- Location
- Germany
[X] Your father can mediate, ask him to stick around
Green Flame Rising (Exalted vs Dresden Files)
- Thread starter DragonParadox
- Start date
- Crossover Fantasy
It does, in fact it just makes sense to do as a general part of the vote, assume a message will be sent ahead if you choose to be late. Molly will still be late but the Exarchs will know about it.
Vote closed.
Arc 8 Post 64: From Another Angle
From Another Angle
18th of November 2006 A.D.
For a long moment you are split on going or staying, your father should be able to handle this enough for Harry and Grandmaster Aesp to settle this between them, it's just a misunderstanding. There's stuff to do and people to talk to, imperial duties to see to that you do not even know about but... Harry Dresden us stubborn, that is one of the things you like about him, but you did just throw him into the deep end and expect him to swim. Biting back a sigh you raise a hand for patience, hoping that your own holds out.
"One moment while I send word ahead to the meeting." So saying you take out the slate and tap out a few buttons, a message to be relayed over the palace coms you will be a bit late. No offense to Clippy, but this is a lot more convenient than her keys. Maybe she could shift vessels, disguise the tablet as something earthly.
Even though Harry does not wait graciously, more like someone expecting to be jumped at any moment he does wait.
"He's not possessed he's channelling the spirits," you explain, before turning to the Grandmaster Aesp. "How long have you known the spirits with which you know share Form?"
Startled at the question he nonetheless explains something of the long and complex process by which binder and spirit become close. It's more akin to courtship than the usual relationship of summoner and summoned, but you do not go into detail about that yet. A number is all you need. Three thousand moon-turns, that is roughly...
"Two hundred and fifty years Harry, that is the time he's known the most recent spirit in the assembly. He can take all the time he wants to do this right, so can everyone else in every skill, every task, every calling." You can see in his eyes he does not quite get what that means not really, so you flip the tablet towards him, displayed upon it a sphere a black vines surrounded by infinite whiteness. "This is Nohongata, the wastehut or ascetic's root a necrophage of a kind that does not, could not exist on Earth."
By now Clippy has absorbed enough of the local languages to translate the documentary as the strange, beautiful life-cycle of the plant unfolds on screen.
...this plant is perhaps the one most adapted to the perpetual nature of the Wheel's rotation, and the perfect opposite of hukapanui. The surface parts of this plant consist of a large number of black liana-like branches all interweaving with each other to form a multilayered shell. Oxygen-rich oils glisten on the surface of the branches, completely sealing the insides of the plant in a giant thermally insulating bubble that protects the internal roots from harsh climate of the outer wastes, where these plants commonly dwell. The uniqueness of wastehut lies in its method of reproduction and the cycle of its life. In the course of evolution, the nohongata discarded almost all ability to obtain nourishment from its environment....
Harry frowns at the screen, obviously unsure where this is going, but just as obviously curious, one does not take up the path of a wizard or a detective without a healthy helping of intrigue for the world.
In the proper scientific terms, it is a necrophage and necromorph, drawing nourishment and reproducing by means of its own Wheelturn. Over the course of its natural lifespan, which can last for tens of thousands of wheel turns, the ascetic's root does one thing and one thing only - it forms a spherical shell, creating a warm and insulated microclimate for a multitude of seedlings contained within. As it ages, its body slowly transforms, metabolizing itself, until only thermally insulated shells remain, filled with highly energetic organic compound that can be described as organic thermite. When its time comes, the wastehut undergoes a rapid decay, the shell breaking on the inside, spewing its contents inside the bubble. The ultra-nutritional compounds react with oxygen reach oils in a highly exothermic reaction. If this happened anywhere, but in the deep wastes, this would have led to, at best, a rapid fire, and more likely to a fiery explosion. In the ascetic's root area of habitation, however, the result is just enough that for the next several hundred cycles, the internal temperature of the plant is high enough to support life similar to the one more common in the Forests....
It is not that the words 'organic thermite' make Harry any less weirded out, but you can see that he's hooked now. Looking over his head you mouth 'sorry, it'll be over quick' to the spirit binder, though he seems perfectly content to wait, eyeing Clippy with a touch of profesional curiosity.
The inevitable turn of the Wheel will bring the plant – both the progenitor and the progeny, back to life in due time. With luck, the wastehut would re-emerge on the site of one of its previous turns, and nourish itself with its and its children decaying remains to grow larger still.
Point made you scroll past to an interview with an elderly lady, her only visible augmentation a brass arm wrought in imitation of base anatomy, a pop historian of the kind that make their living off book tours and taking part in documentaries like this one:
It is known that some denizens of five cities, who for one or another reason find themselves in the Wastes and not immediately dead, such as those pursuing the doctrine of escapism, also shape the wastehuts as shelters. Some historical evidence suggests that during the great escape from Ancestral Prison, this was a common practice as our ancestors braved the inner wastes towards the Forests and the Poles on which the Five Cities were founded. Certainly, no other plausible explanation for how our ancestors, who lacked our advanced environmental defenses could have made the journey.
On that mysterious note you flick away the video and let the silence gather for a bit then you say simply. "That is what the closest thing to tumbleweed looks like around here. Maybe don't go jumping to conclusions about how people work, cultures and magic works until you've talked to them."
"Plenty of people let things in to their heads back home too. Haven't met one that didn't regret it yet," he insists. "There are shamanic practices all over the world that let in ancestor ghosts and even other spirits in for a set period, each in their proper time, but when a spirit makes itself at home things get bad. You aren't you anymore. Living like that changes someone."
"You know you could have dropped two words from that sentence and it would still be true. Living changes someone, going out... going out at night, going out to a bar with friends, tilt your head right and that sounds scary as hell. This bunch of people ingratiated themselves with you so you are going to a place where they sell concoctions that lower your inhibitions, your focus and your ability to read intent." With every word you lower your tone to an ominous whisper, something you are remarkably good at. "Heck maybe after that bit of risk taking you decide to split the rent and live with them. You ever thought about how scary having a roommate is? They are just there when as you sleep, helpless."
"Well that brings to mind a lot of anxieties about you going off to college," your dad breaks the silence, the strain around the edges of his smile making it clear he's only half joking, even if his present worries may not be about college exactly.
Relaxing a little, even leaning back in his chair Harry: "Anyone ever tell you that you're a little too good at that? Making people see things your way?"
"Nope, they are all too busy agreeing with me," you say airily in parting. "Bye." With that and a longer, more formal farewell to the grandmaster you your father and Usum depart, leaving Clippy behind to translate.
As you make your way to meet with the exarchs, armoured feet echoing on stone floors older than civilization it occurs to you that you do not have to talk to them in this form even though it does not fade here.
What do you do?
[] Enter the meeting in full regalia, they expect an Empress after all
[] Leave aside garb of brass and basalt and from your head dismiss the crown, a less intimidating guise for what you hope will be a friendly talk
[] Write in
OOC: Info on the Nohongata taken from here (with many thanks to @Yog), which also includes some of the creepy bits that would distract from Molly's point.
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[x] Leave aside garb of brass and basalt and from your head dismiss the crown, a less intimidating guise for what you hope will be a friendly talk
Honestly, I would watch the (figurative) hell out of "I'm just an ordinary girl, and my college roommate is actually an Infernal Exalt" sitcom.
[X] Enter the meeting in full regalia, they expect an Empress after all
We have been in shintai so far. No reason to change it now. Probably later / during the talk. We have set the friendly tone with our speech, I want them to know that even the intimidating form can be friendly. And that we also have chops to be the symbol and the lynchpin.
[X] Enter the meeting in full regalia, they expect an Empress after all
We have been in shintai so far. No reason to change it now. Probably later / during the talk. We have set the friendly tone with our speech, I want them to know that even the intimidating form can be friendly. And that we also have chops to be the symbol and the lynchpin.
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Thank you, I was kind of concerned I made him too stubborn, but I figure the frustration of the players with him mirrors Molly's own and it does not make it unrealistic, just something she and you guys have to deal with.
- Location
- Germany
[X] Enter the meeting in full regalia, they expect an Empress after all
- Location
- oslo
[X] Enter the meeting in full regalia, they expect an Empress after all
Goldfish
Friendly Spider-Fish Abomination
- Location
- Formerly of the Far Realm
Well, we do own a production company now...
[X] Enter the meeting in full regalia, they expect an Empress after all
Our very own Wormhole X-treme. I would vote for something like this.Well, we do own a production company now...
[X] Enter the meeting in full regalia, they expect an Empress after all
Goldfish
Friendly Spider-Fish Abomination
- Location
- Formerly of the Far Realm
We could start a whole shared universe of modern fantasy-based programming, with several shows based on actual supernatural events and beings from the DF setting.
Whampire: The Masquerade
Barry Cresden, Sorcerer Detective
Beauty and the Hell Beast
Bob's Closet
LOL, these things practically write themselves. Seriously, though, I would support doing something like this. Not only could it be fun, but it's also a way to influence pop culture and provide a bit of ablative shielding against masquerade breaches.
[X] Enter the meeting in full regalia, they expect an Empress after all
We made our point about not being an omnipotent force already; a leadership meeting really isn't the place to keep pounding on the "aw shucks" angle. If we want to keep the whole empress role we need to embrace the part at least a little.
It'd be interesting to make dedicated media for introducing them to the rest of reality in an entertaining way. Sure we can and should just show them existing stuff, but a lot of it will make very alien assumptions to their point of view without ever explaining itself.
Doing a series of nature documentaries on earthbound humans, supernaturals, and their cultures would be hilarious.
We could also take that roommate concept and swap infernal for "shapeshifting gurvel explorer looking to experience earth" and do a more casual introduction to things as a side plot throughout the whole show.
We made our point about not being an omnipotent force already; a leadership meeting really isn't the place to keep pounding on the "aw shucks" angle. If we want to keep the whole empress role we need to embrace the part at least a little.
We keep talking about doing something like that for earth, but what about producing things for the FCF?
It'd be interesting to make dedicated media for introducing them to the rest of reality in an entertaining way. Sure we can and should just show them existing stuff, but a lot of it will make very alien assumptions to their point of view without ever explaining itself.
Doing a series of nature documentaries on earthbound humans, supernaturals, and their cultures would be hilarious.
We could also take that roommate concept and swap infernal for "shapeshifting gurvel explorer looking to experience earth" and do a more casual introduction to things as a side plot throughout the whole show.
Yeah, that works. The kingdom gets introduction to Earth in mass-media - something that explorers would want (we should also look jjto hiring someone to do more professional Earth studies courses for those who actually plan to go out), and Earth-side we get some plausible deniability / acclimatization. And "alien/outisder trying to live a nomrla life on Earth" type of comedies have been known for a long time. We're just going to do this more realistically and crush everyone with production values.
Yeah, ok, I'm up for that.
Edit: also, think of all the conventions we and ours could visit.