With Exaltations suddenly a much higher priority, I think Taylor should focus on getting someone in the right mindset for Exaltation. Ideas:
-Even after S9, Aisha might not have the drive needed. If the stunt for the Twins' exaltation included proof of their Starmetal worthiness via shipping, then maybe we could show Aisha's newfound determination at work in New York.
-If we're planning on a hero for Orichalcum then we can get started on grooming them. Awakening Armsmaster to the idea that there is more to heroism than glory, or getting, say, Miss Militia in a more Orichalcum mindset (shining example of heroism, etc.)
Basic problem with this:
Taylor is still stuck in containment with Riley. She is not going to be getting any sessions with potential candidates unless they are in Philly.
None of our candidates are presently so.
And where will you get the people for this? Even with memory erasure, its still something that causes a minor level PTSD (and occasional nightmares for life) and permanently leaves your forehead with a rock in it. The benefits also mostly apply to heroic mortals. Average Joe won't see huge benefits. People won't be lining up for it.
Stunts also recover willpower, so we could ensoul dozens a day if we managed to find enough volunteers.
Finally, we will start hitting diminishing returns after couple hundred ensouled anyway, if cult is what you are after. The numbers needed for next level start getting higher and higher.
Because it's a
necessary action. Regardless of how we do it, we're going to need to upscale the process to global in a timespan of two years. Any process contingent on the personal and expensive intervention of an Exalt.
We're not looking at immediate gains so much as laying the foundations of not having to deal with a world covered in living hungry ghosts once essence spread intensifies enough, and ambient Essence will start rising to be a danger when the Demesne is deployed. People will start being converted to Essence from ambient exposure around then.
It's right there in the vote description:
But what she's actually doing is removing the Derangement (possibly other stuff as well, but that's the main idea). Which is just that. Not really part of her personality (or inasmuch as you consider actual mental disorders caused by things part of a personality). People compared POS and stuff to psychological treatment - if medicine/psychology could just 'bam' remove PTSD, that'd be huge.
Okay...going to need some Word of Gromweld here, but that just reinforces the reluctance.
I believe it's because the vials Cauldron uses are the Shards that still made up Eden. Where as QA has been shed by Scion, and thus he no longer has that intrinsic link. So, Auto ripped out a large chunk of Eden's 'corpse' (actually still sort of alive - I believe it'd be more accurate to say brain dead coma than actually dead).
Eden is functionally just suffering from spinal disconnection originally, though the chances of revival dropped as her core shards were harvested.
There is a risk of her 'screaming' flagging Scion though, I think her Broadcast equivalent hadn't been harvested yet, even if her Administrator equivalent should be in Eidolon and Doormaker is just gone. Hero had her Golden Fuck You equivalent.
Wasn't that supposed to happen this time?
Yes, hence why it might be legit as a free action if we wanted to use it to showcase how Saki is totally the same person who went in to her friends/future Assemblymates, rather than leave it to chance.
Anyone remembers who Missy's new legal guardian is supposed to be? Meeting them in casual conversation is unlikely to happen on it's own, but we could spin that on a picnic out of costume.
The thing about nanites is that I think (Unless I am wrong? Anyone remember?) it was stated that Taylor could create nanites in collaboration with Armsmaster if she boosted her medicine. I think at medicine 4, we were talking resurrection nanites (and I figure if they can revive the dead, they can do the age thing). And at medicine 5, do a total conversion into essence physics.
The thing with the nanites is that perfect is the enemy of good. We have a limited number of intervals where Iris is free to invest his time into a project that's not the demesne, and this is the first of probably 2-3 Iris/Bonesaw collaborations.
The nanite project's primary benefit here is that it makes the public and organizational case for keeping Riley beyond our personal gains. Making stuff which benefits the world in an obvious and undeniable manner comes off much better as a first project than something which looks more like a conspiracist's wet dream.
You do know that Glastig Uaine's mental state is kind of at odds with our purpose?
The one that involves earth not getting blow up.
Her entire belief system is predicated upon an impossibility at this point. The earth is not getting blown up in Entity reproduction, because one of them is already dead. Hilariously Cauldron could have done it at any time if they told her about Eden being dead.
I'm still leaning towards the nanites.
Iris would certainly like the public legal recognition, but as long as everyone privately involved in it acknowledges his work, I don't think he'd care what the law thinks too much.
After all, it's not like he needs money or patents.
While Iris has no legal recognition for the work, public recognition could be part of the stunt for the nanites. It'd help with laying the groundwork for future Cult ratings.
Taylor Free Action Ideas
Reconstruction, Craft or Investigation.
1)Reconstruction ideas include assisting the work crews trying to get Philly back on it's feet ASAP.
For example, using drones to help TIE up debris in difficult areas.
Or new inventions to blank out some of those bomb effects littering Philly.
2)Craft stunt ideas include that sweet Terminator-X knockoff.
Or helping Colin out in his lab.
3)Investigation ideas include trawling the internet for data and news on her Exaltation candidates and building personality profiles.
4)Diplomacy Ideas include sitting in on Riley psychotherapy sessions.
Working on advancing recognition of "non-human sapient lifeforms" as a PRT/govt priority, because they will meet spirits sooner or later; best to have a legal framework for them.
Sitting down with Iris and working on changing that Intimacy from Anxiety back to something more trusting.
Good ideas in general.
Prayer Free Action Idea:
Wielding that Resources 4 Background to hire non-PRT investigators to dig into the backgrounds of some of the villain Exalt candidates and build dossier files.
She could hire the rump of the Travellers(Oliver, Ballistic, Sundancer, Genesis); Oliver's powers make him an excellent face for talking to people, and she can offer Genesis something she wants: healing for that broken back.
Longterm goal being to pull a Wyld Hunt on them; the PRT and associated organizations like the Guild can always use more teams.
OTOH, no idea if they are Zizzed, or if that was just Noelle/Krouse.
Or she could hire Faultline's Crew, who also do investigations, and contain Case 53s she'll know of.
They are Cauldron-confirmed to be good at digging up obscure things others might want to keep hidden.
OTOH, Case53s, so risk of shit getting back to her Case53 buddies.
We also have that Backing 5. Ought to use it to smooth the process for an exaltation candidate if we're doing that.
There's going to be bureaucratic complaints, but lets try to preemptively limit them.
Saki Free Action ideas:
I assume Taylor has remained in phone and email contact with the other Wards, so a free action there is not necessarily essential.
Especially since Taylor has the highest Perception rating of anyone in the Assembly, as well as a 2nd Perception Aug.
So FA ideas would include reconnecting with Gloria, going to psychotherapy, going shopping.
Maybe watching video of Grasp tearing shit up with a bag of popcorn.
Certainly it would be good for her mental health, but see above about using it to wrangle contact with Missy's adoptive family in civilian form would be important to start paving the way towards getting the necessary clearance.
Not even a direct social attack, just a "look how normal I am"
... I like when Superman and Lex Luthor have to team up to fight the aliens.
