|
BG
|
#
?
Oct 24, 2018 05:34
|
|
|
|
| # ? Apr 27, 2024 04:05 |
|
|
F. Nope.
|
|
#
?
Oct 24, 2018 15:26
|
|
|
Sensing you approach the burning wraith, your Shadow sighs. FINE, he hisses coldly, DON’T LISTEN TO ME. CUT OFF YOUR NOSE TO SPITE YOUR FACE. WE’LL SEE HOW IT WORKS OUT FOR YOU. Partially to avoid annoying him further, partially out of caution, you stop at least twelve feet from the man. If he loses control, you should have plenty of time to react. “Are you all right?”, you ask. He slowly looks at you, as if he couldn’t believe someone is actually talking to him. His face is badly burned. Charred patches of skin peel away on his nose. His lips on the left side are curled up, revealing teeth. You have no doubt it hurts him, given his grimace and bulging eyes. “Finally someone”, he cries, sounding almost ecstatic, “I thought I’m here alone!” “Look, I know it’s overwhelming. I was in a similar position not so long ago”, you speak, trying to look calm and stop looking at his burning beard, boiling fat dropping off his chin, yellowish blot where enough flesh burned away from his jaw to reveal the bone. “This place may feel strange and there probably is a voice that tries to convince you...” “The loving voices, man!”, he spits out, “They won’t shut up! They want me to find Lemont, but there’s hardly anyone in this entire city. Wait. Don’t tell me… are you maybe Lemont?” “I never heard this name. It’s a name, right?”, this is not how you expected this conversation to go. “I don’t know!”, the wraith stands up. His clothes are badly burned, but it doesn’t seem like they looked great before. A dirty sweater, blue jeans, sneakers smudged with mud. “They won’t tell me! They told me I must find him myself, otherwise I’m just...”, he glares at you suspiciously, “Are you sure you’re not Lemont?” “Yes, I’m sure”, you begin to regret even starting this conversation. “You don’t mind if I check?”, he asks, “They have seen his or her face, you see, they should know how they look like. Do they talk to you too?” “You mean the Shadow?”, you ask. “The Shadow?”, he looks confused, “What’s that?” “A part of you that wants you dead”, you answer, “It’s a voice in your head.” “Then yes, but there are many of them. And… they’re speaking now. They told me you’re not Lemont.” “Sorry to hear that, man”, you eye the exit from the alley nervously. You have no idea if it would be better if you were Lemont or not. “They told me we got here together”, he seems surprised. “Except this doesn’t seem right. You’re a little bit flushed and can you see what happened to me? Look!” The strange wraith clenches his fists. There is no doubt he’s angry, but you can’t tell if his rage is directed at you, the voices in his head, or something else. “What do you want?”, he growls, “To laugh at me? Have some fun at my expense? Go ahead! Everyone else does!” 1. What do you do (approval voting)? A) He doesn’t seem to need immediate help and seems belligerent. Tell him you have to go and leave him alone. B) You doubt he’s just going to let you go. Distract him with something and run away. You should lose him if you get a nice head start. C) He wants to find someone named Lemont. You don’t know who that is, but you could bluff. Tell him you know where to find that person and send him somewhere else. To the Citadel for example. D) …but try to exchange this information for some answers. Like who he is, who’s talking to him, why does he want to find Lemont? E) Try to placate him. You certainly wouldn’t laugh at him. He seems fearsome, even terrifying and you respect that. F) Cow him instead. You just saw him sobbing, you think it shouldn’t be that difficult. G) Something else. Fill in… 2. Do you want to use Keening (-1 or -2 Pathos, depending of emotion). Remember that he may realize what you’re trying to do. A) Yes. B) No.
|
|
#
?
Oct 27, 2018 13:06
|
|
|
1 C - Tell him to ask at the Citadel, if anyone might be able to help it's them. 2 B
|
|
#
?
Oct 27, 2018 13:46
|
|
|
CD B
|
|
#
?
Oct 27, 2018 17:49
|
|
|
F. This dude is probably a pushover. More bark than bite. We can get him to back down without needing to B-spell him
|
|
#
?
Oct 27, 2018 17:59
|
|
|
CE and B
|
|
#
?
Oct 27, 2018 18:02
|
|
|
CDE and Bsuper sweet best pal posted:1 C - Tell him to ask at the Citadel, if anyone might be able to help it's them. Agree with this.
|
|
#
?
Oct 28, 2018 04:15
|
|
|
Looks life we can probably push him around, but his shadow (s?) might have a better hold on him. I say he can come along but make him no promises. G tell him he can come with us, we met some people that can help, but to not be a pain in the rear end. Cannon_Fodder fucked around with this message at 16:27 on Oct 28, 2018 |
|
#
?
Oct 28, 2018 16:22
|
|
|
Grognan posted:CE and B This
|
|
#
?
Oct 30, 2018 03:54
|
|
|
lol his shadow has a good hold on him. Send to the citadel...to get forged.
|
|
#
?
Oct 30, 2018 19:41
|
|
|
Voting is closed.
|
|
#
?
Nov 1, 2018 08:54
|
|
|
AbysmalPeptoBismol posted:lol his shadow has a good hold on him. Send to the citadel...to get forged. Yeah, we basically told this poor guy to turn himself in. Luckily there's no upset voices in his loving head at all, let alone those that will immediately brand us as a threat/enemy. Welp.
|
|
#
?
Nov 1, 2018 19:07
|
|
|
Your new friend seems pretty irritable. It seems that not having approached him immediately was a good idea; you don’t know what he could have done when startled. Keeping that in mind, you decide that giving him exactly what he wants is the best way to keep yourself safe. You have no idea who that Lemont is, but where could they be if not in the Citadel? And if they aren’t – well, the soldiers will certainly know what to do with this guy. “Look, I think I met someone named Lemont”, you quickly interrupt the angry tirade, “Can’t guarantee it’s the person you’re looking for, but you can try.” His anger subsides, replaced with shock and maybe a glimmer of hope and desperation. “Really?”, he stammers, “Where? Please, tell me where.” “Do you know the Copp’s Hill Burial Ground? There is a Citadel there. Lemont is a soldier stationed in the armory”, you spin the lie, trying not to overdo it too much, “Just approach the gate and tell them you’re a new recruit, this should do the trick.” The burning man looks at you with distrust. His eyes narrow. “What? A citadel? Like… a castle? In the middle of the city?”, with each question he sounds more indignant. Frustrated, you grit your teeth. You crafted such a believable lie and it seems it’s going to fall apart, because that guy doesn’t want to believe the only element that is actually true! “I know this sounds strange, but please bear with me for a moment”, you make one last attempt. “You must have seen buildings that don’t seem decayed like everything around here. They are on this side of the Shroud and they are invisible for the living, just like us. There is a large building on the graveyard, which you haven’t seen when you were alive. That’s a Citadel.” The wraith is silent for a moment. “Do you mind if I check?”, he asks. Not even waiting for your answer, he stares at distance, whispering something to himself. YOU COULD HAVE IGNORED HIM, YOU KNOW. HE WASN’T EVEN LOOKING AT YOU, the Shadow hisses with satisfaction. Meanwhile, the burning wraith cocks his head, as if listening for something. “So… it seems each city has such a Citadel”, he speaks, surprised. “I didn’t know. My apologies.” “No problem”, you try to conceal a wave of relief that floods your mind, “Glad I could help.” “Look, could you maybe guide me to this Citadel? I don’t know how to get there and I have no idea who to speak to when I arrive”, he stammers hesitantly. You have no idea if he’s just uneasy and apologetic, or if he just recites something someone else told him to say. “Oh, I would gladly help you… but that’s actually where I’m going from. I need to take care of some stuff, you see.” “Oh. But wait, that’s even better. I can help you with… whatever you need to do”, the wraith tries to smile, but with his partially burned out lips it seems even more grotesque than his normal expression. “I know some… uh… Outrage? And… um… Body. Embody, I mean. In exchange, you’ll help me get to the Citadel. Seems good?” 1. Do you agree to his offer (approval voting)? A) He seems weird, but not that harmful and hey, maybe he could actually be useful. Agree. B) ...but you actually have no intention of getting him to the Citadel. Let him help you, then find a way to avoid delivering on your promise. C) There is no way you’re letting this weirdo see one of your Fetters. Refuse him politely and send him off. D) Do everything you can to send him off, being as rude as necessary. This may be more effective, but also will almost surely piss him off. E) Agree, but find a way to lose him before you get to your flat. F) Agree, but only to find a group of soldiers that will escort him to the Citadel. G) Something else. Fill in...
|
|
#
?
Nov 2, 2018 11:06
|
|
|
C G: Take him back to the soldiers we passed and then head off to deal with our fetters alone. This person is taking all their orders from their shadow and we just lied to them. I'd rather not show them such a vulnerable fetter given they might be upset with us soon.
|
|
#
?
Nov 2, 2018 19:35
|
|
|
Found a way to get into the Emperors good graces by bringing in forge -food
|
|
#
?
Nov 2, 2018 21:26
|
|
|
ACF
|
|
#
?
Nov 3, 2018 06:33
|
|
|
Agreeing with Zedd here. A little weird that the wraith knows about two Arcanoi but has never heard of a Citadel.
|
|
#
?
Nov 3, 2018 06:37
|
|
|
Helical Nightmares posted:Agreeing with Zedd here. It only knows what the shadow has told it.
|
|
#
?
Nov 3, 2018 07:23
|
|
|
malbogio posted:C +1
|
|
#
?
Nov 3, 2018 07:31
|
|
|
Seems that most of you want to politely tell the weird wraith to buzz off. Voting is closed, I should write a post tomorrow.
|
|
#
?
Nov 7, 2018 22:47
|
|
|
Maybe you’re shallow and can’t get past his looks, but there is something with this wraith that ticks you off. Even a thought about letting him near the place you lived – near your cat – makes your skin crawl. You decide to pass on his help, rather than risking him getting closer to your old life. But instinct tells you that telling him off bluntly would be a mistake. So you summon your most charming smile and tell him that, unfortunately, you have to meet some people and it’s important you’re alone. The burning man’s face darkens dangerously when you talk, as he glares at you with anger and hate. Only now you begin to suspect that you misjudged him – he can’t just be someone who listens to his Shadow a bit too much. He resembles Dr. Strickland during his outburst, although there is less calculated malice in his expression and more barely held rage and despair. IT’S ABOUT TIME YOU REALIZED. I DOUBT IT’S HIS SHADOW HE TALKED TO. I DOUBT HE HAS A SHADOW AT ALL. “What do you mean?”, you try not to vocalize this question while getting the answer from the Father. IT’S THE OTHER SPECTRES THAT COMMUNICATE WITH HIM. HE IS LINKED INTO THE HIVE-MIND, WHICH MEANS HIS PSYCHE IS LONG GONE. “What? Why didn’t you tell me?” I TOLD YOU TO LEAVE HIM ALONE. YOU DIDN’T LISTEN. “I would if you told me he is a Spectre!” INSTEAD OF POINTING FINGERS, WHY WON’T YOU DEAL WITH YOUR NEW FRIEND FIRST? HE LOOKS A BIT ANGRY. You open your mouth, realizing that you stopped talking to the burning wraith before you fully convinced him. You try to remember concentrate on the conversation, but the damage is done – he must have seen the fear on your face. He slowly approaches you. “Too noble for my company, huh? So high and mighty?”, he spits out, “I’m tired of being treated like a loving lowlife. I would never hurt a fly. It’s not my fault I ended up like that!” “Yes, you were treated unfairly”, you try to placate him, “And I would like to help you, but I don’t even know how!” “That fucker, Lemont!”, he cries, “It’s their fault! If you want to blame someone, it’s them! I had nothing to do with it! Nothing!” “And I told you he’s in the Citadel...” “I can’t go to the Citadel, you moron!”, the Spectre yells out, “They’ll put me in chains, then make me into an ashtray! I thought you could lure him out for me, but you’re loving useless! Did you even tell me the truth, or just tried to blow me off?” IF YOU gently caress THIS UP TOO MUCH, REMEMBER THAT I CAN ALWAYS HELP YOU. I BELIEVE YOU ALREADY KNOW THE PRICE… OR DO YOU WANT TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENS WHEN HE CAVES YOUR HEAD IN? BELIEVE ME, IT’S NOT PRETTY. 1. What do you do? A) Run away before he gets closer. Try to get to the main street where there is a chance you meet a Hierarchy patrol. You hope you’re quicker than him. B) Run away through the buildings. It will be easier to lose him, as he can’t see through the walls. On the other hand, you neither and there is always a chance you get into some other trouble. Also, staying incorporeal will weaken you considerably. C) He hasn’t attacked you yet. You can still persuade him to leave you alone. Maybe you could promise him to find that Lemont guy? D) Bluster and shame him into submission. He is a nobody. If you both were alive, you would have called the cops on him before he even finished yelling at you. He’s not your equal and you believe you can make him feel it. Use Keening if you need to (-1 Pathos). E) Fight him! Your chances are low, but could be much better if you manage to take him by surprise. F) Scream for help! The alley looked empty, but maybe someone will hear you. G) Something else… Fill in. 2. Do you want your Shadow to help you? A) Yes! Desperate times call for desperate measures. B) Only if your situation feels completely hopeless (which may be too late). C) Hell, no!
|
|
#
?
Nov 8, 2018 22:55
|
|
|
1.B 2. B Going Slaan plan Toughy fucked around with this message at 12:51 on Nov 9, 2018 |
|
#
?
Nov 8, 2018 23:04
|
|
|
Gantolandon posted:“I like to think that we only do what we must to survive. If you ever meet a Spectre, you’ll realize they don’t even care about that. Even the most intelligent ones only want to drag wraiths into the Maw or make them into more of themselves.” A C malbogio fucked around with this message at 23:31 on Nov 8, 2018 |
|
#
?
Nov 8, 2018 23:28
|
|
|
Be aware of our useful new incorporeality! Be aware that we have a new friend in our head 
|
|
#
?
Nov 8, 2018 23:36
|
|
|
Slaan posted:Be aware of our useful new incorporeality! +1
|
|
#
?
Nov 9, 2018 11:08
|
|
|
A C Book it!
|
|
#
?
Nov 9, 2018 16:49
|
|
|
1D2C
|
|
#
?
Nov 10, 2018 03:25
|
|
|
D B
|
|
#
?
Nov 10, 2018 08:41
|
|
|
A C
|
|
#
?
Nov 10, 2018 09:08
|
|
|
Voting is closed.
|
|
#
?
Nov 13, 2018 20:56
|
|
|
Having lived in a large metropolitan area, you had some encounters in bad neighborhoods. Not many, but enough to know something. You know that when you’re walking down the street and some suspicious guy tries to start a conversation, it’s best not to stop and engage him, as this could be a prelude to mugging. You know how to tell the difference between a dive where you can drink with friends and the kind of place where you can get stabbed for looking funny at another visitor. And you know that when someone wants to rob you, he’s less likely to do that on the main street where there are a lot of witnesses. Seeing you’re going to bail on him, the burning Spectre reaches for your arm, obviously trying to grab you. Too late – you feel his fingers barely touching your clothes-skin, as you start running. You hear an angry shout behind you: “Stop! I won’t hurt you!”. There is too much anger in his voice to take his words as a face value. The two men in the alley are still where you left them. They don’t even blink as you pass them at full speed. You briefly look back, just to see the burning wraith running through one of the men, not even turning translucent as he does that. His face is contorted with rage. You have no doubt he wants to hurt you, maybe even kill you. “NOT MY FAULT!”, you hear a scream behind your back, much closer than you would want. It appears that, despite the initial head start, you aren’t much closer to shaking him off. It doesn’t help that the street isn’t empty – there are still a lot of people on the pavement and navigating between them while not losing speed is pretty difficult. When you dive into the space between two passersby, you almost plow through a baby carriage. You begin to stop, then realize this is pointless, you are a ghost and can walk through people, for gently caress’s sake! Instead of slowing, you double down and while the feeling is certainly unpleasant, the expected impact doesn’t happen. You hear another scream of frustration behind you, this time a bit farther. The problem is that you still see the people and while you know you won’t collide with them, your brain thinks otherwise. Your pursuer doesn’t seem to have this problem. You dive into a crowd of people waiting for the bus and change direction in the middle, hoping to confuse the Spectre and shake him off. Instead, you handicap yourself – when you leave the group of people, you see him running straight at you, as if he had seen you all along! When it seems all is lost, you hear a thud and a frustrated yell. A quick look back confirms your suspicions – the Spectre is lying sprawled on the pavement. You have no idea how a partially incorporeal being could trip, but you certainly won’t be looking a gift horse in the mouth. You run away, chased only by his frustrated screams: “No! I was nothing but reasonable! What is wrong with you?!” You stop several intersections later. Your pursuer is nowhere in sight and you can reasonably assume you have lost him. You’re still a bit shaken by this encounter and a little worse for wear – going incorporeal so many times seems to have taken a toll on you. Your Corpus is a bit more hazy than normally (4 Bashing damage, 6 points of Corpus remaining). Tutorial: Incorporeality Wraiths can pass through objects in the living world, as opposed to the Shadowlands. This still causes them pain and discomfort. Whenever you collide with an object that would normally cause damage to you, you get 1 point of Bashing damage and become Incorporeal for a very short time (depending of your Stamina). You have 10 points of Corpus and Bashing damage heals pretty quickly – one point per hour. It can still be dangerous if your entire Corpus is filled with them – one more damage of any type can send you into a Harrowing. Which is bad. ** Reaching the building where you lived doesn’t take you much more time. At first, seeing it is a shock. You remembered an old, but well-maintained brick apartment block. Now the window panes are cracked, the walls are worn-out, gutter-pipes are covered with rust and filth. This is how the world looks from the Shadowlands, but it’s one thing to just see it, another to look at a familiar place through the Shroud. You stand a while at the door, unsure if you’re in a hurry enough to become incorporeal again. Fortunately, a pizza guy unwittingly lets you inside. At first you want to enter the elevator, then realize it’s no use when you can’t push any buttons. Fortunately, climbing doesn’t seem to tire you at all. Outside your flat on the fourth floor, you see some familiar faces. Or as familiar as the Shroud lets you. Mrs. Collins looks terrible – her wrinkled face is entirely grey and blue. Many corpses look healthier than her. The person she talks to looks much better – her usually glowing face is pasty and dark, flowing hair look a little thinned out, but nothing spectacularly worse than you have seen in most random people on the streets. Her aura is a bit violet and purple, which seems to indicate distress. It’s Susan, your ex-wife. “Such a cruel fate”, your neighbor sighs, “I don’t know why would God save someone from an accident only to let him die like that. I can only believe He has a plan for all of us.” Colors swirling around her indicate mostly confusion and fear with a bit of doubt. THE OLD CRONE IS GOING TO GET A NASTY SURPRISE WHEN SHE CROAKS. WHICH SEEMS TO BE PRETTY SOON, GIVEN HER APPEARANCE. I THINK IF YOU WAITED HERE LONG ENOUGH, WE COULD TAKE HER TO THE CITADEL WITH US. “Seems like a pretty sadistic plan then”, Susan says bitterly, “I haven’t even told the children yet. They still think their dad is going to get well. I have no idea how to break this to them.” “I’m so sorry. Poor little ones.” “Could… could you maybe let me inside? We have to bury him in something”, Susan asks. “I just hope he has more than that one suit he wore during the accident.” “I’ll bring the key”, Mrs. Collins opens the door to her flat, “Would you like a tea?” “Thank you, but another time. The faster I get through this, the sooner I can face the kids”, your ex-wife seems to be fearing that more than anything else. Every time she mentions this, her aura swirls faster. WELL, YOU LEFT HER IN A PRETTY lovely SITUATION, YOU KNOW? SHE WOULD GLADLY CUT YOU OUT OF HER LIFE IF NOT FOR YOUR CHILDREN… AND NOW SHE’S STUCK WITH YOUR CORPSE. I WONDER IF SHE HAS TO PAY FOR YOUR BURIAL HERSELF? AND THEN SHE IS THE PERSON EVERYONE EXPECT TO TELL YOUR CHILDREN THEIR DADDY’S DEAD. DO YOU THINK THEY WILL RESENT HER FOR THAT? Your neighbor emerges from her flat. “Please look out for the cat”, she says, handing the keys to Susan. “What...”, she seems confused for a moment. “Oh. Yeah. He had a cat”, she says dully. Her aura darkens even more as she connects the dots. YEAH, THE LAST THING SHE WANTS IS TO TAKE CARE OF YOUR FURBALL. She sighs and opens the door. You use this opportunity to slip in. The inside of your flat is not that different than you remember (except of the symptoms of decay caused by the Shroud). It’s not very well-furnished. It was always supposed to be a temporary shelter where you can ride out the storm before your career inevitably takes off and you can begin your life anew. You never thought it will be the last place you will ever rent. Mixie comes out of the kitchen. Seeing you, she raises her tail and speeds up. She reaches your leg, trying to rub against it, then pauses as her whiskers pass through. The cat looks up, disoriented. It seems she sees you. “There she is”, Mrs. Collins gets inside along with your ex-wife. “Poor kitty.” Meanwhile, Mixie stares at you accusingly. She cannot rub against you and considers this a breach of contract between a cat and its owner. Her tail repeatedly strikes the floor. “She seems upset we’re here”, Susan notices and there is a glimmer in her aura. SEE THAT PANG OF HOPE? SHE’S LOOKING FOR A REASON NOT TO HAVE TO TAKE YOUR CAT IN. ANY REASON. AND SHE WILL FIND IT, GIVEN TIME. SHE’LL TELL HERSELF THIS IS FOR ITS OWN GOOD, BUT YOU KNOW WHAT’S THIS ALL ABOUT? SHE DOESN’T REALLY WANT A REMINDER OF YOU IN HER HOUSE. “She’s just a bit leery. She haven’t seen you yet”, Mrs. Collins explains. “Maybe”, Susan nods, slightly bemused, “Let’s find his wardrobe.” I TOLD YOU IT WAS POINTLESS. SUSAN DOESN’T WANT THE CAT, YOUR NEIGHBOR COULD PROBABLY DIE ANY MOMENT NOW. THERE IS NOTHING YOU CAN DO ABOUT IT. LET IT GO. You feel distressed. That cat was your only friend when everything seemed hopeless. Is there really nothing you can do for it? 1. Is it (approval)? A) The Shadow is right. There’s nothing you can do here. Get back to the Citadel. B) No. You already know how to stir passions in other wraiths. Maybe you can do the same with the living? If Susan feels compassion, perhaps this will stir her to help the cat. Of course, you have no idea if this is going to work when she can’t actually hear your words and any feeling you eventually cause won’t last long. But at least you know how to do it. (-2 Pathos) C) If you could only tell her how important it is… well, maybe you can? Or at least give her some sign? If multiple Hierarchy wraiths told you how important it is not to bother the living, perhaps it means it’s at least possible? Try! (?) D) Mrs. Collins could convince her… except that she is not convincing enough. If only you could guide her somehow. Try to tell her how from behind the Shroud. Maybe even direct her. (?) E) As a salesman, you are used to reading people and having to guess what they want… then convincing them that you have what they need. You’re certain you could tell Susan she wants a cat… except that you can’t speak to her. But maybe you could use the swirling cloud of her emotions somehow? Manipulate it subtly through Keening? (?) F) If Susan doesn’t want the cat, Mrs. Collins is the one who has to take care of her. But what if she dies? You must know the risk and if the fact she’s looking that unwell through the Shroud has something to do with it. Maybe you could even find a way to prevent her from dying too early? (?) G) She’s not leaving without the cat. Try to prevent Susan from leaving your flat before she makes the correct decision. You only have a faint idea how to do that. (?) H) You’re stressed and disappointed with your ex-wife. Make it known. Channel your feelings through the Shroud. This won’t be subtle and it’s hard to know what effect will that have, but at least you’ll feel better. (?) I) There is still hope. Your wife may be hesitant, but nothing says she won't be moved by the poor kitty who lost her master. Wait and observe. J) Something else. Fill in... 2. In case you’re going to try something unusual, how much Pathos do you want to spend (1-3)? The more you decide to use, the more powerful and spectacular the effect will be… as will be your eventual failure.
|
|
#
?
Nov 15, 2018 23:44
|
|
|
B
|
|
#
?
Nov 16, 2018 00:03
|
|
|
BE 2
|
|
#
?
Nov 16, 2018 01:42
|
|
|
BDE 2
|
|
#
?
Nov 16, 2018 08:58
|
|
|
There is something… odd in the colors swirling around your ex-wife. Normally, the auras only show the emotions of the living. Right now, however, the pattern itself seems to have meaning. It seems to be showing you something, yet you can’t discern what. You try to look from different angles, but it doesn’t help you at all. Susan, meanwhile, rummages through your flat. Even if she didn’t display her emotions in the cloud around her, you would easily notice she is troubled and irritated. She opens the wardrobe, takes a few shirts out and gauges them carefully. She squints one eye, as she sometimes does when she thinks. Then it hits you and you close your eye – the right one. There is a green flash in your left eye and the cloud parts for a moment. You get a momentary glimpse into your ex-wife’s soul. She really wishes she didn’t have to be here. You are pretty sure that with a moderate exertion you could remove this desire from her mind, but you decide against it. It doesn’t bring you any closer to your goal. You have unlocked Intimation. This Arcanos lets you manipulate other people’s desires. On the most basic level, you can see what the given person wants in the current moment the most. You can also remove desires from their mind. For example, you could make a violent person not want to beat you up (they may still do it from another reason, but probably with less enthusiasm), or cure someone’s drug addiction. Instead, you decide to do something safer – kindle some compassion in your ex-wife. At first you don’t really know how to do this, but you start talking anyway. Walking next to Susan, you tell her how much the cat means to you. How she prevented you from going insane after the divorce, when you felt no one cared about you. How alone she must feel right now, with her master gone. That she won’t survive even for a moment on the streets. Neither Susan, nor Mrs Collins show any indication that they heard your words… but their auras slowly begin to change. (-2 Pathos) Suddenly you are aware there is someone else with you in the room. “Curious”, Liu says from behind your back, “Out of all your Fetters, you chose to visit the cat? I expected the kid, but your flat was on the way there.” “Jesus!”, you almost jump, “How did you find me here?” “Why do you think the Citadel hired some Monitors to track your Fetters?”, she grins, “Stygia wants to know where to find you when they need you.” AND IF YOU SCREW UP AND LAY LOW, THEY KNOW WHERE TO FIND YOU TOO. “It seems you’re practicing some Arcanoi?”, she walks to your wife, who seems to be thinking about something intensely. “I heard you know Keening pretty well. Seems you discovered it can also be used on the Quick. Technically that breaks Dictum Mortuum, you know?” You look at her anxiously. “I said, technically”, Liu smiles, “Nobody usually gives a poo poo about Keening, because the living don’t know you use it at them. They feel an emotion and that’s it. If you shown yourself to them with Embody, controlled them with Puppetry, broke some furniture with Outrage… this would be a way to piss the Hierarchy off. Or if you murdered someone, obviously, this would get you to the forge pretty fast.” “Is there anyone to take care about the cat?”, Susan suddenly asks and you both stop talking. “I used to feed her when Sam was away”, Mrs. Collins says, folding up one of your shirts deftly. “But it was always meant to be temporary. With my age, getting a pet is risky.” “Maybe I could take her in”, Susan says, a bit unsure, “The kids may want to have something to remember their father.” Liu pats her in the back with mocking approval, which the woman doesn’t notice at all. Your neighbor seems as if a great burden was taken from her back. She smiles approvingly. “I wouldn’t dare to suggest that, but this really seems like a good idea”, she says. “A cat is a poor substitute for a father, but it’s better than nothing.” You feel relief. The entire time you were here, you couldn’t help but think about Mixie roaming the streets of Boston, or starving in an empty flat. Not only because she is your Fetter, but because she is your friend. The image of your children playing with the cat fills your heart with warmth. In fact, you actually feel warmth. Instead of being drained by Keening, you seem to be energized (+3 Pathos). The Legionary stretches her arms, visibly pleased with the result. “All right, problem solved and you didn’t even break the law that much in the process. The reason is why I’m here is that your absence was noticed and I was supposed to make sure you’ll get back to the Citadel for your training. Also, to check if you behave well, don’t defect to the Renegades or try to befriend a Spectre, that sort of thing. Potter, who is our new Centurion by the way, will be relieved that you behaved almost correctly and only bent the rules instead of outright breaking them by the knee. That bodes well for the future. Shall we go back?” THEY SENT HER FROM THE CITADEL TO FIND YOU JUST TO MAKE SURE YOU BEHAVE? ARE YOU THAT PRECIOUS TO POTTER? SOMETHING SMELLS FISHY… BUT IT’S YOUR FUNERAL, I GUESS. 1. What do you do (approval)? A) You have no reason to distrust her and you did everything you could here. Go to the Citadel and let her accompany you. B) Thank her for watching your back, but you still have something to do here. You still intend to get back to the Citadel, but alone. C) Try to pry her for more details. Why is it they sent her for you? Do they care that much for every new recruit? Try to avoid going with her anywhere until she answers. D) You actually have an Arcanos that helps you discern other people’s motives. Use it. It’s free, no need to spend any Pathos. You have no idea if she can see you use Intimation though. E) Refuse to go with her. In fact, you don’t intend to get back to the Citadel. Tell her this. F) Go with her, but slip away the first moment you can. G) Something else. Fill in… 2. If you have any questions for Liu, you can ask her now (unless it’s something covered by 1C).
|
|
#
?
Nov 20, 2018 23:43
|
|
|
We need to begin to build an Ally base after our actions earlier. We made our point- we are meant to be in charge of things, not under incompetent fools. Time to play along for a while so we can shore up our current position before diving back into the political dogfight
|
|
#
?
Nov 21, 2018 00:02
|
|
|
A
|
|
#
?
Nov 21, 2018 00:34
|
|
|
A/C - Question her while walking back.
|
|
#
?
Nov 21, 2018 01:07
|
|
|
|
| # ? Apr 27, 2024 04:05 |
|
|
D
|
|
#
?
Nov 21, 2018 03:02
|
|