Green Flame Rising (Exalted vs Dresden Files)

Ultimately the material costs aren't an issue, but I'm not sure the kingdom actually factors into it.

Our world is still sort of a spiritual realm, so eating the food or using the medicine there long term could have the same effect as doing so in the nevernever at large. Using it for housing or as a primary education source would also be inconvenient if the intent is to stay engaged with the mortal world.
There is nothing to indicate that in the document is that a nerf coming from the crossover with DF? Because our kingdom is supposed to be a real place.
 
One cool/interesting thing about the kingdom charm is that it allows an Infernal to be a utility monster. After all if your soul contains more people than live in the U.S. doesn't it then follow that your wellbeing is more important than the entirety of the United States?
 
As far as the information we have suggests OOC, they are doing the best they can in a difficult situation. They are very well off, but they dont have fuck you money, and they have other kids and responsibilities.
There are issues, however. One of stepfather's friends might have molested her, and her mother dismissed those claims. We don't know the levels of complicity of the stepfather, and we don't know if there's anything more problematic going on.
Amd Rosie herself is under a magic geas which prevents her from relapsing.
Wasn't that removed? Fairly sure that what Rosie has is a derangement against drugs that is a remnant of magic geas.
That said, none of the Jade Dogs are babysitting.
They dont have the bona fides to do this sort of work if her parents decide to check up on them, and we dont want to draw any unnecessary links from them to her.
Wasn't there a young human mother among our residents in the Last Station? I am fairly sure there was. Something could be arranged there .
We're either hiring from an agency, or looking for a Cauldron member.
Summoning a devil from our kingdom (assuming Rosie doesn't immigrate) or hiring a Cauldron member or a whampire servant would be my suggestion. The child is almost guaranteed to have at least Dresden-level gift. Narrative convention suggest that there is already a major Destiny being written for them, as a god-child of the first Exalt of the age.
I did the math. I know how much it is.
Molly is also taking care of the Jade Dogs, who are likely to keep growing in number, and her own projects.
We have a significant amount of cash inflow, but also a lot of commitments that result in net cash outflow.

The fact that we dont have to worry about routine stuff doesnt mean big ticket items like this are now trivial.
It's important to remember that a) money we don't spend in a month don't evaporate, they accumulate (and we should look into investing), b) we can easily make more money, c) it's in fact possible to be a teenage mother in USA and have everything work out without Resources 4. In story, and yes, I know, White God's meddling, Charity can be argued to be one.
One cool/interesting thing about the kingdom charm is that it allows an Infernal to be a utility monster. After all if your soul contains more people than live in the U.S. doesn't it then follow that your wellbeing is more important than the entirety of the United States?
Indeed. This is the main reason I argued and pushed for the total population of the courts to be allowed to be ~ 5 billion. So we would be comparable to the rest of humanity in value on pure utility. In pure narrative terms it opens a lot of interesting possibilities.
 
There is nothing to indicate that in the document is that a nerf coming from the crossover with DF? Because our kingdom is supposed to be a real place.

Your Kingdom is not in the Nevernever, it is a world soul spun of your own essence in imitation of demiurges ancient beyond words, It can be reached from the Nevernever since it is also a hell which means it should be possible for souls to escape from there and become Jade Court Vampires, but it is not made of the substance of that realm. The best comparison in canon WoD I can think of is the Hollow Earth which is both a spirit realm, but also a place where you can go as a fully corporeal being by digging down.
 
There are issues, however. One of stepfather's friends might have molested her, and her mother dismissed those claims. We don't know the levels of complicity of the stepfather, and we don't know if there's anything more problematic going on.
One of stepfather's then- golf buddies, yes.
Even Rosie didnt say Jared had anything to do with it, or even that he's still buddies with the guy; her issue is that they didnt believe her, or at least didnt back her up in a He Said, She Said situation.

Like I said, they arent perfect.
But they seem to be making a good faith effort within their limits.
Wasn't that removed? Fairly sure that what Rosie has is a derangement against drugs that is a remnant of magic geas.
No it wasnt.
Dresden didnt have the skill to do so, and neither did Molly.
The belief, and the report to the White Council in canon, was that they'd outgrow any damage done.

Wasn't there a young human mother among our residents in the Last Station? I am fairly sure there was. Something could be arranged there .
Yes.
She's an Eritrean undocumented immigrant. No legal papers to reside or work in the US.
Completely unsuitable.

Summoning a devil from our kingdom (assuming Rosie doesn't immigrate) or hiring a Cauldron member or a whampire servant would be my suggestion. The child is almost guaranteed to have at least Dresden-level gift. Narrative convention suggest that there is already a major Destiny being written for them, as a god-child of the first Exalt of the age.
1)Cauldron nanny sure, if we can get someone who will pass scrutiny, can do the job, has synergy chemistry with Rosa and is willing to make some money. We want to keep Rosa lowprofile, so it depends

No to devils or whampires, because they wont pass detailed scrutiny.
Jared Wilson is some sort of management type in aerospace or military-industry, a field that sees lots of industrial espionage.
He will have contacts for running background checks on people and following them around, even if its just private investigators.


2)No he/she/they arent.
The father is not a magical, and the mother's gift only triggered after major trauma.
I'd be very surprised if they had anything of the sort.

Narrative convention does not translate to magical heredity. Its not impossible, just unlikely.

's important to remember that a) money we don't spend in a month don't evaporate, they accumulate (and we should look into investing), b) we can easily make more money, c) it's in fact possible to be a teenage mother in USA and have everything work out without Resources 4. In story, and yes, I know, White God's meddling, Charity can be argued to be one
No it doesnt. Game mechanic.
When we measured resources in hundreds of thousands of dollars, it accumulated. When we switched to Resource dots, it became a fiat availability each month.

Yes we can make more money, I pointed that out. Its not the issue in question.

Teenage mother in the US, going to university at the same time as fighting off a heroin addiction?
Not particularly no; at least, not at all common. Not without lots of money or a massive support network or both. Rose only has us and her parents, and maybe her aunt. Teenage pregnancy has historically derailed a lot of lives and plans.
 
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One cool/interesting thing about the kingdom charm is that it allows an Infernal to be a utility monster. After all if your soul contains more people than live in the U.S. doesn't it then follow that your wellbeing is more important than the entirety of the United States?
Thats exactly the sort of involuted reasoning that I am trying to avoid.
And I think the author of the game agreed.
There's a reason why an Infernal cant spend more than 5 days at a time in her own Hell.

If you follow that kind of reasoning to its logical conclusion, the Infernal has a moral obligation not to risk themselves.
And to ignore the mortal world in favor of its hell.
Makes no sense for a game.
 
No it wasnt.
Dresden didnt have the skill to do so, and neither did Molly.
The belief, and the report to the White Council in canon, was that they'd outgrow any damage done.
Ah, apologies, I confused the machanics of it with the source. She does have a derangement, but it's caused and fueled by black magic.
Small note here, she isn't a drug addict anymore because of the Black Magic, it hijacked her brain so now, instead of wanting a high that mental loop leads right to pure terror. Harry did that he could to make the reaction less extreme, but he could not remove it without doing Black Magic of his own so right now mechanically speaking Rosie has a derangement called Terror of Addiction.

1)Cauldron nanny sure, if we can get someone who will pass scrutiny, can do the job, has synergy with Rosa and is willing to make some money. We want to keep Rosa lowprofile, so it depends

No to devils or whampires, because they wont pass detailed scrutiny.
Jared Wilson is some sort of management type in aerospace or military-industry, a field that sees lots of industrial espionage.
He will have contacts for running background checks on people and following them around, even if its just private investigators.
Assuming he would do it, though it's a fair assumption, because even if he wouldn't, the government might. Also, certain whampires might pass whatever scrutiny there is. Not the ones in the underground, probably, but Isabela, for example, probably has all the papers needed.
2)No he/she/they arent.
The father is not a magical, and the mother's gift only triggered after major trauma.
I'd be very surprised if they had anything of the sort.

Narrative convention does not translate to magical heredity. Its not impossible, just unlikely.
Magical heredity is affected by environmental factors. The "spent significant amounts of gestation in the presence of and being affected by Infernal exaltation", "inherits the gift sparked by the first exaltation of the age", and "has an infernal exalted godmother" factors probably matter. I mean, it would not surprise me (a lot) if the little one turns out to be dragonblooded.
No it doesnt. Game mechanic.
When we measured resources in hundreds of thousands of dollars, it accumulated. When we switched to Resource dots, it became a fiat availability each month.
Narrative trumps stupid game mechanics in such cases, I have to say. But let's check @DragonParadox what does happen to money we don't spend? I realize that Resources 4 is an abstraction, and some money goes into running things and long term investments and such. But do the remnants essentially evaporate?
 
I mean, to enumerate some of the costs we're looking at:

  1. Fulltime live-out nanny: 40-60k
  2. Full coverage health insurance for mother and child(pre-Obamacare, pre-existing condition: heroin addiction, including vision and dental coverage): >20k
  3. Baby diapers: ~900
  4. Formula: 1800
  5. Gear and clothes(from walker and car seat to breast pump): ???
  6. Car insurance(teenage girl): ~4000
  7. Yearly gas costs: ~3000
  8. UChicago tuition: <70k

Thats before I get over to shit like phone bills and ancillary walking around money.

Some costs are likely to drop after the first year, while others show up in their place.
But Im serious when I said we're looking at more than 100k yearly in costs.
Being a single parent is expensive.
University costs that much money in the USA?
Fuck that place.

How about a different solution, we create an actual job for her, at CS or any of our future firms.
Secretaries, sales assistants and possibly higher stations will really be needed eventually, as we secure our income streams we propably won't stick to things we personally create with infernal magic and diversify into other incomes a bit.

Having Rosie learn on the job, with a motivated tutor, would very much secure her future and keep her in a good daily routine.
 
Assuming he would do it, though it's a fair assumption, because even if he wouldn't, the government might. Also, certain whampires might pass whatever scrutiny there is. Not the ones in the underground, probably, but Isabela, for example, probably has all the papers needed.
The government, or his employer.
If he has a Top Secret clearance as a requirement for his job, his family members will also be under scrutiny.
I dont want Rosie anywhere near Chicago Synthesis.

Magical heredity is affected by environmental factors. The "spent significant amounts of gestation in the presence of and being affected by Infernal exaltation", "inherits the gift sparked by the first exaltation of the age", and "has an infernal exalted godmother" factors probably matter. I mean, it would not surprise me (a lot) if the little one turns out to be dragonblooded.
The primary factor mentioned in magical heredity in DF is maternal descent.
Environmental factors play a part, but thats not the same thing as <<I had an Infernal Exalt/supernatural friend and so my children will have superpowers>>.

Doesnt work that way; see Michael Carpenter's entire family, how the presence of the Sword didnt make any supernaturals, and how the only one who is a wizard in canon is the one who had the least childhood contact with Dresdrn.
And I'm including Harry Carpenter, the one literally named for the wizard Dresden because Dresden saved his life.

I can pretty much guarantee that its not a Dragonblood.
 
Thats exactly the sort of involuted reasoning that I am trying to avoid.
And I think the author of the game agreed.
There's a reason why an Infernal cant spend more than 5 days at a time in her own Hell.

If you follow that kind of reasoning to its logical conclusion, the Infernal has a moral obligation not to risk themselves.
And to ignore the mortal world in favor of its hell.
Makes no sense for a game.
It does, because the whole of Creation is at stake, and while you might be as important as the rest of it, you still have need to interact with it and protect the whole or risk total destruction.
The primary factor mentioned in magical heredity in DF is maternal descent.
Environmental factors play a part, but thats not the same thing as <<I had an Infernal Exalt/supernatural friend and so my children will have superpowers>>.

Doesnt work that way; see Michael Carpenter's entire family, how the presence of the Sword didnt make any supernaturals, and how the only one who is a wizard in canon is the one who had the least childhood contact with Dresdrn.
And I'm including Harry Carpenter, the one literally named for the wizard Dresden because Dresden saved his life.

I can pretty much guarantee that its not a Dragonblood.
1) Isn't Maggie Dresden a wizard-grade talent in canon?
2) It's more than "I had an exalted friend". It's "the gift my mother had was sparked to life by an act of exaltation, while I was gestating in her body. I bear the arcane mark of the Empress-to-Be on my soul".
3) The swords are much better at containing themselves than we are. We are basically designed to magically irradiate, corrupt and transform the world around us.
 
University costs that much money in the USA?
Fuck that place.

How about a different solution, we create an actual job for her, at CS or any of our future firms.
Secretaries, sales assistants and possibly higher stations will really be needed eventually, as we secure our income streams we propably won't stick to things we personally create with infernal magic and diversify into other incomes a bit.

Having Rosie learn on the job, with a motivated tutor, would very much secure her future and keep her in a good daily routine.
Yes, it does cost that much. Thats why so many people graduate with crushing student debt in the US.

Just give her the money until she graduates college. We dont need her work effort.
Makework is makework, and we dont have a need to have someone demonstrate they are worthy of our help.
And it avoids security and IRS problems.

We want her to be independent?
Send her to school, give her an education and the option to choose her own paths. If it leads back to us, fine. But dont force it.
Dont create a job to make her work under us.

Not to mention, its very hard to be both someone's friend and their employer.
We need friends, not employees.
 
Thats exactly the sort of involuted reasoning that I am trying to avoid.
And I think the author of the game agreed.
There's a reason why an Infernal cant spend more than 5 days at a time in her own Hell.

If you follow that kind of reasoning to its logical conclusion, the Infernal has a moral obligation not to risk themselves.
And to ignore the mortal world in favor of its hell.
Makes no sense for a game.

If Nic wins the apocalypse lottery or the things Outside break the Gates and snuff out the hateful light of Creation the infernal's world-soul also goes out. You have as much of an interest as anyone else in fighting the likes of the Denarians, the Black Council or Nemesis, world-soul or no because Molly is only a baby primordial not a full one and even if she were a full one it took many of them acting in concert to ward off the their foes and make their own universe,
 
does, because the whole of Creation is at stake, and while you might be as important as the rest of it, you still have need to interact with it and protect the whole or risk total destruction.
Which would be stay home and send out minions.
Doesnt support the intended style of play that the books were written for.

1) Isn't Maggie Dresden a wizard-grade talent in canon?
2) It's more than "I had an exalted friend". It's "the gift my mother had was sparked to life by an act of exaltation, while I was gestating in her body. I bear the arcane mark of the Empress-to-Be on my soul".
3) The swords are much better at contai
1)No.
She is supernaturally aware, and Butcher has said that having gestated in the womb of a half-Red will have effects.
But she isnt a wizard. She isnt even old enough for a wizard talent to manifest, so its possible he hasnt decided.


2)No, thats not true either.
Rosie had a nightmare of Molly being tortured and subsequently exalting over in Arctis Tor.
Thats all. Molly's Exaltation had no part in her awakening.

The degree of influence Molly has had on Rosie's pregnancy is roughly the same as every other pregnancy in the Chicago area.


3)And why would they contain themselves in Carpenter's house? Magic is a gift, not a curse.
There are angels on his roof after his retirement, and there is literally angelic magic in the wards protecting the household panic room. The children live under it for years. Nothing.

Environmental imfluence DOES play a role; thats in part how Molly ended up as Winter Lady.
But it takes a lot more mojo than this.
If Nic wins the apocalypse lottery or the things Outside break the Gates and snuff out the hateful light of Creation the infernal's world-soul also goes out. You have as much of an interest as anyone else in fighting the likes of the Denarians, the Black Council or Nemesis, world-soul or no because Molly is only a baby primordial not a full one and even if she were a full one it took many of them acting in concert to ward off the their foes and make their own universe,
The response to that is "Send out minions and stay home. The Emperor is too valuable to be risked."
Which, while a logical choice, seems to fly in the face of the design intent of the game.

Not really.
Another Primordial demonstrated that one of them could do it, when he made his own Creation with blackjack and hookers in imitation of the original; Sol Invictus was ordered to destroy it for some reason by Theion.
 
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The response to that is "Send out minions and stay home. The Emperor is too valuable to be risked."
Which, while a logical choice, seems to fly in the face of the design intent of the game.

Not really.
Another Primordial demonstrated that one of them could do it, when he made his own Creation with blackjack and hookers in imitation of the original; Sol Invictus was ordered to destroy it for some reason by Theion.
  1. Not if the Emperor is also transcendentally better at war than the soldiers. We are fighting by Iliad rules here, kings do go on the battlefield
  2. Yeah... I am going to ignore than since it makes no sense given how much collective effort went into making and protecting Creation.
 
2)No, thats not true either.
Rosie had a nightmare of Molly being tortured and subsequently exalting over in Arctis Tor.
Thats all. Molly's Exaltation had no part in her awakening.

The degree of influence Molly has had on Rosie's pregnancy is roughly the same as every other pregnancy in the Chicago area.
That's wrong:
If the metaphysical fire catches she becomes a minor talent yeah. Trauma does not generally make wizards or even sorcerers, but being a regular mortal with a frayed mind caught at the conceptual edge of Exaltation can push you that inch over the line into conscious use of magic.
Rosie was caught at the "conceptual edge of Exaltation", and it was the exaltation that sparked her minor talent into being.
3)And why would they contain themselves in Carpenter's house? Magic is a gift, not a curse.
There are angels on his roof after his retirement, and there is literally angelic magic in the wards protecting the household panic room. The children live under it for years. Nothing.
Giving someone magic is influencing them, something angels don't do.
 
Can we please not link Rosie to Chicago Synthetics?

We are already very easily linked to it, trying to hide it is not helping, and in fact, telling it outright reduce the chance of the parents hiring a PI to search for what's happening, not increase it.

University costs that much money in the USA?
Fuck that place.

There is a reason why *students debts are for lives, yes, plural, your children will probably pay it too* is not much of an exaggeration for the USA, or not an exaggeration at all in fact. Yes, the cost is absolutely ridiculous, and banks don't help by exploiting that fact to put you in very heavy debts.
 
True, but he is kind of special being the creator god among creator gods and even so he is dying from if I understand it right an infection of that Nowhere.
No, as far as I understand he has always been dying.
The Smoke, the blight has always been part of his very nature.

That's how he could build something to kill Primordials in the first place, because he alone among them knew and feared death.
 
University costs that much money in the USA?
Fuck that place.
Yes, it does cost that much.
No, it doesn't. Tuition rates in the US are absolutely fucking insane, of course, but in 2006 they weren't quite that ridiculous.

In 2006, the annual tuition for the University of Chicago was $32,265. For 2021-2022 it was $62,241. God damn, that's disgusting. Anyway, still not nearly as much as you claimed.

Also, uju, why in the hell would Rosie need a full-time nanny? That's for lazy, rich people and/or very well paid working parents. Even as a full-time student, Rosie isn't looking at more than 20 hours in class each week, and most of her studying can be done at home. Yes, daycare or babysitters would be needed, but not a nanny. And it's not like the nanny option would be safer than babysitters or daycare. If someone was after the baby to use as leverage against Rosie or us, there are always going to be opportunities for them to make a move that don't involve assaulting whatever house they're living in at the time.

This also ignores the possibility that Rosie's mother wouldn't be willing, or even extremely eager, to help watch the baby sometimes. I've known very few grandmothers over the years who weren't happy to have time with their young grandchildren when they were nearby and physically able to handle it. Rosie's mother is still quite young and, IIRC, doesn't work.
 
Canonically Autochton's sickness is inherent to his Mythos.

The problem he has while Nowhere is that he went to sleep and his subsouls (the Divine Ministers) are screwing around rather than regulating his processes properly (also they disabled several of his backups/failsafes because they didn't understand what they were for), thus leading to a slow build up of ongoing problems.

He explicitly would be fine if the Divine Ministers just pressed the wake up button (which they could anytime) and he could manually sort out his problems.
 
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No, as far as I understand he has always been dying.
The Smoke, the blight has always been part of his very nature.

That's how he could build something to kill Primordials in the first place, because he alone among them knew and feared death.

Looking in on it some more yeah, that seems right, but Molly probably will not grow up to be Autochton or that one Primordial who fought a guerilla war against Creation after the main battle was over.
 
Adhoc vote count started by Yzarc on Jun 11, 2023 at 5:47 AM, finished with 95 posts and 14 votes.

  • [X] Plan "full care"
    -[X] Rosie has a job lined up at Chicago Synthetics doing... secretarial work to start with, and then whatever best uses her gifts
    -[X] We are paying for Rosie's higher education whenever and wherever she wants to have it
    -[X] When we move out of our family's house, Rosie is free to move in with us, or we are ready to buy her an apartment
    -[X] Empathy and Etiquette excellencies, All Things Betray with willpower
    --[X] STUNT: The you that steps out of Black Rider and onto Wilson's porch is not the girl who used to sneak out with Rosie and be caught by her parents. Your looks are much closer to those of Margaret Carver, and were you to enter a boardroom and start a salespitch, no one would find it strange. Everything, from the heels of your shoes to the subtle yet undeniable wealth of your synthetic diamond jewelry is designed to make you look respectable, in a non-threatening way. You are still you, and Rosie's parents will recognize you as such, but you are still someone they will have to take seriously.
    [X]Plan Safety Net
    -[X]You are just going to pay Rosie's expenses and here's a bank statement to prove you can
    -[X]If pressed for details, state that you were bequeathed an inheritance when you were about to turn 18 and made some good investments
    -[X]All Things Betray + Empathy Excellency + Subterfuge Excellency(if necessary) active: 2m, 1wp
    -[X]STUNT: You are met at the door to the Wilson household by their twelve year old, who wordlessly smiles at you, before yelling over his shoulder "Mom! Molly's here!" You smile back at him as you step inside, tousling his hair with your right hand even as you adjust your grip on the file in the other hand. Your eyes meet those of the woman stepping out of the kitchen, her very face and body like an open book to you. "Mrs Wilson. Thank you for seeing me."
    [X] You are just going to pay Rosie's expenses and here's a bank statement to prove you can
    [X] Plan Mushrooms
    -[X] Explain that you and Rosie have a plan to move in together once you are of age, you can help her deal with the baby.
    -[X] Rosie has a job lined up at Chicago Synthetics doing... secretarial work you guess.
    -[X] Have clippy fabricate a benefits package for a secretarial position that includes generous but not implausible compensation that happens to be good for family issues.
    -[X] Outline a plan for them that describes how we're planning to make this work in practice
    —[X] Molly is moving out when she turns 18, and plans to support herself via her existing experience as a mechanic. Long term seeking education like an apprenticeship as a machinist.
    -—[X] If Rosie moves in with her then she'll be able to assist with childcare stuff, financial and otherwise.
    —[X] Rosie had a good interview with a local company, Chicago Synthetics, which offers education assistance as a job benefit. If she takes that it'd cover a lot of the medical and long term financial issues.
    [X] Plan Queen of all we behold
    -[X] Come clear about the magic, you can do a lot of stuff, from crafting impossible tech to creating diamonds or gold.
    --[X] Demonstrate if necessary, by literally making something in their shed with a box of scraps.:cool2:
    -[X] We do have a job lined up for her at Chicago Synthetics and can also personally help her and finance higher education later.
    [X] Plan Mushrooms
    -[X] Find some time to meet with or call Rosie privately and present this plan to her. The essential idea being to use our resources to make a mundane cover so she can focus on herself and her daughter in whatever form she ultimately wants that to take. Modify based on her input.
    -[X] Explain that you and Rosie have a plan to move in together once you are of age, you can help her deal with the baby.
    -[X] Rosie has a job lined up at Chicago Synthetics doing... secretarial work you guess.
    —[X] Set up evidence of a phone interview and a "second round" in person interview scheduled for the same week the conversation with Rosie's parents takes place in with an initial offer letter that includes the benefits package.
    —[X] If necessary imply that someone in the office was sympathetic to her situation and is giving her a chance.
    -[X] Have clippy fabricate a benefits package for a secretarial position that includes generous but not implausible compensation that happens to be good for family issues.
    -[X] Outline a plan for them that describes how we're planning to make this work in practice
    —[X] Molly is moving out when she turns 18, and plans to support herself via her existing experience as a mechanic. Long term seeking education like an apprenticeship as a machinist.
    -—[X] If Rosie moves in with her then she'll be able to assist with childcare stuff, financial and otherwise.
    —[X] Rosie had a good interview with a local company, Chicago Synthetics, which offers education assistance as a job benefit. If she takes that it'd cover a lot of the medical and long term financial issues.
 
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