The whole point of eastern celestial bureaucracy, is to showcase how inefficient, and full of corruption such a massive sprawling bureaucracy would be, like the IRL China it is based on.
Green Flame Rising (Exalted vs Dresden Files)
- Thread starter DragonParadox
- Start date
- Crossover Fantasy
… No it isn't.
Taoism/Chinese folk religion was a religious belief of its own that didn't exist as a self lampooning joke. In its own context it worked, it's just that its oldest critics are the ones who survived and so did their take on things.
Things like the Journey to the West are Buddhist hit jobs on a rival faith as much as anything else.
Sprawling paper pushing mechanisms can be and frequently are full of issues, but what you're doing is sort of like presenting The Office* as the core truth/universal understanding of office work and therefore claiming that all offices are exactly as worthless.
*as in the TV show.
[X] Call the elemental up to say hello, there is no need for her to strain herself.
fictionfan
Please sir, may I have some Meows?
- Location
- Tempe, AZ
[X] Call the elemental up to say hello, there is no need for her to strain herself.
Just do it right. Don't be inefficient. We don't have to follow their exact structure.
This is actually unanimous with not one person speaking against it.
Vote closed, back to Molly now.
Vote closed, back to Molly now.
- Location
- Right Where I Am
Closed almost exactly as I was about to vote. Granted, it was going to be yet another vote for the very thing that won.
fictionfan
Please sir, may I have some Meows?
- Location
- Tempe, AZ
Couldn't really think of any reason not to. It combines showmanship and openness all at the same time.
- Location
- washington
Technically the hunger thing isn't exactly wrong we do have a low level supernatural compulsion to look for secrets. It just isn't anywhere near as bad as a vampires hunger.
Winning Vote
Arc 10 Post 15: What the Walls Heard
What the Walls Heard
10th of December 2006 A.D.
With a grateful nod towards Isabela you set your drink down. For a little while yesterday you had gone back and forth on whether you should be sipping something like a Martini or if that is too much like a Bond villain, in the end you had settled for everyone gets mulled wine and hot chocolate, its two weeks til Christmas after all. "Ah Wisdom Wu I see that you have made the acquiescence of our host," the words are carefully spaced so as not to startle her out of the light trance she is in.
Even though she likely does not need it you have no doubt she will notice the care. Harry certainly did from how worried he is suddenly looking. Really now, what does he think I'm going to do?
"The last time he saw you deal with a ploy in negotiations Ever-Puissant Majesty was against Eiko, servant of Kakuri," Usum points out, inner voice as neutral as yours had been, still leaving you morally certain he is amused.
No time to be talking to yourself though. "I am certain Porter of the Last Station would be happy to speak to say hi to all of us."
"Yes of course," surprise flows over her face like a bit of crimson fabric in a fast-flowing stream, gone in an instant as she sets down her cup and clasps her hands in front of her again, not so incidentally bringing all of the gold and silver ring foci together. Sharp enough ears, and yours are surely that, might hear a sigh from Morgan, but he does not speak while Ramirez is the one with the most complex reaction, annoyance warring with amusement on his face until finally the latter wins.
The people watching is brief though, Porter is a lot faster to manifest than he used to be, rising from the stone in glistening, near-unbroken coils, eyes bright with interest.
"Oh this is for... mixed company, I did not realize. Well... I assumed that if a subtle call had been issued that I would be a bother, break some kind of working... like the one half-sun, ah no half-moon ago." As he chatters, excitement making his words flow much faster than usual, he flicks his tail in Harry's direction. "I'm glad to see you are alright, you sounded like you were in a great deal of pain. If I had not smelled the healing pilthers I would have been worried that would be the end of a skilled wizard the City on the Lake can ill afford to lose."
"It's called the Windy City," Harry blurts out, before the elemental could say any more as you curse inwardly, you had never asked him to keep quiet about the ritual. Porter knows of course not to speak of happenings in the Station to those outside since it might open up a vulnerability to foes, but these wizards are inside the station, so that to his mind names them allies.
"Whyever is it called that, I don't recall the winds being particularly roused to flight when last I raised my head to them."
"Well it's either the tall buildings, towers, making a wind tunnel effect or it was an insult to the city's leaders last century," Isabela cuts in to give you time to think. "New York journalists would call Chicago politicians profit focused and feckless like the wind."
"The wind has purpose." Now poor Porter sounds confused, but you have much worse to worry about. There is not a doubt in your mind that Morgan is about to ask what you had been doing that had caused 'a great deal of pain'.
How do you explain what Porter revealed?
[] Let Harry handle it
[] It was breaking a curse. That is sort of true if you squint, with mental apologies of the shadow in the mirror
[] Write in
OOC: Porter has not interacted with people much and with his station being refurnished he is very excited to talk, plus he was legitimately worried about Harry so here we are.
fictionfan
Please sir, may I have some Meows?
- Location
- Tempe, AZ
Without Lash's help I don't think that he can manage. He will either shut up in a ominous way or open up in the way that sounds worst.
[X]I was doing an exorcism. I have a 100% success rate so far even if they hurt like the fires of Lanka.
- Location
- Right Where I Am
[X] It was breaking a curse. That is sort of true if you squint, with mental apologies of the shadow in the mirror
-[X] Harry took a metaphorical bullet helping protect my family from the Denarians, and I, in turn, used my powers to free him from his affliction.
Honestly, the truth, maybe not all the details, doesn't actually look bad for Harry or us. The Denarians are enemies of our family, and Harry is a friend of our family. Nicodemus tried to assault our family, Harry stepped in to help, and then we used our powers to free him from the burden that he had been afflicted with.
-[X] Harry took a metaphorical bullet helping protect my family from the Denarians, and I, in turn, used my powers to free him from his affliction.
Honestly, the truth, maybe not all the details, doesn't actually look bad for Harry or us. The Denarians are enemies of our family, and Harry is a friend of our family. Nicodemus tried to assault our family, Harry stepped in to help, and then we used our powers to free him from the burden that he had been afflicted with.
fictionfan
Please sir, may I have some Meows?
- Location
- Tempe, AZ
[X] It was breaking a curse. That is sort of true if you squint, with mental apologies of the shadow in the mirror
-[X] Harry took a metaphorical bullet helping protect my family from the Denarians, and I, in turn, used my powers to free him from his affliction.
Likely the best spin.
-[X] Harry took a metaphorical bullet helping protect my family from the Denarians, and I, in turn, used my powers to free him from his affliction.
Likely the best spin.
A bit worried about saying to much here. Iirc Morgan is just waiting on a chance to kill Harry and just the off chance that he figures that the "curse" was a shadow might be enough of an excuse for Morgan.
[X] It was breaking a curse. That is sort of true if you squint, with mental apologies of the shadow in the mirror
-[X] [Stunt]: Sighing Molly pans her gaze across the room. " Well this is a touch awkward isn't it? I'd like to maintain some privacy on that matter, but can hardly do so without sounding malicious about it."
—[X] " To start, I give you my word I've done nothing to change, control, or otherwise exert supernatural influence Harry Dresden to my own purposes. I simply set to rights a wrong he incurred defending my family, leaving him as he was before it happened."
-[X] [Stunt]: Sighing Molly pans her gaze across the room. " Well this is a touch awkward isn't it? I'd like to maintain some privacy on that matter, but can hardly do so without sounding malicious about it."
—[X] " To start, I give you my word I've done nothing to change, control, or otherwise exert supernatural influence Harry Dresden to my own purposes. I simply set to rights a wrong he incurred defending my family, leaving him as he was before it happened."
fictionfan
Please sir, may I have some Meows?
- Location
- Tempe, AZ
The problem is that being mysterious is also suspicious.
We basically have 3 options.
1. Disclosure with various amounts of spin. The full story doesn't exactly make Harry look bad.
2. Hide maybe with partial reveal. The problem is they are likely to think the worst of everything we don't say.
3. Lie. Molly is a fantastic lier so this will likely work, but if revealed is even worse.
[X] It was breaking a curse. That is sort of true if you squint, with mental apologies of the shadow in the mirror
Really not keen on spilling Harry's Denarian secret. Morgan would FREAK.
Really not keen on spilling Harry's Denarian secret. Morgan would FREAK.
Thank you for the citation.
Even with Splintered Gale Shintai clones, we're going to be stretched.
I dont really find it credible that we are going to add managing a spirit bureaucracy on top of that. I mean, its worth noting that even Mab has to devote significant effort to managing the internal hierarchy and jockeying of the Winter Court.
^^^
Point of correction: They arent few.
Essence*2 companions at E3 means 6 of them, rising to 10 at E5.
She has space for more than a few if she so chooses.
Anyway, Molly doesnt needs any of them when, like I said, Inner Devil Unleashed allows her to invest a fomor for the cost of 3 Essence.
They are supposed to be artificial spirits. I quote:
That means they share all the advantages and disadvantages of spirits in this setting unless otherwise stated.
That includes shit like being unable to enter thresholds or warded areas without being invited by the residents or someone with the authority to make that decision. You can also expect them to share most of the vulnerabilities of spirits like being unable to cross a circle, and being banished by people with the skill to do so.
If the kid goes on a sleep over, or enters a warded area? The spirit cant follow.
If the attackers are wearing something like a Dead Man's Talisman(Grave Peril, chapter 4)? Your spirit has issues.
If something like ghost dust(Grave Peril, Ghost Story) or rock salt(Dead Beat chapter 13) is in play? Your spirit has got issues.
If there's running water(Grave Peril) or rain? Your spirit probably has issues at a minimum.
And unlike natural spirits and even some fomor, they dont come standard with spirit powers of any sort either.
Dont get me wrong, they are very useful in the right situations.
But the design intent appears to be autonomous servitor thats primarily limited by area, not bodyguard god.
Calibrate your expectations accordingly.
My apologies for the imprecision.
I was talking about mundane thugs in that scenario. No powers beyond maybe equipment.
I will note that even relatively low-tier antagonists like Gorfels at the beginning of this story and Victor Sells in the first book of canon were able to scare up supernatural street-level minions fairly straightforwardly. Gorfels with his lycanthropes(knockoff fomor with spirit of rage) and Victor Sells with his demons and scorpion drones.
I think only the White Court and bottom-barrel thugs like Aristedes(Ghost Story) use purely mundane minions.
Anyway, those are what I expect you are defending against with a bodyguard: mundanes and low-level supernaturals.
You sure as fuck arent throwing this thing at a vampire elder.
I certainly wouldnt be throwing a dog fomor at a vampire elder unless I'm essentially writing it off.
And I would argue that a vampire elder is outside what you expect a bodyguard to defend against.
The job of a bodyguard there is to run with its primary to a place of safety, or get them to a location where a supernatural wont want to draw attention.
And thats something a dog can do better than an obvious spirit.
Remember that 10-yard limit?
A single gunman with Bane Arrow-equivalent bullets, or just a shotgun with rock salt, is going to stand at 11 yards and fill it with death, and the Emanation cant do much about it.
Service animals can go essentially anywhere their owner does.
Thats covered by the Americans with Disabilities Act in the US.
There's a reason why I said dog, not cat or turtle or something similar.
Point of order: 5-dot artificial spirit. Not quite the same thing.
City god of Chicago would be, by W20 rules, be something on the scale of a City Father/City Mother, and I dont think thats something we can realistically represent on the Arcana scale.
Strongly disagree.
There are multiple roles in which a human is of less utility than a dog; where high sapience is of less priority than stealth, or superior senses. Guarding a home, for example.
In addition to the other drawbacks I've mentioned above?
An emanation, by the rules, can only manifest within a hundred yards of its keystone, or within ten yards of its owner.
Which means its essentially worthless for guarding a child, since the owner, who the spirit takes instructions from, is not the child.
(No, you cant use the child as a keystone either; for one thing, it needs an item, not a person. For another, you need a Prodigy or a Fetish that is 2 dot or higher for a 5 dot emanation)
As specified, while an emanation would almost certainly be of significant utility as backup for a mundane adult human under the right circumstances?
Its probably of less utility as a bodyguard to a minor than even a vanilla dog would be.
Thank you for the clarification.
Vote called before I could vote.
This is a reminder to all of us that we keep people's secrets.
We cant afford to be too open.