[Emperors of the Fading Suns] [Emperors of the Fading Suns] OOC Thread

[JayTee]

Huh, the more you know.

 

[CrazyIvan]

...I just realized this is the first time Cunning Fangs has fought a DB since she Exalted.


This is going to take an odd turn.

 

[Feantari]

...I just realized this is the first time Cunning Fangs has fought a DB since she Exalted.
This is going to take an odd turn.

's all good. I am really enjoying this scene. I think no matter what there is going to be lots of learning and development going on all around that tower.

 

[CrazyIvan]

's all good. I am really enjoying this scene. I think no matter what there is going to be lots of learning and development going on all around that tower.

It's going to Magma Kraken.

 

[CrazyIvan]

Xarvh, before I do this, and because it might actually be useful in the future, a question. The training time for a spell is (spell circle) weeks, but the Silurian Absorption allows me to invent new versions of a spell I already know - it specifies a different XP cost, but it's unclear it it's on-the-fly, or if I still have to "learn" the spell.


The former is certainly easier, the latter is well, less nice. If you decide it is the latter, can I blow either a Compassion channel or a stunt to skip the training time? Cunning Fangs is doing her best not to kill Argis with her toolbox, which goes from "A Dexterity Excellency" to "Fire and Explosions" with no stops in between.


Going to operate under the assumption the answer is "yes" because I dunno if I'll be able to post much this weekend, and I'll either pay or correct it later.

 

[Feantari]

I think your interpretation is fine, at least for our bit. I think you do actually learn it though. In the sense that it ends up on your spell list and what not, but reduced cost in both XP and time makes sense to me given the thematics involved with how she actually does it.

 

[xarvh]

cyl: At least three Deathknight, several greater undead, nephwracks and a handful of legions of warghosts, zombies and shadow warrior, many wearing powered armours.


Does this qualify as the Deathlord being "alone"?


Crippling the Mask, possibly destroying Lookshy's magitech before he can take ALL of it (most has been taken already) and saving some people is definitely doable.


Making the Mask's unlife so miserable that he has better to leave Lookshy, will require a lot of time at the very best.


Keeping it short now and going back to allow Siham to further develop the Bloom may be a better long-term strategy.


Arynne: ok, gimme some time.


@CI: yeah, since this is a friendly match and you guys are having plenty of training time in your hands I have no problems with it.


I'll check the manuals as soon as I have the time.


So happy to see you guys stoked! =D

 

[JayTee]

xarvh: How long can we linger in Lookshy doing Solar stuff before we absolutely have to go back to Cross?

 

[Feantari]

That seems to be totally up to you. And nothing is saying you couldn't do your own thing either. Right?

 

[xarvh]

You don't absolutely have to go back to Cross.


And you don't have necessarily to stay together.


I guess it depends on how ambitious are your goals for the city.


My preference is to have you in Lookshy for another Scene or two, but your preference is more important.

 

[JayTee]

If I've done the math right, I need a minimum of one month in order to build what amounts to an anti-Creature of Darkness Soulbreaker Orb.

 

[xarvh]

I'm not 100% sure you can evade close Abyssal level detection while working on something with "soulbreaker" in its name.

 

[JayTee]

Actually I was going to call it something along the lines of "Kiss of the Incarnate". It nukes the area for massive damage in Holy energy (obliterating most Creatures of Darkness) turns the surrounding area in to Hallowed land that inflicts Agg damage on CoD that stay there for too long, and if used in a shadowland or area of creation that's been infected by the wyld, turns it back in to normal creation within a month.


Basically the conceptual opposite of a Soulbreaker Orb

 

[xarvh]

Could you add this to the Project Discussion thread, and maybe add the reference to the Soulbreaker Orb so that I don't have to rummage through all the manuals on my telephone? =)

 

[JayTee]

Sure, give me a bit

 

[JayTee]

Done and done!

 

[xarvh]

Awesome, thanks.

 

[cyl]

At least three Deathknight, several greater undead, nephwracks and a handful of legions of warghosts, zombies and shadow warrior, many wearing powered armours.
Does this qualify as the Deathlord being "alone"?

Of course not, but that is precisely what I thought we could have worked on.


Kill the knights, the greater undead, and blow up the legions in order to sap his power.

Crippling the Mask, possibly destroying Lookshy's magitech before he can take ALL of it (most has been taken already) and saving some people is definitely doable.


Making the Mask's unlife so miserable that he has better to leave Lookshy, will require a lot of time at the very best.


Keeping it short now and going back to allow Siham to further develop the Bloom may be a better long-term strategy.

I did not realize that most of the arsenal was in fact already taken. That part did not appeared clearly in the current scene - they are still stuck with a Cathedral Factory - hence my confusion. Thanks for the clarification.


If it is so then it only reinforces the need to sabotage his organization and destroy greater servants in order to shrink his power a bit and at best delay his conquest of the Scavenger Lands... or perhaps we could use this to negotiate a safe zone for us: "swear that you will leave this area alone for 100 years, or we keep taking your boys out one by one until there's no one left around you and you can't delegate anything anymore" and if we have offed enough of them first, he'll know we mean business.


In any case Siham working on the Bloom is indeed a better strategy to at least defend ourselves.

A couple thoughts as well:
2. Contagiousness isn't actually what the Bloom has a problem with. The problem is that it's currently isolated to a miserable middle of nowhere setting where it can be easily steered around. It's not contagious we need, it's easy to deliver. That's a different engineering problem. And one Fangs is currently trying to work on - her current exploration of Necromancy is actually a hope she'll figure out how to artificially introduce Necrotic essence into Creation without a set of Deathlord puppet strings. Said Essence keeps it fed until Fangs and a sorcery induced windstorm get it where it needs to be.

The Bloom feeds on death aspected essence and dissolves it, so if we want it to strive like it did in Mirunda (up to the point it can blow up ghosts in a few seconds) we need to find a way to generate a localized stable source of death essence for it to thrive on and remain contained at the same time.


Here are a few ideas:


- a generator that emits continuously death essence (doable with Magitech with a little help of Necromancy) or "Bloom pod", probably the best way to create an anti undead barrier.


pros: we can make several of them and shape them into defensive patterns around our settlements pretty quickly + we can control the emissions of death essence and the area therefore controlling the Bloom's growth rate


cons: construction time costs + destroyable (although the Bloom doesn't seem to go dormant that fast).


- a symbiotic (genesis) life form that continously emits death essence. Could be done with plants (feeding on the sun to emit death essence ) or animals (with special properties).


pros: pretty mobile and adaptable to our needs (let's send contaminated rats into Thorns just for kicks ! )


cons: completely unpredictable, things could get out of hand.


- Dark Fangs' way: kill dozens of people, put them in cages, raise them as zombies and contaminate them with the bloom.


pros: pretty easy to do


cons: EEEEE-VIIIIL !!!

 

[CrazyIvan]

The Bloom feeds on death aspected essence and dissolves it, so if we want it to strive like it did in Mirunda (up to the point it can blow up ghosts in a few seconds) we need to find a way to generate a localized stable source of death essence for it to thrive on and remain contained at the same time.

Or, someone who can channel necrotic essence in Creation without Neverborn tampering, and then shut off the tap once the Bloom has done its work to let it starve.

 

[xarvh]

Indeed.


Creating more black essence seems a bit over the top, given that there's plenty already in Creation.

 

[CrazyIvan]

Indeed.
Creating more black essence seems a bit over the top, given that there's plenty already in Creation.

"Your biological weapon should have an off switch" says the PC run by an infectious disease epidemiologist with Homeland Security grants

 

[cyl]

Or, someone who can channel necrotic essence in Creation without Neverborn tampering, and then shut off the tap once the Bloom has done its work to let it starve.

The problem is you'd have to make huge concentration of necrotic essence all around our settlements to protect them.


That can require a lot of time and the anti undead barrier would depend entirely on your presence.


It would be preferable IMHO to have a self sustainable thingy to keep the Bloom fed and thriving.

 

[cyl]

Indeed.
Creating more black essence seems a bit over the top, given that there's plenty already in Creation.

Plenty in Creation yes, but we can't use that, if we want to use the Bloom in a defense strategy we need to produce it locally as to maintain a Bloom barrier as strong as it is in Mirunda all around our settlements (because having a black essence generator inside is never a good idea), that way the undead will not be able get through.


The necrotic essence generated will only serve to fuel the Bloom who thrives on it.


Both the Bloom and the generators have the great advantage of having an off switch.


Also what level of military technology did Lookshy have prior to the invasion ? (your Creation may vary)


Because you know... we can't really defend against warships with the Bloom or at all anyway...

 

[xarvh]

One approach does not exclude the other.


This is the realm of science. You may have to experiment.


Lookshy has vanilla tech level, most of which has been destroyed already or seized by the Mask.


"Seized" does not mean that the Mask will be able to use it outright. He needs facilities and personnel he currently does not have.

 

[cyl]

We'll make sure that he doesn't get them then


I thought of a much simpler solution to artifact bombs... custom occult charm !


A slight variation of Ghost Eating Technique could be considered.


Bane of the Undead


Cost 1 or 2m Mins: Occult 4, Essence 3; Type: Reflexive (Step 10)


Keywords: Combo-OK, Obvious


Duration: Instant


Prerequisite Charms: Spirit-Cutting Attack


During the First Age, before the Solar realized the Underworld was just another realm for them to toy with, some solars took pity on the lost souls that slipped to the dark realm at the moment of their passing and wanted to bring them back into Creation, willingly or not.


For one mote this charm helps any willing ghost to enter the Broken Wheel again find Lethe. The solar can also use it to force this effect on unwilling targets successfully dissipated by attacks supplemented by this charm or permanently destroy any other undead.


In addition to the normal damage from this attack, this Charm transfers a number of motes from the spirit to the Solar equal to (the Solar’s


permanent Essence x 2). Motes drained do not go into the Solar’s Essence pool; rather, these fragments of spiritual power liberated from the hold of the Underworld swirl invisibly about her, empowering her to continue her assault upon unruly spirits. For each two motes drained by this Charm, the Solar may launch one Bane of the Undead at no mote cost.


Phantasmal images of those spirits damaged or destroyed by Bane of the Undead Strike during the scene flicker and churn within the Solar’s anima until she has used up all captured Essence, or until the end of the scene, at which point the drained power dissipates.


Normally GET combines with SCA, but in this case I tweaked the thing around so that it can power itself which makes more sense to me than dealing agg dmg, and since it works only on the undead I think it's pretty balanced.


Thoughts ?