Green Flame Rising (Exalted vs Dresden Files)

ence of its existence we've ever seen. We're burning an incredibly valuable opportunity in return for no gain while also risking exposing the Crown of Eyes to Mab.
What opportunity precisely?

We know his name, and we can work from there to a limited extent even independent of access to his physical possessions. We can also use the organizations he works with to harvest targets to pull information about him with a little effort. It's slower, but not impossible.

But that only matters if what he's doing matters, which you're actively arguing against.

As to it helping nemesis; I don't buy it. Mab isn't a meathead idiot and she knows what nemesis is. She is going to dig into this and do something about what she finds. I know you don't like winter, but let's not assume they're actually idiots. DF would be throughly screwed if they were.
Rodney isn't an active danger to anyone right now. He's not empowering Nazi sorcerers anymore, because they've already used up the useful knowledge he has
They're actively paying for his services, which means they're still deriving value from him. If they weren't he'd probably be dead already. We saw one operation he was involved in, but that isn't everything he's likely to be involved in.
Handing them over doesn't gain us anything. It just costs us potential assets and risks exposing the Crown to Mab,

As for Marcone, if we go after him, the best way is probably to empower the City government to arrest him and have him die resisting it.
Handing them over gets other eyes on resolving the problem, and favors to spend for our benefit later. It might even be enough to get Dresden off the hook for one of his remaining markers.

I also see an inherent contradiction in your statements here. How exactly is one investigation we manage ourselves more likely to expose how the crown works than nearly openly using it over an extended period of time through a large public group? That's a gold mine of data that will eventually reveal how the crown doesn't give a shit about wards amongst other things.

You're also side stepping every other concern I raised about this.

We do not have the reach to just take the city and fill Marcone's role right now. Starting something with him any time before we can actually do something about the situation puts us in the worst possible situation to actually win. It would also make the consequences worse for all the people caught in the crossfire.

All of which assumes we win, because Marcone isn't an idiot and Molly isn't untouchable to someone like him yet.

This is something that requires precision and patience.

Attacking anyone we dislike from day one with no concern for how the situation will change as a result is bad strategy; it's messy and prone to failure.

[X] [Marcone] Tell him about the spy in his organization (Gain favor with Marcone; the spy is likely executed)

[X] [Winter] Ask Harry if he knows any way to get the information about Lictor to Mab
 
Being fair, some of what we have probably covers information that isn't known unless you're in the thousand hells performing a cross between archeology and high energy particle physics. The parts related strictly to the deep and old secrets could still be novel, or different enough in perspective to be worth adding to a library.
However, Winter canonically accepts immigrants.
Talio Inverno was a demigod from the Finnish pantheon, for example. I have no difficulty believing that the setting superpower has an exhaustive database of

Especially since Enma's people got pimpslapped last time they attacked, and I presume a lot of survivors were willing to buy their lives with information.

This is, after all, the sanitized, mortal friendly information.
Not the stuff that will burn the sanity of mortals to read. The spirit-only stuff.
We might have information that Winter might be interested in, but I dont expect it to be in this book.
Does it actually matter what afterlife she's going to?
To the best of our knowledge, the only afterlife that has escapees, or uses its inmates as agents in the outside world?
Is Yomi Wan.
So it doesnt matter if they go to other afterlives; they dont come back from those.
As far as I know, this is completely unsupported by canon lore, and I want citations on this, or at least reasoning. Because no "it's a semi-divine being" doesn't give you a blank "it can sense everything" check. It makes no sense for it to be able to. It's not a spirit of radiation, born out of fear of nuclear annihilation. It's not a spirit of a nuclear plant, or an area polluted by nuclear blight. Hell, it's not even a vengeful ghost of a japanese citizen killed in nuclear fire, back from Yomi Wan to seek revenge on american devils.

It's a native american spirit. It makes no sense for it to be able to sense radiation.
It's a semidivine spirit thats millenia old. Its so old and powerful that it has intellectus.
It explicitly recognized soulfire in use, which is something we've only seen called out by Fallen and Mab. Bob recognized it when described, but doesnt recognize it in use.

I dont know why you think it would be unable to recognize a natural phenomenon found in everything from terrestrial uranium and thorium deposits to thunderstorms to bogstandard cosmic rays.
And one thats native to its home range at that.

I mean, Nevada was a big historical producer of uranium in the United States, and still has untapped desposits.
And its not the only southwest state that has such.
It's a speedster, but a low level one. Combat times are seconds to minutes. Chlorine gas (because that's the simplest one I can find information on), is fully lethal within minutes at 1000 ppm, meaning when one in a million particles of air is chlorine. By reacting with water (and it's still mostly composed of water), it turns into chloric acid. Make several pressure bottles of chlorine gas, and break them when fighting it. At atmospheric pressure (or, god forbid above), it would corrode everything very quickly.
Chlorine gas proved absolutely worthless in combat use in WW2 against people with bogstandard breathing masks.

This is a regenerating combat monster that as far as we know, doesnt need to breathe.
Furthermore, some of the animals whose forms it takes can hold their breaths for long periods of time; crocodiles, for example, can hold their breath for an hour.

The same holds true for other chemical WMDs. Nerve gases are designed to be breathed in, or absorbed through skin and mucous membranes, which is a problem when your shapeshifter can simply pop armored hide everywhere. Or a crocodiles optical setup thats washing its own eyeballs, the origin of the crocodile tears thing.

And all this assumes that the naagloshii is limited to real life creatures, instead of just prefering them.
In Proven Guilty, one of the fetches at Splattercon turned into the Xenomorph from the Aliens franchise, complete with acid blood.
Good luck poisoning that fucker.
That look like a strong indicator, but if so it's a very fragile system, in that it is always one life (or as with the Denarians one soul) away from dissolution.
Or it just appears that way.
Because presumably the Archive doesnt publicize its preservation and continuity of consciousness protocols.

There are Nemesis infectees all over the place.
This is, to the best of our knowledge IC and OOC, not true.
Nemesis appears to have limits on the number of people it can simultaneously infect.

However, I do agree that there appears to be no urgency about Rodney.
Certainly not enough for Molly to knowingly condemn a man to death for selling information to, as far as he knows, another criminal who is paying him.
 
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We might have information that Winter might be interested in, but I dont expect it to be in this book.
Perhaps, but I still think there's merit in value to individual members even if the corporate entity doesn't need it. Mab knowing something doesn't mean that all the high Sidhe get to read it on her blog or something and they can't just ask for it if it's not for court business.

I'm not sure it's a good idea, but it's likely a fairly profitable enterprise.


I'm skeptical of just how good their information is though. We know the stuff in the book is the sort of thing you can trade to demons because it's useful and secret even by their standards. Winter is good, but assuming they have Emma-O's colonoscopy or whatever on file because they won a border skirmish seems unwise.

Winter being stronger doesn't mean they've had the opportunity to do the equivalent of stealing all of the thousand hells' nuclear secrets. I wouldn't buy their penetration being that complete unless we learned they colonized the place.
To the best of our knowledge, the only afterlife that has escapees, or uses its inmates as agents in the outside world?
Is Yomi Wan.
So it doesnt matter if they go to other afterlives; they dont come back from those.
That was a rhetorical question. My point was that even if they go to a place you can come back from, or to a place where you can interact with entities that can reach the mortal world, their souls* are probably wrecked before they even get there.

They could go straight to Lanka's most popular radioactive crater night club the second they die and be useless for anything other than wringing out for soul juice.

* or at least their minds
 
Can someone explain essence levels to me? What can essence 1 do how much stronger is essence 2/3/4 and so on.
It controls how much max essanse we can store. We can only spend our essence level per turn which can be a real restriction as we get more charm especially given that we often want to use exalancys in combination with charms. It also controls how much essance we can use without flaring our anima banner.

Also many charms scale with essanse or require us to have a certain amount of essanse before we can get them.

Also essence 2 allowed us to start using our super form. Essanse 3 will allow us to pick one of our charms as a signature for it. Essanse 3 is also required for the Kingdom charm.
 
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VOTE
[X]Plan Old Bones
-[X][Marcone] Don't say anything, this Rodney guy is just a patsy and does not deserve to die
--[X][Marcone]Deploy cyberdevils to get into every level of this Rodney guy's life and watch him
--[X][Marcone]Put the patsy network on the cyberdevil watchlist as well
-[X][Winter] Ask Harry if he knows any way to get the information about Lictor to Mab
--[X]Craft Excellency + Tool Constructs + Boiling Sea Mastery + Without Honor + Willpower to reproduce image of Lictor: 2m, 1WP
--[X]Molly + Cyberdevils: Electronic database search for image matching Lictor
-[X]STUNT: Dresden opens the door for you, his face falling comically as he recognized the cheerful look on your face. "What now?Its a Saturday" he moans. In reply you raise a Starbucks and a bag from Burger King. "I brought coffee." Pushing both into his hands, you slip past him to exchange greetings with Mouse, and pay tribute to Mister. "Good news, I have a name and description of the man who was shooting at us...well, Gorfels, but us as well. Better news, I have pictures." And with that you drop a folder of pics on the table. Dresden pauses rummaging in the paper bag. "So whats the bad news?" "Lictor is a Redcap. And he's...warped."



MATH
Lictor facial reproduction:
Dex 4 + Craft (3 -1 out of specialty= 2) + Excellency 6 + Without Honor 2 + Stunt 2 + 1 temp WP = 16 dice + 1 automatic success
Boiling Sea Mastery -1DC
Roll at DC8


RATIONALE
Greed is not a capital crime.
And Rodney has done nothing worse than, as far as she knows, sell information of stolen artifacts. Its not even a crime under federal law, as far as I can tell; the relics were brought into the US before any regulations.

Maximum sentence os five years if they were native American.

Molly should not be turning in a criminal to get killed for having a gambling addiction and selling information to other criminals. Especially as someone who knows how addiction can ruin people's lives.
It seems OOC.

If she could report him without getting him killed or crippled, I think she'd do it.
But as things stand, that requires meeting Marcone personally, and we dont currently have the AP to spare.
So just have the cyberdevils watch him. And everyone in the network we identified.


===
Lictor, on the other hand, she knows is an attempted assassin and someone working for the neoNazi necromancers.
And given the site, he almost certainly prescouted that site to shoot at Dresden or his guests.
He also has to have had a hand in how Greene was sent to Dresdenls apartment when Gorfels was there.

He isnt someone the human justice system is set up to handle. So reporting him to Mab should get started on that problem.
And remove a hitman from the roster of the Thule Society

Also, he looked warped. And Fae dont change easily.
OOC, that suggest Nemesis, or some other power attempting to get a foothold in Winter.
We really dont want that.

We make a picture with Tool Constructs, make copies and pass it out to Dresden.
Dresden can ask around his contacts, from the wyldfae and Bob, to asking Murphy to run a check for the dude in police records.
And Molly and the cyberdevils can look for his face on the internet and internet connected databases.
 
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[X] [Marcone] Tell him about the spy in his organization (Gain favor with Marcone; the spy is likely executed)

[X] [Winter] Ask Harry if he knows any way to get the information about Lictor to Mab
 
[X] uju32

I'm not comfortable with Molly knowingly sending a man to his death for a gambling addiction and poor judgement.
^^^
Rodney whasisface may be a criminal, but he is not, as far as we know, a murderer.
We believe, to the best of our knowledge, that turning him in without any additional effort is essentially signing his death warrant, because Marcone wont just kick them out, they'll consider it a betrayal and execute him.

Its both ethically a horrible thing to do . And legally questionable.
And it would make Michael Carpenter, our PC's character disappointed in us.
Lets not have the 17 year old Catholic girl do that.

I mean, this is precisely why we didnt send Ace and the rest of Gorfel's mooks to Marcone, because poor life decisions should not be an automatic death sentence.
 
Current tally:
Adhoc vote count started by uju32 on Jan 30, 2023 at 9:00 PM, finished with 69 posts and 22 votes.

  • [X] [Marcone] Tell him about the spy in his organization (Gain favor with Marcone; the spy is likely executed)
    [X] [Winter] Ask Harry if he knows any way to get the information about Lictor to Mab
    [X]Plan Old Bones
    -[X][Marcone] Don't say anything, this Rodney guy is just a patsy and does not deserve to die
    --[X][Marcone]Deploy cyberdevils to get into every level of this Rodney guy's life and watch him
    --[X][Marcone]Put the patsy network on the cyberdevil watchlist as well
    -[X][Winter] Ask Harry if he knows any way to get the information about Lictor to Mab
    --[X]Craft Excellency + Tool Constructs + Boiling Sea Mastery + Without Honor + Willpower to reproduce image of Lictor: 2m, 1WP
    --[X]Molly + Cyberdevils: Electronic database search for image matching Lictor
    -[X]STUNT: Dresden opens the door for you, his face falling comically as he recognized the cheerful look on your face. "What now?Its a Saturday" he moans. In reply you raise a Starbucks and a bag from Burger King. "I brought coffee." Pushing both into his hands, you slip past him to exchange greetings with Mouse, and pay tribute to Mister. "Good news, I have a name and description of the man who was shooting at us...well, Gorfels, but us as well. Better news, I have pictures." And with that you drop a folder of pics on the table. Dresden pauses rummaging in the paper bag. "So whats the bad news?" "Lictor is a Redcap. And he's...warped."
    [X] [Marcone] Don't inform Marcone, but go to Rodney/others in the network and use him as a focus to find out which other holy relics he's aware of.
    [X] [Winter] Table the matter for now, but look into tracking down Dr Speer and using that as cover for your knowledge
    [X] [Marcone] Don't inform Marcone, but go to Rodney/others in the network and use him as a focus to find out which other holy relics he's aware of.
    -[X] Use Intimidation and other appropriate excellencies to flip Rodney into being our spy
    [X] [Winter] Ask Harry if he knows any way to get the information about Licor to Mab
 
And Rodney has done nothing worse than, as far as she knows, sell information of stolen artifacts. Its not even a crime under federal law, as far as I can tell; the relics were brought into the US before any regulations.
I map what he's doing to something more like smuggling unmarked boxes for a cartel. He doesn't know they're full of grenades, but he's still helping dangerous people get explosives.

Moral guilt isn't as much a factor as the fact that he still doing it.

But spying to assess how dangerous his side hustle is before killing him to stop it is more IC for Molly.

[X] uju32
 
I map what he's doing to something more like smuggling unmarked boxes for a cartel. He doesn't know they're full of grenades, but he's still helping dangerous people get explosives.
Moral guilt isn't as much a factor as the fact that he still doing it.

But spying to assess how dangerous his side hustle is before killing him to stop it is more IC for Molly.

[X] uju32
More like selling information about when its safe to steal ammonium nitrate fertilizer from company stores, without any idea his customers might be making ANFO.

Remember that as far as Molly is aware, dude doesnt know the supernatural exists, let alone have any idea what occult uses human remains might be put to.
And artifact/relic smuggling is a pretty low priority crime by Federal standards; I quote:
Penalties
Any person who knowingly violates, or counsels, procures, solicits, or employs any other person to violate, any prohibition contained in subsection (a), (b), or (c) of this section shall, upon conviction, be fined not more than $10,000 or imprisoned not more than one year, or both: Provided, however, That if the commercial or archaeological value of the archaeological resources involved and the cost of restoration and repair of such resources exceeds the sum of $500, such person shall be fined not more than $20,000 or imprisoned not more than two years, or both. In the case of a second or subsequent such violation upon conviction such person shall be fined not more than $100,000, or imprisoned not more than five years, or both.
(e)Effective date
The prohibitions contained in this section shall take effect on October 31, 1979.
(f)Prospective application
Nothing in subsection (b)(1) of this section shall be deemed applicable to any person with respect to an archaeological resource which was in the lawful possession of such person prior to October 31, 1979.

Maximum of 2 years jailtime and/or fine of 20k.
Increases to a max of 5 years and/or fine of 100k on subsequent offence. And if he can demonstrate that they were here prior to 1979, its legal. Shady, but legal. As long as he pays the IRS of course.

Essentially, he's skimming from Marcone.
Lifespan-limiting move, but not murder. Not even kidnapping or rape or hard drug trafficking to minors.
 
So first of all, you are all assuming Nemesis, when that is really far from certain.

We know IC that people, even immortals, can twist their own nature via Necromancy and Blood Magic, Katrinn the Forsaken Sister being the prime example.
And we also know that Lictor is part of an organisation of Necromancers and formerly Heinrich Kemmler, the uprecedented genius/madman who broke more than a few metaphysical rules and with whom Mab is personally disgusted.

I think it's more likely that those facts are hanging together, than that Nemesis is behind everything strange happening in the world.

Based on the quote the actual role and function of the archive IC were established after the concept Butcher wanted for the character, do I wouldn't be surprised if it wasn't thought out too well.

My inclination for an IC fail safe system would be to have to jump back to a home base somewhere rather than just grabbing someone. It does some pretty messed up stuff to it's bearers and forces itself on their bloodline, and more importantly takes away their ability to choose in a number of ways, which is pretty unusual for the setting given the focus on free will.

Sacrifice is a thing though. A ritual where someone sacrifices their body, mind, and soul to the archive along with that of all of their descendants would fit thematically with how the DF rolls with stuff like this.


That's just my opinion on it though; I don't have any sources giving a particular answer to how vulnerable the archive is to losing its host supply.
All the more reason for Ivy, or really any Archive, to find a way.
Dying is a valid way of shedding a mantle, even an Exaltation, so intentionally dying and coming back as a Wan Kuei is something I would definitly consider if I were her.
Preferrably before having an heir (because I can be very spiteful against cosmic forces trying to mess with my life and free will without consent), but if the compulsions don't allow that afterwards.
 
It's a semidivine spirit thats millenia old. Its so old and powerful that it has intellectus.
It explicitly recognized soulfire in use, which is something we've only seen called out by Fallen and Mab. Bob recognized it when described, but doesnt recognize it in use.

I dont know why you think it would be unable to recognize a natural phenomenon found in everything from terrestrial uranium and thorium deposits to thunderstorms to bogstandard cosmic rays.
And one thats native to its home range at that.

I mean, Nevada was a big historical producer of uranium in the United States, and still has untapped desposits.
And its not the only southwest state that has such.
You are shifting goalposts, strongly. Your claim was "it has senses capable of perceiving hard gamma radiation". This is completely unsupported by anything. You are now switching your claim to "it has enough experience and knowledge to recognize effects of radiation". Which is worthless - by the time one can feel effects of radiation, one is a dead being walking.
Chlorine gas proved absolutely worthless in combat use in WW2 against people with bogstandard breathing masks.
It was only worthless because it doesn't spread very well. In a confined space, with large concentrations? No, it very much isn't.
 
How long is the roll? One turn or more? Because it is silent on if it is instant or lasts for hours.

Also if our Anima is flaring does the "impossible to ambush or strike with an unexpected attack" power work or would we auto fail that?

  1. It does not say in the book (even though other powers do have a specified time *grumble grumble*) so I am going to say an hour sounds fair and like something the Shih would find reasonable in their line of work
  2. Anima would trump this yes as it is a direct manifestation of your soul into the mortal world
I meant to mention this.
Might as well sync it with Charred Sinner Renewal: if it takes fifteen minutes to regenerate 1 mote of Essence, you should be able to roll for after meditating for the same period of time.

Just a thought.
So first of all, you are all assuming Nemesis, when that is really far from certain.
We know IC that people, even immortals, can twist their own nature via Necromancy and Blood Magic, Katrinn the Forsaken Sister being the prime example.

And we also know that Lictor is part of an organisation of Necromancers and formerly Heinrich Kemmler, the uprecedented genius/madman who broke more than a few metaphysical rules and with whom Mab is personally disgusted.
I think it's more likely that those facts are hanging together, than that Nemesis is behind everything strange happening in the world.
Every immortal we have seen in Dresdenverse change its essential nature has been the result of Nemesis.

Kattrin was mortal, as mortal as Gard. We know where she was born, when she grew up, and she explicitly stated that she knew when she was going to die. Before we cut her head off, that is. She had no constraints on her behavior besides personal loyalty and the potential for external censure, and as far as we know her rebelliom was all her own idea.

Lictor is Fae.
Fae, uniquely, are bound to certain rules and behaviors. Its their Nature. When they digress from that, Power is usually involved.
And the only Power currently demonstrated in canon to be capable of that is Nemesis.

All the more reason for Ivy, or really any Archive, to find a way.
Dying is a valid way of shedding a mantle, even an Exaltation, so intentionally dying and coming back as a Wan Kuei is something I would definitly consider if I were her.
Preferrably before having an heir (because I can be very spiteful against cosmic forces trying to mess with my life and free will without consent), but if the compulsions don't allow that afterwards.
The Doylist answer to this is that Butcher didnt really think this entire thing through when he initially introduced the Archive.
Because by the rules as stated, the White God's free will advocacy would balk at the idea of a mortal bloodline bound to a task in perpetuity from before they were born.

Changelings usually get to choose.Even Red and White Court vampires get the chance to choose their fate.
Even with all their power, the Fallen need your consent
But apparently, the Archive doesnt. You just need to be born.

Much like the last two times that the Fae Lady Mantles have changed hands.

The Watsonian answer theory of course, would be that the Archive's family werent mortal in the first place.
Which allowed whoever created the Archive to loophole it and make a deal with whoever was first in line.
At least, thats five minutes theorycrafting on a Tuesday morning. Dont take it too seriously :V
You are shifting goalposts, strongly. Your claim was "it has senses capable of perceiving hard gamma radiation". This is completely unsupported by anything. You are now switching your claim to "it has enough experience and knowledge to recognize effects of radiation". Which is worthless - by the time one can feel effects of radiation, one is a dead being walking.
I will repeat:
The naagloshii are described as millenia old semi-divine spirit beings that was initially sent as assistants to other, higher spirits to teach Native American tribes and went renegade. They are old and powerful enough to have Intellectus.

If it has the senses to recognize soulfire as, and I quote:
Turn Coat c45 said:
The naagloshii walked over to me and stood there, smiling, as its inhuman features shifted and contorted, from something bestial back toward something almost human. It probably made it easier to talk.
"That was hardly pathetic at all," it murmured. "Who gifted you with the life fire, little mortal?"
"Doubt you know him," I responded. It was an effort to speak, but I was used to meeting the rigorous demands of life as a reflexive smart-ass. "He'd have taken you out."
The skinwalker's smile widened. "I find it astonishing that you could call forth the very fires of creation—and yet have no faith with which to employ them."
"Hell's bells," I muttered. "I get sick of sadistic twits like you."
It tilted its head. It dragged its claws idly across the stone, sharpening them. "Oh?"
I am pretty sure that it has the senses to recognize gamma radiation just fine. And NOT in the past tense.
Especially given that its home ranges are some of the areas with notable radioactive ore deposits in the US, so it will have had millenia of experience on Earth with it, even if its prior experience was lacking.

It was only worthless because it doesn't spread very well. In a confined space, with large concentrations? No, it very much isnt
1) In large concentrations, it remained worthless against mortal soldiers with a $12 dollar gas mask(that was the cost of a standard WW1 gas mask, before adjustment for inflation).

Here?
You are hoping for perfect conditions, on a battlefield, against a semi-divine entity thats both a Senior Council-level spellcaster and a shapeshifter that modifies its pseudo-biology at literally a thought's notice, has superhealing in combat time, and has the superstrength to literally bust through walls.

That is, at best, dubious.

Seriously, if this was all mundane biology?
Think through the chemical and biological series of changes involved in going from, and I quote:
The bear seized the skinwalker's skull in its vast jaws, and for a second, it looked like the fight was over. Then the naagloshii blurred, and where a vaguely simian creature had been an instant before, there was only a tiny flash of urine yellow fur, a long, lean creature like a ferret with oversized jaws. It wiggled free of the huge bear and evaded two slaps of its giant paws, letting out a defiant, mocking snarl as it slid free.
But Injun Joe wasn't done yet, either. The bear lifted itself into a ponderous leap, and came down to earth again as a coyote, lean and swift, that raced after the ferret nimbly, fangs bright. It rushed after the fleeing ferret—which suddenly turned, jaws opening wide, and then wider, and wider, until an alligator coated in sparse tufts of yellow fur turned to meet the onrushing canine, which found itself too close to turn aside.
The canine form melted as it shot toward the alligator's maw, and a dark-winged raven swept into the jaws and out the far side as they snapped shut. The raven turned its head and let out mocking caws of laughter as it flew away, circling around the clearing.
The alligator shuddered all over, and became a falcon, golden and swift, its head marked by tufts of yellowish fur that almost looked like the naagloshii's ears had in its near-human form. It hurtled forward with supernatural speed, vanishing behind a veil as it flew.
I heard the raven's wings beat overhead as it circled cautiously, looking for its enemy—and then was struck from behind by the falcon's claws. I watched in horror as the hooked beak descended to rip at the captured raven—and met the spiny, rock-hard back of a snapping turtle. A leathery head twisted and jaws that could cut through medium-gauge wire clamped onto the naagloshii-falcon's leg, and it let out another alien shriek of pain as the two went plummeting to the earth together.
But in the last few feet, the turtle shimmered into the form of a flying squirrel, limbs extended wide, and it converted some of its falling momentum into forward motion, dropping to a roll as it hit the ground. The falcon wasn't so skilled. It began to change into something else, but struck the stony earth heavily before it could finish resolving into a new form.
The squirrel whirled, bounded, and became a mountain lion in midleap, landing on the stunned, confused mass of feathers and fur that was the naagloshii. Fangs and claws tore, and black blood stained the ground to the sound of more horrible shrieks. The naagloshii coalesced into an eerie shape, four legs and batlike wings, with eyes and mouths everywhere. All the mouths were screaming, in half a dozen different voices, and it managed to tear its way free of the mountain lion's grip and go flapping and tumbling awkwardly across the ground. It staggered wildly and began to leap clumsily into the air, bat wings beating. It looked like an albatross without enough headwind, and the mountain lion was hard on its heels the whole way, claws lashing out to tear and rake.
The naagloshii disappeared into the darkness, its howls drifting up in its wake as it fled. It continued to scream in pain, almost sobbing, as it rushed down the slope toward the lake. Demonreach followed its departure with a surly sense of satisfaction, and I couldn't say that I blamed it.
Simian to ferret to alligator to falcon to chimerical flying monstrosity.
All in the duration of a magical firefight that didnt last more than thirty seconds by description.

If this as an entirely biological creature, the series of chemical changes as far down as the polypeptide chains involved in going from mammalian hair to alligator hide to bird feathers to some unknown chimerical monster thing would imply breath taking control and realtime feedback. Then consider exactly how well attempting to poison this creature with mundane poisons would go.

Of course, this is not a biological creature, its a spirit.
Its internal rules, while apparently consistent do not have to reflect real world biochemistry. As witnessed by the fact that it turned into a car-sized spider while clinging to the ceiling upside-down.
I lifted dazed eyes to see the security guy from the entrance hall come around the corner, that little machine gun held to his shoulder, his cheek resting against the stock so that the barrel pointed wherever his eyes were focused. When he saw the skinwalker, uncovered from its veil, he stopped in his tracks. To his credit, he couldn't have hesitated for more than a fraction of a second before he opened fire.
Bullets zipped down the hall, so close that I could have reached out a hand and touched them. The skinwalker flung itself to one side, a golden-furred blur, and rebounded off the wall toward the gunman, its form changing. Then it leapt into the air, flipping its body as it did, and suddenly a spider the size of a subcompact car was racing along the ceiling toward the security guy.
At that point, he impressed me again. He turned and ran, sprinting around a corner with the skinwalker coming hard behind.

I have zero reason for confidence in the idea that naagloshii are susceptible to chemical weapons.
Or, frankly, other, non-magic poisons.
 
Current tally:
Adhoc vote count started by uju32 on Jan 31, 2023 at 3:44 AM, finished with 78 posts and 24 votes.

  • [X]Plan Old Bones
    -[X][Marcone] Don't say anything, this Rodney guy is just a patsy and does not deserve to die
    --[X][Marcone]Deploy cyberdevils to get into every level of this Rodney guy's life and watch him
    --[X][Marcone]Put the patsy network on the cyberdevil watchlist as well
    -[X][Winter] Ask Harry if he knows any way to get the information about Lictor to Mab
    --[X]Craft Excellency + Tool Constructs + Boiling Sea Mastery + Without Honor + Willpower to reproduce image of Lictor: 2m, 1WP
    --[X]Molly + Cyberdevils: Electronic database search for image matching Lictor
    -[X]STUNT: Dresden opens the door for you, his face falling comically as he recognized the cheerful look on your face. "What now?Its a Saturday" he moans. In reply you raise a Starbucks and a bag from Burger King. "I brought coffee." Pushing both into his hands, you slip past him to exchange greetings with Mouse, and pay tribute to Mister. "Good news, I have a name and description of the man who was shooting at us...well, Gorfels, but us as well. Better news, I have pictures." And with that you drop a folder of pics on the table. Dresden pauses rummaging in the paper bag. "So whats the bad news?" "Lictor is a Redcap. And he's...warped."
    [X] [Marcone] Tell him about the spy in his organization (Gain favor with Marcone; the spy is likely executed)
    [X] [Winter] Ask Harry if he knows any way to get the information about Lictor to Mab
    [X] [Marcone] Don't inform Marcone, but go to Rodney/others in the network and use him as a focus to find out which other holy relics he's aware of.
    [X] [Winter] Table the matter for now, but look into tracking down Dr Speer and using that as cover for your knowledge
    [X] [Marcone] Don't inform Marcone, but go to Rodney/others in the network and use him as a focus to find out which other holy relics he's aware of.
    -[X] Use Intimidation and other appropriate excellencies to flip Rodney into being our spy
    [X] [Winter] Ask Harry if he knows any way to get the information about Licor to Mab
 
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