They cannot not provide protection, that would be like asking a human to turn off their hearts, it's an inherent function of what they are
Anyway Vote closed
Green Flame Rising (Exalted vs Dresden Files)
- Thread starter DragonParadox
- Start date
- Crossover Fantasy
They cannot not provide protection, that would be like asking a human to turn off their hearts, it's an inherent function of what they are
Anyway Vote closed
Arc 5 Post 5 Shell and Sorcery
Shell and Sorcery
28th of August 2006 A.D.
There is something almost hypnotic about the quicksilver sheen of what has already started to be called 'the Bean' by locals who do not want to seem too impressed in front of the tourists that even now throng through the wide freshly graveled walkways of the park. Young and old, rich and poor, everyone is looking to take in the last of the summer while it lasts before the chill of the Midwestern autumn drives all of you indoors. Not the kind of place one would expect to find a vampire, but Thomas Raith fits if anything better than you do into the atmosphere of late summer fun, in fact from the looks he is drawing you suspect that he is starting in the fantasies of several girls and at least one guy about a late summer fling.
But he like you is here to work, his mind on glimmer of an entirely different kind, diamonds yet unmade, dreams of graphite, dreams of ink and greenbacks. "So what do you have for me? What should I be making?"
"So to be clear on this, you do not have a mass limit and you can make at least the quality in those pictures you showed me, probably a significant degree better."
"I have some plans to significantly improve the output yeah," you flash him a smile. "By which I mean finally move out of dad's workshop and do some actual prep work. I am almost certain I can fake natural diamonds if not on the first try than on the second."
He nods and takes out a thin stack of papers, most of them seem to be financial stuff. How to set up a limited liability company, including accounting and unsurprisingly taxes. You could have done all this stuff yourself with a little help from Clippy and company, but it would probably have taken a lot of running around.... which come to think of it is precisely the point of having an assistant.
"There are broadly speaking two paths we can take with the diamond buisness, one is simply to claim some new process that makes artificial diamonds on the cheap, if not quite admitting how cheap or that the production line is the CEO. As long as you pay your taxes on what you sell the IRS isn't going to give a damn how you make the stones, though as the news spreads among the buyers there will be quite a few people looking to the patent office and when nothing shows up there you might get more attention than you prefer. The other option is what I like to call the reverse scam, see a lot of Ponzi schemes... Do you know what those are?"
You throw a mild glare his way, you are seventeen not seven. "Pyramid schemes."
"Right, those, quite a few of them in recent years like to pretend they have African diamond mines because the kind of people who are willing to hand off their savings to the nice man for magic beans would not know the first thing about checking the records in Zimbabwe, Tanzania or Lesotho."
"That is not a very nice way to put it."
In response he places a delicately fingered hand on his chest and faux-whispers. "Vampire."
You roll your eyes and wait for him to continue.
"Since you actually have the diamonds you would not need to actually own a proper mine. A hole in the ground would do as long as it had the right paperwork and that is... not hard to obtain if you grease some palms. As long as the overall volume remains relatively small no one in the business would care and the US Gouvernement would be more than happy with the import tax and sales tax on the stones. A small mine owned by a small company making modest profits, the only thing unusual would be your age. The buyers would think you are a front for someone ah... older and more experienced, but that is not as remarkable as 'entirely new unpatented method of making artificial diamonds'."
"Right up until someone visits the supposed mine and find a hill with some cows grazing on it or something," you note.
"If anyone visits, there is very little reason to bother, that is why scammers favor the tactic," Thomas counters. "It would also allow you to pass off natural-seeming stones as natural."
"But we would still need paperwork from a foreign country. I would have to go there and negotiate..."
"Or I could go. Justine's been wanting to go on vacation for years, now we have the chance." He still sounds a little disbelieving of his good luck.
"Looking to go on holiday on company time already?" you joke.
He taps his chest again. "Still a vampire. We are sneaky that way you know."
You look him up and down from his very stylish mauve shirt to his white pants and brightly polished shoes. "If you say so."
What kind of company do you want to run?
[] An innovative diamond creating start up, make high quality but obviously artificial diamonds
[] A small mining operation, try to make diamonds that could pass for natural
[] Actually you have another idea
-[] Write in
OOC: I know you guys want to see the lab but as soon as I really started thinking about the 'what kind of diamonds sell' issue I realized that it very much depended on what provenience you would go with so this is something you need to choose at least in broad terms now.
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No rolls for this one. It was not social combat, just talking to an ally.
[X] A small mining operation, try to make diamonds that could pass for natural
-[X] Have Thomas gather the list of properties for sale, then use the Crown on the list to see what kind of magical powers, be it artifacts, creatures, or places of power, are within each property, including buried underneath it.
An african property? With a possiblity of some ancient ruins or artifacts or some magical species living there? Yes please. Africa is the place where the falling angel met the rising ape. The birthplace of (this iteration of) humanity. The most ancient, mysterious magic should be there. Of course I want to buy a plot of land there. We could play a warlord there easily. Or an Indiana Jones. Hell, even "just" an additional Dragon's Nest would be damn useful. RVD there. Play factorio with TTC, then establish a breachhead from our hell.
The questions are arranged to get us a list of properties to buy with "this has the following magical stuff inside its borders" addendum courtesy of the Crown. I am tinkering with the wording. Even if the specific wording fails, we can use the sales adds as further foci.
-[X] Have Thomas gather the list of properties for sale, then use the Crown on the list to see what kind of magical powers, be it artifacts, creatures, or places of power, are within each property, including buried underneath it.
An african property? With a possiblity of some ancient ruins or artifacts or some magical species living there? Yes please. Africa is the place where the falling angel met the rising ape. The birthplace of (this iteration of) humanity. The most ancient, mysterious magic should be there. Of course I want to buy a plot of land there. We could play a warlord there easily. Or an Indiana Jones. Hell, even "just" an additional Dragon's Nest would be damn useful. RVD there. Play factorio with TTC, then establish a breachhead from our hell.
The questions are arranged to get us a list of properties to buy with "this has the following magical stuff inside its borders" addendum courtesy of the Crown. I am tinkering with the wording. Even if the specific wording fails, we can use the sales adds as further foci.
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- Location
- Germany
How many successes for natura-seeming stones do we need again?
If we have to throw out every batch with less than 10 successes we'll be working pretty wasteful, even if we can reach that number often.
You need 10+ successes to make natural seeming diamonds.
Goldfish
Friendly Spider-Fish Abomination
- Location
- Formerly of the Far Realm
We don't really need to make a huge amount of money doing this right now, just enough to tide us over and fund our various projects until it's time to win the lottery.
With all the other irons we have in the fire, I'm going to go with the path of least resistance.
[X] An innovative diamond creating start up, make high quality but obviously artificial diamonds
With all the other irons we have in the fire, I'm going to go with the path of least resistance.
[X] An innovative diamond creating start up, make high quality but obviously artificial diamonds
- Location
- Germany
I really don't think we want anything attention-grabbing on our fake mine that nobody should ever investigate closer.
Trying to cram in an adventure here is a pointless risk.
[X] An innovative diamond creating start up, make high quality but obviously artificial diamonds
If someone asks we can just say we have a nuclear generator in our soul.
Wait no, that's worse than what people would imagine without help.
Not a risk, an opportunity. Well, ok, a bit of a risk too, but only for supernatural involvement. I mean, there's a reason I used "unclaimed" in the version of the vote you are quoting. I'll "undiscovered" too. Establish a proper mine (we'll have too, anyway, if we are looking to make proper cover). Find the treasure. Have adventure.
[X] A small mining operation, try to make diamonds that could pass for natural
-[X] Have Thomas gather the list of properties for sale, then use the Crown on the list to arrange them starting from the one that has the most unclaimed and undiscovered supernatural power within its borders, including buried underneath it. Use the sales announcements of the properties to check what kind of magical power each one has.
Basically, this is an interesting plot thread to pull on. I want it.
fictionfan
Please sir, may I have some Meows?
- Location
- Tempe, AZ
[x] A small mining operation, try to make diamonds that could pass for natural
I don't want to be bothered by a bunch of corporate espionage trying to steal our secret method. Even if some people actually check our hole in the ground (unlikely) and don't find anything that isn't surprising. Mining requires work any visible diamonds would already been taken.
I would vote Yog, but we don't have fast travel yet.
I don't want to be bothered by a bunch of corporate espionage trying to steal our secret method. Even if some people actually check our hole in the ground (unlikely) and don't find anything that isn't surprising. Mining requires work any visible diamonds would already been taken.
I would vote Yog, but we don't have fast travel yet.
You know what? Both. Both is the correct answer.
[X] Actually you have another idea
-[X] Claim both. You will sell diamonds that pass as natural as diamonds obtained from the mine, and diamonds that don't, as artificial ones, made in the facility located in Africa where the "mine" is.
--[X] Have Thomas gather the list of properties for sale, then use the Crown on the list to arrange them starting from the one that has the most unclaimed and undiscovered supernatural power within its borders, including buried underneath it. Use the sales announcements of the properties to check what kind of magical power each one has.
--[X] Have Thomas put it in his name.
This way we get to sell all types of diamonds, explain why there are no USA patents and no easily tracked sales of equipment needed to make diamonds, and justify building a facility on our new property, to cover whatever magical stuff we get from there (personal hope - Jade, or, better yet, Orichalcum deposit - basically a magical material mine). Three birds with one stone.
[X] Actually you have another idea
-[X] Claim both. You will sell diamonds that pass as natural as diamonds obtained from the mine, and diamonds that don't, as artificial ones, made in the facility located in Africa where the "mine" is.
--[X] Have Thomas gather the list of properties for sale, then use the Crown on the list to arrange them starting from the one that has the most unclaimed and undiscovered supernatural power within its borders, including buried underneath it. Use the sales announcements of the properties to check what kind of magical power each one has.
--[X] Have Thomas put it in his name.
This way we get to sell all types of diamonds, explain why there are no USA patents and no easily tracked sales of equipment needed to make diamonds, and justify building a facility on our new property, to cover whatever magical stuff we get from there (personal hope - Jade, or, better yet, Orichalcum deposit - basically a magical material mine). Three birds with one stone.
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- Location
- The Star Kingdom of Manticore
[X] An innovative diamond creating start up, make high quality but obviously artificial diamonds
fictionfan
Please sir, may I have some Meows?
- Location
- Tempe, AZ
Both is problematic. Because if we do have some secret diamond making progress that people are looking into it's not really a further step to think that it can make seemingly natural diamonds. Which means that we could get the downsides of both.
Why are people against letting Thomas Raith have a vacation with his girlfriend?
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Not... really? I mean, the innovativeness of the process is in how cheap and quick it is, not in how good the diamonds are. It's a pretty big skip towards "and they also have a completely new qualitative change". This way we explain why the diamonds are relatively cheap (and I'm almost not joking): African slave labor. More seriously - cheaper labor and resources. We dodge the "where are the patents and the actual facility". We even skip "where did the seed money come from". I am fairly sure that many diamond cartels also do artificial diamonds. We'd just be that, but on a smaller scale.
fictionfan
Please sir, may I have some Meows?
- Location
- Tempe, AZ
But what are the odds that the same girl come up with a new amazing diamond making process and owns a diamond mine? The artificial diamonds story is going to draw attention which means people are going to add 2 and 2 together.
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ClawClawBite
Mad Engineering!
- Location
- Seattle, WA
[X] An innovative diamond creating start up, make high quality but obviously artificial diamonds
-[x] A mysterious startup with a reclusive genius gives cover for all sorts of other inventions and technologies. It can charter airplanes and order exotic supplies, or hire people for whimsical tasks.
-[x] A mysterious startup with a reclusive genius gives cover for all sorts of other inventions and technologies. It can charter airplanes and order exotic supplies, or hire people for whimsical tasks.
[X] A small mining operation, try to make diamonds that could pass for natural
-[X] Have Thomas gather the list of properties for sale, then use the Crown on the list to arrange them starting from the one that has the most unclaimed and undiscovered supernatural power within its borders, including buried underneath it. Use the sales announcements of the properties to check what kind of magical power each one has.
-[X] Have Thomas gather the list of properties for sale, then use the Crown on the list to arrange them starting from the one that has the most unclaimed and undiscovered supernatural power within its borders, including buried underneath it. Use the sales announcements of the properties to check what kind of magical power each one has.
The trouble with the mine is that Deadalus and friends will want to investigate just to have something to have over our heads.
The innovative start-up is not something they can use against us. That is perfectly legal as there are no laws that prohibit the use of magic to make diamonds.
And the owner of the company and it's address can be hidden via some creative company structures. As long as taxes are paid and we make it clear this is just about privacy, the IRS won't particularly care.
Edit: It is also something to garner influence. The brilliant young entrepreneur gets into more doors than the daughter of Michael and Charity Carpenter.
It also allows us to fund what may become the paranet.
Would be great if we had time to replicate the process using mundane means so our personal attention isn't needed, but I assume it will create enough seed money to play the stock markets.
I assume eldritch crowns don't count as insider trading.
The innovative start-up is not something they can use against us. That is perfectly legal as there are no laws that prohibit the use of magic to make diamonds.
And the owner of the company and it's address can be hidden via some creative company structures. As long as taxes are paid and we make it clear this is just about privacy, the IRS won't particularly care.
Edit: It is also something to garner influence. The brilliant young entrepreneur gets into more doors than the daughter of Michael and Charity Carpenter.
It also allows us to fund what may become the paranet.
Would be great if we had time to replicate the process using mundane means so our personal attention isn't needed, but I assume it will create enough seed money to play the stock markets.
I assume eldritch crowns don't count as insider trading.
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[X] A small mining operation, try to make diamonds that could pass for natural
-[X] Have Thomas gather the list of properties for sale, then use the Crown on the list to arrange them starting from the one that has the most unclaimed and undiscovered supernatural power within its borders, including buried underneath it. Use the sales announcements of the properties to check what kind of magical power each one has.
-[X] Have Thomas gather the list of properties for sale, then use the Crown on the list to arrange them starting from the one that has the most unclaimed and undiscovered supernatural power within its borders, including buried underneath it. Use the sales announcements of the properties to check what kind of magical power each one has.
It takes time to buy stuff. It'll be at most two months before we get RVD. That's very little time, in in-world time. We can buy it now, and explore it later.
Pretty much everyone will think we are a front for someone. Possibly some unsavory Roman Catholic Church operation.
And it's not 2 and 2 put together. It's 2 and 2, and than you calculate an interstellar space mission using only pen and paper. It's just... The "quality" doesn't follow from quantity in this type of technologies. That's not something reasonable. I mean, cheaper and faster production - we understand what to investigate. How to make diamonds look "natural"? That's nanoscale manipulation. We don't really understand how to do it at all.
Well, first of all, that's way out of their jurisdiction, being located in Africa, not in USA. Assuming CIA gets involved... Well, that would be interesting to see.
If anything, I would wager that the mine version is a bit safer as far as the law is concerned (well, not really, since it involves fraud in selling artificial diamonds like they are real). I mean, if nothing else with artificial scheme they absolutely would be able to get us on safety violations.
fictionfan
Please sir, may I have some Meows?
- Location
- Tempe, AZ
I really doubt that they get the budget to make intercontinental trips on a whim. Also even if they do and find a hole in the ground where they don't find any diamonds it doesn't actually prove anything.
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As there is bribery involved, the US has AFAIK the ability to intervene. More so if US$ was used.
And what safety violations? We can show them how we do it. We just tell the Library of Congress ahead of time that someone asks us to blow the secrecy wide open and if they want to keep on good terms with the powerful Exalted.