Vote closed, lets get this show on the road.
Green Flame Rising (Exalted vs Dresden Files)
- Thread starter DragonParadox
- Start date
- Crossover Fantasy
Arc 14 Post 23: Broad Road and a Wide Gate
Broad Road and a Wide Gate
18th of February 2007 A.D.
Teacher/Tempter/Hollow Man.
They say familiarity breeds contempt, when it comes to seeing the No-Man again and again the contempt had been there from the start, too bad the metaphysical 'taste' doesn't seem to dull. 'How did He get to you?' though that leads you to places as surprising as they are unpleasant. Horace Shaw had not always been as you found him. Part of the Civil Rights Movement in the fifties and sixties he chaffed at the White Council's injunction against involvement in politics. He had made use of his skill as a petitioner to balance at the very edge of the permitted selling potions of silver tongue or agility of foresight and insight for a pittance. It wasn't enough, how could it have been? He tried again to 'reform the system', make elected officials, police officers and local notables more suggestible, try to soften the hand of a heavy-booted state he had seen as inevitably triumphant. By '71 his old friends found him out, their own personal Benedict Arnold. There was a fight, no magic, but he had ended up giving as 'good as he got' a broken nose for a split lip and curses for a broken ambition. Australia had just been the farthest place he could think of going and there he had stewed for almost thirty years, a respectable wizard, in truth not just in appearance, but never truly forgetting the failings of his past, never able to forgive himself.
The voice had come to him while he fell asleep on the subway, casting his dreams along that long liminal path, at first it had just rehashed old shames, played back might-have-beens, then slowly over the months it started to show him other things, true things, the fate of his old friends. Most of them were comfortable, safe happy, the man who'd broken his nose was a high powered lawyer now, the girl who had spat on him was an executive for a cruise ship company, catering to the kinds of people she had once claimed to hate.
You were just too quick on your feet.
He went abroad to clear his head.
Finding like-minded wizards had been surprisingly easy, almost as if it had been planned. There had been parties and booze and harmless little distractions, sex and lies and slow almost imperceptible betrayals from people who knew the dance too well, because they had been in his place once. There was blackmail and threats once he had started to make more dubious concoctions, though the woman making the threats was not a 'proper Magi', he later learned, deliberately designed to inflame his passions, to stoke again the flames of hate.
Shaw had killed her in a rage with the same spell he had later meant to use on you with cold calculation. Instead of death, which he had half convinced himself he deserved by then he got praise from his new 'friends'. Who had that up-jumped conjuror been to try that on him. Some of them had admitted that they had been in the same situation and that they had wished they were so brave.
Bitterness metastasized into hatred that day and cynicism was sharpened into a scalpel to cut out his conscience. Nothing really mattered, none of it was real, only power and all power had to be taken from someone great and small. Was he not one of the mighty and the great? Was he not one whose will bent the world? Why would he be unable to stop himself from killing? Books... not just books an entire library below Paris there was that seemed to confirm the judgement of his pride, he had been brought into the company of warlocks fully and just didn't know it.
By the time they brought the man who split his lip, bound and unconscious as a 'birthday present' he hadn't even batted an eye at killing him. After all human blood was a valuable reagent in his potions and he had more work than ever supporting the True Magi on their way to inevitable victory.
What plans do you know of?
Corruption though does not rise evenly like water in a test tube, it comes in waves, it ebbs and flows that even those souls most mired in it can at times find things they will not bear. His new allies and Him, especially Him were planning something beyond the pale: A Plague of Ignorance, a sickness which would claim all talents strong enough to 'matter' who still clung to the blindness of the Laws. Only in one city Vivian insisted, as a demonstration, Vivian his friend, Vivian-once-his-lover. Yet twisted as he was Horace Shaw didn't believe them, he wanted no part of making the thing so they brought him to the thing they called 'Teacher' who revealed that he already knew everything of use that Shaw could have told him.
"Your mind has always been open to me young one."
It took him a long time to stop screaming after that.
The thing in the basement you realize is his attempt to save something of the mind and secrets of those who will be killed by the plague. It is also... You meet Sophia's eyes with horror. "The template for the plague, it's been taught to recognize arcane knowledge. They are playing him, they are still playing him."
Lost 4 Essence -> Now at 6/18 (Excellency ATB and 2 Questions)
Recovered 2 Essence -> Now at 8/18 (Urge)
Numbly you watch Shaw's attention shift abruptly as Sophia enters the room, shaking her hands free of water droplets. His eyes track her like a rat tracking a serpent, the sheer force of her unleashed presence demanding and holding his attention even as she ignores him, acquiring a chair. "And just who the fuck are you?" he demands. In response, Sophia smiles, and its a mirror of the smile on your face.
"Me... oh I'm the last friendly face you'll ever see. For what it's worth you're not the worst."
The older wardens watch on almost with baited breath as you and Sophia drag him across the whole of his story like a man on his knees gently, inexorably pulled through a field of broken glass. Lash looks on with professional approval, Harry looks like he wants to strangle him on several occasions and Carlos stays quiet, caught between disgust at what's being said and relief that it's out in the open now. You might not have your connection to Edinburgh, but you have a legitimate source for many of the European names.
"Well-a-day, looks like we have a library to raid," Zadock says.
"We have to put did before the Conseil supérieur," Lady M slips back into French in her haste to speak.
"Agreed," Nzola says, already rising from his seat with a bow in your direction that could be counted parting if you want to keep your nose out of this. As if...
But there is a problem, you're starting to feel empty in a way you had not since Boston. Can you afford to hold this up though, and if so for how long?
[] Go at once
-[] To the Hidden Halls
-[] Back to Sydney to secure the black mold
[] Ask the Wardens to wait
-[] Write in how long (15 Minute increments)
[] Write in
OOC: Welcome to Left-Handed Wizardry where everyone lies, everyone hurts others and everyone suffers.
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Rolls
How much do you put together? 10+ Successes, starting strong
Last Piece... He's still being lead by the nose
Social to retread what you already know: Sophia, Molly
How much do you put together? 10+ Successes, starting strong
Last Piece... He's still being lead by the nose
Social to retread what you already know: Sophia, Molly
Is black mold spirit enough to be MiMed? And are there any other, lesser spirits in Shaw's home?
Still... @DragonParadox would Mother Summer appreciate the gift of the Plague of Ignorance? Enough to secure summer support in rooting out the conspirators?
Still... @DragonParadox would Mother Summer appreciate the gift of the Plague of Ignorance? Enough to secure summer support in rooting out the conspirators?
- No idea without studying it
- No other spirits do
- Mother's Summer's mind is not something you can just know with a roll, but Molly can't think of any reason why not to offer
- Location
- Brazil
Yes, we can send our minions with the wizards along with a phone so that if necessary our cyber devil can warn us and can enter and leave our kingdom directly there. While we get more essence.
@DragonParadox I remember that it was Carlos' wish to be able to fight against the monsters and the darkness of the world and during all this he was not scared by anything from Molly, he did not pretend but he really was not scared. How is he taking this series of actions of hers as someone who was by her side from the beginning? Did his interest in her increase or stay the same after seeing us discover and root out corruption in the Council, face a Lord of the Outer Night and save a god, all one after the other?
@DragonParadox I remember that it was Carlos' wish to be able to fight against the monsters and the darkness of the world and during all this he was not scared by anything from Molly, he did not pretend but he really was not scared. How is he taking this series of actions of hers as someone who was by her side from the beginning? Did his interest in her increase or stay the same after seeing us discover and root out corruption in the Council, face a Lord of the Outer Night and save a god, all one after the other?
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@DragonParadox is the existence of the Paris Library or the Plague of Innocence a big enough secret to give us essence regen?
- Location
- washington
I mean also in fairness necromancy is banned for human mages not in general given they'd probably frown on it.
I can think of a reason. If we give Mother Summer the plague of ignorance she may just end up using it. She is fully capable of doing so. Nothing we could do would stop her.
BoredMan
Maintaining the Agenda is our top priority
@DragonParadox This counts as a supernatural secret yes? We now know of the plague in detail.
Also I don't think that @uju32 vote actually called for Crown questions to be asked. The questions were to be answered via interrogation I believe.
Edit: Yeah look at the rational Uju posted.
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Mother Summer is fully capable of brewing one herself. She canonically has Wormwood on her shelf. The biblical Apocalypse Wormwood.
It also occurs to me, that we really should get the plague to study. Because the "target magical talents" mechanism is very useful, and I am not against releasing worldwide viral agents that, for example, gives every magic user immortality.
- Location
- washington
Meh doubtful she has plenty of shit of that level on a shelf in her house.
- You are in the same scene as last update no regeneration.
- Oops... that is what I get for reading through too fast. Sorry @uju32.
Well your social rolls were very very good, but I really like the structure of the update. Tell you what I'll give you guys that +2 Essence and count this as a different scene so the questions do not cost anything since you did not vote for them. Sound fair?
Nothing to add to discussion just yet, I simply want to express my admiration at how you wrote Shaw's radicalisation and the cabal's plan @DragonParadox. Stomach-churning stuff.
Ivar
Dark Reaper
- Location
- Russia Moscow
I'll take a different view and think it was pretty standard. Doesn't make it any less effective, but it all started with a straight-up attempt at brain hacking and other mental tricks, as usual. Frankly, I also don't like the association of corruption and parties or sex in general. But that's my opinion.
Otherwise, I think we need a recharge, otherwise we will be an easy target.
Otherwise, I think we need a recharge, otherwise we will be an easy target.
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To be honest it's more about getting people into a position where they're more open to things that they wouldn't normally be open to you would experience it just as much in church or other places where experiences of a revelatory or shared communal nature that create pressure to be open to a change occur. It just happens parties and sex are the easier options (Society wise) simply because no one wants to admit churches, protests, meditation circles all of them open up communal pressure to be open to a change in both ideology and lifestyle. Though parties and frankly sex lowers the guard and requires way less effort to set up and probably won't draw the attention of a god.
Ivar
Dark Reaper
- Location
- Russia Moscow
In a way you are right. But overall it is quite interesting that they needed him at all. But we will see in the end whether we will be able to get to his superiors/corruptor or not. At least all this crap was worth it because we save all the mages of the planet. Although it must be admitted that this is an absurdly strong effect that is hard to imagine outside of plot devices.
Edit; It's not on the level of Tzimisce using his power to turn humanity into copies of himself, but close.
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This did not feel to Molly like they needed him desperately, more like the machine churning on. He was useful enough to get his ticked punched and vulnerable enough that to get to the front of the cue.
fictionfan
Please sir, may I have some Meows?
- Location
- Tempe, AZ
Can we have the Wardens go to the hidden halls and summon Molly there? I am imagining a circle with a tape cassette playing "Highway to hell".
Or really they do their dramatic confrontation and when things go wrong Molly appears heralded by her own theme music.
This is now possible because we now have a gate to send texts though.
Or really they do their dramatic confrontation and when things go wrong Molly appears heralded by her own theme music.
This is now possible because we now have a gate to send texts though.
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[X] Go at once
-[X] Back to Sydney to secure the black mold
--[X] Use the Crown (when the scene renews) to learn the secrets of its making
--[X] Secure it to the Courts, highest level of biomedical containment for later study and possible restoration of those it consumed
Not sure about the vote. I am very tempted to bargain with Summer using it as an offering. But one must remember that fae are not our friends
The Crown use is to be delayed until we can get essence regen out of it
-[X] Back to Sydney to secure the black mold
--[X] Use the Crown (when the scene renews) to learn the secrets of its making
--[X] Secure it to the Courts, highest level of biomedical containment for later study and possible restoration of those it consumed
Not sure about the vote. I am very tempted to bargain with Summer using it as an offering. But one must remember that fae are not our friends
The Crown use is to be delayed until we can get essence regen out of it
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COMMENTARY
Im not sure if Im reading this right, but it seems to be implying that <Hollow Man> is either based on Earth, specifically in the Paris area, or somewhere close enough to it that they could take Shaw there.
Man, fighting in the Paris catacombs is not going to be fun.
Shaw was first contacted when he fell asleep on the Sydney subway?
I will point out that we felt something underneath Sydney, reaching into Botany Bay; we are probably looking at the initial vector through which Shaw got contacted and recruited.
And given that the conspiracy appeared to be still playing him, there's good odds that if we hit Limos, they will get an alert.
Man, between this and all the people who got wololo'd?
The White Council really need to invest in remedial mental defence classes.
For everybody, young and old.
The admission that he'd been a supplier of magical reagents to so-called True Magi means that getting a look at his accounting books and records would be of a lot of interest to the Wardens.
Human blood as a component for growing his reagents....ugh.
Another bioweapon. The Dresden Files has a history of magical bioweapons being used, by the Red Court, by the Denarians, and probably by other factions as well. There are very good reasons why Im very nervous about that portal to Sanctuary being open, especially after we magic nuked the Wicked City with a magic plague of our own.
Time difference matters.
Its 6 hours between Chicago and Edinburgh, 15 hours between Chicago and Edinburgh, and 9 hours between Edinburgh and Sydney. If its still midmorning in Sydney, its late night in Edinburgh, and the previous day in Chicago.
Peabody and whoever else is in Europe and Africa might be asleep when shit started popping off here.
=====
Its a classic IRL for a reason.
All sorts of corporate, criminal and nationstate operations recruit and subvert people with a mix of sex, money and corrupt access to illicit resources.
The Soviet Union allegedly trained agents specifically to specialize in recruiting people by sleeping with them; so-called swallows were female agents and ravens were male agents. And it is indeed supposed to be historical record that the KGB tried blackmailing then-Indonesian head of state Sukarno with a sex tape.
I do agree that we shouldnt go back to Sydney without more Essence.
Take an hour to regenerate 4m of Essence.