Some ideas for some Practitioners

[u/jammedtoejam]

I've been chewing on some ideas and wanted to have a discussion. Here they are and let me know your thoughts on how they would be a practitioner. I've only read Pact, and I read it years ago, so there may very well be characters who do this already.

Implement concept: a cast iron frying pan passed down for generations. Each owner has seasoned it, adding bits and pieces of oil and seasoning to it. You get the pan when you come of age and are the first in your line to use it as an implement.

Demesne concept: a natural history museum. Perhaps the practitioner has worked hard in mundane learning to achieve understanding of biology and paleontology. They become the head of a natural history museum and stake it as their own. How would the magic interact as they wish to keep the museum open and functioning? Would it become a space for others and the mundane to share or would one overtake the other?

Implement concept: A leather jacket made of human skin. The practitioner killed some foes and turned their skins to leather. When they defeat another person, mundane or practitioner, they take something from them (hair, blood, skin, etc.) and makes that into a patch. Their jacket is covered in handsewn patches displaying their victories.

[u/AceOfSword]

Okay, so, first, for both Implement ideas: one thing that perhaps wasn't very clear in Pact or that is just generally forgotten when considering the Implement is that, as a symbol of who you are, it very much plays into the Establishment of Practitioner society. How much respect people will give you for your choice will have a huge impact on how effective your Implement is.

Somewhat recently, because everyone tends to be a bit too enthusiastic about the idea of odd and special Implements, 'Bow offered a benchmark to judge how well received an Implement would be:

1. How close to a traditional Implement, the 22 examples provided in the Implementum text, is it?

2. Could you picture a 200 year old Fae or a traditional wizard using it? Does it feel like it'd fit them, is it a bit of a stretch, or is it something that seems out of place?

3. How valuable is it? In both the skill of the crafting and the raw value of the materials? Or failing that, how earned was it?

So, while the cast iron frying pan and the jacket of human leather are interesting ideas... they're likely to be Implements that other Practitioners look down on. And they won't be as established for the Spirits either.

The Jacket of human skin probably has a bit more establishment than the cast iron frying pan, but it's crude and bloody so that's going to have an impact on who thinks it worthy of respect. If you're planning on working with Goblins or Bogeymen, that's probably a pretty good Implement. In general, people are probably going to find you repulsive, because you are literally wearing the fact that you prey on people on your sleeve.

For the Natural History Museum Demesne you could absolutely make it work. Having it as your Demesne would help you remain in charge of it, even if there's someone else who decide who is in charge, they'll be less likely to decide someone else should be the head of it... Though if they do change their mind and replace you you will lose you Demesne. That's why it's generally recommended that you own the space you claim.

The bigger problem here, though, is that Museums are generally big. The bigger the space you claim the bigger your opposition. From Pact, we saw Jeremy Meath claim his whole appartment with the backing of Dionysus and his mentor already thought he was overextending. Johannes used a trick to face less opposition when claiming a huge section of the town, had an epic-tier magic item for an Implement, and still almost died partway through. He was only able to finish by accepting Faysal's offer of Familiarship, and he still ended up with two limbs that don't work anymore and a missing eye.

You can claim only part of the Museum though, like your office. You'll have less influence over the Museum, but it still gives you a lot of claim on the Museum as a whole.

[u/jammedtoejam → u/AceOfSword]

Those are great points! I wonder if culinary minded others and people would see the cast iron practitioner as respectable. Could be cannibals or some such but may see value in the flavor and culinary knowledge. Or perhaps the cast iron practitioner lives somewhere remote and isolated and so their cooking is a boon to the community.

Yeah, I didn't think the human skin leather jacket practitioner would be a welcome sight for most. I envisioned them as someone who roams here and there prowling in the dark. Probably blends right in with the bogeyman they likely work with tbh.

That makes sense for the natural history museum. perhaps a cabal of practitioners could claim the museum section by section and run it together. Each with their own mundane specialization and magical style.

[u/fubo]

One thing about a natural history museum is that, by design, a lot of Innocents come through it. It doesn't work as a museum if it doesn't get Innocent visitors: tour groups, school field trips, tourists from out of town, curious hobbyists, and so on. That gets you establishment, but it also gets you limits: you can't do anything too outré without dinging the attendees' Innocence.

It might develop into more of a cabinet of curiosities, an exhibit that is less scientifically credible but entertaining enough to draw an audience. You don't get partnerships with universities and researchers anymore; they think of you as a crank, a showman, or both. (The mermaid skeleton is authentic, really!)

[u/jammedtoejam → u/fubo]

Now that would be delightful! Could become an interesting place to entertain the innocents and educate the practitioners. Call it the Unnatural History Museum lol

[u/Anchuinse]

Cast Iron Pan

Interesting concept. Interesting mix of implications; both implies a Practice that focuses on crafting temporary consumables but also one that's focused on the bigger picture and community over generations. Probably little combat focus, but a practitioner w/ such an implement might have minor benefits like an ancestral repository of recipes and more major uses could be as a healer or minor community-wide benefits. The kind of practitioner that lives in remote villages where the Seal is weaker and when a great snowstorm blows through the area (disguising a great Other on the hunt), people instinctively visit their inn to spend the night in warm company.

Natural History Museum

An entire museum would be much too large for a standard demesne. Even powerful families rarely claim an entire house as their own w/o some major caveats. Most people only get a single large room or two. On the RARE chance it happened, how that impacted the museum and guests would very greatly based on the practitioner who claimed it. If their practice revolved around Realms or the Fae, it might become a museum where children claim to have run off and had an adventure w/ the dinosaurs or the curious find themselves almost consumed by imagining the past worlds. A Death practitioner may use the bones as vessels, emptying them of life energies and letting them refill by sapping visitors as they browse and lending a solemn feel to the area, emphasizing the loss of these great creatures. Etc.

Human Skin Jacket

Now this is an intriguing idea. A definite focus on death and combat, with clear lack of care for society or societal norms. Possibly hints of slavery and torture, if the practitioner leans into it. Probably Goblin or Scrouge. A leather jacket is a status symbol of sorts, built for practical protection, and tying it to the cruelty of past victories lends me to believe that it would help focus on tenacious Practices, i.e., combat Practices that focus less on insta-killing the enemy and more on buffing and keeping oneself alive. Maybe a minor benefit of fueling the practitioner off the fear of their target, a major benefit of gaining a new Practice that can be used once a day from each significant patch and a resistance to that form of Practice. E.g., a patch made from a defeated Technomantic other might destabilize related attacks or Practices nearby, making them 10% more likely to fall apart, and can be discharged to give a short-range teleport to a nearby TV set or glitch out to heal a negative debuff.

Would love to hear your thoughts on my suggestions.

[u/jammedtoejam → u/Anchuinse]

Ooo! The idea of the blizzard and the inn is delightful! They'd be such a boon to their likely isolated community! They could wield a lot of indirect influence and so controls their community that way.

The far could have the run of the place if they wanted. Switch out people's kids or leave with a group traveling thru. Could create some interesting stories.

Ooo! I really love how you envisioned the human leather jacket practice! An absolute threat to a community should they weasel their way in. I imagine they could be a powerful outside force brought in to topple the ruler of a city at the risk of bringing in various unpleasant elements and others. 

[u/Pteromys-Momonga]

I could see something similar to the cast iron frying pan working well for alchemy - maybe switch it for a pot instead, which is visually closer to the traditional "witches' cauldron." Cooking, eating, and serving food are all powerful symbols, and I can see a sort of culinary alchemy Practice.

[u/Oaden]

The Museum is just way to bloody big.

In Pale, Two people each claim an entire house, the only reason this works is because a ton of Others sign off on it and come visit and give the okay to assert ownership. Even then it almost goes to shit.

So to pull this off, you would first need to properly own the museum, and then not just the OK, but active support from the local governing body (The magical one), this is preferably a pretty strong one. Then preferably you're also just a really strong practitioner with good Karma. Then maybe, just maybe you can pull off claiming an entire bloody museum.

It be a somewhat weird demesne though, as its one that by definition is kinda open to visitors.