Heroes, Great and Mighty (Exalted x World of Darkness)
- Thread starter JayTee
- Start date
- Crossover
[X] Be righteous, allow them to leave.
To be honest, the smarter would probably be to just wipe them out, and I doubt it would really be that much more time or risk to either Malcolm or the dude on the ground than letting them go.
But I'm actually completely okay with the just letting them go, not only from a character perspective of Malcolm being willing and able to have that much restraint even against such trash that disgusts him to prioritize the victim, but the fact the girl is the best friend of the vamp he ashed is a nice little hook that could be interesting to see where it goes.
But I'm actually completely okay with the just letting them go, not only from a character perspective of Malcolm being willing and able to have that much restraint even against such trash that disgusts him to prioritize the victim, but the fact the girl is the best friend of the vamp he ashed is a nice little hook that could be interesting to see where it goes.
LordOfPears12
Cat girl headpatter
- Location
- Land of pizza,pasta and lasagna.
[] Be righteous, allow them to leave.
Yeah, I'm gonna say no mercy. She's a threat my paranoid is tingling
[X] Be vengeful, make an example of them.
-[X] at least to the one we have pinned. Let the other two go as reward for backing off.
Yeah, I'm gonna say no mercy. She's a threat my paranoid is tingling
[X] Be vengeful, make an example of them.
-[X] at least to the one we have pinned. Let the other two go as reward for backing off.
- Location
- Florida
[X] Be righteous, allow them to leave.
- Location
- United States
[X] Be righteous, allow them to leave.
I don't think we know enough to justify making this a hot war yet. Nor have we made ourselves a hard enough target yet. Even if we could take on every Vampire in the city, we don't have the infrastructure to guarantee Maggie's safety when we do so.
Also, since we already reacted by crushing her hand (the most violent available option, even if I think it was justified self-defense given the hypnosis attempt), I'd be slightly worried about the character we're creating through our actions if we are explicitly vengeful here against opponents who are trying to retreat.
I don't think we know enough to justify making this a hot war yet. Nor have we made ourselves a hard enough target yet. Even if we could take on every Vampire in the city, we don't have the infrastructure to guarantee Maggie's safety when we do so.
Also, since we already reacted by crushing her hand (the most violent available option, even if I think it was justified self-defense given the hypnosis attempt), I'd be slightly worried about the character we're creating through our actions if we are explicitly vengeful here against opponents who are trying to retreat.
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The issue with a wipeout is that theres a lot of eyes around and so actually killing them wouldn't do much to keep it a secret.
Theres scrying for Mages, theres blood sorcery scrying for vampires, the Changelings can literally bargain with the windows to ask what they saw, the werewolves can interrogate the spirits of the tarmac about the stains, and generally you can assume the encounter to be backed up by witnesses of some form.
Silencing a target is worth it to cover for specific facts being kept hidden, but generally if you kill someone and they aren't a nobody rando, expect the fact of killing them to be available.
It's less about hiding or silencing anything (which is long past since everyone knows we exist at this point) and more that there's no reason not to kill off sadist vamps rather than letting them continue walking around, and these ones have more reason to hate Malcolm while having seen his face directly, so their personal individual danger long term is slightly higher than other random vamps.
From a perspective of what's smartest for Malcolm, I'd say it's almost certainly quickly and efficiently dusting them. We'd have to kill off a lot more than them before the Prince gives a shit, which is really the only possible downside this early. But to be honest I don't think they're going to be a huge issue either way, and the righteous option as far as character goes I think is good.
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- Location
- In my Lair, on my Hoard
[X] Be righteous, allow them to leave.
- Location
- United States
I'm not super familiar with World of Darkness, but how many vampires can we can expect a someone like this nebulous "Prince" to have working for them? A few online sources seem to suggest the ratio of humans to vampires is something like 100k : 1. The greater Boston metropolitan area has 4.8 million people. Now that ratio might be higher in urban area, but Boston proper only has 650k people. So say we're looking at a Vamp population in the 50-100 range. If it's closer to fifty, some guy coming out of nowhere and wiping out almost 10% of your dudes effortlessly is a big deal. If it's closer to a hundred, it's still not really something to ignore. Remember that us killing one vampire is what put us on everyone's radar to begin with.
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[X] Be vengeful, make an example of them.
Btw this makes me want to play both exalted and nwod.
Btw this makes me want to play both exalted and nwod.
That's not really the best way of looking at it, since those numbers don't tend to match up with how the actual setting works in practice. Vamps die all the time. They're never treated as some super rare precious commodity where it's a big deal if one dies unless it's someone especially important, especially of they died while out doing something dangerous like this and stepped on someone's toes, which is why they were told not to. Vamps are actually super easy to create and in fact they have to actively restrict their numbers and police it in order for them not to blow out of proportion.
Basically you're judging setting on numbers that are basically just thrown out there without much thought, rather than the explicit way the setting is shown to work.
Hell, let me put it this way instead: A few guys with guns can kill off your average vamp pretty easily. If the Prince only has 50 vamps total and 3 of them that spend their time slowly killing people within ear shot of the street dying is a remotely big deal? Then he's a fucking idiot of the highest magnitude to be pulling this take over the city shit, and beating him will be pretty goddamn easy.
Also killing a vamp didn't put us on everyone's radar, it's the fact we shouldn't have existed. It's the addition of a player that in their minds is a mage who can throw around sunlight. A mage who can throw around sunlight already being a known player then killing vamps who were stupid enough to cross him is comparatively not even remotely surprising. The response of a smart prince in that situation would be reiterating to his vamps to be smarter. If they even knew we did it in this case.
The big thing that's going to put us against the Prince is when he realizes we're with a group that actively intends to remove him and his buddies from power, rather than a single player who gets pissed off at people attacking him. Most stuff like this we could do before that point probably won't effect his stated position on us.
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Story Post 39
[x] Be righteous, allow them to leave.
As much as he wanted to end them right here and now, Malcom didn't have it in himself to be a cold blooded executioner. Killing the Huntsman had been self defense and the defense of people who were the victims of it's fairy master. He had not gone out of his way to engage in violence to slake his wrath, and he didn't feel the need to do so now.
That didn't mean he couldn't be petty about it, though.
Malcom waited until Cassy and her friend were a few paces away before kicking the vampire at his feet in the ribs as hard as he could. The bones cracked from the force of the blow, and the vampire was sent flying in to his two approaching friends. Caught off guard, they could only stumble as they tried to hold on to their friend and prevent themselves from being knocked over from the sudden impact.
"Get out of here." Malcom spat. "And don't let me catch you around here again. I don't want to deal with your bullshit when I'm grocery shopping."
"Fine, we got it, this is your turf now." The friend of Cassy said, still keeping a hand on her shoulder to prevent her from flying at him in a rage. The abuse of her friend seemed to only further infuriate her, as her fangs were now visibly bared.
Malcom watched them limp of to lick their wounds, and made sure they were well out of sight before turning his attention to the man collapsed against the wall of the loading dock. He looked to be an older gentleman, with thin greying hair and dapper clothing that looked like it belonged in the 50s.
"Are you okay?" Malcom asked, kneeling next to the man and putting his hand on his shoulder. "Can you stand? Do you need me to call an ambulance?"
"No, no. I'll be fine." The old man said, leaning on Malcom as he helped him to his feet. "Just help me with my flask. I'm afraid my arm is broken. It's in the pocket on the inside of my jacket." He said.
Malcom reached inside the man's jacket as instructed, pulling out a heavily ornate silver flask that was decorated with imagery resembling Egyptian hieroglyphics. Now that he was closer, Malcom could see that the eldritch aura around the man was not coming from him, but from a series of objects on his person, one of which was the flask.
"There we go, that's the good stuff." The man said, taking it from him with his good hand and pulling it open with his teeth. "Bottoms up." He said, giving Malcom a toast as he downed half the contents. He caught he faint smell of cardamom and a faint acrid medical tang.
"Ah, that's much better." The man said, wiping his mouth as the cuts and bruises on his face began to fade, the blood coagulating, scabbing and falling away in moments. He gingerly tested his broken arm, and it moved with only minimal apparent strain.
"Bennu-Bird juice." The man said, shaking the flask at him. "Works better if you can apply it directly, but drinking it will do if you're willing to vomit in a few hours once it leaves your system."
"Good to hear." Malcom said. He had never heard of a Bennu bird, so he filled the mixture under 'magic healing potion' in his head. "Why were they attacking you?"
The man snorted. "They're punks, that's why." He said. "Stupid kids high on power. Why else would you attack a defenseless old man?"
"Uh huh. And to all men your age carry at least four objects of power on him?" Malcom asked flatly.
To his credit, he had the decency to look embarrassed. "They are rather telling, aren't they? I didn't expect you to know about the others, but I suppose I should have known better than to keep them a secret from a mage."
He held out his hand for Malcom to shake. "Call me John Smith." He said. "Sorry for the pseudonym, but even I know not to give you my real name.
Malcom debated correcting the man, but decided it wasn't worth the effort. "Alright John, call me Sunshine." He said, shaking the man's hand. "So why were they really after you?"
"Heard through the grapevine that things were bad in Boston. I'm old, but I've been doing this for years, so I thought I'd teach the kids a few tricks." He heaved a sigh. "Turns out the bloodsuckers have this city locked down tight. They didn't take kindly to my meddling and decided to make sport of me."
He suddenly looked embarrassed. "I'm sorry for involving you. I shouldn't have done that. You could have been a civilian and I would have gotten you killed. I'm not proud of it, but I panicked."
"They were messing with your head. Making you more afraid than you should have been." Malcom said, the memory of Cassy's hypnotic voice and their aura of predatory fear coming back to him.
"Even so, it was something I should have been prepared for." John said with a shake of his head. "But what about you, young man? You've kicked the hornets next now. You'd best lay low, or else they'll come for you like they did me."
"I think we're past that point already." Malcom said. "This isn't the first time I've had an... altercation with the vampires, and I don't think it will be the last either."
"Hm, well maybe you better take this." John said, handing him the flask. "There's not much left, but it should help you in a pinch."
Malcom took the flask with a word of thanks, and stuck it in his back pocket. "Just don't drink it, right?"
John smiled. "Right." He said with a laugh, before turning serious again. "Listen, I really do appreciate what you did for me. I'm old, and you don't get to my age without making a some friends, so I'll be sure to tell them that Boston has at least one good soul in it."
Malcom started to express his gratitude for the kind words, but caught himself. If John was as old and connected as he was implying, then this could have consequences for him that he wasn't ready to handle yet. At the moment his reputation in Boston was that of a powerful sun mage who wanted to be left alone, but the narrative could change quickly once John started telling people he was some kind of hero.
But, Boston could use some hope. If he let this go and allowed John to spread the word about him, he would need to double down on his efforts to secure a safe place for him and Maggie, but perhaps he could find people willing to help him with that one people started hearing about him. If not, things could escalate. He already had a target on his back from Cassy, constrained as she was by her Prince's edict, he wasn't sure it was wise to invite more trouble on him just yet.
[] Keep a low profile, ask John to downplay what happened and let him take the credit.
[] Build your reputation as a hero, let John tell stories about you.
[] Maintain your reputation as powerful but uninvolved, tell John to keep this between the two of you.
As much as he wanted to end them right here and now, Malcom didn't have it in himself to be a cold blooded executioner. Killing the Huntsman had been self defense and the defense of people who were the victims of it's fairy master. He had not gone out of his way to engage in violence to slake his wrath, and he didn't feel the need to do so now.
That didn't mean he couldn't be petty about it, though.
Malcom waited until Cassy and her friend were a few paces away before kicking the vampire at his feet in the ribs as hard as he could. The bones cracked from the force of the blow, and the vampire was sent flying in to his two approaching friends. Caught off guard, they could only stumble as they tried to hold on to their friend and prevent themselves from being knocked over from the sudden impact.
"Get out of here." Malcom spat. "And don't let me catch you around here again. I don't want to deal with your bullshit when I'm grocery shopping."
"Fine, we got it, this is your turf now." The friend of Cassy said, still keeping a hand on her shoulder to prevent her from flying at him in a rage. The abuse of her friend seemed to only further infuriate her, as her fangs were now visibly bared.
Malcom watched them limp of to lick their wounds, and made sure they were well out of sight before turning his attention to the man collapsed against the wall of the loading dock. He looked to be an older gentleman, with thin greying hair and dapper clothing that looked like it belonged in the 50s.
"Are you okay?" Malcom asked, kneeling next to the man and putting his hand on his shoulder. "Can you stand? Do you need me to call an ambulance?"
"No, no. I'll be fine." The old man said, leaning on Malcom as he helped him to his feet. "Just help me with my flask. I'm afraid my arm is broken. It's in the pocket on the inside of my jacket." He said.
Malcom reached inside the man's jacket as instructed, pulling out a heavily ornate silver flask that was decorated with imagery resembling Egyptian hieroglyphics. Now that he was closer, Malcom could see that the eldritch aura around the man was not coming from him, but from a series of objects on his person, one of which was the flask.
"There we go, that's the good stuff." The man said, taking it from him with his good hand and pulling it open with his teeth. "Bottoms up." He said, giving Malcom a toast as he downed half the contents. He caught he faint smell of cardamom and a faint acrid medical tang.
"Ah, that's much better." The man said, wiping his mouth as the cuts and bruises on his face began to fade, the blood coagulating, scabbing and falling away in moments. He gingerly tested his broken arm, and it moved with only minimal apparent strain.
"Bennu-Bird juice." The man said, shaking the flask at him. "Works better if you can apply it directly, but drinking it will do if you're willing to vomit in a few hours once it leaves your system."
"Good to hear." Malcom said. He had never heard of a Bennu bird, so he filled the mixture under 'magic healing potion' in his head. "Why were they attacking you?"
The man snorted. "They're punks, that's why." He said. "Stupid kids high on power. Why else would you attack a defenseless old man?"
"Uh huh. And to all men your age carry at least four objects of power on him?" Malcom asked flatly.
To his credit, he had the decency to look embarrassed. "They are rather telling, aren't they? I didn't expect you to know about the others, but I suppose I should have known better than to keep them a secret from a mage."
He held out his hand for Malcom to shake. "Call me John Smith." He said. "Sorry for the pseudonym, but even I know not to give you my real name.
Malcom debated correcting the man, but decided it wasn't worth the effort. "Alright John, call me Sunshine." He said, shaking the man's hand. "So why were they really after you?"
"Heard through the grapevine that things were bad in Boston. I'm old, but I've been doing this for years, so I thought I'd teach the kids a few tricks." He heaved a sigh. "Turns out the bloodsuckers have this city locked down tight. They didn't take kindly to my meddling and decided to make sport of me."
He suddenly looked embarrassed. "I'm sorry for involving you. I shouldn't have done that. You could have been a civilian and I would have gotten you killed. I'm not proud of it, but I panicked."
"They were messing with your head. Making you more afraid than you should have been." Malcom said, the memory of Cassy's hypnotic voice and their aura of predatory fear coming back to him.
"Even so, it was something I should have been prepared for." John said with a shake of his head. "But what about you, young man? You've kicked the hornets next now. You'd best lay low, or else they'll come for you like they did me."
"I think we're past that point already." Malcom said. "This isn't the first time I've had an... altercation with the vampires, and I don't think it will be the last either."
"Hm, well maybe you better take this." John said, handing him the flask. "There's not much left, but it should help you in a pinch."
Malcom took the flask with a word of thanks, and stuck it in his back pocket. "Just don't drink it, right?"
John smiled. "Right." He said with a laugh, before turning serious again. "Listen, I really do appreciate what you did for me. I'm old, and you don't get to my age without making a some friends, so I'll be sure to tell them that Boston has at least one good soul in it."
Malcom started to express his gratitude for the kind words, but caught himself. If John was as old and connected as he was implying, then this could have consequences for him that he wasn't ready to handle yet. At the moment his reputation in Boston was that of a powerful sun mage who wanted to be left alone, but the narrative could change quickly once John started telling people he was some kind of hero.
But, Boston could use some hope. If he let this go and allowed John to spread the word about him, he would need to double down on his efforts to secure a safe place for him and Maggie, but perhaps he could find people willing to help him with that one people started hearing about him. If not, things could escalate. He already had a target on his back from Cassy, constrained as she was by her Prince's edict, he wasn't sure it was wise to invite more trouble on him just yet.
[] Keep a low profile, ask John to downplay what happened and let him take the credit.
[] Build your reputation as a hero, let John tell stories about you.
[] Maintain your reputation as powerful but uninvolved, tell John to keep this between the two of you.
