in police cellss and causing the deaths of the entire station and most of the block by vampires who didn’t want the supernatural outed.
In due course they arrived in Canada and the town of Trail. Within a month there were a lot of dead bodies, the town surrounded by some magical shield, rumours of dragon sightings of all things and, eventually, they fled the town into the Summerland of the fae, which had somehow become the Winterland during this time. (It wasn’t there fault. Really.) During this time the technically alpha of the pack, Faline, outed herself on national TV and it spread, despite attempts by vampires and humans to stop it. A lot of other events happened world wide that wee leading to the same thing, but somehow Trail got considered the Big One, the “gear in the whole doomsday device.”
In the three years since then things have been hectic, dangerous, and often downright ugly. Faline &c. have been considered everything from public enemy #1 to heroes or villains but the genie is out of the bottle, as it were. Things are moving forward, regardless of hysteria and fears, and nowhere is this more noticeable than Hollywood.
Why? Because you can make money off of the supernatural. And Hollywood is nothing if not about making money. So, slowly but surely, the younger Were and Vampires and other, stranger things have been ending up their, drawn by the promise of money and the more intangible promise of acceptance in a world they can no longer hide from but don’t yet fit into.
N.B. No one has seen Faline or those associated with her (Rei, her husband, another were tiger, Simon the were, uh, golden retriever, a necromancer named Salem, and a man named Cecil) since. Nor will they likely enter into this campaign except as names mentioned by those “in the know”. (Or as NPCs run by their former players if the player can think up a cool way for them to cameo on the odd occasion.)
The original LoLaD campaign was funny, but had it’s dark side. The second was just weird (Ask about Artimus sometime :)) and the third turned out to not fit the setting in retrospect and Alcar didn’t have time to run it. This campaign is intended for more of a light-hearted tone than others, i.e. few mobs after PC blood, most of the riots and mass killings of packs and that may make the news, but it will be removed from Hollywood itself. It’s more about PCs trying to fit in, and become rich, and have a good time (and make the tabloids, with any luck :)).
Preference is given to Were or Vampire PCs simply because that were the focus of the first campaign in terms of relations to each other and because they are the Lords of Life and Death. What’s that mean? Damned if anyone knows anymore, but it’s important :p
The only interesting answers are those which destroy the questions.
- Susan Sontag
Where can I get ths FAQ?
Err, here. You’re reading it right now.
What is a F.A.Q.
Well, mommy and daddy get together and, errr, F-A-Q. Right. Frequently Asked Questions. And, well, no, they haven’t been asked yet, but they might be!
What are Weres?
Weres are people who can take on hybrid and animal forms at will and are very strong, dangerous, and powerful. All weres possess an Aura that can be used to make animals submissive, heal people, and sometimes damage others. While all creatures posses some kind of aura, weres are capable of very odd things with theirs due to being the Lords of Life.
One becomes a were by being mauled by one and surviving (surviving is rather unlikely most of the time, and catching the diseases, as some call it, isn’t a guarantee anyway). Being swarmed by animals of that type can cause it as well. Once Weres change for the first time, they gain incredibly enhanced strength, speed, and healing. Most of them find it impossible to fit back into the life the once had.
And, yeah, silver generally hurts and kills them, but not always.
What are Vampires?
Vampires are not undead. They’re, well, no one is sure really, but it’s neither dead nor alive. They do feed on blood, but don’t have to kill, and most of them are created via biting, sharing blood and various rituals that newly made vampires never recall and are never taught until they are at least a vampire a hundred years. It’s much harder to become one than to be a were.
Vampire auras are great for scaring people and making them realize they’re facing a nasty person. Most vampires can control minds and do a lot of weird mind tricks on people. Sunlight generally kills them, but not always. There are exceptions to every rule after all. Even this one.
General Advice
"I experience strange transformations whenever i get angry, and i end up eating my friends and family members. What should i do?"
- Confused in CA
Dear Confused: Well, you can either stop attending those family reunions or accept your a were and need help. Generally, eating your first human tends to be a traumatic experience, and some weres kill themselves, hate themselves, or find they like it and have to learn to control themselves.
Dear Abby: "I find myself having strange dreams and waking up with feathers in my mouth at night. The neighbours budgie is missing. What can I do?"
- Ashamed in LA
Dear Ashamed: Be glad it was only the budgie, and not the neighbour.
“I have this horrible urge to wear white makeup and wear black evening dress. What do I do?!”
- Fashionably Ridiculous.
Dear Ridiculous: Accept that you’re the Phantom of the Opera or become Goth. If, on the other hand, you are a vampire, please, please don’t do it. Goths don’t become vampires. Vampires have better sense than to do that. It would be like making Anne Rice into a vampire. Please seek help.
The Quotations from the first LoLaD campaign, for your amusement.
And the first shown Were Quarterly issue way back when.
And stuff on Power and auras :)