Pact: A complete breakfast cereal brought to you by Wildbow [spoilers]

[Eldan]

So, Tarot readings. Just saw that.

Blake is the Fool and the High Priestess.

The fool is probably pretty clear: looking for experience. But also madness, and wisdom found in madness. Also obliviously walking into danger. Also "The Beggar" or "The Madman", depending on the language of the deck.

The High Priestess is more difficult. Divine presence is an unlikely interpretation. So is love, really. Most likely, it means common sense, for him, which is one of the rarer readings for the card, I think. Or introspection.

Now, the really interesting part is Rose.

The Hanged Man has a lot of obvious vestige symbolism. Passiveness, sacrifice, surrender, acceptance, giving up. And "new viewpoint". That one is pretty obvious.

But the chariot? Didn't expect the Chariot.

It's almost the opposite of the Hanged Man. Victory, Conquest, success, bravery, wealth, pride? Doesn't seem to fit rose. Discipline, maybe. But conquest? That's a lot of paranoia fuel for me, if we think about the theory that she's taking Blake over.

[Madwand]

Tarot readings. I just checked the Weaver Dice, system created by Wildbow(?) featured here. It has Tarot-based character creation.

So.. Fool and High Priestess.

Possible Fools:

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I:
Bad decisions follow you on a day to day basis. Addiction, diabetes from poor diet, STDs, accidental children to look after, superpowered loan sharks and worse.
Cost: Lack of money, time, or both, depending
II:
Your powers aren’t controlled.
III:
People idolize you. They’re not often useful people, but you’ve got a following. (groupies, fans, people online, whatever). This is more celebrity/notoriety than anything else

Well, III is out, but I and II work very well - he is out of time and has debt and his powers are not controlled.

reading for High Priestess:

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I:
Otherworldly issues - your passenger. The passenger is impacting your ability to function. If you’re young, it’s likely affecting you in a way based on your powers, altering your mindset. If you’re older, it’s more deep rooted. Either way, it’s shaping your actions and pushing them towards one particular concept or objective
II:

Your powers are reliant on the passenger - it manages the specifics of your power in the field. Expect collateral damage
III:
You and your power are in sync

Point III looks right to me - Blake is kind of good at magic and has intuitive grasp of it.

[Landis963]

Note also that the "left hand" significance is that the High Priestess is what he will become - not literally, of course, but he will become something in accordance to its meanings. With that in mind, I see I and III as particularly significant, especially with the ongoing tug-of-war between him and Rose.

[Eldan]

Hm. Rose was left-hand chariot, though? That's pretty clear, really. "You will become victorious".

[Lamech]

Yeah, that's not a particularly auspicious reading for the Laird and co.

[Lamech]

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Success! Boom, headshot! TPK! Score! Win! Took the Crown!

So yeah. That was brilliant. Even more so because none of the commentators thought of it. So if Laird loses a third time does that mean he gets hauled off to jail? Or maybe he's already lost number three. Blake looks suspect right now to the town. Laird pulled him out and backed him up in a fight. What if that was number one.

Also, I wonder if Blake is right about the Karma deal at the end. That would be the icing on the cake.

[Socratov]

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Hot dayum! Two skywards index fingers (for you brits out there)
That was some brilliant strategy.

[SlyGuyMcFly]

Spoiler: 3.4

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Intense chapter! Huge win for Blake too, if I'm reading things right. Ritual stopped (delayed?), Laird is once again under scrutiny and wrecking that library as icing on the cake. Now as along as Blake can get home safely... Yeah right. What are the odds of that?

[Landis963]

Spoiler: I hope this doesn't become another spoiler-wall thread...

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*Hallelujah Chorus starts playing* VICTORY!!! Ritual messed up and postponed, Laird and everyone involved with Molly's murder hauled back in for questioning, and library destroyed. Added to the fact that Blake escaped flawlessly, and this calls for revels in the street.

[Madwand]

Droping spoliers: yeah! Great chapter, keeping me on the edge of my seat right from the beginning to end.

[Landis963]

Also, I can hardly wait for round 3. Of course, if Blake beats round 3, it will undoubtedly involve unforeseen consequences of mythic proportions.

[Madwand]

Also, I can hardly wait for round 3. Of course, if Blake beats round 3, it will undoubtedly involve unforeseen consequences of mythic proportions.

I think round 3 will be prevented by Laird. Just saying, main villain needs his chessmaster moment. To show how dangerous, manipulative and competent enemy he can be.

[SlyGuyMcFly]

I think round 3 will be prevented by Laird. Just saying, main villain needs his chessmaster moment. To show how dangerous, manipulative and competent enemy he can be.

Which would have some sort of cosmic consequence as well... classic "fail twice, win the third round" scenario. The next confrontation will be very high stakes for both Laird and Blake.

[Lamech]

So I had a thought a while back for glamour use/abuse: When people believe it, pay attention to it and so forth, glamours get stronger right? Blake should glamour himself up to not be Blake, but Blake the Super Powered Diabolist! People believe and fear it. It gets stronger. People use anti-demon measures, but its not a demon so that just plays into it more. And they get more afraid, and with any luck it spirals out of control.
Hmm... or maybe you could go the Ars Magica style, and I bet some Faeries do, let the counter measures "work", but really its just feeding the glamour. Then they repeatedly try something that works only to feed it more and more.

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Good job Laird! Blake has now engaged in his first act of paying demons! The only reason why your attack worked at all is because Blake actually has morals! You sure accomplished a lot there, and this won't have any bad repercussions for you at all!

[Madwand]

Without spoilers:

Yeah, Laird is smart enough to know Blake has morals and use it against him. As predicted Laird won 3rd encounter... in great style.

And probably reaps more good karma for letting Blake live and know what is happening; remember that all those stupidly "honorable" things make Laird stronger.

[Eldan]

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I think Blake's decision here makes a good amount of sense. The town is stupidly hostile to him and now, he lost his sanctuary and books. There really isn't any reason to stay. Try and head to a place where no one knows him. Perhaps a place with a lower density of practicioners, if something like that exists.

[Asheram]

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I think Blake's decision here makes a good amount of sense. The town is stupidly hostile to him and now, he lost his sanctuary and books. There really isn't any reason to stay. Try and head to a place where no one knows him. Perhaps a place with a lower density of practicioners, if something like that exists.

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Know what Blake needs? A Mentor. Hopefully some one/thing that can be found in Toronto.

[Eldan]

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That would be nice. Which means itp robably won't happen, or won't happen cleanly.

I mean, we're talking more or less equivalent exchange here. What can Blake offer a mentor?

[Asheram]

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That would be nice. Which means itp robably won't happen, or won't happen cleanly.

I mean, we're talking more or less equivalent exchange here. What can Blake offer a mentor?

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Favors, Vows, Personal power... It's not much but hopefully he can find some altruistic practitioner.

I know we haven't seen much of them but the current town is filled with practitioners who pretty much hate his guts and want to see him burn all due to family history.
Hopefully this isn't the general way that practitioners treat each other.

[SlyGuyMcFly]

Spoiler: Breach 3.5

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Was not expacting Laird to go on to complete the ritual anyway. Damn. And then Andy goes and hangs a lampshade on reader expectations... Well played Wildbow

Getting the hell out of dodge seems like Blake's smartest move by far, and maybe (just maybe) we'll get to see what a less dysfunctional practitioner society looks like in Toronto.

Random thought... Can Rose mirror-hop into the house? That'd give them limited access to the library, at least.

[Socratov]

Ok. Apparently Blake can't get a break. The thing is, Blake still has a name he can count on. I'm feeling a Checkhov's gun sitting here. He will use it, maybe even get it as a familliar?

[SlyGuyMcFly]

Ok. Apparently Blake can't get a break. The thing is, Blake still has a name he can count on. I'm feeling a Checkhov's gun sitting here. He will use it, maybe even get it as a familliar?

I very much doubt it... He'd most likely end up like Briar girl, only about fifty times worse off.

[Eldan]

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Something that was mentioned in the comics...

Can he leave? The will had a lot of rules about things he had to do, and a lot of them seem almost impossible without the house.

[Madwand]

Can we drop spoilers? It's annoying and unnecessary as everyone know when update appears.

Can he leave? The will had a lot of rules about things he had to do, and a lot of them seem almost impossible without the house.

Well, he will negotitate it with lawyers. I am sure that idea of in-house servant wh would be controlled by Rose from mirrors would be good.

This way house would be attended to and Blake would have access to books.

[Landis963]

Besides, the really high-caliber things (Familiar, Implement, Desmesne, work on the karma debt, see the bloodline through to the fifth year) can be done essentially anywhere. Unless there's something I'm missing.

EDIT: Here's the will in its entirety:

• Read Essentials. Done.
• Read Famulus. Rose can grab it from the library, although there is a danger of mismatched pages.
• Read Implementum. See Famulus.
• Read Demesnes. See Famulus.
• Marry a man. Can be done anywhere.
• Attend the council meetings. That might be difficult to accomplish, but if he can get his bike back that might go a long way towards making it doable. Furthermore, any council meeting in any city might go towards fulfilling this.
• Read 3/4 of the books in the library. See Famulus, although it will be much simpler (as with everything else) if Blake could remove the timestop donut.
• "See our bloodline..." etc., etc. Can be done anywhere.

[Lamech]

Besides, the really high-caliber things (Familiar, Implement, Desmesne, work on the karma debt, see the bloodline through to the fifth year) can be done essentially anywhere. Unless there's something I'm missing.

EDIT: Here's the will in its entirety:

• Read Essentials. Done.
• Read Famulus. Rose can grab it from the library, although there is a danger of mismatched pages.
• Read Implementum. See Famulus.
• Read Demesnes. See Famulus.
• Marry a man. Can be done anywhere.
• Attend the council meetings. That might be difficult to accomplish, but if he can get his bike back that might go a long way towards making it doable. Furthermore, any council meeting in any city might go towards fulfilling this.
• Read 3/4 of the books in the library. See Famulus, although it will be much simpler (as with everything else) if Blake could remove the timestop donut.
• "See our bloodline..." etc., etc. Can be done anywhere.

Right, assuming the time doughnut doesn't transcend to the mirror realm they can get all the books. If Blake can figure out how to make like Padraic and hop into mirror land himself they can totally negate the attack. (Except for having a cool moat to defend their house, and keep things fresh.)

Also Blake can offer a mentor quite a bit, on the sole basis of being a practitioner in all likelihood. The North End Sorc has a bunch of subsidiary practitioners buffing him. If a mentor say: Help's Blake (and Rose) acquire demesnes he could ask for say a tithe of the power. Now the mentor is collecting rents at no real cost to himself.

[Landis963]

Right, assuming the time doughnut doesn't transcend to the house they can get all the books.

FTFY. I don't think Laird can actually target the house, and Rose can bypass the slow effect.

Blake can offer a mentor quite a bit, on the sole basis of being a practitioner in all likelihood. The North End Sorc has a bunch of subsidiary practitioners buffing him. If a mentor say: Help's Blake (and Rose) acquire demesnes he could ask for say a tithe of the power. Now the mentor is collecting rents at no real cost to himself.

He needs time to think of this stuff, though. Which hopefully he'll get in Toronto.

[Lamech]

FTFY. I don't think Laird can actually target the house, and Rose can bypass the slow effect.

Derp. Transcend to the mirror realm.

He needs time to think of this stuff, though. Which hopefully he'll get in Toronto.

The mentor could think of this too. It also occurs to me that a good power source might be a bunch of low tier practitioners. Blake has the books and knowledge for them. Even if they are relying on their minor scraps of power enough of them might be able to do a fairly decent job. And then cycle through so everyone gets a benefit.

Oh and on Maggie's prediciment. It occurts to me the best way to deal with the prophecy is to bring the blood and fire to her enemies. Starting with the goblin queen bitch. (Little known fact all goblins are part dog.)

[Landis963]

Derp. Transcend to the mirror realm.

It amounts to pretty much the same thing, though. Laird can't target the mirror realm with his slowdown any more than he can target the house. The only real risks are Rose burning through her energy reserves with long-distance jumps and the possibility of mismatched wording.

The mentor could think of this too. It also occurs to me that a good power source might be a bunch of low tier practitioners. Blake has the books and knowledge for them. Even if they are relying on their minor scraps of power enough of them might be able to do a fairly decent job. And then cycle through so everyone gets a benefit.

Oh and on Maggie's predicament. It occurs to me the best way to deal with the prophecy is to bring the blood and fire to her enemies. Starting with the goblin queen bitch. (Little known fact all goblins are part dog.)

There's quite a number of incentives to go "blood and fire", aren't there.

Also, does anyone else think that Blake would go amiss if he didn't warn Maggie/Briar Girl/both that he's being forced out of the house, and urge them to think carefully about staying? Especially if he left a little parting gift for the frauds in charge?

[Lamech]

It amounts to pretty much the same thing, though. Laird can't target the mirror realm with his slowdown any more than he can target the house. The only real risks are Rose burning through her energy reserves with long-distance jumps and the possibility of mismatched wording.



There's quite a number of incentives to go "blood and fire", aren't there.

Also, does anyone else think that Blake would go amiss if he didn't warn Maggie/Briar Girl/both that he's being forced out of the house, and urge them to think carefully about staying? Especially if he left a little parting gift for the frauds in charge?

Yeah, Rose is probably gonna be just fine for getting books. I do think warning Maggie and Briar girl would be a good idea. Not sure what sort of parting gift he could leave. It does seem to be that Blake is establishing ties with the "out" practitioners of Jacob's Bell.

I also note leaving town is a coup of sorts as well. Laird wants Blake to be the big scary threat right? Well, he up and left peacefully.