Northern saga plot/story arc idea

[Xavi]

DISCLAIMER: If you are a player in a Rhine saga and your SG reads this forum, I would advise against reading this thread in case he wants to use this plot line. There, you have been warned

Hello there!

Yesterday I was tinkering with a vitki character (and ended up with 600 XP in abilities for what I wanted in the 0.1 version ). Today I have printed it at work, and after looking at his V&F (which included Gentle Gift, Dark Secret and "OoH lore 1" it hit me. the original idea was to have him posing as a Custos or mercenary in a covenant, to learn stuff about the Order. But what if I did put him inside the order?

What if a magical botch uncovers that a Redcap working in one of the northern tribunals is in fact a Vitki?. Imagine that the "redcap lineage" of this line comes from a Danish redcap that first entered the order say 120 years ago, and that (on close examination) all the members of this line have served the order for 3 tribunal periods and then retired, only to "die" or disappear after a period of around 5-10 years each. (Since they were retired and had returned their items, they were out of the Order's radar).

That opens a whole area of plot possibilities, with the Rhine (and other) tribunals likely going berserk.
Will the redcaps accept to be subject to scrying, even if that might uncover secrets of other magi in the order that they have sworn to protect?
What if there are several redcaps infiltrated?
What if there were infiltrators in other tribunals as well?
What if MOST redcaps are infiltrators?
What if this is an isolated case and the OoOdin really doesn't exist? What if it is not and we are in the brink of a magical Judgement Day?
Does this confirm that the OoOdin is real? What other mages are collaborating with them? Those that call for quietness and tranquility before retailation surely are collaborators! Shot first and ask questions later!
OPther magi might take advantage of the scrying to accuse someone of being a collaborator, shot/kill and then fabricate proof against them as well....

The potential is too good to waste. However, being what it is, this would totally blow my saga to pieces and spell doom for the character's covenant (vitkir will already be there since the saga is set on Man, and the magi will have to thread a fine line not to be called "collaborators of the Order of Odin" in the first place) so I decided to share in case someone likes it

Cheers,
Xavi

[Bash]

DISCLAIMER: If you are a player in a Rhine saga and your SG reads this forum, I would advise against reading this thread in case he wants to use this plot line. There, you have been warned

Interesting... I am a player and SG in a Rhine Tribunal saga... hmmmm....

...What if a magical botch uncovers that a Redcap working in one of the northern tribunals is in fact a Vitki?. Imagine that the "redcap lineage" of this line comes from a Danish redcap that first entered the order say 120 years ago, and that (on close examination) all the members of this line have served the order for 3 tribunal periods and then retired, only to "die" or disappear after a period of around 5-10 years each. (Since they were retired and had returned their items, they were out of the Order's radar).

That opens a whole area of plot possibilities, with the Rhine (and other) tribunals likely going berserk.
Will the redcaps accept to be subject to scrying, even if that might uncover secrets of other magi in the order that they have sworn to protect?

Very interesting point. I mean, who likes being searched and surveilled? The fact that there's little they can do to stop it is, IMO, counterbalanced by the potential consequences, such as Redcaps warning every mage they encounter that their cargo is no longer sacrosanct, even Redcaps refusing to carry out their duties. What does the Order do if there is a "labor strike" of Mercere? This makes the concept of "trust is the glue that binds us" a tangible thing, not just some fuzzy platitude.

What if there are several redcaps infiltrated?

I would assume a wholesale mind-reaming of every Redcap would be the logical consequence; security has to be a paramount concern in a situation like this. Of course, others would inevitably disagree.

What if there were infiltrators in other tribunals as well?

The plot thickens. Once word gets out I would figure that magi across Europe would begin to stop using Redcap services, preferring their own covenant's resources (assuming they had grogs and companions to spare as messengers), as well as many might insist on insuring their visiting Redcaps were legit via their own mind-probing magics, with the inevitable consequences that would cause. Then just general distrust, maybe even shunning Redcaps and overt disrespect towards them. Very bad news, indeed.

What if MOST redcaps are infiltrators?

This is a recipe for a saga-rupturing Schism War II. You'd have to be willing to blow up your saga in a very big way, as a revelation of this magnitude would likely result in a drastic reconsidering of Mercere's status as a House. I foresee revocation of privileges, orders for all Redcaps to report to Hermetic "re-education" centers, all sorts of draconian security measures that no one will like.

What if this is an isolated case and the OoOdin really doesn't exist?

Awww, that's no fun.

What if it is not and we are in the brink of a magical Judgement Day?

Schism War II. Pick your sides, kids, and get ready for a wild fireworks show.

Does this confirm that the OoOdin is real? What other mages are collaborating with them? Those that call for quietness and tranquility before retailation surely are collaborators! Shot first and ask questions later!
OPther magi might take advantage of the scrying to accuse someone of being a collaborator, shot/kill and then fabricate proof against them as well....

Yes, all-out pandemonium and bloody chaos! Sick and twisted. I like it!

The potential is too good to waste. However, being what it is, this would totally blow my saga to pieces and spell doom for the character's covenant (vitkir will already be there since the saga is set on Man, and the magi will have to thread a fine line not to be called "collaborators of the Order of Odin" in the first place) so I decided to share in case someone likes it

My saga is also too crowded with potential covenant-blasting plots right now, but this is a diabolically good plotline. One must be wary with these World War-type scenarios, however, and be ready to start moving very large pieces around the map. We've done a couple of these massive upheaval plots in the past and they were quite fun while they lasted, but very taxing for the SG as he/she has to play the major forces of both sides of the conflict. Armies of magi tromping around the countryside blasting everything in sight, repercussions in churches, castles, everywhere. If someone does use it I'm very curious to know how it turns out! Thanks for the nice idea!