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Green Flame Rising (Exalted vs Dresden Files)

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I don't see the appeal for having an overcrowded Hell.

Sure, it's a Hell, but does it need to be inherently unpleasant? That just doesn't seem like something Molly's soul/subconscious would brew up.
 
Goldfish said:
Sure, it's a Hell, but does it need to be inherently unpleasant?
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It doesn't, I do believe that some people pointed out right from the beginning that you could make a paradise out of the charms but since it's made from an infernal, it's still called a *hell*.

Basically, the branding as hell is more indicative of how it came to be than on what's inside.
 
Yozi hells are more focused around containment rather than strictly torment, it's the inhabitants that make it hell rather than an intrinsic metaphysical aspect.

Except for Malfeas, what with the whole mutilation and spiritual violation enacted upon him, his existence was absolutely eternal torment.

But you could live a perfectly comfortable if somewhat alien and occasionally dangerous life in the Demon City.
 
Good that spirit-killers were cleared up.

So we can ensure that something we kill stays dead.
We still have to actually kill it, which is hard in some cases, like Mab or the WG.

Just to be sure, would killing Mab or Titania on the Stone Table at Halloween actually kill the Mantle of the Winter/Summer Queen with her?

And would our Spirit-Killer do the same?

If so, that's a neat option for several things in the Dresdenverse that would trouble us in more than one incarnation.
Not just the Fey Mantles, but also the Archive would be subject to that. And any Gods that aren't yet bound to mortality anyway.
 
OK looks like we are going to offer to pay Harry.
Adhoc vote count started by DragonParadox on Feb 6, 2023 at 10:22 AM, finished with 182 posts and 11 votes.
  • [X] Yes
    -[X] Offer Harry $3,000 for his consulting services, a thousand per day of his time invested in helping you. Do not take no for an answer. If necessary, explain that you feel disrespected and treated as a child when Harry refuses our attempts to fairly compensate him for his assistance. He is providing a valuable service and very rare skill set on short notice, the least he can do is act like he values himself as much as we value his contributions.
    [X] Yes
    -[X] Empathy excellency
    -[X] So, time, plus on call, plus expertise? Ballpark a rough sum. Something like 1k? Or services rendered. Want your consolation on his car, or perhaps a portable phone? You could get a Noika cellphone and make it so durable he could use it as a bludgeon.
    -[X] If he doesn't take money, argue for paying him with more knowledge. Papers on how to end techbane in a local area, and how to make soulgazing safer should be more than valuable enough
    [X] Yes
    -[X] So, time, plus on call, plus expertise? Ballpark a rough sum. Something like 1k? Or services rendered. Want your consolation on his car, or perhaps a portable phone? You could get a Noika cellphone and make it so durable he could use it as a bludgeon.
    [X] Yes
    -[X] Cash
    -[X] Intimidation excellency
    -[X][Stunt] You smile the gentle smile that your mom uses when she knows that one of her kids wants to argue, and that she has already won the arguement."Harry, you have three options here. The first is that you take my money. The second is that you name a favor from me. I would let you bank the favor, but we both know you'd never cash it in, so if you want a favor, you have to name it. The third is that you pretend that I don't owe you anything and I pay you back later, the way I want to, without any input from you."
    [X] Yes
    -[X] Empathy excellency
    -[X] So, time, plus on call, plus expertise? Ballpark a rough sum. Something like 1k? Or services rendered. Want your consolation on his car, or perhaps a portable phone? You could get a Noika cellphone and make it so durable he could use it as a bludgeon.
    -[X][stunt]Be completely matter of fact as if the idea that he might refuse payment makes no sense to you. If that doesn't work ask him if he enjoys keeping people indebted to him. Maybe his fairy godmother was a bad influence.
    [X] No, you will find some other way to make it up to him later
    -[x] Maybe you can slip Murphy a 5 thousand and get her to give it to Dresden as a bonus? He doesn't seem to mind accepting tax money.
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Arc 5 Post 31: A Study in Sorcery
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    • A Study in Sorcery ​

    23rd of September 2006 A.D.

    As nice as the Last Station was starting to look you are still glad to be out in the sun again, the wistful golden light of autumn passing upon changing leaves, it's tshirt weather again, but alas that won't last long. "So how much do I owe you for that?"

    "Nothing," he answers, the set of his jaw making it clear that he is more than willing to fight you on this and to be fair 'homeless commune needs you to check if neighboring magic is safe for the baby' is the kind of thing thing you would expect any decent person to help with pro bono, if it is necessary. That was one of the things dad had taught you about charity when you were little, it is not given to the deserving, but to those in need and as deserving as Deborah and Almaz, Sarah and Paul, even Adam and Bones might be, there is nothing wrong with your bank account balance, nor your ability to fill it.

    "You know I'm their boss now?" you ask in a flash of insight, seemingly changing the subject, but Harry does not look the least bit fooled by the circuitous route the conversation is taking. "I am in charge of making sure they don't hurt anyone, but also I see to it that they have something to eat, someplace to sleep, I pledged to get those who want it a place in the sun again. If you want to get feudal about the whole thing I am their liege lady offering protection for fealty. You helped me fulfill that duty by taking time out of your own day."

    Lost 1 Essence -> Now at 8/12

    "But that is my time though," he answers, a little taken aback, but still resolved.

    You nod seriously. "It is, but what would you be doing with it otherwise? Not lazying around is my guess, I know what your job is like Harry, these days is feels like all I do when I see you is give you more work." With every word you allow sincerity and frustration to seep through "So please is I can't pay Harry Dresden PI for consulting let me pay Warden Dresden that he might better put those funds to good use protecting all of us."

    Silence then a sigh, still not quite agreement.

    Maybe a joke will help, you reason. "If it makes you feel better think of it as me paying my taxes."

    "Woah there you really don't want to be giving the Council those kinds of ideas," he laughs almost despite himself.

    "OK then donation in furtherance of your duties it is," you agree, then before he can get another word in you ask. "Do you take cash or credit?"

    Finally Harry nods. "Alright then, but if there's anymore trouble you call me."

    As you are getting the two thousand dollars out of the ATM after having been haggled down from three Harry says grimly. "Call me if there's trouble down there."

    Catching the implication you look up at him, startled: "None of them are looking to make trouble, they just want some place to be safe."

    "Ghouls are violent Molly..." he starts, but does not get to finish.

    "Of course they are violent, they are demon scions cursed with an unending hunger. You'd have to be a saint not to want to lash out at the world for being born into that. I don't know about all of them but Sarah didn't know what she was, didn't know anything until she found Adam Bones and Lockjaw. Yeah they may not be perfect, but then neither are any of us, they deserve the chance to change and part of that is not being suspected for what they are rather than what they do."

    Harry seems to come up short for answers for a moment.

    "That'll teach me for forgetting whose daughter you are," he says at last.

    Though the words warm you, you cannot help but notice him starring out the window a lot more on the drive back to his apartment. Maybe you are imagining things but... You shake off the urge to meddle, the man has a right to get lost in his own thoughts without you poking at them.

    ***​

    28th of September 2006 A.D.

    Thankfully you find Rosie in a much better spirits, last month's resolve had seen her through the nausea the aches and pains and all the other discomforts of pregnancy. It helps that her mother has resigned herself to the fact that she will give birth and is 'biding her time to argue to give up the baby after she's here', at least according to Rose herself. "But I'm not just gonna just get hormonal, post partum it's called I think and and hand off my baby."

    "I don't think it works..." you had been about to say 'like mind control' before a sudden wave of guilt washed over you. "Like that," you finish quickly.

    In the following days you teach her more than just how to close the windows to her proverbial dream tower, simple exercises of lucid dreaming give way to understanding her own mind, her hopes and, inevitably her fears that she may better defend herself against those who would use them against her. Far more times than you like the attempts end with her crying into a tissue, or on your shoulder from the weight of all-too-sharp understanding, like realizing that one of her greatest fears is not so much being alone in the world but having to crawl back to her parents.

    But in the end your friend reaches that fragile plateau balanced upon the points of fear and dread as Usum calls them, enough control to dream true night after night, though you have no way to test it against intrusion

    Rosie Gains 3+9 = 12/10 Progress -> Oneiromancy ● Gained

    "Finally," she sighs as she takes off the ear-muffs. "No idea how all those zen monks and the Jedi do it I was going crazy from all the sitting still and looking inwards."

    "Well the Jedi mostly do it by being fictional, but if you want to talk to an actual Nepalese monk and a teacher of mine I can take you to meet them."

    "Er... not sure I'm ready for anyone you take lessons from," she motions vaguely at the small mound of books with Clippy propped against them ready to take dictation.


    Meta Vote.

    Do we change Essence XP mechanics?

    [] Yes, 8 XP refunded, use the new rules for Essene raised by total XP spent

    [] No, leave things as they are

    OOC: I spent way too long trying to think of a vote to end this on that was not 'take Rosie to talk to magicians again', something she does not need because she crit her background roll and then I remembered the meta-vote.
     
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    [X] Yes, 8 XP refunded, use the new rules for Essene raised by total XP spent

    So, my reasoning is not (just) "more shiny quicker!". It's also that raising essence (and many stats) is viewed by many voters as boring, and I can understand it. Higher essence is "numbers in the table". It doesn't show narratively often. Molly at E2 and Molly at E4 are the same Mollies, only the latter is stronger. Meanwhile most even one dot charms give us new tools and put us into new situations. I can see why people would overwhelmingly prefer charms over stat and essence increases, only going for those when absolutely necessary.
     
    [x] Yes, 8 XP refunded, use the new rules for Essene raised by total XP spent
    I did say I was all for it, not gonna change my mind.

    DragonParadox said:
    Hmm,,, you are right the XP progression is a lot faster with his format, edited out the link, I will figure out a more fitting progression if you guys vote for it.
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    I know someone proposed a new table, but unfortunately, not sure who, just that it wasn't Yog or Uju, maybe Goldfish?
     
    [X] Yes, 8 XP refunded, use the new rules for Essene raised by total XP spent
     
    Anyway, if we are switching to that, we'll be getting E3 either instantly, or very soon.

    So, perhaps, time to thonk a little about signature charms.

    I don't really think I like signature version of any of the charms we have, tbh, so I'd rather delay signature choice until we buy something that is good or we are allowed homebrew.
     
    Prospalz said:
    I never posted a proper table, but I suggested some numbers before. Move up the numbers by two categories and extrapolate numbers accordingly for E4 and E5.

    Alternatively, just X3 all numbers.
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    Well, the important part is that it doesn't have us shoot to essence 5 right there, and giving us essence 3 would be very welcome too but not absolutely needed, given that discussions on our hell have come back, the question is more on the numbers for essence 4.
     
    That went fairly well! We'll get Harry trained up one of these days.

    [X] Yes, 8 XP refunded, use the new rules for Essence raised by total XP spent
     
    The issue with new system is Lydia, specifically the issue that she'll be dropping back to e1, unless her e2 is grandfathered in.
     
    Yog said:
    Getting E3 at halloween (meaning after the next turn) would be quite thematic.
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    It's been a very exciting arc so far and it feels like there is a lot more going to happen. I expect Molly to hit quite the power spike at the end of this arc.

    [X] Yes, 8 XP refunded, use the new rules for Essene raised by total XP spent
     
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