- Location
- Russia
- Pronouns
- He/Him
*imagining the flying crown*
Green Flame Rising (Exalted vs Dresden Files)
- Thread starter DragonParadox
- Start date
- Crossover Fantasy
Winning Vote
Arc 5 Post 29: A People Gathering
A People Gathering
16th of September 2006 A.D.
"Hello, is anyone there? It's OK we're..." The word friendly had been just on the tip of your tongue before instincts born of elder insights substitutes: "People." Down here there are all kinds of 'friendly' folk, those who want to use you, eat you and make strike a bargain for your eyes, your hands, your soul, but people, those are rare.
What you had heard was little Almaz complaining about the dark and the cold. How her mother had managed to get the rickety old stroller all the way down here you do not know but it is clear Deborah is willing to protect it with everything she has. Alas everything she has isn't much and neither do the other four people gathered around the quickly doused barrel fire. At first they shy away from the glare of your flashlight as though expecting blows, only the fear of turning their back on you gets them talking. There's Dean a grizzled man of indeterminate age beneath his layers and layers of ragged vests and jackets who talks looking at his feet, Abel, a boy younger than you brandishing a rusted machete with far more skill than he aught to have, Theodora his older sister who had been in the middle of the cooking before she tries to douse you with salt to ward you off and then there is James, beneath the signs of hunger and the pallor of one whose lived too long in the dark you recognize the manerisms of a soldier and not just because he's got the only proper weapon of the group. For all the good a pistol is going to do them even against even someone like Sarah.
"Hi, my name is Molly Carpenter, I'm just here fixing up a place for my friends..."
Slowly, ever so slowly you get them to relax. You talk about who you are and how long you have been coming down here. There's a bit of a breakthrough when you explain that you are seventeen and Deborah asks why you are not in school. Beeing seen as a kid playing hooky is a lot better than a monster in the dark
"Yeah I'm with the Jade Dogs, I'm in charge."
...and we are right back to being about to bolt. Adam and his fellows had not done anything to hide their nature before you showed up. Down here, away from the lights and cameras of the modern world there is no reason to keep up the pretense of separation. Who is going to believe a young mother without any kind of legal documentation, a former psych patient no longer able to afford his meds or a pair of teenage runaways?
"No, I'm not an Eater, I can help them with the hunger, so I am'
In the end you are not sure if it's the offer of food and shelter that wins them over or the account of what else is around here that gets them to come along. Unlike ghouls malks do not announce themselves to their victims. Those they choose to hunt just vanish one day, maybe they hal left, maybe they had joined up with someone else, maybe you'll find a severed finger belonging to them on your pillow when next you sleep.
So slowly, reluctantly they make their way back to Sarah, the old stroller creaking all the while and from there to the station.
After the darkness of the tunnels the light and sound spilling off the platform is almost shocking. A couple of people are throwing knives at an old darts board that is not long for this world, others are reading dogeared books by the light of the fire cooking sausages and meat patties that will never see the inside of a burger.
Adam looks up from cleaning his gun with a growl of "Orders?" that makes it very clear he would really like the chance to use that gun on something.
"I'm here to look at the new people and talk about some..." You trail off as you notice the vampires Sarah had talked about. For the most part what you had expected, two boys, one girl around your age, they would all be attractive if it weren't for the haggard look on their faces and the deep circles under their eyes... the tattletale marks of needles all the clearer on their pale arms. Shooting up would probably help take the edge off an unsatisfied Hunger at first, you realize, but just joining the Jade dogs isn't going to help with mundane addiction.
"We are willing to serve," the taller of the two guys says and you can feel the shadow of your power wash over them with your approval just as it had with Thomas yet even as all three of them breathe easier, like drowning victims thrown an unexpected lifeline you shudder inwardly at the enormity of what you had taken on. It's not just food shelter and safety you have to assure, some of these people are going to need medication, those with addictions mortal or otherwise are going to keep help managing and overcoming it. All of a sudden the prospect of being responsible for so many people, young and old, mortal and other crashes over you. How can you deal with all this stuff? All the unexpected needs and conflicts that may arise when everyone from neophite vampire to elder ghoul to three month year old baby are crammed together?
Beyond the fears of Molly Carpenter, beyond the whispers of Usum, ver ready to give counsel there is a warm glow of purpose to the thought, as a talent long unused brought into the light.
What rules do you lay down?
[] Write in
Example: Punishments for transgression means of challenging leadership, acceptable ways to feed for vampires
How much of your newly gained wealth do you hand over to the Jade Dogs and in what form?
[] Write in
Example: Means of dealing with addiction, healthcare needs, help reintegrating into the world above
OOC: Welp this is a big one, but it is also one of the things Solar Exaltation were made to do so instead of having you deal with problems as they come up and ending up with a patchwork of solutions Molly's exaltation is pushing her to set up a coherent legal framework.Not to say that you guys have to handle every eventuality, but given that your hold over a significant portion of the people in the gang is Mercy in Servitude it would be a good idea to establish what are the circumstances under which that mercy is withdrawn.
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Well, I think we should abuse the nature of being our service being a tangible thing to create far fuzzier rules than can be enforced by arbitrary laws. Serving us means trying to get better. As our minions they are ours. Improving themselves is improving something that is ours, and that is in of itself a service to us. So long as they are TRYING then that is at least something and we can metaphysically tell that it true or not. When they stop trying they fall out of our service and their curses all come roaring back.
At that point we can kick them out. I am not sure a worse punishment we would be willing to apply exists. Their cures is curse enough.
Beyond that I think we need some hard and fast rules. No murder. Murdering people who we would not approve of is not service to us and those who do it are not serving us. Punishment - Exile from our service.
Drugs... I don't think we should actually ban them. I think the demand that people try to get better is enough. We make it clear that drug addiction is bad and improving yourself means getting off drugs as much as you are capable of. People trying to get better and ether weening themselves off or falling off the horse but trying to get back on it again are not something we should punish harshly I think. Individuals can judge their own limits with the demands of our service able to determine if they and the magic of our power thinks they are doing the best they can or not.
At that point we can kick them out. I am not sure a worse punishment we would be willing to apply exists. Their cures is curse enough.
Beyond that I think we need some hard and fast rules. No murder. Murdering people who we would not approve of is not service to us and those who do it are not serving us. Punishment - Exile from our service.
Drugs... I don't think we should actually ban them. I think the demand that people try to get better is enough. We make it clear that drug addiction is bad and improving yourself means getting off drugs as much as you are capable of. People trying to get better and ether weening themselves off or falling off the horse but trying to get back on it again are not something we should punish harshly I think. Individuals can judge their own limits with the demands of our service able to determine if they and the magic of our power thinks they are doing the best they can or not.
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taovkool
Forever Gone
- Location
- The Library, Department of General Works
Except the ghouls that will try to betray Molly is probably the same type that wouldn't mind eating people to sate their Hunger.
A simple return to their old status quo isn't enough. We need a more concrete punishment. F*ck if I know what, though.
Yeah, and at that point they are attacking people under our protection and we treat them like any ghoul who attacks ours. We have a bronze blade in our soul for exactly that reason. I think Molly will kill to defend much more readily than she will kill to punish.
But we can't save anyone who isn't willing to try to save themselves. At that point their leaving our service reaches the point of inevitability and the best think we can do is remove them from our community.
- Though, as a side thought - Could alchemy create a universal withdrawal suppressor? Not something that gets people high, but rather something that keeps people from getting sick from a lack of drugs? We can make a universal common cold cure. A universal withdrawal cure seems not impossible.
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taovkool
Forever Gone
- Location
- The Library, Department of General Works
All neat in theory. Except someone is still going to be attacked by the traitor formerly under our protection.
At that point, Molly might as well just kill all the ghouls that left her service.
Yeah, but... well, are we really willing to take that choice away from them before the last possible moment? Are we willing to go out into the world and collect all the ghouls and go "Serve or die?"
I'm not saying that killing ghouls who leave our service would be wrong, or that we won't realistically end up being in that position anyway because their hunger drives them nuts, but do we want to actively take that step to make it the default?
That's interesting. So, can we infer that the solar Molly's shard is made of was a Zenith? I kinda assumed Twilight. Or, I guess, all solars are still leaders of men.
So, while not voting yet:
1) Lots of cyberdevils, I think. They are a cheap and easy management system. Ideally we equip everyone who comes to us with a cyberdevil (that's a lot of essence we are going to be spending) to serve as a personal assistant on the road to recovery
2) Industrial quantity alchemy. Low level (1 and 2 dot) recipes include healing potions and magical anti-hangover cure that likely can be adapted to hand physiological withdrawal symptoms.
3) Lots of leadership excellencies thrown around
4) Delegation. We really want to establish structures, so we don't do everything ourselves. Cyberdevils should be helpful here.
Regarding local governance laws - obviously no infighting (we could establish an early morning collective phys.ed that involves sparring). Democratic institutes and delegation are probably good too.
First of all, we need to establish the purpose of the organization and the scope of it all. What is it for? To cleanse and renovate the Underground? To shelter and help the destitute? To guard Last Station? To serve as an instrument of our will?
All Solars are by definition Lawgivers, as they share of that aspect of the Unconquered Sun.
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taovkool
Forever Gone
- Location
- The Library, Department of General Works
Oh no, 'serve or die' is a terrible method of law enforcement. But just letting potential time bomb go off without any preventative method is also a terrible idea.
I have an idea but I have no clue how feasible it is. Maybe Molly can blind the traitor ghouls? Making lose sight or senses? It might be leaning a bit too far on that ancient 'Eye for an Eye' thing though.
I vote "To turn the ghouls into a productive member of society."
Look at that, my baby infernal is getting her own court! *Sniff* They grow up so fast.
Ok, I really want to get our kingdom now, maybe it can allows us to shelter these people, either by allowing them access or by allowing us to get one or two councilors from it to here.
Soldiers is not the strongest thing we can get from having this charm, in fact, it's not an interesting thing, no, we can get much more, artists, scientists, governors, diplomats, our own tradition of magic and probably so much more. Soldiers is just rabble compared to the gems we can unearth from having a retroactive advanced civilization that revere us.
Lawgivers they were and Lawgivers they still are.
Man, that one was close.
Problem with that: we have human members, we can't use that framework on them, it would lead to them abusing our fuzzy laws far easier than the ones under MIS and potentially leads to resentment over our perceived favoritism to them.
All of the above?
In principle, a ghoul-based PMC could do very well. I am fairly sure Library of Congress,U.S. army and Vatican would pay through the nose to have a blackops ghoul squad that doesn't suffer from hunger. Stealth 4 is not a joke, and they are superhuman in general. And army can pay for and provide them education.
taovkool
Forever Gone
- Location
- The Library, Department of General Works
I'm fine with turning them into an army to beat the shit out of the spooks in the dark but I'm not comfortable turning them into guns for hire. I mean, the Library of Congress or the Vatican isn't exactly trustworthy actors.
Also, isn't that muscling in a bit on Odin's territory? Having Monoc Security as a rival company sounds like a tough business prospect.
Well, monopolies are bad. Having Odin as a rival, but not an enemy, is not a bad thing to happen.
We could also negotiate contracts if we use them as a guns for hire. We don't have to agree to all contracts.
And having those contracts as a Crown focus could tell us all sorts of interesting things.
Ok, but how much of our time and essence do you want to devote to this? That's a full time job that can be done by us and only us, and do we really need that sort of money? We print money with diamonds. The only reason to get into the PMC business would be because we decided that the clout running a PMC gives us is worth the time investment and right now I don't think it is.
A militia though? I could see us recruiting a militia. Not an aggressive force, but absolutely something to defend the people who come to us for safety.
EDIT - Oh, and as for money, I think we should split it thusly.
100,000 should go to Thomas. He's "running" a diamond printing business and needs to look and fit the part. He should get a significant cut of income because A he is doing a good and valuable job, and B because that money is needed to do his job right.
200,000 should be set aside under Thomas's control with limited access cards we can distribute to those we trust to buy stuff for the shelter. 2-3 chards with a 1000 a day withdrawal limit should let the shelter buy what they need to feed and care for everyone without allowing someone to just steal all the money and run.
150,000 should be kept in reserve under our control.
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Modus_Tollens
SCREAMING AT THE APOCALYPSE
- Location
- ALSO SCREAMING.
I'm definitely leaning on a doctrine of intent based mutual support. If you can support your brother next to you then you should so long as it does not cause you a grievous harm or requires something truly reprehensible. Put yourself on your feet and then, once you begin to steady yourself, you help the next man do the same. Keep their confidence save when its necessary to put them right. When your brother is alright then there is the rest of the world.
You are choosing to choose to let them into your monkeysphere, effectively, rather than this being more crabpot us-and-them nonsense.
The masquerade will need to be maintained by being circumspect, of course, though we are a poor role model there. Vetting and maintained appearances.
We may accidentally end up reinventing communism and making it work. The better off your brother is the more you know he can and will help you.
You are choosing to choose to let them into your monkeysphere, effectively, rather than this being more crabpot us-and-them nonsense.
The masquerade will need to be maintained by being circumspect, of course, though we are a poor role model there. Vetting and maintained appearances.
We may accidentally end up reinventing communism and making it work. The better off your brother is the more you know he can and will help you.
Never enough money.
Those that tells that money doesn't makes you happy are either liars or misinformed, it is very much related to happiness, even if it's only through allowing you to fulfill other desires.
I actually care much more about the information than the money. Over time, it would let us know the full motivations of basically every in-the-know faction that's got the resources to hire mercs.
- Pronouns
- ImBuda
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Yes, but on a per action basis is a PMC actually going to get us more money than printing more diamonds? A PMC is something we can't just magic up. It requires actual expenses and inputs, and we are going to suffer losses and those losses are going to need to be replaced, and that means more money and time.
Meanwhile we can just spend an action and print $450,000 dollars.
Some are more vulnerable than others. I was mostly thinking the very young, very old, and those sick in a way that makes them immediately incapable of taking care of themselves for the next few months at most.
Still costs money, and most if not all of these people need to see doctors anyway. They've probably all got something wrong that they're just ignoring because they couldn't do anything about it, or need standard care.
When's the last time anyone here saw a dentist? Think that kid has been within five feet of a pediatrician since they were delivered? How clean are drugs, or even the equipment, those of them struggling with addiction were using?
We should be planning to handle this before someone is so obviously ill that it can't be ignored anymore.
I don't disagree on the issues this presents, but I think you're underestimating the external problems. Without organization and some effort put towards it the additional protection of a group seems unlikely to stand up to the attention of predators who increasingly can't find food other places.
The point of the above ground charities was to funnel resources to our new community in a way that makes them easy to use.
The medical system wants all kinds of identifying information which our people won't have, but a lot of that is related to financing. If we have a front it makes it easier because we can make deals directly with healthcare providers without needing a shitload of fake IDs first.
We can just send them to a doctor's office with the understanding that they have no ID and that we're on the hook for their care.
Though I also want to say that I think "chose to be here" is overstating it. The resources of charity organizations aren't infinite and many areas are actively hostile to the homeless and things that will help them.
I think most of them are here because it was the option that was left, and once they were in getting out became incredibly difficult.
The problem is that we're primarily talking about ghouls and vampires here. If we had WoD fomor around then the curses in question would primarily be a personal consequence, but when our current minions relapse they'll relapse into eating people.
That's inflicting a pretty horrible fate on innocent people for the misfortune of being in our periphery without being under our protection.
I think this situation is a real driver to get our hell as quickly as possible.
A full nation with prisons, reform programs, and resurrective immortality would have a lot easier time humanely dealing with crazed predators.
As to the alchemy thing; I think there are good odds it's relatively easy and cheap to do. Dresden is no true alchemist and he can make potions that do everything from drastically alter the users mental state for prolonged periods to teleporting them by briefly turning them into wind.
We don't see how it's done, but eye can give baseline mortals real deal wizard sight, one of the strongest sensory powers in the setting, and was apparently simple enough to be produced at scale.
By comparison addiction is trivial. I'd almost be more interested in making a flat willpower boosting potion just to see if we can do it, and because it'd be helpful for more than just resisting the psychological aspects of addiction.
You know, a diamond producing company is supposed to have employees, and those employees are expected to get health insurance... We need fake employees anyway to maintain our cover.