I'm very tempted to have Emerald show up to complete the Squad, but you lot seem to be having a very good time without him.
No, this isn't because he's really really hungover at the moment. Why do you ask?
Hungover Emerald Stormwrack sounds like a great addition to this meeting! Although he would probably rather skew Orchid's opinion of Sidereals
(On the one hand, secretive agents of Heaven entrusted with the preservation of the world by any means necessary. On the other hand, Emerald Stormwrack.)
I am indeed having a very good time
EDIT: After seeing Maugan's comment... yeah, we should just use the Subtlety Squad as a blunt instrument / spectacular distraction whenever required. Then Eris and Isa can sneak around in the mayhem and pick everyone's hidden agendas out of their brains.
I'm regretting a little that I favored Melee instead of Martial Arts, because if I'd done the latter I could bug Isa to teach me Throne Shadow Style (or more generally, try to coax the nice BronzeSid into a sifu/student relationship with a Solar )
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Originally Posted by The_Snark
I must not argue on the Internet.
Internet argument is the mind-killer.
It is the little death that brings total aggravation.
I will face my annoyance.
I will permit it to pass over me and through me.
When it has gone past I will turn my inner eye to see its path.
Where the irritation has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain.
The more I hear of this Emerald Stormwrack, the more I like him
He makes a brief appearance in-campaign, talking to Sierra in an old casino, and he sent a missive to Child. In-game, Child (and Isa) both know about him, and Child, unfortunately, has to work with him on the Committee on Nexus. Emerald, despite two to three decades seniority, is nowhere near as senior as Child.
He'll probably show up more times in the game, if only because I hate wasting interesting NPCs.
Yeah. If Isa wants to try to sell Eris on the Bronze Faction party line in this meeting, she needs to move fast (I suspect a more plausible outcome is that she agrees with Skandi that they have bigger troubles, we let it go for now, and she talks to Orchid later.)
(If she was being quiet and listening to Eris' thoughts, Eris did think the word Lawgiver, so she now knows she's talking to a rather upset Solar. She may also know that Eris has a hand on her Elsewhere-stored grand daiklave right now. I mean, it's because her "clear my mind from external influences" hearthstone is socketed there, but just saying.)
Also I need a WP roll from Isa to see if the UMI is still working on Eris, unless Lion Mouse Stratagem has already been deactivated. You need 7 sux if I can't stunt, 9 if I can and got a 1- or 2-die stunt, 10 if I got a 3-die stunt.
Oh er also...
Industrious, do you think this is severe enough stress to provoke a Limit roll? She's not backed against a wall, really; she thinks Zhou and possibly Skandi would be on her side if the Sidereals did try to harm her. However, she is rather upset.
EDIT: The_Snark, hope this is okay, but once Skandi showed up I couldn't see how to stop this scene from going rather (IC) adversarial.
I think I may be confirming Isa's Bronze Faction prejudices though (regarding the playing-with-radioactive-fire nature of the Gold Faction's plan, mostly)
On the upside, if she was reading Eris' thoughts during my long post on her motivations, she really was pretty much thinking aloud for that.
__________________ PCs:
Spoiler
Word:
Spoiler
Quote:
Originally Posted by The_Snark
I must not argue on the Internet.
Internet argument is the mind-killer.
It is the little death that brings total aggravation.
I will face my annoyance.
I will permit it to pass over me and through me.
When it has gone past I will turn my inner eye to see its path.
Where the irritation has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain.
Awkward! Well, this was going to come up sooner or later. Post in progress, but for now here's a Willpower roll against the Mind-Cleansing Gem: (10d10)[10][7][2][1][8][8][2][4][1][2](45)
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Yeah, well, now that he's started the intra-party conflict by being completely honest, Skandi's going to try and stop it from getting too bad. Or, at least, too bad too quickly.
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Franks find that bloodshed and strife
Occupy most of their life--
The proper reward
For serving a lord
While ardently courting his wife.
Awkward! Well, this was going to come up sooner or later. Post in progress, but for now here's a Willpower roll against the Mind-Cleansing Gem:
[roll0]
Aaaand now Eris is convinced Isa is the most dangerous person in the room by a substantial margin (If you're wondering why her and not Child, it's because she was with the Cleansing and Eris is having serious trouble reading her. And because she's worried Isa's figured out what she really is. And she was with the Cleansing.)
Hmm. I don't think she can tell exactly what was going on - Lion Mouse Stratagem isn't Obvious - but after touching her hearthstone that she knows is designed to remove mind-control, Isa doesn't seem so innocuous anymore. The Snark, I may edit something into my last short post to reflect that - will you tell me if you think I'm crossing the line on reacting to the breaking of non-obvious UMI? (I won't be offended) It's all internal reactions, so shouldn't alter anything much, although if Isa's monitoring thoughts with high sux she can probably tell.
__________________ PCs:
Spoiler
Word:
Spoiler
Quote:
Originally Posted by The_Snark
I must not argue on the Internet.
Internet argument is the mind-killer.
It is the little death that brings total aggravation.
I will face my annoyance.
I will permit it to pass over me and through me.
When it has gone past I will turn my inner eye to see its path.
Where the irritation has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain.
Reminding Isa why she's Bronze Faction in 3... 2... 1... (5d10)[7][6][1][7][4](25)
EDIT: Okay, 2/10 Limit. That could've been a lot worse.
(I once rolled 7 Limit. On an unfortunate Lunar with Permanent Limit 2. Right before she was about to leave on a mission. To Mahalanka. Her Limit Break is Curse of the Whipped Dog, i.e. Compassion-based + you absolutely do not want to be in this Limit Break when anywhere near Raksi.)
__________________ PCs:
Spoiler
Word:
Spoiler
Quote:
Originally Posted by The_Snark
I must not argue on the Internet.
Internet argument is the mind-killer.
It is the little death that brings total aggravation.
I will face my annoyance.
I will permit it to pass over me and through me.
When it has gone past I will turn my inner eye to see its path.
Where the irritation has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain.
The_Snark, if you're still around: Eris is firing Sagacious Reading of Intent on Isa's offer to talk more afterwards. Can I get a one-sentence summary of the motivation behind that statement / what she hopes to gain? (Eris is basically trying to figure out if it's a trap)
__________________ PCs:
Spoiler
Word:
Spoiler
Quote:
Originally Posted by The_Snark
I must not argue on the Internet.
Internet argument is the mind-killer.
It is the little death that brings total aggravation.
I will face my annoyance.
I will permit it to pass over me and through me.
When it has gone past I will turn my inner eye to see its path.
Where the irritation has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain.
The_Snark, if you're still around: Eris is firing Sagacious Reading of Intent on Isa's offer to talk more afterwards. Can I get a one-sentence summary of the motivation behind that statement / what she hopes to gain? (Eris is basically trying to figure out if it's a trap)
She wants to explain her position without quite so many people around who can interrupt or contradict her. Which... may not be terribly productive, but this isn't actually part of a carefully thought-out plan. Just something she's saying mid-conversation because she feels her side of things is coming off badly.
Oh, and I guess it would give her more chances to pick through Eris's brain. But the basic intent is one-on-one conversation (or one-on-two if Zhou tags along), not clandestine murder.
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Last edited by The_Snark : 11-12-2012 at 02:38 AM.
She wants to explain her position without quite so many people around who can interrupt or contradict her. Which... may not be terribly productive, but this isn't actually part of a carefully thought-out plan. Just something she's saying mid-conversation because she feels her side of things is coming off badly.
Heh. That's rather nice, actually, it defuses Eris' controlled panic - at least she's not the only one who feels like she doesn't have control of this situation. And if Isa genuinely wants to explain things to her, that's... some evidence that her plan is not "call in the hitsquad that took out Dace last week at the earliest opportunity" (because why would she bother, in that case?)
(Eris still has no idea of Isa's combat prowess, either... except that she was, y'know, working with the Cleansing, and apparently it's the Sidereals not the Dragon-Bloods who are the main reason for the Lunars staying near the Wyld. If you don't know about what Sidereals actually do that statement is a bit misleading )
I imagine it's probably a little strange for Isa for someone to be frightened of her? She's so good at hiding her abilities.
Out of curiosity, is Isa still unsure as to the nature of Eris' Exaltation, or has she twigged that she's a Solar? I wasn't sure if the last thought-read actually went on Orchid or on someone else.
Either way, I am still very curious to see what her Bronze-Faction pitch is going to be. (I just hope it's not "There's no need for Lunars and Sidereals to be enemies!" "... I'm a Solar." /awkward silence ensues )
__________________ PCs:
Spoiler
Word:
Spoiler
Quote:
Originally Posted by The_Snark
I must not argue on the Internet.
Internet argument is the mind-killer.
It is the little death that brings total aggravation.
I will face my annoyance.
I will permit it to pass over me and through me.
When it has gone past I will turn my inner eye to see its path.
Where the irritation has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain.
Right, time for a talk, it seems. Since Zhou doesn't want this to be one of those impending issues hanging over the entire ongoing adventure until they resolve it, like some crappy romance drama.
(Also because getting Orchid out of there before she has to roll for Limit again seems sensible...)
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"Not trusting me might be the smartest decision you made since getting off of your horse."
(Also because getting Orchid out of there before she has to roll for Limit again seems sensible...)
I am touched by your concern
(At least I don't have one of the "triggered by childish or intemperate behavior" Limit Breaks. That + Subtlety Squad... )
__________________ PCs:
Spoiler
Word:
Spoiler
Quote:
Originally Posted by The_Snark
I must not argue on the Internet.
Internet argument is the mind-killer.
It is the little death that brings total aggravation.
I will face my annoyance.
I will permit it to pass over me and through me.
When it has gone past I will turn my inner eye to see its path.
Where the irritation has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain.
There we go. I'm working on the setting for this little talk based on my own experiences at university - the libraries tend to have quiet rooms where students can work or discuss things free of distraction.
Certainly more secure from eavesdroppers than most other places I can think of around Nexus.
__________________
"Not trusting me might be the smartest decision you made since getting off of your horse."
I imagine it's probably a little strange for Isa for someone to be frightened of her? She's so good at hiding her abilities.
Indeed - at least, strange for them to be frightened of her in her own right. And possibly a little gratifying too, when it's not stymying her goals.
As for your other question... I think so? I really should keep better track of whose mind Isa's been reading, but safe to assume that Orchid was the target once Skandi mentioned Immaculates. So at this point she has a fairly good idea of
And yeah, we're probably all grateful that Eris doesn't have Heart of Flint... or Contempt of the Virtuous, which would be less dangerous but really annoying.
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Indeed - at least, strange for them to be frightened of her in her own right. And possibly a little gratifying too, when it's not stymying her goals.
Heh, yes - when everyone normally regards Isa as an extension of her mentor, or as the deliberately-unobtrusive roles she plays, I can imagine it being gratifying that when someone actually sees her, they react with respect/fear. Speaking of which, I added a scene of building an Intimacy of Wary Respect for Isa to Eris' sheet.
I'm wondering if Orchid's going to talk to Symphony or Isa first. Could make a difference, especially if she asks Symphony about who "the Old Man, possibly also known as Chejop" might be. Do you have a preference / would Isa have asked Orchid if they could talk sooner rather than later? (she did ask Isa if they could chat afterward, before she took off to the library with Zhou)
Quote:
As for your other question... I think so? I really should keep better track of whose mind Isa's been reading, but safe to assume that Orchid was the target once Skandi mentioned Immaculates. So at this point she has a fairly good idea of
Your unfinished sentence taunts me
Quote:
And yeah, we're probably all grateful that Eris doesn't have Heart of Flint... or Contempt of the Virtuous, which would be less dangerous but really annoying.
In my long-standing Exalted campaign we have both those Limit Breaks in the circle, along with a Temperance-1 PC and a PC with Overindulgence. The people with those Breaks spend a lot of time fuming and have perfected the impression that they're hanging on to sanity and their tempers by their fingernails (The fifth PC has a custom Limit Break that triggers when her plans go wrong. Some day, we're all going to trigger each other into Break, and the poor Gold Faction Chosen of Serenity who's been assigned to keep an eye on us is going to have a breakdown...)
EDIT: Re the IC thread, here we go, now the Solar tries to persuade the Dragon-Blood that Wyld Hunters are good people (And hey, they've been tricked into it! It was all the fault of those dastardly Sidereals! This is an unfortunately appealing line of thought for Eris, because it lets her blame everything on people who she doesn't care about...)
__________________ PCs:
Spoiler
Word:
Spoiler
Quote:
Originally Posted by The_Snark
I must not argue on the Internet.
Internet argument is the mind-killer.
It is the little death that brings total aggravation.
I will face my annoyance.
I will permit it to pass over me and through me.
When it has gone past I will turn my inner eye to see its path.
Where the irritation has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain.
Yeah... although I suspect Isa's counter-argument may be that they were only doing what they had to do, and the whole situation is the (First Age) Solars' fault - which, as previously mentioned, is not actually such a hard sell to Eris.
Quote:
Are you waiting for a response from Emerald?
I'm certainly not, since Orchid and Zhou have decamped, but for the group still at the house - it looks like Skandi had a comment/question to Emerald that hasn't been answered yet, Isa is watching silently and suppressing glares, and Sierra is happy being hugged. Child hasn't posted in a little while.
__________________ PCs:
Spoiler
Word:
Spoiler
Quote:
Originally Posted by The_Snark
I must not argue on the Internet.
Internet argument is the mind-killer.
It is the little death that brings total aggravation.
I will face my annoyance.
I will permit it to pass over me and through me.
When it has gone past I will turn my inner eye to see its path.
Where the irritation has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain.
Poor Isa. Other Sidereals are jerks to her (okay, Child wasn't nasty, but he doesn't seem to be her friend, per se), most other people ignore her, the only one taking her seriously is a Solar...
Clearly, she needs Burning Waters to cheer her up Hey, does he count as Member #4 of the Subtlety Squad? I feel like plans involving copious quantities of firedust should at least get you in the door...
__________________ PCs:
Spoiler
Word:
Spoiler
Quote:
Originally Posted by The_Snark
I must not argue on the Internet.
Internet argument is the mind-killer.
It is the little death that brings total aggravation.
I will face my annoyance.
I will permit it to pass over me and through me.
When it has gone past I will turn my inner eye to see its path.
Where the irritation has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain.
Just kidding! I'm not quite that cruel. I think all I was going to say was that Isa knows what sort of celestially empowered being Eris is, and is starting to get a handle on what she's like as a person too.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ifni
Clearly, she needs Burning Waters to cheer her up Hey, does he count as Member #4 of the Subtlety Squad? I feel like plans involving copious quantities of firedust should at least get you in the door...
Mmmm... maybe. On the one hand, firedust and anarchy! On the other hand, he got through an entire (admittedly brief) scene with Isa and didn't blow his cover at all.
He's a provisional member. We'll see how tonight goes.
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Last edited by The_Snark : 11-13-2012 at 12:06 AM.
Just kidding! I'm not quite that cruel. I think all I was going to say was that Isa knows what sort of celestially empowered being Eris is, and is starting to get a handle on what she's like as a person too.
Paranoid, prone to traumatic memories, and suffering from control issues? Oh Look, It's A PC!
(More seriously, I suspect what may be coming across is "Conviction 5", and I hope enough other stuff is also coming across to encourage Isa to see her as a person rather than just a threat. That she wants to talk one-on-one is promising, I hope.)
For my own personal amusement, was Isa still reading Orchid's thoughts in this post, when she switched to thinking "at" Isa? (she still doesn't know about the hearthstone, she'd just focused more closely on Isa and so her thoughts were running that way)
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Mmmm... maybe. On the one hand, firedust and anarchy! On the other hand, he got through an entire (admittedly brief) scene with Isa and didn't blow his cover at all.
Mm. True. He needs to tell Zhou and Orchid about the existence of mind-reading hearthstones
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He's a provisional member. We'll see how tonight goes.
Fair enough Bet you a dinar you get to see his caste mark?
__________________ PCs:
Spoiler
Word:
Spoiler
Quote:
Originally Posted by The_Snark
I must not argue on the Internet.
Internet argument is the mind-killer.
It is the little death that brings total aggravation.
I will face my annoyance.
I will permit it to pass over me and through me.
When it has gone past I will turn my inner eye to see its path.
Where the irritation has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain.
Hmm. On one hand, Child really didn't want to reveal everything to these people.
On the other, it's good to have the group gelling.
Also, oh god, why must there be so many posts....
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He fears his fate too much, and his reward is small, who will not put it to the touch, to win or lose it all.
-James Graham, 1st Marquess of Montrose
Satomi by Elagune
Hmm. On one hand, Child really didn't want to reveal everything to these people.
Subtlety Squad. Gotta love 'em.
(Although if by "these people" you mean Orchid and Zhou, we have conveniently departed to allow the (acknowledged) Celestials time to talk behind our backs )
Quote:
Also, oh god, why must there be so many posts....
Procrastination. At least on my part
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Spoiler
Word:
Spoiler
Quote:
Originally Posted by The_Snark
I must not argue on the Internet.
Internet argument is the mind-killer.
It is the little death that brings total aggravation.
I will face my annoyance.
I will permit it to pass over me and through me.
When it has gone past I will turn my inner eye to see its path.
Where the irritation has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain.
Paranoid, prone to traumatic memories, and suffering from control issues? Oh Look, It's A PC!
(More seriously, I suspect what may be coming across is "Conviction 5", and I hope enough other stuff is also coming across to encourage Isa to see her as a person rather than just a threat. That she wants to talk one-on-one is promising, I hope.)
I don't think it's as bad as all that. I'd need to go back over the thread to figure out what (if any) Intimacy this scene should be building, but she can hardly fault Eris for being secretive and nosy. That's basically her job description too.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ifni
For my own personal amusement, was Isa still reading Orchid's thoughts in this post, when she switched to thinking "at" Isa? (she still doesn't know about the hearthstone, she'd just focused more closely on Isa and so her thoughts were running that way)
Oh yes, definitely. If a Solar is eyeing you suspiciously, you want to know what they're thinking.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ifni
Fair enough Bet you a dinar you get to see his caste mark?
What, on the first date?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tavar
Hmm. On one hand, Child really didn't want to reveal everything to these people.
On the other, it's good to have the group gelling.
Isa probably didn't plan to reveal as much as she did either... but they already knew the basics, and Skandi would've been happy to elaborate (and get it wrong!) if she hadn't. Plus, Eris has high Charisma and lots of Investigation and Socialize.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tavar
Also, oh god, why must there be so many posts....
... yes. It's been a busy couple of days.
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Last edited by The_Snark : 11-13-2012 at 02:01 AM.
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Re: The Return of the Scarlet Empress OOC
(regarding the playing-with-radioactive-fire nature of the Gold Faction's plan, mostly)
)
