Order of the Golden Dawn: a Company for IHMN

[oabee]

OK, my rationale for choosing characters:

Florence Farr: age is right, did ascend to be head adept in Britain, beautiful, lover of Yeats
W. B. Yeats: Age is right, long-time Order member, lover of Farr, literary giant, lover of Farr and Gonne (nothing like a love triangle to heat things up)
Maude Gonne: Age is right, Irish revolutionary (I freely admit my Irish ancestory), lover of Yeats, another attractive female
Bram Stoker: a little old (48), but in the ballpark, and even though he never (apparently) was a major member of the Order, you just gotta include the author of Dracula!
Edward Berridge: Needed a medic; of doctors listed as Order members, he was the best choice.

Crowley was only 20 in 1895, didn't join the Order until 1898, and was never popular with most members (possibly because of his bisexuality and libertine ways). He feuded with many, most notably Yeats; was denied entry into the Second Order by the London members; then went to Paris to be upgraded by Samuel Mathers, who headed the Order after Wescott resigned. This infuriated the London members, who called for investigations into Mathers. Mathers then fired Florence Farr, after which the London members called a general meeting on March 29, 1900 to remove Mathers and expel him from the Order. Plus, two of Crowley's biographers claim that he was recruited by British secret services to join the Order to keep an eye on Mathers, whom was known to be a Carlist.

I suppose Crowley could be included, but I just found the others more compelling. Nobody else I found who was in the Order had quite the story, or the look and feel, of the characters I chose.

Actually, I could have used the basic Golden Dawn structure and created a fictional version, but I found the history too fascinating to resist. I found Florence Farr especially hard to resist.

[Craig]

You could say that your were enchanted by her... 

I continue to applaud your devotion to theme.

[Eisenfaust]

Perfectly sensible choices, those. Kudos on your excellent work.

[oabee]

You could say that your were enchanted by her... 

Two guys walk into a bar and spot Florence Farr. One says to the other, "Hey, check out the set of Mystic Powers on that one over there!"

[oabee]

Craig: I know you're lurking out there,  somewhere. I saw your post on player-authored material, and had not considered copyrights before. Is there any way I can send revised materials directly to you fine fellows, or should I continue to post them on the blogs?

Also, do you think it advisable to contact authors about using their copyrighted characters? I am thinking specifically about my Dresden Files Company.

Thanks.

Mike O

[Craig]

Hi Mike,

Craig: I know you're lurking out there,  somewhere. I saw your post on player-authored material, and had not considered copyrights before. Is there any way I can send revised materials directly to you fine fellows, or should I continue to post them on the blogs?

Feel free to send it to me if you wish to share it on the IHMN blog.

Also, do you think it advisable to contact authors about using their copyrighted characters? I am thinking specifically about my Dresden Files Company.

For a little amateur thing like what we do we should fly well under the radar. But you may wish to put a sentence in the company to the effect that: Copyright of the Dresden Files characters remains with ... etc.

Anyone else have any experience of this?

[oabee]

For a little amateur thing like what we do we should fly well under the radar.

My fear was that if I contacted Jim Butcher's lawyer (I have her email) about using the Dresden Files characters for the IHMN blog, that could put us ON the radar. I will hold off for now.

You're right: a little legal guidance would be helpful. Is there a lawyer in the house?

[Craig]

My fear was that if I contacted Jim Butcher's lawyer (I have her email) ...

Is that pesky restraining order still in force? Honestly these damned authors are so touchy 

[Hunter776]

My fear was that if I contacted Jim Butcher's lawyer (I have her email) about using the Dresden Files characters for the IHMN blog, that could put us ON the radar. I will hold off for now.

You're right: a little legal guidance would be helpful. Is there a lawyer in the house?

PM me at your convenience.

[oabee]

Please note that a version of this Company has been posted on the Player-Authored page of the IHMN blog, renamed the Temple of Isis, but with the same characters, items, and stats.

http://inhermajestysname.wordpress.com/player-authored-material/

[EmperorCorwin]

My fear was that if I contacted Jim Butcher's lawyer (I have her email) about using the Dresden Files characters for the IHMN blog, that could put us ON the radar. I will hold off for now.

I've contact with his agent, too.

[The_Beast]

Did you consciously choose to omit Aleister Crowley from your list of Golden Dawn members? The self-proclaimed most evil man in the world would make a great bad guy. Of course, it would skew your whole Isis theme you've got going.

(OK, admittedly Crowley didn't join the Golden Dawn until 1898, but still.)

Sorry, felt it worthwhile to repeat part of the conversation on TMP:

TheBeast 24 Sep 2013 8:37 a.m. PST

-No argument! His is the name that just popped into my mind.

-Wouldn't mind Crowley showing up as a spoiler, perhaps in the pay of another company; he always seemed cast as the darker side of the group.

-Or, I'm just thinking of some fiction, perhaps Robert Anton Wilson's. ;->=

-Seriously, about the Theosophical Society, which still lives, who could resist a name like Madame Blavatsky?

-Doug

oabee51   24 Sep 2013 10:16 a.m. PST

-The idea of Crowley as a spoiler is great---his story is certainly intriguing. Better yet, he could head his own rival mystical company, with his own agenda. Revenge? Wealth? Power?

TheBeast 25 Sep 2013 12:43 p.m. PST

-Really? Does he HAVE to chose one? ;->=

-Doug