Chloe Sullivan
Subdefective
- Location
- 1630 Revello Drive, Sunnydale CA
...
Wow, Nichols knows a *lot* of interesting things.... Because so far every reference to that sort of thing we've seen up till now has been from a nephandus.
Panopticon: A Game of Posthumans, Perniciousness, Paranoia, Politics, and Plasmaguns
Wow, Nichols knows a *lot* of interesting things.... Because so far every reference to that sort of thing we've seen up till now has been from a nephandus.
Heh. One of the benefits of Enlightenment 7 is that you can lean on the fourth wall?
And I like this plan. It plays to our strengths, which do not include "slugging it out with Incarna-level threats". If we can get one of the HKs destroyed, that's definitely a Good Thing. In fact, getting both of them in a condition which does not allow for pursuit is probably a Very Good Thing, possibly bordering on necessary. Plan New Plan may involve Control-level Shockwave codes, so getting away in a reasonable amount of time is kinda important.
[X] Get back to the Avellone and rig it via the good ol' reliable Hollywood standby of Killing The Bad Guys With A Malfunctioning FTL Drive, and then lure Khornetta in with a pre-recorded message of Henriette on the bridge implying she was hidden there all along and that Henrietta only missed her because she was distracted by the messages from the station. As this is a DSci/Corr thing (as befits a malfunctioning FTL drive), it should bypass Forces protection - and Iterators are weak against DSci.
-> [X] If that doesn't kill it, then fire a Chronal Torpedo down her thermal exhaust port via stealth vessel (the Redemption) while she's distracted and preferably hurt by the . How lewd. Thus proving the comments about how Harlan has a creepy uncle moustache to be correct, because Khornetta is only fifteen.
--> [X] If that doesn't work... desperately think of a new plan. That is the plan. Yes.
- Location
- National Capital Region, USA
Which makes it pretty similar to most jealous, bratty teenage sisters, really.
...ok, except for the UNLIMITED COSMIC POWER fueled by PURE RAGE...
This Quest has a hilariously large number of grumpy old ladies. And it's had so many fun effects! MJ, next Quest has to have as many grumpy old ladies as we can fit!
Jamelia: "And you are still the Worst Spirit Guide Ever. I think I'm a waitress again!"
I like the plan, though. Around Planet Hollywood, the 'everybody knows' effect of FTL drives going boom, even if they're solar powered, will be very strong.
Cornuthaum
Be kind to each other.
- Location
- Austria
- Pronouns
- He/Him
#JustTechnocracyProblems
- Location
- The end of all things
This is clearly an unambiguous an Exalted reference. It's not like Venus is an important mythological figure or anything.
FunkyEntropy
Occasionally insightful, possibly grumpy
- Location
- Los Angeles
Well, at least we're continuing in the fine Panopticon Quest tradition of taking existing problems and turning then into new, hopefully more manageable and easier to solve, problems.
So on the one hand we really don't have to worry anymore about that Autopolitan mothership looking for Jamelia, or Henrietta in her DSS looking for us. Yay. On the other now we have to worry about a new, thoroughly pissed-off Incarna that has a personal stake in finding us and making us suffer. Yay...?
So I'm going to have to go with EarthScorpion's plan here. Talking to Khornetta is a hilariously bad idea. Spirits can't go against their nature, and Incarna are basically just incredibly powerful spirits. Now...what was it that caused Khornetta's apotheosis?
Oh, right. She was obsessed with tracking us down, and overrode the Computer's Self-Destruct command in order to keep hunting us.
[X] Get back to the Avellone and rig it via the good ol' reliable Hollywood standby of Killing The Bad Guys With A Malfunctioning FTL Drive, and then lure Khornetta in with a pre-recorded message of Henriette on the bridge implying she was hidden there all along and that Henrietta only missed her because she was distracted by the messages from the station. As this is a DSci/Corr thing (as befits a malfunctioning FTL drive), it should bypass Forces protection - and Iterators are weak against DSci.
-> [X] If that doesn't kill it, then fire a Chronal Torpedo down her thermal exhaust port via stealth vessel (the Redemption) while she's distracted and preferably hurt by the . How lewd. Thus proving the comments about how Harlan has a creepy uncle moustache to be correct, because Khornetta is only fifteen.
--> [X] If that doesn't work... desperately think of a new plan. That is the plan. Yes.
So on the one hand we really don't have to worry anymore about that Autopolitan mothership looking for Jamelia, or Henrietta in her DSS looking for us. Yay. On the other now we have to worry about a new, thoroughly pissed-off Incarna that has a personal stake in finding us and making us suffer. Yay...?
So I'm going to have to go with EarthScorpion's plan here. Talking to Khornetta is a hilariously bad idea. Spirits can't go against their nature, and Incarna are basically just incredibly powerful spirits. Now...what was it that caused Khornetta's apotheosis?
Oh, right. She was obsessed with tracking us down, and overrode the Computer's Self-Destruct command in order to keep hunting us.
[X] Get back to the Avellone and rig it via the good ol' reliable Hollywood standby of Killing The Bad Guys With A Malfunctioning FTL Drive, and then lure Khornetta in with a pre-recorded message of Henriette on the bridge implying she was hidden there all along and that Henrietta only missed her because she was distracted by the messages from the station. As this is a DSci/Corr thing (as befits a malfunctioning FTL drive), it should bypass Forces protection - and Iterators are weak against DSci.
-> [X] If that doesn't kill it, then fire a Chronal Torpedo down her thermal exhaust port via stealth vessel (the Redemption) while she's distracted and preferably hurt by the . How lewd. Thus proving the comments about how Harlan has a creepy uncle moustache to be correct, because Khornetta is only fifteen.
--> [X] If that doesn't work... desperately think of a new plan. That is the plan. Yes.
Sorry, next quest is totally an Aberrant quest with very few grumpy old ladies. It will have godlike power though.
It's more
Pro: Control is in charge of the Technocracy.
Con: Control is in charge of the Technocracy.
Look, she was only 15, but she's spent a lot of time in subjective fast-time discarding parts of herself and becoming something else entirely. Something grand and far beyond human and-
I-50-B31: "Are you sure you don't need a snuggle hug?"
Henrietta: "ACTUALLY THAT HUG SOUNDS LIKE A REALLY GOOD IDEA RIGHT NOW."
Henriette: "'Come to' that bridge? I'm getting that sucker nuked from orbit."
Elsa: "Hey! That's my line!"
Henriette: "Nuh-uh! I don't know what bad Russian movies you were raised on, Little Miss Chrome-Dome, but if you've watched even a bit of Aliens-"
Elsa: "Yeah? And which one of us is the badass power-armored space marine about to hot-drop onto a hostile space station?"
John: "By that logic, I should be the one who says it."
Elsa:*points to chest* "Two reasons not, tovarisch."
Harlan: "I believe you're forgetting that Ridley was also a mother. Now, which one of us here has a daughter they're fighting to protect?"
*uncomfortable silence*
*space-crickets chirping*
Henriette: "Sometimes I forget you're a creepy New World Order spook and sometimes you go out of your way to remind me."
Harlan: *grins* "My work here is done."
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I mentioned that the Computer has acausal computation and communications capabilities. It's effectively the Computer Time 2-ing itself via an acausal channel and going "You know those 2 H/Ks you have floating around nearby? Have them drop fucking everything and try to kill this girl." This of course means that there are probably no reinforcements conveniently available nearby outside of the H/Ks and their support miniships.
Henrietta has gained Enemy 20: The Computer. Henriette has gained Enemy 10: Henrietta. See? Sisters are often more alike than they think!
Unlike everyone else here apart from maybe Kessler, she fully understands that this is both Planet Hollywood and the Realm of Hollywood - and several other places on top of that. She knows how to play by this place's rules because she accepts and understands the mutability of reality, and hence killing the monster with a FTL drive set to explosively explode is playing by the rules of both Planet Hollywood and the films of the Realm of Hollywood. She likes that. Because she really doesn't like Paradox.
And hence she gets to drop smug references to "plot twists". Because Ms Nichols is even smugger than Almacia when she's smugging out. She has a lot more experience at it.
Aleph
Princess of Stabbity
- Location
- The sixth circle of Hell (second on weekends)
- Pronouns
- She/Her
Hahahaha. Oh Henriette. Truly, you are Jamelia's prodigy.
nichols best mentor doubleplusgood advice y/y
[X] Plan Boom Boom Chrono-Pow.
no not you, chrono, you're not from this setting. unless you're on planet hollywood somewhere getting bombed.
[X] Plan Boom Boom Chrono-Pow.
Kessler does understand Planet Hollywood and The Realm of Mass Media are one and the same overlaid on each other. It comes from his Dual Traditions, which has let him understand a lot about how things can be truth and lies at the same time. It does mean he is one of the closest characters to Enlightenment/Arete 6, yes. He just needs to synchronize it, to understand that Iteration X materialism and Dreamspeaker shamanism are two different languages, equally valid, to describe one reality.
Aleph
Princess of Stabbity
- Location
- The sixth circle of Hell (second on weekends)
- Pronouns
- She/Her
... I sort of love how ES writes out these intricate long plans that are carefully planned and scripted and tuned, and some people quote the whole layer upon layer of recursive sub-votes that he sets up to back them, and then I give them names like "Plan Boom Boom Chrono-Pow" or "Monster Movie Marathon Message" or "Plan Make Skynietta Upgun Herself To Death" and people use those names instead.
Deadly Snark
Tryhard As Fuck
Hey, Catchy Names are catchy and convenient. Nuff said.
Clearly one of you is the other's Avatar-driving the other to a deeper understanding of the world.
Is it the person suggesting intricate plans, or is it the person creating the concise summaries? Is there a lesson to be learned? Well if you answer that question you will crawl ever closer to an understanding of reality.
Chloe Sullivan
Subdefective
- Location
- 1630 Revello Drive, Sunnydale CA
Right, because when people think of "characters from mythology who cannot keep it in the pants" they think of Venus first.
Oh, wait, no they don't. There's %^&*ing Zeus.
People also more often use the greek names, unless they have specific reason to pick the roman ones.
NonSequtur
a body
Aphrodite's a mouthful
Man, come to think of it, our Amalgam is stacked.
Jamelia's hit 6, sure, but Henriette, Kessler, Serafina, Rose and (temporarily) Harlan are at 5, with Elsa and Donald being the only ones at 4.
I don't know what distributions you're using MJ, but that seems pretty hard core particularly with 7 spheres (not counting Harlan) at 4+ (counting Serafina's Mind 5), missing only Time and Prime and we've got those at 3.
Aleph
Princess of Stabbity
- Location
- The sixth circle of Hell (second on weekends)
- Pronouns
- She/Her
We actually both took the Manifest Avatar and Twin Souls merit. This had the odd side-effect of us winding up being each other's Avatars at the same time.
It's a pretty good gig, all things considered.
Quantumboost
Now with 50% more dots in Dimensional Science
- Location
- Ensemble Space
Like them being tied to the associated planets?
Hmm. I... I think you'd also need to take the Phylactery Flaw at the same time to get that working perfectly. Which as a 7 point flaw, totally negates the cost of those two merits.
... it also means we can't use magic unless we're in physical contact, but when we're in physical contact we use the higher of our Arete and Spheres. And also the other person has to obviously be involved in whatever magic is involved.
Something of a niche character concept, I think. This is the kind of build which a) gets your magic shut down by the GM all the time, and b) gets you captured by the 2e Technocracy and turned into a fused cyborg monstrosity supercomputer.
... hmm, thinking about it, no, Phylactery isn't required - that's just for the a certain meaning of the "they're your Avatar" effect. Although we would have to buy each other as Allies so we could have physical form, which admittedly totally is the case anyway.
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This means if one of you kills the other, the survivor gains all their writing talent and Avatar dots. Hmm.
Player Characterrrrrrrrrrrssssssss.
In Panopticon, it's actually fairly easy and quick to get to Enlightenment/Arete 3. Almost every mage who doesn't die in their first few years will end up there, even if they're slackers (and rare is the slacker mage-the Cult of Ecstasy has some and so do the Hollow Ones, but even then they're an absolute tiny minority). Arete 4 is actually reasonably easy to get as well. It's just past that where you end up running into serious walls, because to get past that hump you need to be willing to learn and grow and discard and eliminate your own weaknesses in a way that most people aren't.
The Traditions have a moderately larger number of Arete 5 people, but that's mostly because they spend less time in comfortable labs and offices and more time being chased by vampires/werewolves/ninjas/robots.
For Spheres, 1-2 are basically super-easy to pick up. The gifted can end up learning them in a week or two (Roooooose), while even if you're not gifted like the interns you can pick them up in a few months of relatively low-stress schooling. By the time you've gotten a few years of experience you'll almost certainly have a 3-dot sphere. Most mages end up with the pinnacle of their career being getting one, or two, spheres at 4. 5s are not unheard of but generally take years and years of work and passion.
Archspheres of 6 or higher? Basically nonexistent. In general the people who have them are either 1. Hundreds and hundreds of years old (Porthos, Marianne of Balador, etc), 2. Phenomenally gifted (Dante), or 3. Catherine Nichols, who is a very strange edge case.
Serafina: "So. Uh. Director? What's your excuse? At the start of the game, your highest sphere was... uh, 2. And you were 66."
Jamelia: "Mutter mutter mutter."
Serafina: "Sorry, didn't quite hear you."
Donald: "It's probably some ancient NWO secret art. Dating back to the ancient times of prehistory when the NWO was formed. That is, like, 1900. Far too ancient and mystical for us to know."
Jamelia: "I said, look, I spent all my XP on attributes and abilities."
Serafina: "... but why?"
Jamelia: "Because I had to to optimise my paradigm! That's why I'm a polyglot multidiscplinarian genius Renaissance woman who's the da Vicini of baseline human murder! And also art, science, history, paperwork, I can play multiple instruments at a concert level, and... look, I just didn't have the XP to get Forces 3! Who needs Forces 3 when you have a handgun?!"
Henriette: "..."
Kessler: "..."
Rose: "..."
Kessler: "So what you're saying is that the NWO is really bad at teaching spheres?"
Jamelia: "Shut up. Hate you all. Why don't you get on Serafina's back for spending all that XP on looking like that?"
Serafina: "Because, darling, I was born with Appearance 6. When they decanted me, the doctors said I was as pretty as a wasp made of gold and crystal."
Donald: "Mmm, sexy sexy wasps."
Henriette: "... can I transfer to a sane amalgam?"