Icebreaker Questions
Nobles
Mason
Jaq Mason: Which of your scars looks the coolest and what is the story behind it? Probably a tossup between the missing arm and the eye. A lot of people assume those are the same injury. The arm was a long time before. Arm was crushed by a falling gantry when I was working on the Tetrahedron as a junior engineer. They eye, though, that were after I became Vizer. Working on one of the prototypes that would eventually become our clockwork golems. Calibrated a power source wrongly. The explosion sent a bladed cogwheel right down the side of my head. Aloysius Mason: If you had to open a business, what would you want it to be? Technically you’ll find I have been already the one to open various diversifications and subbranches of our existing business in architectural and atomical pursuits. Were I compelled to open a wholly separate venture for my own personal extra-curricular pursuits, I’ll confess to having a few idle designs for improvements in theatrical special effects which I’ve been tinkering with.
Dargent-Laureat
Victor Dargent-Laureat: What is a dream you once had and what made you give up on it? Also, why did you want it in the first place? There was a period in my youth when I had thought perhaps to follow in my father’s footsteps in the clerical arts. But, alas it seems, perhaps due to some subtlety of temperament, I was in spite of my studies unable to acquire the necessary spiritual connection to the Rich Man’s powers of divinity. As such I have resigned myself to serving in more worldly ways. Victor Dargent-Laureat: If you had to spend a massive fortune on one week, but only on temporary experiences and consumable goods, how would you spend it? I suppose a week is not too short notice to organise a series of business trips to the various elemental stars. Any remainer I suppose can be invested in single-use scrolls or perhaps a stockpile of exotic teas.
Ironside
Balthazar Ironside: Do you have any weaknesses that you have come to accept or embrace and what has made you accept them? None that I’d allow to be known. Ha! Balthazar Ironside: What is an honour you would like to receive one day and do you think you are on the path to obtaining it? Ah, Colonel Sepoy has the whole Big Game Lodge charmed by his collection of deathworm teeth from the Screaming Desert. But even he’s never seen a full-grown scarlet deathworm except from far away. I intend to be the first member to bring one back and mount it and if not me, it’ll be my boy! I’ve got a plan! Balthazar Ironside: Who is the most challenging opponent you’ve ever faced and what did you learn from your encounters with them? Ah, killing men is easy my boy. Every man has his lessons to teach certainly, but if you want a real challenge, you go out to the plane of earth and you commit yourself to the hunt of the great black rhinoceros they call Bucephalus. The largest chthonic dire rhino that blasted plane has ever been known to produce. Scourge of the local genies; Hide like pure obsidian; Blood like acid. What did I learn when I brought his head back and mounted him upon my wall. Why to never give up and never surrender. If it bleeds you can kill it. And if it doesn’t bleed, you can break it open anyway. Bahahah! Agamemnon Ironside: How did you learn your most valuable skill. Who taught it to you and why is the skill so important? Warcraft is the most valuable skill that any man can learn… that is my grandfather’s second precept. I have been trained in multiple forms of warcraft by my family and my… family’s guard captains and my father in particular has gone to great efforts to… personally involve himself… in many ways. Menelaus Ironside: Is there an event you have always wanted to attend, and would you rather go as an observer or as a participant? I think I find all of the events of our current social calendar distasteful. Perhaps if the Order of the Garden were ever reinstated I might attend some events of theirs. There are mundane gardening events on offer lower in the city, but I don’t think I would want to draw the attention that would come with going to one. Britomart Stargazer-Ironside: Choose one of your companions at a grand ball vs how you would introduce them at a gladiatorial area. In a grand ball, Pollux is my esteemed husband and his excellence the Subvizier Stargazer. In a gladiatorial arena he’s my ringside manager and he’s already taken.
Stargazer
Leopold Stargazer: What’s a part of the world, you have heard is really dangerous to traverse. Do you think you could manage to pass through safely and what could motivate you to take that risk? Heheheh. Truth is ye don’t even need to head out there to find some particularly dangerous regions te traverse. There be cities under cities under cities down beneath our feet here. Places down there even me old pappy never dared to venture below. Could I? Heh. Maybe once. Would I? Depends what I thought I might find. Andromeda Stargazer: What is something most people desire that you feel is more trouble than it’s worth? Wealth and social influence, as ends, distinct from merely a means to access knowledge. Castor Stargazer: Among your companions, who would you prefer to marry, share a bed with for one night and betray? I am… at present already married. Uh, fairly comfortably. But I suppose in an ideal hypothetical where I was not in… um, I suppose, uh, Hugo. [clears throat]. Hugo. I suppose it would have to be my father by the last one, which would be readily achieved by either of the first two.
Dargent
Richard Dargent: Which aspects of your daily routine do you look forward to the most and why do you enjoy these things so much? The final count, when I maintain the books in the evening. It allows me to confirm and monitor my success. Guinevera Dargent: What’s something you would hate to do for real but find fun to imagine yourself doing, and why do you feel this way? I do sometimes enjoy imagining myself showing my dear sister the fruits of my labours. But in reality, that would require speaking to my dear sister. Which from experience, I would seldom consider worthwhile. Hugo Dargent: What form of art connects with you the most. And when you seek it out, how do you prefer to enjoy it? Oh, dance certainly. And I prefer it in the company of others, although I have learned that skin to skin contact should not be taken lightly in such things. Silvester Fidtan: Outside the tools of your trade, what is a personal effect that you carry that means something to you and where did you get it? It is often advantageous to travel light in my role. But I do keep a silver moustache comb and clippers beneath my breastplate, which was a silver wedding anniversary gift from my wife, Clarissa.
Carterhold
Rouge Carterhold What form of art connects with you the most. And when you seek it out, how do you prefer to enjoy it? Do bloodsports count as an artform? If so, I prefer to enjoy them outside of the confines and attention of the court. I think the pattern here is I prefer the breaking of things to the creating or upholding. Rouge Carterhold: What is a pet peeve that can instantly irritate you and how do you react and how would you prefer to react? It always annoys me when people pretend to agree with somebody because he outranks them. It turns out when you stop being an heir it turns out nobody actually listens to you or cares what you think. But I’ve learned to make the most of it. Being overlooked has its advantages and you can sometimes tell a lot by who someone chooses to toady up to.
Bakerstreet
Cobbler Bakerstreet: Who is the most challenging opponent you have ever faced and what did you learn from your encounter with them? I don’t talk about her anymore. Btu what she taught me, was you can’t afford to trust anyone on the streets of this city. You meet someone who seems neither fallen or mean, you just know you’ve met a very good liar. Cody Bakerstreet: Best meal you've ever had? Diogenese banquet on founders day. Varieties on founder dishes. Brandy-potted shrimp. White wine in the lobster thermadore. Elven liquer pavlova thing. Burbon drinking contest. “Three years ago, I won the golden nose.” Cody Bakerstreet: Who would you haunt if you died tomorrow and became a ghost? North Town Racketball Sorority, bro! You will find me invisibly hovering in the changing before and after every game.
Underhand
Ingestron Underhand: Who is the most challenging opponent you’ve ever faced and what did you learn from your encounter with them? The Man Who Is Not There has so far been the only opponent I have ever been required to wholly rely on the protection of another against. Fortunately, in our encounters I was, most valuably, able to learn his True Name, which provides a means of significantly lessening any threat he poses. Since then, my most troublesome opponent has been the snake concubine, against whom I have concluded a necessity for a reliance solely upon underhanded tactics. Nycteme Underhand: If you could remove the risk from any dangerous activity in order to try it once, which one would you choose and why? Run away. See how bad that gets.
Baharat
Jessop Baharat: What pet would you most like to have? Some of the older elven texts mention a sort of plant creature they call a leshy imbued with a druidic magic over flowers and the like. A pet that doubles as a gardener would be not only a talking point but quite practical.
Brasseyes
Relic Brasseyes: If you took on a student or apprentice what would you teach them? Would you enjoy it? What would you worry about going wrong? I would teach how to handle and analyse artifacts. It would be pleasant to have a student that would listen to explanations in detail. The risk would be in impressing upon them the necessary caution; many of the artifacts in the collection are… extremely dangerous. Relic Brasseyes: What object would you like to own some day and what makes it appeal to you? If I can choose anything, the legendary seal ring of Suliman has been said to have the father of all genies still sealed within it, making it the most powerful artifact in all history – if it exists. Grimoire Brasseyes: What is the best compliment you have received and who gave it to you? My father has frequently said I’m an incorrigible hotspur. Although he doesn’t think that’s a compliment.
Greenskin
Cassiopeia Stargazer-Greenskin: Which if your ancestors would you most like to meet. What would you talk with them about? I’d… like to be able to speak to my father. Part of me wants to know whether he died because of anything important, or just more noble bullshit.
Jackalslicers
Fennec Jackalslicer: Who among your companions would you most like to give a makeover and trust to give you a makeover and why? I feel like, if I could coax Agamemnon out of his armour and uniform he might actually be happier. If I was going to let one of them makeover me. Rouge, I guess? Grimoire’s tastes are controversial, Agamemnon is very influenced by his family and C-Cody… I wouldn’t trust to not include some sort of prank.
Ratrider
Tonkus Ratrider: What is the most frivolous achievement you hope to accomplish. Why do you consider it frivolous and why is it appealing anyway? I hope to one day one day win a prize at a Blademas tournament. It is not a holiday I observe but it would be pleasing to succeed there as an outsider and it would be a gratifying test of precision and skill.