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The Devil (Kicked) Out of Her Box

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dlwj2000 said:
The demons we can summon bodies are made of basically a super acid.
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TheCount said:
I meant the vitriol from the alchemy, but yeah, the demons if we go all out.

Shock and awe does not call demons though.... At least I hope note.
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Demons take too long to summon to be practical mid fight, I'm pretty sure it takes hours to do, and on a similar note we haven't prepared any alchemy stuff yet.


Edit: by the way, what did we know about demons/demon lords/demon princes before we exalted, who should we expect people to be able to identify?
 
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alexthealright said:
Demons take too long to summon to be practical mid fight, I'm pretty sure it takes hours to do, and on a similar note we haven't prepared any alchemy stuff yet.


Edit: by the way, what did we know about demons/demon lords/demon princes before we exalted, who should we expect people to be able to identify?
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Not a whole lot, it's a breed of spirit that are imprisoned in Hell, and the weaker ones can be summoned by the very Wise or the very Stupid to serve as familiars, servants, or soldiers depending on your understanding and your abilities to control them. Most Gods don't like them, and it makes sense because they tend to be troublemakers if left to their own devices. They have more powerful ones too, but they're generally out of the ability for ordinary humans and even most of the Chosen to treat with, kind of like the difference between a God of the Firmament and a God of the Land
 
Dogs are being cranky today and I'm apparently the only one who can mind them right now, I do hope to post the doot tonight still, but they're making it difficult to get into my flow.
 
Update on the update, dogs didn't settle down until only recently, and it's too late to really get anything done now. Delaying until tomorrow.
 
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Act 1.2 - What Remained was Violence
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    • [x] Shock and Awe:

    You think about it for only a moment or two before the correct answer becomes clear to you—it was too soon for you to tap into your deepest reserves, not so early in the day and not when the situation doesn't warrant it, but it would also be folly to hold back overly much here in this place.

    So, you would only wind up partially to full. Enough to suppress your opposition quickly and effectively, but leaving you with a little bit left to work with when all is said and done. You could scale back up in time if things got spicy, at least, you were pretty sure this was the case, you haven't exactly done this sort of thing in the past, the tales of the Chosen and their ability to bare the light of their soul existed, but… They weren't exactly especially common in these parts–there was little in the way of arcane might to be found in this place–an intentional choice by the Founders based on your studies–and your defenders were fierce enough and the terrain suitable enough to deter more opportunistic predators.

    You had the occasional Scion of the Dragons from time to time passing through or emerging, and such times usually led to a period of plenty and a shake-up in the current status quo. Then from time to time–when things got perilous, you might have one of the Gods of the Land making petitioning the Gods of the Firmament for salvation, and being permitted to empower a Petty Chosen, but such events had occurred fewer times in the records you have than one could count on a single hand–at the end of the day, the Highlands were a backwater by design.

    Which is probably why things got as bad as they did once a greater power did take an interest in things. Because of course it would.

    You exhale, steadying your mind and steeling your heart. You were just delaying at this point–woolgathering so you could put off making a scene, even though people were at risk. You had committed to befrie… No, you already confirmed this wasn't friendship, but an alliance. You had committed to forming an alliance with the White Spire Academy, and that would require you to commit your resources.

    That didn't mean you needed to be messy about it, or more obvious than you had to be. You could be discreet! You could be cautious! All you had to do was.

    *Tink, Tink, Tink*

    The crushing of fallen glass and rubble jingled musically as you forced one foot before the other, your feet seeking an unheard rhythm, it was a comfortable gait, a natural one even. The slippers that still adorned your feet squelching in the fallen rain and ash except where they crushed the debris underfoot.

    It was a statement of some kind, you think, though the details were beyond you at this time. A matter for later.

    Comrades locked spears and shields with comrades. Sidearms were brandished as traitor sought the hearts of the still-loyal in the service of a rabblerouser. A slip of a girl would be unnoticed, unregarded–until she went somewhere she wasn't supposed to be.

    Simply setting foot in the door? That didn't yet qualify as you intruding, not when it was a life and death battle between scholars of the Art of War. The Spire Guard may not have been the very finest military formation in the Highlands, but they were highly capable experts, and their individual quality was matched only by the Fianna--the knights who served underneath the clan chiefs. They knew better than to take their eyes off a peer who wasn't interfering.

    That calculus changed when you calmly shut and barred the gate behind you. A truce between sides for a moment–a breather and a chance to assess the newcomer. You could understand this intuitively–though a part of your mind felt that this was new. There was no time for such analysis at the moment though–the time had come for action, and you were committed.

    You politely curtsy to them, folding your hands before you in the aftermath. "Apologies, but I have need of the Academy's assistance in these troubled times." You declare. "This fighting must come to an end, their knowledge will be needed in the days to come."

    A nearby Spire Guardsman scoffed. "Another royalist?" He spits–how unsanitary. "What do you think one girl can do? The Prophet decreed the fall of the old order!"

    How polite of him though to reveal his allegiance so clearly. A chime of positivity underlay his voice, and you understand this now to be one of your first gifts. All data will be verified for integrity. Falsehoods will not go unheard. The Root of the Pyrian Flame.

    Factual Determination Analysis
    Root Charm of the Pyrian Flame
    Data must be verified before it can be incorporated into greater patterns, to do otherwise is to invite Chaos. This Charm grants Ciara the ability to intuit whether any statement is True, False, or Inconclusive. The latter result occurs when the statement has been manipulated in some fashion but contains elements of fact, though it has no power in itself to reveal what the actual Truth of the matter, merely that the data is intended to mislead. Nonetheless, this effect is nearly inviolate, and can only be contested by the most powerful magic of deception in existence.
    Development: 0/3

    "Understood." You nod, and allow yourself to smile ever so slightly, a proper show of respect to someone who has saved you a great deal of time. Identifying him and the other combatants has revealed to you… Yes, a commonality, a cheap yellow cloth on their right forearm, likely all they could acquire on short notice to show their allegiance to the Golden Man's cause. Excellent, this would save you some time and energy.

    You lack the power and the talents to break the Golden Man's contingency, and such communication rarely came easily to you save when your temper was out of control. Right now?

    You knew precisely what you were doing, and fully understood the scope of what was about to unfold.

    "Well then, let us begin."

    Your soul Burns

    The room is full of the Flames of the Green Sun, the dampness of the past few days flash-sublimating as the heat of your inner furnace boils away around you. The arrogant twit who couldn't keep his spit in his mouth barely had a moment to flinch back before you were upon him.

    Palm thrust to the sternum, project essence through to shake the viscera, target flinches back, step forward and shift weight, drawing foe on your shoulder.

    Tap inner Furnace, augment physicality, hurl foe into nearest companion. Use obstruction as concealment and to draw the eye while drawing weapon. Ivory stone warps with each step, distorting to basalt. No blood has been shed–not yet–though initial target likely wishes you did.

    Your lips peel back, baring your teeth, your heart thunders, like you had done thirty laps in the salle. You had more to give.

    Poker drives through next foe's shoulder, shattering bone through concussive force even as it pins them to the rock of the wall. He would not be making use of that arm any time soon, but that's the price he pays for turning on his oaths. Fortunate that his punishment will be restrained to that. Weapon is currently out of use, but compensated for by drawing shortsword from the belt of your foe.

    Enemy has begun to comprehend you are no ordinary girl, initial opponent collides with foe you aimed him at, improvised human projectile neutralising a third target for you. Balance of power tipped decisively in your favour, even disregarding your own personal strength. Could push forward, maximise shock advantage.

    But no, you came to forge an alliance here, that wasn't something you could achieve just by charging in and smiting anything that was wearing the wrong markers, you needed cooperation and assistance to sweep this place clean.

    "Rally to me sons and daughters of the Spire!" You call out. "In the name of Clan Dunbar, I'll see the traitors granted their just rewards!"

    There, that would do it. Establish self as ally, declare credentials, act quickly and decisively to restore order. Do not allow them to consider the source of your strength in much detail just yet.

    Your Alma mater still needs your help, you would answer questions when the rot has been cast out from their walls. You would negotiate other details when things cool off.

    For now, what remained was Violence

    AN: No Vote today, just dropping what I have since this was a good spot to break. I don't think it's a spoiler to say that Ciara is going to faceroll the handful of traitors and the angry mob that followed them in, even without the fact you doubled down on Combat and War based stuff which means you're going to be adding the loyalists to your murderball as you go along. I don't really see the point of going into further play by play detail for what's a foregone conclusion, though if anyone wants to try including any Omake from an outside perspective, I'll be happy to read it!
     
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    • So, actual weapon acquired! Sure it's just a basic short sword but it's probably better with our fighting style than the Poker. At least we can probably score some basic gear from looting the fallen traitors.

    I mean it's mortal gear, so it's not like it will last long if Ciara gets serious, but hey, anything is better than nothing right?
     
    veekie said:
    Motherfucker has been hit with another motherfucker.
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    It's funny how complete and total carnage can look so clinical with the right mindset, despite the objective process of her strategy was "Literally punch the air out of the first guy, shake his inner organs so hard that he blacks out for a sec, throws him at another guy, while he's mid-air she whips out a fucking fireplace poker and pins a man to the wall through the shoulder with it, steals his sidearm in time for the first guy to crash into someone completely different, and that's when things suddenly explode into Mass Combat"

    There's a good reason that she's an Azimuth (Dawn equivalent) with SWLIHN (The Smarter Than Thou Crystal Constellation) favored. I'd like to think the dichotomy between inner mechanical efficiency and U L T R A V I O L E N C E is funny.
     
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    On My Intended Posting Schedule
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    • The Dream right now is to set aside a period of 1-2 hours per weekday and post what I have by the end of it. Now that Dogwatching Purgatory is over, I have the opportunity to establish this as a proper habit instead of just nabbing time when I have.

    So, with the intention of getting a habit of writing something every week day, I'll be attempting to sit down and produce Content around 5 PM EST on weekdays, and taking the weekends off to handle other business and attempt to resolve any major issues. My hope with this quest is to establish a habit of doing this, and turn writing something into my routine, in hopes of pivoting to an Original Work down the line that might be a source of a little income on the side.

    At the very least, I have every intentions of playing through at least one full story arc with Ciara in this game, with further content as inspiration and ideas occur to me.

    That is--the Plan, such as it is, and I hope people have been having a good time with the introduction so far, and continue to have a good time in the days ahead!
     
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    • What struck me was how she treated the cabbage farmer, just a broad stroke clinical analysis of how useful he may or may not be and deciding to adjust his inevitable future punishment accordingly. As befits someone destined to take up the infinite desert to destroy the Grass menace.
     
    Karugus said:
    What struck me was how she treated the cabbage farmer, just a broad stroke clinical analysis of how useful he may or may not be and deciding to adjust his inevitable future punishment accordingly. As befits someone destined to take up the infinite desert to destroy the Grass menace.
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    I didn't think we have anything that is of said desert, as of now we hold the powers of the cast down king and the pyre upon which all thoughts are burned.

    We should definitely get some of those charms, we just don't have them right now.
     
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