Brockton's Celestial Forge (Worm/Jumpchain)

Spidey_phd · Sep 15, 2023

Victor and Uber have both been confirmed to be investigating FMA transmutation. Seems likely that their respective Shards are facilitating research, perhaps far beyond normal human levels. Eldritch analysis and data-processing brain tumors for the win! (Or until performance of unholy rituals eats your brain and other internal organs. Either/Or.)

March sounds obsessed with continuing/repairing the Shard Cycle. And Uber is chugging that fruity punch and fervently declaring "Hallelujah, Sister!" Obviously a great combination.

Image said:
Can't wait too see jury-rigged clusters going off. SO MUCH DATA.

Honestly, I'm confused about the need for a DEAD parahuman in order to further investigate Shard connections. What is so special about a clone's brain? Wouldn't it have been easier to paralyze Oni Lee and pop his skull open?

Asmodemus said:
Uppercrust's speech was top notch, real good orator he is was well conveyed. Excellent writing, admire it. The whole event thing is coming across well done.

I agree about the quality of Uppercrust's speech. Excellent display of the breadth and quality of Lord's writing ability.

It was fun to see Tetra invited to be one of the models in the auction. Hopefully the combination of Good Luck and a happily inebriated Grandma will result in a successful show for both Tetra and Parian (Yes, I did note that Joe requires divine intervention AND probability manipulation powers to mitigate the unintended consequences of his actions).

Also, irony. Joe gets Time Manipulation... but he's the only member of the team who can't take advantage of it. Joe is able to utilize his Blessing from Aphrodite to realize that Parian has a crush on Survey... but five minutes previous he was a clueless as ever about Sabah. I think Joe's Passenger is getting bored waiting for the S9 and is starting to screw with him.

Jordisk · Sep 15, 2023

___ said:
No, for all her faults, Parian isn't that much of a Paedo(Flechette was a Ward). I think it's more like she got friendzoned by "Delphine Mertens" and then got cockblocked by Tetra(what's a female/lesbian word for cockblocked?)
Edit:
What would Taylor's reaction if she found out that Tetra(Joe's teammate) upstaged Emma?

Clam-jammed. Men get cock-blocked, women get clam-jammed.

Celtic Spartan · Sep 15, 2023

the lingo is clam? well makes about as much sense as chicken I guess?

Raigel · Sep 15, 2023

LordRoustabout said:
Well, not for Emma Barens

Barnes

LordRoustabout said:
Master Stranger protocals

protocols

LordRoustabout said:
"Go for it." Asisha encouraged. "You'll do great."

Aisha

Also i don't understand if the group knows about the butcher and what it's doing. It seems strange if they don't....

Slentoru · Sep 15, 2023

Spidey_phd said:
Honestly, I'm confused about the need for a DEAD parahuman in order to further investigate Shard connections. What is so special about a clone's brain? Wouldn't it have been easier to paralyze Oni Lee and pop his skull open?

They don't need dead themselves, just confirmation that whatever made them can clone paras with powers. March and Butcher are gunning for Echidna as source of endless connections to shards.

w4terghost · Sep 15, 2023

Hmmm....
Is it just me, or was some of the Butcher's behaviours.... odd?

Like, I wonder if Candilay is the one riding shotgun, so to speak.

ImBuda · Sep 15, 2023

Slentoru said:
They don't need dead themselves, just confirmation that whatever made them can clone paras with powers. March and Butcher are gunning for Echidna as source of endless connections to shards.

That seems something usefull but there is a limit of how much power a corona can Connect at the same time to a single host, which is the reason why butcher loose some of the power he had after each death. In order to use the full power of a shard you need to be a titán or have so many connections to shards that you are like a small entity.

Slentoru · Sep 15, 2023

ImBuda said:
have so many connections to shards that you are like a small entity.

That seems to be the plan, yes.

Lillibilli · Sep 15, 2023

LordRoustabout said:
Rally, all that mattered was that under the surface, the Celestial Forg were even less human than they appeared.

Forge

LordRoustabout said:
"Great." I replied. I never thought. Well, at least we were getting plenty of scans of their powers in action.

???

LordRoustabout said:
She didn't immediately share any information, but when informed that they were calling from the Regency Center event to endure Emma Barns was on her way there was a telling reaction.

ensure

LordRoustabout said:
"Go for it." Asisha encouraged.

Aisha

Aineko · Sep 15, 2023

w4terghost said:
Hmmm....
Is it just me, or was some of the Butcher's behaviours.... odd?

Like, I wonder if Candilay is the one riding shotgun, so to speak.

Yes, obviously there's a problem there.

And it seems pretty likely the Butcher didn't intend that 'show of power' at all, just...didn't explain to her minion that she was losing control.

Tsotate · Sep 15, 2023

Spidey_phd said:
Victor and Uber have both been confirmed to be investigating FMA transmutation. Seems likely that their respective Shards are facilitating research, perhaps far beyond normal human levels. Eldritch analysis and data-processing brain tumors for the win! (Or until performance of unholy rituals eats your brain and other internal organs. Either/Or.)

It will be fun when not just Victor and Uber, but the two of them and their respective shards find themselves facing Truth.

Andorxor · Sep 15, 2023

I do not like the deathstar smell of the preamble

Emagstar · Sep 15, 2023

Martian_Tech said:
I don't really like the… pacing isn't the right word… I'm not sure how to describe but it feels like Lord is making way too many plot threads or different ideas and not developing any of them. It might just be an effect of how rapidly events are occurring in story but it feels like if someone few out a time line there would be a exponential growth curve in events over time.

I kinda felt the same. How much real time has passed over the last 30 chapters or so? A few days?

And yet Uber and Leet are almost done with their new piece of supertech to disrupt Apeiron. Did they get a bunch of Jumpchain perks as well, while we weren't looking? How are they able to work so fast? 'March did it' doesn't hold water; in Leet's interlude, we saw she was badly impaired, focussing on brainwashing Uber.

Maybe it's because I didn't find them particularly compelling the first time, but I'm not all that excited to have March and Co. be the main antagonists once again. I feel like recurring villains should have some emotional connection to the MC; what's March, Uber, Leet or Bakuda's connection? That they're butthurt about losing?

HandleWithCare · Sep 15, 2023

Wow, between Ubers Ikea-Clustering and Leet's Gamefication Matrix their little group may actually give Apeiron pause!...for a minute or so. Two tops if Taylor stubs a toe.

And I totally called Tetra being a model 😂
She will take over...I mean, connect to the world one charity at a time!

Jyrel · Sep 15, 2023

Aineko said:
Yes, obviously there's a problem there.

And it seems pretty likely the Butcher didn't intend that 'show of power' at all, just...didn't explain to her minion that she was losing control

Probably right. Given that the narrative pays attention to the differences in Butcher's behavior and the fact that Aperion's offer seems like the type of thing that EVERYONE in the Butcher Collective, Good or Ill, would operate against Quarrel to take.

I mean, when it comes to trusting bullshit powers - are you going to run with the butthurt group who got their asses kicked and handled by a single parahuman, or are you going to go to the guy who practically solo'd said butthurt group?

Skiman456 · Sep 15, 2023

Martian_Tech said:
I don't really like the… pacing isn't the right word… I'm not sure how to describe but it feels like Lord is making way too many plot threads or different ideas and not developing any of them. It might just be an effect of how rapidly events are occurring in story but it feels like if someone few out a time line there would be a exponential growth curve in events over time.

I think it's just coming off as weird in a cerealized story. Lord is a fan of Chekhovs firing line, as noted in the ungodly hour, he spends a long time winding up for each big event, showing how it impacts every set of characters, and that takes time.

But when the order to fire is given…

Well, He chose the name Aperion for a reason.

Boundless chaos.

Nimeroni · Sep 15, 2023

bludvein said:
Not sure how I feel about massively overcomplicating the S9 situation. I get that he wants to make an example of them and crush their efforts trivially as part of that, but he could've achieved the goal so much easier with some common sense.

This have been discussed to death before.

Joe's goal isn't to annihilate the S9. Well, it is, but Joe also need looking justified in the eyes of the world while annihilating them, because he want to keep the false precog and limit panic. That means that no, Joe can't "trivially crush them", he need to wait for them to come near him so that he look like he's murdering them in response to their invasion of Brockton's Bay.

And to be fair to Joe, the S9 are playing with their food despite direct orders from Jack. Apparently using insane mass murderers have its disadvantage.

SiegfriedisOP said:
Damn fortune energy showing it anime roots by keeping the main protagonist dense.

I'm afraid Joe was denser than a Black Hole well before rolling fortune energy. I mean, he got direct intervention from the Love Goddess, and he still took a while to recognize Parian really have the hot for Survey.

Tiz Goldeneye said:
Joe is going to need to roll Truth soon just as a matter of practically.

Stop hoping for Truth. 800 CP rolls were already near impossible to roll before the roll rule change. With the rule change, I doubt we'll see 800 CP perk before 2 IRL years or something.

Memo_1999 · Sep 15, 2023

Lord i really like plots and characters interaction because its painfully obvious at this point that joe can curbstomp everybody at this point

Nimeroni · Sep 15, 2023

ImperatorV said:
I have to say, I do love March's master plan here. LordRoust has elegantly devised a way for the Uber&Leet/March/Bakuda group to potentially become not complete pushovers, which relies entirely on canon parahuman mechanics. If it wasn't for the fact that Joe is eventually going to outscale the shards themselves, March might even have had a sliver of a chance.

March is getting blind-sided by an Outside Context Problem, just like before. But yeah, she's really good at what she does.

Pippi said:
So Uber is going to try and fix March. Which since she's stuck in her shard involves getting into shard space and apparently FMA medical alchemy. That sure sounds like trying to return someone's soul to their body from where it's chilling in the after life. Not exactly a lower target lol.

He's going to get a nice visit from Truth for a little chat about using souls. Again, March is getting blind-sided by an Outside Context Problem.

(I swear Truth will have a field day in Earth Bet)

ACON said:
Bruh...Taylor this Taylor that and then the potential Drama with Parian in the future, compounded with all the other current plot threads running parralel....There is only one solution, Leviathan come here and end it all please. Free us with humungous amounts of violence and epic battles to the death.

The Endbringer battle is still a bit far away, even if there is a bit of wiggle room. In canon, Levi attacked the 15 May 2011, and we are... errr... the 26th of April ? So yeah, no Kaiju battle before at least 2 weeks. Brockton's bay will have plenty of time to boil over.

Inbetweenaction · Sep 15, 2023

LordRoustabout said:
"Are you alright with this?" I checked with Fleet. He was in his civilian guise waiting backstage after helping with the last of the setup.

"It's fine." He said as he caused the drone to react with sudden shock to a wave of emotional influence from Cherish. It had been a brief burst of her power, just enough to unsettle the person they thought they were talking with. Fleet had the drone put on a show of calming himself down before apologizing for his outburst to the two villains, both of who continued to smile in their own amusement. "I still have a dozen scripts I didn't get to use from the last drone. We're not going to run into any problems here."

The last drone meaning the fake traveling salesman that had been torn in half by the Siberian before Fleet got to use any of the hundreds of pages of backstory he had prepared with Survey.

"Well, is there any way you could hurry this up?" I asked.

LordRoustabout said:
The Slaughterhouse Nine still had only just stolen the damn truck, but Cherish and Shatterbird were still tormenting the replica droid that had been driving it.

That moment when you realize you have accidentally become the DM for the country's most infamous party of murderhobos...

and start reusing the plotpoints of the plot npc they murdered for the random merchant with a wagon of cabbages whos horse they were supposed to steal to get the party moving again and not starve...

just your average DnD session at this point even if your players are just slightly more sadistical than average

LordRoustabout said:
I had held off from actual divine vengeance.

your greek family is disappointed in you. They do approve of your petty vengeance though, but would have preferred more turning people into random animals to have sex with

Subrosian_Smithy · Sep 15, 2023

w4terghost said:
Hmmm....
Is it just me, or was some of the Butcher's behaviours.... odd?

Like, I wonder if Candilay is the one riding shotgun, so to speak.

"So, Butcher, we're going to use March's intel to make you the baddest bitch on the block, right?"

"Butcher. Yes. That is definitely the name of the parahumans who are waiting for the perfect moment to take control of this cluster."

___ · Sep 15, 2023

KSn5Ynoh said:
Should probably be "could barely be part of".

I believe "Leering at" would make more sense.

I think "back and forth to" got auto-corrected.

Looks like Butcher's trying to hide how much power the hero's voices have gained recently. I assume no one else in the Teeth know about that recent development?

He had an artificial heart during the meeting, which was probably noticeable to Butcher's cardiovascular sense.
EDIT: She was probably just referencing how he didn't have a natural heart, as a few lines later she mentions how the Celestial Forge aren't as human as they appear.

Yep I knew that, I was wondering if his heart was posing or was they just marvelling at the craftsmanship

Dr. Professor said:
Clam Jammed.

The S9 pursuit really is starting to drag a bit, I think. Surely with all the presentation enhancements and super-culture knowledge Joe has, he can manage a slightly-more-preemptive strike that doesn't completely freak everyone out? He's planning to take the Forge more public after the S9 are gone anyway, might as well start with a bang?

That's the point if it's to preemptively it will freak everyone out

Inbetweenaction said:
That moment when you realize you have accidentally become the DM for the country's most infamous party of murderhobos...

and start reusing the plotpoints of the plot npc they murdered for the random merchant with a wagon of cabbages whos horse they were supposed to steal to get the party moving again and not starve...

just your average DnD session at this point even if your players are just slightly more statistical than average

your greek family is disappointed in you. They do approve of your petty vengeance though, but would have preferred more turning people into random animals to have sex with

Interesting indeed. Imagine everybody thinking he's shocked when he gave Survey full access to the super spy drones.

Kentcas · Sep 15, 2023

I can't wait for Leet to gain some balls and ditch the psychos he's stuck with at a pivotal moment in March's plan. The irony would be delicious. March also doesn't know that Butcher is compromised yet. Another thing to blow up in her face.

LordRoustabout said:
I took a moment to check on Gully's location. She had specifically made herself scares at the time of Tecton's arrival and it seemed like he was actively scanning the crowd.

Scares should be "scarce"

Nimeroni · Sep 15, 2023

Spidey_phd said:
Also, irony. Joe gets Time Manipulation... but he's the only member of the team who can't take advantage of it. Joe is able to utilize his Blessing from Aphrodite to realize that Parian has a crush on Survey... but five minutes previous he was a clueless as ever about Sabah. I think Joe's Passenger is getting bored waiting for the S9 and is starting to screw with him.

His passenger have constantly screwed with him. It's very frequent for Joe to solve a problem, and then roll a power that would have trivially solve said problem.

(According to Lord, those moments are entirely random, but I prefer to think of Joe's powers as the biggest troll ever)

Celtic Spartan said:
the lingo is clam? well makes about as much sense as chicken I guess?

It's for the rhyme.

Emagstar said:
And yet Uber and Leet are almost done with their new piece of supertech to disrupt Apeiron. Did they get a bunch of Jumpchain perks as well, while we weren't looking? How are they able to work so fast? 'March did it' doesn't hold water; in Leet's interlude, we saw she was badly impaired, focussing on brainwashing Uber.

Multiple reasons :

First, you underestimate how long they Leet have been working on it. It's been at least one week, probably a bit more. They were already working on it before the Summit, since March wanted to use it there to kill everyone in one fell swoop (Leet said no). And keep in mind Leet is sleeping very little (in part as a ploy for March to keep him under control), and he's focused on his project, which means he's putting a lot of hours per day into his baby.

Second, Leet is massively burning his tech tree for his magnum opus.

Third, Leet got scans from Sleepers.

Fourth, capes going against Apeiron get a boost from their shards (the Sechen range). Basically their shards want data, so they release their limiters as much as possible. It's even more important for Leet, because for once he is working with his shard rather than against it (for most of his cape career, Leet shard was trying to kill him because he was too conservative).

And fith, Leet is getting inspiration from Bakuda, for the same reason Bakuda got inspiration from Leet when she was building her own dead man switch (it was mentionned by Lord that inspiration from Leet is why Bakuda's dead man switch in BCF is stronger than the one in Worm). Granted this is probably the weakest explanation, because Bakuda's is laser focused on recovery, so she is not helping Leet directly.

Andorxor · Sep 15, 2023

His greek relatives were more into turning themselves into animals for sex and turning others after the sex

Brockton's Celestial Forge (Worm/Jumpchain)

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