Mentally revisiting the Trade in Souls storylet, I was wondering exactly how one could go about choosing the life of a spirifier. I’ve never been able to RP evil characters, so there’s that, but seriously, the level of depravity needed to take that path is shocking.
So, does anyone share my feelings? Or do any of you black hearts wish to speak?
[quote=Dom_Delouise]Mentally revisiting the Trade in Souls storylet, I was wondering exactly how one could go about choosing the life of a spirifier. I’ve never been able to RP evil characters, so there’s that, but seriously, the level of depravity needed to take that path is shocking.
So, does anyone share my feelings? Or do any of you black hearts wish to speak?[/quote]
What price a soul? Priceless, or worthless? Maintaining a market, ensuring it isn’t flooded, hoarding the most spectacular examples - gives them value. Still, better I gather them than a devil, I say. I store them. Cherish them.
(I collect souls. I treasure them so much more carefully than their careless owners.)
Depraved? Moi? Oh, maybe a little. But not because of my caretaking of the spiritually profligate.
[quote=Dom_Delouise]Mentally revisiting the Trade in Souls storylet, I was wondering exactly how one could go about choosing the life of a spirifier. I’ve never been able to RP evil characters, so there’s that, but seriously, the level of depravity needed to take that path is shocking.
So, does anyone share my feelings? Or do any of you black hearts wish to speak?[/quote]
I utterly adore playing start-of-darkness arcs, and have done so spectacularly in the past. Evil characters are fascinating to play, because they let me explore the extremes of life.
That said, I took the pocket watch. It helps that DragonRidingSorceress is not an evil character at all, but it felt wrong to steal souls away. (Well, except when I’m stealing them from Hell.)
Soul is such a strong word- everybody is afraid of it.
But it’s hard for one to define. Indeed, I believe one would be happier if their soul was stolen than their belongings. And if you could only hear what the devils say… they whisper… they buzz…
I’d have been tempted by the fork, if the CVR card weren’t so absurdly powerful. I mean, a total menace clear? Love it.
And what value a soul anyway? They don’t seem to do anything important, if anything at all, why, liberating them is as noble as removing an appendix.
You could just declare the actions necessary to obtain a fork non-canon, and roleplay your character as if they found it in a barfight or something. On their own, spirifers aren’t evil–no more evil than licensed soul salesmen, at least.
As a long-time Shepherd, you might think I strive to stop the Soul Trade in its gap.
I don’t. I work more for something akin to customer protection. I work to give people an out if they regret selling their souls due to misinformation, or to return unjustly stolen soul like a detective returning a watch.
There will be people who sell their souls, and have no regret - all is well here.
Not so well are people who got their soul stolen in a nap, or misled to sold their 312.5 Echoes worth of a soul for a penny.
Perhaps soul really does nothing. But like an appendix or a spare kidney, it is so awfully hard to replace. It is awfully inconsiderate to steal that for a few penny.
I think Hell is probably staying, whatever City it is. Barring the withdrawal or complete eradication of Hell from the Neath, stopping the trade is impossible. Perhaps they do have a proper reason for needing so many souls. Perhaps they don’t. We don’t know much about soul.
But keeping an open and honest business does everyone a world of good, no?
I do have a particular dislike for sprifers that keeps their own soul, though. It is bad enough that you lack a license. But one should have first hand experience in soullessness to help their suppliers make better informed decisions.
Many of them will go on and on about how there’s no harm in soullessness, but only the ones that don’t squeal like a pig and run to the Urchins when their own soul are taken deserve my respect and help (not that they need it).
Regrettably, my colleagues don’t think so.
I can’t even give mine away. leers inappropriately
Taunting devils with my soul was something of a pastime of mine.
But yes, spirifers are the scum of London.
That being said, it’s fairly clear by now that Hell doesn’t seem to value regular souls much, if at all, right? That would imply they don’t care about souls, really - what they care about is increasing the number of soulless.
Thoughts?
Thank you for the varied and interesting perspectives. As much as I detest the soul trade, I find my self agreeing with Estelle. The soul trade is here to stay, and people can make their own choices…that said, there is a vast gap between the willing exchange of a soul and the theft of one.
Curious point Asclepius! I’m mostly struck with how inexpensive souls are. A POSI can earn the equivalent price in a few day’s work.
Zeel is a Spirifer, Jass a Shepard. From a gameplay point, Spirifers get 1.5x the normal value of souls, Shepards get costly options, but they decrease menaces/increase connections (the 1000 soul and 100 contract option removes all menaces and increases 3 groups connections by 10 levels at above 50, can’t be bothered calculating change points for early levels).
It’s even worse if you look at the Intimate of Devils storyline. All that work to get your soul from you, and then they…
trade it for Rubbery Lumps from a street vendor? Pay a clothing bill?
Something’s not adding up here.
I think they might be looking for specific qualities of souls, and once tehy determine yours isn’t eg a coruscating soul, its not a big deal to them anymore.
edited by WormApotheote on 1/21/2015
On the quality of soul -
There is a specially-made watch that refuse to keep time perfectly if one has a soul. Hell aims to fatten certain people’s soul like one does with a goose liver.
The Devils are far more interested in the quality of the soul than they are in the number of souls obtained, as indicated by the fact that the Devils rarely give a d__m about individuals stealing souls from Spirifers, and by their insatiable lust for particularly brilliant and coruscating souls–see the Fidgeting Writer storyline for an example. There’s a very good reason for this–one which I do not want to divulge in such an easily accessible place.
Estelle, do you judge a pawn broker who buys a particularly valuable figurine, without giving up their own personal collection? I’d recommend focusing on the Spirifer’s method, not their character.
[quote=Asclepius Unbound]what they care about is increasing the number of soulless.
Thoughts?[/quote]
Maybe they just really enjoy the act of (and the journey to) taking a soul. Dare I say … they are horny for it.
On the topic of soul stealing: If I may quote a certain conflict card: “If the soul is worthless, if the soul is a burden, why do the devils want them so badly?” Food for thought yes? At least, one should be very skeptical of the words of devils. And by skeptical I mean you should be aware that their words are complete bull manure nine times out of ten. Shepard all the way!
[quote=Snowskeeper]
Estelle, do you judge a pawn broker who buys a particularly valuable figurine, without giving up their own personal collection? I’d recommend focusing on the Spirifer’s method, not their character.[/quote]
No, I don’t. I don’t judge devils and sprifers that buys expensive soul without giving up their own portfolio of souls, based on your odd analogy.
And why not character? Methods are based on character, after all. With good character come, if not decent methods, at least etiquette and courtesy. Just like educating cheesemongers about food safety and responsibility, instead of laying a thousand laws on the curdle of milk.
A sprifer who experienced soullessness and decided it is not for them, yet take the time to educate their suppliers? Commendable.
A sprifer who jealously guard their own soul and wet their Parabolan blanket when they get tricked by a passing devil, then rush to beg Urchins for her soul, then proceeds to tell everyone how wonderful it is to be soulless afterward? Disgraceful.
On that subject, I’ve often wondered why no Spirifer has ever gone into partnership with a CVR member. It’d be quite a racket; Spirifer takes souls (the normal kind; more valuable ones attract too much attention), sells them to the Devils for a profit. Since they’re cheap souls, Devils don’t guard them much, so they can easily be re-stolen. The spirifer kept his copy of the contract/receipt, so trades for favors are always at the maximum level with the CVR. The profits from the sales and from favors traded are split between the partners, Customers receive their souls back no worse for the wear, and can even be brought into the scheme as “repeat customers,” if needed.
Not a get-rich quick scheme, no, but it’s a good enough economic engine to sustainably base a larger enterprise off of, perhaps even to make a bid to corner the black market for souls. Whether or not it’s kept going as a mafia monopoly, or shut down would depend on what partner is predominant…
[quote=Estelle Knoht][quote=Snowskeeper]
Estelle, do you judge a pawn broker who buys a particularly valuable figurine, without giving up their own personal collection? I’d recommend focusing on the Spirifer’s method, not their character.[/quote]
No, I don’t. I don’t judge devils and sprifers that buys expensive soul without giving up their own portfolio of souls, based on your odd analogy.
And why not character? Methods are based on character, after all. With good character come, if not decent methods, at least etiquette and courtesy. Just like educating cheesemongers about food safety and responsibility, instead of laying a thousand laws on the curdle of milk.
A sprifer who experienced soullessness and decided it is not for them, yet take the time to educate their suppliers? Commendable.
A sprifer who jealously guard their own soul and wet their Parabolan blanket when they get tricked by a passing devil, then rush to beg Urchins for her soul, then proceeds to tell everyone how wonderful it is to be soulless afterward? Disgraceful.[/quote]
One need not give up one’s collection to understand the general feeling that doing so would cause, having been told of it by their customers. And I think you’re giving the Devils rather more credit than they deserve, as far as honesty in the Soul Trade is concerned.