Roughly two years before the start of the series?
Greg and Helen Beckitt were married with one daughter, Amanda Beckitt. Very well off; Helen was a bigtime finance person of some sort managing hundreds of millions of dollars.
Marcone was an up and coming gangster in the then-Vargassi mob.
The official story is that, his dudes and a Jamaican gang got in a gunfight and stray bullets hit Amanda Beckitt in the crossfire.
She spent three weeks in intensive care and died.
The actual story is that his boss, and his boss's som Marc Vargassi, tried to kill him off.
The girl got caught in the crossfire, and the parents were well off enough to cause a stink. The Vargassis panicked, and to cover for his son, the boss faked her death and had her moved to a longterm care facility paid for by a dummy corporation, where she's been.
Marcone figured it out, overthrew his boss, found out about the girl, and has been paying her hospital bills ever since.
The Beckitt's only knew the official story of course, and blamed Marcone.
He offered a financial settlement, they declined. The criminal case went nowhere, because crime boss, and for once he was innocent. Civil case went nowhere.
So they turned to funding Victor Sells to overthrow Marcone. Sells was making and distributing Three Eye on the street.
When Sells went down after tangling with Dresden, they went to jail for drug distribution and abetting.
Greg Beckitt died in jail. Helen got out, Marcone offered her a job.
Amanda Beckitt will probably be at least ten to twelve years old, and has spent the last seven years in a coma.
Marcone hired professional thieves to steal the Shroud of Turin in Death Masks in order to see if contact would result in a miracle.
He doesnt tell her mother she's alive because he thinks it will break her.
Well it is a god, but it's the least god of a very -until now- unimportant place.
Maybe just give it the stats of a Rottweiler plus scorpion tail attack. However then add on that it can become selectively intangible in it's home. As well as being able to reflexively teleport back into it's home.
[X] No, but this is even better than what you had envisaged -[X] There was no point where this was out of control, but the opportunity wasn't apparent until after we started.
[X] No, but this is even better than what you had envisaged
-[X] Empathy excellency
-[X] Explain what you understand of the being you created and how they can care for it, and show proper appreciation for its duty
-[X] You blink, slowly, and then smile disarmingly: "Can't say I have, no, sorry. Now that it happened, however, here is the advice for how to keep your new guardian deity in the best possible shape"
[X] While not quite the intended outcome, the results speak for themselves. This is our first ritual working with multiple unfamiliar participants, after all, not to mention the addition of the heirloom cauldron.
[X] No, but this is even better than what you had envisaged -[X] There was no point where this was out of control, but the opportunity wasn't apparent until after we started.
-[X]To Helen "It might be a good idea for you to regularly mention just how safe you feel with it protecting you it's not for petting, but laps up praise."
[X] No, but this is even better than what you had envisaged
-[X] Empathy excellency
-[X] Explain what you understand of the being you created and how they can care for it, and show proper appreciation for its duty
-[X] You blink, slowly, and then smile disarmingly: "Can't say I have, no, sorry. Now that it happened, however, here is the advice for how to keep your new kind of like a Japanese Kami guardian in the best possible shape"
"No, but this is better than I had originally envisioned," you reply after a moment's thought, no point lying just because things had gone a little sideways, or worse just because you can. Lying can be a habit that's hard to kick, you know that all too well.
"Better?" There is a whole novel's worth of meaning in Anna Ash's single word.
"Sure, I mean the real limits of a ward are how much power it can discharge at once and how much power is in there, easiest way to overcome it is run it out of magic juice, uh technical term," you flash a smile and almost in spite of herself you see Anna start to return it. "A list will do in a pinch don't hit the neighbor's kids with as much power as you would use on a zombie crashing in and that was what I was going to do make the power easier to partition, but make something complex enough and add and archetype template, hound for the protection of territory, scorpion for the sting of the curse like you saw, and you get basically emergent intelligence, turns out its easier to just get the stacks to sort themselves. "
As you give the pitch, like you are an advertising person in a room full of suits, you are dodging the elephant, or maybe better to say the god in the room. The proper name for the being you had made. In Japan they would be the Kami the guardians of each place or thing, in China the Yaoguai, strange spirits born of an imbalance in the chi, in Vietnam one might call this a form of Thành hoàng, a city or village god, though an apartment building is rather a more humble abode than such usually dwell in. There is a part of you that feels like every place should have them, every star in the sky, every blade of grass, every falling snowflake.
"You have to admit Anna that is a familiar look she is wearing," Abby teases the older woman gently, a joke often told from the tone.
Anna huffs, though she cannot quite manage to keep a straight face. "Jokes aside, I have never heard of someone accidentally coding up an AI before."
Surprisingly it's Helen who replies. "Magic isn't ones and zeroes. I imagine it wants to be alive more than any piece of code."
"Who says code can't be magic?" you quip back automatically, thinking of Clippy, Burny, Black Rider, the Beige Wagon and all the rest of your friends. "Magic is in all things, we are just better at recognizing it in older things because as a society we are more experienced with it."
"So you could awaken one of these spirits in any conceptual space?"
Well that's some blunt fishing for information, you think. Maybe she hasn't had much practice.
"What happened today was a consequence of all our efforts," you reply, honestly as far as it goes, but answering little.
"What's it's name?" Pauline asks.
Watchful Bane upon the Thirty Sixth Threshold, you know instantly, as you do what the number means, this had been the thirty sixth apartment sold in this building back when it was new-built and you also know that this is the least god's true name, one a wizard might conjure by as though it had been spoken from its own lips. It makes sense since I made it I guess, but that would be so easy to abuse.
Gained 2 Essence -> Now at 8/12
Thankfully when you recount the name it does not have anything like that weight and yet the spirit hears you, slipping back into reality from a rift in the air... no, coalescing. It had always been here and it will always be here. Over the next hour you learn a great deal about Bane, as you mentally shorten the spirit's name, some of it obvious, like the deadly poison that hides in its sting, some of it surprising, such as the fact that it possesses the equivalent of a high school education in most matters and knows how to operate the computer in the corner.
Helen seems particularly intrigued by the account of how Bane learns languages, being able to pick them out whole from the head of any mortal who speaks them and 'keep' two of them even when that mortal has left. Still you cannot help but think that if she is planning to use it as a translator she must have some really brave people in mind to test it out on. You can almost taste its will, its malice in the air able to twist the fortune of any within its domain to ill by a simple exertion of will able to inflict everything from bumps and bruises to serious even deadly peril. That alone would have made it more deadly than any curse the Order of the Cauldron alone could cast, but then you question Bane just a touch more...
"You can weave curses? Spells?" Pauline asks, as though she had not heard it aright. In truth she would probably prefer that.
"Yes," the godling proclaims without pride or prefabrication, recounting the sort of ill wishing it can lay which would cling to the foe far past the bounds of its domain.
Some more questioning by Pauline reveals the spirit is about as skilled in hexcraft as she is, though within the bounds of its domain which encompass the whole apartment building it is far more skilled.
Appearance: Slinking forth from the corners of its domain the spirit seems like a greyhound, its belly black as midnight, back and head grizzled as though from fallen snow. At first only its tail curved back like that of a scorpion gives lie to its canine form, but any who look into its eyes will see far more than they bargained for, swirling mist are the whites of its eyes and its pupil blazing green flame that promises death and worse than death.
Concept: Curse Wrought Guardian
Motivation: Guard my domain and its mortal inhabitants against all who would do them harm
Special Advantages: Accursed Sting: Your poison burns with caustic green flame, for each successful attack inflict three points of aggravated damage. This damage affects even those without a functioning biology like Black Court vampires or zombies, though not beings with a specific immunity to poison Alien Impression: A creature of elder days in death and misfortune reborn, no mortal who looks upon you could mistake you for anything mundane for more than a moment Aura of Malice: Your malice infects the very air in the presence of a foe. Creatures opposed to your feel compelled to flee your presence unless they spend a Willpower. Those who do suffer up to a +3 to all DCs in your domain while you are active. You may freely scale this effect. Darksight: You can see even in blackest night as though it were midday, the darkness holds no secrets to you. Divine Tongue: You share the language of any mortal being which enters your domain and converse with them freely. Of these languages you may select up to your intelligence in languages to keep, that is languages you can freely speak without access to any native speaker. You may read and write in any tongue you know Guardian's Curse: The Least God counts as possessing Path of Curses 3, it is always considered as posessing an item belonging to the victim if they appropriate anything from its domain Immortal: You are a god, bound to your domain, while it endures so shall you. Being slain simply sends you into deathhly slumber while you recover your strength. If you are slain by lethal damage you wake with the next sunset, whereas agravated damage requires nine days. Naturally Intangible: You are naturally and reflexively intangible beyond the reach of mundane weapons beyond the sight of those who do not possess mystic senses. To become tangible roll willpower against DC 6. Each success gives you an hour of material existence for the day Place-bound: You cannot leave the building which you were wrought to guard, though your influence can be felt beyond it, any curses you lay endure until they are broken or until the target perishes and your poison remains just as potent no matter where it is taken... or in whose veins it lies Telekinetic Touch: Can manipulate items in your environment as though you possessed hands, this power is too weak to use in combat.
Health Levels: 8/8
Willpower: 8
"You are not going to... hurt anyone are you?" she finally asks, obviously dreading the answer.
The godling's head tilts and its balefire eyes look at her almost quizzically. "No more than their trespass deserves. Have you forgotten the purpose you have given me?"
"No, it's just..." she shakes her head as the spirit departs once more, having reached the end of its explanations.
Pauline however is not done. "You realize that thing could kill everyone in the building?" What good she imagines the hushed tone does you have no idea.
Lydia clears her throat, still glowing faint silver. "So could I, easily doesn't mean I'm going to do it?" There is something about a fifteen year old, five foot two, ninny pounds soaking wet calmly proclaiming she can kill dozens of people that seems to catch everyone out short. "We all act according to our nature and to our choices most of all. To assume ability to do evil makes for an evil heart would make one no better than the people of a certain town in the seventeenth century." she glances meaningfully at the cauldron. "All Watchful Bane upon the Thirty Sixth Threshold wants is to defend its domain from interlopers, which is what we, yes all of us, not just Molly, made him for. The least we can do for that service is grant him the respect we would any other thinking being, powers or no."
She isn't talking just about spectral hound-scorpions, that much is clear.
"That's a good point you know he's given us no reason to mistrust him other than being strange," Abby pipes up. "I wonder would he like some gingerbread. I baked some for today?"
"It," you correct automatically. "Bane is genderless, though that might change in time." You get another of those vague impression about that being something you could have shaped if you were doing this with more refined conceptual tools. "They could work though it can be a little confusing since composite spirits are a thing."
"It then," Abby corrects. "Would you like some gingerbread Watchful Bane upon the Thirty Sixth Threshold?"
"No." A pause of about ten seconds follows the word then. "Thank you for the offer."
"So..." Helen says half an hour later over coffee and the aforementioned very nice star moon and sun shaped cookies. "Would you like to join, Lydia, Molly? The Ordo Lebetis that is?"
Pauline looks at her a little funny, but she does not say anything and neither does Anna, though it is hard to tell what she's feeling on the matter. Abby on the other hand looks downright enthused.
There is a lot of good you could do here, you know the order is a lot bigger than these three and they do not have any protection save that which they can afford each other, no distant sanctuary, no repository of ancient lore. The Order of the Cauldron is barely five years old this spring and you very much doubt it is because no one had this idea before the turn of the millennium. Others must have tried and by the fact that they are not around it must have ended poorly.
But would your presence help more than it would paint a target in their backs? Lydia looks like she is willing to follow your lead, but on the other hand you can clearly see that she would enjoy the companionship, the belonging..
What do you reply?
[] Yes, join the Order of the Cauldron
[] No, do not join the Order of the Cauldron
[] Write in
OOC: I ended up using mostly custom advantages, but I feel they are reasonably balanced. If you guys feel otherwise do not hesitate to say so.
Doom Doggo needs a clear and through lecture on appropriate levels of force. Don't wanna it tear apart some random dumbfuck trying to set up a dumb joke or something.
Aaaaanyway, I think that "fly under the radar" strategy isn't going to work after one of theirs was a participant of a magic ritual that was probably noticed by a bunch of people and things. Goddamn shame we don't have relevant organization-leading path-teaching charms.
Aura of Malice: Your malice infects the very air in the presence of a foe. Creatures opposed to your feel compelled to flee your presence unless they spend a Willpower. Those who do suffer up to a +3 to all DCs in your domain while you are active. You may freely scale this effect.
No save +3 dif. is a bit much, this instantly makes most everyone almost completely incapable of acting in its presence. Either allow a save or reduce the debuff.
Doom Doggo needs a clear and through lecture on appropriate levels of force. Don't wanna it tear apart some random dumbfuck trying to set up a dumb joke or something.
Aaaaanyway, I think that "fly under the radar" strategy isn't going to work after one of theirs was a participant of a magic ritual that was probably noticed by a bunch of people and things. Goddamn shame we don't have relevant organization-leading path-teaching charms.
No save +3 dif. is a bit much. Either allow a save or reduce the debuff.
It is based on the aura from Gods and Monsters, the opposing creature creature type is trespassers:
Aura (3 pt. Advantage, or 3 pt.
Supernatural Flaw)
Uncanny radiance surrounds you. Perhaps you shimmer
with holiness, reek of death, smolder with the essence of the
Pit, or otherwise reveal an affinity for a given element through
your very presence. The specifics depend upon the sort of
creature you are and the essential nature of your true self: An
infernal entity projects an unholy aura (scent of brimstone,
unnerving chorus of damned-soul voices, and so forth), an
elemental conjures phenomena related to its home element
(breeze, flickering flames, dampness, blooming plants, that
sort of thing), an embodiment of technological principles
radiates cold perfection… you get the idea.
As an Advantage, this Aura ripples the localized environment
surrounding the entity in question. It doesn't inflict
damage upon the area or on characters within that area, but
it can be rather unnerving to folks who have reason to fear
such entities. People and entities opposed to the nature of
this creature (like demons in the presence of an angel, or vice
versa) feel compelled to flee unless they spend a Willpower
point to remain in the aura-bearer's vicinity; if they stay,
such creatures suffer a +3 addition to the difficulty of all
rolls they make against the character who radiates the Aura.
More neutral characters, meanwhile, can't help but notice the
pervasive effects of this entity: withering or flourishing plantlife,
shining light or glowering darkness, faint music, metallic
clanging, or a buzz of flies, and other similarly environmental
effects. While those effects won't influence system modifiers,
they speak volumes — for good and ill — about the nature of
the entity in question. The character can spend a point of
Willpower to suppress the Advantage for one scene, at which
point, a witness needs to make a successful Awareness roll,
difficulty 7, to discern the character's true nature. Otherwise,
the Aura manifests as a matter of course, without any form
of "activation" required or any duration set on the length
of its effects.
As a Flaw, this Trait cannot be suppressed. The Aura
betrays the character's nature whether he wants it to be
obvious or not.
[X] Write in, Plan Viser!
-[X] Had you not been what you are, you'd have joined in a heartbeat. As it was, they can likely see well, what you do. Joining directly would have implications on many fronts. Instead, would they be willing to accept you as an aid, possible protector, sorta kinda joined wink wink nudge nudge. Basically you like them lots, but you don't want them to be overwhelmed by your official presence.
-[X] Lydia is naturally someone different though, and she has her own voice! She also has your very complete support.
As for joining up, I don't see why we shouldn't. It's not like there is any sort of onerous burden placed on members, after all, and it's a great way to insert ourselves into Chicago's supernatural community. It's helpful for us, plus Lydia could probably do with a bit more socialization. She's newer to the supernatural than we are and in a strange place considering her lifestyle up to quite recently.
The Order will be good for Rosie, too, if she's inclined to join.
Going to note that whatever organization we joined will by our very nature become dominated by us. We're a bonfire to their little sparks. We become the face and the driver even if we don't want to be one. This is both good and bad. Even if we don't touch them again, if we're part of the that has implications to all involved.
Doom Doggo needs a clear and through lecture on appropriate levels of force. Don't wanna it tear apart some random dumbfuck trying to set up a dumb joke or something.
"Guard the house from all those of ill intent to Helen, warn her of danger and work mischief and misfortune upon the guilty matching each to their intent threefold."
As for joining up, I don't see why we shouldn't. It's not like there is any sort of onerous burden placed on members, after all, and it's a great way to insert ourselves into Chicago's supernatural community. It's helpful for us, plus Lydia could probably do with a bit more socialization. She's newer to the supernatural than we are and in a strange place considering her lifestyle up to quite recently.
The Order will be good for Rosie, too, if she's inclined to join.
Yeah, security through obscurity doesn't work when you live in a building guarded by an exalt-wrought god, built from the patterns and schematics of the architects of Creation. You are in the big leagues now, girls! And I am not talking to Molly or Lydia - they were always big league stuff.
I think we should join, and maybe start buying out the apartments in the building. We could make it our headquarters at least for a time. @DragonParadox how much does an apartment cost here? How much would we have to invest to buy out the whole building?
[X] Yes, join the Order of the Cauldron
-[X] As an associated member? Explain how various obligations might keep both of you from the meetings at times.
Basically, I don't see a reason we shouldn't help them. If Helen was a big time financial manager, I am willing to bet, she has useful skills. They are all potentially useful minions, in magic and other matters, and we could buff them up relatively easily, I think. We will almost certainly be making Paranet equivalent, and we could certainly start with them as a nucleus.
Yeah, okay, it is from the books. Still kind of whack, tho. I guess it isn't a flat +3 to everything, but still. Intruders could only ever hit this guy on a 9... I guess pretty ehhh statline compensates. Somewhat.
I think we should join, and maybe start buying out the apartments in the building. We could make it our headquarters at least for a time. @DragonParadox how much does an apartment cost here? How much would we have to invest to buy out the whole building?
Doom Doggo needs a clear and through lecture on appropriate levels of force. Don't wanna it tear apart some random dumbfuck trying to set up a dumb joke or something.
Aaaaanyway, I think that "fly under the radar" strategy isn't going to work after one of theirs was a participant of a magic ritual that was probably noticed by a bunch of people and things. Goddamn shame we don't have relevant organization-leading path-teaching charms.
No save +3 dif. is a bit much, this instantly makes most everyone almost completely incapable of acting in its presence. Either allow a save or reduce the debuff.
It is a curse god, and the first one made by the first celestial exalt to awaken in the modern era.
Fighting it inside its postage stamp of a domain should be an awful idea on the face of it, more so than it already is with place-gods. Which is saying something since the canon description of that sort of being makes even the small ones real nasty on their home ground.
Anything looking to fight even a tiny god should need to either be swole as hell or going at it through means other than a brawl in its place of power.
In this case that means attacking the building from outside its walls. It can still sort of respond, but it's drastically weaker and easier to protect against.
Or that's my view of it anyway.
Edit:
Shrimp to a whale: "are you interested in a position in our troupe?"
Isn't the ordo basically just a mutual defense group that occasionally gets together to do cool magic stuff?
Joining up sounds only marginally more onerous than joining a book club, but I'm not sure if it would do stuff like lock us out from signing on to other agreements until we take the thing over or quit if it does have a more formal power structure.
[X] Write in, Plan Viser!
-[X] Had you not been what you are, you'd have joined in a heartbeat. As it was, they can likely see well, what you do. Joining directly would have implications on many fronts. Instead, would they be willing to accept you as an aid, possible protector, sorta kinda joined wink wink nudge nudge. Basically you like them lots, but you don't want them to be overwhelmed by your official presence.
-[X] Lydia is naturally someone different though, and she has her own voice! She also has your very complete support.
What you guys heard about already, mutual defense, granting sanctuary to other members on the run, participating in communal workings for the benefit of everyone, all within reason. There is no real mechanism to compel someone to do what they don't like, if you do not contribute you can be voted out and that is it.
The difficulty modifier might actually be a good thing in terms of moderating Bane's reactions.
His goal is to protect Helen/the mortals of the building, even with the curse malice stuff.
Responding to people being idiots by making it impossible for them to complete whatever they're trying to do and a little extra on top as a dope slap is relatively benign compared to the other things it could do.
