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  1. #1
    Jim Cooper
    Guest

    Detecting bloodlines

    LeeHa1854@aol.com wrote:
    > Changing the topic a little, does anyone have ideas for detecting a
    > bloodline? <

    Now isn't *that* the million dollar question! Wouldn't people just
    _have_ to *know* that someone was blooded? If someone could give a
    definitive answer to the various ways bloodlines are detected, that
    would go a long way in describing what RPs represent and so forth, since
    the two are intrisically linked (according to the rules).

    Wouldn't Cerilian commoners just take the assumption that their leaders
    and rulers are automatically blooded? They have 'the blood' or are
    'gifted'? I wouldn't see why not. Apparently, bloodlines are a very
    tangible reality in Cerilia; and people just naturally favour people who
    have bloodlines.

    This is often demonstrated by blooded people because of the way RPs work
    (according to the official lines). Wouldn't people just be able to look
    at a person and say: "That person is of the blood. I know because he
    strikes me as different. I don't know how they strike me as different;
    they just do. I better do what the blooded person says, because they
    obviously are a superior person to me because of that." In effect, RPs
    were just spent on this particular occasion by the person the speaker
    indicated to promote the action the blooded person wants to do.

    (This is why I still squirm at the current definition of regency and RPs
    discussed on this list before. I just DON'T like what the above
    implies ... ).

    IF, however, the generation of regency points was entirely independant
    from having a bloodline, then I would feel *very* comfortable believing
    the definitions of regency as given by Carrie and Ed ...

    Just stirring the pot ... :)

    Cheers,
    Darren

  2. #2
    Mark A Vandermeulen
    Guest

    Detecting bloodlines

    As people can see, I'm still catching up from the weekend.

    On Fri, 2 Oct 1998, Jim Cooper wrote:

    > LeeHa1854@aol.com wrote:
    > > Changing the topic a little, does anyone have ideas for detecting a
    > > bloodline? <
    >
    > Now isn't *that* the million dollar question! Wouldn't people just
    > _have_ to *know* that someone was blooded? If someone could give a
    > definitive answer to the various ways bloodlines are detected, that
    > would go a long way in describing what RPs represent and so forth, since
    > the two are intrisically linked (according to the rules).
    >
    > Wouldn't Cerilian commoners just take the assumption that their leaders
    > and rulers are automatically blooded? They have 'the blood' or are
    > 'gifted'? I wouldn't see why not. Apparently, bloodlines are a very
    > tangible reality in Cerilia; and people just naturally favour people who
    > have bloodlines.
    >
    > This is often demonstrated by blooded people because of the way RPs work
    > (according to the official lines). Wouldn't people just be able to look
    > at a person and say: "That person is of the blood. I know because he
    > strikes me as different. I don't know how they strike me as different;
    > they just do. I better do what the blooded person says, because they
    > obviously are a superior person to me because of that." In effect, RPs
    > were just spent on this particular occasion by the person the speaker
    > indicated to promote the action the blooded person wants to do.

    I play that unless the scion has the bloodmark ability, their possession
    of blood power is not necessarily immediately noticed. Thus, it is still
    possible for regents to go slumming among their people, but they do have
    to be careful. In my conception of how blood power works on people who
    don't possess it, the 'coercive' power of the blood on the minds of the
    unblooded works only through direct interaction. Just seeing a bloke at
    the next table in the tavern isn't enough to reveal that he is blooded.
    Also, some people are more sensitive to the power than others: for a rare
    few, just a shared glance, and few seconds of meeting someone's eye, is
    enough for them to realize that they are in the presence of a scion. For
    most, however, if the regent is careful, the commoners to whom he give
    simple requests or asks plain questions may never realize WHY they were so
    willing to be helpful to a stranger. After all, meeting a scion is not
    going to be a daily event for most people, and they will certainly expect
    such an important person to be dressed up to the nines and followed by a
    crowd of retainers. They certainly won't expect the stranger wearing
    peasant commons to be their leader, and so may not realize the meaning of
    the strange feeling of subservience they felt upon meeting such a figure
    until much later, if at all.

    > (This is why I still squirm at the current definition of regency and RPs
    > discussed on this list before. I just DON'T like what the above
    > implies ... ).
    >
    > IF, however, the generation of regency points was entirely independant
    > from having a bloodline, then I would feel *very* comfortable believing
    > the definitions of regency as given by Carrie and Ed ...

    In my personal conception, bloodline strength is as much about renown and
    perception by others that you are a person of importance as it is about
    who your parents were. I typically give PC's a point or two for defeating
    an awnsheighlein or a hereditary enemy IF they allow the event to become
    common knowledge via bard song. The event increases the perception of that
    person as significant. So I feel it should work the same way that we
    generally suppose AD&D gods work: the more respect they get, the more they
    are held as important and influential, the more powerful they are.

    Works for me.

    Mark VanderMeulen
    vander+@pitt.edu

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