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Project Prometheus (Original Setting Superhero Quest)

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Since we were discussing psychic shielding for the future, I decided to try and make a build that would accomplish that for us. I went with iSpy instead of Chatroom for this one since the number of people we want to be able to defend will mainly be our team and I want to avoid the range limits that Chatroom may impose.

Firewall
  • Potency 4 (iSpy) + Potency 4 (Bulwark) + Potency 3 (Miss Conception) + Potency 2 (Steadfast) - 3 Reductions = Potency 10
    • 2x Invisibility (iSpy, Miss Conception)
      • iSpy can turn invisible.
      • Miss Conception can turn herself invisible by using an illusion that fools 3 of the 5 traditional senses.
    • 2x Energy Manipulation (Bulwark, Miss Conception)
      • Bulwark can fire energy beams at people or objects to shroud them in a forcefield that dissipates over time or breaks after sufficient damage is applied.
      • Miss Conception can create illussions that persist for several days if left undisturbed, capable of fooling 3 of the 5 traditional senses.
    • 1x Clairvoyance (iSpy)
      • iSpy can tag up to a dozen people and see through their eyes and other senses.
    • 1x Ally Empowerment (Bulwark)
      • Bulwark can fire energy beams at people or objects to shroud them in a forcefield that dissipates over time or breaks after sufficient damage is applied.
    • 1x Invulnerability (Steadfast)
      • Steadfast has the most potent version of invulnerability on record.
Guaranteed powers are Clairvoyance, Ally Empowerment, and Invulnerability since those are the main powers of their respective DNA Profiles.

The primary purpose of this build is to get someone that can protect against overt psychic attacks and influences. Bulwark's Energy Shields are turned into Mind Shields thanks to iSpy's Clairvoyance, which are then impossible to break with psychic brute force thanks to Steadfast's Invulnerability.

Miss Conception's Invisibility combined with iSpy's Clairvoyance meanwhile, allows for our hero to infiltrate the minds of other psychics.

The main problem here is that while this is powerful against someone trying to fry our mind and such, it might be vulnerable to more subtle attacks. Ideally, we'd get Enhanced Senses too, but the cheapest Enhanced Senses combo are Daggermaw (Potency 1) + Sewer Rat (Potency 3).

As you can see, even with a Tolerance 10 Candidate, that's not possible to do with our current DNA Library unless we drop Steadfast and Miss Conception from the build. Still, as an experiment, here's what it would look like if we had Enhanced Senses:

Anti-Virus
  • Potency 4 (iSpy) + Potency 4 (Bulwark) + Potency 3 (Sewer Rat) + Potency 1 (Daggermaw) + Potency 1 (Mister Hunch)- 3 Reductions = Potency 10
    • 2x Clairvoyance (iSpy, Mister Hunch)
      • iSpy can tag up to a dozen people and see through their eyes and other senses.
      • Mister Hunch can touch an inanimate object to see what happened around it in a five-foot radius in the last 24 hours.
    • 2x Transformation (Sewer Rat, Daggermaw)
      • Sewer Rat suffered from dysmorphia and can shrink himself to the size of an actual rat with the strength of a human.
      • Daggermaw suffers from dysmorphia.
    • 2x Enhanced Senses (Sewer Rat, Daggermaw)
      • Sewer Rat has incredibly sensitive hearing and smell.
      • Daggermaw's senses are sharper than the average human's, and he can sense vibrations from a great distance away through his skin.
    • 1x Ally Empowerment (Bulwark)
      • Bulwark can fire energy beams at people or objects to shroud them in a forcefield that dissipates over time or breaks after sufficient damage is applied.
    • 1x Invisibility (iSpy)
      • iSpy can turn invisible.
    • 1x Energy Manipulation (Bulwark)
      • Bulwark can fire energy beams at people or objects to shroud them in a forcefield that dissipates over time or breaks after sufficient damage is applied.
    • 1x Self-Enhancement (Sewer Rat)
      • Sewer Rat controls his hair like a prehensile limb that can harden to be more durable than steel.
    • 1x Enhanced Strength (Daggermaw)
      • Dagggermaw had enhanced strength, though it was not particularly extraordinary.
Much like before, Ally Empowerment and Clairvoyance are guaranteed here, and Bulwark's energy shields become mind shields.

Psychic shielding is not as unbreakable as in Firewall due to the lack of invulnerability, but Enhanced Senses likely means Anti-Virus is much better at detecting and stopping more subtle attempts at psychic chicanery.

How does Transformation factor into this? I have no idea. :p

All in all, I don't think we have quite the right DNA profiles for Psychic Defenses yet. The barebones of this build is iSpy/Chatroom + Bulwark at Potency 8 which is good enough, but considering who we'll be up against, we'll want only the best psychic defenses.
 
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Rakeems Cache gives us New DNA and maybe we can use the mind controller with the MGs as a way to shield ourself. '=

Honestly I'm of the opinion that Psychic Defense is a combination of Mental Manipulaiton and Clairvoyance. Though if Ally empowerment is what allows chatroom to share thoughts and senses while Clairvoyance is just the range of people to connect with. It really might just Bulwark+Mental Manipulation.

Eastwood+Bulwark could maybe let us seal away psychic attacks or defend against them?
 
Wing101r said:
Honestly I'm of the opinion that Psychic Defense is a combination of Mental Manipulaiton and Clairvoyance. Though if Ally empowerment is what allows chatroom to share thoughts and senses while Clairvoyance is just the range of people to connect with. It really might just Bulwark+Mental Manipulation.
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We should probably ask Wolong about that come to think of it. He can answer our question thanks to his power.

At the very least, we need psychic defenses that can tell the Prince no since we still need to hunt him down.
 
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While psychic defense would be really nice to have, I do think it's worth noting that it's been said that Nora's trash pile might have something to handle it. Given we need to wait a turn before we can even set John up for success, I think it would be prudent to see if cataloging her junk pile/Google Drive is an option for a Personal or Global action and at least try that first to see if we get something helpful.
 
LucidProp said:
We should probably ask Wolong about that come to think of it. He can answer our question thanks to his power.

At the very least, we need psychic defenses that can tell the Prince no since we still need to hunt him down.
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Yeh a question like Psychic Defense gives 2 keywords. Just do it again and again until we get all we need for the synergy.

With Mona and Exceed Beyond we have 2 powerful Members that needs psychic defense so asking him for that is actually a good idea.
 
(Side note I had this funny mental image of doing the Nora backlog search involving like, Bitterman asking us for a word or phrase to search for, and then an Operations roll for "It's in perfect working condition!" "Needs a little work but Ibis and John could probably finish it, no Algernon usage even needed", "Oh, you'd need to spend a little money to get it working" and "BZZT. Locked because no Stockpile")
 
A girl sits, surrounded by damned souls, as icy claws try to take another away. Jenny is getting worse, the girl can see it. The ice has nearly totally swallowed her body. Jenny says she can hear it. The current Sovereign is near expiration. A new one is required. There must always be someone on The Frozen—

The girl makes her decision and acts. She carefully, carefully opens the last of their supply of the malevolent, golden liquid and carefully, carefully pours it onto Jenny. Jenny screams, but the ice and Levithan's blood annihilate each other in a reaction that is as horrifying as it is fascinating to watch.

Jenny's blue, frozen skin reveals itself once more and some of their number let out a sigh of relief. The others look at the girl, knowledge in their gaze.

That was the last of their supply. They'll have to go raiding again. But their foes are expecting them now. Not everyone will survive this.

The girl wordlessly stands up and begins to plan their next offense. Her twentieth birthday has come and gone, and her powers have not yet arrived. That means they never will. She will never be like her mother.

That's fine. She doesn't need them. She never has. She will save everyone here as she is.

She will defeat Justice Unlimited, break their stranglehold on her home, and make them undo what they did to these girls.

If not her, then who?
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I just realize I think this people are victims of the Magical Girls who are using JU name. We know the mg's have some sort of Mental Manipulation power which is why they use to give us bad info.

But unlike with Stockpile there's no reason for people there to think JU is an enemy unless people calling themself JU or affliate with them is fucking around. Would also explain how we get a supplier for Goldnine since it seems like this group uses it to avoid the Frozen throne.

The MG mission line might be the frozen throne sending agents to fuck around and us needing to deal with them.
 
Wing101r said:
I just realize I think this people are victims of the Magical Girls who are using JU name. We know the mg's have some sort of Mental Manipulation power which is why they use to give us bad info.
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We know Lady Leizi's network around the MGs were compromised. We don't know how though, so I'm not sure if it's really because of the MGs having mental manipulation.
 
Wing101r said:
yeh so we can risk BS though probably kept in reserve or hidden just to make sure we scout things out first.
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Could have been subverted via the traditional way, by that I mean they got paid off when everyone thought Lady Leizi was dead along with everyone else in JU.

If the mission has a Hit component, I'd say we should still bring Black Swan.
 
LucidProp said:
Could have been subverted via the traditional way, by that I mean they got paid off when everyone thought Lady Leizi was dead along with everyone else in JU.

If the mission has a Hit component, I'd say we should still bring Black Swan.
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It does and they sent a distress code so I dont think its something as simple as paid off. Theres definately an element of danger thats forcing them to send bad info.

Edit:
Mahou Shoujo no Justice Unlimited (AP 1, HIT 5, ESPIONAGE 3, OPERATIONS 2)
Lady Leizi: . . . it appears a metahuman team themed like "magical girls" are going around and calling Justice Unlimited. Including taking contracts out in our name. To make things more unusual, my information network in their territory has been subverted. They haven't gone quiet—they're feeding me bad information. I would have no idea if one hadn't used his "duress" code phrase.

Leizie additional info makes it clear our informants their need help.
 
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Wing101r said:
With Mona and Exceed Beyond we have 2 powerful Members that needs psychic defense so asking him for that is actually a good idea.
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The Exceed-Beyond would actually be immune to mind control while inside the armor. I won't deny that we do need an actual psychic considering our foes has it in spades. Definitely something I'm voting for for our next Potential 10 candidate.

KA$H said:
Damn....I guess in the end we were the ones drilling the stage for oil. Now we know! Thanks American military-industrial complex!
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Actually I'm like 99% sure this is something planted by Dominion. Stockpile is working with an incomplete amount of Nora's EXCEED armor so who knows how many macguffins Dominion added to the pile Stockpile is working. We can see in the fill-in issue here:

Bitterman said:
The Woman in Blue studies you for a moment before tracing the lip of her glass with a long, delicate finger. "You haven't found them, have you? Those who I told you to seek. The rotting-corpse of a man and the child-who-never was?"
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Clearly this group is aware of and likely have a much better mastery of the Stage

I do have another talking point now that I'm checking back here

Bitterman said:
"That's not how this works. I can hide here because they don't know to look for me. Telling you too much will let Augur know he's not alone."

". . . so you can see the future?"

She laughs again. It's really ugly, you think, like she's gargled sandpaper. "No. No one can see the future."
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It's clear now that Augur is very much a top tier Psychic. He is aware of the true nature of Dominion. There's a reason he's hiding so hard. I think finding him during this mid-game will be a very great boon towards unraveling this group.

Finally one last thing
KA$H said:
So zalgotext is moon river? Huh, if I had a nickel for every member of Justice Unlimited who was made by these guys...
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While whomever this is quite sadly being mind controlled hard by the Hand one piece of good news is that Moon River is currently safe from Dominon right now as stated here:

Bitterman said:
"Yes, I did," he agrees, "But I had to ensure our private connection. Or do you want this meeting intercepted? I'll remind you that we have not yet located Moon River."
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Bitterman said:
"As ever," Moon-over-Crown says, "Dominion's pillars cannot remain secret any longer. If we do not reveal them, then Lady Leizi will. To that end, I've reached out to the Americans and Allied Global Logistics. You'll see the announcement in the coming days."

"They're cooperating?" Star says, "How unexpected."

"Yes," Moon-over-Crown agrees, "However, after their sacrificial dragnet of Justiciar turned up nothing but your genuinely ignorant predecessor, they're desperate. King grows ever closer to his quarry. It seems he has help now as well. The Interlocutor has grown more cunning as well—no doubt using who it took from the QZ—but it's only a matter of time before it is pinned down."
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It would seem like the Americans and AGL are trying to fight against this group while unwittingly dancing in the palm of their hands... maaaan fighting a group of Thinkers and Masters suuuuuuuck ಠ⁠︵⁠ಠ.

King is still as mysterious as ever but he's getting closer to his goal. He seems like a good guy so I wish him the best of luck.

Interlocutor I think might either be Moon River, Augur, or R-Train? Not sure on these honestly.

Edit: I'm also just now realizing that while nobody can see the future Dominion sure as hell saw the awakening of Leviathan coming from a mile away (if they weren't the ones who caused it in the first place). They capitalized hard on the Movement much to our dismay.
 
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The Metamorphosis - chickenbouillon (semi-canon)
  • Apocrypha
    • The Metarmophosis: An Omake by chickenbouillon
    It's cold now.

    The hive hates the cold. Because with the cold, harsh embrace of the cool air comes bad memories.

    Warmth is good. Warmth is under your skin. Inside your veins. Warmth is what forms us all, and the hive burrows deep inside and swallows it all up until nothing remains so it may satiate itself.

    But the memories..

    They won't stop returning.

    "Franz! Oh my boy! I'm so proud of you!" Her embrace is cloyingly sweet and hideously smothering. "Thank you mother." He's standing in a suit that doesn't fit him. In a position that doesn't fit him. An imposter in a world of people who know exactly what they're doing. "I knew you could do it! I told you you just needed to believe in yourself!" She croons on and on. But he doesn't want it. He doesn't want any of this.

    He's afraid.



    And that memory disappears and that leaves only him. Franz Marshall. The Hive. One and the same. Franz does not exist anymore. Franz is a mess of worm flesh and pulped juices that rot and ooze putrefaction. Franz is a worm devouring the world. Franz is a maggot scrounging the bottom of society for scraps.

    "Franz! We'll be leaving first!" His coworkers cheer and laugh as they push themselves out the door. Their frames shoving and pushing against each other in their rush to leave the workplace. He thinks they look like bugs, and for a moment he hates them. Loathes them. Them with their thuggish grins and buggish faces and slimy, pale hands. "Okay. I'll finish things up here." He wants to throw up. So he turns back and says nothing.

    It's so filthy.

    The Hive takes a moment to wonder what mother their progenitor would think now. All things considered, she's likely upset that her ticket for self preservation was arrested and tossed into a cold, cold place.

    What a cold place this was. Even now too. They're watching a dance now. A performance of some sorts. The queen needed to keep her subjects entertained, and fat, easily satisfied peasants are ones who will not lead an uprising.

    But everyone here is so, so hollow and empty. There is the man with the stitches. He is hollow. He is repulsive. There is the acidic man. He is also empty. Everyone is empty.

    And then there is the queen. She who reigns above this place and leads them all to victory. She who keeps them safe, satisfied, and entertained. But her position is precarious. Everyone here is gleefully salivating for the day where she might show a slight hint of weakness. And then they'll tear her apart. It's in their nature to do so. If the queen is not strong enough, then she will be supplanted.


    Personally, they have no intention of doing anything of the sort. But why? They possess no particular sense of loyalty towards this place. There is only self preservation and…

    You are Franz Marshall.


    You are in a small, damp apartment that has worms and insects leaking from the walls. Your body is a wet mess of pus, blood, and unknown substances glued together haphazardly. It is painfully fragile, and yet extremely resilient at the same time. As long as even one of you survives, you can reassemble.

    Your friends are inside your skin, and some days you feel like their minds are inside you. All breathing as one, a tenebrous hive smashed inside one body.

    It's not cold anymore. It's really hot actually. A warmth that sings in your body and boils your blood.

    You'd be disgusted normally. Anyone would. You're living in a state that no human being should be. Your friends are filthy, rotten. The world outside would abhor them.

    But..

    It's better than having nothing, is it?

    Tonight's show ends like all the others.


    They discard all these unnecessary thoughts. For all they know, this place is cold and unwelcoming. It brings back terrible memories. But it is a home now. A painful home, certainly. But a home nonetheless. The queen does not value them. She has other subjects that are stronger than them. Stronger than the Hive. If she wanted to, they could be discarded in an instant. Even so..


    ..It's better to have something, than to have nothing at all, isn't it?



    A/N: no more edginess! Just sad… ugfbbfbfbdb i can't really portray loneliness well…
     
  • Apocrypha
    • So this might just be me not remembering certain details but I'll ask anyways as a follow-up question to that hypothetical LL mission @Bitterman do we know what's the current status of Lady Leizi's dad? Is he in jail? Dead? Missing for some reason?
     
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