i think Poptart already ruled this was the case when we started asking about how FPSSJ fights happen at FTL speeds and how we could take advantage of this.
We could recommend he have his minions learn multiform? A few extra hours a day is a dream for a strained schedule - we'd know!
i think Poptart already ruled this was the case when we started asking about how FPSSJ fights happen at FTL speeds and how we could take advantage of this.
can he even take time off to learn the technique? it seems like his last vacation was his training trip to King Kai, a few hundred millions year ago or so.
Really, he needs to train a substitute, learn to delegate a little!
can he even take time off to learn the technique? it seems like his last vacation was his training trip to King Kai, a few hundred millions year ago or so.
Really, he needs to train a substitute, learn to delegate a little!
We could recommend he have his minions learn multiform? A few extra hours a day is a dream for a strained schedule - we'd know!
i think Poptart already ruled this was the case when we started asking about how FPSSJ fights happen at FTL speeds and how we could take advantage of this.
I can't find anything about that, but if so, that removes my all my issues except "can we please stop calling it FTL." I propose Hyperspeed (HS), but I'm open to other options.
Given that the Exiles seem to be responsible for nearly every scrap of real work and engineering prowess that goes into Garenhuld's technological base and industrial infrastructure, we probably don't need any specific individual to be our Bulma, we can just offer contracts and a team pulls together and gets the work done in the background.
Could be. I was thinking about how Jaffur's style has his ki compression trick as a prerequisite, and so it might be considered an involved technique. Being directly applied to (effective) power level makes sense though.
@PoptartProdigy , COULD a person learn the "Jaffur Style" of fighting, without learning ki compression? Is ki compression a prerequisite for the other signature techniques we saw him use?
Tabe's...i'm actually a bit confused right now at how to define it. It allows to "empty the tank" faster without raising the detectable power level, which actually sounds a bit strange to me. With Jaffur's trick, you're using the same amount of energy in the end. With Tabe i would expect it to be felt as higher, like the Kaioken. I do understand it's basically trading endurance for a burst of power, but i would expect it to be sensed as a higher power level.
I think it's supposed to be a 'voltage versus amperage' thing, with there being a difference between:
1) Using your body's energy at an extremely high 'pressure' that makes it very effective at creating overt physical effects, thus increasing speed/durability/blast power/strength by increasing one's power level, and...
2) Putting out twice as much energy at a constant power level (note that Dazarel did this with that "huge barrage of 900 million-level blasts" attack too)
Power level increases seem to fall under (1). Jaffur's technique lets you do this by force of will; Kaio-Ken lets you do this by dangerously overclocking the body and putting yourself under exaggerated physical stress.
Tabe's Overdrive technique seems to fall under (2), and beings with exotic physical natures (like dragons) may be able to do it too.
[X] Decline, thank Yemma for his time, and make ready to leave. You'll return if you fulfill one of the first two conditions -- or alternatively, if you later feel like taking a crack at Hell.
-[X] Ask Yemma if you could make a short visit to Gohan now, even if only for a matter of minutes. Not to stay.
-[X] If so, do so. You... would very much like to see Jii-chan again.
-[X] If not, or if the price would be too high, jump to old friends.
[X][ASK] Dazarel, have you ever heard of a pair of spacefaring warriors who go by the names Lapis and Lazuli?
'I'm guessing your prisoners mentioned them? Yes, I've heard vague rumors. Enough to pick another target. They seem powerful.'
[X][ASK] Lord Yemma, could I use ki telepathy to contact my ancestors in the afterlife?
"You're not that good, kid. Also no. The barrier blocks it."
[X][ASK] Lord Yemma, does King Kai's planet count as part of the space protected by the barrier?
"It's in the Other World.'
[X][ASK] Lord Yemma, how can I contact Whis and Lord Beerus?
"Lots of folks want to talk to them, and they're real busy. What makes you special?"
[X][ASK] Lord Yemma, has anyone else mastered the Spirit Saiyan form? If not, would that be enough to make me, on balance, not a security risk?
"I would've let you in to begin with if that were enough, although I'll give it to you, kid: that was impressive. But no, nobody has."
[X][ASK] What benefits, if any, does capsule tech actually provide beyond easy transportation? Is it mostly just a big deal for maintaining Earth relics and Bulma's importance to the Exiles?
I mean, the transportation benefits are not inconsiderable, considering the paradigm-shifting impact that would have on the economy of scale of every single bulk industry in creation. That said, capsules specifically are just a storage technology. It's the principles behind them that are potentially society-shattering.
Old Friends
After a long moment of thought, you sigh, deflating. "No," you mutter. "You're right. I shouldn't risk it. Not yet, anyway."
"Sorry, kid," he says, grimacing.
"It's okay," you say. Then you scowl, glancing at Dazarel. "Get off of there, I didn't say you were allowed." You yank him off of your shoulders, holding him by the neck.
Yemma sighs. "Much as I'd like to keep that monster here to toss him downstairs, I can't. He's still alive." He slumps. "And, so are you. I'm sorry, but I need you to go now."
"Wait," you say, raising your head. "King Yemma, I understand that I can't stay, but...can I at least make one more visit? Just to see my Grandp- Grandfather, Gohan? I...I'd like to see him again. Even just for a few minutes."
And King Yemma's eyes...
...shift to the side for a moment. "...well..." he says, not meeting your gaze.
"What?" you ask.
"Well, I was going to surprise you both with this, but..." He makes a twisting motion with his fingers.
You flinch as suddenly, a titanic pounding rips through the air from the door behind Yemma's desk. "YEMMA-SAMA, LET ME THROUGH THIS DOOR RIGHT! NOW!"
"He's been asking for you," says Yemma as your ears ring from Gohan's shouting. "Have at 'im, kiddo."
The door opens, and your Grandpa is there, wrapping his arms around you, before you can blink. Dazarel makes a choked and panicked noise, cringing in your grip. Your breath catches and you return the embrace, stunned at the sensation of physical contact. "H- how-?"
"This is the Other World," he says, squeezing a little harder. "We're all spirits, here."
Your breath catches a bit, and you just revel in the contact for a moment. Kais know you're about to be terribly short of that.
"I- I saw me," you say. "In a vision. When I was out. I saw me, but all grown up, and- and she was miserable, you could see it, I don't know what happened. But she was Queen, and when I asked she just snapped and transformed and said that I just didn't want to get it the way she did, and everything about her was..."
At some point, you started crying.
Grandpa smooths down your hair. "So that's how you knew to bail out."
"I'm scared," you whisper. "I know that this can work because she said it could, but that means she went through with it, and that means that in some way it leads to her. She helped me and she was trying to do what was best for me, but I'm so scared that maybe I'm just going to turn into her because this is what makes that happen."
"That's not going to happen," he tells you. "You know better, now."
"But I don't, she didn't say," you reply, burying your face in his chest. "She didn't tell me how to avoid it. She just told me that I'd find another way."
"Then you will," he says. "You wouldn't lie to yourself. Not for something that important. If she was telling you to avoid it, she meant what she said. When the time comes, you'll know how to get away from that."
"But how do you know?" you ask.
"Because I know you," he replies, rubbing circles on your back. "You're a perfectionist, Kakara. You'll do whatever you need to, to get things right. If she was confident that you would know -- you'll know." He leans away from you for a moment, looking you over. "You don't look bad," he says. "Just see-through."
"I'm so weak," you complain, looking down at yourself. "I don't know how she expected me to do this."
"There are ways," he says. "Shades happen, sometimes. People have figured out ways to anchor them to things. You'd need to lock yourself down to a host."
You rear back. "You want me to possess people?"
"To live in somebody," he says. "I don't even know if you can possess somebody. But without it, you're just a shade. At least a body gives you camouflage. I'm pretty sure it'd even be automatic, once you landed in somebody."
You wince, looking down. "And I'm going to need it. I...he's out there."
"But he doesn't know that you are," says Gohan, pulling you in for another hug. "That's your advantage. Use this. Gather information. Learn new things. Go back home once you're finished out here and get your own back. I know you, and you succeed even when everybody is sure that you'll fail. You can do this."
"...I'm scared," you whisper.
He holds you for a long moment, before replying. "...I know. I was, too, before the worst fights in my life. We're all scared, at least a little bit. Even Dad was scared; he just loved it, too. But we don't let it rule us. When we need to, we pick ourselves up and push in. You will succeed, Kakara. I know you will. It's just a matter of not giving up. You'll find the other side of this."
"But what about everybody at home?" you ask.
"They'll manage," he replies. "You've given them as good of a chance as you could. Now you need to focus on getting stronger, better, and coming home to save them all. This is your time, Kakara. And you will see it through. There are people out there who can help."
You feel a familiar tug and sigh, burrowing into his arms. "I'm about to leave."
He holds you more tightly, but you already feel the sense of pressure receding. "I know," he admits. "I'm losing my grip on what lets me keep you here. Stay safe, Kakara. You're going to do great things." He releases you and steps back. Then his eyes shift down to Dazarel. "And, dragon." His eyes narrow. "You will be one of the people who helps her. If you don't, I will know, and no power in the universe will be enough to keep you safe from me."
A feeling of unimaginable power hits your senses as something shifts in Gohan's stance. Unconsciously, you straighten your back and lift your chin.
Dazarel cringes, but bows his head as best as he can around your fist. 'As you command, Most Divine,' he says, avoiding eye contact.
Then Grandpa looks at you again and smiles. "I'll see you the next time you pass this way," he says.
You smile back. "See you."
And then your hold on this place snaps, and a wall of divine will forces you back and out.
* * *
As you streak through the spaces between the real, Dazarel shifts in your grasp. 'Please let me perch somewhere. This is incredibly uncomfortable.'
You lift him up, considering. "...maybe. First tell me what all that business about, 'Most Divine,' was."
'Please let me perch first,' he says. 'You're holding me by my neck.'
You scoff. "You speak with telepathy. But fine. Since you asked."
You loosen your grip and let him twist around to scamper up your arm to your shoulders. He settles in, braced against the acceleration. 'You realize that your ancestor is a god, yes? No half-measures, nothing so prosaic as a mere mortal with access to divine ki -- he's a god, in truth.'
"Not really," you say, as the fuzziness around you gives way to proper existence. "We don't have a great theory of divinity on Garenhuld. I mean, I buy it, what with that thing he was doing while we were leaving, but I don't know what it means."
'It means that there's more to his power than mere ki,' he snorts. 'More than magic, more even than my psychic abilities. Something unique to gods.'
"So what you you talking about with all that, 'Most Divine,' stuff?" you ask.
He sighs. 'If I respect something, it is strength.' He sticks forward his head and fixes you with a beady eye. 'And what could be more threatening to a dragon than the God of Heroes?'
Before you can respond to that, the galaxy looms suddenly ahead of you, you streak past dozens of stars before nearing one and rushing towards a planet ringed by ships, flickers of ki-borne light popping out at you. You single your focus on a single figure, a person flying impossibly directly through the void of space as your speed comes to a peak-
* * *
Dazarel lifts off from your shoulder with an offended shriek as you land inside your inadvertent target's mind. 'A SLUG?! YOU LANDED US IN ONE OF THE SLUG PEOPLE?!'
You look around at your surroundings in bewilderment. Blue fields stretch as far as the eye can see, studded with rocks much like the ones Jaffur's Seal has accustomed you to seeing. But unlike the endless flatlands of the Seal, this is a full world. You can see curvature on the horizon, although far less than you'd expect from Garenhuld, and green seas in the distance-
You eyes widen. "Blue fields, green seas..." You look up into the sky, and your eyes widen. "...a namekian..."
Against the atmosphere above, you witness one of Piccolo's people with an airtight helmet on his head, whirling through a storm of ki blasts launched from great ships orbiting a distant world as he drives ever-closer to the surface. Nothing stops him; nothing comes close. He isn't picking any direct fights, but he's still blazing through the fleet to reach that world. It's incredible to see.
'I can't believe you, Ape Princess,' hisses Dazarel. 'Not enough to lock me in this puny form, not enough to rip out my soul and drag me to the Afterlife and back, but now you drop me in one of the slugs?! What were you thinking? Where the hell were you trying to land us?'
"Old friends -- oh hey, I'm not all echoey anymore, nice -- old friends!" you snap, not taking your eyes off of the sky as the namekian in whose head you sit whirls aside from a shot from a massive warship before reducing the offending turret to slag. "New Namek has always been a friend to my people. This is the best place in the galaxy we could have landed. He'll help us. I know he'll help us.'
"He's a slaver and an aberration, they all are,' says Dazarel, coming in to land on your shoulder.
You do a double-take. "What- are you talking about Porunga?"
'No, I'm talking about the other domesticated dragon they have going- YES I'M TALKING ABOUT PORUNGA, YOU IDIOT GIRL!'
You wince, shoving him off of your shoulder. "Oh, shut up. You of all people have no room to complain."
In the sky, you see the namekian momentarily get pinned down as a suited alien emerges from a ship to engage him. The two close to hand-to-hand and begin struggling with each other.
Dazarel lands on the ground in front of you, looking up. 'I can complain when you've put me in the mind of somebody who thinks that the best use for me is to split me into seven pieces, lock each piece into a ball, and only let me out when they want their chores done-!"
"WILL YOU TWO SHUT UP?!"
The two of you go silent at the sudden voice. You look at Dazarel. "Was that...?"
"I WAS WILLING TO IGNORE YOU FOR THE MOMENT, BUT I'M BUSY FIGHTING SOMEBODY RIGHT NOW, AND I DON'T NEED THE DISTRACTION. WE'LL TALK ABOUT WHO YOU ARE AND WHY YOU'RE IN MY HEAD IN A MOMENT, BUT UNTIL THEN, UNLESS YOU WANT TO GET BLOWN UP WITH ME, BE QUIET AND LET ME FOCUS!"
...you nod, wide-eyed. "Yes, sir. Sorry!"
'Fine,' grumbles Dazarel, settling into a squat. The two of you look into the sky, and watch the fight.
The namekian dodges back from his opponent's strike and starts rushing for the planet, taking advantage of the lack of fire from the ships as they shift their aim to avoid hitting their fighter. The namekian's opponent keeps pace, though, taking your host off-course with blasts shot directly in his line of travel.
A hunch strikes you, and you call, "On the left!"
Your host, apparently, elects to trust you, and he dives as a beam cuts through the space only recently occupied by his head. "THANKS," his voice booms. He turns to engage a second fighter who managed to sneak up on him, firing a blast to ward them off before again turning towards the planet.
That said, this time they're much more able to keep him off-course. With two of them to coordinate fire, they rapidly close the distance, and before long have him bracketed between them. He comes to a halt, trying to keep both of them in his line of sight. He touches a switch mounted on his wrist and speaks into a microphone in his helmet. "You don't want this fight," he says. "I'm just one guy with a backpack. What am I gonna do? The siege is going to go on whether or not you insist on risking your lives to stop me. Why not let me through and just save yourselves the trouble?" The aliens don't respond, and the namekian sighs. "Fine. You asked for it. HAH!"
His aura blasts out, buffeting the two, and before the waves recede, he snaps out a hand, firing a blast at one. It punches a hole in the alien's space suit, and they drop away, frantically trying to patch it.
Then your host dashes in close and begins hammering at the other warrior's defenses. The two clash for a moment before separating. As his opponent winds up a blast, the namekian thrusts forward a clawed hand, fingers bent oddly. "Accelerate!"
Magic rushes across your senses, and the other alien rockets backwards, smashing a bank of solar panels on a nearby ship. Immediately, the namekian rockets off towards the planet, leaving his challengers in the dust. The ships open back up, and he begins weaving through them, eyes fixed on the approaching atmosphere. The ships seem to be having trouble hitting him, and sure enough, he manages to get close. Once he gets within a certain distance, you see that he's heading for a station in low orbit which you'd missed before, crafted in the shape of a saucer. As he rockets past, the saucer projects a shield behind him, once echoed by countless other stations across the planet's lower orbit. In a heartbeat, the planet is sealed off, and the namekian pounds through the atmosphere. Air turns to plasma, and in the last five hundred meters he bleeds off several hundred meters per second of speed before turning and landing with a deafening impact.
As he straightens, you see several figures running towards him, and your blood runs cold. "Frost demons..."
"Arcosians," echoes his voice, now far easier on your ears. "Calling them frost demons is a big part of the problem here. Hold on a second." He steps forward and speaks aloud, raising his hand. "Polaris! I'm back!"
A frost de- arcosian with a white-on-green color scheme approaches, grinning. "Bassoon!" he says, spreading his arms. "Good to have you back! We've missed you. What news from the galaxy?"
"Everything's going wrong," says the namekian -- Bassoon, apparently. "Same as usual. Here, I brought the stuff." He swings his backpack off of his shoulders and turns it over, emptying it onto the ground. "Today I have: a priceless fortune in Earth-vintage tech!" He chuckles, and your eyes widen at the massive pile of capsules on the ground. "Just kidding. It's the stuff inside, like usual." He pulls out a remote and clicks it, and all of the capsules open. Immediately, you see a massive pile of...books, actually, for the most part. Books and electronics. A few crates that look like sweets. Bassoon twists his fingers and murmurs, "Return," and all of the capsules fly out of the pile and into his bag, packing it full to the brim. "The galaxy's latest, plus treats. Best I could get."
"Thank you," says Polaris, giving Bassoon a smile. "You have no idea how much this'll help." The arcosian turns to the others and waves towards the pile. "Come on, start packaging this up! The man's come a long way to bring us these!"
As the other arcosians get to work, Polaris turns back to Bassoon. "We've got your usual place set up and ready for you. I'm sure High Command'll want to talk to you in a little while, but if you want a break they won't bug you."
Bassoon smiles. "I think I'll stop there. Feeling a little worn out today."
Polaris nods. "I'll send a runner tomorrow, then. Thanks, Bassoon."
Bassoon nods and takes off, flying in -- presumably -- the direction of the house they've prepared for him. "Alright," he says. "Now that that's settled...who are you two, and what are you doing in my head?"
"Where is this?" you ask.
He snorts. "This is Arcosa. Freeza's birthplace, and the planet under siege for years for the crimes of warlords who've never set foot here. And you need to answer me before I tell you anything more. Who are you -- and why are you so sure that we're going to be friends?"
The Siege of Arcosa
How do you answer him?
[ ] Completely. Describe to him in complete detail who you and Dazarel are, how you both came to be here, and what your plans are.
[ ] Incompletely. Let him know that you're a saiyan, and broadly that you're rootless and looking for a way home, but conceal your nobility and the precise nature of your exile. Similarly, don't share too freely who and what Dazarel is and does.
[ ] Cagily. You're a saiyan. He's a dragon. You weren't aiming for Bassoon's head in particular. You don't want to share anything else.
[ ] Write-in. There are so many possible permutations here that it would be pointless to list them all.
APPROVAL VOTING. MANUAL MORATORIUM.
Bassoon making initial approach [ki control v sensors dc]: 102 v 120. He gets into the middle of the fleet before being spotted
Bassoon makes a break for it [flight v targeting]: 89 v 50. Unscathed, but they launch two fighters before he can get clear
Bassoon avoids first fighter [flight v ki projection]: 72 v 32. pass
Sneak attack [armor dc v ki sense]; 80 v 52, fail
Combat precog interrupt? [DC 70, roll Sight]: 73, pass, Bassoon auto-passes dodge roll thanks to shouted warning
Talk 'em down [Communication v Communication]: 46 v 82, fail
Hold 'em off [crowd fighting v team fighting]: 112 v 74, one down with a suit leak
Finish the fight [magic v flight]: 92 v 81, other's outta here
Final approach [flight v targeting]: 64 v 50. unscathed and he's too far for another intercept
stage cleared
And for our first landing: old friends, featuring the namekian adventurer, Bassoon! Give the man a hand, everybody!
We now enter the main play of this form of the quest: bouncing into random people's heads across the galaxy, occasionally getting dumped into extremely exciting scenarios. I hope this intrigues you all; I've been waiting to show this part of the setting for a while, and if there's an upside to the recent series of events, it's that I get to this several in-game years in advance of when I'd expected. Strap in and enjoy yourselves, everybody! Hope you had fun.
A frost de- arcosian with a white-on-green color scheme approaches, grinning. "Bassoon!" he says, spreading his arms. "Good to have you back! We've missed you. What news from the galaxy!"
I'm feeling something like this:
[ ] Incompletely. Let him know that you're a saiyan, and broadly that you're rootless and looking for a way home, but conceal your nobility and the precise nature of your exile. Similarly, don't share too freely who and what Dazarel is and does.
- [ ] Inform him explicitly that your explanation is incomplete. You'll be happy to tell him more as you get to know him.
Well, the other possibility would just be a naming coincidence, since the list of "possible Namekian names that stay in-theme" is presumably much shorter than the full list of "Namekians who there are in the galaxy."
I'm feeling something like this:
[ ] Incompletely. Let him know that you're a saiyan, and broadly that you're rootless and looking for a way home, but conceal your nobility and the precise nature of your exile. Similarly, don't share too freely who and what Dazarel is and does.
- [ ] Inform him explicitly that your explanation is incomplete. You'll be happy to tell him more as you get to know him.
[ ] Completely. Describe to him in complete detail who you and Dazarel are, how you both came to be here, and what your plans are.
- [] only exception, keep to yourself the location of Garenhuld. At least for now. It's not like it would be of any use of him and mind reading IS a thing.
I mean, his first impression is VERY good. An heroic namekian adventurer helping the innocents against what would be understable prejudices. I'm inclined to go for max honesty and forthrightness, with the bare minimum of precautions in case of mind reading.
[ ] Completely. Describe to him in complete detail who you and Dazarel are, how you both came to be here, and what your plans are.
- [] only exception, keep to yourself the location of Garenhuld. At least for now. It's not like it would be of any use of him and mind reading IS a thing.
I mean, his first impression is VERY good. An heroic namekian adventurer helping the innocents against what would be understable prejudices. I'm inclined to go for max honesty and forthrightness, with the bare minimum of precautions in case of mind reading.
I'm a bit hesitant to give any information at all about where we're from - even if we don't share Garenhuld's location, knowledge of its existence could prompt the Enemy or other threats to start looking for it, whereas for now we can hope that nobody knows it's even out there. Since we have reason to believe there's at least one other Saiyan population in the galaxy, I think our best bet would be to avoid giving away that we're not one of them for as long as possible. Even if Bassoon has only our best interests at heart, which I wouldn't rely on after evidence this limited (though admittedly promising), there's a non-zero chance that he's a poor enough liar to accidentally give away something important. Also, as you mentioned, mind-reading is a real risk.
Also, we should definitely be careful about letting anyone know who Dazarel is - unless he never left any survivors or let any messages get out, the locations he's hit will quite possibly be known, in which case Garenhuld's position could be guessed to lie within a given range of the latest one.
