[X] Attend the Meeting
[X] Selfless
Get new card, talk smack!
Get Lu Bu Card, and the homies won't pursue you.
[X] Selfless
Get new card, talk smack!
Get Lu Bu Card, and the homies won't pursue you.
- Location
- 1
How? neither of our godcards grant sensory abilities. 'we can hunt down' assumes Godcards are easy to find, when Zane didn't even know they existed until he got stared in the face by two magic-using Zuchezzis and then investigated their belongings one at a time. And I imagine people with Olympus-granted Godcards would have much higher Compatability than Zane or brick, though the high power of Spike compensates somewhat. Not to mention that this is the Second release of Godcards, so we'd better hope whoever you pick out is still on Godcard power level 2 and not power level 15; even someone with low compatibility would probably overpower us by that point, despite Spikes high potential.
Again, you're assuming getting a new Godcard is easy. I see no evidence for this assertion.
Olivebirdy
mook.
Chasing rumors. Ask around for miracles/rumors involving flowers or growth. Then we'd need to figure out if we are strong enough to take the source, or try to find a more fitting card to trade, but we're a pretty good three-man-team by now.
- Location
- a place
OOCly, we literally told that Zane would have the potential a card holder later on even without taking the Zuchezzi's, so I don't have know how much of a logical leap it is that could still happen in a narratively satisfying time frame. I don't think it'll be easy, but people don't always read quests to see characters effortless bulldoze through problems towards new heights of power.
Chapter 15 - Black Knights Triumphant
Birdsie
Sharp Talons Cleave The Worthy
- Location
- Poland
Black Knights Triumphant
As promised, the full moon came and went, and on the next day, both Spike and Brick awakened with new powers to test. It was clear that increased compatibility brought forth awesome boons, as Zane now found himself being pushed back, fighting an adamant wall of resolve.
"Fuck," he swore.
Shen watched from the sidelines with a smirk on his lips, drinking tea. Brick, in the meantime, was horrified and amazed at the same time.
"Fuck," Zane swore again, barely intercepting a blow so powerful it seemed to ignore flesh to strike at the very bone, ringing and shuddering, almost fracturing his radius or ulna. He winced, even as he intercepted another blow with his open palm and threw it aside, footwork constantly aflutter in a desperate attempt to keep distance from his opponent. All in vain, for his enemy would advance perfectly to match his own dance; making up for lack of skill with simple, overwhelming attributes; speed and strength that outpaced even the greatest normal human.
At the same time, as Spike launched attack after attack, he didn't even seem to be getting winded or tired. He was advancing with brutal nonchalance, if slightly surprised at how effortlessly he was beating Zane, without even trying to. Maybe the worst part was the form he'd taken on to fight - which is to say, precisely none. There was no grace or finesse to his blows; barely any pretense of footwork or stance. Whenever Zane attempted to launch a strike of his own, Spike would react in a microsecond, adjusting his own body and letting the blow miss by a millimeter, before launching an offensive counter. All of those counters had the potential to shatter Zane's nose, if his friend didn't hold back to lightly tap him instead.
"Fuck-fuck, enough, I yield," Zane finally admitted, raising both hands into the air. "I can't beat you. I can't think of a way to beat you. And I can see you aren't even trying. It's pointless. I might as well be fighting a hurricane."
"I can't believe it," Brick said, stupefied.
"Incredible," Shen commented, putting down his cup. He was speaking in plain, thickly-accented English, for the benefit of Zane's friends. "I believed these Cards to be vain talismans, but it seems they are the legitimate thing. Can I see yours once more?"
Brick wordlessly handed over his Godcard to Shen, whose thumb brushed against the surface of the card. After observing it from every angle, touching every surface, he handed it back, slightly disappointed it hadn't worked.
"We figured it out," Zane told him, taking a drink of water. "In order to bond, you need to be compatible. So basically, we'll have to find you, like, a martial arts and cooking Godcard. Or a business-related one, since that seems to be all you're focused on at this stage of your life."
Shen sighed. "I suppose. Although I'd already told you I'm not interested. I don't see the purpose."
"If the stunt we pulled to scare him off wasn't a message of sufficiently-worded strength, You-Know-Who might be on the lookout for us," Zane said, attempting to be persuasive. "And that could mean you'll be in danger. And your employees, your restaurant-"
"Yes. All of my employees, my restaurant, and my life - a sum of items which you put on a wager when you challenged a local criminal leader to a contest of primacy, like a thoughtless ape," Shen commented dryly, speaking parts of his condemnation in their native Chinese for pure emphasis, causing both Spike and Brick to wince behind his back, looking at Zane sympathetically. "All to do what, pray tell? You'd told me, yourself, that you had no interest in superheroics. I don't see the purpose in fighting the man over a scrap of supernatural paper."
"I do," Spike cut in, arms folded. All looked at him. "I feel like for the first time in my life, I've done something that isn't shitty."
There was a moment of silence, at that. It was the simplest argument, one that couldn't be easily refuted.
"He isn't wrong." Brick raised up his phone, for all to read. "Our effort has been noticed, too."
"We're on the front page."
"Yeah, right under the weather and Donald Trump sections," Zane commented dryly.
Ignoring their reading of the news, Uncle Shen walked across the dojo in order to grab a pair of wooden training swords - bokutō - and tossed one of them over to Spike, who caught it effortlessly, almost without looking. He blinked in surprise at Shen, who raised his own blade and nodded invitingly.
"Let's talk about the meeting," Spike said, as he moved forward to spar with Zane's uncle.
As their swords bashed against each other, attacks, parries, counter-attacks, dodges, and harsh, loud footwork - Spike continued to speak, "I think it'd benefit us to establish a few basic facts. Our enemies, and friends."
"Right. It's a diplomatic thing," Brick muttered.
"Well, uh, You-Know-Who probably hates us," Zane remarked, arms folded as he observed the duel between Spike and Shen. It was surprising, but Shen was managing to keep up with Spike, barely. It was clear he'd run out of stamina rather soon, but for now, he was managing to ward off the boy, and nearly got in a few hits. Both of them were defensive, almost uncharacteristically so, clashing only when they were in good striking range. "As do the Zuchezzis, who work for the McNessas. That's, like, two major Brooklyn gangs that want our asses on a platter."
"We'll need allies," Spike decided. "Someone who can protect us from them."
"I kicked You-Know-Who in the face specifically because I wanted to avoid getting tied down to any major organization," Zane said.
"And that was a mistake. There was already a gang out for us." He dodged a strike, then closed the distance, brushing his sword's tip against Shen's throat. The old man spread his arms, yielding. As both of them stepped back away to go for a second round, Spike said, "I think your uncle's right. It was kind of stupid."
Zane looked at him, hysterically amused. "What, am I supposed to hand over free power-ups to a fucking gang boss?"
"Yes, dumbass." Zane frowned at him. "It'd have saved your life."
"It wouldn't have," Zane said, starting to feel put on the spot. Like back during his gang initiation into the Demons, for whom he never really held any particular allegiance. "If I wanted protection, I'd have needed to work for him. If I traded away my Godcards, I'd be opening myself up to the Zuchezzis' many avenues of chopping off my fingers. I don't think they'd be satisfied simply reclaiming their possessions from You-Know-Who. Or are you forgetting they're after me because I saved your dumb ass, too? Because you decided to run fists-forward at a pair of wizards and then faceplanted and gargled your own spit?"
"And now we have to escalate because you kicked a fucking demon in the face." Spike's subsequent blow to Shen's wooden sword was so powerful it disarmed the old man.
"Stop assigning blame to each other," Brick cut in.
"Yes. It's foolish," Shen said, going across the room. "There is nothing to be done now. Indeed, you have to escalate. If you attempt to make peace, only blood can fall. So embody the state we live in, and grow in power, and rise, until you can't be challenged. And then, from your position of superiority, make yourself unassailable."
"Easy for you to say," Zane muttered.
"Easy for you to say," Shen corrected, mimicking his tone a little, but gruffer. He raised his sword, got into a stance. "I am not the sorcerer, of us four. I am merely an old man."
"Whatever. I suppose we'll see, once we actually get there. How much longer until the meeting?"
"Four hours," Brick said. "We can get there in thirty minutes, probably, with Spike's van. It ought to be a remote location, so we should be safe to park in an alleyway nearby and sneak our way down there."
At the appointed time, after Spike got in some extensive sword practice and more experience in hand-to-hand combat fighting against Shen and Zane simultaneously - acting together, they were sort of a match for him - all of the boys waved goodbye to Shen, went into Spike's van, and changed into their costumes as they drove for the meeting place. Because of Manhattan traffic, they were at their location significantly later than thirty minutes, but still sufficiently early so as to not be 'late.' After parking in the middle of an alleyway a few blocks away, they all got out and walked the midnight streets.
And then, they arrived at the location that Mr. Wisteria had named, a small reclusive bar in the middle of a large block, between South and Central Harlem, only a scant half-kilometer away from Central Park (which is to say, almost no distance at all, by the standards of New York.)
Only a few streets away, at a major intersection, the traffic seemed to be thick, almost locked in a jam; cars moving slowly forward with shining headlights, the distant noise of their engines, and occasional honks providing a noisy background. The street they were on, however, was empty and dark - almost supernaturally so. Half of the streetlamps seemed to be inoperational, and the ones that worked didn't shine as brightly as their cousins further away. There were no pedestrians walking on foot, barely any cars even passing by, and none of them close to their location.
It was all suspicious enough that all three of them were almost certain there was some kind of magic placed on the location to keep the unwanted away. So certain that none of them remarked upon it, knowing the others knew as well.
And the bar itself was innocuous to their eyes. It declared itself, in bold and proud, capital pink-and-blue neon letters, to be, 'The Bar With No Name.'
As they approached the front door, a bouncer raised a hand to stop them, and it was the first sign that something was actually off about this place - the bouncer wasn't a man, but rather, a woman dressed scantily in pelts of fox and deer fur, all of them arranged to tastefully, temptingly reveal her thighs, belly-button, sideboobs, and other attractive places. There was a wreath of ivy around the top of her head; her face was covered in dark paint, like black upside-down triangles, with the points touching to the edges of her smiling lips, and her sparkling sapphire-blue eyes in the middle of the triangles. In her right hand, there was a stick wrapped in vine leaves and topped with a pine cone, and in her left hand, a perfectly ordinary dark brown bottle of Budweiser, which she seemed to have almost emptied.
"Hello," she said with an odd accent that Zane couldn't place. Her voice was a little slurred. "Can I see your Cards, big guys? My, big, big, indeed..." She meowed at them.
At once, Brick and Spike raised theirs, while Zane simply folded his arms.
"And yours, gorrrgeous?" the woman asked Zane, burping a little. She giggled coyly. "Sorry. I'm a little tipsy."
"Yeah, I can tell," Zane dryly said.
"He doesn't have a Card, but he's one of us," Spike told her, the dark knight's helmet causing his voice to reverberate unnaturally. The woman shuddered and chuckled at its deep timbre, making an 'ooh' sound. "In fact, these Cards were originally his property. We share them."
"Sorry, guys. No Card, no entry, so I guess you have to leave one man behind with me," she said, shrugging her freckled shoulder and taking a sip of beer. "So ordereth the Boss. And I canneth sayeth no'eth to the Boss, yeah?"
All of the three looked at each other.
"Can't you go inside and ask him?" Brick asked.
"Hmm. I dunno, can I?" She tapped a finger against her lips, noticed it was stained with alcohol, and gently pressed it in, sucking on her finger for a moment. As she pulled it out, she asked, "And what do I get out of it?"
How unsubtle.
"I'm fine staying," Brick said, reaching into his pocket in order to hand over his Card. "I don't have a head for politics anyway. And you two are by far the most important on the team."
"Hold on," Spike said, looking at Zane. "What do you think?"
---
Currently, you have 18.9 Ambrosia.
As of the Full Moon, your allies have developed the following powers:
Brick (Compatibility: 61%)
Spike (Compatibility: 100%)
There's a strong argument to be made here for not going in yourself to petition the Boss - if only two of three Black Knights enter the meeting, requiring permission for the third person to follow in due to a lack of a Godcard, it could be seen as a form of insult or weakness.
[ ] Divine Intervention [7 Ambrosia] - Another Godcard wielder well-disposed towards you, almost late, arrives at that moment - one with enough authority to order the bouncer to allow the Black Knights in despite being a single Card short.
[ ] Bribe Her - She appears to be the kind of person that's susceptible to bribery. It shouldn't be too much trouble to go down the street to a convenience store that remains open and buy her a six-pack. It does mean, however, that you'll be at least a minute late - which can risk either being seen as an insult against the others or make for a particularly strong, fashionably-late entrance. (QM Note: If you roll above 90 on your bribery check, it's possible to sway her to your side without buying her anything, and therefore letting you arrive perfectly on time.) It's your choice.
[ ] Stay Behind - Zane valiantly sacrifices himself and waits outside for the others, keeping company to the odd woman, staying a good distance away in case she decides to get touchy. It means that Spike and Brick are going to have to abbreviate what happened afterward, unless, of course, they can manage to convince whoever 'the Boss' is to let Zane in as well. However, that risks being perceived as weak and vulnerable.
[ ] Brick Stays Behind - Instead, Brick will hand over Boreads to Zane temporarily, so Zane can go indoors to promote the cause.
[ ] Force Your Way In [+3 Ambrosia, +7 Ambrosia for Spike] - "And what, exactly, can you do to stop us?"
If you want strength, show that you have it. There is no pretense of strength if strength is yours in truth. Simply force your way in, and if she fights you, then fight back. Freely activates Brawler of Midwood for this particular action, for your entire team. If you are successful, unlocks Special Perk: New York's Demon-Slayers
As promised, the full moon came and went, and on the next day, both Spike and Brick awakened with new powers to test. It was clear that increased compatibility brought forth awesome boons, as Zane now found himself being pushed back, fighting an adamant wall of resolve.
"Fuck," he swore.
Shen watched from the sidelines with a smirk on his lips, drinking tea. Brick, in the meantime, was horrified and amazed at the same time.
"Fuck," Zane swore again, barely intercepting a blow so powerful it seemed to ignore flesh to strike at the very bone, ringing and shuddering, almost fracturing his radius or ulna. He winced, even as he intercepted another blow with his open palm and threw it aside, footwork constantly aflutter in a desperate attempt to keep distance from his opponent. All in vain, for his enemy would advance perfectly to match his own dance; making up for lack of skill with simple, overwhelming attributes; speed and strength that outpaced even the greatest normal human.
At the same time, as Spike launched attack after attack, he didn't even seem to be getting winded or tired. He was advancing with brutal nonchalance, if slightly surprised at how effortlessly he was beating Zane, without even trying to. Maybe the worst part was the form he'd taken on to fight - which is to say, precisely none. There was no grace or finesse to his blows; barely any pretense of footwork or stance. Whenever Zane attempted to launch a strike of his own, Spike would react in a microsecond, adjusting his own body and letting the blow miss by a millimeter, before launching an offensive counter. All of those counters had the potential to shatter Zane's nose, if his friend didn't hold back to lightly tap him instead.
"Fuck-fuck, enough, I yield," Zane finally admitted, raising both hands into the air. "I can't beat you. I can't think of a way to beat you. And I can see you aren't even trying. It's pointless. I might as well be fighting a hurricane."
"I can't believe it," Brick said, stupefied.
"Incredible," Shen commented, putting down his cup. He was speaking in plain, thickly-accented English, for the benefit of Zane's friends. "I believed these Cards to be vain talismans, but it seems they are the legitimate thing. Can I see yours once more?"
Brick wordlessly handed over his Godcard to Shen, whose thumb brushed against the surface of the card. After observing it from every angle, touching every surface, he handed it back, slightly disappointed it hadn't worked.
"We figured it out," Zane told him, taking a drink of water. "In order to bond, you need to be compatible. So basically, we'll have to find you, like, a martial arts and cooking Godcard. Or a business-related one, since that seems to be all you're focused on at this stage of your life."
Shen sighed. "I suppose. Although I'd already told you I'm not interested. I don't see the purpose."
"If the stunt we pulled to scare him off wasn't a message of sufficiently-worded strength, You-Know-Who might be on the lookout for us," Zane said, attempting to be persuasive. "And that could mean you'll be in danger. And your employees, your restaurant-"
"Yes. All of my employees, my restaurant, and my life - a sum of items which you put on a wager when you challenged a local criminal leader to a contest of primacy, like a thoughtless ape," Shen commented dryly, speaking parts of his condemnation in their native Chinese for pure emphasis, causing both Spike and Brick to wince behind his back, looking at Zane sympathetically. "All to do what, pray tell? You'd told me, yourself, that you had no interest in superheroics. I don't see the purpose in fighting the man over a scrap of supernatural paper."
"I do," Spike cut in, arms folded. All looked at him. "I feel like for the first time in my life, I've done something that isn't shitty."
There was a moment of silence, at that. It was the simplest argument, one that couldn't be easily refuted.
"He isn't wrong." Brick raised up his phone, for all to read. "Our effort has been noticed, too."
United World News: Long Winter
Recent and unexplained atmospheric fluctuations seem to be abruptly cooling the Earth. According to renowned meteorologist, Dr. Steve Lyons, debris, dust, and volcanic ash casting us in shadow might lead to a longer, colder winter than anything we've experienced in the last three-hundred years. But skeptics claim...
The Wall Street Journal: Understanding the Trump Trade Agenda
Returning to the 1950s is impossible. But currency manipulation does hurt American workers.
The New York Times: New York's Demon-Slayers
A raid last night, conducted after three alleged vigilantes called the authorities to a warehouse in the docks, revealed a massive amount of narcotics and activity by a criminal organization called, "the Demons," operating in the area. The event has resulted in the arrest of forty-three suspects. Local news outlets have taken to calling the vigilantes the "Black Knights" as well as, "the Demon-Slayers."
Weigh In, New York: Black Knights Uncover Black Truths
A reported trio of masked vigilantes with superpowers launched a raid on a gang warehouse in the docks last night. Deputy Chief Andrew Miller who investigated the scene himself in the aftermath claims the warehouse was used for smuggling in possibly as much as half of New York's cocaine and heroin and expressed gratitude for the intervention of the masked men. No one was hurt in the attack, but around forty suspects were arrested. Currently, the police are offering a reward to any eyewitnesses who can identify the...
"We're on the front page."
"Yeah, right under the weather and Donald Trump sections," Zane commented dryly.
Ignoring their reading of the news, Uncle Shen walked across the dojo in order to grab a pair of wooden training swords - bokutō - and tossed one of them over to Spike, who caught it effortlessly, almost without looking. He blinked in surprise at Shen, who raised his own blade and nodded invitingly.
"Let's talk about the meeting," Spike said, as he moved forward to spar with Zane's uncle.
As their swords bashed against each other, attacks, parries, counter-attacks, dodges, and harsh, loud footwork - Spike continued to speak, "I think it'd benefit us to establish a few basic facts. Our enemies, and friends."
"Right. It's a diplomatic thing," Brick muttered.
"Well, uh, You-Know-Who probably hates us," Zane remarked, arms folded as he observed the duel between Spike and Shen. It was surprising, but Shen was managing to keep up with Spike, barely. It was clear he'd run out of stamina rather soon, but for now, he was managing to ward off the boy, and nearly got in a few hits. Both of them were defensive, almost uncharacteristically so, clashing only when they were in good striking range. "As do the Zuchezzis, who work for the McNessas. That's, like, two major Brooklyn gangs that want our asses on a platter."
"We'll need allies," Spike decided. "Someone who can protect us from them."
"I kicked You-Know-Who in the face specifically because I wanted to avoid getting tied down to any major organization," Zane said.
"And that was a mistake. There was already a gang out for us." He dodged a strike, then closed the distance, brushing his sword's tip against Shen's throat. The old man spread his arms, yielding. As both of them stepped back away to go for a second round, Spike said, "I think your uncle's right. It was kind of stupid."
Zane looked at him, hysterically amused. "What, am I supposed to hand over free power-ups to a fucking gang boss?"
"Yes, dumbass." Zane frowned at him. "It'd have saved your life."
"It wouldn't have," Zane said, starting to feel put on the spot. Like back during his gang initiation into the Demons, for whom he never really held any particular allegiance. "If I wanted protection, I'd have needed to work for him. If I traded away my Godcards, I'd be opening myself up to the Zuchezzis' many avenues of chopping off my fingers. I don't think they'd be satisfied simply reclaiming their possessions from You-Know-Who. Or are you forgetting they're after me because I saved your dumb ass, too? Because you decided to run fists-forward at a pair of wizards and then faceplanted and gargled your own spit?"
"And now we have to escalate because you kicked a fucking demon in the face." Spike's subsequent blow to Shen's wooden sword was so powerful it disarmed the old man.
"Stop assigning blame to each other," Brick cut in.
"Yes. It's foolish," Shen said, going across the room. "There is nothing to be done now. Indeed, you have to escalate. If you attempt to make peace, only blood can fall. So embody the state we live in, and grow in power, and rise, until you can't be challenged. And then, from your position of superiority, make yourself unassailable."
"Easy for you to say," Zane muttered.
"Easy for you to say," Shen corrected, mimicking his tone a little, but gruffer. He raised his sword, got into a stance. "I am not the sorcerer, of us four. I am merely an old man."
"Whatever. I suppose we'll see, once we actually get there. How much longer until the meeting?"
"Four hours," Brick said. "We can get there in thirty minutes, probably, with Spike's van. It ought to be a remote location, so we should be safe to park in an alleyway nearby and sneak our way down there."
At the appointed time, after Spike got in some extensive sword practice and more experience in hand-to-hand combat fighting against Shen and Zane simultaneously - acting together, they were sort of a match for him - all of the boys waved goodbye to Shen, went into Spike's van, and changed into their costumes as they drove for the meeting place. Because of Manhattan traffic, they were at their location significantly later than thirty minutes, but still sufficiently early so as to not be 'late.' After parking in the middle of an alleyway a few blocks away, they all got out and walked the midnight streets.
And then, they arrived at the location that Mr. Wisteria had named, a small reclusive bar in the middle of a large block, between South and Central Harlem, only a scant half-kilometer away from Central Park (which is to say, almost no distance at all, by the standards of New York.)
Only a few streets away, at a major intersection, the traffic seemed to be thick, almost locked in a jam; cars moving slowly forward with shining headlights, the distant noise of their engines, and occasional honks providing a noisy background. The street they were on, however, was empty and dark - almost supernaturally so. Half of the streetlamps seemed to be inoperational, and the ones that worked didn't shine as brightly as their cousins further away. There were no pedestrians walking on foot, barely any cars even passing by, and none of them close to their location.
It was all suspicious enough that all three of them were almost certain there was some kind of magic placed on the location to keep the unwanted away. So certain that none of them remarked upon it, knowing the others knew as well.
And the bar itself was innocuous to their eyes. It declared itself, in bold and proud, capital pink-and-blue neon letters, to be, 'The Bar With No Name.'
As they approached the front door, a bouncer raised a hand to stop them, and it was the first sign that something was actually off about this place - the bouncer wasn't a man, but rather, a woman dressed scantily in pelts of fox and deer fur, all of them arranged to tastefully, temptingly reveal her thighs, belly-button, sideboobs, and other attractive places. There was a wreath of ivy around the top of her head; her face was covered in dark paint, like black upside-down triangles, with the points touching to the edges of her smiling lips, and her sparkling sapphire-blue eyes in the middle of the triangles. In her right hand, there was a stick wrapped in vine leaves and topped with a pine cone, and in her left hand, a perfectly ordinary dark brown bottle of Budweiser, which she seemed to have almost emptied.
"Hello," she said with an odd accent that Zane couldn't place. Her voice was a little slurred. "Can I see your Cards, big guys? My, big, big, indeed..." She meowed at them.
At once, Brick and Spike raised theirs, while Zane simply folded his arms.
"And yours, gorrrgeous?" the woman asked Zane, burping a little. She giggled coyly. "Sorry. I'm a little tipsy."
"Yeah, I can tell," Zane dryly said.
"He doesn't have a Card, but he's one of us," Spike told her, the dark knight's helmet causing his voice to reverberate unnaturally. The woman shuddered and chuckled at its deep timbre, making an 'ooh' sound. "In fact, these Cards were originally his property. We share them."
"Sorry, guys. No Card, no entry, so I guess you have to leave one man behind with me," she said, shrugging her freckled shoulder and taking a sip of beer. "So ordereth the Boss. And I canneth sayeth no'eth to the Boss, yeah?"
All of the three looked at each other.
"Can't you go inside and ask him?" Brick asked.
"Hmm. I dunno, can I?" She tapped a finger against her lips, noticed it was stained with alcohol, and gently pressed it in, sucking on her finger for a moment. As she pulled it out, she asked, "And what do I get out of it?"
How unsubtle.
"I'm fine staying," Brick said, reaching into his pocket in order to hand over his Card. "I don't have a head for politics anyway. And you two are by far the most important on the team."
"Hold on," Spike said, looking at Zane. "What do you think?"
---
Currently, you have 18.9 Ambrosia.
As of the Full Moon, your allies have developed the following powers:
Brick (Compatibility: 61%)
Acquired: Wind Push (Active) - A forceful and instantaneous blow of air, sufficient to push back a few people and make them stagger. Has a cooldown of three seconds, can be charged-up for up to three seconds for more power and range, but quadratically longer cooldown.
Improved: Run Like Wind -> (lv2) - A small improvement to running speed, coordination, and agility. Current peak: 75kph.
Improved: Run Like Wind -> (lv3) - A small improvement, as above. Also boosts reflexes and maneuverability during motion greatly, allowing for almost-hairpin turns without stopping. Current peak: 85kph.
Improved: Run Like Wind -> (lv2) - A small improvement to running speed, coordination, and agility. Current peak: 75kph.
Improved: Run Like Wind -> (lv3) - A small improvement, as above. Also boosts reflexes and maneuverability during motion greatly, allowing for almost-hairpin turns without stopping. Current peak: 85kph.
Spike (Compatibility: 100%)
Improved: Arms of Terror -> (lv3) - Can now wield three Armaments at the same time.
Improved: Arms of Terror -> (lv4) - Can now wield all Armaments at the same time.
Acquired: War-God's Blessing - All of the Cardbearer's physical statistics (& reflexes) are now peak-human at baseline and during combat, can be pushed slightly past that, replacing 'stamina' with 'mental conviction' for the purposes of exhaustion.
Improved: Arms of Terror -> (lv5) Specialty: Shield of the Indomitable Bull - If raised high, the Shield hypnotically entrances the bearer's foes, compelling them to stare at its bull visage and terrifying them past its usual depth, causing lesser mortals to faint immediately. Doesn't work on Cardbearers, even ones prone to fainting.
Improved: Arms of Terror -> (lv6) Specialty: Sword of the Immortal Onslaught - A strange power from outside of this locality - it shouldn't be accessible through this Card. For as long as the Sword of Terror is drawn from its sheath, the bearer can walk as the Immortal Onslaught. If they choose to do so, then, despite remaining alive, they are conceptually treated as 'undead' and unbothered by most wounds, pain, or blood loss. Alters psychology slightly to bolster the bearer's conviction. This effect immediately ends once the Sword is sheathed.
Improved: Arms of Terror -> (lv4) - Can now wield all Armaments at the same time.
Acquired: War-God's Blessing - All of the Cardbearer's physical statistics (& reflexes) are now peak-human at baseline and during combat, can be pushed slightly past that, replacing 'stamina' with 'mental conviction' for the purposes of exhaustion.
Improved: Arms of Terror -> (lv5) Specialty: Shield of the Indomitable Bull - If raised high, the Shield hypnotically entrances the bearer's foes, compelling them to stare at its bull visage and terrifying them past its usual depth, causing lesser mortals to faint immediately. Doesn't work on Cardbearers, even ones prone to fainting.
Improved: Arms of Terror -> (lv6) Specialty: Sword of the Immortal Onslaught - A strange power from outside of this locality - it shouldn't be accessible through this Card. For as long as the Sword of Terror is drawn from its sheath, the bearer can walk as the Immortal Onslaught. If they choose to do so, then, despite remaining alive, they are conceptually treated as 'undead' and unbothered by most wounds, pain, or blood loss. Alters psychology slightly to bolster the bearer's conviction. This effect immediately ends once the Sword is sheathed.
There's a strong argument to be made here for not going in yourself to petition the Boss - if only two of three Black Knights enter the meeting, requiring permission for the third person to follow in due to a lack of a Godcard, it could be seen as a form of insult or weakness.
[ ] Divine Intervention [7 Ambrosia] - Another Godcard wielder well-disposed towards you, almost late, arrives at that moment - one with enough authority to order the bouncer to allow the Black Knights in despite being a single Card short.
[ ] Bribe Her - She appears to be the kind of person that's susceptible to bribery. It shouldn't be too much trouble to go down the street to a convenience store that remains open and buy her a six-pack. It does mean, however, that you'll be at least a minute late - which can risk either being seen as an insult against the others or make for a particularly strong, fashionably-late entrance. (QM Note: If you roll above 90 on your bribery check, it's possible to sway her to your side without buying her anything, and therefore letting you arrive perfectly on time.) It's your choice.
[ ] Stay Behind - Zane valiantly sacrifices himself and waits outside for the others, keeping company to the odd woman, staying a good distance away in case she decides to get touchy. It means that Spike and Brick are going to have to abbreviate what happened afterward, unless, of course, they can manage to convince whoever 'the Boss' is to let Zane in as well. However, that risks being perceived as weak and vulnerable.
[ ] Brick Stays Behind - Instead, Brick will hand over Boreads to Zane temporarily, so Zane can go indoors to promote the cause.
[ ] Force Your Way In [+3 Ambrosia, +7 Ambrosia for Spike] - "And what, exactly, can you do to stop us?"
If you want strength, show that you have it. There is no pretense of strength if strength is yours in truth. Simply force your way in, and if she fights you, then fight back. Freely activates Brawler of Midwood for this particular action, for your entire team. If you are successful, unlocks Special Perk: New York's Demon-Slayers
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Birdsie
Sharp Talons Cleave The Worthy
- Location
- Poland
Also, I said this on Discord, earlier:
I sincerely admit that I did not expect you to pick Selfless. As a minor reward for this, I'll give you a tip: if Zane remains Cardless (not the primary owner of any Godcard,) for the majority of the Quest, until a certain point in time, you will receive a certain, immense reward.
I sincerely admit that I did not expect you to pick Selfless. As a minor reward for this, I'll give you a tip: if Zane remains Cardless (not the primary owner of any Godcard,) for the majority of the Quest, until a certain point in time, you will receive a certain, immense reward.
Rolen von Keng
Sleeping Green Bear
- Location
- The Wilderness
MORTAL POWAH!!!
Well, I am at the moment contemplating our approach. Any ideas?
Well, I am at the moment contemplating our approach. Any ideas?
- Location
- some computer lab
[x] Stay Behind
getting the cliff notes version seems good, keeps us on track to get the mortal power reward, conserves ambrosia, and doesn't pick a fight with the person the god card holders have assigned as a bouncer.
getting the cliff notes version seems good, keeps us on track to get the mortal power reward, conserves ambrosia, and doesn't pick a fight with the person the god card holders have assigned as a bouncer.
Rolen von Keng
Sleeping Green Bear
- Location
- The Wilderness
[X] Force Your Way In [+3 Ambrosia, +7 Ambrosia for Spike] - "And what, exactly, can you do to stop us?"
Good point.
Good point.
- Location
- some computer lab
Guys we've had godcards for less than a month, I don't think we can beat the bouncer for the godcards club meeting
- Location
- 1
Of course, moons isn't the only factor, because there's compatibility(dionysus and drunkness suggests high, but I get the impression 100% is rare.). Spike has 1.90 moons of full compatibility and brick has 1 moon of full compatibility, if it scales linearly. She's probably our senior, but probably not first-rollout- only one first-rollout godcard is in the area and she has a boss; probably Her senior. So, on the whole, I'd say this seems like a difficult but plausible fight.
I also don't get the impression she'd kill us. do bouncers usually kill people? actually, I don't know... maybe?... but probably not(especially if she's the Dionysus Cardbearer), and we Do get ambrosia just for trying.
Strategy... Spike should open with a bolt just at the ground, inflicting Fear and distraction, then get to attacking with sword or shield as relevant... not much else comes to mind that doesn't sound obvious. Try to knock the staff away as an opener, I suppose- maybe via a charged Wind Push? it's probably useful for her powers.
Edit: implications have been made that she may not be a Cardbearer and fits some other description; if so, the above is invalid.
EDIT: she's a Maenad, as evidenced by her staff, dionysian nature, furs, and femaleness. Maenads are servants of Dionysus and violence and savagary is a part of their myths, so... maybe not so safe to fight! And we can't estimate her power by Moons, so she could be at basically any level of strength.
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OctarineShrike
Avatar of Mandos
[X] Divine Intervention [7 Ambrosia] - Another Godcard wielder well-disposed towards you, almost late, arrives at that moment - one with enough authority to order the bouncer to allow the Black Knights in despite being a single Card short.
- Location
- 1
These developments aside, Inktobers 28 through 31!
Silverversely, there's only one Prompt commanded by the Silverversan in this set, and so only one Silververse occurence of note (well, two if you count the Coruscant Diadem getting some runes in the closeups to look more like a diadem than a rainbow flashing circle in the silverversan's skull): Blue Entropy.
per discord:
"Blue Entropy is an outside paradigm in general.
It infected the Diamond shortly after the beginning of the Games in Gold, which were, back then, poorly suited to handling it.
After the most recent Silver patch update, Blue Entropy is now constrained to the form of particle-waves, but it still, annoyingly, exists."
So, Blue Entropy is a powerful Silverversan- in the sense that you can find it in the silververse, though it is ontologically external and so doesn't get the 200% silver cross-hatch(iirc) blur sublayer- thing, the current state of which has been called a 'patch'.
Now, as to what Blue Entropy is, for whoever doesn't already know...
"A single thin ray-beam of pure blue entropy will pierce through a defending knight's shield, penetrate through his chest and heart, go out his back, penetrate and kill the six men behind him, effortlessly rip through the magical barrier erected by a wizard and kill him, then continue flying out of the planet's atmosphere and into deep space, where it will go right through celestial god-barriers and pierce the "invulnerable" flesh of the King of the Iron Bloodline, then keep going until eventually it reaches the edge of the universe and keeps going through. It will keep going and going until finally it moves outside of reality, after which it keeps going and reaches some place unknown to man nor darkling."
Blue Entropy is Absolute. you get like, 95% of the utility from the first mote, honestly; there's enough control possible to scribble it through your target as though it was a much larger quantity of Blue Entropy. The Silverversan is not a beginner-level user of Vaal Mithea, they just get temporary access by the power of Inktoberand plot holes, so they don't control it perfectly, but it still effortlessly rips through DefJOE's head, eye, neck, heart, other heart(yes really), hand, and both knees. He doesn't try to block it (mostly because he knows that's impossible), but if he did, it'd go right on through. This is nonlethal because DefJOEs physical form is largely aesthetic and nonessential, and he healed it with the power of The Next Prompt.
I'll probably put all these together into a single mp3, probably add sound for it too, at some point. But, equally probably, it'll be slower than the actual Inktober, which had a quite exceedingly high amount of effort per day, especially started around Extinct.
Silverversely, there's only one Prompt commanded by the Silverversan in this set, and so only one Silververse occurence of note (well, two if you count the Coruscant Diadem getting some runes in the closeups to look more like a diadem than a rainbow flashing circle in the silverversan's skull): Blue Entropy.
per discord:
"Blue Entropy is an outside paradigm in general.
It infected the Diamond shortly after the beginning of the Games in Gold, which were, back then, poorly suited to handling it.
After the most recent Silver patch update, Blue Entropy is now constrained to the form of particle-waves, but it still, annoyingly, exists."
So, Blue Entropy is a powerful Silverversan- in the sense that you can find it in the silververse, though it is ontologically external and so doesn't get the 200% silver cross-hatch(iirc) blur sublayer- thing, the current state of which has been called a 'patch'.
Now, as to what Blue Entropy is, for whoever doesn't already know...
"A single thin ray-beam of pure blue entropy will pierce through a defending knight's shield, penetrate through his chest and heart, go out his back, penetrate and kill the six men behind him, effortlessly rip through the magical barrier erected by a wizard and kill him, then continue flying out of the planet's atmosphere and into deep space, where it will go right through celestial god-barriers and pierce the "invulnerable" flesh of the King of the Iron Bloodline, then keep going until eventually it reaches the edge of the universe and keeps going through. It will keep going and going until finally it moves outside of reality, after which it keeps going and reaches some place unknown to man nor darkling."
Blue Entropy is Absolute. you get like, 95% of the utility from the first mote, honestly; there's enough control possible to scribble it through your target as though it was a much larger quantity of Blue Entropy. The Silverversan is not a beginner-level user of Vaal Mithea, they just get temporary access by the power of Inktober
I'll probably put all these together into a single mp3, probably add sound for it too, at some point. But, equally probably, it'll be slower than the actual Inktober, which had a quite exceedingly high amount of effort per day, especially started around Extinct.
Aabcehmu
Confusion as a Natural State of Being
- Location
- Aurora, CO
- Pronouns
- Any/All
I'd note that Blue Entropy can destroy metaphysical and spiritual things just as well as it can ordinary matter, so Joe's physical body being irrelevant doesn't necessarily mean that he's beyond the reach of a BE attack. This could be plausibly explained as the Silverversan's access to BE being sufficiently limited that a comprehensive BE attack was impossible.These developments aside, Inktobers 28 through 31!
Silverversely, there's only one Prompt commanded by the Silverversan in this set, and so only one Silververse occurence of note (well, two if you count the Coruscant Diadem getting some runes in the closeups to look more like a diadem than a rainbow flashing circle in the silverversan's skull): Blue Entropy.
per discord:
"Blue Entropy is an outside paradigm in general.
It infected the Diamond shortly after the beginning of the Games in Gold, which were, back then, poorly suited to handling it.
After the most recent Silver patch update, Blue Entropy is now constrained to the form of particle-waves, but it still, annoyingly, exists."
So, Blue Entropy is a powerful Silverversan- in the sense that you can find it in the silververse, though it is ontologically external and so doesn't get the 200% silver cross-hatch(iirc) blur sublayer- thing, the current state of which has been called a 'patch'.
Now, as to what Blue Entropy is, for whoever doesn't already know...
"A single thin ray-beam of pure blue entropy will pierce through a defending knight's shield, penetrate through his chest and heart, go out his back, penetrate and kill the six men behind him, effortlessly rip through the magical barrier erected by a wizard and kill him, then continue flying out of the planet's atmosphere and into deep space, where it will go right through celestial god-barriers and pierce the "invulnerable" flesh of the King of the Iron Bloodline, then keep going until eventually it reaches the edge of the universe and keeps going through. It will keep going and going until finally it moves outside of reality, after which it keeps going and reaches some place unknown to man nor darkling."
Blue Entropy is Absolute. you get like, 95% of the utility from the first mote, honestly; there's enough control possible to scribble it through your target as though it was a much larger quantity of Blue Entropy. The Silverversan is not a beginner-level user of Vaal Mithea, they just get temporary access by the power of Inktoberand plot holes, so they don't control it perfectly, but it still effortlessly rips through DefJOE's head, eye, neck, heart, other heart(yes really), hand, and both knees. He doesn't try to block it (mostly because he knows that's impossible), but if he did, it'd go right on through. This is nonlethal because DefJOEs physical form is largely aesthetic and nonessential, and he healed it with the power of The Next Prompt.
I'll probably put all these together into a single mp3, probably add sound for it too, at some point. But, equally probably, it'll be slower than the actual Inktober, which had a quite exceedingly high amount of effort per day, especially started around Extinct.
Also, snakes don't have eyelids and thus cannot wink.
- Location
- 1
Oh, he definitely took damage, which is why he used Slither to heal. It just wasn't lethal or permanent damage, because the parts of him which got hit are interchangeable with what didn't, and because any parts of him which could take permanent damage are in an unknown location(or possibly no location) operating on metaphysics not fully understood by any of the parties involved.
Conceptual attacks which don't require locational knowledge at all are past the splintering limit, iirc, and even then the different metaphysics might mean there is no 'conceptual' DefJOE to target, requiring further investigation.
very true. However, in harry potter, snakes can wink, somehow. therefore, he simply turned into a
Or, equally plausibly, he remolded his own flesh to shrink the eyeball, simply for the aesthetic appearance of winking and blinking.
or, the actual explanation, which is, of course, that I didn't consider that.
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ThatGuyWithIdeas
Treize died for our sins
- Location
- Romania
[X] Divine Intervention [7 Ambrosia] - Another Godcard wielder well-disposed towards you, almost late, arrives at that moment - one with enough authority to order the bouncer to allow the Black Knights in despite being a single Card short.