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Green Flame Rising (Exalted vs Dresden Files)

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uju32 said:
Also worth noting that the extent of the Masquerade varies by region. Its strongest in the West and in urban areas.
In a lot of rural areas it can get pretty thin. There are places in-setting in Florida where the local sheriff is a changeling and the closest thing to a mayor is a weregator, and its something everyone in the community knows.

In Latin America the Masquerade is close to threadbare in large swathes of the continent, and people believe more readily.
Before McCoy happened to him, Paolo Ortega had his Casaverde estate right next to a Honduran village he openly farmed for blood.
And Chichen Itza had a military/paramilitary unit sized between a company and a battalion openly providing security for the Red Court.
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That's true, but the dangerous part about the breach is in allowing people to coordinate and bring in power that isn't completely suborned but the supernatural.

Gatertown can't do anything about periodic raids from the wild hunt, but if the feds wake up then we might see goblin cavalry vs attack helicopters.

The scope of things is also obscured even when people know a little bit about the local stuff. There's a difference between knowing fae exist and knowing that the whole world has been a plaything for superhuman horrors for thousands of years.
 
BronzeTongue said:
Our interests and humanity at large's interests aren't necessarily the same. The masquerade does cause us some issues, but it also has benefits.

One being that we can flout mortal law as we please because they don't even know the tools we'd use to do so exist. No one is going to ask us for our demon summoning permit or where we got that suspicious jar of vampire hearts so long as the mortal government doesn't openly know about the supernatural.

The other aspect is that no matter how the masquerade is broken there will be literal witch hunts and lynchings, which we stand a good chance of being subject to. I don't think a crowd of mortals could kill a mid essence infernal unless the exalt let them, but we'd still need to deal with it and the social complications related to being an obvious scary monster when people stop ignoring our tells.

Coin flip on whether we have to save Dresden from one or if the fact that he's been listed as a wizard for something like a decade at this point means he'd be rolling in cash.

I also wouldn't be surprised to see the governments of the world to react in some inconvenient ways if they don't collapse.

Here in the US I imagine the military industrial complex would pick up a billions in new weapons contracts, resulting in new weapons getting pushed into production to try leveling the playing field against creatures like Molly. I'd rather not eat a drone strike or something if we can avoid it.

More than that, I'd bet there'll be a number of "fuck you" laws passed against supernatural interference in business and politics unless the throughly compromised block them. It'd suck if any companies we run at that point have their accounts frozen because we're under suspicion of using magic to unfairly compete with mortals.

Maybe breaking the masquerade ourselves is the right thing to do, but the potential consequences are significant enough that it's worth acknowledging them.
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Found some time to write and I think it is worth commenting on this. Witch hunts really should not scare you, at least not in the long term and from a personal PoV. The reason is less to do with glorious infernal power and more to do with easy access to the Nevernever. No one will be able to chase you into the realm of dreams and nightmares and the one standing reason why one cannot just live in there full time (the food makes you into ectoplasm) is obviated by shaping defenses. Glorious infernal Bullshit says that the substance of your body will remain stable no matter what. Now would a drone strike be able to kill you... well who is ordering them and do you own their soul?;)
 
BronzeTongue said:
We should celebrate by building some motorcycles. One for Molly like we've been discussing, and one ridiculous Noble Steed for Micheal. :V
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Making Dad a motorcycle sounds fine if he wants one, but for Molly's use I'd rather revamp the car she already has for a few reasons. Firstly, passengers, never know when you're gonna need to drive someone to the hospital. Secondly, there was a charm in Shards that let you apply Viridian Legend Exoskeleton to any vehicle you were riding in, which is fine for a bike so it doesn't get damaged, but it doesn't actually protect the rider or any passengers. Whereas with a car you basically just gained an APC.
drake_azathoth said:
Ethniu would still head for Chicago so long as Queen Mab was in Chicago, and Queen Mab was in Chicago because Dresden was her Knight, and Dresden was her Knight because he's Starborn. Ethniu walked into a meeting with Odin and Ferrovax and spit in their faces after she blasted Mab through several walls and one-shot her like a chump. She risked Demonreach without a care.

Maybe an Infernal Exalt should scare Ethniu, but I guarantee it won't. If Mab is there, Ethniu will be there. She hates Mab.
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What a coincidence, so do we! Haven't read the later Dresden books, does Ethniu show any signs of being even vaguely redeemable? Or of even being able to act in a non-stupid evil manner if it's worth her while? If so, we may have an ally. We both make (or will make) Formori minions after all.
Yog said:
As you mention, medicine is actually an interesting possiblity. Infernals don't get healing charms from what I was able to check. So, this is one area where we could actually honestly benefit from education that will have a practical impact on survivability of our loved ones.
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There's plenty of homebrew Infernal healing charms, some really good. It really comes down to what DragonParadox is willing to accept.
 
@uju32 answers to some of the questions, not quoting since it is hard to do right now:
  1. The reason they did not go for the front lawn to practice is because show of clearly inhuman skill would have rather scared the neighbors
  2. Yes, the shield is like that, but not blatantly magical, it is all materials tech and good old fashioned mechanics that could be replicated with current tech... assuming someone spent years to make a particular composite that works not just on all shields but on that shield, no larger and no smaller
If I missed anything tag me
 
DragonParadox said:
Found some time to write and I think it is worth commenting on this. Witch hunts really should not scare you, at least not in the long term and from a personal PoV. The reason is less to do with glorious infernal power and more to do with easy access to the Nevernever. No one will be able to chase you into the realm of dreams and nightmares and the one standing reason why one cannot just live in there full time (the food makes you into ectoplasm) is obviated by shaping defenses. Glorious infernal Bullshit says that the substance of your body will remain stable no matter what. Now would a drone strike be able to kill you... well who is ordering them and do you own their soul?;)
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Yeah, I'm not really worried about getting killed by one. It's just that a lynch mob forming to kill or drive you out of town is a real drag, not to mention difficult and dangerous for the people around us.

Presumably the white god would help out, but I can't help but be concerned that running around with a holy sword would make Michael a target, and that mortal crazies doing it would complicate his protections.

Plus I'd rather not need to flee this dimension because the persecution got so bad we couldn't openly operate anymore.
Odysseus2099 said:
Making Dad a motorcycle sounds fine if he wants one, but for Molly's use I'd rather revamp the car she already has for a few reasons. Firstly, passengers, never know when you're gonna need to drive someone to the hospital. Secondly, there was a charm in Shards that let you apply Viridian Legend Exoskeleton to any vehicle you were riding in, which is fine for a bike so it doesn't get damaged, but it doesn't actually protect the rider or any passengers. Whereas with a car you basically just gained an APC.
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That's fair, a motorcycle is easier to manage in some respects though.

I'd also like to maintain a mundane vehicle separate from our "work" one so that we don't need to run mundane errands in a vehicle with bullet holes in it or something after a hard job.

Building a motorcycle from parts in the Carpenter's garage would be a lot easier than buying a new car to modify.
 
Nothing says we can't have a car and a motorcycle. Car's good for planned and mundane stuff, or when we need to transport a lot. Motorcycle would be best for mobile stuff due to it's size.

Also, I did propose a 3 dot motorcycle that was accepted by the QM and would negate some of the defensive things brought up about the car. :)
 
[X] Head on
-[X] This is the time to, unironically put your trust in god. Right now you're training as safe as you can get with live blades, and this sword you face is a manifestation of god's will. Don't go all out, but let your soul shine as you fight and perhaps against this blade and this person you'll learn something important. That's ultimately what you're about isn't it?
 
Vote closed, but no promises, this might show up really late.
Adhoc vote count started by DragonParadox on Aug 8, 2022 at 8:37 AM, finished with 66 posts and 17 votes.
  • [X] Head on
    -[X] This is the time to, unironically put your trust in god. Right now you're training as safe as you can get with live blades, and this sword you face is a manifestation of god's will. Don't go all out, but let your soul shine as you fight and perhaps against this blade and this person you'll learn something important. That's ultimately what you're about isn't it?
    [X] Caution has served you well so far
    -[X] It would not do to underestimate a Sword that can kill a really big, capital-D Dragon, despite looking like a regular sword. You will parry with all the care you would bring up if that Sword was hellfire and you a snowman. Use your full skill, draw deep on your Essence and fight like this is a matter of life and death.
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BronzeTongue said:
That's true, but the dangerous part about the breach is in allowing people to coordinate and bring in power that isn't completely suborned but the supernatural. Gatertown can't do anything about periodic raids from the wild hunt, but if the feds wake up then we might see goblin cavalry vs attack helicopters.

The scope of things is also obscured even when people know a little bit about the local stuff. There's a difference between knowing fae exist and knowing that the whole world has been a plaything for superhuman horrors for thousands of years.
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Point conceded.

The Feds cant do shit about the Wild Hunt anyway; the Erl King and his escort running around is a level of power well beyond anything they're capable of countering, short of dropping nukes, and even that would only be an inconvenience.
The Fae Courts are well beyond anything I expect the govts can do.

The dangerous part is all the much weaker elements that get decimated, both human and nonhuman.
And what takes their place.
A lot more desperate magical humans are going to be a lot more willimg to make unwise bargains with things from beyond Reality.
Odysseus2099 said:
Making Dad a motorcycle sounds fine if he wants one, but for Molly's use I'd rather revamp the car she already has for a few reasons. Firstly, passengers, never know when you're gonna need to drive someone to the hospital. Secondly, there was a charm in Shards that let you apply Viridian Legend Exoskeleton to any vehicle you were riding in, which is fine for a bike so it doesn't get damaged, but it doesn't actually protect the rider or any passengers. Whereas with a car you basically just gained an APC.
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Michael drives a truck.
Much more comfortable, and largely inured to the elements, which is useful when you dont know where you will be sent and in what season of the year. Nobody wants to drive a motorcycle in a Great Plains winter without Survival charms.

Also, he's a tradesman. Trucks can carry cargo; American bikes dont.
And I doubt the fifty year old is going to take up driving a bike now.
BronzeTongue said:
That's fair, a motorcycle is easier to manage in some respects though.

I'd also like to maintain a mundane vehicle separate from our "work" one so that we don't need to run mundane errands in a vehicle with bullet holes in it or something after a hard job.
Building a motorcycle from parts in the Carpenter's garage would be a lot easier than buying a new car to modify.
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Lost Star said:
Nothing says we can't have a car and a motorcycle. Car's good for planned and mundane stuff, or when we need to transport a lot. Motorcycle would be best for mobile stuff due to it's size.

Also, I did propose a 3 dot motorcycle that was accepted by the QM and would negate some of the defensive things brought up about the car. :)
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Gonna need both. There's form for it; Murphy owns both a motorbike and a car.

And since there are no secret identities in the Dresdenverse unless you're a bad guy, we're not going to have the luxury of separate vehicles for work. Not when your address is in the phone book for any bad guy.
Fortunately, we intend to learn to fly. Which makes personal travel during work a lot easier.

Just remember to learn Hollow Mind Curse and we can put a demon in our car and bike's electronics and summon it across the city at need. Go full Knight Rider.
 
Odysseus2099 said:
What a coincidence, so do we! Haven't read the later Dresden books, does Ethniu show any signs of being even vaguely redeemable? Or of even being able to act in a non-stupid evil manner if it's worth her while? If so, we may have an ally. We both make (or will make) Formori minions after all.
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Not really. The parts that didnt seem to be outright insanity were essentially the position that humans are only meant to be cattle and they should tear down civilization so they can rule/prey on them freely again, and any supernatural who hides or works with civilization, let alone thinks of humans having value, is a coward or a traitor. Or something like that. Shes also outright spiteful, having innocents murdered to make a point or try and demoralize people, and showed no regret about breaking the accords or guest rights.

So no, short of enough exalted social perks to completely rewrite the mind of a major power, shes the worst kind of being. An overpowered, delusional thug who sees everyone as beneath her and wants to cause destruction and suffering for the sake of it to maybe rule over the ashes. She also just scoffed at Odin trying to talk her down, whos presumably good enough at this.
 
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Single Shining Point in the Void
  • Apocrypha
    • If Molly's Exaltation remembered the Single Shining Point in the Void Style

    Breathe in. Breathe out.

    You look at the sword in your fathers hands, your own blade in the lower half of your field of sight.

    Breathe in.

    As you focus on the swords, all else falls away. You are nearly alone in the darkness.

    Breathe out.

    The line of not-steel that stands against you is held by a faceless figure, the white point closer to you is held by your will as much as any flesh.

    Breathe in.

    Your sword moves in a high thrust, aimed at the figure behind the bright blade of Amorrachius. The holy blade moves to block, but your body twists to the right, moving your sword but keeping the tip perfectly aligned to a point in the opponents shoulder.
    You know, if there were a second blow, you would loose, having given up your footing and position utterly.

    Breath out.

    Time slows to your senses, the swords crawl closer to each other as Amorrachius still moves to parry and your nameless blade still seeks the target's shoulder.
    You can see that you will hit, as the movement of your body brings your sword further to the right without loosing the alignment of the point, but you also know that you will hit only with a fraction of your momentum behind it, too much had been redirected to avoid the parry.

    And so you watch as that single shining point touches its target.

    And as time begins to flow again, your father stumbles back from a hit to the shoulder, the tip not even piercing his padding, even as you tumble to the ground from the near-jump you had made to bring your blade to the target.
    This was propably not something to try in most real fights...


    Just an Omake, of someone trying to imitate a Celestial Art without actually knowing it.
     
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  • Apocrypha
    • Yeah, next Rage Recast is Flight.
    She might be fine with a bike, but needs a four wheel vehicle less for herself, and more for if/when she needs to move other people in safety.

    The two most influential men adults in her life are Dresden, Charity and Michael. Dresden drives an old dilapidated VW Beetle, while Charity drives a minivan and her father drives a truck. I expect she'll pick up something like a F150 truck with the six passenger option when she can afford it, which would allow her move all her siblings in one trip if necessary. Or any number of associates.

    Then enchant and armor the fuck out of the entire thing.
    The Nazis already demonstrated a willingness to roll with assault weapons; no need to take chances with the lives of peoole you find important.

    Then she can pass her current car down to Daniel.
     
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    Even if jetpacks aren't what we're looking for, a flying vehicle could still be a good idea. What do you think of making Siriothrax's remains into a private jet? Or a fighter jet if we can swing it. Supersonic travel, long range attack, magic, and I vaguely recall a Malfeas charm from Shards of the Exalted Dream that lets you turn any vehicle you're piloting into a Warstrider.
     
    Winning Vote
    Adhoc vote count started by DragonParadox on Aug 8, 2022 at 8:37 AM, finished with 66 posts and 17 votes.
    • [X] Head on
      -[X] This is the time to, unironically put your trust in god. Right now you're training as safe as you can get with live blades, and this sword you face is a manifestation of god's will. Don't go all out, but let your soul shine as you fight and perhaps against this blade and this person you'll learn something important. That's ultimately what you're about isn't it?
      [X] Caution has served you well so far
      -[X] It would not do to underestimate a Sword that can kill a really big, capital-D Dragon, despite looking like a regular sword. You will parry with all the care you would bring up if that Sword was hellfire and you a snowman. Use your full skill, draw deep on your Essence and fight like this is a matter of life and death.
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    Arc 1 Post 35: To Teach and Learn
  • Threadmarks
    • To Teach and Learn​

    13th of July 2006 A.D.

    "Wait." You take off the heavy padding and tear off the helm. "What? It's not like I'm going to get into a real fight in this get up am I?"

    Though your dad doesn't say anything his expression is telling. In the salle you wear proper protections, that was a mantra you had heard since your first lesson all bouncy thirteen years old that you were.

    "Made my own," you say as the black mail gleams beneath common cloth. With a smile you reach into your purse and flips your shield open with a click of subtle mechanism, the arc closing in a couple of seconds. And yet if the shield closed with the speed of insight than the sword that is Usum is drawn with the speed of thought.

    Lost 1 Essence

    Guard up and mind set on the task you advance... you breathe and it is Essence not air that passes through your chest. Amoracchius like silver lightning rises to the defense, but from the way your dad's eyes widen you guess it's doing something he's never felt before and so you twist the blade this way and that and so you turn and so you strike, so fast that brass blurs in the air. Low and high, left and right, you pass his guard again and again, but frustratingly never with a blow heavy enough that it would be telling if it were for real.

    When the attempts at parry had flowed into riposte you do not know, but when the blessed sword clashes with your own you feel it, not as you had been afraid you would, as fearsome judgement barely held in check. Instead you feel its namesake, love. Weariness echoes though the touch, heavy as the weight of long years and through it all relief that this time it is not used in deadly earnest, but only to temper and to train. Well was it named and heavy the task laid on it. Tears prick at the corners of your eyes, for all that the knights have given for faith and for the protection of mankind the spirits in the swords have given more, for their vigil does not end in the span of one mortal life.

    Lost 1 Essence

    "What...?" your dad must have noticed your expression.

    You shake your head. "I'm good, I just felt something, an impression from the Sword, let's keep going..."

    Dad is not convinced, he stops and peers at you concerned.

    "You said that Amoracchius is not the salle and that is true, but its calling weighs on it every bit as much as it does on its bearers. The sword of Love is alive and it loves. It remembers every hand that went slack on its hilt and every life ended on its point." Insight beyond mortality whispers in the back of your mind. "I think that is why Fidelacchius still rests and has not chosen a bearer, even sanctioned steel can only endure so much without rest."

    "It just told you that..." Dad looks down at the sword his expression at once of sorrow and confusion.

    "It was literally tapping against my soul like metaphysical Morse Code. think that is why I got impressions and no, it did not tell me the last bit, I guessed, but it feels like a good guess if you know what I mean." You pause. "It's happy to be in a duel that counts and yet one which is not paid for in blood."

    "I never considered..." he shakes his head looking guilty

    "Dad, it's a sword, of course you didn't consider it might be alive. Wired insights are not in your job description. If anything they are in mine," you conclude. "Come on let's go again."

    Gained 2 Essence

    Though he nods, granting the point you think he might still be distracted, the next exchange goes to you by a country mile, He'd be bleeding from his left arm and at best he would have a cut over his right eye that would make it hard to see, at worst he wouldn't have a right eye. Shaking off the way too vivid image of the damage you could have caused you go again.

    Lost 1 Essence

    This time you are not going go against dad at all, you are going to try something tricky, something you probably would not have been brave enough to try if you had not felt the sword and known it does not want to hurt you. You ask with blade and arcane cunning a simple question. What happens if you try to disarm a Knight of the Cross of his Sword?

    You twist your way out of the clinch with more force than you should reasonably have... and you feel a pressure behind your temples, like the world itself rebelled against what you are trying to do.

    I am not of this World, something in you rises to meet it... and Amoracchius flies from your father's fingers just as you had meant to.

    "Was not expecting that to work, I really wasn't expecting that to work," you say a little stunned as you realize your inner reserves are a little lower than they had been a moment ago.

    Lost 1 Essence

    To your relief when the surprise clears off dad's face he looks at you with pride, maybe a little worry still but no anger. "When I took up the sword Shiro told me that only the greatest of powers can separate a knight form his sword even for a moment."

    He doesn't have to say the rest, you are already thinking it. Be careful how you use it.

    Introspection can only last so long. "Wait I want to try something, you try to get to it and I'll try to stop you, like body block you or something. I want to see if that burns Essence as well."

    It does not, but you also just plain cannot do it. It feels like you are swimming against an riptide of fate and in a moment dad has the Sword again. You guess the lesson there is if you do manage to part a Knight form the physical Sword it does not part them from its power and any foe had best take their chance while they have it.

    ***​

    Mom on the other hand is just plain weirded out by the fact that you had some kind of emphatic conversation with the Sword of Love, like she is afraid you might start talking to the mixer or the hairdryer given half the chance. You do not tell her that you could talk to them, but it would involve binding demons of the Wicked City into them.

    Much of the reminder of the weekday is filled with last minute make up essays and projects, but you do snatch up a bit of time to look at what the internet has to say about the supernatural. What do you look for?

    [] Signs of the big players, fey, vampires etc...
    -[] Write in stunt

    [] Minor talents in Chicago
    -[] Write in stunt

    [] Write in

    OOC: To explain what happened there at the end, most people cannot disarm a knight, like you make the maneuver and no matter how good you are the sword says nope in a perfect defense. Beings of a certain weight class get to roll off against the Knight's Faith. I was not expecting your one die from Essence 1 to win against Michael's thee from True Faith 3. You also rolled Perception+Occult to get that insight on the Swords being alive and even with soul on soul contact you needed 3 successes, that is not an easy thing to learn.
     
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