I will say this much no matter what you choose you cannot suffer body dysmorphia from your shintai form, as it is a manifestation of your exaltation and an extension of your will it cannot feel anything less than natural. If that mean that you are comfortable being a new sun of brass and eyes and nuclear fire well then subconsciously Molly really wanted to cut loose as a manifestation eldritch doom. Other people of course will react as it fits them.
Green Flame Rising (Exalted vs Dresden Files)
- Thread starter DragonParadox
- Start date
- Crossover Fantasy
- Location
- Germany
I doubt dysmorphia will be an issue.
This is an echo of Molly as her greatest possible self. No matter how alien it might look, it should never be alien to her.
Edit: Ninjas
Besides, I still think looking too human goes against Infernals style and aesthetics. Why should a future god constrain herself to a seemingly mortal shell?
I much prefer stone and brass and fire and light.
Then stacking Demon Armor is nearly always going to be better than Devil Body.
Since Scar Writ reduces difficulty and Exalts can soak even Agg.
I don't mind it.
This is probably going to come down to difference of opinion we're not going to argue each other around from then I guess.
I see what you're saying, but I disagree on too many points. For one the best aesthetic fit for the DF would be if Molly was a wizard who played Exalted 2E on the weekends; this is a crossover and not everything should be reskinned to fit the setting perfectly.
Especially since Molly is a throwback to an age before history; she should fit the setting the same way a saber tooth tiger fits in at a cat shelter at best.
In terms of PR, the Denarians being here first is basically the strongest argument against demon-human form. People who aren't in the know will always see demon, and people who are will think Denarian because they're infamous assholes.
Body dysmorphia and exposing her monster form to her siblings shouldn't be a problem because it's an arc ending super move or a desperation play when we're losing a serious fight. We can't even reliably use it more than once until Molly is a much stronger infernal, so for the foreseeable future she'll probably spend less time using it IC than we've spent arguing about it in the thread.
As to Charity; Denarians have been a constant threat to almost everything she cares about. If there's one person almost guaranteed to take something that looks like them poorly it's her.
- Location
- Germany
As for PR, anything supernatural can consider us bad news based on looks and feel alone.
Mouse and Ebenezar decided independantly that we look like an Archdemon on an enthusiastic stroll around the nrighbourhood.
We can't convince people we are okay based on looks alone, not while out aura is nuclear hellfire and all-seeing eyes.
We generally need actual contact or to visibly fight evil to outweight our super-sus looks and I am okay with that.
I'd much rather lean into these themes and have people who know us comfirm that we are okay than to hide our glorious infernal light.
Mouse and Ebenezar decided independantly that we look like an Archdemon on an enthusiastic stroll around the nrighbourhood.
We can't convince people we are okay based on looks alone, not while out aura is nuclear hellfire and all-seeing eyes.
We generally need actual contact or to visibly fight evil to outweight our super-sus looks and I am okay with that.
I'd much rather lean into these themes and have people who know us comfirm that we are okay than to hide our glorious infernal light.
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Not at all. A lot of the demons from classic Exalted looked explicitly human, as did most of the 3CDs worth interacting with.
There were exceptions like the dude who was a set of wheels running along and creating roads wherever he went, but the farther you got from the demon species created as tools the more humanoid they seemed to be.
Just look at golden Ligier.
Difference of opinion is fine.
A couple points of dispute though
The Denarians are all obviously inhuman, besides Nicodemus. Deirdre was a scaled panther thing with prehensile hair, her mother was a mantid, Ursiel took the form of a demon bear, Thorned Namshiel was called Spiny Boy for a reason, Quintus Cassius was a serpentine warform, and so on.
I'd rather be obviously human. At least that way the only thing we might be mistaken for is a powerful Fae.
EDIT
Note that Im talking about our first Shintai.
Im not currently making an argument about our second shintai, which is the one that appears once per story when first designed.
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[X] Tell the truth (Charisma+Empathy)
We've seen how well ignorance does in protecting people from the supernatural. I believe we are about to have longer time span voting, if one of our actions could be explain the Supernatural to Rosie then she will have a long time and a steady pillar to guide her into the community. Worse comes to worse we claim her as under our protection and destroy anyone who tries to harm her with the overwhelming power of an Exalted.
TLDR: Let's be straight with our friend and then support them afterwards.
We've seen how well ignorance does in protecting people from the supernatural. I believe we are about to have longer time span voting, if one of our actions could be explain the Supernatural to Rosie then she will have a long time and a steady pillar to guide her into the community. Worse comes to worse we claim her as under our protection and destroy anyone who tries to harm her with the overwhelming power of an Exalted.
TLDR: Let's be straight with our friend and then support them afterwards.
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[X]Tell the truth (Charisma+Empathy)
-[X] Stunt: A lifetime of attempting to finesse your mother has prepared you for this moment. "I did get in some trouble the night Splattercon got cancelled...But I had people come get me out." A memory of the pumpkinhead exploding in green balefire fills you with momentary satisfaction. "And well..."you motion wordlessly at your obviously healthy self. "You're not....still having nightmares, are you?
-[X] Stunt: A lifetime of attempting to finesse your mother has prepared you for this moment. "I did get in some trouble the night Splattercon got cancelled...But I had people come get me out." A memory of the pumpkinhead exploding in green balefire fills you with momentary satisfaction. "And well..."you motion wordlessly at your obviously healthy self. "You're not....still having nightmares, are you?
- Location
- United States
[X]Tell the truth (Charisma+Empathy)
-[X] Stunt: A lifetime of attempting to finesse your mother has prepared you for this moment. "I did get in some trouble the night Splattercon got cancelled...But I had people come get me out." A memory of the pumpkinhead exploding in green balefire fills you with momentary satisfaction. "And well..."you motion wordlessly at your obviously healthy self. "You're not....still having nightmares, are you?
-[X] Stunt: A lifetime of attempting to finesse your mother has prepared you for this moment. "I did get in some trouble the night Splattercon got cancelled...But I had people come get me out." A memory of the pumpkinhead exploding in green balefire fills you with momentary satisfaction. "And well..."you motion wordlessly at your obviously healthy self. "You're not....still having nightmares, are you?
- Pronouns
- She/Her
[X]Tell the truth (Charisma+Empathy)
-[X] Stunt: A lifetime of attempting to finesse your mother has prepared you for this moment. "I did get in some trouble the night Splattercon got cancelled...But I had people come get me out." A memory of the pumpkinhead exploding in green balefire fills you with momentary satisfaction. "And well..."you motion wordlessly at your obviously healthy self. "You're not....still having nightmares, are you?
-[X] Stunt: A lifetime of attempting to finesse your mother has prepared you for this moment. "I did get in some trouble the night Splattercon got cancelled...But I had people come get me out." A memory of the pumpkinhead exploding in green balefire fills you with momentary satisfaction. "And well..."you motion wordlessly at your obviously healthy self. "You're not....still having nightmares, are you?
- Location
- Germany
I look at Ligier and besides the human-ish Smith I see the Green Sun that pierces all shadows.
Molly having a human form and one Eldritch one is very similar.
As for the Denarians, they are for the most part still pretty fleshy and all besides the bruisers roughly human sized.
A Demon Emperor Shintai as a huge angel of brass and fire does not look like a Denarian.
- Location
- Brazil
[X] Lie (Manipulation+Empathy)
-[X] You wince, guilt, shame, and horrific memories all warring with one another in your mind. Eventually, guilt proves victorious. Rosie is already fragile, both emotionally and physically, and you don't want to be responsible for furthering her suffering, not after what you've already inflicted upon her in your misguided attempts to help. "Things haven't been great, but I'm all right. I definitely haven't gotten up close and personal with any trees lately."
I prefer not to leave this particular bomb on her when she is weakened both physically and psychologically, especially when we can tell later. Also her knowing the supernatural at this point will not increase her ability to protect herself, we currently have no ways to protect her, our friends or even our own family, not to mention we are still learning the basics of the basics ourselves.
I honestly just want a monstrous form rather than a more humanoid form which is almost always chosen. I don't care too much about the other reasons.
-[X] You wince, guilt, shame, and horrific memories all warring with one another in your mind. Eventually, guilt proves victorious. Rosie is already fragile, both emotionally and physically, and you don't want to be responsible for furthering her suffering, not after what you've already inflicted upon her in your misguided attempts to help. "Things haven't been great, but I'm all right. I definitely haven't gotten up close and personal with any trees lately."
I prefer not to leave this particular bomb on her when she is weakened both physically and psychologically, especially when we can tell later. Also her knowing the supernatural at this point will not increase her ability to protect herself, we currently have no ways to protect her, our friends or even our own family, not to mention we are still learning the basics of the basics ourselves.
I honestly just want a monstrous form rather than a more humanoid form which is almost always chosen. I don't care too much about the other reasons.
Erembour, soul of the Ebon Dragon.
Pretty sure they could change how they looked like most spirits. They had humans forms for the same reason the gods did. They human exalted where they most powerful faction they interacted with regularly. Ligier is the green sun, same as the US is the golden sun.
Yzarc
The Spark of Madness
[X]Tell the truth (Charisma+Empathy)
-[X] Stunt: A lifetime of attempting to finesse your mother has prepared you for this moment. "I did get in some trouble the night Splattercon got cancelled...But I had people come get me out." A memory of the pumpkinhead exploding in green balefire fills you with momentary satisfaction. "And well..."you motion wordlessly at your obviously healthy self. "You're not....still having nightmares, are you?
-[X] Stunt: A lifetime of attempting to finesse your mother has prepared you for this moment. "I did get in some trouble the night Splattercon got cancelled...But I had people come get me out." A memory of the pumpkinhead exploding in green balefire fills you with momentary satisfaction. "And well..."you motion wordlessly at your obviously healthy self. "You're not....still having nightmares, are you?
- Location
- Canada
[X]Tell the truth (Charisma+Empathy)
-[X] Stunt: A lifetime of attempting to finesse your mother has prepared you for this moment. "I did get in some trouble the night Splattercon got cancelled...But I had people come get me out." A memory of the pumpkinhead exploding in green balefire fills you with momentary satisfaction. "And well..."you motion wordlessly at your obviously healthy self. "You're not....still having nightmares, are you?
[X]Tell the truth (Charisma+Empathy)
-[X] Stunt: A lifetime of attempting to finesse your mother has prepared you for this moment. "I did get in some trouble the night Splattercon got cancelled...But I had people come get me out." A memory of the pumpkinhead exploding in green balefire fills you with momentary satisfaction. "And well..."you motion wordlessly at your obviously healthy self. "You're not....still having nightmares, are you?
[X]Tell the truth (Charisma+Empathy)
Goldfish
Friendly Spider-Fish Abomination
- Location
- Formerly of the Far Realm
I would also prefer to look more Human than not, but whatever we decide on, it has got to be Human-sized and humanoid enough to have limbs with functional thumbs. To choose otherwise is basically deliberately handicapping ourselves.
- Location
- Germany
It's a once-per-story emergency, not our regular combat form.
Eh, our sword will adapt to our size.
The Shintai only lasts for one scene, that will usually be "the rest of the fight for which we activated it".
We don't have to type or do homework in that form, just bring the Wrath of Molly down on her foes.
Yzarc
The Spark of Madness
Yes? I DID say the second shintai would make for a good final form but the regular shintai is essentially our oh shit button and thus our combat form. THAT is what I want to be human size.
- Location
- Germany
Our second Shintai is far away, for now our regular Shintai is our Boss Mode.
Yzarc
The Spark of Madness
No. It is our first form. Our oh shit button. While not a Lunar DBT it is very much an emergency button.
Our Second form is what we use to flex on people.
To put it simply, Infernals are expected to use the Shintai at least 3-4 times in a story.
It is why you have so many "Shintai refresh" options in so many charms as a bonus.
- Location
- Germany
An Infernal with Essence 3 or 4 and an Shintai refresh Charm that is correct.
For Molly now this will be different.
[X]Tell the truth (Charisma+Empathy)
-[X] Stunt: A lifetime of attempting to finesse your mother has prepared you for this moment. "I did get in some trouble the night Splattercon got cancelled...But I had people come get me out." A memory of the pumpkinhead exploding in green balefire fills you with momentary satisfaction. "And well..."you motion wordlessly at your obviously healthy self. "You're not....still having nightmares, are you?
-[X] Stunt: A lifetime of attempting to finesse your mother has prepared you for this moment. "I did get in some trouble the night Splattercon got cancelled...But I had people come get me out." A memory of the pumpkinhead exploding in green balefire fills you with momentary satisfaction. "And well..."you motion wordlessly at your obviously healthy self. "You're not....still having nightmares, are you?
Yzarc
The Spark of Madness
No. Infernals at E2 can use the shintai for 3-4 times before it gets too expensive.
At E2 you can also purchase many refresh charms, some cheaply some expensive.
At E3-4 is when you can start freely using shintais and get the secondary ones.
It is why I called it our Emergency option and not a war form. At E2 it is that. At E3+ you have options to pop it more freely.
At E2 you can also purchase many refresh charms, some cheaply some expensive.
At E3-4 is when you can start freely using shintais and get the secondary ones.
It is why I called it our Emergency option and not a war form. At E2 it is that. At E3+ you have options to pop it more freely.