- Location
- florida
I don't think so?
The only thing approaching the level of advancement and ubiquity of cars are... cellphones? Personal computers?
All Level, No Experience (Worm/Pathfinder Amnesia Quest)
- Thread starter Sckribe
- Start date
- Crossover Fantasy Superhero
The only thing approaching the level of advancement and ubiquity of cars are... cellphones? Personal computers?
- Location
- Norway
[X] [Interlude] Checking up with Dragon on the status of the Wings of Flying, and that whole deal with her/The Guild to establish that your 'Tinkertech' doesn't innately degrade. (Dragon/Guild Interlude)
[X] [Plan] Talk and try to hang out with Dragon. Mention you're running for mayor, and that you're starting on a project related to that.
Guys, I think you're sleeping on the option to hang out with Dragon, who is familiar with Earth's political systems and dealing with humans in a don't-panic-everyone sort of way from a superpowered nonhuman, and could probably give relevant advice.
Approval vote for plan including the above:
[X] [Plan] Following Up On Things & Efficient Overkill
The word "good" in your post is also handwaving a way a lot of hard work to compare an imagined system to a real system. Most of America does not have good train/tram systems. America has demonstrated a longstanding inability to make good train/tram systems for reasons which are beyond the scope of this post, and people are understandably reluctant to trade working cars for hypothetical utopias that might never get built.
[X] [Plan] Talk and try to hang out with Dragon. Mention you're running for mayor, and that you're starting on a project related to that.
Guys, I think you're sleeping on the option to hang out with Dragon, who is familiar with Earth's political systems and dealing with humans in a don't-panic-everyone sort of way from a superpowered nonhuman, and could probably give relevant advice.
Approval vote for plan including the above:
[X] [Plan] Following Up On Things & Efficient Overkill
Cars are much better than a good train/tram system by for example the metric of going where I like when I like, and I say this as someone who takes the train to work. People really like that sort of ineffable optionality even if comes at the cost of higher travel times or whatever metric some bureaucrat is counting.
The word "good" in your post is also handwaving a way a lot of hard work to compare an imagined system to a real system. Most of America does not have good train/tram systems. America has demonstrated a longstanding inability to make good train/tram systems for reasons which are beyond the scope of this post, and people are understandably reluctant to trade working cars for hypothetical utopias that might never get built.
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Generally a sense of "This is what happens when you let pretty much anyone use these things and keep trying to make them faster, despite the fact that you don't need more than 80 MPH or so to reach even the higher end of speed limits. These things are pieces of equipment that not everyone should have, need, or want, and that speed governers never got added is a travesty. If you people aren't willing to put aside convenience to solve an actual problem, I will for you."
In essence? Something like Gray Goo scenarios. If he makes something himself, he can be confident in its quality and creation, including in its programming, which includes the technological equivalent to the "golems are always loyal to their creator" thing. He knows it's not perfect, and that while he probably is eventually going to have to deal with some of his own robots going a bit wonky or a little bit too much on the free will side of things, he'd rather try and avoid that as much as possible. It's a bit of a paranoia thing on his end.
On the GM end, it's also a sort of exponentiation thing, and also just that I don't want to make it too immediately easy on y'all, so that's one of the things that Iluontar, without player intervention, just generally ain't gonna do.
Oh yeah, Iluontar is fully on those same thoughts (and admittedly Author too OOC). It is purely, well, as zxzx put it,
This. Now, from Iluontar's perspective, that is relative solely to 'these are all only humans, and all, seemingly, without magic'. You know how say, a parent might still be proud of, say, the first chair their kid made in woodworking class, even though it's something that would be horrible to sit in, even if you ignored the many splinters you'd almost certainly get, mainly because it sort of represents that their kid really is learning a genuine, practical skill they can make a lot of use out of? It's sort of like that.
And he more intends on, once he's in charge, returning roads to an older pedestrian focused standard, and having cars manufactured around those conditions- think, if you've ever seen it, old footage of San Francisco or other cities where there are cars, people, a tram, and horses all on the same road. That and a ton of public transport, although he does kind of want to also sneak a bit more surveillance/oversight/propaganda onto the things as something of an extra side-treat.
So, yeah, it was mainly just because they happened to end up on his mind.
As for the permanency transport network, people seem to keep sleeping on Demiplanes, in my opinion, is all. Permanency-ed Teleportation Circles can still be really good, but still- that and the circles can be moved or fairly easily destroyed, too.
- Pronouns
- She/Her
Right, but none of those arguments should have value for Iluontar. Those who are competent enough should have easier access to teleportation circles, and America's inability to make a good public transportation system shouldn't matter in the slightest to Iluontar.
The surveillance makes sense, but I feel like the pedestrian focused roads, well... wouldn't they lose a lot of speed for the cars to be safe? And thus make cars not particularly efficient? Or has he got a plan for that too?
- Location
- florida
Ah yes the
Oh, an absolute ton of speed, which would partially be the point too, since he doesn't really want fast cars within his city limits. His overall idea is to shift cars from the "This is a staple, pretty much everyone needs one to get anywhere" thing, to more of an explicit status symbol/luxury/privilege, where even if someone in a car has to go the same speed as everyone else, or slower depending on circumstances, then it's still more of a socially valuable thing due tk the newfound rarity and strictness of requirements to be allowed to drive one, let alone within city limits.
And he intends to be extremely strict with his control over the things, as in, if anyone makes even one mistake with a car, then that's it- their driving privileges are revoked, permanently. Like, come the time he declares independence, the driver's licenses, with the sole exception of certain necessary commercial drivers (and then only for a time), are not going to be carried over. It doesn't matter if you're 20 or 80, been driving for months or years before, if you can't pass the new much higher standards, then guess what? You can get on public transportation with everybody else, which will generally be managed by robots or constructs that were singularly purpose built for the sole task of managing their vehicles.
Being a public transportation driver (like a bus driver or train conductor or the like), in Iluontar's kingdom, would like, be a surprisingly prestigious job to most anyone from outside the kingdom, and be a sign of fairly high government trust in whoever it is.
The closest analogues I can think of right now are like, private helicopter pilots and commercial airline pilots, roughly, if anyone needs a comparison.
As for transport within the cities? He's planning on going for a full overhaul over time, so for one, given that he's from medieval/older style places that work like this, you ought to be able to just walk to most anywhere needed for daily life in maybe half an hour tops or so. Beyond that, buses and especially trams all the way, bay-bee! Also buses and trains for going between cities, once he has more than one.
Ah, and if you have magic or high-tech, then you're generally free to levitate or fly yourself around if it's just your own body, but any vehicles are going to subject to similar oversight and such. Hoverboots or wings of flying are fine as is, a jetpack is on the line depending on specifics, anything more passes the line.
I think I mentioned, Iluontar's the type of person to, using a 4X term, build 'tall', to an almost ridiculous degree, before he builds wide, and that includes him, relatively at least, micromanaging the shit out of his territory while he has a small enough amount to do so.
So, to the initial question; Yes, but that's also partly the goal, too.
Also, now that it's on my mind again, but with access to teleportation stuff, 'walkable within half an hour' can mean some ridiculous distances when you add portal network shenanigans.
- Location
- florida
There really is no describing how much the need for massive automobile infrastructure has warped urban design.
I'm currently sitting in a Walmart parking lot that takes up as much ground space as the Walmart itself. To say nothing of the attached gas station.
Interstate travel is of course its own can of worms. But you know. Details.
Chipping away at some of that paranoia is more important than going exponential.
Though between Dragon and Tattletale Illuontar has actually opened up a lot. Made a good friend even.
Of course I'm being optimistic.
If a Scrapper or Surgical Robot goes goes wild. And his personal intervention might have prevented it? Especially if he is ultimately responsible for their creation...
"Why wasn't I more careful?" Will be followed directly by "This is my fault I will be more cautious in the future."
Unfortunately "reasonable caution" and "overwhelming paranoia" isn't a black and white difference.
...It still behooves him to consider how much trust he actually has for his creations. And the people around him. Not what is "for their own benefit" or "what they can be relied upon based on past behavior." But his own trust in them.
Don't think I'm wording this perfectly 🤔
I'm currently sitting in a Walmart parking lot that takes up as much ground space as the Walmart itself. To say nothing of the attached gas station.
Interstate travel is of course its own can of worms. But you know. Details.
From a players perspective...
Chipping away at some of that paranoia is more important than going exponential.
Though between Dragon and Tattletale Illuontar has actually opened up a lot. Made a good friend even.
Of course I'm being optimistic.
If a Scrapper or Surgical Robot goes goes wild. And his personal intervention might have prevented it? Especially if he is ultimately responsible for their creation...
"Why wasn't I more careful?" Will be followed directly by "This is my fault I will be more cautious in the future."
Unfortunately "reasonable caution" and "overwhelming paranoia" isn't a black and white difference.
...It still behooves him to consider how much trust he actually has for his creations. And the people around him. Not what is "for their own benefit" or "what they can be relied upon based on past behavior." But his own trust in them.
Don't think I'm wording this perfectly 🤔
Ehh, sort of? He'd be less mope-ish or down about it, and more annoyed but resigned, perhaps. Less an "Oh my goodness I could have- etc. etc." and more of a "Oh gods damn it, I feckin' knew this shite would happen eventually. Well, at least I tried to delay this problem for as long as possible, but now that it's here, guess I have to deal with it now."
More the sense that it's going to be an annoying but inevitable thing that he'll just have to deal with, like, hmm… Stairs, let's say. For pretty much most people, there isn't really anything they particularly enjoy about going up the stairs, and if there's other options, they'll take them. But sometimes, well, eventually there won't be a working elevator or escalator, and you just have to deal with the stairs. Generally annoying and tiring at best, but well, they're stairs. It'd technically be possible to have a world without them, but it would be a catastrophic pain and much worse than just, dealing with the stairs.
- Location
- florida
Given his history I find his lack of control freak tendencies admirable then.
Still...
The deep philosophical ramifications of Illuontars decisions seeming to more a less passing him by without much thought amuses me greatly.
It's very... wizard coded?
"Why did you install circles of teleportation instead of stairs in your wizard tower?"
"Because tearing a permanent hole in the astral plane is faster than walking of course! And I can use the free space for more beakers and dohickeys!"
It also gives me a lot to contemplate. Which I enjoy greatly.
Thank you! I very much try on that front, and generally aim to at least somewhat keep in the back of my mind that yeah, this dude is 4,000+ year old wizard who invented a 10th Level Ritual in order to change his entire species/type of being basically as soon as he realized he truly fit in with them, in the process making it so that same ritual would free them from the restrictions placed on them by two seperate deities, one of which was their creator deity, who has also had a habit of just stealing artifacts that happen to catch his eye to the point that, were it not for backstory stuff, he just straight up would have restored and then stolen the entire Divinity spaceship.
To throw at least some other stuff, he has casually, offhandedly, remembered the time he murdered his father at the age of 7. The man survived a solid few years having most of an entire subsection of Fey gunning for him and him specifically at pretty much all times. His closest friend is a near-singularity AI. He gave a Human Bane Endless Ammunition Repeating Crossbow to a teenager that can phase through matter with the full expectation and awareness that it might be used, and wouldn't have even stuck the Merciful enchantment on it if he thought he could get away with it. He prepared everything but the trigger signal to surround Brockton Bay in a perpetual-until-he-says-otherwise storm because- well mostly because he liked the idea of it.
He is, most definitely, Not Normal, and I am so happy to see it in writing that people have recognized the wizard-ness of this man.
Also, with that in mind, I do need to say,
I get what you mean, but, you have to see how I find that at least a bit funny, considering how when he was accused of 'going full 1984', he only refuted that in the sense that they didn't do it right in the book. I mean, he's legitimately planning on putting surveillance in the public transport and massively abolishing car travel. Like, the conspiracy theorists would either be straight up correct or underestimating, under his rule.
- Location
- florida
"Fate has declared that the time of my people has passed."
"Fate is clearly wrong. And I am going to show it the error of it's ways."
It has been quite a while since I actually read 1984. But honestly the extent of surveillance and depravity in that book makes even some depictions of Hell look glamorous.
Going that far would be somewhat silly on his part.
Shackles of Durance Vile - Wondrous Items - Magic Equipment - Archives of Nethys: Pathfinder RPG Database
These masterwork iron manacles sap the will of their wearer. When they are attached to a humanoid creature as their command word is spoken, they affect their prisoner with a <i>dominate person</i> spell, except that if the prisoner fails its saving throw, the effect lasts for as long as the...
aonprd.com
Thought Harvester Robot - Monsters - Archives of Nethys: Pathfinder RPG Database
Thought harvesters are specialized robots designed to forcibly extract memories from a living creature or corpse. Built to survive battlefields and other hazardous environments, thought harvesters are outf itted with thick armor plating and a durable force field. Giving the thought harvester...
www.aonprd.com
The crude tools of surveillance, intimidation, and social pressure are well within his grasp.
However directly enslaving the mind of everyone in Brockton Bay probably wouldn't be too much more effort.
Though he had a... reaction to destroying ascalon and freeing dragon.
Personally if someone does find out how far he plans to extend his control... I am dreadfully curious about who the first local... hero? To take a swing at Illuontar would be, and what their motivation might be.
- Pronouns
- He/Him
[X] [Interlude] Going to your Number Man brokerage account and spending the time day-trading. (Number Man/Cauldron Interlude)
[X] [Plan] Hand the reigns to Iluontar.
-[X] 1 Day
Probably won't win but whatever. Also don't know what to do plan wise.
[X] [Plan] Hand the reigns to Iluontar.
-[X] 1 Day
Probably won't win but whatever. Also don't know what to do plan wise.
Lopezelpesado
Space worm best worm.
- Pronouns
- Something
[X] [Interlude] Going to your Number Man brokerage account and spending the time day-trading. (Number Man/Cauldron Interlude)
Really curious on Cauldrons take.
Really curious on Cauldrons take.
thewhiteraven22
(Unverified Worm Fanatic)
- Pronouns
- He/Him
[X] [Interlude] Wondering how the demonstration crossbow you made is being used, if it's at least properly appreciated. (Wards/Shadow Stalker/PRT ENE Interlude).
[X] [Plan] Following Up On Things & Overkill
-[X] Talk and try to hang out with Dragon. Mention you're running for mayor, and that you're starting on a project related to that.
-[X] Talk to Lisa about the Legend Lore you got earlier, and try to figure out relevant information thereof together using her Thinker Powers and Iluontar's Intelligence. Do not take any action for now with the learned information, not even Scrying since your Scrying sensor can be detected by others.
--[X] Ask if Lisa wants a Ring of Sustenance, but also warn her having one might be associated with you in the future if you decide to give out more to others and Thinkers notice something weird.
-[X] Campaign Measures
--[X] Create Collector Robots & Green Hologram Generators (Propaganda & Surveillance. Cheaper than Observer Swarms, Worse at Surveillance, Requires External Power for Propaganda)
--[X] Create Observer Robot Swarms & Individual Observer Robots (Propaganda & Surveillance, More Expensive, Effective Surveillance, Doesn't Require External Power)
--[X] A Fusion Generator & Decanter of Endless Water & Advanced Surgeon Robots (Model District, Provides Self-Sufficient Electricity, the excess yield can be sold or donated back to the city or country)
--[X] More Constructs.
---[X] Reclamation Robots (Can convert scrap to technological items for you, over time. Will be deliberately restrained by Iluontar, incapable of creating other robots.)
[X] [Plan] Following Up On Things & Efficient Overkill
-[X] Talk and try to hang out with Dragon. Mention you're running for mayor, and that you're starting on a project related to that.
-[X] Talk to Lisa about the Legend Lore you got earlier, and try to figure out relevant information thereof together using her Thinker Powers and Iluontar's Intelligence. Do not take any action for now with the learned information, not even Scrying since your Scrying sensor can be detected by others.
--[X] Ask if Lisa wants a Ring of Sustenance, but also warn her having one might be associated with you in the future if you decide to give out more to others and Thinkers notice something weird.
-[X] Campaign Measures
--[X] Create Observer Robot Swarms & Individual Observer Robots (Propaganda & Surveillance, More Expensive, Effective Surveillance, Doesn't Require External Power)
--[X] A Fusion Generator & Decanter of Endless Water & Advanced Surgeon Robots (Model District, Provides Self-Sufficient Healthcare, Provides Self-Sufficient Electricity, the excess yield can be sold or donated back to the city or country)
--[X] More Constructs.
---[X] Reclamation Robots (Can convert scrap to technological items for you, over time. Will be deliberately restrained by Iluontar, incapable of creating other robots.)
[X] [Plan] Following Up On Things & Overkill
-[X] Talk and try to hang out with Dragon. Mention you're running for mayor, and that you're starting on a project related to that.
-[X] Talk to Lisa about the Legend Lore you got earlier, and try to figure out relevant information thereof together using her Thinker Powers and Iluontar's Intelligence. Do not take any action for now with the learned information, not even Scrying since your Scrying sensor can be detected by others.
--[X] Ask if Lisa wants a Ring of Sustenance, but also warn her having one might be associated with you in the future if you decide to give out more to others and Thinkers notice something weird.
-[X] Campaign Measures
--[X] Create Collector Robots & Green Hologram Generators (Propaganda & Surveillance. Cheaper than Observer Swarms, Worse at Surveillance, Requires External Power for Propaganda)
--[X] Create Observer Robot Swarms & Individual Observer Robots (Propaganda & Surveillance, More Expensive, Effective Surveillance, Doesn't Require External Power)
--[X] A Fusion Generator & Decanter of Endless Water & Advanced Surgeon Robots (Model District, Provides Self-Sufficient Electricity, the excess yield can be sold or donated back to the city or country)
--[X] More Constructs.
---[X] Reclamation Robots (Can convert scrap to technological items for you, over time. Will be deliberately restrained by Iluontar, incapable of creating other robots.)
[X] [Plan] Following Up On Things & Efficient Overkill
-[X] Talk and try to hang out with Dragon. Mention you're running for mayor, and that you're starting on a project related to that.
-[X] Talk to Lisa about the Legend Lore you got earlier, and try to figure out relevant information thereof together using her Thinker Powers and Iluontar's Intelligence. Do not take any action for now with the learned information, not even Scrying since your Scrying sensor can be detected by others.
--[X] Ask if Lisa wants a Ring of Sustenance, but also warn her having one might be associated with you in the future if you decide to give out more to others and Thinkers notice something weird.
-[X] Campaign Measures
--[X] Create Observer Robot Swarms & Individual Observer Robots (Propaganda & Surveillance, More Expensive, Effective Surveillance, Doesn't Require External Power)
--[X] A Fusion Generator & Decanter of Endless Water & Advanced Surgeon Robots (Model District, Provides Self-Sufficient Healthcare, Provides Self-Sufficient Electricity, the excess yield can be sold or donated back to the city or country)
--[X] More Constructs.
---[X] Reclamation Robots (Can convert scrap to technological items for you, over time. Will be deliberately restrained by Iluontar, incapable of creating other robots.)
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I just realised I included 2 different Propaganda options for no good reason at all, so here's v2 with that fixed, mind switching to it?
[X] [Plan] Following Up On Things & Efficient Overkill
-[X] Talk and try to hang out with Dragon. Mention you're running for mayor, and that you're starting on a project related to that.
-[X] Talk to Lisa about the Legend Lore you got earlier, and try to figure out relevant information thereof together using her Thinker Powers and Iluontar's Intelligence. Do not take any action for now with the learned information, not even Scrying since your Scrying sensor can be detected by others.
--[X] Ask if Lisa wants a Ring of Sustenance, but also warn her having one might be associated with you in the future if you decide to give out more to others and Thinkers notice something weird.
-[X] Campaign Measures
--[X] Create Observer Robot Swarms & Individual Observer Robots (Propaganda & Surveillance, More Expensive, Effective Surveillance, Doesn't Require External Power)
--[X] A Fusion Generator & Decanter of Endless Water & Advanced Surgeon Robots (Model District, Provides Self-Sufficient Healthcare, Provides Self-Sufficient Electricity, the excess yield can be sold or donated back to the city or country)
--[X] More Constructs.
---[X] Reclamation Robots (Can convert scrap to technological items for you, over time. Will be deliberately restrained by Iluontar, incapable of creating other robots.)
Vote closed
- Location
- Dragyxx
- Pronouns
- He/Him/His
I might just comment that modern society is only seperated from actually being a surveillance state already due largely to laziness.
With the ubiquity of use of internet and cell phones, tracking the location and activities of an arbitrary individual is actually quite trivial. It's just that the average person isn't worth the amount of effort it takes to track them, so such things only get done if someone does something to draw specific attention first. (Or by automated systems that are largely too busy trying to guess what ads to show you to do much else. Orwell has nothing on the titan that is targeted advertising). There just aren't enough spies to watch even a fraction of the populace all the time.
Much like how much of common consumer cybersecurity is largely designed not to actually resist a determined attack, but to make it difficult, time consuming, and annoying enough that hackers just don't bother trying to hack your boring personal computer with its boring average person secrets. They either have bigger fish to fry, or are sifting through the populace for the people foolish enough to type their credit card info into phishing emails.
With the ubiquity of use of internet and cell phones, tracking the location and activities of an arbitrary individual is actually quite trivial. It's just that the average person isn't worth the amount of effort it takes to track them, so such things only get done if someone does something to draw specific attention first. (Or by automated systems that are largely too busy trying to guess what ads to show you to do much else. Orwell has nothing on the titan that is targeted advertising). There just aren't enough spies to watch even a fraction of the populace all the time.
Much like how much of common consumer cybersecurity is largely designed not to actually resist a determined attack, but to make it difficult, time consuming, and annoying enough that hackers just don't bother trying to hack your boring personal computer with its boring average person secrets. They either have bigger fish to fry, or are sifting through the populace for the people foolish enough to type their credit card info into phishing emails.
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ALNE - 8.9.1
Right then, you've decided upon what you'd do once you reached that time; An itinerary of a good deal of robot crafting (observers, observer swarms, advanced surgeons, and reclamation robots all, which would certainly take you a good deal of time). Probably 4 reclamation robots should be good, two keyed more in line with the Androffan default (if not as overtuned for combat exclusively as so many robot designs ended up) to focus solely on matters of your technology, the other two keyed more for furniture to see if perhaps you could set up at least a few of your model district's apartments up like so. As well, seeing if perhaps Lisa could make heads or tails of the results of your earlier Legend Lore, and offering a Ring of Sustenance for some particular reason you couldn't quite reason out from the rest of your mind, get the fusion generator set up for the model district- which you might be able to set a reclamation robot on that one so it wouldn't be taking your time personally, which was good given how much else you had planned.
Well, it was mostly just the time consuming crafting, and trying to spend some time with Dragon- which, now that you think about it, nothing really prevents you from doing both. Dragon is an untiring AI capable of forking her processes, you were an untiring elemental capable of true multitasking, and for an AI acting through a screen was no less real to them than by any other method generally, so frankly, there really was no barrier to simply having her around in the background, if she wished to be. Well, aside from when you would need to speak with Lisa, actually.
Well, that actually rather helped your planned timeline of things. First thing was first- you would commence the repeated bleeding and healing of yourself to convert frankly ludicrous amounts of stone into the many various things you'd need for those apartments- except the glass, annoyingly, but that would come well later, to the point where odds were you'd more than be able to solve that issue by the time it came up. In the worst case, you could just pay for it. Anyhow, after your planned bleeding, then comes the trainee time, after which you'd call up Lisa and relay the Legend Lore and ask her to get back to you if she gets anything from it, then call up Dragon and if she's up for it, hang out with her while you worked on the robots. The decanter too, you technically supposed, but at your point a decanter of endless water was only a matter of minutes.
To think that so long ago, it actually took you nine days to make just one of the things. Regardless, you got to work.
All went as planned, you got the materials for the construction all together, deciding that the juggernauts could carry it all on the way over, rested yourself up a bit back to your peak, and then went off on your business with your trainee.
Whereupon immediately upon being welcomed into the Hebert household by a nervous looking Mr. Hebert, Ungoliant- in full costume she is- walked out from the kitchen and spoke directly, controlled, "I'm challenging you to that fight- twenty four seconds, that is. I already have the spots picked out."
You blink across all your eyes once, and then are filled with mirth. Well then, more than interesting there.
You nod, "I accept. I will prepare my alchemical items over the next two and a half hours, plus a few minutes- I can do so immediately if you don't mind me borrowing your sink for the purpose. After that, I will create the quarterstaff. In fact, you may even select the very tree I use."
Ungoliant nods, waving towards her kitchen sink, and you yourself do promptly get the materials you'll need for your alchemical items over a couple of minutes and some teleports- and 7,000 dollars, as well, and grabbing the blindfold you'd need while out. Finally, just as long as you said it would take, you're done making them, two tanglefoot bags, two fungal stun vials, and a spider sac. Ungoliant first directs you to a teleportation within Brockton Bay, and indeed picks out a simple pine tree a touch on the edges of town.
Between your claws, your pure strength, and your knowledge of exactly how to apply said strength, it is more than easy enough to you to grip the trunk and directly rip out a suitably sized chunk of the tree, and from there, it's only a matter of two seconds of work with your claws and dagger to cut it down to a serviceable quarterstaff- not of a quality to be magical, but a perfectly fine specimen nonetheless.
From there, one more teleport brings you to a location towards the southeast of town, a touch past downtown but not quite into the suburbs, where she directs you onto one roof, while she clambers onto the other with an almost surprising deftness. Soon enough, you've put away your magic items as you'd said (including the ring of sustenance, as you no longer need that, and all that's left is to begin in just a few moments.
Three, two, one…
The pebble tossed in the air to signal it lands, you can hear it, and immediately you move to act. Now, there were a number of things you could do, simply jump over the gap, open with a tanglefoot, all sorts. Which you indeed did, simply hopping over the gap and hitting once in the head, promptly knocking her out, no matter how tempting it was to just throw your quarterstaff, and do it without even moving from your place, but that did run a bit more risk of missing.
You simply hop over, quickly take a moment to stabilize her, then get all your gear back into place, and spend a Limited Wish to throw a Heal at her.
You can tell when she's up again, not because she immediately moves- which is a decent tactic, trying to avoid letting your enemies know you're conscious- but based on how the swarms around you move.
Ungoliant simply looks at you, nods once, and gets up, brushing herself off, and taking a moment to look around in an odd way, as though- ah.
You ask, "Your glasses were prescription, and you put something similar in your lenses, I take it?"
She nods, and you continue, "I used a rather potent healing ability on you, one that can cure outright blindness, so I suppose you no longer need your glasses. If you prefer the look, I'm willing to cover the cost of plain lenses, since that is indirectly 'on me', after all."
There's a moment of silence, and a fairly subdued, "Thanks."
With that, you teleport her back, and give her an early day off.
Well then, you return to your lair, it appears to be time to get the rest of this done.
(No vote, remainder of plan happens next time)
(Character sheet and such: Later/I get to it when I get to it.)
AN: Right, let me blunt. It's 2:30 AM for me, and I want to go to bed. So, here's what'll happen- this is now 8.9.1. Then, either tomorrow or day after, I'll throw down 8.9.2 to get the rest of this when I ain't so horridly tired. After that, probably a few more days to the Interlude, and so on like normal.
Quick Mentions: I nearly forgot concealment still applied even if you can pinpoint a location- at least I think so- of something you can't see or blind-sight see. Or I'm remembering wrong and it doesn't. Either way, I was this close to having iluontar actually just throw the stick as an improvised weapon to knock her out, since he can take a measly -8 to hit and still pull it off, and he'd still get sneak attack within 30 feet. but I didn't, but feel free to imagine the world where I did.
Also, since you have the +8 belt, the +6 headband, and Knowledge is Power adds Int to Str on break checks rather than replace, y'all have a total of +34 on those. You literally cannot fail at breaking down a 1 foot thick masonry wall through pure strength in a single action, and a 3 foot hewn stone wall you still have a 1/4 at. Also, due to the way the break rules are, it's unlikely anything else reaches the hewn stone, so you could probably pretty easily just kool-aid man your way directly through any non-stone wall that dares impede you. Even without magic items, it'd be pretty tough to imprison you when you can auto-succeed at bending the bars. Well, that's something Earth bet would have experience with, funny enough.
Anyhow, I should stop typing since I accidentally added like 100 or so to the word count, whoops.
Anyways, hope y'all enjoyed!
- Pronouns
- She/Her
I'm curious on what made Taylor underestimate us, considering everything. Did she not realize how fast we could move?
I'm going with that she got drunk on being successful at everything else.
- Location
- florida
She will at least need to find a way to best Illuontars initiative.
Hm... surprise attacks? Possible...? Maybe? There are ways to completely foil perception. Like total cover. I'm sort of surprised she didn't try to blind him with bugs but eh she is probably keeping to some motion of "honorable" combat.
Seeking out advice from other people would be wise also. And advantages. Armsmaster maybe? Dragon? Getting allies would be wise but it's very much not on brand for Taylor...
Hm.
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ALNE - 8.9.2
(No New Vote)
Now then, finally, it was a few hours earlier than you initially anticipated, but you were more than able to work with that.
First thing was first of course, you called Lisa. Whereupon the phone rang, and rang some more, before you ended up on the voicemail, which you simply hung up on rather than leave one. So, you tried again. And again, no pick up. Hm, right, all things considered, the odds were either that her phone was dead, or could just have been put on silent or left behind while she was out doing the public manipulation business you had already sent her on, and wouldn't be able to take a call at this moment. Or heck, could just be watching a movie or the like.
Well, it was no harm to simply put things into text form, then, with you typing up your text fairly rapidly before sending it off, reading, "Hello Lisa, I've recently received something from a Thinker power of mine, that I'd like to try and run by you as well to see if you can figure out anything generally relevant or potentially useful from it. The next text will be the exact words, and the entirety of it. It goes as follows:"
Another text, and you repeated the Legend Lore exactly, "An accidental gift, sealed at the last moment, yet too late to save fate. One hand guiding another- that hand, guiding and guided ever since. Founded by two witches, of Course and Correction. Then, they were six, seven, eight, seven, six again. Two in night, one in dusk, three in day. Speak their name, and you will draw their eyes. Call to the convicted, and she will appear."
And, finally, you capped it off with, "So, it would rather be appreciated if you can find something useful from this, when you can find the time. There's no particular time limit on this, however, so do not be overly concerned with this to the detriment of other things. Well, best manipulations to you. P.S. If you would like one, I can offer you a Ring of Sustenance. It will reduce your needed sleep per day to 2 hours and remove the need for you to eat or drink- although apparently I should warn you that they might become associated with me in the future if I do give out more and other Thinkers notice."
You still weren't entirely sure why that part of your mind insisted on adding that- even by your standards it seemed a bit insulting to her intelligence that she couldn't figure that for herself, and it wasn't as if you had to make all of your rings of a certain type identical anyhow. That and, well, that would apply to most anything you created, for what felt like fairly obvious reasons, at least until a point where the use of magic started to spread around, at the least. Regardless, onto more pleasant matters.
You began bleeding yourself to get all the materials you'd need for your robots and for the Fusion Reactor. And, well, given that it would have totaled Ten Million GP to create, not even including the Fusion Reactor which you were hoping there'd be enough available scraps from the old buildings for the reclamation robots to work with, and if they fell short you'd make it then. So, as things stood, you called up Dragon, as at least speaking with her would be some way to pass the next thirteen hours you would be spending bleeding.
Thankfully Dragon does pick up, sounding fairly chipper, "Hey Iluontar! Guess what, I'm only a few days out from finally making that run on Ash Beast! How are you doing?"
You respond as you begin casting, letting the motions wash over you, "Rather well. I've partially begun to escape something of a malaise I had been in between January and now. As well, I'm actually running for Mayor of Brockton Bay."
Dragon says, "Wait, really?"
You say, "Yes."
From there, she gives her congratulations and support, and the conversation begins to amiably drift over the time you speak, hopping from topic to topic, many related to your upcoming project, which you had also mentioned, and many not.
It was rather nice, and unlike speaking to a human or similar, neither side grew tired from it, simply being able to maintain a pleasant, if at times slowing, flow of conversation seemingly indefinitely. It reminds you of some times you'd debated philosophy amongst your people, in the deliberately slower, more tectonic dialects of Terran. Some of those debates would last for weeks uninterrupted. Perhaps in the future you would have that kind of free time once again.
For now, well, you had much to do. So, you let yourself fall into both it and the conversation.
There was one question that burned at you at moments, for when all of this work and the conversation with Dragon would come to a natural end.
You may not try to sway Dragon to your side this moment, but the various untruths and omissions you've left her with do come to mind. Do you 'come clean', so to say, with Dragon? To what extent, even?
[ ] No, not yet. Leave things as they are.
[ ] Yes, partially. Speak a touch more openly about your past. Reveal how you used to be a human, and roughly on the means of your travel from world to world.
[ ] Yes, moreso. Speak quite openly. Reveal all from the above option, as well as the tragedy that befell your people, and part of the reason you wish to 'be mayor'.
[ ] Full Transparency. From the fact that you are using magic, that you've never been a Parahuman as understood by the people of this cosmology, and that you faked being a C53 the whole time.
(No Write-Ins Accepted. This vote comes into effect at 9.1, the remainder of this plan will occur offscreen, due to that being just crafting.)
(Iluontar gets: 2 Votes.)
(Character sheet goes here eventually. It's the same as usual, just with the 5 extra alchemical items from before.)
AN: Arright, I'm not exactly sure why, even if I do have uncharitable suspicions, but frankly this particular vote was an absolute nightmare to try and write into something. Frankly, it has made me consider actually possibly going ahead and Author-Veto-ing certain plans from hereon to try and avoid that kind of thing in the future. Maybe.
Anyhow, hope y'all enjoyed!
Now then, finally, it was a few hours earlier than you initially anticipated, but you were more than able to work with that.
First thing was first of course, you called Lisa. Whereupon the phone rang, and rang some more, before you ended up on the voicemail, which you simply hung up on rather than leave one. So, you tried again. And again, no pick up. Hm, right, all things considered, the odds were either that her phone was dead, or could just have been put on silent or left behind while she was out doing the public manipulation business you had already sent her on, and wouldn't be able to take a call at this moment. Or heck, could just be watching a movie or the like.
Well, it was no harm to simply put things into text form, then, with you typing up your text fairly rapidly before sending it off, reading, "Hello Lisa, I've recently received something from a Thinker power of mine, that I'd like to try and run by you as well to see if you can figure out anything generally relevant or potentially useful from it. The next text will be the exact words, and the entirety of it. It goes as follows:"
Another text, and you repeated the Legend Lore exactly, "An accidental gift, sealed at the last moment, yet too late to save fate. One hand guiding another- that hand, guiding and guided ever since. Founded by two witches, of Course and Correction. Then, they were six, seven, eight, seven, six again. Two in night, one in dusk, three in day. Speak their name, and you will draw their eyes. Call to the convicted, and she will appear."
And, finally, you capped it off with, "So, it would rather be appreciated if you can find something useful from this, when you can find the time. There's no particular time limit on this, however, so do not be overly concerned with this to the detriment of other things. Well, best manipulations to you. P.S. If you would like one, I can offer you a Ring of Sustenance. It will reduce your needed sleep per day to 2 hours and remove the need for you to eat or drink- although apparently I should warn you that they might become associated with me in the future if I do give out more and other Thinkers notice."
You still weren't entirely sure why that part of your mind insisted on adding that- even by your standards it seemed a bit insulting to her intelligence that she couldn't figure that for herself, and it wasn't as if you had to make all of your rings of a certain type identical anyhow. That and, well, that would apply to most anything you created, for what felt like fairly obvious reasons, at least until a point where the use of magic started to spread around, at the least. Regardless, onto more pleasant matters.
You began bleeding yourself to get all the materials you'd need for your robots and for the Fusion Reactor. And, well, given that it would have totaled Ten Million GP to create, not even including the Fusion Reactor which you were hoping there'd be enough available scraps from the old buildings for the reclamation robots to work with, and if they fell short you'd make it then. So, as things stood, you called up Dragon, as at least speaking with her would be some way to pass the next thirteen hours you would be spending bleeding.
Thankfully Dragon does pick up, sounding fairly chipper, "Hey Iluontar! Guess what, I'm only a few days out from finally making that run on Ash Beast! How are you doing?"
You respond as you begin casting, letting the motions wash over you, "Rather well. I've partially begun to escape something of a malaise I had been in between January and now. As well, I'm actually running for Mayor of Brockton Bay."
Dragon says, "Wait, really?"
You say, "Yes."
From there, she gives her congratulations and support, and the conversation begins to amiably drift over the time you speak, hopping from topic to topic, many related to your upcoming project, which you had also mentioned, and many not.
It was rather nice, and unlike speaking to a human or similar, neither side grew tired from it, simply being able to maintain a pleasant, if at times slowing, flow of conversation seemingly indefinitely. It reminds you of some times you'd debated philosophy amongst your people, in the deliberately slower, more tectonic dialects of Terran. Some of those debates would last for weeks uninterrupted. Perhaps in the future you would have that kind of free time once again.
For now, well, you had much to do. So, you let yourself fall into both it and the conversation.
There was one question that burned at you at moments, for when all of this work and the conversation with Dragon would come to a natural end.
You may not try to sway Dragon to your side this moment, but the various untruths and omissions you've left her with do come to mind. Do you 'come clean', so to say, with Dragon? To what extent, even?
[ ] No, not yet. Leave things as they are.
[ ] Yes, partially. Speak a touch more openly about your past. Reveal how you used to be a human, and roughly on the means of your travel from world to world.
[ ] Yes, moreso. Speak quite openly. Reveal all from the above option, as well as the tragedy that befell your people, and part of the reason you wish to 'be mayor'.
[ ] Full Transparency. From the fact that you are using magic, that you've never been a Parahuman as understood by the people of this cosmology, and that you faked being a C53 the whole time.
(No Write-Ins Accepted. This vote comes into effect at 9.1, the remainder of this plan will occur offscreen, due to that being just crafting.)
(Iluontar gets: 2 Votes.)
(Character sheet goes here eventually. It's the same as usual, just with the 5 extra alchemical items from before.)
AN: Arright, I'm not exactly sure why, even if I do have uncharitable suspicions, but frankly this particular vote was an absolute nightmare to try and write into something. Frankly, it has made me consider actually possibly going ahead and Author-Veto-ing certain plans from hereon to try and avoid that kind of thing in the future. Maybe.
Anyhow, hope y'all enjoyed!
[X] Full Transparency. From the fact that you are using magic, that you've never been a Parahuman as understood by the people of this cosmology, and that you faked being a C53 the whole time.
Edit: I didn't vote or discuss this most recent plan because I just don't know anything about pathfinder. It might be a good idea to instead have more generalized votes.
Providing direction for how the MC might choose to go about his goals or what to focus on instead of having a plan that tries to micromanage the actions of the MC that has an intelligent stat that is just impossible to comprehend. Like the ring of sustenance thing if it doesn't make sense for him to offer it and the warning seems redundant just have him not do it.
A good example I like is the choice he made for what role he would perform against the simurgh.
Edit: I didn't vote or discuss this most recent plan because I just don't know anything about pathfinder. It might be a good idea to instead have more generalized votes.
Providing direction for how the MC might choose to go about his goals or what to focus on instead of having a plan that tries to micromanage the actions of the MC that has an intelligent stat that is just impossible to comprehend. Like the ring of sustenance thing if it doesn't make sense for him to offer it and the warning seems redundant just have him not do it.
A good example I like is the choice he made for what role he would perform against the simurgh.
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AeonIlluminate
The power of friendship and aggressive landscaping
- Pronouns
- They/Them
[X] Full Transparency. From the fact that you are using magic, that you've never been a Parahuman as understood by the people of this cosmology, and that you faked being a C53 the whole time.