The thiefs of identity - the lords of grand central

[NykylaiHellray]

Since the competition by wolfkook seems to be on hold I have decided to write grand central as a ravenloft inspired realm occupying the mists.

The advantage of this, is that some of the more wacky and less gothic horror ideas are unbound by restriction. Which would be enforced upon it if it was a core domain.

As such I am starting to think more about the metaphors which surround the city and personify the charecters.

At present each lord and lady (all who believe they are in charge, but who each are prisoners of the city themselves. In turn it would be best to think of them as dark lords of pocket domains of the city). All personify a function which serves the city. The second aspect of them is that they each repersent an aspect of the train masters past.

None of the lords and ladies presented here know of their function. Each are more concerned with themselves that they never relise what is in reality going on.

Sandra Barnett
The emotion thief and drug baroness of murcutt street.

Sandra's decadence and unwillingness to surrunder her ways has left her immortal yet eternally hideous. Deformed by her actions she repesents the twisted entity which the trainmaster became to get what he desires.

As for her function she is the purger of the lose cogs which no longer function and work against the city. These include but no exclusive to the homeless, the lazy, and the unable. The faceless masses which no one will miss.

Penelope Dreadful
Story thief, weaver of memories and dreams.

Penelope's fear and denial of her past repersents the tragedy of the train master. Of a child forced to grow up to soon, and losing oneself to toil forsaking the unnecessary and using the creativity of others to create ones work.

As for function she removes thoughts and dreams that could lead to the downfall of the city. She also removes the stories from Sandra's "raw materials".

The Watchsmiths
Those who fear the flesh and rob time.

The chain of watchsmiths are each drawn in turn to the city. Each gripped by the fear of mortality, but also disgusted by the flesh.

The same fear the train master poscessed.

Through manipulating the central clock tower, they remove time from those who dont use it, and sell it on to those with the wealth to enjoy it. But always taking more for themselves.

Their desires in turn consume them, giving them time in abundance. Drowned in moments, their life is slowed to the point that flesh becomes clay, organs cogs, and blood oil.

As for function they mantain that the machine runs smoothly, that time is distributed to the correct cogs (citizens). As some cogs need to run more slowly/faster then others.



The last two lords I am thinking of, is one who watches the faceless cabal, and the other is the manager of the bank. The later is one whose obsession with order has driven him mad. Though at the same time he is probably the closest one can be to working out the truth behind the city.



Each of these lords steal somthing from people. Each of which we use to indentify ourselves.

Those who go through the process become little more then shells. Faceless identical soilders, automatons whose only purpose is to carry out the will of the city.

Robbed of emotion, memories, dreams, time, gender and their face. They dont have an identity which can be classified.

The city percieves people as mere tools. Fuel and components whose only purpose is to futher itself.

I have many other ideas, though at first i want to get opinions on the lords. What I am asking is, are the amount of lords sufficent? Do you think I have classified all the aspects of identity which can be stolen?

Also from a gameplay perpective do you think a city designed with many different pocket domains. With one central dark lord can work?

[NykylaiHellray]

I am putting this as a new post, as I feel it doesnt fit the context of the last post.

The train master is a unique entity. As a dark lord he does not have a curse. He has avoided this by creating, or helping to create people who repersent him and carry out his will.

He also is not in some respects alive, or dead (and no hes not undead either). Hes a will, and a personality which empowers the city and the trains.

Ofc this loophole as such has not provided him immunity.

The first story I am writting will cover this. But its also an experiment for me to explore what identity is.


The Girl who lost her face

This story concerns a faceless who relises it is someone (and in particular a she). This slightly insane creature escapes from her kin and goes on a jorney of self identity.

Driven mad at first due to the lack of ways to make herself seem different from the others, her first act is to carve a face for herself with a piece of broken glass.

The roughly drawn visage acts as a makeshift identity for her, one which shifts due to mood and when she speaks.

The jorney in which she undetakes, is supposed to understand what identity means. Is it merely the memories we have? the face people see? the emotions we feel? or is it somthing more deeper.

For example, if someone loses their face to a fire or changes their gender, arnt they still them? if someone loses their memories doesnt that person still exist? and if someones emotions change due to a traumatic experience, surely they are still themself?

On otherhand the story is the overdue curse for the trainmaster. She is the bug in the system. The glitch which he cant understand, that will ultimatly break down and destroy the city he has constructed around himself.

This will also set up many of the other charecters in this city. Setting up adventure plots and story hooks in which the players can explore.

One example of charecters introduced are the conductors. Beings like the faceless, but instead of being forced to comply to the system. They have become so reliant on it, they have become apart of it.

Any ideas or criticisms based on what I have written will be greatly appreciated.

[NykylaiHellray]

I guess its becoming less and less gothic horror for peoples tastes here ^^;