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Lights

Page history last edited by Huitzil 13 years, 7 months ago

 

Lights

 

"Luck is the residue of design."

 


Imagine if you will a technological paradise. A perfect, brilliant utopia where science has ascended to its greatest heights and the secrets of the universe have been laid bare for all to see. Where all of humanity sees with clear, wise eyes and even the lowest laborer is learned enough to be a scholar in today’s world. That is the dream of the Queen of Lights and her followers. 

The Lights believe that as times change, so must the Hopeful. They believe that the best way to defeat the darkness is to study it and adapt their techniques to fight it. New methods must be adopted, and the old ways must be tested, refined, and improved. Lights also are shameless pedagogues, firmly believing in the power of knowledge and learning to improve the lives of people. In short, the goal of the Lights is perfection. They analyze the world around them, determine what must be changed, how to change it, and then proceed to do so cleanly and efficiently. 

Seekers often follow the Queen of Lights. The attitudes of many scientifically minded Seekers tend to naturally fall into the Light’s philosophy, while some Seeker detectives appreciate the Lights’ sharp, methodical approach to problems. Cunning, strategically minded Champions are surprisingly common among the Lights. Such Princesses fight with both brains and brawn, and are often the best tactical leaders among the Hopeful. Mender Lights often focus as much on the improvement and spread of medical technology as on treating patients. Menders who specialize in the mental health of their wards sometimes become lights, thinking that if the workings of the human mind were revealed any madness would become curable. Graces who become Lights are often prominent pedagogues both among the Hopeful and the mundane community. Other Graces simply favor the Lights’ systematic and logical approach when confronting problems in their community. Troubadours are uncommon among the Lights. Not only is the analytical mindset of the Queen of Lights’s followers counterintuitive to many Troubadours, but society’s dreams of a scientific utopia have long been tarnished and broken.

The Light’s duties focus on improving the lives around her through the use of knowledge and technology, or by approaching problems in a scientific manner. Graces and Seekers often act as teachers or tutors. Menders spread advanced medical treatment to those who need it. Champions often volunteer their services mechanics or repairmen. Troubadours wield their art like a scalpel, making cutting commentaries about the flaws and problems of both their community and society at large. 

Lights are an odd combination of idealism and practicality. On one hand, many approach the business of improving the world in a logical, no-nonsense manner. They set goals, identify problems and obstacles, and work out solutions with as much precision as they can muster. However, they also believe that any problem, not matter how big or complex, can be solved with that method given enough time. Like all Hopeful, the Lights dream big and many believe that a utopia could achieved with in their lifetime if everyone just sat down and used their heads for once. Many Lights are also perfectionists, expecting the highest of themselves and their work and often grow frustrated when their plans and projects fail or stall. Despite their analytical mindset, many Lights also harbor a healthy respect for intuition. From their perspective, it’s fast, often accurate, and harder to trick than intellect alone. Lights tend to treat the communities under their care like a great machine or system, one which they continually fiddle with and improve.

The Light’s Transformed selves run a gamut of different fashions. The “Crystal spires and Togas” look is fairly popular, consisting of loose, robe like garments colored white or more rarely, light blue. The superhero-eque form is as common among Lights as followers of the other queens, often favoring colors such as white, blue, and silver. Other Lights take on a scholarly appearance, looking like professors or scientists. A small but growing offshoot of this is the “mad scientist” style, which often favors lab coats, goggles, and wild hair. More physically oriented Lights sometimes take on a “scientific hero” look. The Light’s are the most likely to incorporate technology into their transformed selves, mostly in the form of miniature computers, headsets or handheld communicators. Even the phylacteries of many Lights take on a distinct technological appearance when they are transformed, appearing as unusual looking gadgets. And supposedly one Light is running around in a frock coat and an implausibly long, colorful scarf. 

In their mundane state, Lights’ echo manifests as a sort of confidence and focus in the people around them. People near them feel focused and sharp, and the problems they face seem clear and more importantly, solvable. Lights run the gamut in terms of fashions and preferences, but overall there is a slight tendency toward conservative dress. Unlike the Hearts, this is mostly an effort to get people to take them seriously rather than any sort of personal statement. Among their mundane friends, Lights often have a reputation for being smart or clever 

Mental attributes are highly prized among the Lights. Wits and Intelligence are equally valued as Wits for is good for noticing details and anomalies and Intelligence is useful for compiling and making sense of that data. High Resolve is also cherished in order to keep trying when a Light’s plans and experiments fail. The focus of Lights social attributes tends to vary with each Light’s approach. Presence is by those Lights who prefer to take charge of a project and lead personally, while Manipulation is used by those who would convince others of the worth of their ideas and would rather advise than lead. Dexterity is the most commonly favored of the Physical attributes in order to better build and use the technology that Lights value. Lights who often find themselves in dangerous situations put a particular focus on Wits (to think of plans quickly), Dexterity (for hitting the other guy and dodging) and Composure (for keeping cool and staying logical under fire). 

Lights get along well with the Wilds best. Lights appreciate and admire the patience that Wilds often possess, and many lights are concerned with the ecological problems of today’s society. Lights don’t get along quite as well with the Hearts. Most Lights believe that the Hearts are too focused on humanity and the past. In addition, while the Hearts strongly believe in restoring the world in the image of the Kingdom, Lights think that the ways of the Kingdom aren’t suited to modern society and that it would be better to refine and redeem what’s already present than impose cultural mores from a society from a society millions of years dead. Lights find the Swords impulsive and impatient but they do admit the Swords’ brutal approach is often effective, even if the results aren’t as clean as they like. Lights don’t get along well with the followers of the Queen of Spades, who they feel are frivolous, undisciplined, and unfocused. Still, the Knaves’ tendency to walk into solutions that the Lights overlook forces many Lights to admit that the Knaves must be doing something right.

 

 

 

Practical Magic

 

Whether in your Transformed or normal state, you may spend Wisps to add to dice pools involving your Mental attributes -- Intelligence, Wits and Resolve -- on a one-for-one basis.

 

 

 

Charms

 

Lights have an affinity for the Aqua Charm.

 

 

 

Inspiration

 

Sailor MercuryWashu HakubiIron Man.

 

Comments (1)

Amanda Lee Alvis said

at 5:59 pm on Nov 9, 2012

Quick question: Just telling by what has already been written, I take it that there is a bit of a Dr. Who reference when it comes to the "Transformed Self" part? I'm just making sure and, if so, why wasn't the show added as an inspiration like Iron Man was? I only bring this up because the long, colorful scarf made me think of the 4th doctor and the frock coat bit made me think of the 8th doctor. I'll let you, the editor, make that judgment and come to a decision. I was just wondering....

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