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Magical Girl Escalation Taylor (Worm/Nanoha)

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ReaperofInterest said:
@Silently Watches, I have a question about build counts. Do you simply keep track of how many projects a Gadgeteer has completed, and subtract the required build amount in order to unlock a new skill? Or do you do something else?
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That's exactly what I will do. I like to keep things simple.
Vanigo said:
Hmm. His device is just called Sextant? A tad lackluster, isn't it? How about Astrolabe?
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While sextants and astrolabes were both used for navigation on the high seas, sextants would be a little more familiar to the average Joe because you can find them in movies set during the Age of Sail. Astrolabes not so much.
 
Silently Watches said:
If you look at the front page, you'll notice a couple of interesting things. First, there's a new section in the FAQ that details a mechanic specific to Gadgeteers and any other magi-engineers you eventually create. Please read it.

Second, Tim's character sheet is up, and you'll notice that the Utilities skill tree, which contains the spells all 4 templates more or less share, does not have training levels like Taylor's does. This is for a couple of reasons. In story, he doesn't have Perfect Storm/Immortal Assimilation Engine/the McGuffin whereas Taylor does, so it's expected that she's going to be a bit of a special snowflake. Out of story, if you had to sink training points into everyone you give magic to, you'd quickly run out of points to give for the stuff the main character needs. If secondary characters use a particular spell a lot, I might "train" them in it off-screen, but it won't be stuff you'd need to worry about. If anyone feels super-strongly about this, let me know, but I ask for an explanation of why you think it's bad if you want me to change it.
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I thank you for providing this explanation.

In consideration of the fact it is Earth, even if it Earth Bet, I motion to have the secondary characters invest an effort to obtain at least one non-lethal weapon/spell that is in line with their primary occupation. In light of the fact that both Flare Shooter and Flare Blade (the basic combat spell of Calamity Witch and Extinction Knight spell trees) are considered to only require 2 total points to achieve mastery (and non-lethal mode), I view this as a reasonable expectation.

P.S. If people have actually checked the Transcendent Gadgeteer, they do not have spells for combat. They do have "Mass Weapons" in the Hardware Tree. Since tinkertech is bullshit, I don't think there will be too much trouble there.
Vanigo said:
Hmm. His device is just called Sextant? A tad lackluster, isn't it? How about Astrolabe?
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To be fair it is a Storage Device. As in, the most generic and lackluster option of all Device varieties. No artillery support (Intelligent Device), not purpose-built for close combat (Armed Device), not purpose-built for buffs, and most definitely isn't an artificial autonomous sentient symbiote (Unison Device).

Nothing shiny in the device = no reason to show off with the name.
 
Always Late said:
Now how do you find all these people?
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Genealogy. If it's passed maternally, that means we just need to find the most recent maternal common ancestor of Taylor, Tim, and Lacey. All female offspring are mages. All female offspring of female offspring are mages... Males are more questionable, but you should be able to catch them too as the leaves on the tree.
"Perfect Storm, wide area search, please. I'm looking for people who share my mitocondrial DNA."
 
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Silently Watches said:
Oh! One more thing I forgot to tell you earlier. Solar Wrath, Temporal Sludge, and WAS are all advanced spells, which means Taylor will never use them on her own. Unless you vote to use these abilities, she will rely on her bread-and-butter Flare Shooter, Strong Shield, and occasionally Rust Shooter.
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I'm going to try a go for a single training point. Specifically for the purpose of trying to broaden our unspoken options somewhat. The training point, if I earn it, should go into Frost Beam (which is a 2-point ability and is theoretically a prerequisite in spirit to Temporal Sludge, so might go into a non-advanced options spell).

Spell Practice: Frost Beam

"Frost Beam is a spell that sends a magical laser at a target, which is then engulfed in ice. The spell itself can be used to engulf multiple targets at once, capturing them in place." Perfect Storm started her explanation. "Please try it on the targets provided".

"Hmmm." Taylor looked at the green targets lined up in a semicircle in front of her, then proceeded to lead a beam from left to right. The frozen over targets lit up and disappeared, shattering the ice. A replacement was generated, this time alternating red and green, in two groupings.

"Keep in mind that the beam itself is indiscriminate. Please target the left group freely. The green targets are your allies, while the red targets are your enemies". Taylor sent the beam in the middle of the group, watching targets of both colors be affected.

"As you can see, this is not as easy. The spell is designed to affect an area. Now, please affect only the red targets in the right group. They will start moving now."

Unlike the previous group of stationary targets, in this one the red ones began to move back and forth, moving out of the ranks of green targets and then back into them. After a few moments, Taylor aimed her beam at the ground around the mass of targets, creating an icy surface. Upon moving over it, the red targets started moving in an erratic manner, and then stalled.

"Excellent. Besides using the beam to target an opponent, it can also affect the terrain itself, changing it to your advantage. Now, please direct your attention back to the left group and observe". As Taylor followed the instructions, she could see the ice covering over the red and green crumble and dissipate. "The spell, when used on a target, loses its effectiveness within two minutes."

"Wait, what about the freezer?"

"In that particular case, the magically created ice was being kept inside of a freezer. That is, in a place where cold temperature is to be expected, and that is isolated from external heat. In the naturally cold environment of if cooled externally or internally, the effects of the Frost Beam may persist beyond the normal duration." The Perfect Storm dutifully explained.

"In light of this fact, and the indiscriminate nature of the attack, care has to be taken when using it around allies, or on objects you might want to make use of in the foreseeable future. Otherwise this might be... problematic. As you already know, you lack the means to casually remove the aftereffects of the Frost Beam."

"Case in point, again the freezer, I guess." Taylor frowned.

"Correct. Also, while the spell itself is usually considered non-lethal and dissipates in a short time, prolonged use or repeated use can lead to effects such as frostbite or loss of consciousness due to inability to breathe. This effect is usually negligible in combat between mages, due to the protective effects of Barrier Jackets and the non-focused nature of the beam. However, most parahumans in this world lack the equivalent protection." After hearing the explanation, Taylor mulled over it for a minute, then her expression cleared.

"Perfect Storm, create two lines of human-shape targets, the second twice as long as the first".

The first group was targeted slightly lower than usual, resulting in being engulfed to shoulders. The second was almost casually targeted at the knee level, resulting in a group of mannequin-like figures with legs stuck frozen to the ground.

"An adequate solution, Mistress. Keep in mind that unless the target is fully immobilized, they may still make use of some of their capabilities."

"Like using firearms, throwing rocks or grenades, or using Blaster abilities. Or casting spells, I suppose. And now that we're talking about things like that, I suppose we could talk about the other way this spell can be thwarted.

"I can certainly capture someone in ice. However, if they are a strong enough Brute, they may break out of it regardless. A Blaster with an immunity to their own attacks might also try to break themselves loose. I wonder how it could have worked against Cadejo... But then again, my Solar Wrath would have melted the ice anyway.

"I can cover the floors in ice to hamper someone's movement. But again it does nothing against firearms and Blaster powers, and is also completely ineffective against a flyer, like myself. On the other hand, it probably would have worked well against those monsters at the party. I can also probably try and make barricades or block doors and windows with this, but I'm not sure how effective that might be.

"I can certainly try and use it against mechanisms. A car with its wheels or engine frozen solid will not be able to do much. And this could have been a valid tactic against that urban tank of Squealers. Also, I should take care not to aim this at a flying vehicle unless I need it gone - it's practically guaranteed to crash after all! Electronics, though... Well it's a bit of a toss up. And back to your comment of not targeting anything I might want to use, I think flash-freezing the the controls of some device might be a way to ruin someone else's day.

"Finally, if I need any more ideas, I might want to check on Cailleach's known tricks. She also uses ice, even if her arsenal is certainly broader than mine in that manner, so I'm sure there's something I might be able to pick up."

xxxxxxxxxxxxx

After the next battle, in which Calamity Witch had utilized the Frost Beam to great effect, the PHO and the Protectorate had started to suspect Calamity Witch to have some variant of a power copier effect, having drawn lines of correlation between Purity, Legend and Solar Wrath, and between Cailleach and Frost Beam. Of course, they were wrong, but that's just how it goes.

Omake End

@Silently Watches , if it's possible I'd like to have a training point in Frost Beam, and to make Frost Beam one of the non-advanced spells to be added to the "occasionally used" category like Rust Shooter.
 
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Faraway-R said:
After the next battle, in which Calamity Witch had utilized the Frost Beam to great effect, the PHO and the Protectorate had started to suspect Calamity Witch to have some variant of a power copier effect, having drawn lines of correlation between Purity, Legend and Solar Wrath, and between Cailleach and Frost Beam. Of course, they were wrong, but that's just how it goes.
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"We were already working on the Trump rating anyway."
 
Faraway-R said:
if it's possible I'd like to have a training point in Frost Beam, and to make Frost Beam one of the non-advanced spells to be added to the "occasionally used" category like Rust Shooter.
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Well, you can put the point in the spell, but like all other points that used to be held back until we got the spell, it won't be useful until we unlock it. Granted, with points already invested in it, that's more likely, but we won't be able to use it until then.
 
Firedon said:
Well, you can put the point in the spell, but like all other points that used to be held back until we got the spell, it won't be useful until we unlock it. Granted, with points already invested in it, that's more likely, but we won't be able to use it until then.
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Ah. So that's how it works? Okay then.
 
Faraway-R said:
@Silently Watches , if it's possible I'd like to have a training point in Frost Beam, and to make Frost Beam one of the non-advanced spells to be added to the "occasionally used" category like Rust Shooter.
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I will consider this, but I'm not going to guarantee it because of the whole "hits allies and enemies indiscriminately" issue. And since you didn't realize the point was going to be inaccessible since the spell is unpurchased, let me know if you want to move it to something else. I'll stick it in Frost Beam for now.
 
Silently Watches said:
I will consider this, but I'm not going to guarantee it because of the whole "hits allies and enemies indiscriminately" issue. And since you didn't realize the point was going to be inaccessible since the spell is unpurchased, let me know if you want to move it to something else. I'll stick it in Frost Beam for now.
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Which is why she should only use it in either ground denial mode (ice floor) or as a starter in a skirmish (while the battle lines are still clear), unless directed otherwise. Ice the exits, ice the floors, or freeze the unsuspecting gangers with no non-combatants around, this kind of thing.

As for relocating the point, if nobody does anything to fill it until the end of the arc, fill the last point of Solar Wrath instead, so that no matter what happens we get to Endbringer Arc (2nd) with it mastered.
 
@Silently Watches, I have a few questions regarding our new Gadgeteer.

1: I know that you said you'll simply keep track of the number of projects he's completed and subtract the required build number from that number in order to unlock new skills, but when will you determine if it's time to unlock new skills? Will we be given the option to unlock new skills every time he completes a project and he's above the number required for him to unlock a new skill? Or will it be at the end of every arc? Or something else?

2: Since Gadgeteers don't seem to have spells per say, could they rush and get twin Guardian Beasts and not have a malus whenever they try to unlock a new skill?

3: Are resources for projects going to be an issue at all?
 
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ReaperofInterest said:
1: I know that you said you'll simply keep track of the number of projects he's completed and subtract the required build number from that number in order to unlock new skills, but when will you determine if it's time to unlock new skills? Will we be given the option to unlock new skills every time he completes a project and he's above the number required for him to unlock a new skill? Or will it be at the end of every arc? Or something else?
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I'll probably give you the opportunity to buy skills for him at the end of each week, about the same time you have the moratoria for picking out the next week's activities. That will need to be in plan format, but we'll get into it more when the time comes around.
ReaperofInterest said:
3: Are resources for projects going to be an issue at all?
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Are they going to be an issue period? Of course. Are they going to be a major issue? Not so much, and really not at all if you don't involve yourself as an assistant.
ReaperofInterest said:
2: Since Gadgeteers don't seem to have spells per say, could they rush and get twin Guardian Beasts and not have a malus whenever they try to unlock a new skill?
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… … FFFFFFFUUUUUUUUUU—

Wait! Yes, they would. Twin familiars put a penalty on training and learning new skills, so it would double the price for each new skill.
 
Omake train has no brakes.
edale said:
In truth, the Grand Canyon was the ONLY attraction the group had managed to actually see.

Just another example of the cape impact on America.
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Travel plans 3

Taylor was really disheartened to see how many famous tourist attractions, priceless cultural monuments, unique landmarks were destroyed by capes.

"The Golden Gate Bridge collapsed when powerful ferrokinetic used it to storm Alcatraz..."
"The Smithsonian Institution was destroyed by rampage of museums exhibits. The perpetrator is still unknown..."
And situation in USA was actually better than in the world at large!
"The Eiffel Tower was eaten by nanite plague. Paris as whole was at danger of..."
"The Taj Mahal crumbled under game-based attack. Vicious Arcanoid paddles attacked architectural masterpiece..." Apparently, India had their own Leet...
Add to that devastating attacks of Endbringers and already gloomy picture become absolutely grim.

Taylor closed browser. Even if all that monuments were destroyed, it didn't mean they were lost. She still could visit them with her dad. She knew just a right spell for it.

Her first attempts were not entirely successfull.
Earth without humanity.
Earth controlled by group of supervillains.
Earth pretty similar to Aleph, but not Aleph – they had no information about other dimensions.
All of them probably were interesting from the scientific point of view, but they were not what she was looking for.
...Maybe later she could open a tourism company? She would have no competitors...

Then she finally found an ideal world. Now she could invite her father to one interesting place with a good view.


When glow of teleportation spell dissipated Danny saw an greenish-blue ocean, a bay and a red bridge spanning the channel between them.

"Oh," he said, admiring the view. "It's really beautiful here."

Taylor nodded, but looked at him as if she was waiting for some other reaction.
Danny concentrated at the bridge. It was strangely familiar, but in the same time he sensed that something was wrong with this view.

"Wait!" he finally understood. "Is it... I'm pretty sure it should be... Where we are?"

"Welcome to Earth Vav, Dad," Taylor smiled.

"Earth what?"

"Earth Vav. Vav is the sixth letter of the Hebrew alphabet and this is the sixth Earth known to me, including Bet and Alep," Taylor proudly explained. "Here we can be sure that no cape fight will ruin our vacation. There is no capes in this world."

"You... You discovered four new parallel worlds only to find a place where we can see the sights without cape related interruptions?" Danny laughed. "You do understand that you've outdone Haywire himself? You probably the very first human to actually step on the different Earth!"

Taylor smiled and adjusted her hat. "One small step for a witch, one giant leap for mankind."
 
Alright, here's my second attempt at an omake. If it qualifies for a point, I'd like it to go to Solar Wrath or Burst.

Choices, and Information

"...you said that one of the templates was a Tinker, right Taylor?"

It was just decided that since between him and Lacey, Tim was the one who was more involved in the Privateers' affairs, that it would be better if he got the template first. Now, they were discussing which template he was going to get.

"Yeah, it's Transcendent Gadgeteer. From what I can tell, it doesn't have any direct combat ability, but it's instead a sort of magical Tinker with a specialty in cybernetics and weaponry. Is that the one you want?"

Taylor tried to keep her tone impartial. While she had her own preferences when it comes to new templates, she had already promised herself that she'd let Tim make this choice on his own.

"Yes, it is. I simply don't think that I'd be very good at using the other three, you know? With this, I feel I can contribute better to the Privateers."

"Alright then, the Transcendent Gadgeteer template it is. Now, it's going to take me three days in order to make your Device, which will then apply the template to you, so you can go ahead and try thinking up a cape name for yourself. You also might want to think up a name for your Device."

"Wait, it's going to take three days? Didn't you say that it would take six weeks?"

"Ah, no. That's how long it's going to take my Device to repair itself to the point where it can create another template. It still takes three days to actually build a template-bearing Device."

"Well, that's...something. So, are there major things I should know about when I do get my Device?"

"Yes, there are. First off, when you first activate your Device, the template will be applied to you. You may feel kind of weird for a little while, but it should pass shortly. Anyway, you'll notice that you have a uniform on you. That is called a Hazard Jacket, and it's a form of protective forcefield in the shape of clothes. You will still be wearing clothes underneath it though. You'll also notice that you'll be able to fly. I suggest you practice that, it's been a major help for me. Finally, your Device will be able to allow you to telepathically communicate with people. Don't worry, it's nothing like the Simurgh's telepathy! In fact you'll actually be immune to a lot of telepathy-based powers! It's just something you should know about in advance. Any other questions?"

"Yeah, when the Device is finished, will you bring it here, or should I come to you and your dad's house?"

"Hmm...I'll bring it here. There are...reasons I don't want to give you your Device at the house that I'm not comfortable discussing at the moment, and we're dealing with them anyway. But still, it would be better to do this here. So, like I said, try and come up with decent names for yourself and your Device while I'm working. And now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go ahead and get started. See you in three days Tim."

"See you in three days, Taylor, Danny."
 
Right. For the people who haven't checked the spells lately. As of this moment, here's how it goes.

We have three (3) spells that are both unlocked and not mastered:
  • Temporal Sludge (2/4 Adept) – Slow the flow of time within an circle of a 20 meter diameter to a third of its normal rate. Spell currently lasts 40 seconds per casting.
  • Dimensional Transfer (3/4 Adept) – Teleport across dimensions. You can teleport yourself and anyone within 5 feet of you. Selectively excluding or including people is possible, but it takes additional time and concentration. Currently limited to alternate Earths; Aleph, Gimmel, etc.
  • Flare Blade (1/2 Novice) – Create blade out of Flare mana for close-quarters combat. Currently programmed to be non-lethal by default, though it will still cut through anything but living flesh with terrifying ease.

We have two (2) spells that are not fully known - Ragnarök (the nuke), and some kind of a spell that's locked behind Frost Beam. According to the author, we need specifically to unlock the right spells to know what these are.

We have three (3) spells that are not unlocked but have training points invested into them:
  • Shell Barrier (1/4 Novice) – Create a translucent shield over yourself and those nearby in a circle with a 10ft diameter. Shield can resist five times as much damage as your Barrier Jacket, but it is immobile once cast.
  • Frost Beam (2/2 Master) – Magical laser traps multiple opponents under a layer of ice that lasts for 3 minutes. Beware of friendly fire.
  • Charge Cartridge (1/3 Novice) – Store mana in bullet casings for later use. Cartridges are fed into the Device from dimensional storage. The more powerful the spell, the more cartridges it consumes. 6 cartridges can be created per day, and you are left weakened until you get a full night's sleep. You will gain progressive mana poisoning the more cartridges you use at one time.

Finally, we have five (5) spells that are neither unlocked nor have any training points invested.
  • Burst (0/1 Adept) – Modification for Flare Shooter and Rust Shooter. Bullets may be set to explode upon contact or remotely.
  • Telekinesis (0/2 Novice) – Move things with your mind. Affects only inanimate objects of up to the mass as the caster.
  • Ring Bind (0/2 Novice) – Conjure rings of magic that wrap around target's limbs to lock them in place. The binds last one hour unless broken or dismissed. Currently, only one target can be affected at a time.
  • Divide Energy (0/2 Novice) – Transfer mana to target. Currently has a 25% conversion efficiency.
  • Blitz Action (0/2 Novice) – Move at high speeds in a straight line. Currently cannot change direction.

So, a question about Shell Barrier. Is it a kind of barrier that locks you inside and prohibits your movement? Or is it like the barrier Nanoha in Nanoha A's was put in, shortly before the Linker Core drain?
 
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Ok, here's a third omake attempt. It's set an indeterminate time into the future. If it gets a point, then I'd like it to be put into Burst.

Discussing Guardian Beasts

"So, Taylor, could you explain what Guardian Beasts are for me?"

It was a pleasant day, with a crisp blue sky, a light breeze, and warm temperatures. Tim and Taylor were out enjoying the day in the sky above an ocean, getting some practice flying in for Tim.

"Basically, Guardian Beasts are animals that have been converted into humanoid beings that are capable of sapient thought, and are combat-capable. Samantha's actually my own Beast. Apparently making Guardian Beasts is a skill that every template has access to, and you can even have two, though that will slow down your growth for a while."

"Huh, so that's where Samantha came from. We had wondered, you know? I mean, a mature lady like her coming out of nowhere and setting up with you and your dad? It raised some questions, but your dad did reassure us that she was on our side. Anyway, you said that a person could have two Guardian Beasts? Why don't you have two?"

"Ah...at the time, I had to decide if having two Guardians would be worth the decrease in my growth rate. Now, though, the only way I could get another would be if Samantha died and I decided to make two this time. If you make two Guardian Beasts, you have to do it at the same time, you see. You can't just make one and then add another."

"Oh, that makes sense. So, do you think I should get a Guardian Beasts?"

"I'd personally recommend it. Samantha's been an enormous help, and having someone to watch my back has been quite soothing."

"Alright, so which animal do you think would be best?"

"Um...what?"

"Well, I could go with a dog, because of their loyalty. Or a cat's sense of independence might be nice. Of course, something big and strong like a bear might be useful, and a bird could prove pretty fast."

"I'm...not sure if the animal you use will have an effect on the Guardian Beast, actually. I mean, Samantha's really fast, tough, and she hits hard, but I made her form a raccoon. I think which kind of class the Guardian Beast is will have more of an effect on their capabilities than their species. Samantha's a Guardian Beast of the Blade, which basically means she excels in close-combat. I'm not actually sure what other classes of Guardian Beasts there are."

"Oh. Well then, I suppose the next question to answer is if I should get one or two."

"Whichever you feel comfortable with, Tim. Though if you want, I could do a little more research into Guardian Beast classes for you."

"That would actually be pretty nice. Thanks Taylor."

Soon after that, they decided that they had spent enough time over the ocean, and went back to the Privateers' headquarters, where they showed off some of the pictures they had taken.
 
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Faraway-R said:
So, a question about Shell Barrier. Is it a kind of barrier that locks you inside and prohibits your movement? Or is it like the barrier Nanoha in Nanoha A's was put in, shortly before the Linker Core drain?
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The barrier you're thinking about from A's is Recursion Field. Shell Barrier is an area-type defensive forcefield centered on the caster that lets you pull yourself and those around you into a bunker. You can shoot out, but nothing can come in without breaking through the shell. That said, you also can't leave it without turning it off. There is a spell that lets the caster create these bunkers without being stuck inside them herself, but that's limited to the Infinite Enhancement template.

And it's rather ironic that you decided to list out all the spells unpurchased and trained vs purchased and untrained only for…
ReaperofInterest said:
Ok, here's a third omake attempt. It's set an indeterminate time into the future. If it gets a point, then I'd like it to be put into Burst.
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Done and done.
 
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Maskless 6.4
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    • [] Tim
    -[] Transcendent Gadgeteer


    Maskless 6.4

    Lacey clearly sees the indecision on your face and gives you a way out. "Do you think you could explain this a little more? I mean, you're talking about installing something into us like we're computers one second, but then you're talking about magic the next. Have to admit, I'm a little lost."

    Oh, good. Something you can actually answer. Just where in the world are you going to start? "Sure, sure. Um, okay. When Storm and I talk about a template, we're talking about a set of magical skills and spells that… sort of come naturally to you. They probably wouldn't normally, but in my case, Storm basically took all the skills that a previous witch used in her life, wrapped them up, and stuck them in the back of my head. Whenever I 'learn' a spell, it comes far more easily than it normally would, and it feels a little like I'm remembering how to do it instead of starting from the beginning."

    The assembled Privateers glance at you uneasily, and your dad especially looks shocked. Alex clears his throat. "So you're saying that you have somebody else in your head? Like feeling like you lived another life before or something?"

    Your hair whips around from how quickly you shake your head. "No, no, no. Nothing like that. I've had Perfect Storm for a few months already, and the closest I've gotten to that is two or three weird dreams that might have been snippets of the first Calamity Witch's memories. Maybe not even that; they may just be normal dreams that I'm putting Devices and spells in. I can't exactly compare it to anything. It isn't like Storm has TV specials about the templates it can play for me."

    "And we'd have a choice in what we'd get if we agreed to it?" Tim prompts.

    "Of course. There are only four templates to choose from, admittedly, but you would get to pick from them. The one I picked is Calamity Witch, which is all about hanging back and throwing fireballs around. Extinction Knight is, well, pretty much a knight in shining armor." Perfect Storm buzzes angrily at that comparison, and you give the crimson sphere at the head of the staff a quick pat. For all that it recommended you pick up skills from that template, that's also the template it likes the least. Or maybe it was just who they came from; Perfect Storm rambled a bit about somebody named 'Belka' for a while when you asked. "Sword and armor and smacking people in the face with them. Infinite Enhancement isn't a fighter like the other two. It takes more of a healer and supporter role. Kind of like Othala was for the Empire," you add with a grimace. "Transcendent Gadgeteer, on the other hand, is basically a magical Tinker—"

    Tim glances up with wides eyes and interrupts, "A Tinker?"

    Several of the Privateers start laughing at that, and while their accountant blushes, he doesn't take back the question. Someone clearly has a favorite group of capes.

    Might as well roll with it. At least he seems interested. "Pretty much. I don't know a lot about it, but some things should be obvious. Look at Perfect Storm. It isn't made of wood and pretty rocks and ancient letters carved under the light of the full moon. It's very technological. Honestly, I thought it was Tinkertech at first."

    "I gotta ask," one man in the back calls out, "this is all nice and fun, but you're saying you have something that looks like something out of a Tinker's lab but isn't, and you're saying they run on this weird energy that a few people have but a lot of people don't and calling it magic. If this isn't really Tinkertech, what the hell is it?"

    That's one question you're going to delay on as long as you can. As Dragon proved, even video of the Agharti isn't enough to satisfy some people's skepticism. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you. Let me prove what I'm claiming now, and then we can talk about that later, okay?"

    Tim and Lacey have been having a quiet conversation while you were otherwise occupied, but they wrap it up quickly enough. "I'll be honest with you, Taylor," Lacey says. "When you said you had something to say, this isn't what I expected. It's cool that you're offering to give away powers like that me and Tim, but I gotta to pass on it. This is too much to wrap my head around and make a decision on right this second. Ask me in six weeks or whenever, however long it'll be before you can make another of these things, and maybe I'll take you up on it, but not this time."

    Disappointing, but you suppose you can't blame her. If Perfect Storm had told you everything at once, would you still have said yes without thinking about it? …Well, maybe. Between the events at Winslow and your pitiful relationship with your father and just the utter, desperate loneliness that was your life back then, you probably would have taken the first hand that was offered to you. You doubt Lacey is in that same dark place.

    "Your loss," Tim says in a teasing voice. "It seems simple enough to me. You say you can make me a Tinker? I'll sign up for that. What do we need to do to get this ball rolling?"

    That's a good question. "Storm? Time to get started, buddy."

    "Aye aye, Mistress!" The Privateers chuckle at that, and your cheeks burn. You flash with orange light as your Barrier Jacket vanishes, Perfect Storm sitting in your hand without its customary silver chain. The blue jewel quivers in your hand, and acting on instinct you toss it into the air in front of you.

    It hangs in midair and gleams innocently for a moment.

    You and everyone else jump back and not a few people shout in surprise when the jewel explodes. A wave of wires and gears and slabs of metal flood the space. It's as large as a car, then a school bus; you're worried you are about to be crushed by your own Intelligent Device when the outpouring of pieces comes to a halt for just a moment. Something deep inside the mechanical mess shifts and turns, then the innards pull back with the same speed they came after you. They don't get as far, though. The sheets of copper and bronze clank together, seams sealing instantly and hiding the delicate machinery.

    What stands before you is a short, blunt crescent, an oval of pale blue glass sitting in the middle of the curve. It is not as large as it once was, much to your relief, but it still stands half as tall as you and maybe half a bus in length. Swallowing your nervousness, you walk forward as slowly as you can without making your newfound doubts obvious and lay your hand on the glass dome. It shatters under your touch, the solid sheet breaking apart into tiny hexagons no larger than your thumbnail that roll outward in a wave and vanish into the edges of the opening that is revealed. All that sits inside is a slanted wall with an indentation in the rough shape of a person. "Is… Is Tim supposed to climb in there?"

    "Negative." Perfect Storm's voice is no longer the androgynous thing you are used to, but instead the deep voice from the training simulations. It – or has your Device been a he all this time? – somehow senses your confusion. "No accessible power source detected. Mana will be drawn from Linker Core. User Taylor possesses sufficiently developed and enhanced Linker Core. Acceptable limit of strain calculated. Time for Device creation: 73 hours, 8 minutes, 50 seconds."

    You're going to be stuck inside that tiny room for three days?! Glancing at your dad, he guesses what you are about to ask because he sighs in resignation. "I'll call your school tomorrow, say you got sick and need to be excused for the day. I'm just glad we didn't try this in the middle of the week."

    That's one thing taken care of, you suppose. Steeling your nerves, you step inside and turn around to face the team. "See you in a bit," you call out even as the shards of glass roll back out and reform into a opaque shield that tinges the walls of the inner chamber a deep, dark blue. "What do I have to do next?"

    "Lay in receptacle." Shrugging, you do so only for your clothes to flash and refrigerated air to wash over your bare skin. "Garb stored in dimensional pocket as when deploying Barrier Jacket," the voice says before you can raise a fuss.

    Water, or some sort of liquid anyway, gushes out of unseen vents in the walls, prompting you to hook your heels against the lower edges of the indentation and hoist yourself up. You expect it to stop somewhere around your ankles, maybe your knees, but once it gets to your waist you start to panic. "Storm! What's going on?"

    "User Taylor will drift in suspension fluid during empowerment process." Small circular things press into your arms, your legs, your buttocks, and up your spine to the base of your skull. "Advise preparation. This may sting."

    Your eyes flick around in perfectly reasonable fear while the water covers your chest. "What do you mean, sting—"

    Red-hot needles stab through muscle and bone and flood your body with acid. You scream only for the sound to be cut off when water pours down your throat and into your lungs. You gag and gasp, your frantic attempts not to drown sucking more fluid down while your vision starts narrowing down into a single point…

    xxxxxxxxxxxxx​

    The plink, plink, plink of water dripping onto a sheet of tin slowly rouses you. You just lay there for several long moments, thoughts drifting around sluggishly and not making any sense. A chilly breeze brushes against you, making you shiver and finally giving you the impetus to open your eyes. You immediately slam them shut when even the dim light surrounding you stabs them like daggers. "Storm?" you rasp through an aching throat. "Time?"

    "Local time nineteen forty-one, 17 April, Earth Bet year 2011."

    Nineteen… Military time, probably. And April seventeenth. That was three days, all right. Your arms shake and threaten to drop you flat on your face when you push off from the floor, but you manage to make it to a mostly upright position leaning against a wall. "What… happened?"

    "Strain to Linker Core avoided. Template duplication and Device construction completed without complications."

    Good. That's good. You still feel like complete and total shit, but right now you want out of this box. "Door?" Light burns against your eyelids, and you flop backwards and splat wetly against the cold linoleum. "Fuck. You."

    "Taylor!" You can't make out anything through the glare, but you know Lacey's voice. The scratchy blanket she covers you with rubs your nerves raw even as it starts making you at last comfortably warm. "Are you okay?"

    You aim a bleary glare in her general direction. Do you look okay?

    Something slides out from beneath your legs, and an ear-splitting grinding fills the world for far too long before a small object plops onto your chest. Sticking your hand out from beneath the blanket, you find a cool diamond-shaped thing. «Infinite apologies, Mistress,» comes the soft mental voice of your Device. «Linker Core–derived power source quaternary measure for replication. Additional redundancy, not meant for active use. Source comfort low priority.»
    «Sovereign as source not predicted. Logging issue for relay to Imperial Armaments R&D.»
    You seriously consider throwing the infernal contraption against the nearest wall, but the sheer sorrow in its… his… the Device's voice stays your hand. The timbre, the word choice; you know that wasn't Perfect Storm you were dealing with in that chamber. That was Immortal Assimilation Engine, and for the first time you're glad your Device caught amnesia from its crash landing on Earth. Alien technology so cold and so powerful in the hands of a villain is a frightening image.

    Warm and cold play against your skin for a moment before your clothes reappear. Chancing another look around, you find a green crystal tetrahedron sitting on the ground. «That's Tim's Device?»

    «Affirmative. Upon activation, will install Transcendent Gadgeteer template into user.»

    "Neat," you croak. You pick it up and look around slowly, eyes still mostly closed. "Tim?"

    "I'm right here," the accountant says as he walks into view. He chances a glance at you and then looks full on once he sees that you're no longer naked. "Are you all right?"

    "Peachy. Catch."

    You lob the pyramid at him, and bright green light erupts from it as soon as he catches it. Something swirls within the glow, and after about as long as it felt when you bonded with Perfect Storm, the light fades away to reveal the new and improved Privateer. Tim looks down through the tinted welder's goggles at his thick brown coveralls, the top pulled down with the sleeves tied up around his waist, and the muscle shirt that should be beneath it. And you do mean muscle shirt. Tim was thin and reedy before now, a lot like you and your dad, but now he's wiry. He eyes his arm and pokes a taut bicep experimentally. "Taylor?"

    «Yeah, that's normal. No, it won't go away when you change back.» He whips his head around to figure out where the voice is coming from before he turns wide eyes back to you. You smile in response, and a harsh chuckle slips out. «Welcome to the world of magic, Tim, where full-body makeovers and telepathy come standard issue. It's a good thing Dad already picked you for his inner circle. Our Devices protect us from his powers. Getting a teamwork boost would be convenient sometimes, but since that same defense works against all Masters and even the Simurgh? I think it's a small price to pay in the end.»

    "Lacey, maybe you made the right call," he says sheepishly. "I don't know that I'm ready for this, either."

    "Told ya."

    Your eyes roll. What are they complaining about? You had no idea what you were in for, and you handled it just fine.

    "How long do we have before you go Tinker-crazy and take the microwave apart to make a death ray?" jokes Ramirez.

    "No idea. It isn't like I have designs popping up in my head like… magic…" The men chuckle at the unintentional pun, but Tim is distracted by something flickering on one goggle lens. A hologram screen appears in front of him with what is probably a blueprint or something on it. "Huh. Or maybe I do."

    Alex walks up behind him and looks over his shoulder at the screen. "Cool. Do you think that workshop you set up is gonna work?"

    "…I think I may need some more tools. And parts. Lots and lots of parts."

    "How long will it take to get everything up and running?"

    Tim shrugs. "A week? Maybe a little longer if we don't want Ramirez bitching about the microwave."

    "It's a valid concern!"

    Entertaining as the sitcom in front of you is, you have work to do, particularly if you can get your legs to cooperate. You wave for Lacey to help you up to your feet. «Anything important happen while I was out?» you ask your Device.

    «Protectorate announced Ward Bouncer missing, unclear if runaway or kidnapped. Delegation of Protectorate Case 53s will tour city and invite all curious independent heroes and rogues. Invitation forwarded specifically to Samantha. 'Calamity Witch' mentioned in further fifteen threads in PHO Creative Writing board, eight labeled adult content. Audio message received from Chevalier.»

    That last bit cuts through your mental grumbling about Internet smut-peddlers, and you look down at the jewel. «Chevalier left a voicemail? Maybe it's about the statue. Play it.»

    "Calamity Witch, it's Chevalier," the message says. "I asked around about the statue, but I only found something earlier today when I got a call from Legend. Someone must have mentioned it to him, and now he wants to talk to you." A small sound comes through, too garbled for you to make out. "I don't know what you got yourself into, but whatever it is had him sounding worried. He said it wasn't urgent, and maybe it really isn't. I still think you better talk to him sooner than later. Not much rattles him, but this did. Give me a call when you want me to arrange a meeting."

    …Oh.


    +1 training to Solar Wrath (6/6 Master).
    +1 training to Dimensional Transfer (3/4 Adept).
    +1 training to Burst (1/1 Master).
    +1 training to Frost Beam (2/2 Master).

    If you look at the character sheet, you will find a small change in the Charge Cartridge skill. After a very long conversation about the number of cartridges that actually were used in the series and how believable/unbelievable the number I had previously assigned had to be used before experiencing mana poisoning was (you can find the start of it here), I have decided that I'm mostly just going to fudge the numbers based on how many cartridges eventually wind up getting used at a time. I have a rough rubric in the back of my head, so you won't need to worry about using 500 one day perfectly fine and the next getting into a situation where you break after only using two, but trying to set it into firm math was just getting too difficult.

    You know what time it is? Time to plan next week's activities!
    • Secret Santa – When Chevalier said he was going to find an answer regarding the statue, you thought he was going to stay local, not call Legend of all people. And now the world's premier Blaster is worried about you?! Head to New York and find out what's going on.
    • Back in the Saddle – Okay, that's one crisis over with, other than the whole 'Lung is the Butcher now' thing. Before you get around to worrying about that, maybe you should deal with the local monsters? Put on your Batman cap and look around for where they could be hiding.
    • Birds of a Feather – A delegation of Case 53s are coming by to talk to some of the big wigs in town, and they've also expressed an interest in meeting Samantha since she's officially listed as a Case 53 as well. Swing by with her and introduce yourselves.
    • A Whole New World – You've always lived in a small corner of New England, but now you have powers that really let you get around. Take a little time to see the world around you.
      • Spatial Translocation: Write-in
      • Dimensional Translocation: Random or Write-in
    • Back to Our Scheduled Programing – Go on patrol and look for trouble. You can write in to go along with somebody/somebodies.
    • Hanging Out – Take a little time to yourself and spend some time with somebody/somebodies. Preferably doing something that doesn't involve burninating people. Write in the person, place, and thing.
    • Nose to the Grindstone – Spend a free period training in the simulator. May be chosen twice. Write-in for which spell to practice.

    I shouldn't have to explain what the bullets mean by now. I can't promise that the vote will open in exactly 24 hours since I have to work tomorrow and might not leave on time, but it shouldn't be too big a delay.
     
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    • Ok, let's get to it.

    First off, I think the Secret Santa option is a must-take. The sooner we put the people going around leaving creepy messages in our bedroom in jail, the better. Plus, if Legend, one of the Triumvirate, is worried about this, I think we should talk with him.

    Second, I think Birds of a Feather might be interesting. Sure, Samantha isn't a Case 53, but the average Joe on the street doesn't know that. Being able to talk with actual Case 53s could be nice.
     
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