Geist Preview for July 1: On the Nature of Krewes

Well, they aren't called Geists. They are Sin-Eaters. Beyond that though

New Orleans Mardi Gras reference aside (and it's obscure), 'Krewe' doesn't conjure any sort of ghostly or mystical or otherwise supernatural image.

Who says they want to? Wouldn't that fucking suck if the most interesting thing about you was the fact you died and had magic powers? It's not really anything you chose to do, it's just something that happened to you. You'd make *that* the defining statement of your life? Wouldn't you rather be defined by how you choose to celebrate your life?

And beyond that, I know if someone came up to me and asked me to join a cabal I would smack them in the mouth and walk away. Real people don't talk like that.

Cabal. Jesus.

Tau neutrino:

According to BHM, communication is mostly through classified ads, as the older Sin-Eaters aren't comfortable with modern technology.

Well, I was kind of speaking about my own game, as far as the "older Sin-Eaters" thing. But the Twilight Network includes, among other things, classified, Craigslist, and (my favorite) obits.

blackhatmatt:

Well, I was kind of speaking about my own game, as far as the "older Sin-Eaters" thing. But the Twilight Network includes, among other things, classified, Craigslist, and (my favorite) obits.

geez, and here I was thinking the Twilight Network was a facebook group for pre-teen emo kids who like sparkly vampires....way to shatter my illusions.  :P

blackhatmatt:

Tau neutrino:

According to BHM, communication is mostly through classified ads, as the older Sin-Eaters aren't comfortable with modern technology.

Well, I was kind of speaking about my own game, as far as the "older Sin-Eaters" thing. But the Twilight Network includes, among other things, classified, Craigslist, and (my favorite) obits.

It does make sense for the older krewes described in the spoiler. "Uncomfortable with modern technology" is probably too broad; maybe more concerned with privacy than the younger generation. Could you imagine your parents needing a warning not to put revealing pictures of themselves on the internet? Using craigslist like print classifieds would be okay; something like hunter-net would strike many Sin-Eaters as too big a risk, esp. with hunters around.

Personally I love calling them Krewes, the images invoked from years of carnival the magic and mysteries coupled with the farewell to the flesh celebration which inspired them feel ironically appropriate for geists.  Carnival was created to be a celebration of life put on by Krewes, people who have adopted an alternate persona to do this.  Geists have come back from the grave with a second personal attached to them living there lifes behind the mask of who they were, for this Krewes work.

Having to agree with people here that I really don't like the term krewe. First thing that popped into my mind?

"Yo yo yo, we is da G-men, layin' down on da spooks, know what I be sayin', dawg? Le's BOUNCE!"

*facepalms* Come on WW, I know you're completely American-centric, but...krewe? Seriously? I hope they have some alternate names going in the book, because explaining to my UK group that they're part of a krewe is just going to start a whole load of rapper/sailor/city in England jokes...

WanderingMystic:

Personally I love calling them Krewes, the images invoked from years of carnival the magic and mysteries coupled with the farewell to the flesh celebration which inspired them feel ironically appropriate for geists.

Seconded.

About all the hate to the name, I guess it's just another instance of what I now defiantly call "the Atlantis dumbness-praising effect": people absorb too much pop culture references and then suddenly the writers/developers can't use a good idea or word based on a solid reference because that's not "what most people will think of" - be it Plato, a myriad of occult traditions that reference myths related or similar to Atlantis, or the Mardi Gras. I'm glad the developers don't fall to this kind of dumb-down logic; I hate when artists/writers play too much to the lowest common denominator.

Back to what really matters, I suspect the weight of the krewes in the game may be bigger than related groups in other games have, probably due to the lack of other strong social organizations (like the covenants, the orders, the Courts et al). In a way, werewolf packs are already like that, but I won't be surprised if krewes prove to be even more central to the Sin-Eaters' cultura than the packs are to the Uratha. Which would be a nice change of perspective for a WoD game.

HPD:

"Yo yo yo, we is da G-men, layin' down on da spooks, know what I be sayin', dawg? Le's BOUNCE!"

*facepalms* Come on WW, I know you're completely American-centric, but...krewe? Seriously? I hope they have some alternate names going in the book, because explaining to my UK group that they're part of a krewe is just going to start a whole load of rapper/sailor/city in England jokes...

OK, I'm blushing here. You just totally embarrassed me.

HERE. Educate yourself.

And I won't even get into the racism you're displaying.

HPD:

"Yo yo yo, we is da G-men, layin' down on da spooks, know what I be sayin', dawg? Le's BOUNCE!"

Woo. Your dislike of a term is fuelled by your own racism. Good to know.

At least two writers of Geist live in the UK. As one of them, I really quite like the term. Because it's got highly appropriate semiotics that a couple of seconds with Google will make apparent (though this will come out more when the whole thing is available, naturally).

Gehennaheretic:

New Orleans Mardi Gras reference aside (and it's obscure)

2 live crew

Or should I say "2 'lives' Krewe"

I agree the name might be appropriate if you see how its spelled and you look it up, but for a guy with no knowledge of Mardi Gras and who doesn't live in North America, it is a bit obscure. The group names from the other games instantly summon up a cool image in my mind, but krewe I'm afraid to say, just sounded a little too 'street'. I know it's my own prejudices, but for someone with no other reference another name might have been better.

Croe:

I know it's my own prejudices, but for someone with no other reference another name might have been better.

True, but what I meant was my initial reaction to the name the first time I heard it.