Green Flame Rising (Exalted vs Dresden Files)

Unless DP has changed it for the quest, we're not even eligible for Essence 6 until we hit centigenarian status, or get that one charm that lets us do it early.
As far as I know, ExvsWoD straight up says "no elder essence" with a fluff of "you need to sacrifice a hell or two and consume them for power in order to have a chance". Dresden Files is a higher power setting, so there's a chance, but yeah, Elder Essence is where we abandon canon material completely.
 
I think it's worth noting that Mab's involvement in one part of Molly's kidnapping doesn't necessarily mean she was involved in the whole event.

Fey of her power physically can't screw with you before you get involved in their business, and are limited to reciprocating to your level of involvement so long as you're a mortal doing things in the mortal world. That includes sending patsies to do stuff for her.

This makes it unlikely, but not impossible, that she's responsible for the whisper that turned Molly towards mind magic and that she's was particularly aware of what was going on when it happened.

Which makes me suspicious of what caught Winter's attention at such a high level. Altruism is emphatically not their thing, but I wouldn't be surprised if they were hijacking someone else's plan and just went for max profit.

It wouldn't surprise me if that happened multiple times, which is why the whole event was such a cluster.

Something like:
1) Faction X whispers to Molly
2) Molly uses mind magic
3) Minor Fetches with a hunting license stumble into things and decide to take advantage of a free lunch
4) Poking the family of a knight/associate of Dresden catches attention and moves it up the chain to Big Fetch
4b) Alternatively, Winter was watching faction X and poking the hornet's nest got things brought up the chain
5) Mab decides to take control at some point to ruin faction X's plans. Simultaneously she concludes kidnapping Molly would serve some purpose of her's

Depends. We're already talking about giving him a stupid amount of support. I think it's important not to risk make him bitter by handing him everything and treating him like he needs his hand held to accomplish anything, but foundational assistance would still work.

We could still get him going on being a crafter, but encourage him to play with stuff other than combat enchantments.

The supernatural likes to get its hooks into government, but it primarily does that by means of human cutouts as a matter of practicality.

At scale they simply don't have the population, and most of the immortals are unlikely to want to go to the trouble of faking their deaths every 80 years and getting re-elected when it's the same effort or less to simply be a rich private donor and buy a replacement goon when the old one goes bad.

So becoming a sleepless juggernaut with social enhancement potions/items, minor divinations to pick up on near term details, blackmail via talking to ghosts about where the bodies are buried, and stuff like that he could become a highly effective guy in all kinds of positions*.

He's a bit young to run for office, but becoming the god-king of the staffers in city hall would give him hilarious amounts of influence without necessarily requiring years to get anywhere.

It helps that he's genuinely a good guy, and isn't likely to abuse such a position to be petty. People resent newcomers less when they're likable and liable to help you.

I think he could viably take the coveted status of the person people talk about when they say "they know a guy" in relatively short order.

* Think about what it'd look like from outside. Someone who always seems to know what's up, who has an insightful comment/helpful advice, always has the exact right coffee for everyone, the right papers for the job, and is unfailingly articulate about whatever you speak to him about. They'd be knife fighting in the break room to acquire him for their projects.
I mean practically as in its only been months in character after a whole year and hes not even an adult yet. He's not gonna get in any important government position for example for several years. For crafting I'd rather not help with that for him simply cause it'd all be mortal stuff I believe and we have so many others we could potentially outsource that too or when we get our hell literally have people with centuries of crafting experience. Imagine teaching our brother than he immediately gets undercut. Also for combat well our brother wants to be able to defend himself and superpowers are cool. Other stuff yeah that can be useful such as academics or social skills or general smortness. Those former things though not so much.
 
Unless DP has changed it for the quest, we're not even eligible for Essence 6 until we hit centigenarian status, or get that one charm that lets us do it early.
He says we can in quest it requires story stuff (though no more specified than other essence ranks) and the stuff im replying too has a link for like 30 pages ago where he linked certain amounts of experience for when we can get the next essence rating. Essence 6 is like 400+ exp after essence 5 we've only gotten something like 100 exp since story started and essence was 500 exp or a bit less was when we get essence 5.
 
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Arc 7 Post 18: Of Parting and Pondering
Of Parting and Pondering

31th of October 2006 A.D.

The deal is, you realize, an olive branch of sorts, a chance to obtain unmediated information, among the White Court a commodity more precious than gold. Can't deny I'm curious either. Really it sounds like a win/win, though that does not mean...Willfully you cut off the thought, that's how you double and triple think yourself into never acting at all, for fear of invisible traps. You will burn that bridge when you get to it, though all things considered you would rather build it. There are much worse things in the world that Lara Raith, like Broken Seeker itself, and whoever might be working with him.

"That sounds helpful, thank you," you say emphasis on the last, words unwise to say to fey and many a manner a spirit, but which are merely unusual in this company. A mark and a reminder of shared humanity.

She gets the message, of course she does, but there is something more to it. Instinctively she moves her hand to tuck a strand of rebellious hair behind her ear. You had notice the way Lara had turned her head to make it come loose. Like every aspect of her appearance that too is calculated... except you also see what the gesture is meant to hide, the briefest instant of her expression softening. A particularly optimistic soul might even call it sympathy.

For a moment you consider doing something about Hall. Sure he's a monster but he doesn't have to be, that you believe with all your heart. Alas that principles, must still contend with practicality. Even if Lara were willing to hand him over the Jade Dogs are not jailers and you do not have a proper dungeon that can hold him safely.

Perfectly normal and not at all supervillain problems there Molly. A smile, a wry one probably, creeps into your face. You wonder if Lara has a guess as to why that might be as you had guessed her moon. Probably so... you aren't trying to hide after all.

***​

As Black Rider races back towards the city, Thomas' skills no longer needed at the wheel Lydia turns towards you: "That was... strangely fun. Well OK, dad says there is nothing weird about testing your mettle against a worthy rival, but I think we have established he is also strange."

"Normal's overrated," you agree easily. "What did you think of her..."

Your friend looks at Thomas a little dubiously, but he just laughs. "There is nothing you can say about my sister that I have not heard said about her before."

"She's very in command of herself and it just sort of spreads, to everything and everyone else around her, almost without her meaning to, like reflex, like breathing to the point where I'm not sure she can stop herself from doing it so in a bizarre way she is not in command at all, just playing the part, the most important piece on the board, but still a piece."

"When did you get so wise?" you snort, only half joking. You had not expected such melancholy judgement.

"It is my nature to recognize those unwilling, unable to let go of the world around them."

A fair point and from the way he lapses into silence one that Thomas has perhaps not considered before. Hopefully he can... well not return to the court, but keep in touch with those among his family he still cares for. Family is too precious to cast off and who knows maybe he can even help her be better. Stranger things have happened.

In the only moderately noisy atmosphere of waiting at a traffic light she turns your thoughts to to else you are meeting today: "Do you want me to be there when you meet the Queen? My father... worries, but he's being silly. If she wanted to come after me, she would just come after me, not wait for me to walk into the wrong pub."

Who do you bring with you to meet Mab?

[] Lydia

[] Michael

[] Harry

[] Charity

[] Write in


OOC: I have to run now so I do not have time to write down a snippet for each of the people here, but I will say this much. Charity really wants to come. She has questions for Mab.
 
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...Very tempted to go with Charity, which is even somewhat justified, as we are still a child of her household.

Definitely not Lydia, I feel, best not to remind Mab of Arawn - this might be seen as a provocation. Harry isn't suited for subtle negotiation at all. Michael is the most logical, but he too, is not very suited for politicking.

[X] Father Forthil

I.e. bring a trained lawyer. He almost certainly has True Faith, and Mab can't really attack him at all, or even influence him, as we'd notice.

EDIT: And we might want to set up a lawyer / contract negotiation agency that would work in the supernatural world. So mortals can bargain with the fae on a more even footing.
 
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Charity might have some resonance with Mab's own parental-situation, since that's been brought up as a thing the story is actively aware of. But Charity also might actively offend Mab, which would be a problem...
 
OOC: I have to run now so I do not have time to write down a snippet for each of the people here, but I will say this much. Charity really wants to come. She has questions for Mab.

Mab better have answers then!

[x] Charity


The link for *Molly trying to see how Laura Reacted* is fused with the one before (or the one before is fused with this one)
 
This is a pretty tough question.

[] Lydia
She's already here and is basically our second in command at this point. It would be good to have her advice. However, we did basically foil Mab's scheme to acquire Lydia. While it's true Mab might not be actively after her, parading her failure in her face may not be wise.

[] Harry

The obvious choice. He is powerful, knowledgeable and most importantly he is the main character. But, he is also in debt to Mab and probably won't be able to resist snarking at her, which will not be helpful. Besides, I feel like we rely on Harry way too much when he has so many problems of his own.

[] Charity

She wants to come, but I feel like she won't add anything. She has no power, wisdom or authority. She basically just wants to yell at Mab. While that's understandable it's not smart.

[] Michael

Another good choice. Dad is powerful and well respected. He also gives excellent advice without trying to hold us back, unlike the other adults here. I want to choose him. My only concern is that this is outside of the swords role, so interfering here could make him vulnerable.

[] No one

This write in is also good. It is indeed not anyone else's fight. This is between us and Mab. It's not like anyone could win a fight against her, so anyone else who comes is basically just along for advice and moral support. Maybe we should go alone and meet her Queen to future Queen.

I'm really not sure right now...
 
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Another good choice. Dad is powerful and well respected. He also gives excellent advice without trying to hold us back, unlike the other adults here. I want to choose him. My only concern is that this is outside of the swords role, so interfering here could make him vulnerable.
[X] Michael

I bet he wants to be there.

It is about his daughter.
Why do you think only Charity has some choice words for Mab?
I trust him to deliver them more carefully.
 
Keep in mind you guys can choose to take more than one person, that is what the write in is for. Mab did not put any limits on who you might take with, presumably because she does not have security concerns.
 
Thing is everybody is a liability, this will be high level social combat if your not bringing 15+ dice you just make it harder.

Keep in mind everyone heroic can just pay a willpower do go 'LalaLa I can't hear you!'. That is how Harry does not get bulldozed by the fey or Lara. Also it is actually very hard to push against someone's intimacies making Charity and Michael particularly well defended.
 
Not Lydia, for sure. Yes... Mab could go after her at any time but there are strong hints that Mab is fishing for excuses. Even if she is choosing not to use it as a true excuse she'd be using it as a small extra bit of leverage during the talks. And Mab has been playing as nice as she plays anything so we should behave.

I don't know if we can avoid Harry... even if he is almost certainly going to be a debuff when it comes to genuine diplomacy. Its putting stuff on his shoulders but he'd be upset if we didn't. Michael is, in my mind, having God as our copilot and having a nuclear weapon in our back pocket so he is particularly tempting. Charity, stay or go, would blow a fucking gasket if we didn't at least have him while we march into the belly of the beast.


On the matter of Thomas and his sister... I genuinely love the fact that he has reason to still see her as something other than the monster under her skin. Due to our little pact he is at least safe dealing with her without needing to fear that someone is going to break him down into another chess piece himself.
 
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If we bring Dad a lot of the time we should be able to use our intimacy with him as an automatic perfect defense against many social stuff.
 
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