You can buy multiple dot merits, not paths and backgrounds, that is one dot at a time.
Green Flame Rising (Exalted vs Dresden Files)
- Thread starter DragonParadox
- Start date
- Crossover Fantasy
You can buy multiple dot merits, not paths and backgrounds, that is one dot at a time.
For a small party for a couple of days either Last Station, Harry's place, or even our home should work. Worst case - rent them an apartment or two / some motel rooms. We have the funds for that. Even outside of that, Court professionals should be trained to survive in winter conditions.
1) They will be providing their own security. They are not children. They are professionals in many fields with centuries of experience, their own resources (we could facilitate trade in gold, for example), and equipment. Leaving aside how we are perfectly capable of warding a residence to kingdom come, they can protect themselves.
As to permanent embassies - it's a base of operation. Maeve maintained a residence in Chicago. Monoc Securities has an office. And, unlike all other factions, the Courts are an industrial society that can interact with others in many ways not limited to feudal warfare. As exarchs said "there is an entire world of potential allies and trade partners awaiting envoys...". They are interested in interacting with the outside world.
That has been solved via cyberdevils and machine spirits. Not the best solution, but a solution nevertheless.
It's a short notice short term (half a month at most, more likely a week or so) somewhat but not overly risky important and high profile business trip that can advance one's career by a lot. Even leaving aside the "we are a theocracy, and a living goddess asks you for help" angle, you'll get a lot of qualified applicants.
I think the other way around is likely to be much more effective. Hit them before the enemy has any idea of what we may be capable of or what resources we have. Then once we've made our presence felt with a bang, we can negotiate from a position of strength.
VOTE
[X] Pick up your friends and Harry and get back home, the Exarchate is going to need several days at least to absorb what you have just told them, but Broken Seeker and Arianna Ortega will not wait
-[X]Pick up some blank smartphones and a laptop or two for use
-[X]Be sure that Dresden takes a blank tablet and something like a billet of metal with him
Blank smartphone to upgrade Clippy's chassis, and a couple spares for Lydia and other people.
Blank laptop with extra-large memory that you can put a cyberdevil in and ask to access the Internet and do stuff like download Wikipedia and major Earth languages and stuff like nature documentaries like Blue Planet.
Essentially assemble a first contact package on the wider mundane world for the next time we go back to our Hell.
Molly hasnt done the Last Station action yet.
[X] Pick up your friends and Harry and get back home, the Exarchate is going to need several days at least to absorb what you have just told them, but Broken Seeker and Arianna Ortega will not wait
-[X]Pick up some blank smartphones and a laptop or two for use
-[X]Be sure that Dresden takes a blank tablet and something like a billet of metal with him
Blank smartphone to upgrade Clippy's chassis, and a couple spares for Lydia and other people.
Blank laptop with extra-large memory that you can put a cyberdevil in and ask to access the Internet and do stuff like download Wikipedia and major Earth languages and stuff like nature documentaries like Blue Planet.
Essentially assemble a first contact package on the wider mundane world for the next time we go back to our Hell.
POINT OF ORDER
Molly hasnt done the Last Station action yet.
Oh I know, the month will not be over, the arc will, allowing you guys to finally spend your XP. Almost 70 updates in one arc is getting silly.
We should take weapons at least. We are going hunting for a dangerous prey, and are likely to be betraying an old monster in the process. We want some heavy ordinance.
Was not talking about merits. But taking the people that already have a path of 4-5 dots, and up it by one. Then we have a couple of people with 6 dots in the various paths, with a strong 5 dot support for the 6 dot people. Their are certainly good merits to give, but the advantages of having a couple of people with 6 dots in a path, seem to me to be more valuable short, and long term. Figure we end up with some 2-5 people with 6 dot paths, and some 50 or so with 5 dot paths.
Short term we get people that can really punch if we bring them outside of the hell, 6 dots paths are the legendary stuff. Long term they will be able to lead a full overhaul of the cities infrastructure. And once we wish the knowledge of higher path rating into their heads, they can write it down, and be able to teach others.
Noted. They still wouldnt be able to do basic shit like speaking the language.
Nor would they have ID for literally anything in the US, which means stumbling into any part of formal society like the police. Or the US Immigrations Service.
I dont see any way Molly would do this to anyone for her own convenience.
As has been repeatedly pointed out to you at this point, VEE does not work that way.
Verdant Emptiness Endowment said:
At E3 and a 15/15m pool, Molly would only be able to use VEE on 3x people before running out of Essence, and would then have to spend 4 hours in a bleach bath.
And each of those people she used VEE on would not be able to ask for anything for the next year.
VEE is an example of your classic "Devil offers a deal for the low, low price of part of your soul" charm.
It isnt an army-building charm. If you try to use it as an army-building charm you will be grossly disappointed.
Stop making these wild claims; they've been refuted before, but you keep bringing them up.
Harry's place is barely big enough for him alone, and he's a military commander for a foreign nation in the middle of a war.
Youd be putting both him and Molly in an awkward position.
Not to mention that there's a literal Fallen Angel buried in his basement. Hard pass.
This is late November Chicago.
Temperatures drop below freezing regularly. Its already snowed at least once.
For the rest, see below.
1)What are their rules of engagement?
They cant legally carry weapons in Illnois without a FOID, or even within the limits of Chicago at all without special permit.
This is not DnD; you are not free to do whatever because a bunch of teenagers tried to mug you.
They are strangers in a technological society with a complex set of mores and laws. They have no local knowledge and no IDs.
They are coming from a society where biological immortality was more or less taken for granted, in addition to other assumptions.
You dont just drop them in the middle of an urban center with no prep and go "eh they'll be fine".
I mean, just to take one example:
Given everything you have seen about US police in general and the Chicago Police Department in particular, you want a bunch of foreigners, who may not even look white, roaming around Chicago with no ID when they dont even speak the language?
And Im just talking mundane threats here.
Supernatural threats are an entirely different tier of threat. Like what happens if a bunch of Fae jump what they think are agents from Yomi Wan. Or a Fomor snatch squad grab sources of intelligence for destructive interrogation. Or a Yama King.
2) You are mistaken.
Summer Lady Aurora and Winter Lady Molly maintained a personal residence in Chicago. So did the former Summer Knight.
Summer did not. Winter did not. Monoc does not; their only permanent reps are back in Scandinavia.
The svartalfar have a residence/property here in Chicago, but its not an embassy to anyone, and it has no ambassadors.
Same with the White Court.
Same with the Twylyth Teg.
Nobody does embassies or ambassadors.
Unfortunately, no it isnt.
You dont walk around 2006 Chicago with a machine translator smartphone.
The Iphone doesnt even come out until next year.
Nevermind what happens if you get robbed.
Or just lose your phone.
See above.
Why?
Molly is Firearms 0 and has no way of carrying or storing weapons discreetly. The only thing of relevance I can think of is grabbing any off the shelf potions they might have, and we can do that at need.
I considered bringing weapons for the ghouls, but I assume we'll be back in the next month, if not the next week.
So no immediate rush.
First we'll need to talk to them and get stuff like their measurements for protective gear.
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The svartalfar's embassy is explicitly described as an embassy I believe. Presumably it's a mission to all Earth's powers.
Courts are not limited to firearms, and we can get armor and support equipment too.
Funny enough most of the weapons we could bring from our Hell likely don't count as firearms for US law. "Firearms" is a very specific term in US law. Lasers, plasma, and rail guns all don't qualify. They are no more illegal to carry than a knife.
And by that I mean you can get in trouble using them for crime, or even just threatening someone with one, but the law doesn't have permitting to allow you to carry them.
And by that I mean you can get in trouble using them for crime, or even just threatening someone with one, but the law doesn't have permitting to allow you to carry them.
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Cite?
I dont recall any such designation by the svartalfar.
Such as what?
Molly does not need armor or support equipment.
And I cannot think of anything Molly needs to run down a vampire.
The Jade Dogs need equipment for self-defence, but she needs to talk to them first.
And determine what they need and can use and maintain.
EDIT
Also, if Molly needs anything and has fifteen minutes of prep, she can go into her Hell and take it.
She has no need to bring weapons out into the real world days or weeks ahead of time.
A LOT more eyeraising though.
Thats out of the frying pan of the state criminal code and into the fire of US(and global, lets be honest) natsec agencies.
Manportable DEWs imply multiple fundamental breakthroughs.
Kinda defeats the purpose of keeping a low profile from the authorities if a dude with no ID blows away an attacker with a plasma cannon
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[X] Pick up your friends and Harry and get back home, the Exarchate is going to need several days at least to absorb what you have just told them, but Broken Seeker and Arianna Ortega will not wait
-[X]Pick up some blank smartphones and a laptop or two for use
-[X]Be sure that Dresden takes a blank tablet and something like a billet of metal with him
We can come back to this world whenever we want. No need to rush. I think everyone needs time to adjust to this new reality. Molly and us included.
Besides, we don't know what's going on outside. As far as we know the creation of this hell was felt across the world, and everyone is on high alert. Taking foreign soldiers into that wouldn't end well. I'm not saying that's the case, just that there are too many variables to rush something this important.
-[X]Pick up some blank smartphones and a laptop or two for use
-[X]Be sure that Dresden takes a blank tablet and something like a billet of metal with him
We can come back to this world whenever we want. No need to rush. I think everyone needs time to adjust to this new reality. Molly and us included.
Besides, we don't know what's going on outside. As far as we know the creation of this hell was felt across the world, and everyone is on high alert. Taking foreign soldiers into that wouldn't end well. I'm not saying that's the case, just that there are too many variables to rush something this important.
Do you not understand that we do have an army already. VEE improves what we have, and we already have different people that each have 5 dots paths scattered across the hell. Upping them to 6 dots to make them legendary, a full order of magnitude greater ablity, and power they gain access to. The difference between 5 dot alchemy and 6 dots is vast 6 dot is can make a philosopher stone. And also people with 6 dots are massively better at everything below 6 dots.
The only reason we cannot just take our summoning path people out of the hell, and have them summon up an army is they lack the knowledge of how to work the path outside the hell. VEE their summoning path higher to grant them the knowledge, and we can drop an army of unkillable magictech warriors anywhere we want.
I was against getting a hell like this for this exact reason. We have moved into stomp or be stomped territory, as given any time Molly can just kill about everything with raw numbers of deathless warriors.
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A LOT more eyeraising though.
Thats out of the frying pan of the state criminal code and into the fire of US(and global, lets be honest) natsec agencies.
Manportable DEWs imply multiple fundamental breakthroughs.
Kinda defeats the purpose of keeping a low profile from the authorities if a dude with no ID blows away an attacker with a plasma cannon
Federal Agent: So what powers this thing?
Weapon: *complex series of arcane tones ending in a growl*
FfCoF Denizen: Physically and spiritually enriched Uranium
Federal Agent: Spiritually?
FfCoF Denizen: I believe the local term is 'possessed'.
Weapon: *auto aim clicks on, slowly turns towards the agent*
And that is how Father Forthil got called in.
Seriously though if the government gets their hands on so much as an electro-laser they will have a lot of questions.
OctarineShrike
Avatar of Mandos
For visits to hell we need a safe spot to meditate(edit: in the correct conditions), and for our outside world timer to have elapsed. Remember. However much time spent inside must be spent outside before we can return.
Not quite.
We must spend 5 days outside for every 5 days in, but we can choose to spend it in any particular order.
Goldfish
Friendly Spider-Fish Abomination
- Location
- Formerly of the Far Realm
A suit of easily concealed armor for Michael might be a good acquisition before we leave.
What about a full suit of power armor for Olivia? Concealment isn't as much of a concern for her, since she can go full stealth mode to basically become invisible 1at will. It might not be quite the kind of power she's hoping for, but it's a pretty decent stop-gap measure for now.
What about a full suit of power armor for Olivia? Concealment isn't as much of a concern for her, since she can go full stealth mode to basically become invisible 1at will. It might not be quite the kind of power she's hoping for, but it's a pretty decent stop-gap measure for now.
fictionfan
Please sir, may I have some Meows?
- Location
- Tempe, AZ
Unfortunately not deathless outside of our world.
Any native FCFF spirit just get sent back to the hell to reform. And those are the most powerful beings we can summon, in general when it comes to combat.
- Location
- Australia
Federal Agent: So what powers this thing?
Weapon: *complex series of arcane tones ending in a growl*
FfCoF Denizen: Physically and spiritually enriched Uranium
Federal Agent: Spiritually?
FfCoF Denizen: I believe the local term is 'possessed'.
Weapon: *auto aim clicks on, slowly turns towards the agent*
And that is how Father Forthil got called in.
Seriously though if the government gets their hands on so much as an electro-laser they will have a lot of questions.
Question, is there any particular magical technique or effect supernatural factions (particularly those like Odin's crew who are using modern weaponry and tactics in conjunction with, and thus would be arguably the most analogous to forces we'd field) use to successfully operate while maintaining the masquerade (other than killing/brainwashing everyone they come across, of course), or is it just more a matter of stealth and carefully choosing (or creating) the right time and place for unnoticed violent action?
Essentially, are there any magic tricks or ideas either from Earth or our realm which we could try to make a tactical insertion more... discrete?
I suppose we should consider what resources, technologies, personnel, organisations and options we have for operatives and equipment more specialised for subterfuge, investigation and spy-craft... especially as I suspect unfortunately not every problem can be solved through application of overwhelming violence.
Edit: I just realised, we can get Murphy and her unit some much needed well equipped and trained reinforcements, we just need to get together a crash course in US law, a crack force of Five Court police officers/peacekeepers and perhaps permission from the Congressional Library to draw off some of the investigatory heat, to at least give Murphy a super-powered SWAT in a pinch to turn the tables on the criminal supernatural of Chicago for once!
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Taking the equipment now doesn't make a lot of sense to me. Firstly because it'll basically be whatever is on hand and taking the leave now option means we'll be in a hurry. Secondly because we'll to work out storage and transportation, in addition to the bit where we're going to appear on a random street corner with whatever we take back.
If we must ask for equipment, why not just file the request now and come back for it later? We haven't even been here for a whole day, so we can pick it up from a private location we're prepared to store it in and give them time to fill the order with something other than whatever hasn't been checked out of the palace armory today.
As to the embassy prep, right now a whole team of analysts is operating at too much of a disadvantage to do their jobs effectively. The prep team needs a prep team to even start properly.
We could do a lot of that ourselves, but I think the courts would like to have one of their own take a look too. For that reason I think the answer here is to take a single sapient sutra/machine spirit to work with our cyber devils on the first contact package.
Our efforts have native FCF insight to help guide them, we have less people to work security for, and the council/govern at large has time to decide what their basic policies are and organize the people involved.
As to of we need one or not, I'd like to point out that Molly's hell is pretty isolated right now. It's possible to get in, but actually finding a spot and doing so is somewhat difficult even if they theoretically knew to try. It's also likely not in our best interests to let people wander about scoping the courts out if we can help it.
There are other powers with hard to access realms, but they at least have long established personal relationships between their citizens and everyone else. If you want to talk to them there are options. They mostly operate on medieval personal relations rules, so that generally works out.
We don't have that stuff yet though, and may want to engage with mortal governments that don't work that way at some point anyway. Given that we would probably benefit from a formal launch point to help us get involved with the rest of the universe.
We don't need one right this second though, so there's no need to rush it. Doing so is probably unwise anyway, because once we have it people will be inclined to us it and we may not be ready to handle everything they'll throw at us.
If we must ask for equipment, why not just file the request now and come back for it later? We haven't even been here for a whole day, so we can pick it up from a private location we're prepared to store it in and give them time to fill the order with something other than whatever hasn't been checked out of the palace armory today.
As to the embassy prep, right now a whole team of analysts is operating at too much of a disadvantage to do their jobs effectively. The prep team needs a prep team to even start properly.
We could do a lot of that ourselves, but I think the courts would like to have one of their own take a look too. For that reason I think the answer here is to take a single sapient sutra/machine spirit to work with our cyber devils on the first contact package.
Our efforts have native FCF insight to help guide them, we have less people to work security for, and the council/govern at large has time to decide what their basic policies are and organize the people involved.
As to of we need one or not, I'd like to point out that Molly's hell is pretty isolated right now. It's possible to get in, but actually finding a spot and doing so is somewhat difficult even if they theoretically knew to try. It's also likely not in our best interests to let people wander about scoping the courts out if we can help it.
There are other powers with hard to access realms, but they at least have long established personal relationships between their citizens and everyone else. If you want to talk to them there are options. They mostly operate on medieval personal relations rules, so that generally works out.
We don't have that stuff yet though, and may want to engage with mortal governments that don't work that way at some point anyway. Given that we would probably benefit from a formal launch point to help us get involved with the rest of the universe.
We don't need one right this second though, so there's no need to rush it. Doing so is probably unwise anyway, because once we have it people will be inclined to us it and we may not be ready to handle everything they'll throw at us.
Permanent portals are a bad plan. Border control is even more important when your territory is also your soul.