The life of englightened dictator isnt easy.
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Lex Sedet In Vertice: A Supervillain in the DCU CK2 quest
- Thread starter King crimson
- Start date
- Superhero
The life of englightened dictator isnt easy.
Where it Counts Part 1
King crimson
Confusion Will Be My Epitaph
- Location
- Los Angeles
And this is out. Count Vertigo was a lot of fun for me to write as a character cause of how smarmy the man is while still being genuinely clever. I hope I portrayed him well and that you find him and his propositions interesting. Before someone asks the reason why the anti-bad intent wards didn't trigger despite Count Vertigo contemplating murder if because he didn't intend to kill anyone and would rather have avoided doing so. If there are any questions or comments feel free to share them and I'll do my best to respond.
The winning vote from last time is Plan Leads to Lex-bots
Where it Counts Part 1
Werner Vertigo AKA Count Vertigo
Count Vertigo was not a fan of airplanes. The machines were unsafe and rickety ad flying put him at risk of death. Even with his incredible abilities an attack on a plane would be the opportune time to eliminate him as his attempts at self-defense could backfire spectacularly on him. However one couldn't seize an opportunity without risking oneself. After all if Count Vertigo had never gambled he never would have eliminated both his brother and the mewling quim he married, enabling himself to begin taking control of the country as regent. As such Count Vertigo boarded a private jet on a flight to Metropolis.
He kept this arrangement somewhat secret. He could have made it into a large spectacle but considering what he was traveling to discuss it felt only appropriate to reduce the amount of eyes on the meeting. That is not to say that he kept things entirely in secret. A few trusted allies knew where he was going and would be able to make necessary calls if he for some reason or another vanished. Count Vertigo was willing to put his life in Luthor's hands by meeting him alone on his own ground but he believed the businessman hadn't consolidated so much power that he could afford to kill royalty in his own home and get away with it.
There wasn't much point in idle musing and as much as a glass of wine could calm the nerves Count Vertigo couldn't partake in any. He needed his wits to be sharp around Luthor. The man couldn't get away with killing Count Vertigo but he was no less dangerous for it. The man was brilliant and had who knows how many secrets and favors to employ. Just the fact that both Luthor and the leader of the League of Shadows knew each other was cause for concern. Count Vertigo doubted that he could withstand a prolonged conflict with the man.
As such his strategy in the negotiation was rather simple. The one aspect that Count Vertigo could make use of in this meeting would be Luthor's ambition. The man was ambition and while Count Vertigo found it admirable, it was still something to make use of. Because of his ambition Luthor would inherently view Count Vertigo and his ambitions as beneath him and thus would be highly unlikely to oppose them or micromanage so long as the Count gave him what he wanted. As such by acquiescing to the specific desires of Luthor, Count Vertigo could achieve his own separate goals through the use of his much more powerful ally and get away with it without earning any enmity. After all what did a country or two matter in Luthor's eyes when he was functioning on a global scale. Vertigo had no interest in contesting the man for planetary domination and would be satisfied with a country or two. The main thing to avoid however was the line of fire. Any enemies who felt confident in taking on Luthor would be able to crush Count Vertigo easily. As such Vertigo would refuse to put himself in danger for a cause that was not his own.
After the contemplation and an analysis of how best to approach things the Count's jet touched down in a small airfield in Maryland. Having informed the mogul of his arrival beforehand Count Vertigo was greeted by a limousine with a driver attached to it. The driver confirmed Vertigo's identity and began to take him to LexCorp Tower in Metropolis.
Metropolis was a city Vertigo personally found rather unimpressive. The urban sprawl of the city lacked a rich culture or history to it. It was a city that had no soul beyond that of its master. The one area of Metropolis that was genuinely interesting was LexCorp tower. Everything else in Metropolis was mere set dressing, spread around the actual point of interest. LexCorp tower was a statement, a modern day castle that declared to all who this city belonged to. Vertigo appreciated the symbolism and contemplated perhaps doing something similar back home. While he wasn't a fan of the more modernist architecture, perhaps something in a more brutalist style would be the sort of political statement that would work for him? It was all idle musings anyways, what truly mattered was not the composition of a city or the architecture of its masters but rather the strength and conviction of those destined to rule over the unwashed masses.
Count Vertigo elegantly stepped out of the limousine walking slowly into the lobby of the building unhurriedly. Count Vertigo was aware that with his green cape and golden walking stick he was an unusual sight for those around him to see but having a few witnesses in case of a tragedy would be quite useful. As he made his way inside he fingered the pommel of his walking stick, contemplating if he'd need to make use of the sword hidden within it. It wouldn't save him but Count Vertigo would at least like to make it a bit of a struggle to kill him. If you were merely willing to roll over in the face of threats than you would be crippled and shackled into submission by those undeserving of it. Whatever else he was Count Vertigo was royalty and that set him above the common man.
A woman, dressed in a crisp black uniform, made her way towards him. Count Vertigo merely smiled.
"A pleasure to meet you" Count Vertigo drawled "I do hope that Lex isn't busy now?"
The woman's expression soured a bit before snapping back to a blank faced professional look. Vertigo noted the pistol holstered at her hip. If it came down to a fight, her reactions would likely be fast but Vertigo could cripple her with his power before slashing her throat with his sword in his first draw. If allies came to aid her he would swiftly be overwhelmed but being able to at least take down someone important was an acceptable way to ensure that Luthor would regret betraying him even if it would cost Vertigo his life. Hopefully it wouldn't come to that but one could never be too prepared.
"Mr. Luthor" The woman correct, gesturing for the Count to follow her into the elevator "is ready to see you now"
Count Vertigo complied with the unspoken command and made his way into the elevator. The trip up occurred in complete and utter silence. He reached Luthor's floor and made his way into the man's office.
The room was sparsely decorated. It kept that same modernist design the Vertigo disliked but he wasn't here to critique the man's personal décor. Nothing in the room tipped off Vertigo as to any of Luthor's personality traits but he figured it would have been a longshot anyways.
"Mr. Luthor" Count Vertigo began "I appreciate your support and aid for Vlatava, your generosity has been crucial in helping the transition of power in such tumultuous times"
All technically true but both he and Luthor could read the real implications of what Vertigo was thanking him for. The political doublespeak wasn't for everyone but considering the power wielded by Luthor it was best to treat him like another member of nobility and hope that the courtesy wouldn't irk him.
"It is my pleasure to help those less fortunate than I" Luthor responded "It was such a tragedy what happened to your brother and his wife"
A reminder of who held the power in the room and that Luthor was aware of just how Vertigo had gained power in the first place. Calling in the League's favor was risky since it could cause scandal but considering his brother was about to remove him from being Perdita's regent and quite possibly from the line of succession altogether, Vertigo had to move fast to ensure he could seize power effectively.
"Yes it is a tragedy that has left my dear niece all alone in the world" Vertigo said in false despondency "I'll do my best with the powers given to me to ensure that Vlatava grows past this terrible occurrence, however with your aid ensuring that my time as regent would be prosperous would be almost trivial thanks to the power of LexCorp"
A subtle reminder of what Count Vertigo has to offer Luthor mixed in with some flattery should entice the man to at least begin to form an offer of an alliance. Count Vertigo waited patiently for how Luthor would respond.
"There is sense to what you say" Luthor calmly answered "As such I'd like to bring our to organizations closer together"
And then Luthor made his offer.
Offer to Count Vertigo subvote
Here you get to set the terms of an offer of alliance with Count Vertigo and by extension Vlatava. Please keep in mind that he will likely attempt to renegotiate some things or alter the deal in some way. On top of that all of the things you have already agreed to will not be in this subvote but they will be a part of your alliance. You can vote for as many options as you would like from the list below. Please keep your vote in plan format as any votes not in plan format will be discounted. Write-in's are an option for this vote but please be aware that all write-ins are subject to QM approval. There is a 1 hour moratorium on voting.
[ ] In exchange for being able to use Serial Peacemaking to root out any political opposition to himself Vertigo will keep Vlatava open as a safe haven to any member of LexCorp you need to keep out of scrutiny
[ ] Count Vertigo will provide you with human test subjects in exchange for performing research on replicating and enhancing power.
[ ] A mutual defense pact will be established between LexCorp and Vlatava
[ ] Count Vertigo will send Perdita over to the US for schooling at a location of your choice as a form of insurance against him in exchange for a massive amount of money
[ ] Count Vertigo will allow you to store things in secret in Vlatava for a fixed monthly fee
[ ] In exchange helping him seize more power and secure his reign, Count Vertigo is willing to ally with you in destabilizing and eventually conquering Markovia
[ ] Count Vertigo is willing to use Vlatava as a proxy for any questionable purchases or objects you need moved in exchange for a large payment anytime an object is moved
[ ] Count Vertigo will give you Baron Delamb's data on Quixium enhancement if you give Count Vertigo enhanced soldiers in exchange.
[ ] In exchange for producing propaganda for his country Count Vertigo is willing to allow you to be the sole source of information within the country
[ ] Count Vertigo is willing to pay you to improve and renovate the royal palace
[ ] Write-in
Ivo's funeral subvote
This is a vote to see if you would like to have Ivo's death be an event or not. I'm going to try something a bit risky with this but I want to see if it works. When inputting your vote for this, make sure to separate it from your plan vote by at least two lines (I'm hoping that's enough to get it to register as a separate entity to SV's vote tallying system). This vote should be in approval format if this works but if not It'll add on to your plan automatically. Thank you for being patient with me as I try this out. There is a 1 hour moratorium on voting.
[ ] [Ivo] Make Ivo's funeral an event
[ ] [Ivo] Keep Ivo's funeral as an interlude and nothing more.
The winning vote from last time is Plan Leads to Lex-bots
Where it Counts Part 1
Werner Vertigo AKA Count Vertigo
Count Vertigo was not a fan of airplanes. The machines were unsafe and rickety ad flying put him at risk of death. Even with his incredible abilities an attack on a plane would be the opportune time to eliminate him as his attempts at self-defense could backfire spectacularly on him. However one couldn't seize an opportunity without risking oneself. After all if Count Vertigo had never gambled he never would have eliminated both his brother and the mewling quim he married, enabling himself to begin taking control of the country as regent. As such Count Vertigo boarded a private jet on a flight to Metropolis.
He kept this arrangement somewhat secret. He could have made it into a large spectacle but considering what he was traveling to discuss it felt only appropriate to reduce the amount of eyes on the meeting. That is not to say that he kept things entirely in secret. A few trusted allies knew where he was going and would be able to make necessary calls if he for some reason or another vanished. Count Vertigo was willing to put his life in Luthor's hands by meeting him alone on his own ground but he believed the businessman hadn't consolidated so much power that he could afford to kill royalty in his own home and get away with it.
There wasn't much point in idle musing and as much as a glass of wine could calm the nerves Count Vertigo couldn't partake in any. He needed his wits to be sharp around Luthor. The man couldn't get away with killing Count Vertigo but he was no less dangerous for it. The man was brilliant and had who knows how many secrets and favors to employ. Just the fact that both Luthor and the leader of the League of Shadows knew each other was cause for concern. Count Vertigo doubted that he could withstand a prolonged conflict with the man.
As such his strategy in the negotiation was rather simple. The one aspect that Count Vertigo could make use of in this meeting would be Luthor's ambition. The man was ambition and while Count Vertigo found it admirable, it was still something to make use of. Because of his ambition Luthor would inherently view Count Vertigo and his ambitions as beneath him and thus would be highly unlikely to oppose them or micromanage so long as the Count gave him what he wanted. As such by acquiescing to the specific desires of Luthor, Count Vertigo could achieve his own separate goals through the use of his much more powerful ally and get away with it without earning any enmity. After all what did a country or two matter in Luthor's eyes when he was functioning on a global scale. Vertigo had no interest in contesting the man for planetary domination and would be satisfied with a country or two. The main thing to avoid however was the line of fire. Any enemies who felt confident in taking on Luthor would be able to crush Count Vertigo easily. As such Vertigo would refuse to put himself in danger for a cause that was not his own.
After the contemplation and an analysis of how best to approach things the Count's jet touched down in a small airfield in Maryland. Having informed the mogul of his arrival beforehand Count Vertigo was greeted by a limousine with a driver attached to it. The driver confirmed Vertigo's identity and began to take him to LexCorp Tower in Metropolis.
Metropolis was a city Vertigo personally found rather unimpressive. The urban sprawl of the city lacked a rich culture or history to it. It was a city that had no soul beyond that of its master. The one area of Metropolis that was genuinely interesting was LexCorp tower. Everything else in Metropolis was mere set dressing, spread around the actual point of interest. LexCorp tower was a statement, a modern day castle that declared to all who this city belonged to. Vertigo appreciated the symbolism and contemplated perhaps doing something similar back home. While he wasn't a fan of the more modernist architecture, perhaps something in a more brutalist style would be the sort of political statement that would work for him? It was all idle musings anyways, what truly mattered was not the composition of a city or the architecture of its masters but rather the strength and conviction of those destined to rule over the unwashed masses.
Count Vertigo elegantly stepped out of the limousine walking slowly into the lobby of the building unhurriedly. Count Vertigo was aware that with his green cape and golden walking stick he was an unusual sight for those around him to see but having a few witnesses in case of a tragedy would be quite useful. As he made his way inside he fingered the pommel of his walking stick, contemplating if he'd need to make use of the sword hidden within it. It wouldn't save him but Count Vertigo would at least like to make it a bit of a struggle to kill him. If you were merely willing to roll over in the face of threats than you would be crippled and shackled into submission by those undeserving of it. Whatever else he was Count Vertigo was royalty and that set him above the common man.
A woman, dressed in a crisp black uniform, made her way towards him. Count Vertigo merely smiled.
"A pleasure to meet you" Count Vertigo drawled "I do hope that Lex isn't busy now?"
The woman's expression soured a bit before snapping back to a blank faced professional look. Vertigo noted the pistol holstered at her hip. If it came down to a fight, her reactions would likely be fast but Vertigo could cripple her with his power before slashing her throat with his sword in his first draw. If allies came to aid her he would swiftly be overwhelmed but being able to at least take down someone important was an acceptable way to ensure that Luthor would regret betraying him even if it would cost Vertigo his life. Hopefully it wouldn't come to that but one could never be too prepared.
"Mr. Luthor" The woman correct, gesturing for the Count to follow her into the elevator "is ready to see you now"
Count Vertigo complied with the unspoken command and made his way into the elevator. The trip up occurred in complete and utter silence. He reached Luthor's floor and made his way into the man's office.
The room was sparsely decorated. It kept that same modernist design the Vertigo disliked but he wasn't here to critique the man's personal décor. Nothing in the room tipped off Vertigo as to any of Luthor's personality traits but he figured it would have been a longshot anyways.
"Mr. Luthor" Count Vertigo began "I appreciate your support and aid for Vlatava, your generosity has been crucial in helping the transition of power in such tumultuous times"
All technically true but both he and Luthor could read the real implications of what Vertigo was thanking him for. The political doublespeak wasn't for everyone but considering the power wielded by Luthor it was best to treat him like another member of nobility and hope that the courtesy wouldn't irk him.
"It is my pleasure to help those less fortunate than I" Luthor responded "It was such a tragedy what happened to your brother and his wife"
A reminder of who held the power in the room and that Luthor was aware of just how Vertigo had gained power in the first place. Calling in the League's favor was risky since it could cause scandal but considering his brother was about to remove him from being Perdita's regent and quite possibly from the line of succession altogether, Vertigo had to move fast to ensure he could seize power effectively.
"Yes it is a tragedy that has left my dear niece all alone in the world" Vertigo said in false despondency "I'll do my best with the powers given to me to ensure that Vlatava grows past this terrible occurrence, however with your aid ensuring that my time as regent would be prosperous would be almost trivial thanks to the power of LexCorp"
A subtle reminder of what Count Vertigo has to offer Luthor mixed in with some flattery should entice the man to at least begin to form an offer of an alliance. Count Vertigo waited patiently for how Luthor would respond.
"There is sense to what you say" Luthor calmly answered "As such I'd like to bring our to organizations closer together"
And then Luthor made his offer.
Offer to Count Vertigo subvote
Here you get to set the terms of an offer of alliance with Count Vertigo and by extension Vlatava. Please keep in mind that he will likely attempt to renegotiate some things or alter the deal in some way. On top of that all of the things you have already agreed to will not be in this subvote but they will be a part of your alliance. You can vote for as many options as you would like from the list below. Please keep your vote in plan format as any votes not in plan format will be discounted. Write-in's are an option for this vote but please be aware that all write-ins are subject to QM approval. There is a 1 hour moratorium on voting.
[ ] In exchange for being able to use Serial Peacemaking to root out any political opposition to himself Vertigo will keep Vlatava open as a safe haven to any member of LexCorp you need to keep out of scrutiny
[ ] Count Vertigo will provide you with human test subjects in exchange for performing research on replicating and enhancing power.
[ ] A mutual defense pact will be established between LexCorp and Vlatava
[ ] Count Vertigo will send Perdita over to the US for schooling at a location of your choice as a form of insurance against him in exchange for a massive amount of money
[ ] Count Vertigo will allow you to store things in secret in Vlatava for a fixed monthly fee
[ ] In exchange helping him seize more power and secure his reign, Count Vertigo is willing to ally with you in destabilizing and eventually conquering Markovia
[ ] Count Vertigo is willing to use Vlatava as a proxy for any questionable purchases or objects you need moved in exchange for a large payment anytime an object is moved
[ ] Count Vertigo will give you Baron Delamb's data on Quixium enhancement if you give Count Vertigo enhanced soldiers in exchange.
[ ] In exchange for producing propaganda for his country Count Vertigo is willing to allow you to be the sole source of information within the country
[ ] Count Vertigo is willing to pay you to improve and renovate the royal palace
[ ] Write-in
Ivo's funeral subvote
This is a vote to see if you would like to have Ivo's death be an event or not. I'm going to try something a bit risky with this but I want to see if it works. When inputting your vote for this, make sure to separate it from your plan vote by at least two lines (I'm hoping that's enough to get it to register as a separate entity to SV's vote tallying system). This vote should be in approval format if this works but if not It'll add on to your plan automatically. Thank you for being patient with me as I try this out. There is a 1 hour moratorium on voting.
[ ] [Ivo] Make Ivo's funeral an event
[ ] [Ivo] Keep Ivo's funeral as an interlude and nothing more.
King crimson
Confusion Will Be My Epitaph
- Location
- Los Angeles
He would have been furious and blamed the other researchers for attempting to do a step without him as only he (in his mind) is intelligent enough to safely complete AMAZO without bungling it. He would have doubled down on completing it though and would have been more liable to take risks.
- Location
- Kazakhstan
Want. Very much want. I already dream about Carl being able to manipulate earth, stone or metal.
Seems like a bad thing to ask of him. If he cares for her, he won't do it. If he doesn't, he would want to be able to influence her himself. Additionally, asking for a little girl to make her a hostage is a creepy thing to do. Let's not be that kind of villain.
I just want it to be over.
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Serpentine
Dark Arts Enthusiast
- Location
- The Tower of Ghenjei
Would be doubly nice if said soldiers were made loyal to us first and Vertigo second. Some opportunity for camera installation and stuff to help keep tabs and improve intrigue options in regards to our new ally if we renovate the royal palace too.
Torgamous
Aspiring Gynoid
- Pronouns
- She/Her
A more reliable source of test subjects than Intergang would be useful, and the caveat is that we do something we were going to be doing anyway. I'm less sure about doing this without a Vlatavan branch, though. So far we've been doing an adequate job of minimizing how much we shit where we eat, and introducing an intercontinental logistics chain for our victims could easily change that.
King crimson
Confusion Will Be My Epitaph
- Location
- Los Angeles
And the vote is now open.
- Location
- California
Could get a hero or two out of this, like during Wayne's party.
My thoughts on the options:
[ ] In exchange for being able to use Serial Peacemaking to root out any political opposition to himself Vertigo will keep Vlatava open as a safe haven to any member of LexCorp you need to keep out of scrutiny
We chose not to take this last time to not be involved in Vlatava's politics.
[ ] Count Vertigo will provide you with human test subjects in exchange for performing research on replicating and enhancing power.
We also passed on this due to potential of blackmail, both ways.
[ ] A mutual defense pact will be established between LexCorp and Vlatava
It seems a bit odd for a company and a country to have this, but it also means we have to defend Vlatava from attacks, while Count Vertigo has no obligation to help us if we strike an enemy first, and vice-versa.
[ ] Count Vertigo will send Perdita over to the US for schooling at a location of your choice as a form of insurance against him in exchange for a massive amount of money
I wish there was a way to phrase it better, but I'd be for this if only so that Perdita doesn't mysteriously disappear or suffer and accident from a "political dissident" plus maybe we can influence her to be Cassandra's ally in the long run, or ours if Vertigo dies.
[ ] Count Vertigo will allow you to store things in secret in Vlatava for a fixed monthly fee
I'm a maybe on this one, just worried it gives Vertigo the chance to study whatever we store, or report on it.
[ ] In exchange helping him seize more power and secure his reign, Count Vertigo is willing to ally with you in destabilizing and eventually conquering Markovia
It seems ok, but do we want Markovia? Don't remember if it came up, I do remember that we can't be kings and retain US citizenship.
[ ] Count Vertigo is willing to use Vlatava as a proxy for any questionable purchases or objects you need moved in exchange for a large payment anytime an object is moved
Yes, keep options open, same concern as with storing items though at this point it burns us both.
[ ] Count Vertigo will give you Baron Delamb's data on Quixium enhancement if you give Count Vertigo enhanced soldiers in exchange.
I like this, gives us more options, though @King crimson what enhanced soldiers do we currently have on our roster? We haven't started using cybernetics, venom, or the bone formula on soldiers I believe.
[ ] In exchange for producing propaganda for his country Count Vertigo is willing to allow you to be the sole source of information within the country
Sure, its gonna happen anyway when we invest in the country and Vertigo says it was done through his negotiations with us. Could use it to gather info on how to shape public opinion on various topics/marketing to whole countries rather than the individual.
[ ] Count Vertigo is willing to pay you to improve and renovate the royal palace
This is fine, though I think he'll expect us to try to plant bugs and cameras so need to be creative.
[ ] Write-in
@King crimson are any of these ok?
[ ] Write-in share information on persons of interest moving through the country
[ ] Write-in provide refuge for family members in the event of an emergency
[ ] Write-in exchange troops for training purposes
[ ] Write-in negotiate on their behalf to a third party (Lexcorp talks to US for Vertigo, Vertigo to other Monarchs/officials to get us an "in" with influential people he may know)
[ ] Write-in trade of military grade equipment for resources, or resources for manpower.
[ ] Write-in Vertigo endorses our Phones, we keep his top people with the newest model, and his capital city has full coverage (along with his military)
[ ] Write-in Research agreements outside of enhanced individuals (learning options for example)
I pulled some negotiating options I've seen in real life events and video games. There are other options but they obviously are not possible since we're a corporation and not a sovereign power.
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- Location
- Singapore
I am not interested in becoming trash disposal for Vertigo's political prisoners. We are not his personal Ghostapo.
Useful for Oz
Useful and hilarious if we choose to defend his country but not him when shit hits the fan.
We send her to the DOMA school where she makes friends with the future most powerful beings on Earth. Heh. Vertigo is going to regret this.
No problem. This is normal, we just have to make sure he does not mix his own crap amongst our own.
No. We are not interested in conquest of countries, we just want to be able to build LexCorp HQs there for more AP.
I would be willing to ally with Vertigo to kill that Quisling DeLamb who would sell out humanity to aliens.
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Elementary, my dear Cassandra
Since she was talking of Luthor in relation to Cassie, everybody in LexCorp knows Lex is Cassie's dad, and they're now kinda friends, it didn't sound weird to me. Many people I know refer to the parents of their friends as "X's dad/father/mom/mother" rather than "Mr./Mrs. X" or their given names. Still, now that you mention it, "Cassie's old man" probably fits better the way Jinx talks. I've made the change.
@King crimson While writing my previous Omake and trying to to keep the characters from being excessively OoC, this just came to me. Cassie still has a mindset and worldview kinda out of the norm, and I want to try and exploit it before she grows out of it.
Also, I want to put my current 1000 exp into raising Lex's diplomacy to 34, since we're so close to our shopping limit for it.
Elementary, my dear Cassandra.
Cassandra Luthor was annoyed at herself.
She prided herself in being the best daughter. She could learn and do anything Father taught her. She was perfectly aware of her surroundings and could spot all important details at a glance. She could detect all clues in the questions, riddles and puzzles she was presented with. She could quickly evaluate and integrate all that info into an action plan and perform it without missing anything.
So how could such a basic fact have slipped her?
How could she not have taken into account that Father that never been a father before being her Father?
No wonder he sometimes acted weird and tense when she was good and nice for him. Or that he got so thoughtful when they were together. Or that his body language often said that he was proud and satisfied with Cassandra, but unsure what to do next with her or what was exactly her role. He was untrained! He had never had a daughter before having Cassandra, so he lacked proper fatherly practice in how to proceed with one.
Thinking on it, it was obvious in hindsight. Father was just so super-clever that Cassandra had gotten used to think that he knew everything. But lately she was beginning to understand that wasn't true and that sometimes Father had to learn or practice something, like she did. Cassandra knew how it was. Sometimes she was shown a skill and she knew in her head how it went, but her body didn't achieve doing it smoothly till she performed it several times.
Being a father must be like that. Father must have learnt to be a father from another father. Or maybe he learnt it on his own, because he was smart like that and if Cassandra could learnt to be a good daughter on the job as she had been doing all her life, Father could definitely do the same about being a father.
However, it was all only in his head. He never had a daughter before, so he had never put it into action. And thus he hesitated and stumbled now, because he was trying it for the first time.
Logical.
Cassandra nodded to herself. Her course of action was clear. She'd be patient and understanding with Father till he mastered fatherhood, and never hold his mishaps against him. It was only fair, since he did the same with her. Granted, she stumbled much less often than him, but she had the benefit of prior practice at being a daughter.
Or rather, something similar, since the Man Before wasn't a father and thus she wasn't quite being a daughter when she practiced with him. But it did count!
Somehow.
In addition, she'd ask for more complicated perception training and work at it harder than ever! From Father, from Carl, from Mr. Nygma… She'd tackle all their tests and ace them. She'd improve till she missed nothing!
A good Luthor daughter would settle for no less!
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Kir the Wizard
The Sun King
- Location
- Ukraine
Since @King crimson mentioned that Werner is going to try to renegotiate the deal and haggle a bit, it may be useful to make some unreasonable demands that LexCorp does not actually need, so that the Count will feel like he has "won" a good deal when Lex agrees to retract those requests.
That's actually a great idea
[X] Operation Bargaining.
-[X] Count Vertigo will provide you with human test subjects in exchange for performing research on replicating and enhancing power.
-[X] A mutual defense pact will be established between LexCorp and Vlatava
-[X] Count Vertigo will send Perdita over to the US for schooling at a location of your choice as a form of insurance against him in exchange for a massive amount of money
-[X] Count Vertigo will allow you to store things in secret in Vlatava for a fixed monthly fee
-[X] In exchange helping him seize more power and secure his reign, Count Vertigo is willing to ally with you in destabilizing and eventually conquering Markovia
-[X] Count Vertigo is willing to use Vlatava as a proxy for any questionable purchases or objects you need moved in exchange for a large payment anytime an object is moved
-[X] Count Vertigo will give you Baron Delamb's data on Quixium enhancement if you give Count Vertigo enhanced soldiers in exchange.
-[X] In exchange for producing propaganda for his country Count Vertigo is willing to allow you to be the sole source of information within the country
-[X] Count Vertigo is willing to pay you to improve and renovate the royal palace
-[X] Write-in: Location Filming Rights for Lightyear Entertainment
-[X] Write-in: Royal Warrant for Macabe Fashion
-[X] Write-in: To assist Vertigo's political allies, LexCorp will buy the ruins of various castles draining the coffers of their estates
[X] [Ivo] Make Ivo's funeral an event
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[X] Plan Reasonable Treaty
-[X] Count Vertigo will allow you to store things in secret in Vlatava for a fixed monthly fee
-[X] Count Vertigo is willing to use Vlatava as a proxy for any questionable purchases or objects you need moved in exchange for a large payment anytime an object is moved
-[X] Count Vertigo will give you Baron Delamb's data on Quixium enhancement if you give Count Vertigo enhanced soldiers in exchange.
-[X] In exchange for producing propaganda for his country Count Vertigo is willing to allow you to be the sole source of information within the country
-[X] Count Vertigo is willing to pay you to improve and renovate the royal palace
Vertigo will never agree to risk losing his control and influence of Perdita. It has already been established when we deal with Zambesi that owning a country would suck our resources dry. And the rest exceeds how much I'm willing to trust Vertigo with.
[X] [Ivo] Make Ivo's funeral an event
We must take any chance we can to influence the narrative and get benefits.
-[X] Count Vertigo will allow you to store things in secret in Vlatava for a fixed monthly fee
-[X] Count Vertigo is willing to use Vlatava as a proxy for any questionable purchases or objects you need moved in exchange for a large payment anytime an object is moved
-[X] Count Vertigo will give you Baron Delamb's data on Quixium enhancement if you give Count Vertigo enhanced soldiers in exchange.
-[X] In exchange for producing propaganda for his country Count Vertigo is willing to allow you to be the sole source of information within the country
-[X] Count Vertigo is willing to pay you to improve and renovate the royal palace
Vertigo will never agree to risk losing his control and influence of Perdita. It has already been established when we deal with Zambesi that owning a country would suck our resources dry. And the rest exceeds how much I'm willing to trust Vertigo with.
[X] [Ivo] Make Ivo's funeral an event
We must take any chance we can to influence the narrative and get benefits.
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King crimson
Confusion Will Be My Epitaph
- Location
- Los Angeles
Fair enough. The grasp on the characters seems a lot more solid now. I don't think Cassandra will ever fully not have an odd mindset, she'll just get better at hiding it (being able to instantaneously perfectly analyze body language is bound to make someone a little odd in how they view others).@King crimson While writing my previous Omake and trying to to keep the characters from being excessively OoC, this just came to me. Cassie still has a mindset and worldview kinda out of the norm, and I want to try and exploit it before she grows out of it.
I'm on it.
Now onto this omake. This one is good. I have a slight nitpick in that you might want to change "Guy Before" to "Man Before" to emphasize some of Cassandra's oddness (she tends to use formal words rather than slang or shortening things to make her seem more rigid and less at ease with the concept of fluid language that most of us naturally are comfortable with).
It is good though even if Cassandra is wrong about some things they are things I expect her to get wrong. You've earned another 500 exp
I'd appreciate it if you put the Vertigo stuff under a plan name as otherwise it won't tally correctly when I count the votes and everything but your Ivo vote will be discounted.
Kir the Wizard
The Sun King
- Location
- Ukraine
I think this first one is actually in Werner's interests. It sounds like a big commitment (and a possible blemish on reputation) on SP's part.
- Location
- U.S.
[X] Plan Reasonable Treaty
-[X] Count Vertigo will allow you to store things in secret in Vlatava for a fixed monthly fee
-[X] Count Vertigo is willing to use Vlatava as a proxy for any questionable purchases or objects you need moved in exchange for a large payment anytime an object is moved
-[X] Count Vertigo will give you Baron Delamb's data on Quixium enhancement if you give Count Vertigo enhanced soldiers in exchange.
-[X] In exchange for producing propaganda for his country Count Vertigo is willing to allow you to be the sole source of information within the country
-[X] Count Vertigo is willing to pay you to improve and renovate the royal palace
[X] [Ivo] Make Ivo's funeral an event
-[X] Count Vertigo will allow you to store things in secret in Vlatava for a fixed monthly fee
-[X] Count Vertigo is willing to use Vlatava as a proxy for any questionable purchases or objects you need moved in exchange for a large payment anytime an object is moved
-[X] Count Vertigo will give you Baron Delamb's data on Quixium enhancement if you give Count Vertigo enhanced soldiers in exchange.
-[X] In exchange for producing propaganda for his country Count Vertigo is willing to allow you to be the sole source of information within the country
-[X] Count Vertigo is willing to pay you to improve and renovate the royal palace
[X] [Ivo] Make Ivo's funeral an event
- Location
- Singapore
@King crimson are these Write Ins ok?
[ ] Write-in: Location Filming Rights for Lightyear Entertainment
[ ] Write-in: Royal Warrant for Macabe Fashion
[ ] Write-in: To assist Vertigo's political allies, LexCorp will buy the ruins of various castles draining the coffers of their estates (like how upkeep of ancestral estates would bankrupt the British Aristocracy in modern times + I still want that Castle Skyscraper, we buy the ruins and let Carl make it).
[ ] Write-in: Location Filming Rights for Lightyear Entertainment
[ ] Write-in: Royal Warrant for Macabe Fashion
[ ] Write-in: To assist Vertigo's political allies, LexCorp will buy the ruins of various castles draining the coffers of their estates (like how upkeep of ancestral estates would bankrupt the British Aristocracy in modern times + I still want that Castle Skyscraper, we buy the ruins and let Carl make it).
King crimson
Confusion Will Be My Epitaph
- Location
- Los Angeles
I have confirmation the double spacing trick works. Thanks to this I can potentially recombine the plan and non-plan subvotes or make it so that multiple plan votes are available on one turn. As such I'll probably be revamping the subvote section to try and take advantage of this (I will have to post an informational on how to do this though and I'll be putting up a vote to see how people want to do things going forward.
These are good yes. Feel free to include them in your plan.
Torgamous
Aspiring Gynoid
- Pronouns
- She/Her
Some ablative proposals are good, but we should still only include things we wouldn't mind too much if he accepted. It would be a very bad look if we asked for something then walked it back after he agreed.
- Location
- California
Imagine if Pamela grows a garden of rare and exotic plants all around Ivo's grave, people will think we spared no expense, but really just her way of showing off the results of her research and that she was just as much a scientist as Ivo, and that her experiments didn't backfire (even if she can't tell anyone).
@King crimson were any of my write-ins acceptable? For Ivo's funeral, do we decide if attendance is mandatory for all employees, or how much media presence we have/who we invite?
@King crimson were any of my write-ins acceptable? For Ivo's funeral, do we decide if attendance is mandatory for all employees, or how much media presence we have/who we invite?
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King crimson
Confusion Will Be My Epitaph
- Location
- Los Angeles
Sorry I ended up missing your write-ins. They are all terms you can offer but I will warn you that at least one option is so lopsided in your favor that Vertigo would immediately reject it.
If the funeral is an event then you can choose that but if it is just an interlude I'll handle it myself.
Serpentine
Dark Arts Enthusiast
- Location
- The Tower of Ghenjei
[X] Plan Reasonable Treaty
-[X] Count Vertigo will allow you to store things in secret in Vlatava for a fixed monthly fee
-[X] Count Vertigo is willing to use Vlatava as a proxy for any questionable purchases or objects you need moved in exchange for a large payment anytime an object is moved
-[X] Count Vertigo will give you Baron Delamb's data on Quixium enhancement if you give Count Vertigo enhanced soldiers in exchange.
-[X] In exchange for producing propaganda for his country Count Vertigo is willing to allow you to be the sole source of information within the country
-[X] Count Vertigo is willing to pay you to improve and renovate the royal palace.
I like the write-ins for Operation Bargaining but it doesn't mention what Vertigo would be getting for them and I'm not really a fan of paying massive amounts of money for Perdita. Don't really need him to provide human test subjects when we can capture criminals off the streets or pay Bane for captured prisoners or something either.
-[X] Count Vertigo will allow you to store things in secret in Vlatava for a fixed monthly fee
-[X] Count Vertigo is willing to use Vlatava as a proxy for any questionable purchases or objects you need moved in exchange for a large payment anytime an object is moved
-[X] Count Vertigo will give you Baron Delamb's data on Quixium enhancement if you give Count Vertigo enhanced soldiers in exchange.
-[X] In exchange for producing propaganda for his country Count Vertigo is willing to allow you to be the sole source of information within the country
-[X] Count Vertigo is willing to pay you to improve and renovate the royal palace.
I like the write-ins for Operation Bargaining but it doesn't mention what Vertigo would be getting for them and I'm not really a fan of paying massive amounts of money for Perdita. Don't really need him to provide human test subjects when we can capture criminals off the streets or pay Bane for captured prisoners or something either.
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- Location
- Mid-Atlantic
I don't think we should take ALL these options at once, but some of them sounds like a good idea.
Not a bad idea. With that said, remember we'll want to be in a position to take other Stewardship and Diplomacy actions to counteract the PR hit caused by the accident in Ivo's lab.
Tempting. On the other hand, I kind of like the idea of Lex only being a dabbler in magic until fucking Superman shows up and suddenly Lex has incentive.
Arrrguably so?
Note that many of the resources we need to do Intrigue actions are themselves obtained through Intrigue actions. Like the spy satellites, which will probably help with a lot of 'find' and 'investigate' actions.
I support this.
Either this, or improve Handshake, our social media platform. We want to make it really good. Maaaybe build more server farms.
Ehhh, maybe. I want to focus our main magical efforts on finding out what happened to Cerise, if necessary working to cure her, and if possible figuring out who the fuck she even is.
Uh, by "Markovia" do you mean "Count Vertigo's country?" Because he lives in Vlatava.
Mostly agreed, though I'll settle for any engineering or 'hard science' hero. I want to put strong assets on that recruitment roll, though. As we've seen, the hero units we get from low-scoring successes tend to be... problematic... individuals like Dr. Moon.
I think we can only accomplish some of these things, but we'll need to, sure.
Also, Oswald just rolled a booming success on a TV action this turn, and did TV in two of the last three turns too. I think we're within our rights to ask something else of him this turn.
We let him die because:
1) He was very unlikely to finish A.M.A.Z.O. or even make much progress on it before he dies with the setback of the explosion.
2) He is relatively likely to fail disastrously again and cause even more damage because of the extremely high DC of the A.M.A.Z.O. rolls.
3) He is a horrible asshole and the thought of him actually succeeding in developing A.M.A.Z.O. is terrifying.
There are other reasons but those are the core ones.
We may or may not have the brain scans. @King crimson won't tell us.
The problem is that robo-Ivo would probably still be a horrible asshole, and more likely to eventually succeed. And, again, the thought of Ivo in an A.M.A.Z.O. ultra-powerful robot body is terrifying.
If he was content to JUST have a normal robot body we could work with that.
It is not simple to do that in the DCQU, King tells us.