OUT OF PLAY SECTION
Gypsy
NOTE: Restricted Race
Description:
Gypsies are a special distinction of humans, but somewhat nomadic and independent of the human race in general. Gypsies dress in gaudy clothing and speak with accents that can only be described as "strange."
A character wishing to become a Gypsy must begin as a human and find a way to join the gypsy band in play.
Make up: No make up is required. However an elaborate costume in the Balkan/European inspired style is necessary and mandatory.
Advantages: May buy Gypsy curse.
Disadvantage: Due to their vagabond lifestyle, Gypsies may not become Nobles.
Addendum to oop info added on Jan 11, 2001
The following are addtions to the out of play descriptions above.
CURSES___To cast the curse of a particular level you have to have purchased that level of curse. Also a gypsy can only cast a curse equal to the skill level they are at in play. If you are fourth level you can only cast up to fourth level curses even if you have purchased a fifth level curse. A gypsy will NOT deliberately sacrifice themselves to cast a curse.
MAKEUP___Costuming and accent are mandatory and will be considered makeup for the Gypsy race. In otherwords if you are not dressed in colorful clothing enough for people across a field in a battle to tell if you are a Gypsy just by looking then you are considered out of makeup. The accent must be apparent when you are talking. Anyone not following the packet descriptions ie out of makeup will have the character pulled.
Also there are NO Dark Gypsies. Gypsies CANNOT be desecrated and they do NOT condone necromancy, death, or undeath. They CANNOT be Dark Knights or Necromancers.
Gypsies will get a cost break on craftsman skills appropriate to the race as well as skills like astrology, tarot and such also appropriate to race. This does not include lore skills. Craftsman skills will cost 1 per skill to purchase.
I don't know if you are new to Solar or if you are just now deciding to play a Gypsy as a player character, either way I hope that the racial packet you hold in your hands is helpful to you and that you enjoy the character you are creating. This out of play section contains all the information that you will need hopefully, to find or create costuming, make a name and history for your character, and to take some of the headache out of the character creation process.
First off I need to say that the first thing you want to do is to buy a copy of the rule book if you don't already have one. This isn't a moneymaking ploy it is just common sense, to play the game well you have to know the rules. Once you have read the rule book take time to figure out how you want your character to look and act. That down, once you are in play stay in play and stay in character this makes the game better for you and for everyone else involved. Next decide your character history. You may want to wait a few events before you do this or you may want to go ahead and work one out and then give a copy to plot, mind you this is asking to be paid attention to, be careful what you wish for.
Another thing that is included here is a list of names appropriate to the Gypsy people and their background. There are others and any name will do but these sounded very Gypsy. Any baby name book will be helpful in finding names. Generally for Gypsies look for Slavic, Russian, and some Hindustani names. Italian, Greek, and Latin are okay also, but you want an exotic flavor to the name.
GYPSY NAMES
Female
Acacia - (greek) the guileless
Acantha - (greek) "sharp-pointed; thorned"
Adamina - (latin) of the red earth
Adara - (greek) beautiful
Aditi - (hindi) free and unbounded
Adonia - (greek) beautiful
Adora - (latin) gift
Adria - (latin) dark one
Aleina - (greek) strong minded
Aleria - (middle latin) eaglelike
Aleta - (greek) wanderer
Althea - (greek) healer
Aminta - (latin) protector
Blasia - firebrand
Calandra - (greek) lark
Calypso - (greek) concealer
Catarina - pure one
Cliantha - (greek) glory flower
Cosima - (greek) order, harmony, the world
Damara - bitter
Damaris - (greek) wife
Demetria - (greek)
Electra - (greek) brilliant one
Evangaline - (greek) bringer of good news
Flora - (latin) flora
Gloriana - (latin) glorious one
Hesper
Ileana - (greek)
Ilona - beautiful one
Leandra - (latin) like a lioness
Lysandra - (greek) liberator of men
Lyris - (greek) harpist
Malina - (greek) mild gentle one
Marlaina - magnificent
Melantha - (greek) dark flower
Metis - (greek) wisdom
Nadia - (hindustani) hope
Nata - (hindustani) dancer
Natalya - (Russian) also Natasha
Neoma - (Greek) New moon also Neomenia
Olena - (Russian) light
Ophelia - (Greek) serpent
Oriana - (Greek) the dawn
Philana - (Greek) loving
Rasia - (Greek) a rose
Risa - (Hindu) laughter
Rohana - (Hindu) sandalwood
Sapphira - (Greek) sapphire
Selena - (Greek) the moon
Serena - (Latin) fair
Sirena - (Greek) seductress
Taletha - (Armaic) maiden
Ursula - (Latin) a she bear
Vanessa - (Greek) butterflies
Vita - (Latin) life
Xylona - (Greek) from the forest
Yolanda - (Greek) violet flower
Zenina - (Greek)
Zenobia - (Greek) given life
Male
Adrian - (Italian) dark one
Alberto - brilliant
Adonis - lord
Alano - handsome
Alphanso - noble
Anthony - priceless one
Barrabas - son of prophecy
Boris - fighter
Bruno - brown-haired one
Carlos - manly
Casimir - he who commands peace
Cato - wise one
Chance - good fortune
Cosmo - order, harmony
Dagon - the earth
Damian - taming
Damon - constant one
Dante - lasting
Darius - wealthy one
Dominic - born on Sunday
Emil - flatterer
Eric - ever powerful
Flavian - golden yellow-haired one
Flint - a stream
Jared - descendant
Kaspar
Krishna - delightful
Leander - lion man
Leo - lion
Leon - lion like
Lorant - victory
Lucian - light
Magnus - great one
Marcel - little warlike one
Marcus - warlike one
Nemo - from the glade
Nicolaos - victorious army
Orlando - from the famous land
Oro - golden one
Peter - rock or stone
Philo - loving, friendly
Ramon - mighty
Rex - king
Roberto - bright
Sabin
Sereno - calm tranquil one
Sol - the sun
Stephanos - crowned one
Theron - a hunter
Val - strong
Vasilis - knightly
Vladimir - famous
Xavier - bright
Xenos - stranger
Yuri
Zale - power of the sea
Now on to costuming. Costuming is really great and can make or break the atmosphere of the role playing you are doing. It isn't always easy to get good costuming but there are a lot of people in play who can help you and I also have a few suggestions.
You'll find a list of online stores after the list of makeup suppliers in Atlanta and a list of costumers who play solar.
Thrift Stores - These places are everywhere and they have some of the best stuff from Gypsy type skirts, peasant blouses, jewelry, and scarves to big baggy pants poets shirts for the guys. Vests are a great piece for a Gypsy man to wear and can be spruced up fairly cheaply.
Garage Sales - These are great for props and jewelry and sometimes clothing.
There are many people in play who can help you get a costume made up fairly cheaply and also many places in town that sell costuming supplies as well as makeup. The following is a list of places and people who can help with costuming.
A Costume Ball 3165 Johnson Ferry Rd NE Marrietta (770) 640-7668
All That's Costume 262 Rio Circle Decatur (404) 377-0910
Atlanta Costume "Norcostco" 2089 Monroe Dr. NE & I-85 Atlanta (404)874-7511
Center Stage II 70 S. Park SQ NE Marrietta (770) 425-9055 costuming only
Costumes Etc. 318 Pharr Rd NE Atlanta (404) 239-9422
Eddies Trick & Novelty Shops 5215 Memorial Dr. Stone Mtn. (404) 295-5653
Eddies Trick & Novelty Shops 3655 Roswell Road Marrietta (404) 264-0527
Eddies Trick & Novelty Shops 70 S Park SQ NE Marrietta (770) 428-4314
Eddies Trick & Novelty Shops 3675 Satellite Blvd. Duluth (770) 814-9700
Georgia Stage Costume Shop Inc. 4660-B N Royal Atlanta Dr. Tucker (770) 491-0400
Halloween Express (770)394-5522 or (404) 364-0240 may be seasonal
Holiday Costume 1772 Tullie Circle NE (404) 321-0049
Party City Cumberland Area (770) 937-9300
Party City 6690 Roswell Rd. NW (404) 303-8100
Party City Town Center Area Barrett Pkwy. E of I-75 (770) 419-1300
Partyland of Kennessaw 425 Earnest W. Barrett Pkwy (770) 425-1927
3BI (a costuming company) This is a company started by Tracy Miller one of the Raccoons in play. If you talk to them they will usually work with you and are moderately priced.
PJ, Jan, and Caroline All three are costumers and often have items for sale in the tavern. They are easy to talk to and can be contacted in play.
Renee Palmer Renee plays Elghinn Ussearn a Drae. She works a lot on weapons doing artwork on them and will work with you to design something uniquely for you. She also does jewelry, prop design, and some costuming. Is extremely good at doing artwork on just about anything. Can be reached in play or by calling (678) 546-8008 before 10 pm.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Acton, Thomas, editor. Gypsy Politics and Traveller Identity. Hartfordshire: University of Hartfordshire Press, 1997.
Bettelheim, Bruno The uses of Enchantment: The meaning and Importance of Fairytales.
Cotton, Rena. Russian Gypsy Tales
Crowe, David M. A History of the Gypsies of Eastern Europe and Russia. New York: St Martin's Griffin, 1996.
Fickowski, Jerzy. The Gypsies in Poland.
Fraser, Angus. The Gypsies. Cambridge: Blackwell, 1992.
Greenfield, Howard. Gypsies. New York: Crown Publishers, 1977.
Hancock, Ian. A Handbook of Vlax Romani. (Columbus: Slavica Inc., 1995)
Kenrick, Donald, and Paxon, Gratton. The Destiny of Europe's Gypsies. London: Sussex University Press, 1972.
Rule, Lareina. Name Your Baby. Bantam, 1986.
Sutherland, Anne. Gypsies: The Hidden Americans (Reprinted Prospect Heights: Waveland, 1986.)
Tong, Diane. Gypsy Folks Tales.
Yoors, Jan. The Gypsies.
Other Sources:
TSR - The Bards Book The Monster Manual, the Vitsani
White Wolf - WOD Gypsies-may be out of print
Raymond Buckland - Gypsy Love Magic, Gypsy Fortunetelling
Movies to Watch
Sometimes watching movies can help you get in to character or help you get a handle on the type of race you are wanting to play. The following is some movies to watch that contain Gypsies.
Hunchback of Notre Dame - black and white original
Hunchback of Notre Dame - Disney
Thinner - Stephen King Good depiction of what Gypsy curses can do and the Gypsy Lifestyle. Also a good example of the way Gypsies are viewed.
Any werewolf movies of the 50's and 60's.
Dracula - past and present.
Golden Earring-an old black and white movie dealing with world war2 and gypsies I believe it was later colorized, can catch it sometimes on AMC.
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