The Lost Files (C:TL/Dresden Files) (CK2-ish)

[The Laurent]

Ratty Wilson is the person you shouldn't trust. He's the one who says to the hero, "Don't worry, I'm your friend" and then crosses his fingers and mugs at the camera as the hero is oblivious.

He's a coward and a rat and the scum of the earth, a long smear of shit on the life of anyone he meets and, almsot inevitably, betrays. Often killing. He should be really fucking easy to find out because he's, again, pretty unpleasant, but he can play at being this sort of excitable, energetic kind of coward, the sort of person who jumps around and gestures a lot.

Like a friendly rat or something.

He's not friendly at all. His Arcadia was one where he was the second in command, or the friend, who always betrayed everyone in the end.

It wasn't the Arcadia of a ruler, of someone powerful, and by True Fae standards he was weak, and thus by Exile standards he has relatively little in the way of magic, and most of that related to Contracts to run, hide, or use Talecrafting to cover his tracks.

Upon his Exile, he's currently working for himself, and also the Count of Crime, who knows that Ratty will inevitably betray him at some point and has plans for that.

In a fight, he's pretty unremarkable. He's fast, quick, and clever, and he's hard to pin down and just fucking kill, and being a cowardly slime, he never fights fair when he can just stab someone in the back.

He tends to use a knife to fight, and Cora's own analysts would, if put into numerical terms, indicate that he has Weaponry 4, Strength 2. So, not bad at all: but certainly not particularly magical/amazing, and even Exiled True Fae can be a lot mroe dangerous than that.

So yeah, Harry Dresden is not the first and--unless Ratty Wilson dies--not the last person to be utterly taken in and used as a patsy by Ratty Wilson.

 

[drake_azathoth]

Yeah, if Dresden twigs that Ratty isn't human, which would be pretty easy...

Welp, I think Marcone once made a point of noting that Dresden does not make a habit of leaving most inhuman enemies alive. He doesn't necessarily think of himself as a murderous thug, but buildings and monsters tend to be flammable.

I like the character though, and I could see how he'd be a pain in Dresden's ass prior to whatever final confrontation. It's actually very nice to see a True Fae that's not an absolute murdermonster.

Actually, I'm curious as to how Dresdenverse magic and WoD changelings interact. I'd assume WoD changelings do still have a soul, unlike the True Fae or the DresdenFae, and thus a soulgaze would work fine, but the Laws of Magic seem to have a big loophole where 'using magic to kill monsters' is.

I suspect the White Court wouldn't have issue with killing changelings via magic, but Dresden himself might.

 

[The Laurent]

Yeah, if Dresden twigs that Ratty isn't human, which would be pretty easy...

Welp, I think Marcone made a point of noting that Dresden does not make a habit of leaving most inhuman enemies alive. He doesn't necessarily think of himself as a murderous thug, but buildings and monsters tend to be flammable.

I like the character though, and I could see how he'd be a pain in Dresden's ass prior to whatever final confrontation.

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True. He's also totally a starter villain, so Dresden can later go, in a different book, "I beat a True Fae already, how bad can it be" and then learn that Ratty Wilson, even by Exile standards, let alone the real things, is a fucking tool.
A...well, rat.

 

[Sworl]

So yeah, Harry Dresden is not the first and--unless Ratty Wilson dies--not the last person to be utterly taken in and used as a patsy by Ratty Wilson.

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I don't know, I'd imagine that even a weak Exiled True Fae must be pretty easy for a wizard to sense as being supernatural and that is without even taking the Sight into account.

Admittedly that might not stop Dresden from having dealings with him; but then you'd have to ask why Ratty would want to have any sort of extended dealings with Harry. Dresden doesn't work for free, isn't what you'd call a people person (be the 'people' he is dealing with human or otherwise) and likely couldn't provide Ratty Wilson with much of value other than some bog standard quickly covered background information on the supernatural.

 

[The Laurent]

I don't know, I'd imagine that even a weak Exiled True Fae must be pretty easy for a wizard to sense as being supernatural and that is without even taking the Sight into account.

Admittedly that might not stop Dresden from having dealings with him; but then you'd have to ask why Ratty would want to have any sort of extended dealings with Harry. Dresden doesn't work for free, isn't what you'd call a people person (be the 'people' he is dealing with human or otherwise) and likely couldn't provide Ratty Wilson with much of value other than some bog standard background information on the supernatural.

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Hmm, why would Ratty Wilson want to visit someone while being watched by a bunch of paranoid, quick-to-the-trigger Changelings? Could he possibly want people to get *ideas* about associations that might not exist?

It's a frame job, that's Cora's best guess. Either that, or there's something really special about Dresden, other than advertising in the paper.

 

[Rooster]

I'm utterly lost (no pun intended).

Why is Ratty Wilson brought up? Why is Harry Dresden brought up? All we glimpsed of him is that some changelings mistook him for someone they need to get rid of.

Is there some adventure going on in the background that Dresden is part of and I'm simply not aware of it?

What is Dresden's storyline thus far? His current book so to speak. Someone please help.

 

[Sworl]

Hmm, why would Ratty Wilson want to visit someone while being watched by a bunch of paranoid, quick-to-the-trigger Changelings? Could he possibly want people to get *ideas* about associations that might not exist?

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Why though? Presumably True Fae don't need reasons for being dicks; but I assume there is more to it than that.

 

[The Laurent]

Why though? Presumably True Fae don't need reasons for being dicks; but I assume there is more to it than that.

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You can't quite know, but it's certainly sowing confusion, chaos, and discord all throughout the Duchy of the Phoenix, and potentially setting them at odds with a mortal who might in other circumstances be an ally.

I'm utterly lost (no pun intended).

Why is Ratty Wilson brought up? Why is Harry Dresden brought up? All we glimpsed of him is that some changelings mistook him for someone they need to get rid of.

Is there some adventure going on in the background that Dresden is part of and I'm simply not aware of it?

What is Dresden's storyline thus far? His current book so to speak. Someone please help.

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Ratty Wilson was the person mentioned as having met with him. Ratty Wilson is a True Fae Exile. Hence, the Changelings in Chicago thought they were in league. Also, at the moment, only the first book has actually happened. So it's pretty darn early.

He's a Wizard P.I in Chicago who just got under a 'if you break the rules again we automatically kill you' death sentence a few months ago by stopping an evil Sorcerer from selling drugs. He's currently also broke, because this is a constant.

 

[veekie]

Actually, I'm curious as to how Dresdenverse magic and WoD changelings interact. I'd assume WoD changelings do still have a soul, unlike the True Fae or the DresdenFae, and thus a soulgaze would work fine, but the Laws of Magic seem to have a big loophole where 'using magic to kill monsters' is.

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Dresdenverse changelings offer a basis for comparison. They count as human unless they Choose Fae and become fae for real instead of funny looking human with powers.

He's currently also broke, because this is a constant

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Its Talecrafting! Hardboiled detectives must be broke and constantly faced with sexy women they don't get to bang

 

[tinkerbell]

I Really like the fluff, I put some time in reading the World of Darkness lore because of this quest to. I will try to give you some more commentary when the next update comes out.

 

[The Laurent]

Gilding the Lily: Aftermath

The security guard survived. It seemed to have been, as Cora had thought, a burglary attempt gone wrong. Some crazed junkie. The security guard had unfortunately not been able to give much of a description, though eyewitness reports were notably tricky in the first place. Black, male, and with a knife were the main details he'd focused on, details that in a city 48% male and 49% black were basically meaningless.

The knife was even more understandable, of course. In order to prevent suspicion, the aid Cora had sent along with the agents to suss out his story had merely helped speed his healing. It would still be a few weeks before he was back at full strength, but his hospital visit would at least be shortened, and considering she doubted he truly wanted to annoy his insurance company, that would be enough.

The ghosts of the city, on the other hand, were indeed being stirred up by something. Not only the gang war, but something else. It was hard to define, though, and it was clearly not some direct attempt to stir up the ghosts. But there were things that could accidentally do so, and Cora suspected that their arrival was part of the problem.

This led her to call Lillian about just this matter, and she had carefully sussed out that indeed ghosts had seemed more actively lately, and Lillian had even noticed the ripples that Janet had stirred up when she arrived, though luckily she hadn't particularly put the math together, and so far she seemed quite convinced that Mrs. Graves was a quite singular if mysterious and powerful figure. This was all for the best, similar to Mayor Booster's attempts to portray himself as *something* that was at the head of a corporation, rather than allow any potential enemies to see the full outline of a Freehold which had well over a hundred members.

It was the entire reasoning behind her insistence that these matters might best be handled personally, or at least carefully enough that no traces could be found that couldn't be explained as being merely some hirelings or lesser agents. It wasn't a charade that would last all that long, relatively speaking, but it was one Cora didn't want to give up, and while there were no doubt some Freeholds who would be more open, or might be forced open in the chaos, it was a popular attitude.

As for Lillian? The woman had not mentioned much about her magic, but in the next two phone conversations, a little more was gained, quite carefully. Apparently her magic was inherited, and by the fact that she spoke only of ghosts, Cora's suspicion was that she possessed magic aimed only towards those goals. But she had received additional power for her magic, as well as strange rituals. She believed they were from god, which of course made the cynical part of Cora doubt that entirely.

Either way, something had given her power for some reason, and considering the nature of the power and the rituals, at least meant to come across as benevolent in the short term.

Cora remembered the dream: It was strange, how helpless and yet mighty one could feel in dreams, and she frowned and pulled up and it was a wand she drew.

Ash, go figure, and she kept on digging, pulling at it, and out came an umbilicial cord which snaked and then further in, half buried and held tight within the corpse's grip, there was a bottle of Myrrh.

So, she had been born with magic, but then been gifted with greater power. Anointed with it by a being she thought to be god. The Myrrh certainly spoke towards something. Perhaps it was mere belief, though the actual presence of Myrrh spoke to powerful belief or even more powerful truth.

It was a matter, at the least, to consider.

Also to consider was strengthening the web of agents following her. There were already plenty of people carefully monitoring Lillian, but it might be a good way to figure out the web of magical humans in the city, if she interacted with them.

It had been one reason why Cora had considered before discarding the idea of being threatening. Because after being threatened, Lillian would no doubt have gone straight to her other allies and thus identified them.

It wouldn't have been worth it, she'd ultimately decided, but Cora Graves was tempted. She'd have to ask her agents in their dreams and hers as well just what else they've seen Lillian doing.

Results: ???, security guard lives, Lillian Abbot seems as if she's an ally for the moment, seems to be able to cast only magic related to ghosts, was granted power by something for some reason.

Spoiler: Roll-Play

Intelligence+Occult: 6 successes

Persuasion: 3 successes

A/N: Short, but telling. Next is the magic examination, and then Jonathan's presentation. Then we have a final 'Results' screen and then the Epilogue for Turn 1 (it involves the book). Then we're off to the races with Turn 2, finally.

 

[tinkerbell]

The security guard survived. It seemed to have been, as Cora had thought, a burglary attempt gone wrong. Some crazed junkie.

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Maybe something for the future, if you don't like somebody just get some junkies, give them some drugs and knives and send them to the people you don't like (maybe there is a contract that would help with this kind of thing). Maybe the freehold can get a druggie/junkie gang (like the merchants from Worm) and use them like Palpatine used the droids and the confederation weakening the vampires proxy gangs and in the end look like the good guy. Cora is ambitious why not try? One plot of many.

But she had received additional power for her magic, as well as strange rituals.

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Dresden files Rituals for power, maybe those could be obtained and given to the Circle.

 

[chocolote12]

Epilogue for Turn 1 (it involves the book).

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Negaverse Quest confirmed.

 

[The Laurent]

Negaverse Quest confirmed.

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Negaverse Quest?

Also, with the gangs, the big issue right now to remember is the Northside Kings. They've been mentioned a few times here and there, and are a big deal with anything having to do with that.

 

[veekie]

Maybe something for the future, if you don't like somebody just get some junkies, give them some drugs and knives and send them to the people you don't like (maybe there is a contract that would help with this kind of thing). Maybe the freehold can get a druggie/junkie gang (like the merchants from Worm) and use them like Palpatine used the droids and the confederation weakening the vampires proxy gangs and in the end look like the good guy. Cora is ambitious why not try? One plot of many.

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That's Red Court standard MO.

White Court too, though they use sex instead.

Dresden files Rituals for power, maybe those could be obtained and given to the Circle

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Most of Dresden's rituals only work for DF verse magic practitioners. It's mostly in his head, the rituals are just props unless you are ringing up an eldritch horror.

 

[The Laurent]

That's Red Court standard MO.

White Court too, though they use sex instead.


Most of Dresden's rituals only work for DF verse magic practitioners. It's mostly in his head, the rituals are just props unless you are ringing up an eldritch horror.

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Well, they're props in the same way having a full surgical team and equipment and 21st century medical facilities are props to a doctor that they could go without and just use a rusty scalpel and surely get the same results.

 

[veekie]

Well, they're props in the same way having a full surgical team and equipment and 21st century medical facilities are props to a doctor that they could go without and just use a rusty scalpel and surely get the same results.

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Sort of.

I mean you could give the same facilities to say, a fighter jet pilot and he's going to make about as much progress with heart surgery as a power drill would have.

 

[The Laurent]

Negaverse Quest confirmed.

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Also, @Wellhello spend a BP on safety. Which means you might not want to worry so much. Spending that BP was my call to literally be more paranoid than I've ever have been in real life.

Actually, speaking of, it's hard to write someone who is so much smarter than me.

How do you think I'm doing, everyone? It's the most uncertain part of this whole enterprise, because Cora Graves is a character so vastly different than me that I have to sit down and spend huge amounts of time trying to come remotely close to aping the sort of effortless brilliance that the character (were she a real person) would be able to produce moment by moment.

Edit: Though, to note, this Quest won't be 'Cora Graves' Cakewalk over everything.' Already she's met at least one major threat to her, and several others that could be a huge threat if they turned against each other. And it's only going to get worse, but at the moment...

She's an unknown element. A *competent* unknown element. It's not hard to do well this early on, honestly.

 

[NemoMarx]

How do you think I'm doing, everyone? It's the most uncertain part of this whole enterprise, because Cora Graves is a character so vastly different than me that I have to sit down and spend huge amounts of time trying to come remotely close to aping the sort of effortless brilliance that the character (were she a real person) would be able to produce moment by moment.

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That's kind of always the problem with writing intelligent characters, right?

A lot of it (and you've been doing this) is showing them from the outside fairly often. There's a reason Watson narrated in all of Doyle's stories, and it means you can basically skip to the logical conclusions without having to show any process for getting there. Booster's perspective was really good for that, for instance.

I think you're doing a good job about it so far, though.

 

[tinkerbell]

Also, @Wellhello spend a BP on safety. Which means you might not want to worry so much. Spending that BP was my call to literally be more paranoid than I've ever have been in real life.

Actually, speaking of, it's hard to write someone who is so much smarter than me.

How do you think I'm doing, everyone? It's the most uncertain part of this whole enterprise, because Cora Graves is a character so vastly different than me that I have to sit down and spend huge amounts of time trying to come remotely close to aping the sort of effortless brilliance that the character (were she a real person) would be able to produce moment by moment.

Edit: Though, to note, this Quest won't be 'Cora Graves' Cakewalk over everything.' Already she's met at least one major threat to her, and several others that could be a huge threat if they turned against each other. And it's only going to get worse, but at the moment...

She's an unknown element. A *competent* unknown element. It's not hard to do well this early on, honestly.

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Maybe it's my lack of knowledge of the lore but what is Cora Graves legitimacy to rule as autumn Queen? Even absolute monarchs ruled by (droit divin) ''the grace of god'', I feel like Cora and the other monarchs should have something to legitimize their rule, right? did she get elected?

 

[The Laurent]

Maybe it's my lack of knowledge of the lore but what is Cora Graves legitimacy to rule as autumn Queen? Even absolute monarchs ruled by ''the grace of god'', I feel like Cora and the other monarchs should have something to legitimize their rule, right? did she get elected?

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Actually, there is a way. The crown is a literal part of the Wyrd and nature of the whole business.

Basically, there are multiple methods that can lead to selection, and different Courts in different Freeholds have their own methods or invent their own at a whim, but at the center of it is this: the general approval of the masses of a Court in a Freehold...and the Wyrd itself.

Basically, each Monarchy comes with a Crown. No, not a Token, not a physical crown (though it can appear as one) but as a symbol of power, created and maintained in/by their Mantle.

The one who manifests the Crown (which is always unassailable and undeniable, at least normally) is the one who is the Queen or King. Should someone lose the approval of their people, or be otherwise overthrown, the Crown then manifests on someone else.

For example: a common Summer method of changing leaders is for there to be a duel, possibly to the death. The winner, the one who unseats the Monarch, tends to then be 'granted' the crowd by the Wyrd and by its understanding of 'public approval/what's right.'

There are Freeholds in which the monarch is chosen by rap battle, by dancing, or by drawing a random name out of a lot...

But either way, there's actually a lot of legitimacy involved in it, since who the monarch is is pretty undeniable once you've seen them, unless you use some clever Sorcery.

Of course, Monarch and 'in charge' aren't always the same thing, and there are plenty of puppet-Kings out there, who nonetheless manifest the Crown.

 

[remulian]

Basically, its Magic.




There is no Legitimacy problem to it, because Magic ensures that the will/feel of the people is made manifest in designating a ruler of their group.

 

[tinkerbell]

There are Freeholds in which the monarch is chosen by rap battle

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What I gather from this, is that you are telling me that 2pac could be a changeling who is still alive and just got abducted by fae?

tinkerbell threw 1 6-faced dice. Reason: HeLives! Total: 4

 

[The Laurent]

What I gather from this is that you are telling me that 2pac could be a changeling who is still alive and just got abducted by fae?

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...I once made a Changeling (just for fun) that was secretly Michael Jackson, stolen away in the 1980s and come back to realize that his new-self had...well, gone downhill a bit or more when he came back.

He definitely had to face the Mien in the Mirror.

 

[tinkerbell]

That's Red Court standard MO.

White Court too, though they use sex instead.

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I see, maybe we can take the Ultor route (let Booster and his company do it) and try to ''clean the City''. First we put fuel on the fire and then offer to fix it.