YOU ARE (AGAIN) EXALTED
- Thread starter Baran3
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- exalted (white wolf) worm
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It was something relatively low.
One child with powers but non-hostile. They also knew where and when so it was supposed to be routine.
And well... Worm is known for Escalation.
What is with the "Wait. What!?"s dude. I mean, everytime a character gets surprised they express it by "Wait. What?" phrase as if there is no other way to do it. IMHO, it's slightly irking.
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- france
*shrug* It's a literary trick.
Many authors do use a few recurrent tricks like that. It's funny, that's all.
Arc 1: Essence One. Chapter 9: Friendship is… Essence?
- Location
- france
YOU ARE (AGAIN) EXALTED!
Disclaimer: I own nothing in this story.
Notes:
This story isn't dead. I was just on vacation for 2 weeks.
Some behaviors written in this chapter are atypical and very loosely based on canine behavior. Those are not accurate and should not be taken as references.
Sorry about this, but SwiftBlizz made me realize I put the Simurgh attack on Madison in July instead of December. So, I'm using the Hiccup as something that also affected the Simurgh post and precognition planning regarding the Travelers completely useless. The preceding chapters' editing is in progress.
Personal buy:
Vector Hands: One repurchase at Essence 1 for 8 points. (It would be stupid to not develop a charm you made yourself)
The Charm now generates (Essence+1) pairs of hands (ambidextrous characters ignore off-hand penalties). Using multiple pairs needs a flurry.
Lore: First Knowledge's Grace (8 points).
New tie: Teacher-student relation with Rachel Lindt (minor).
Exp points: 8. Solar points: 0.
Thank you for the suggestions in the forums.
A big thank you to SwiftBlizz who, courageously, continues to edit my chapters.
Arc 1: Essence One.
Chapter 9: Friendship is… Essence?
Chapter 9: Friendship is… Essence?
2009, August 4th. Noon. United States. Massachusetts. Brockton Bay. City limits.
Perched on her trusty horse familiar Yona, Zia the Bright Raven looked at the city at the heart of the web-novel WORM from the cover of the forest bordering the main access road. Brockton Bay was located in the northeast of the United States, north of Boston. The eleven-year-old girl smelled before seeing the Atlantic Ocean bordering it on the east, while mountains or hills bordered it on the other side, especially to the west.
According to the classic panel with the city name, Brockton Bay had a civilian population of around three hundred and fifty thousand. According to Wildbow, it was probably in the top 10 US cities regarding the total cape population with about 120 Parahumans.
The long black-haired and green-eyed young Quechua girl also knew that the city was founded over an underground lake or aquifer and thus, was a future ideal target for the Endbringer Leviathan which featured massive-scale aquakinesis able to sink Newfoundland and Kyushu in the past.
Being a coastal city along with its surrounding geography, Brockton Bay had a fairly mild climate. The summers were comfortably warm and the winters were one of the mildest in the Northeastern States. She giggled. This might have been one reason people in impracticable skintight costumes congregated there.
Even from where she was, Zia could see blocks of storage containers scattered throughout the city, a legacy of a brief period where they were used as cheap off-the-books housing before this was banned.
The perfect metaphor for the more wretched hive of scum and villainy underneath as five Parahuman-led gangs fought for supremacy within the city: The Neo-Nazis of the Empire Eighty-Eight, the Asian group of the Azn Bad Boys, the drug dealers of the Archer's Bridge Merchants, the Chorus who will be responsible for Panacea's trigger, and that bastard Coil's organization.
The ENE PRT and Protectorate fought against all of them with a disadvantage in Parahumans of 3 to 4 against 1, even the PRT troopers couldn't completely compensate. No one from outside helped them because Cauldron had designated this city for a social experiment about Parahuman feudalism and prevented the PRT mother organization from properly reacting with various bureaucratic nonsense and abuses. Fucking Contessa, Doctor Mother, and Costa-Brown.
So early in the Timeline, there were also New Wave (including Glory Girl but not yet Panacea), the duo of Über and Leet, Faultline's crew… and the rest of small groups and independent Parahumans like Parian.
And that was all about the Parahuman side if one was willing to forget about the civilian population, the police, and all their aspirations and dreams… and that they outnumbered the capes by a factor of 3000.
"Quite the conundrum." Zia flattered Yona's mane while thinking about her next action. She could show herself entering the city on the back of her familiar, flaunting her confidence and power. Or she could be discrete, find some shelter, and study the lay of the land. Or even something between the two extremes.
"No… I'm here to help, not to hinder, at least not now." Her eyes narrowed as she felt the temptation to light the fuse of this powder keg, to lance the infected wound but... "There's a time for a Daiklave in the face under the sun and a time for the poisoned dagger in the dark." Zia smiled showing her teeth like a shark before it attacks.
"So… Cauldron and Coil think they're master conspiracy-crafters, huh." She took a deep breath to center herself as anger was a better servant than a master. "We'll see about that. It seems that Brockton Bay will stay a nexus in the story of Earth Bet for a time." Her fist tightened and her Eclipse mark flickered over her brow. "Until I break the unbreakable, kill the unkillable, and accomplish the impossible."
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Rachel Lindt felt… Well, she felt bad, really bad. Brockton Bay was both a good and a bad surprise. There were plenty of spaces to find shelter and claim some territory, but also plenty of people jealously protecting their turf, even when they couldn't.
Was she so different? It was something she understood well. On the other hand, she had been forced to leave her last shelter because the cops would have been able to sniff her, and she had to hide in an abandoned warehouse in the Docks. It was a classic situation, but the reason it was abandoned was the terrible condition of its roof. She spends the few last nights shivering in her wet clothes even with her dogs sharing their heat because of a few night-rains.
Now, she was ill, felt hot, and needed more food to beat back her cold. It was a vicious circle: She needed to be strong enough to take food by force or with stolen money, but she was too ill and couldn't go out safely to do either. Staying here without food then would lessen her strength and so on.
Wiser than most humans, her dogs tried to let her eat the food she brought them, but it was her responsibility as the Alpha to take care of the pack. She was feeling hunger pangs and, because it happened in the past, she estimated to have another week before being too feeble and forced to accept help from strangers. In the past also, it was a signal for abusing her needs and using her powers against her interests.
The auburn-haired teenager hated that kind of person. She also hated not being able to distinguish them before it was too late and being forced to order her enhanced pack members to hurt or kill. Angelica the Terrier stirred from its position at her feet and sniffed the air. Someone was coming. Yes, she was now even hearing the clip-clops from an unshod horse.
Wait. What?
She heard and saw one of the access doors creaking open and prepared herself to take out whoever was entering her turf with the help of Judas the German Shepherd and Brutus the Rottweiler. Rachel aka Bitch blinked at the younger black-haired girl entering the warehouse. She was clad in an orange dress and seemed healthy. And yes, there was a small horse following her. She didn't look surprised at Rachel's presence.
Zia was surprised but managed to contain herself. A squarish, blunt face with thick eyebrows, auburn hair, gray eyes, a rather muscular body, and especially the three dogs around her that seemed to wait for one gesture to rip into the Eclipse. Rachel Lindt aka Bitch… Fuck that SOB of a ROB. It couldn't be a coincidence. Well, she just walked up to the wolf's maw. Time to extricate herself from that situation.
The Solar Eclipse attuned herself to the local patterns of social interaction, allowing Essence to guide her responses. Rachel expected her to behave in a certain way so the Exalt adapted to the expectations of her host's way of life. Essence drawn from her personal pool will ensure that she was able to instinctively and reflexively follow Rachel's customs, behaving appropriately for the situation at hand without her caste mark showing.
Rachel was surprised as the girl showed proper deference to her and didn't speak until Rachel was ready for it. "I'm offering food and fire for at least a night of shelter." Simple and direct, and something she perfectly understood… That wasn't normal for the so-called normal people… But there was an opportunity in that.
"If you have medicines, I'll give you more nights of shelter."
"I do. I accept."
Rachel grunted and signaled the… strange girl to approach and heal her pack-members first. The girl surprised her again by making a fire with wood she knew was damp. She then let her dogs sniff her and her horse before taking care of them better than some veterinarians she remembered from her childhood. She even waited until Rachel accepted her approach and dealt with her illness.
After an hour of treatment with some nice-smelling herbal tea and ointments, she began to feel better. That could mean… "You have power."
"I do." No hesitation at all. Rachel could see that her green eyes stayed clear and direct. A "normal" person would have been wary and showing shifting eyes.
"Why not use it elsewhere? You'll make money." Healers were respected and protected by "normal" people, that was something she managed to learn.
Zia shook her head. "Too young and too many rules with the PRT. Besides, I like my freedom and my power is saying that any organization taking me in will be destroyed." It was very useful to have a reliable even if vague precognition method, still fucking ROB.
Rachel frowned. Power stuff was always a little iffy but that… "You have to stay alone?"
Zia smiled, really smiled as if a sunbeam was gently draping itself over her and her surroundings. "No. It just means that I have to create my own group."
The Parahuman blinked. It wasn't the first time someone wanted to recruit her, but not that obvious. "You want me in your pack?"
The Bright Raven continued to smile. "Not yet. I'm new and don't know the city. I also lack proper space and resources and, of course, adequate recognition from the authorities and the gangs."
Rachel shrugged. "Strength is always good for that."
Zia nodded. "On the short term, yes. Long-term, not so much. Too many enemies. Too many fronts. Not enough resources and numbers."
Bitch looked into the green eyes. No conflict or hostile intentions but this one considered herself as her equal. Instinctively, the young teenage girl knew that as social animals, dogs choose the person or people who give them plenty of love, attention, and positive experiences as an Alpha. It's just that her past had too much negativity so strength was her first recourse.
The two girls stood up at an unseen signal and assessed each other as the dogs scampered away. Rachel decided to use her size advantage and rushed the younger girl. Her arms seized Zia and… Rachel blinked. One instant she was about to tackle the strange girl, the second after she was on the ground, on her back with the same strange girl effortlessly pinning her arms down and sitting on her.
She struggled to get up, to free herself from the simple hold but that strange green-eyed girl was able to manhandle her with ease but without pain. Rachel grunted. She felt better from her illness so her strength should have been sufficient. And she didn't feel an abnormal strength like with some Parahumans she clashed against in the past.
She sighed and exposed her throat. The strange girl lightly sniffed her vulnerable flesh, acknowledging her surrender, and let her go. To her surprise the dark-skinned girl still respected Rachel by not helping her up, recognizing her as a capable Beta, not an Omega. It wouldn't be the first time for Bitch to serve someone. She just hoped it would last a long time with this Alpha.
Other good surprises followed. The Alpha presented herself as Zia the Bright Raven… Strange cape name for a weird girl since only her hair could evoke a raven. A very capable Alpha nonetheless as she not only offered real food but also managed to repair enough of the warehouse with her strange golden power to be protected from the elements and to secure it from most people.
That night, the two girls shared space and warmth under a dry blanket in a dried place. Their companions sleeping around them reinforced the feeling of safety. For the first time in days, perhaps in months, Rachel Lindt slept soundly listening to another heartbeat.
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2009, August 5th. Before sunrise. United States. Massachusetts. Brockton Bay.
Each of the girls occupying an abandoned warehouse somewhere in the docks had a morning ritual. Rachel took care of her dogs before having a walk outside with them. Zia climbed up on the warehouse's roof to salute the sunrise.
And then the Bright Raven danced.
Golden Janissary form and stances were taken and then changed to Dreaming Pearl Courtesan style to Golden Janissary style and cycling again. Weapons appeared in her hands and the staff changed to a paper fan then to a knife and returned to a staff again. After a brief pause in her practice of the two current styles, the Bright Raven focused on her Essence and Vector Hands suddenly manifested as Zia mixed her punches and kicks with the invisible but deadly phantom limbs.
Coming back from her dog walk and curious, Rachel climbed up the roof and watched with awe the Martial Arts display as gradually her new leader, the Strange Girl, changed between using her real hands with the Vector Hands until she became a maelstrom of punches, open palm strikes, kicks, and different weapons.
With a last sweeping flourish, Zia finished her morning kata, the Eclipse caste mark shining on her brow. She turned to Rachel and waited for her to speak first.
Rachel felt… conflicted. Violence was a part of her, of what she was familiar with and understood. And yet… "This was… weird. You don't readily use strength and yet you know… No, you own it. Why?"
Zia nodded. Another conflict was coming. Not a fight between her and Rachel but against what others had stolen from the feral teenage girl, against the very prejudices of society.
She felt she had to help her… No, remembering her eyes the first time she met her, she wanted to help Rachel, the girl and not the web-novel character, and there weren't many methods. The best way she saw was to clear her name, to reveal to the world the truth of her circumstances, and to help her reintegrate into society.
It won't be easy, even with the formidable power of her Essence. Rachel, or more exactly Hellhound, was considered a villain to the public, and reintegrating her into society meant that she could function and understand other people with little difficulty despite the trials of her past and the twisting of her personality by her power.
"Control and knowledge." Rachel frowned so Zia continued. Affecting a calm and patient demeanor, the Solar Eclipse reached for her Essence and projected the very light of her knowledge into the dark corners of the soul of her first student on Earth Bet. "Let us eat and I will talk about it and answer your questions." After all, even in her past life, she had been acknowledged as a good teacher.
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2009, August 5th. Late evening. United States. Massachusetts. Brockton Bay.
Emma Barnes was a tall, curvy redhead with green eyes. She was inside her father's car, just out of an amateur modeling session. Something she managed because of her fairly developed body even at just 13 years old. She restrained a yawn as she listened to her best friend, no, her sister in all but blood on the phone: Taylor Hebert. She seemed better, even over the phone than that time Emma held her as she cried for a full week over the death of Aunt Anne, Taylor's mother.
Now, if only her father, Alan Barnes, could finally decide which way to take to go home. 5 minutes, 5 minutes since he debated with himself for the way to follow. She understood that he was a lawyer, used to think about little details, but seriously? Besides, lingering at night in the streets of Brockton Bay was… stupid. Even inside the relative safety of a car.
5 minutes later she abruptly cut off her call with Taylor and frantically tried to call police before a baseball bat broke the passenger's window and she was extracted violently from the car. 3 ABB thugs had cornered her and her father by blocking the shortcut they took with large garbage bins. One even had a gun pointed at her father while the last one, the only girl, had a knife.
They were older teenagers, not even young adults. They sneered and insulted her and her father, making lewd comments about her "tits" and taunting her father with his helplessness. She felt her heart beating so fast and so hard that she feared she was having a heart attack, and her lungs were hyperventilating. In a detached way, she recognized she was on the verge of fainting or doing something stupid that would kill her. She supposed that it was still better than being kidnapped and sold to Lung's brothels.
The Asian girl was waving her knife at Emma's face after she cut off a lock of hair. "So? Ear, eye, or nose? Choose rapidly or I will cut off the three of them."
Just as Emma was tensing to lash out in sheer panic, a calm voice was heard from behind the group of ABB thugs. "And what about boxing your ears, ensuring you have two black eyes, and breaking your nose?"
The Asians actually blinked and turned around in alarm. Emma also blinked as she gazed upon a long black-haired girl, younger than her, clad in an orange dress and calmly dismounting from a pony. She hadn't heard the horse approaching but she supposed she had been more focused on the knife too close to her face.
The one with the bat snorted. "I know that all little girls want a pony, but frankly that looks ridiculous."
Zia the Bright Raven assessed her adversaries and the surroundings with her Essence-reinforced senses. Good, only another stupid girl observing them from a nearby roof. "Oh? Is that more ridiculous than someone using a Louisville Slugger baseball bat worth 150 dollars for a crime?" She turned to the one with a revolver, an almost worthless Saturday Night Special, and noted the peculiar calluses on his hands. "Or a Kendoka using a handgun?" Looking at the Asian girl revealed a little surprise. "And my, what a nice "Little Kitty" underwear."
The ABB thugs were speechless, furious, and worried. The girl frantically adjusted her pants since her fly was open, the one with the baseball bat was looking at it flabbergasted, and the one with the gun gulped loudly before re-aiming at Zia and trying to threaten her. "Don't move!"
Zia the Bright Raven moved, slowly walking to them. Sweating like an ox, the Asian teenage boy with a gun opened fire, wildly missing her. The Eclipse caste didn't even blink. Distraught, the shooter discharged his handgun in her direction and Zia had to deflect with her wrist cuffs only 2 bullets with how shaken his aim was. She stopped barely 2 meters away from him as he frenetically pulled the trigger of his empty revolver.
Zia shook her head. "This is a Röhm RG-14 and you already used your six shots." She moved as her Caste mark shone on her forehead.
One kick in the genitals for the bad shooter, one open palm strike in the chest for the bat wielder, and one punch in the nose after slapping away the knife for the Asian girl. The result: 3 unconscious Asian teenagers that she discreetly looted of everything before putting them in a nearby bin.
Alan Barnes was coming back to his senses after helplessly seeing his daughter in mortal danger. She was so pale and shaking so bad in his embrace. He turned to their savior with an astrological symbol shining on her brow coming back from… taking out the trash, an incongruous laugh on his lips. "You… You don't arrest them for the police?"
Zia retrieved two blankets from her convenient Inventory and draped the father and daughter in them. "I'm completely new to Brockton Bay. I have no significant contact with the local authorities, not even the local PRT number. I don't even have a phone."
Emma was desperately searching for an anchor against the nightmare she just lived through, alternating between the warmth of her father and the conversation. "PRT…? That symbol… You're a Cape…? But… Where's your mask?"
Zia smiled and pushed into Emma's hands a warm cup of tea. "No, I'm not a Parahuman. I'm an illegal alien, having illegally entered US territory."
The father and daughter blinked at her, alternating with her forehead. They hysterically burst into laughing before Emma sobbed uncontrollably. Zia added her own embrace to the crying teenage girl. "There, there. It'll be okay. Go on, there's no shame in crying. Those who even think the contrary are just stupid."
Zia subtly used her Essence to mitigate the shock of the Barnes and pointed them toward making a report to the police and consulting doctors. The Barnes… The very incident that made Emma the traumatized girl she was in Worm… The SOB of a ROB! Psychology was a part of her skill set but they would need a psychiatrist in the future as soon as possible before the shock became trauma and lingered.
The Bright Raven coerced them back into their car after assuring herself Alan could drive back to their home, even promising Emma they would meet again soon and thanking the father for prompting his services should she need it later.
She waved at them, especially the enthusiastic Emma as they drove away. All right, just one last girl to deal with before returning to Rachel and her current… den?
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Sophia Hess aka Shadow Stalker scowled as the stupid vigilante finally rode away on her pony. Who the hell did this brat think she was? A Pretty Princess able to become a Pretty Stupid Magical Girl?
Sophia was a tall and dark-skinned teenage girl, with long straight hair and brown eyes. Her body shape was slender and athletic and she could be considered pretty if not for her scowl. She didn't know it but her powers affected her personality after she triggered, her behavior becoming more aggressive and violent as a result of her trigger event.
Her Cape costume consisted of a heavy hooded black cloak in dark gray urban camouflage, and a skintight black bodysuit with black-painted metal knee pads, gauntlets, belts, and pockets. Her mask was a modified hockey mask painted in black. She was armed with two pistol crossbows, loaded with hunting broad-head bolts and two small knives.
Well, Shadow Stalker supposed she could finish the 3 losers in the garbage bin so that her night patrol didn't begin with such a false note when a presence made herself known behind her.
"Nice night, don't you think?"
Taken completely by surprise, Sophia entered her Breaker state and twirled on herself while drawing a crossbow. She looked wispy and transparent as if she was composed of nearly invisible gas. Put simply she became a gray shadow among other shadows, with a distorted, skull-like face hidden by her mask.
She reflexively shot at the stupid brat in an orange dress and cringed at her idiocy. Fortunately, the brat caught the phased bolt in her hand without any effort.
Wait. What!?
Zia the Bright Raven smirked and examined the still-phased bolt in her hand. In fact, she just manifested a Vector Hand over her real hand and let the Force construct catch the projectile. "How quaint."
Confronted by someone unknown with probable heroic tendencies, so confident in herself that she was mask-less, and who caught her main way to attack effortlessly, Sophia took the only decision she could: She fled away with all her speed, using her Breaker state to float over the roofs and ignore the obstacles.
Of course, she wasn't afraid. A predator was never afraid of her prey. She was just opening the distance while preparing for her future crushing of the stupid Pretty Princess Brat. Yeah, that was what she was doing.
Zia blinked at the retreating figure and scratched her head while putting the bolt in her Inventory. "I just wanted to talk… Was it something I said?"
She shrugged. Sophia was too aggressive and would twist this encounter into something negative concerning Zia but that was simply a cover for the traumatic fear she acquired from her Trigger Event. At least she gained an item affected by a Shard's power. Who knew what she would be able to learn from it?
She sighed. If she hadn't done a Tea Reading that day, she wouldn't have met with the Barnes and Shadow Stalker that evening. She tapped her lips. The ROB seemed determined for her to meet all the characters from Worm.
The Bright Raven shrugged. She had already torpedoed many of the canon plots just by being here. Helping Rachel? Sure. Rescuing the Barnes and preventing Emma from mental breaking? No problem. Reforming Sophia Hess into the hero she wanted to be? Err… Give her some time, all right?
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Notes:
Smiling like a shark? Of course, what do you think a Solar Exalt with Bureaucracy charms can do in a modern world?
Regarding Zia and Rachel's interaction, well, Solar charisma is bullshit. Mortals, even those with Parahuman powers can be influenced by the sheer charisma of an Exalt.
Of course, reeducating Rachel and dealing with her Villain status isn't going to be easy. Zia will surely need some help, legal and illegal.
There is a James Bond reference somewhere. Can you find it?
Yep, I just destroyed another canon plot. No traumatized Emma to bully Taylor. Also, Sophia now is looking at Zia and not the redhead "survivor". How will it develop between the Bright Raven and Shadow Stalker? I don't know yet, but surely with violence at first.
By the way, Demon summoning was treated as a convenient source of multiple servants in the Exalted RPG. I don't think Zia should use them like that (apart from summoning Elementals) but…
Do you think that changing the nature of the summons is a good idea? Something like in some mangas where monsters are used as a source of labor or material resources? An example would be different species of slimes, each with different capacities (sticky or other fluids, washing clothes, producing raw materials,…).
As always, don't hesitate to post questions, remarks, and ideas.
In the next chapter, Zia is confronted with people from Brockton Bay and meets another aspect coming from the Exalted setting.
Honestly, I'd say keep it how it is already
I'd say summons are good but they shouldn't be like real characters from Creation with all the assumptions & traits that entails.
Summoned stuff that's around in the background & feeds her information or performs small discrete tasks helps explain her being unusually well informed & accomplishing a lot. Demons with their own wants, motives etc is an unnecessary complication for the fic IMO.
Summoned stuff that's around in the background & feeds her information or performs small discrete tasks helps explain her being unusually well informed & accomplishing a lot. Demons with their own wants, motives etc is an unnecessary complication for the fic IMO.
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So... Let's say she can still summon demons, but like in Stormbringer, they are chosen for what they can do for her. A sort of Essence construct that she built herself. No complications or hidden motives.
By the way, the elementals should be more like the fantasy-styled elementals in video games. Something like Gnome, Undine, Efrit, and Ariel. Basic elements in an anthropomorphic shape and using their element. Gnomes are able to find raw minerals or make a building. Undine making clear water or ice. Efrit generates heat or burns things and people. Ariels being invisible make great spies or summon lightning.
Err... It wasn't quite... what I was thinking about.
Still hilarious.
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- She/Her
I mean… both elementals and demons can be used for that already from a what I remember?
I don't see a reason to change that tbh. Maybe gate lock demons behind god forging since there aren't any primordials around this corner of the multiverse?
Like, you could have her build up her own elemental court of friends, or make a bunch of least gods for all the buildings she stays in?
I don't see a reason to change that tbh. Maybe gate lock demons behind god forging since there aren't any primordials around this corner of the multiverse?
Like, you could have her build up her own elemental court of friends, or make a bunch of least gods for all the buildings she stays in?
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Not exactly. Elementals are less versatile than demons but have no drawbacks. There's also only ONE spell to summon them at the Terrestrial level.
Demons are very versatile and can be used to forge artifacts or build a manse. They are also more powerful since they can be summoned at the 3 levels of sorcery (terrestrial, celestial, and solar). They have more drawbacks as in being released if you fumble their bidings.
Hum... Perhaps focusing entirely on Elementals? I could also introduce the elementals that only appeared in the Autochthon setting.
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You may as well? Elementals are things that can pop up wherever matter exists, where as aren't most demons in Exalted once a part of, or built by, a primordial? By that logic it would make sense for there to be no demons unless Zia makes some? Which idk if solars can even learn how to do that, not being one of the primordial corrupted exalted
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True. Almost nothing remains from Creation. Just mere echoes.
Headcanon: there are no demons in this story. Only elementals of Wood, Water, Fire, Air, and Earth can be summoned including the six elements of Oil, Metal, Crystal, Smoke, Steam, and Lightning from Autochton.
Spells of summoning exist at the 3 levels of Sorcery. Essence 1-3 elementals are Terrestrials, Essence 4-5 are Celestials, and Essence 6-7 are Solars. Note that spells superior to the Terrestrial level can summon multiple Elementals of inferior Essence.
Well... approximately. This will be subject to revision during the story.
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- She/Her
Honestly that works? I mean, elementals would allow you to add some interesting political dinamics besides the more typical dealing with conspiracy and the United States government?
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Political? How? Oh, I see. No. No spirit courts and the like. The elementals are only here because I need a cheap labor force and resources without having to deal with the US government. They're only background elements.
I did use those political themes in the original story and it torpedoed it.
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Ah, okay fair enough. Elemental friends at best then
if you want ideas for different slimes, i recommend the novel "the man picked up by the gods". the MC is a bit of a Gary stu but he has MANY slimes.
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Yeah, this one was the inspiration for my idea about slimes.
I won't use slimes nonetheless. I decide on elementals.
Arc 1: Essence One. Chapter 10: Are you Sailor Moon?
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YOU ARE (AGAIN) EXALTED!
Disclaimer: I own nothing in this story.
Notes:
This is the end of Arc one.
Essence 2. (Gained enough experience points in 10 chapters to reach this level)
Exp points: 13. Solar points: 4.
Thank you for the suggestions in the forums.
And thank you to SwiftBlizz, the best editor I could ask for.
Arc 1: Essence One.
Chapter 10: Are you Sailor Moon?
Chapter 10: Are you Sailor Moon?
2009, August 6th. After sunrise. United States. Massachusetts. Brockton Bay.
Rachel Lindt crossed her arms and looked at her new leader with very skeptical eyes. "You followed a message read in tea leaves, saved a father and daughter from the ABB, and encountered the vigilante Shadow Stalker who fled from you just greeting her..."
Zia the Bright Raven laughed a little and scratched her head. "Well, when you say it like that… It seems a little far-fetched, isn't it?"
The tall auburn gray-eyed Parahuman nodded to herself. So, that was the reason Yona, the small chestnut mare, looked after her owner. "Not a little. Your power is weird and you're a strange girl."
Zia pouted and put her hands on her hips. "...Okay. I can't deny it." She shook her head. Kettle, you are so black. "Let's eat and I will teach you more things like yesterday."
It was the turn to Rachel to sigh and pout before following Zia inside their warehouse den. "You know, I feel I'm beginning to understand why normal teenagers don't like to go to school." At least the Strange Girl made it more interesting than the rare times she entered a school, forced or not.
"So? After your lesson, what are we doing today?"
Zia tapped her lips. Indeed, what to do today? The warehouse was now inhabitable even without water and electricity. Gathering info about Brockton Bay seemed logical. You can hardly do anything without knowledge, at least without too much worry but…
She snapped her fingers. "The Dockworkers."
Rachel frowned. "What about them? If you let them alone, they do the same."
"Exactly. But I suspect that this warehouse is within their turf. So, it would be polite to ask for permission and pay back them with the renovation of the building." Especially since the ROB would manipulate things so that the Bright Raven met the Heberts. "They could even gift us with putting back the facilities."
The Parahuman girl crossed her arms. "Seems too much work for little gain. We have shelter, food, and water. Why ask for more?"
Zia looked slyly at her student. "Oh? Wouldn't you like a hot shower after exercising? Or a hot meal prepared in a proper kitchen? What about a nice soft bed for the night? And even a safer outside place for our companions?"
Rachel couldn't but blush and grumbled to herself about her teacher being unfair. She blinked. Since when did she think of the Strange Girl as her teacher...? Weird.
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2009, August 6th. Morning. United States. Massachusetts. Brockton Bay.
Danny Hebert, head of hiring and spokesperson within the Dockworker Association was a tall, thin, balding man with dark hair. He had large green eyes, glasses, and a weak chin.
Today was a Tuesday and he was preparing for the turmoil of the Friday when bills and other money problems happened just before the weekend… There was also the absence of his daughter who was mentally rebuilding herself in a summer camp after the death of her mother and his wife.
He sighed as he looked at the photo on his desk. His family photo with him, Anne Rose Hebert, and their Little Owl, Taylor. A photo from the past when they were all happy despite living in the cesspit of Brockton Bay, before the accident, before her death… Even now, after his friend Alan Barnes slapped him back from his despair to take care of his daughter, the void within his heart was gnawing at him.
He supposed it would never truly disappear even under the assault of time… A knock on his door interrupted his spiral back in the past. "Danny…? There's someone to see you…?"
He raised an eyebrow. Claire's voice, his secretary, sounded hesitating. Hardly what he remembered from the office veteran she was, especially after all the shit happening in the Docks of Brockton Bay. Why, he recalled how calm she was when they had some E88 thugs threatening them in this very building… Just before the whole Association dealt with them. The advantage of having so many people coming from so many different ways of life. Kaiser never tried again. "Please enter."
Claire opened his door and let pass an orange dress-clad young girl with long dark hair, green eyes, and brown skin. A minor and not even accompanied by an adult… What was going on?
Zia the Bright Raven entered Danny Hebert's office and took the initiative as she could read from his eyes that he was surprised by her youth and the absence of any chaperon. Using the innate advantage of being a Solar Eclipse she had managed to enter the Association compound rather easily despite her young age, but now she needed to have Danny Hebert on her side, or at least to have him staying neutral with her and her own.
She offered her hand in salutation as Danny raised from his chair. "Greetings, Mr Hebert, I am Zia the Bright Raven. I came here to discuss Squatter Rights with you."
Danny blinked as he shook hands with her and turned interrogative to Claire.
His secretary hesitated again. "Well… She came riding a pony…"
Zia shook her head. "Small horse."
"...Sorry, a small horse and asked about who had the authority to decide our possessions, and… Well… Here we are."
Danny's eyes widened. "A small horse…?"
Zia smiled and he was reminded of a younger and happier Taylor. "Don't worry, Yona is a well-behaved Yonaguni mare. She'll stay attached where I put her."
Danny, bewildered, scratched his head and waved Zia to the chair in front of his desk. "Ah… Well. All right, Miss. Please sit down and we'll talk. Thank you, Claire."
"Thank you, Mr Hebert, and please, just call me Zia."
Danny regained some of his equilibrium as he sat behind his desk. Something about the girl and the way she came by… "First thing first, Zia. Are you a Parahuman?" A horse was hardly the sign of a powerful Parahuman but while curiosity killed the cat, prudence brought it back to life.
Zia smiled and manifested her Solar Caste mark on her forehead. "No, but I do have powers."
Well, his instincts were on the point. Still… "That seems contradictory. Only Parahumans have powers."
She shrugged. "By the legal definition, I'm not a Parahuman as I lack either the Corona Pollentia or Gemma."
That was surprising, although he vaguely heard about Cases-53 where the Corona couldn't be localized because of their modified shape and organic composition. "Is that even possible?"
The Bright Raven giggled. "You have people able to fly on their own power, smash entire buildings with a single punch, and even open a gate to another world with the equivalent of a modified cellphone. Why not someone with powers without being a Parahuman?"
Danny tilted his head. "A point. So why do you want to talk about Squatter rights?"
"I and others have taken over an abandoned and dilapidated warehouse within your influence sector. I'm using my powers to make it inhabitable and comfortable again. To avoid Adverse Possession, I would like to have your accord about our presence and since we are all minors, make a video with my verbal demand."
Danny froze for a second: The Adverse Possession required 20 years of squatter claim before being effective. Having an accord, especially amicable, would prevent, or at least lessen, most shenanigans between the group, obviously led by this child, and the Dockworkers, especially regarding law enforcement and the Children Protection Services.
Still… "No adults able to speak for you?"
"None so far. We'll need one soon but I haven't yet enough contacts in Brockton Bay."
Translation, she didn't have yet someone she could trust. And she had powers, Parahuman or not. The Dockworker preferred to have at least neutral if not good relations with any Parahumans in and out of their sphere of influence… Those assholes in the gangs nonetheless… Never thought he could miss Marquis.
He looked at the young girl in front of his desk. So young… And yet already matured by the hardness of life, she was still smiling like the sunrise. 'I love you, daddy, mommy.' Why was he seeing his daughter with this smile? Probably her green eyes so like his own and his daughter's.
"All right. We can do something. Will you accept to point the warehouse on a plan?" Yes, they could do something. Especially by bringing back the facilities in the warehouse. In fact, allowing the Dockworkers to interact with this group should offer plenty of possibilities for mutual help.
Then, after he had a more precise idea about Zia's goals and personality, he could even envision Taylor meeting her… Still, he should meet with the Dockworker's lawyer soon just in case the CPS and/or PRT are nosy with them.
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2009, August 6th. Early afternoon. United States. Massachusetts. Brockton Bay.
Zia was taking a nice cup of tea on a bench near the Lord Street Market and relaxing from a small shopping spree using lost money found with her Essence-boosted senses. It was in an oil drum, she swore!
The market was an expanse of asphalt, surrounded by grass and with stalls set up on it. You could find a multitude of items such as food, pets, computers, and cape merchandise, like a combination of a garage sale and a mall. According to some panels, it was open all week, but she suspected that it was the busiest during the weekends.
She giggled as a well-known burger joint called Fugly Bob's was located on the edge of the market. She had to visit it someday, preferably with Rachel when Zia estimated she could better interact with normal people.
The Bright Raven looked around. The market was located in the north end of the city, past the Boardwalk and south of the Boat Graveyard. She could even see a beach nearby. It was essentially outside of town, reachable by hiking through some fields or driving along a side road.
She looked at the tea leaves at the bottom of her cup and frowned at what she was reading about looking around her to help an ally. Her Essence surged from her personal pool and reinforced her senses as she promptly examined the surroundings.
There! That group of Enforcers! The location known as the Boardwalk had private enforcers hired by merchants. Those Enforcers would scare off undesirables and would rough up shoplifters and panhandlers to keep them away. This was meant to reassure tourists and keep them from being scared off. They also kept an eye on the Lord Street Market.
She watched as the Enforcers were trying to… herd someone outside the market but still pushing her deeper into the city. Her eyes focused on the silhouette fleeing the Enforcers with remarkable efficiency. She was a fifteen-year-old girl with dark blonde hair and green eyes. Zia supposed she could be called mildly above average in appearance with those vulpine facial features, and freckles on the bridge of her nose.
Wait. What?
The Eclipse blinked. That was Sarah Livsey aka Lisa Wilbourn aka Tattletale there. She was clothed in a much more subdued outfit than her flamboyant Cape costume with her hair tied back in a bun. In fact, her current clothes would be perfect for hiking in a forest, including a visibly full backpack. She was purposely fleeing not only the Enforcers but also the town. Damn you to hell, Coil, for tormenting this girl.
Zia put back her cup in her convenient Inventory and the Solar Exalt Bright Raven got up and discreetly ran towards another exit of the market, Essence invisibly shimmering under her skin as she focused her wrath toward better uses than cursing a dead man walking.
Sarah ran while pacing herself. It would be stupid to run out of breath with pursuers behind her. Despite all her efforts, she had been detected by another Thinker. She still cursed herself as her power confirmed that someone bribed the Enforcers to break their neutrality. Wrong, were never truly neutral. Thank you Captain Obvious. They were herding her, but she could see at least two ways to avoid that.
Van with armed mercenaries on the left. She took the right. So, the asshole behind all her recent difficulties was finally going for the prize, huh? Still… mercenaries within Brockton Bay? Mastermind likely Coil. Yeah although the E88 also used external mercenaries occasionally, that was typical of him according to what she learned in this cursed city.
Danger! Ambush on the right. Same mercenaries. Team was divided in advance. Waiting for her. Precognition at work. Ah, damn it! She was too far off the left exit to run back. She felt like Admiral Ackbar. Any other possibilities? Buildings closed or without good hiding places. Mercenaries are guided in real-time. Escape is highly unlikely.
She winced. Was that it? A life as a slave to an obvious and powerful Villain Thinker? The anti-thinker tricks she used so far didn't work as well as she hoped. Even when using a coin to decide a path. Perhaps she could turn the tables later. Thinker has too many facts about her. Facts are coming from multiple sources. Possibly directly from self. Not possible. She would have recognized the asshole… She hoped.
A person is able and willing to help in the dead-end on the right. What?! No, no time to see if it was a garbage deduction. She could already hear the van and the boots of those mercenaries. "Cross my heart and hope to die… Not really…" She ran into the dead-end searching for the person that could… There was no one here.
This time she cursed loudly as the sounds of her pursuers intensified behind her. She twirled on herself, determined to face her attackers. She could carve a strip from the back of anybody with just a few words from her silver tongue. She wasn't going down without a fight.
A pair of invisible dainty hands reached from behind and gagged her while another invisible pair seized her hands and pulled them behind her back. She froze in distress as she felt her backpack disappearing on her until a soft female voice whispered in her left ear. "Shush. Be calm. I'm an ally. I'm going to help you."
Genuine. Truthful. Backpack in a dimensional pocket. Analysis is impossible according to local parameters. Sarah's eyes widened. Her power could analyze anything. If there wasn't enough data, she merely obtained junk results.
"Now relax, try to trust me, and brace yourself. You're going to feel you're on a roller-coaster."
Huh? What did she mean…? Sarah found herself in a princess carry but with still a pair of hands gagging her and another still holding her hands behind her back. She could now stare at her rescuer: A brown-skinned girl with long black hair and green eyes. Quechua ethnic origin. Eleven years old. Stronger than normal. No Brute powers active. Impossible to fully analyze the symbol on her forehead. Astrological symbol of the Sun. Sunlight is emitted from it. Two pairs of hands holding self. Invisible. Power created but no Corona Pollentia or Gemma present: Not a Parahuman. More analysis is required about the anomaly.
Well, not E88 or ABB, obviously. Still, why not a Parahuman? Some cases-53 were ambivalent about the presence of a Corona. She was surprised when the girl ran towards the end of the alley then terrified when she began to jump between the walls, reaching the roof and then continuing to jump from roof to roof. A Mover, at least with a rating of 3. Wait… Also a Shaker with those invisible hands and dimensional pocket? And that shining symbol…? A Grab-Bag Cape? Not a Cluster Trigger. Not a Parahuman. Dislikes being compared to Parahumans. Analysis of source of effects is still impossible.
And the path her rescuer was taking was… weird. She ran straight towards the Boardwalk then suddenly changed to the Docks before going back to the market a while later. Trying to shake off pursuers. Coil's mercenaries. Afraid of you being kidnapped by him. Knows about Coil. Knows why he is targeting self. Well, wasn't that interesting. Abnormal reaction from the mercenaries. Guidance in real-time isn't following precognition parameters.
They were being cornered anew despite her rescuer's power-set. She shook her head trying to dislodge her gag. Surprisingly the black-haired girl banished the pair of hands gagging her. "Let me go. They want only me. I can turn tables on them with time."
Zia narrowed her eyes. She knew that Sarah was serious but she didn't have all the info. "Over my dead body. Besides Coil wants me now that I'm on his radar. And while time will give you better weapons it also will help him. He's a binary precog Thinker. He can perfectly torture you in one simulation while talking calmly with you in another and he maintains knowledge of the 2 simulations before reflexively choosing the simulation he actually lives through."
Sarah's green eyes widened in shock. Holy shit! Not only at Coil's revealed power but also at what this girl was willing to do. Genuine. Truthful. No shit, Sherlock. Especially since the girl would prefer death over surrendering. Coil has sociopathic tendencies. Does not consider people as real beings.
Worse than slavery. She was trying to escape potential abusive exploitation of her power and there it was, her worst nightmare. Coil wants more Thinkers as a force multiplier for his power. Will use self to find and capture others.
And, there was the crux of her situation. Taken by this madman, how long before she leveraged her power by sacrificing others instead of herself? She looked at the determined girl attempting to rescue her. A hero? A Rogue or Villain with a heart of gold? No, that wasn't important. How long before she betrayed this girl for escaping Coil?
No… NO…! NO! Not like that! Not like that! If escape was impossible… No visible paths for escaping without direct confrontation. Then to hell with that. "We can't escape! Put me down and give me a weapon!" The girl stopped her movements and looked at her with widened eyes. "Let's fight them together!" Fighting is possible.
Abruptly, Sarah Livsey found herself free of invisible hands and standing up in another location. It was a desert plain with rubble piles of charcoal-gray, powdery dust, and rocky debris. The sky was black with stars that weren't twinkling and she was also looking up at the majesty of planet Earth visibly four times as big as looking at the moon in the sky from the Earth's surface.
Wait? WHAT!?
"Contradiction. Self is on the Moon of the Earth-Moon system. This flesh body can breathe and sense an atmosphere around self. No illusions or Master control detected."
She turned to the familiar yet female voice nearby. There was a titian-blonde-haired and blue-eyed 18-year-old young woman. She blinked as she could recognize the… book character… in the flesh. A character from a series of books that were the sinful hidden little pleasure for both her and her late brother. "Nancy Drew?"
The woman dressed in a simple summer blue dress turned to Sarah. "Negative, Host Livsey. This one is known as the "Negotiator". This one is what you call your Parahuman power. The proper technical name is Shard." The woman looked at her body with bewilderment. "Being in a flesh and blood body is… strange. Separation from Host should be impossible without termination of said Host."
Sarah blinked. Forget about the lunar landscape and the anthropomorphic form of her power. "Wait. If a Parahuman is separated from his power, he dies?"
The woman nodded and faced Sarah. "Correct. Any Host is made dependent on the Shard they received to prevent non-use of implanted powers."
Sarah palmed her face and waved at… Negotiator. "Okay… Well, not okay, but okay. What the fuck is going on?! One second I was prepared to fight for my freedom and the next I…!"
"You found yourself on the Moon's surface."
Sarah and the Negotiator turned to the voice. She was a very tall and androgynous woman, visibly heavily pregnant, clad in a silvery robe decorated with the various phases of the Lunar cycle. In fact, all colors present from her skin to her eyes, and hair were nuances of silver.
"I am LUNA, Goddess of the Moon, Second on High, and patron deity of the Lunar Exalted.
Or more exactly I was. I am now a mere echo of anything I represented in the long-passed past. What you are experiencing in our shared mindscape is my half-moon phase symbolizing the aspects that evince a meeting of opposites, including my role as a fertility deity and a walker between worlds.
I am the Two-Faced Bride carrying the child of my other self, Samesshana, the Silver Mirror."
Or more exactly I was. I am now a mere echo of anything I represented in the long-passed past. What you are experiencing in our shared mindscape is my half-moon phase symbolizing the aspects that evince a meeting of opposites, including my role as a fertility deity and a walker between worlds.
I am the Two-Faced Bride carrying the child of my other self, Samesshana, the Silver Mirror."
Sarah and Negotiator looked at each other, completely flabbergasted as there was plenty of out-of-context information... Apart from the fact they both were instinctively sure this being was truly a Deity with a big D. "And… what do you want from us… Luna?"
Negotiator nodded to herself. "Mindscape. Host is still in danger back on Earth Bet. External influence from the unknown entity before us. Warning: power level detected impossible to measure properly. Beyond measure. Some similar patterns found in the partial analysis of temporary designation 'Golden Rescuer'."
"The "golden rescuer" is Zia the Bright Raven. A Lawgiver exalted by the Sun God Ignis Divine, the Unconquered Sun. What remains of him gave her soul the Divine Spark that ignited it for Greatness. And I wish to do the same for you."
Negotiator tilted her head. "Illogical. Non-sequiturial reasoning."
Sarah frowned and nodded. Taken at face value… "Yeah. There are others more worthy. Choosing someone without a potential or existing t-trigger event would be more efficient. More stable." She giggled with derision, trying not to think back on her brother again. "We are not the shining beacon for Humanity many think about." Why would the one who couldn't prevent the suicide of her brother be chosen?
"Because even at your lowest, you both choose to fight, to continue forward. This is more precious than you can think or deduce.
Still, this is not something that can be imposed. So, understand that what I am offering is irrevocable. You will be one being, no Host and Shard. One Warden charged with protecting Humanity against the forces of Chaos."
Still, this is not something that can be imposed. So, understand that what I am offering is irrevocable. You will be one being, no Host and Shard. One Warden charged with protecting Humanity against the forces of Chaos."
Sarah stared at the visibly willing Negotiator and frowned. Control over what was happening to her was something too important to throw away even for an offer of power. "You would accept her offer and fuse with me? A broken girl trying to claw some life from the edges of Humanity? You would cease to be my power, cease to be my safety line, and become… more for me?"
Negotiator nodded. "This one has intricately analyzed Host. This one knows you more than you can even conceive. This one is… feeling good with you. This has not happened before to this one in previous cycles. New opportunistic [DATA] gathering is imperative. This one knows that you can take control of your own future. Now broken precognition-packets showed this."
"Then break your Fate and awaken to your new Destiny, my child."
Both Sarah and Negotiator felt a kiss on their forehead and silvery fire penetrated them to their very core. In Shard space and real space, an entire Shard suddenly disappeared without witnesses or alarms, consumed by silver fire.
"Rise Lisa Wilbourn, Trickster of the Moon. Breathe your second Breath, for...
YOU ARE EXALTED!"
YOU ARE EXALTED!"
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Sarah Livsey exploded into silvery light within the arms of Zia the Bright Raven. Essence surged around them in a maelstrom of power never… No… She saw this kind of thing in her past lives when she was an Exalt in Creation.
Zia looked with sheer wonder as Sarah exalted as a Lunar Exalt. She released her Vector Hands' hold on the body of the young teenager as she morphed into…
"A fox? No… A KITSUNE!? Unconquered Sun! What have you done, Luna?" She was now holding a newly exalted Lunar in animal shape as a blonde-furred fox with silver markings on her two tails and the brilliant silver disk upon her brow, indicating the current Full Moon phase of the Lunar cycle.
The Kitsune opened two deep-green eyes, gazed at her rescuer, and yelped in joy before jumping out of Zia's arms and rushing across the roofs to the nearby city limit and the forest beyond.
Zia the Bright Raven blinked and facepalmed. "Essence fever. She's now following her animal instincts." She sighed. "Now I have to follow her until she burns through it. One or two hours top, depending on her stamina. Perhaps even one or two Sacred Hunts also."
Her eyes narrowed and her senses reached around her. "What happened to Coil's mercenaries? I can't sense them. Huh?" She looked at her hands. They were still shimmering with Solar Essence. "No way… Essence resonance between Solar and Lunar nature. Law versus fluid shaping… I… I understand... I am enlightened!" Her fists clenched as her new perception of Essence burst like a Nova from the core of her being and her pools of energy grew.
Somewhere in Downtown East, in an abandoned underground Endbringer shelter secretly transformed into a super-villain base, Coil was trashing around his office and screaming in extreme pain over the radio channels of his mercenaries as his mind was flooded by bright silvery light that he was experiencing in his two timelines at the same time and he couldn't terminate either.
When it finally stopped hours later and he let his medical team take care of him, the result was the same in all his timelines: He lost both his Thinker and the mysterious rescuer. He didn't even have an idea of whoever it was except that it must be someone completely new.
Wait… The last PRT National Information email… Wasn't there something about a new grab-bag Cape that escaped from the Boston Protectorate?
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Notes:
Zia is educating Rachel Lindt. It should take a full week to have a visible improvement. Perhaps one month before Rachel can finally interact normally with society… That won't erase her natural aggressiveness but tempered it.
And yes, Zia is now Strange Girl in the mind of Rachel.
Contact made with the Hebert. But not something that develops a Tie for now.
Suggestions for future contacts? Normally it should be the first official encounter with the PRT.
And YES! Tattletale is now a Lunar Exalt with a Kitsune as her Spirit Shape. Her Tell is some silver highlights in her hair and on her tails extremities. She also had the fox ears and multiple tails traditional for a Kitsune even in human form. Two tails, for now, will gain another 2 tails when she gains another level in Essence with the 9th and last at Essence 5.
Be patient for the next chapter as I need to create a proper character sheet for our new Lunar. So no cat-girl but a smug fox-girl.
Still… I have some ideas about Lisa but you can help me with the charms. One point: she is a Casteless (fewer problems than in Creation and plausible access to ALL potential charms) which means no Moonsilver Tattoos. There is also the Solar Bond and I'm still undecided about it regardless of the obvious age gap between Lisa and my character (but don't worry if I decide on a Solar Bond, it'll respect the forum's rules and be about friendship).
The metaphorical kick in the groin from Luna to Coil? Well, I don't like the character. And that was a plausible way for Zia and Lisa to lose their pursuers. And yes, if Zia had wanted, she could have fought the mercenaries to escape… not without some wounds as they were still Mortal Elite-level antagonists.
The Essence 2 leveling? Well… It's enlightenment. It's impossible to properly describe and explain. Just understand that suddenly an aspect from Essence makes sense for Zia.
Which reminds me: Another question for my readers. What Essence 2 Charms should Zia take? Don't forget to write why also. She will, of course, continue to perfect her supernal ability in Martial Arts.
In the next chapter, the second Arc of the story begins. Zia, her student, and her Lunar friend against the entire city of Brockton Bay, both the good and the bad… And an Epic! Fight between Zia and Piggot.
There's no way Negotiator works properly now, it seems to be specialised in information synthesis rather than information gathering.
It's basically a certainty that The Warrior entity has at least one shard that fills the same role as Clairvoyant's Shard & other Shards piggy back off that through the network for various aspects of their function as I understand it. The fused entity shouldn't have access to that anymore, but it should probably be able to think arbitrarily fast & synthesise information orders of magnitude better than a human brain.
It just wouldn't have access to nearly as much data to work with, it may also be stuck receiving data in unfamiliar formats given the [DATA] communication meme.
I'm not actually familiar with the specifics of Exalted and Charms specifically but she should really get a few that don't necessarily gather new information supernaturally but rather make the best use of the information you have access to.
I'm not sure if there's anything like OOC Ask the GM what the PC would be best off doing given the information available but that's the sort of baseline capability I'd expect her to possess.
It's basically a certainty that The Warrior entity has at least one shard that fills the same role as Clairvoyant's Shard & other Shards piggy back off that through the network for various aspects of their function as I understand it. The fused entity shouldn't have access to that anymore, but it should probably be able to think arbitrarily fast & synthesise information orders of magnitude better than a human brain.
It just wouldn't have access to nearly as much data to work with, it may also be stuck receiving data in unfamiliar formats given the [DATA] communication meme.
I'm not actually familiar with the specifics of Exalted and Charms specifically but she should really get a few that don't necessarily gather new information supernaturally but rather make the best use of the information you have access to.
I'm not sure if there's anything like OOC Ask the GM what the PC would be best off doing given the information available but that's the sort of baseline capability I'd expect her to possess.
I say do Lunar Bond as that would give a more interesting dynamic than just mentor & student—we already have one of those with Rachel.
In addition, there's also Miracles of the Solar Exalted (if you're using it) with Hallowed Bond of Night and Flame meaning Zia and Lisa could (in theory) do a Saiyan-style fusion dance.
In addition, there's also Miracles of the Solar Exalted (if you're using it) with Hallowed Bond of Night and Flame meaning Zia and Lisa could (in theory) do a Saiyan-style fusion dance.
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- Pronouns
- She/Her
I would say do the lunar bond? I've no real advice on charms, aside from exalted crafting being op and super fun so leaning into that might be nice? Zia making herself wings of crystal and gold would be fun
The basis of some way to awaken people/ teach them sorcery might be nice, but I've no idea if solars can do that at E2
The basis of some way to awaken people/ teach them sorcery might be nice, but I've no idea if solars can do that at E2
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- Location
- france
Oh yeah, this one... Especially since Zia is a mix of Dragonball Z and Saint Seiya.
Lunar Bond has 3 votes for now.
Huh, Zia and Lisa crafting together... That has potential.
Not quite that but I have something ready.
I'm going to use the 2° edition Sorcery Initiation for that. Zia is a sorceress, she can initiate others in it.
True, but is there a way to shenanigen Lisa into getting S.H.L.I.H.N. information gathering charms?
The Yozi should be equally as gone so probably not--But one can wildly speculate!
Bye for now.