Occultist Cliches and Pitfalls, version 2.0

AmunetAmunet Spokane, Washington, USA
Once upon a time, I made a rather snide, ineloquent thread about the cliches and pitfalls to which new Occultists, be they truly new or troublemaking alts, often fall victim. Thanks to some wonderful questions asked by @Sybilla in another thread, I have decided to post a revised version here on these new forums. It is significantly better-phrased, its tone is more constructive and less disparaging. The old version is still kicking about on the internet somewhere; feel free to do a search for it, if you want a laugh.

If you are considering becoming a member of the Occultist class - especially if you plan to join the Occultists - this thread will describe what might be termed "bad roleplay" for this class (and in slightly altered forms, likely for many others, as well). In general, the members of the Occultists are not big fans of "special snowflake" roleplay from novices. Most of us are of the school of thought that attention, respect, and power are things that must be earned, not things to be freely granted. Bear that in mind, work hard, and display a willingness to pay you dues, and we will overlook nearly any fault or inconsistency in your roleplay ... but these aren't among those acts considered pardonable. ;)

This list will be updated as more bad roleplay arises. 


SECTION I - BACKGROUND CLICHES

Cliche: "I was an orphan. I grew up in Shallam, and around the age of <insert age here> I was enrolled in the choir. I endured years of sexual abuse and/or religious indoctrination at the hands of the perverse Choirmaster before making my escape at age <insert age here>."

Why it should be avoided: First of all, this joke is older than time. It is so overdone that even the Occultists fail to snicker over it as much as they once did. Secondly, I have never seen anyone roleplay the long-term effects of sexual abuse, let alone roleplay them well. The story becomes a feeble plot device to justify one's loathing of the House's historic enemies. There are legitmate, canon reasons why Occultists should hate Shallam, which you can work into your character's purpose once you have learned about them in late novicehood. 

Cliche: "I was born to a single mother. She died when I was <insert age here>, but {she told me|I discovered shortly afterward} that my father was a(n) {Occultist|Nihilist|Discordian}. Please, help me find my father!"

Why it should be avoided: Whether you have a potential parent in mind, or you simply expect the person you ask to help you find your family, this sort of thing forces another Occultist to take part in your roleplay. I can't think of any member of Team Chaos who would bloodline a child who had these expectations, so it is likely that the people who attempt it will end up disappointed. If you want to find your character's parents, there are much better ways to do so - so many, in fact, that they could end up the subject of their own thread.


Cliche: "My mother was raped by {Chaos Lords|Pazuzu|Babel}, which makes me half-{Chaos Lord|demon|God}. My power is indomitable! Look how mighty I am!"

Why it should be avoided: One thing you must understand about the higher Chaotic powers is that they are just that - higher. They are so far above the mortal inhabitants of Sapience that the fact that we are able to carry on any sort of relationship with them at all ought to be a source of wonder for us. Babel rarely deigns to speak with mortals directly - even mortals within His own Order - so the likelihood of Him raping a mortal woman in order to conceive a child is slim to none. The same goes for the Chaos Lords. I can only recall one time in canon history that a Chaos Lord left the Chaos Plane to enter the Prime Material Plane, and it took the kidnapping of another Chaos Lord to make it happen. What is more, only practitioners of Occultism are allowed upon the Chaos Plane - any others are to be killed on sight. Even the Occultists with whom the Chaos Lords bargain are treated with a healthy measure of disdain. The idea that the Chaos Lords would sully themselves by coupling with mortals is almost inconceivable .
My avatar is an image created by this very talented gentleman, of whose work I am extremely jealous. It was not originally a picture of Amunet, but it certainly looks a great deal like how I envision her!
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Comments

  • But you can totally ignore the rape, pregancy and choas babies part as long as your a nihilist or Melodie, right?
  • edited December 2012
    Everyone I've known who has successfully and tastefully RP'd those three things (or something similar) have already been well established characters. A novice cant really get away with them.

    Edit: Come to think of it, most experienced players cant get away with it either. You've gotta be a damned good RPer to sustain these concepts complexities and make them believable, which is why most people fail.
    I won a competition awhile ago to have Chris Bourassa paint a picture of Lodi. My profile pic is the end product. :)
  • There's a pretty strong history of it in the congregation as well. I think every female messiah before me got knocked up by Morimbuul at some stage or another.
  • What Mel had was a parasite and there was totally no rape involved. I did not have relations with that woman!

  • Tahquil said:
    There's a pretty strong history of it in the congregation as well. I think every female messiah before me got knocked up by Morimbuul at some stage or another.
    Really? I thought it was only Ladydeath and someone else who literally got hard-code impregnanted by Morimbuul? I could be wrong though. :)
    I won a competition awhile ago to have Chris Bourassa paint a picture of Lodi. My profile pic is the end product. :)
  • Idk, but apparenetly I'm that things dad. <_<

  • AmunetAmunet Spokane, Washington, USA
    @Tahquil- While teasing @Flair about that incident, I managed to sneak in a "Bed Intruder" reference. Semi-bad RP, but worth it.
    My avatar is an image created by this very talented gentleman, of whose work I am extremely jealous. It was not originally a picture of Amunet, but it certainly looks a great deal like how I envision her!
  • JonathinJonathin Retired in a hole.
    Good thread.
    I am retired and log into the forums maybe once every 2 months. It was a good 20 years, live your best lives, friends.
  • MelodieMelodie Port Saint Lucie, Florida
    Hey. I hear you talking about me.

    Don't make me come over there! *shakefist*













    In any case, @Morro is correct. Everything was kept -tasteful-.

    Well, until @Halos stabbed her in the stomach, anyway. :-/

    Love the thread, @Amunet. I know you guys get some crazies - hopefully this helps a bit.
    And I love too                                                                          Be still, my indelible friend
    That love soon might end                                                         You are unbreaking
    And be known in its aching                                                      Though quaking
    Shown in this shaking                                                             Though crazy
    Lately of my wasteland, baby                                                 That's just wasteland, baby
  • You'd implode from the sheer cliched-ness of it all, taking all of Achaea out with you. So Babel wins.

     I'm not sure that's the message Amunet wanted to put across.

    Also, I'd love to see a Serpent/Magi version of this. I've probably fallen into every pitfall of the second one, ever.
  • MelodieMelodie Port Saint Lucie, Florida
    edited December 2012
    Tvistor said:
    Melodie said:
    @Halos stabbed her in the stomach, anyway. 
    If that actually happened, best Caliph to date.
    Well, this happened a few years before @Halos was Caliph. Slightly edited version to keep it short, but here's a snippet:

    Halos wields a bronze ritual knife in his left hand.

    Father Halos Vorondil says ceremonially with an eastern accent, "All our thoughts and our soul we have committed to thee, O Guardian, deliver her from all attacks of the enemy."

    Halos stands swiftly, bearing the knife in upturned fist, sweat pouring down his face.

    Halos murmurs reverently as he advances upon you with a grimace.

    Melodie stares at Halos, her eyes widening as she watches him advance upon her, her trembling increasing.

    Father Halos Vorondil whispers with an eastern accent, "O radiant Light, make radiant her soul, guide and Guardian Angel, given her by the Light."

    Darting forward, Halos locks eyes with you briefly before plunging the bronze knife into your belly in one smooth motion.

    Halos rips the knife downward in a stabbing motion, and with a grimace, draws the knife back, blood flowing from the ragged wound.

    Father Halos Vorondil whispers with an eastern accent, "The enemy troubles and tramples on her, and teaches her to follow her own desires but, O my Guide, forsake not the dying."

    --

    More on topic: @Amunet, what's the craziest novice you've had in memory?
    And I love too                                                                          Be still, my indelible friend
    That love soon might end                                                         You are unbreaking
    And be known in its aching                                                      Though quaking
    Shown in this shaking                                                             Though crazy
    Lately of my wasteland, baby                                                 That's just wasteland, baby
  • Will this make the white folk like me mama?
  • Amunet said:
    And who could forget @Asmodron? He remains so bitter about having failed his final examination that he has taken to heckling me on the forums. ;)

    Nawww you remember me, kiss and make up time. *huuuug*
  • I should do one for the Congregation, but from what I can see our novices are shockingly non-offensive. Worst I got was a busty siren that Alynna sneered at once, but she went inactive anyways.
  • XerXer Langley
    edited December 2012
    That's because all the offensive ones get kicked out immediately :D 

    A small shrubbery declared <silly name> to be a formal enemy. Reason: Moron.

    EDIT: Better leafy mister?
    ----------------------------------------------------------------------
    e^(iπ) + 1 = 0
  • MishgulMishgul Trondheim, Norway
    My name isn't redacted wtf

    -

    One of the symptoms of an approaching nervous breakdown is the belief that one's work is terribly important

    As drawn by Shayde
    hic locus est ubi mors gaudet succurrere vitae
  • I can think of three I think from the congregation, trying desperately to find who the prgeny ended up being but I think that was on my old laptop. Viscount Nebatu(sp?) is the only name I can recall.
  • I know where to find the info but it's past 2 am and I want to go to sleep.
    ________________________
    The soul of Ashmond says, "Always with the sniping."

    (Clan): Ictinus says, "Stop it Jiraishin, you're making me like you."
  • Beya said:
    @Amunet fantastic thread, thank you. It drives me to make one for Jesters - for the good of all players ever.


    @Beya Do it. I'm sure the more general rules from her posts can be copied without infringement.

    Just don't make it too Nazi, because while there are more types of jesters than the fallback "annoying clown", they won't all be corralled into dark jester or combat jester or poised performance jester.

    I like my steak like I like my Magic cards: mythic rare.
  • @Amunet: Are there still novices who have used the 'I was x'd by Shallamese priest?' backstory even today?

  • AmunetAmunet Spokane, Washington, USA
    All the time. It's the cliche that won't go away. :(
    My avatar is an image created by this very talented gentleman, of whose work I am extremely jealous. It was not originally a picture of Amunet, but it certainly looks a great deal like how I envision her!
  • I feel bad for you. :(

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