>>36311153
>And now back to the action!
Yay!

You kneel there next to the detective for a couple of minutes, mouth slightly agape as you see her partner's innards go from looking like cream cheese into a working pair of lungs, heart, valves and ribs, his breathing turning from a gurgle like water bubbling out of a drain into a shallow, but stable motion. Finally, she pulls off from your head and sits back, wiping the blood off her hands and onto her shirt.

"Ok, he'll live for now, until we get him to a hospital. He's lost a lot of blood, and I can't fix that." She climbs up off the ground, offering you a helping hand off the ground.

"Thanks," you say, grabbing the hand. One quick pull and you're up off the ground, looking around. "So, when did the lights get turned back on?"

Her head cocks to the side slightly. "You really are an idiot, aren't you?" She taps your forehead slightly, and your sight drops into pitch blackness.

"Whoa, what the hell!?"

"Dummy, it was magic. The Forces arcana can let you see in the dark, and you unconsciously cast the spell to let you do so. You really need to be more careful with that stuff. If a Sleeper sees you do it, you'll cause a Paradox."

"Sleeper? Paradox?" You fiddle around in your pocket, grabbing your smartphone and turning it's flashlight mode on. Your eyes go from pure darkness to being temporarily blinded and you look to your right, as the detective looks away towards Joshua on her right.

The glance away also reveals something rather unsettling.

Mr. Muscle is starting to climb to his feet.

> What the fuck!? He's up
> Grab her hand and start running
> Kick him in the nuts! (5d10, Brawl + Strength)
> Other

>>36311195
> Grab her hand and start running

Rolled 2, 6, 7, 6, 2 = 23 (5d10)

>>36311195
> Kick him in the nuts! (5d10, Brawl + Strength)
I CAST FOOT

File: mage quest michael santos(...).png (1.24 MB, 1414x1835)

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Page 1 of our stats. Voting from the previous thread had us spend our experience points and grab Gnosis 2, which this reflects.

>>36311195
>Grab her hand and start running

Rolled 9, 4, 1, 8, 5 = 27 (5d10)

>>36311195

> Kick him in the nuts!

>>36311195
>"Dummy, it was magic. The Forces arcana can let you see in the dark, and you unconsciously cast the spell to let you do so. You really need to be more careful with that stuff. If a Sleeper sees you do it, you'll cause a Paradox."
I thought that was only for vulgar magic, isn't seeing in the dark non vulgar?

>>36311253
Quick question since I know nothing about MtA. How easy is it to actively and passively weaponize healing magic?

Rolled 8, 10, 8, 3, 9 = 38 (5d10)

>>36311195
> Kick him in the nuts! (5d10, Brawl + Strength)

Rolled 10, 3, 8, 6, 9 = 36 (5d10)

>>36311253
>4 dots in Stamina
Oh yeah baby. Girls are going to love us.

File: mage quest michael santos(...).png (600 KB, 1061x1376)

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And page 2, which reflects our rotes. The main benefit to Gnosis 2 is that any improvised spell (ie., a spell you have no basis or idea of knowing how to cast) is rolled off Gnosis + Arcana.

Rolled 10, 6, 6, 1, 3 = 26 (5d10)

>>36311195
>> Kick him in the nuts! (5d10, Brawl + Strength)

>>36311274
Even for covert spells, if you cast it around a Sleeper and they suspect even anything is fishy, Paradox die get cast.

>>36311335
So as long as we can convincingly fake the use of technology to mask our actual magic we're in the clear right?

Inb4 cell phones are actually a network of chained souls of the damned screaming at each other through the abyss.

>>36311299
Damn son, that has a chance of being an exceptional success. Our enemy's last words will be very high pitched.

Voting's closed, writing.

Also, do you guys want me to get a resource document together, for the exp costs, a brief overview of what the Arcanas can do, and the 13 Lessons of the spells (basically what my picture in the first post means).

>>36311511
>resource doc?
That would be pretty cool of you.

Rolled 4, 7, 6, 8, 2 = 27 (5d10)

>>36311195
>> Kick him in the nuts! (5d10, Brawl + Strength)

>>36311511
Probably a good idea. Not everyone is familiar with this system and what establishes our limits.

>>36311511
I'd appreciate it Mag

>>36311511
I would appreciate it

"I cast Foot," you yell, delivering your best punter's kick to the man, as he is still hunched over and struggling to get to his feet. It connects square in his family jewels, and you internally wince as his balls have (in the past 4 minutes) been shocked, electrocuted, and now kicked very hard. He yelps, not unlike the howl of a dog getting his foot stepped on, and collapses to the ground once again, still alive, and in a bunch of pain.

You hear the telltale click of a gun next to you, and spin to see the detective aiming her pistol at the man once again, a fresh clip of bullets being loaded into it. With her free hand she swings her flashlight up and points the light at the man, giving you your first good look at him.

Both arms are covered from shoulder to wrist in a bunch of intricate tattoos, of rather violent and brutal images (knives embedded into skulls, blood and guts being spilled, etc., etc.) a wife-beater sleeveless shirt barely held together on his muscled frame. The bullet wounds in his chest look like they are healing, and the two shots in his head, while still bleeding, are not as deep as you'd thought they'd be. "I'm going to give you one chance to run, doggie," she says to him. "That last magazine was normal bullets." She cocks the gun and points it at his head. "These are silver bullets, bathed in holy water and blessed by the kind priests down at St. Andrews. Leave, and I promise not to go after you and your pack."

The man snarls at her, but makes no other threatening movements. "And what about your friend here," he nods at you. "What will stop me from ripping his throat out one random night from now?"

> Threaten him (3d10, Intimidation + Presence)
> Barter with him (5d10, Politics + Manipulation)
> Let her do the talking
> Other

>> As for the resource doc, I'll start throwing something together while you folks vote.

Rolled 6, 4, 2, 8, 7 = 27 (5d10)

>>36311732
>> Barter with him (5d10, Politics + Manipulation)

>>36311732
> Other
Smile.
"Go ahead, I'll be happy to take you on again. Maybe next time I'll break those balls even harder."

Rolled 1, 1, 4 = 6 (3d10)

>>36311732
>> Threaten him (3d10, Intimidation + Presence)

let her do the talking

>>36311732
>>36311783
Seconded

Rolled 1, 1, 4 = 6 (3d10)

>>36311732
>Threaten him (3d10, Intimidation + Presence)

>>36311732
Seriously?
He fatally injures a sleeper and her friend, then tries to kill her, and now she is giving him a chance to live if he leaves, he threatens to hunt you down later for "revenge"?
does he have no survival instinct?

>>36311732
> Let her do the talking

>>36311732
Goddamnit a werewolf. Oh joy, first night out and already we pissed off another supernatural creature.

Let her do the talking, we have no idea what's going on here and she apparently does. Deffer to the experts.

Rolled 1, 5, 8, 1, 10 = 25 (5d10)

>>36311732
>Barter with him...by indirectly flirting with the detective. (5d10)

My phrasing sucks, but something to the effect of "Oh I'm sure the detective here could convince me to stay my hand. Over dinner perhaps?"

>>36311732
> Let her do the talking
although I am quite surprised that she is just letting a murderer go, isn't she a cop?

File: mage quest reference sheet.png (133 KB, 2550x3300)

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Here's what I've got written down so far, if there's something else you guys want to see, let me know and I'll add another resource page.

>>36311783
You realize that if he comes back, he's bringing his pack with him.

I forgot to finish explaining the Practices last thread, so I figure I'll do it again here:

-1 dot-
Unveiling: Any spell that expands your senses, allowing you to interpret new information. An Unveiling spell of Forces could give you infrared vision or the ability to pick up radio waves (but not understand them). An Unveiling spell of Spirit could let you see, hear, and talk to a spirit.

Knowing: Basically, spells that grant knowledge directly rather than grant you the ability to perceive something new. An example would be a spell that tells you outright what sort of spirit something is, or a spell that lets you interpret a radio broadcast without a receiver.

Compelling: Minor control over the Arcanum's purview. Compellings of Forces let you guide the direction or flow of heat, light, or sound, for example. Compellings of Spirit let you do things like rouse the spirit of an object so you can talk to it and try to get it to do things for you.

>>36311876
You misunderstood, he is asking her what reason would HE have to not hunt you down
That is, he wants her to give him something in exchange for sparing the MCs life.

>>36311899
-2 dots-

Shielding: Spells meant to protect. The most common of these spells are used to provide armor.

Veiling: Spells meant to hide. A Veiling of Forces might make you invisible to cameras, for example, or bend light around an object to conceal it.

Ruling: More direct control over the Arcanum's purview. Shape fire, or make it burn more intensely. Hijack radio broadcasts. Alter the friction of an object. Make electricity arc out of a wall socket and electrocute someone. Summon a spirit to you, or strengthen or weaken the barrier between the material and spirit worlds in the area.

Why is she letting him get away?

>>36311904
Yeah, my bad. Failure to multitask on my end. Would "Please give me the excuse to turn your balls to silver" be too much?

>>36311961
Kill a werewolf, piss off the pack he belonged to. Kill him, the others will come to kill her. This is why supernaturals hang out in a group, so they got some form of leverage at times like this.

Voting's closed, writing.

>>36311923
Fraying: the weakest available direct-damage spells. Cause Bashing damage by shooting lightning at someone. Damage a Spirit's corpus Alternately, cut the power to a room by Fraying the electricity running to it. Fate-based frayings damage a target's luck, etc.

Perfecting: Spells meant to bolster, heal, repair, or improve. Heal wounds. Restore an object to mint condition. Make an appliance run perfectly. Restore a ghost or spirit's corpus.

Weaving: "spells that alter capabilities or somehow otherwise change the function of a thing without fundamentally transforming the nature of that thing are Weaving spells." Mold an object like play-doh. Gain bear claws or pistol-shrimp vision. Transmute water into booze, or rubber into C4. Gain absolute control over sound, light, or heat.

>>36311990
this could work the other way too if he isn't the pack leader.
since we are sorta like a clan (of 2). nobody died yet, but if he keeps attacking someone will, and then its a blood fued. maybe his alpha will discipline him over it

>>36312074
That was the 3-dot practices, by the way.

-4 dots-
Unravelling: More potent damaging spells. Reduce things into their component parts. Degrade someone's attributes. Slow an object by damaging its speed. Significantly more nuanced forms of harm than with Fraying.

Patterning: This one's mostly a catchall, but in general it can do things like completely alter something's nature. Turn from a man into a wolf. Transform the sound of someone's voice into fire (and set their head on fire in the process). Turn any object into any other object.

>>36312149
-5 dots-

Making: Create something out of nothing. Generate psyches. Where once there was nothing, now there is a swarm of angry bees. Also, make yourself a new body. Make any object you can think of without needing materials. Create destinies for people.

Unmaking: The opposite of Making. Annihilate things, turning something into nothing. This is also how Mages tend to do Aggravated damage.

>>36312188
Aww yeah, once we hit 5 dots we can tell someone "I will unmake you" and mean it.

You look back over to her. "He's kinda got a point," you mutter to her.

"Listen, I'm sorry for what I did to you and your pack a few weeks ago. That was unprofessional of me. But you bring this supernatural world bullshit into my work place? Nearly kill my partner, a normal no less? We're both cops, you should know better than to bring down this much heat down onto you and your pack. And this man here," she head nodes over to you, "is a lawyer for one of the biggest lawfirms in the city. If you kill him, what do you think they'll do if they find out your group was involved?"

The man squints at you, giving you a once over. And to be honest, you do kind of look like a lawyer; your suit is rather beaten up from today's fighting and running, but it was a rather pricey 3-piece suit, your top collar button undone, tie danging a little loose around your neck, as your bloodstained hands are buried deep into your pockets.

"... Fine." He clambers up off the ground, his big, meaty hands bracing himself against the wall. "I swear on my pack that I will not go after you or this man here," he nods at you. "But if I find out any of you entered our territory unannounced, your lives our forfeit." He slowly shambles to the door, slamming it open, and exits out of the fire escape across the hall.

She slumps against the wall, sighing heavily, loose strands of hair danging down onto her face. "That could've gone better."

> Uhh... What the hell was that about?
> We still need to get Joshua help
> Do you really have silver bullets?
> Flirt
> Other

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Oh, and for those curious, the picture in this post is a decent approximation of what she looks like.

>>36312241
> Other
Hug her. Maybe a kiss too. We're happy!

>>36312241
>We still need to get Joshua help

>>36312241
>> We still need to get Joshua help
>> Flirt

>>36312241

> Do you really have silver bullets?

> We still need to get Joshua help

>>36312262
>>36312241
This.
Then if she complaints say
> We still need to get Joshua help

>>36311899
>>36311923
>>36312074
>>36312149
>>36312188
And there you have it. You can do anything under the purview of your Arcana, assuming you have enough dots to access the relevant Practice (although in 1e, certain more-advanced applications of lower-dot Practices may require more dots). The most obvious example is casting a spell on someone else at sensory range, as opposed to on yourelf or something you're touching.

2e is a bit different in that these sorts of "advanced applications of practices" are folded into the new Paradox system (and Covert and Vulgar no longer exist as things, although Sleepers witnessing something obviously supernatural still provokes Paradox), but I think we're using 1e spellcasting here.

>>36312241
> Other
Ask her where their territory is anyway.

>>36312241
>Flirt
>Confirm Josh is stable
>Ask her about getting that dinner

>>36312241
>It could also have gone worse, seems we have a truce now.
>We still need to get Joshua help

>>36312241
>> Uhh... What the hell was that about?

>>36312241
>> Offer your shoulder
>> We still need to get Joshua help
>> Flirt

"So, you can lay on hands, huh? I think I might have a bruise here somewhere, mind healing it?"

>>36312231
Technically Unmaking a person would be Life 5 or Death 5 (or maybe Mind 5, depending on how you're defining "person", although there are a ton of ways to kill people with 5 dots in any Arcanum.

I suggest not doing so; killing people with magic is bad juju.

>>36312314
>>36312262
>>36312302
>>36312345
Her partner is literally DYING of bloodloss on the ground in front of us, and you want to hit on her here?
jesus have some tact

>>36312367
And we LITERALLY just dealt with a fucking WEREWOLF and in the hours before we PUNCHED a VAMPIRE'S JAW off.
LIKE
HOLY SHIT MAN.
TURNS OUT WE'RE ALSO A FUCKING WIZARD.

In that situation, I think It's perfectly justifiable to do >>36312262 in the heat of the moment

>>36312367
I was thinking flirting was sort of our go to coping mechanism, and helping the dude was our first priority anyway.

>>36312364
If we gonna kill someone
step 1: make it premeditated murder
step 2: use a gun to do it

>>36312364
>killing people with magic is bad juju.

How about disposing of deceased bodies?

>>36312241
>We still need to get Joshua some help

>>36312364
Still a good thing to threaten with. And when the chips are down and it's either you or them and the only way you have to take them down is with supernal mojo I believe the choice is obvious.

>>36312367
Most fa/tg/uys only have enough blood to fuel one of their two brains. One in the head, the other in their pants. Guess which one tends to get the fuel?

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>>36312188
Compiled it into another resource page for people to read, thanks anon.

>>36312414
That's fine. You can even convert bodies into Mana if you have the appropriate Arcana, but that's going to make other Mages side-eye you at best.

>>36312367
Hey, I said to confirm he's stable, if not there are paramedics somewhere in this police station that can get him ready for transport to a hospital.

Voting's closed, writing.

>>36312367
Holy fuck sperg, chill. Who says we have to flirt RIGHT then? Why not when the dude's being pulled away in an ambulance, and things are taken care of? Jesus anon, don't pop a blood vessel

>>36312468
No, you have to kill them yourself. You get as much mana as they had health, though obviously human sacrifice is a major sin against wisdom and as you said, may piss people off.

>>36312468
So, could you make...let's go with a sword. The blade is high quality, but otherwise completely normal. The hilt is enchanted to disintegrate any dead bodies within six feet of it. Leaving aside whether that's even possible, would that stile pass the smell test? If so could you just make bullets that replicate the effect? Kill by non-magical means but cover it up through automated magic?

>>36312559
Yeah, there are "destroy forensic evidence" spells in the books already, so you don't even have to make those up for yourself. There's an entire Order (the organizational splats, as opposed to the what-kind-of-mage-are-you splats) that handles magical coverups.

>>36312559
Only if a sleeper doesn't see the body turn to ash or something at an unnaturally fast rate.

>>36312367
Aside from that, "hug her and kiss her" is a terrible "flirt" to someone who has been blatently disinterested so far and we knew for like 2 hours.

>>36312559
>>36312591
Just note that enchanting an object with a spell requires Prime, which is the one Arcanum we are especially bad with. So we'd need to find someone to do this for us. A Forge Master, maybe. (Forge Masters are a Legacy for Moros (the guys who are good at Matter, and also Death) that grants them Prime as a third Ruling Arcanum).

Legacies are the third splat type, and basically involve adopting and attuning yourself with a philosophy and system of practices that grant you new powers (and usually turns one of your Common or Inferior Arcana count into Ruling instead, unless you pick one that grants an Arcanum that's already Ruling for you). Our Protagonist isn't going to have to worry about Legacies for a while yet, since you can't join one until Gnosis 3, and then we'd have to find a teacher to induct us. Or we could make our own, but that requires our Gnosis to be even higher.

>>36312559
>The hilt of a sword
why in the world would you do that instead of a ring? nobody is going to connect a ring to the body disappearing.

"We should probably go get help for Joshua," you say to her.

"Shit, fuck, damnit!" She turns around and looks at Joshua, who's been in silent pain the entire time. "I'm so sorry Joshua!"

"No problem... boss..." He groans out.

She pulls out her radio and clicks it back on, and calls for backup and paramedics. As more noises start to clamber down from the stairs, she looks over to you. "Thanks for the help, Mr. Santos. I owe you a drink."

"I intend to see you pay me back for that, detective..." You stick your hand out for her to shake.

"Jemanowski," she says to you, returning the shake. "though I'd rather you not call me by that name."

"Stop calling me Mr. Santos, and you got a deal, Jemma." Calling her Gemini, when you don't even know what that means, seems rather rude. And Jemma's a bit easier than her last name.

No less than half a dozen cops come bursting into the room, stretcher in hand, each carrying a flashlight to see where the hell they're going. Most are shocked when they see you here, but Jemma quickly explains what happened: the power lines leading into the precinct exploded with a power surge, and when Joshua tried to start the generator up, it too exploded and she was struggling to keep her partner alive. You were the only one that heard her calling up the staircase, so you ran down (stumbling a bit in the dark along the way, hence your bruises) and helped her stop the bleeding.

You spend another few hours at the precinct, and before you know it, Jemma's dropping you off at the front door to your apartment. "My card," she says, handing it off to you. It's not a normal police contact card, instead simply stating, 'Gemini, the Magical Cop,' with a phone number listed on it.

> Flirt
> Invite her up
> Go up, wash up and crash
> Wash up and troll the Internet for info. about the supernatural
> Other

>>36312681
>Just note that enchanting an object with a spell requires Prime, which is the one Arcanum we are especially bad with.
how many dots of it?
because the difference is
>Affinity: 6 XP per level
>Bad at: 8 XP per level
>Everything else: 7 XP per level

So we are not really all that bad at it. its a +/- 12.5%

>>36312751
>> Go up, wash up and crash
Go the fuck to sleep

>>36312751
> Flirt
> Invite her up
Either way:
>Give her a hug, and an honest thank you for what has happened today.

>>36312757
We're also capped at 2 dots in Prime, until we can find someone who Awoke to a Realm that sucks less at Prime and can teach us how to draw the Supernal from their Realm.

>>36312751
>> Wash up and troll the Internet for info. about the supernatural
knowledge is power

>>36312751
1. Ask her what the werewolf pack's territory is, don't want to intrude by accident
2. Ask her if we should worry about the vampire getting away, should we expect revenge from him?

those are the most pressing things to ask that can't wait. would be nice to get a full "intro to magic 101" later.

also, I don't think there is going to be anything useful on the internet

>>36312809
>>>36312751
>1. Ask her what the werewolf pack's territory is, don't want to intrude by accident
>2. Ask her if we should worry about the vampire getting away, should we expect revenge from him?
>those are the most pressing things to ask that can't wait. would be nice to get a full "intro to magic 101" later.
>also, I don't think there is going to be anything useful on the internet
good point I second this instead

>>36312751
>Invite her up

See if she's off the clock and willing to give us a crash course in local supernatural politics. We don't want to wander into wolf territory for example. If she's down, open a bottle of wine and offer her a glass.

>>36312809
Good idea. We can get the full intro tomorrow.

>>36312751
> Flirt
> Invite her up

>>36312792
>>36312751
This

http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/36289715/#p36292192
>Prime Arcana: raw Magic itself, with Mana, create enchantments and illusions.
can illusions be used to turn vulgar magic into subtle magic by hiding it from muggles?

>Mind Arcana: Read people's minds, influence their emotions.
What about creating a mind affecting spell that makes people "not see" you or magic?
Or at least make them feel the need to leave an area?

>>36312809
>>36312792
These

>>36312751
>>36312809

This sounds good

>>36312792
>Hug anons
enough with the hugs

>>36312809
Seconded.
And no fucking hugs goddamnit, just go with a solid handshake

Writing, sorry, it's going to be a long one, as we're basically ending day 1.

>>36313068
>I'll second your firm handshake but can I add a (mostly) honest smile?

>>36313013
>can illusions be used to turn vulgar magic into subtle magic by hiding it from muggles?
No. Vulgar and Covert have nothing to do with witnesses. Witnesses can turn Covert Spells Improbable (and then therefore risk Paradox), but a Vulgar spell is always Vulgar and always carries paradox risk.

>What about creating a mind affecting spell that makes people "not see" you or magic?
Sure, this is a basic Veiling practice of Mind. 2 dots.
>Or at least make them feel the need to leave an area?
Ruling Practice of Mind, maybe even Compelling. I'd say Ruling, though.

>>36313165
>Vulgar and Covert have nothing to do with witnesses.
To clarify: witnesses can't make a Covert spell Vulgar or vice versa. They CAN make a Covert spell Improbable (in which case you have to roll for Paradox), and casting a spell that's Vulgar in front of witnesses is a bad idea (Vulgar spells always roll for Paradox, and there being Sleeper witnesses adds dice to the Paradox roll).

"So, where exactly is that guy's territory, anyway? I'd rather not run into him - or his buddies - in some dark alley by mistake."

"Oh, don't worry about him. Unless you go hunting out in the forests west of the city, you'll be fine. The only reason he came after me at work was because I got into a disagreement with how his pack was doing things, and they weren't too happy with the new mandate I'd put down." She taps her thumbs on the steering wheel to some unheard beat, even though the radio's off.

"And what about the vampire I punched, will he come after me?"

"Nah, you'll be fine. They may hold grudges, but their plans for revenge usually take a while to formulate. And they don't like tangling with Mages, because at best we just throw them into the river. At worst, we disintegrate them without a second thought," she grins at you.

You don't think she's joking about the disintegration thing.

"Want to come up for a drink, Jemma? I've got something that's much better than that shitty coffee you guys have."

"Nah, still on the clock." She clicks the car into drive and slowly eases off the gas.

"Wait," you say, running around to her side of the car.

"What now? I really have to go."

You give her a quick peck on the cheek, and she begins blushing quite deeply. "Thank you, for all that you did today. I really mean it. Can I call you for some more info. on all this..." you think of a term that tries to encompass all you've experienced today.

"Shit," she grins back, still blushing. "Yeah, that's why I gave you my card. Until next time, Michael." She pulls away from the curb, driving off into the busy summer night.

[1/?]

>>36313286
>inb4 we get home to fine a half dressed lay intern on our couch.

>>36313343
I'm okay with this

>>36313013
>>36313165
there seems to be argument about this
http://forum.theonyxpath.com/forum/main-category/main-forum/the-classic-world-of-darkness/mage-the-ascension/34795-magic-tricks-and-the-consensus

>[2/?]


A quick shower and a microwavable meal later, and you relax at your work desk, staring out into the city skyline. You really do love your apartment; top floor of a 12-story building, almost the entire top floor all to yourself. Hardwood floors, granite countertops, the latest appliances and all the other amenities money can buy. Two patios, one facing north out towards the city, one facing east towards the lake. A large glass ceiling gives you an open view of the sky above, and even with all the city's lights drowning out all that's above you, you still see some of the stars. Your boss was kind enough to give you tomorrow off, mostly to try and get your shit together so you can catch up on all the work you missed out on doing from today's activities. You try to do what you can, but your mind just races with all the possibilities of what your newfound powers can mean, and your focus on work quickly wanes.

Before you know it, it's almost 2 am, and you stuffle a yawn. You head to your king-sized bed, laying down and almost immediately pass out from exhaustion. You manage to slip under the covers before sleep overwhelms you.

-----------------

"Why? Why did you sleep with that fucking whore," you hear her call out to you from the mists surrounding you. "I thought I was your one and only? What am I to you, huh? Just some arm candy and a sex doll, huh?" Verbal lashes slam into you hard, driving all the pain and guilt you've done to her straight home.

> Apologize
> Threaten
> Other

>>36313343
Kek
Likely.

>>36313370
> Apologize

>>36313223
>To clarify: witnesses can't make a Covert spell Vulgar or vice versa. They CAN make a Covert spell Improbable (in which case you have to roll for Paradox), and casting a spell that's Vulgar in front of witnesses is a bad idea (Vulgar spells always roll for Paradox, and there being Sleeper witnesses adds dice to the Paradox roll).
Ok, so can you use illusion to make a vulgar spell not trigger improbability from observes by making it seem to them that nothing was going on, even though you cast a vulgar spell?

>>36313370
>> Apologize

>>36313370

> Apologize

>>36313370
>Apologize

>>36313370
>Apologize
What's high speech?

>>36313370
>> Apologize

>>36313420
High Speech is the language of Magic. Only Mages can read and speak it. Makes for a pretty good code to protect vital information from non-Mages. You instinctually know the full language the moment you Awaken.

>>36313420
High Speech is essentially the language of magic. Chanting it while you cast makes the casting take longer but gives you a bonus to the casting. Using High Speech in front of Sleepers does bad things to their minds/souls, so most Mages avoid doing that.

>>36313370
> Other
"Because I'm stupid; I make promises I can't fulfill; But you know that!"

ya know i think the wife was kidnapped or something

>>36313369
That's Mage: the Ascension, which works differently.

>>36313370
>> Apologize

>>36313479
and how did you get that idea?

>>36313483
i see, can you explain what makes vulgar spell vulgar or covert in awakening?

>>36313557
a whole year and she didnt send divorce papers why

"I'm sorry, ok! I was weak, and tired, and-" You duck your head as the ghostly apparition of a pillow flies past you.

"Liar! LIAR!" More things fly past; pillows, remotes, pots and pans, anything she can get your hands on. "You never loved me, did you? You only care about that fuck whore Jemma!"

"Honey, I swear I only have eyes for you, you gotta believe me!" Every night since she left, it plays out like this. You've played this moment out over and over in your head, trying to find out where you went wrong, what you could have said or done to make her stay. Even if this is a dream, you never have figured out where it all went wrong.

> Try and wake up
> Let it play out fully
> Other

>>36313637
Her hands, not >your hands

>>36313637
>> Let it play out fully

>>36313561
In 1e Awakening (which seems to be what we're using), whether a spell is Vulgar or Covert is a function of the spell itself. Vulgar spells are always Vulgar, Covert spells are always Covert. Vulgar spells are usually also obviously magical, but not always. Almost no Knowings or Unveilings are Covert, for example. Shooting lightning from your hands is Vulgar. Causing lightning to arc down from the sky and hit your enemy is Covert if it's already sufficiently overcast, but doing that more than once is going to get Improbable (that is, Covert-but-still-risks-Paradox) very quickly.

2e Awakening uses a completely different system which can be found here http://theonyxpath.com/paradoxical/ but I don't think we're using that.

>>36313637
>try to wake up

>>36313637
> Let it play out fully
we deserve it

>>36313637
>> Let it play out fully

>>36313637
>Try and wake up
I don't need that

>>36313681
>Almost no Knowings or Unveilings are Covert
Almost no Knowings or Unveilings are VULGAR, I meant.

Likewise, healing spells are Covert, even though they're also obviously magical (and therefore risk Paradox due to Improbability if cast in front of Sleepers)

>>36313637
> "Baby, I failed in my commitment to you; I fucked up, no excuses. That doesn't mean I don't love you, though."

>>36313637
> Let it play out fully

>>36313637
> Let it play out fully

>>36313726
What's a Sleeper?

>>36313729
>>36313702
These

>>36313786
A human being that isn't aware that Magic is real. In Mage terms, a person that uses/casts Magic is considered Awakened, while those that do not know magic is real are called Sleepers.

>>36313637
> Let it play out fully

>>36313637
> "Baby, let me fuck the pain away; it worked for the intern."

>>36313862
I feel like that's a perfect line to throw back at her in anger when she finally pushes us past the breaking point.

>>36313809
So I guess Jemma's partner knows about magic then

"I'm through, I'm done!" You hear the slamming of drawers and the zipping of a suitcase. "I need some time away from you, and I swear to Obrimos above me, you better not follow!" You hear the stomping of her feet, and the slam of your door. The mist slowly fades, revealing you, in your boxers, a slight trail of blood coming down from your head, the handle of the frying pan nicking you as it whizzed by and clattered to the wall. Broken glass from picture frames and a smashed LCD TV surround you, your picturesque, happy ending life all crashing down around you.

And all because you couldn't keep it in your pants. Stupid, stupid, stupid stupid Michael. You had it all, and just wasted it away, because you were thinking with the brain down below, and not the one above your nose.

> Wake up
> Other

And are people curious as to what Jemma's sheet looks like? I'll post it if you want.

>>36313786
Regular humans. Not Mages, not Vampires, not Werewolves, not ghouls, etc.

>>36314068
>and I swear to Obrimos above me
holy mackerel! she is awakened too!

>>36314068
>send her divorce papers

I wonder what divorcing in a dream would do

>>36314068
> Other
> Fuck it, follow her

>>36314068
>> Wake up

>>36313809
what do you call someone that is aware magic is real, but is still a muggle?

>>36314068
>Dream of Jemma

Sure. Post all things.

>>36314068
> Follow her

>>36314125
Sleepwalkers.

>>36314068
>Obrimos?

>Wake up
>get ready for work

>>36314125
Still a Sleeper, but there's a Merit in mage called Sleepwalker Retainer, where you can cast Magic around this particular person (or persons) and not have to roll Paradox die.

>>36314068
these
>>36314107
>>36314128

>>36314068
Oh crap. Can we dye our hair something closer to normal before work? If not I'm suggesting we take a sick day.

>>36314125
Those are Sleepwalkers. They're aware OF magic, but can't use it (which also makes them vulnerable, since Mages can cast on them with impunity). Proximi (singular Proximus) are a particular sort of Sleepwalker that can use magic, but only specific rotes, rather than having full access to improvised casting like Mages have.

What's following her going to do. Our character has been obsessed with her for a year.
I think it would be best for his mental health if he let her go

>>36314068
> Follow her

Might as well

>>36314068
Supporting this guy: >>36314127

>>36314186
Alternatively we could go Harass her new boyfriend.

>>36314186
Find more about what happened that night, and being married and in love =\= obsession

>>36314068
I think I'll support >>36314127
fuck our bitch of wife

>>36314167
You already have the next day off, I mentioned it back in >>36313370

>>36314220
they haven't had any contact for a year and he dreams about her every night. There's a point where you have to just give up

>>36314221
Yeah fuck her for getting mad at our adultery, how dare she!

>>36314167
>>36314228
What's so different about our hair?

>>36314256
It's a deep crimson red, almost a dark shade of violet, and our eyes are emerald green now. (Previously, we had hazel brown eyes and black hair)

>>36314068
> Follow her

>>36314282
Fuck that's cool. Too bad we're a guy, that makes the hair shit-tier.

>>36314068
>Other
>Dream of the intern
Might as well see what caused us to forfeit our marriage.

>>36314241
I'd like to see if maybe we see her teleport off or something

>>36314255
>the handle of the frying pan nicking you as it whizzed by and clattered to the wall.
she could've killed us

>>36314189
>>36314128
>>36314107
This

>>36314326
But isn't this just a dream? Can mages have visions of the past or future?

>>36314345
Yeah, but then shed have wound up in jail for twenty years. Better that she get on with her life than let us completely destroy it.

a thought has occurred to me what if she is the one killing the mages like she sent the intern to seduce us just to give a reasonable to leave and hunt us with out us getting involved in mage bull before we awoken

this might not be true but it is possible

>>36314367
Yes

>>36314367
>isn't this just a dream?

Unless the detective we just met is also the inter we fucked, I'm guessing yes. It's just a dream and this not fully representative of the past.

>>36314367
I wanna see if its just a dream or something more, test the boundries of it

>>36314389
So, we were alone and vulnerable for a year and change and she didn't make a move because...?

>>36314433
that was a typo she went to hunt other mages leaving us safe and alone

Writing, sorry.

>>36314463
Oh? So now that we've Awakened she'll be hunting us? Eh, we do sort of deserve it.

As you go to pick up a nearby picture frame (something you've done hundreds of times before) a thought occurs to you.

"Obrimos? Jemma?" Those were words you only heard and spoke of today, yet every other time this dream has played out, she has always said God and Rebecca (the intern you slept with) in those spots. You're certain of it.

"Lizzie, wait!" For the first time in over 200-ish attempts, you chase after her, stepping over the broken glass as you race towards the door. You slam open the door and put your foot down...

Only to tumble out into a void of swirling colors and shapes. Sounds and images assault you, and internally you realize that this is not a normal dream. Something... Or someone is doing this to you. As you continue your descent through this kaleidoscope of lights, you try and latch onto the image of your wife, Elizabeth, and will yourself to see her. A translucent string of energy erupts out of you, connecting to something off in the distance. You pull yourself along it, each tug pulling yourself deeper and deeper to the one thing you've wanted to see in over a year.

"Elizabeth." Your feet touch the ground, the translucent string connecting you to her chest, as she is lying on a bed, apparently sleeping, as dozens of wires, tubes, and cables connect to her body, some sort of visored helmet are connected to several different machines around her. The entire room she is in has a stark grey tint to it, and things are moving in a blur, like time is going too slow or too fast.

> Try and read the machine readouts
> Wake her up
> Grab her hand
> Other

>>36314615
> Grab her hand
Fuck. Technocrazy or whatever?

>>36314615
>Try and read the machine readouts
Ooh, weird

>>36314615
>Try and read the machine readouts

>>36314615

> Grab her hand

>>36314615
> Try to read the machine readouts

>>36314615
Damn we in the twilight zone now.

>>36314693
Twilight Zone Quest when

>>36314615
Ha, knew something might happen if we did something new in the dream!

> Try and read the machine readouts
> Grab her hand

>>36314615
Oh... So there's no Rebecca. We didn't cheat on our wife. She was kidnapped and we were mindraped. Did not see that coming.

>>36314705
Fuck I'd play it

"Lizzie.... Lizzie!" You try and shake her awake, but your hand just phases right through her. Her body shifts slightly, her breathing increasing in pace slightly. The machines behind you beep, and you turn right towards them, trying to read what they say. Some of it you recognize from TV shows: heart rate monitor, blood pressure, pulse. Others though you can only guess what they mean: Tacheon particles, Mnetic overlay, Geist continuum readings, and a bunch of other words you can't even begin to spell out. You try and touch the monitors, but your hand goes through them as well.

"Fuck!" You punch the machine, phasing through harmlessly. "You're literally 3 feet from me and I can't do anything... What's the point of this magic if I can't protect the people I care about?" From behind you, a door handle clicks open, and a doctor walks in, chart in hand. He looks rather young, but the years are starting to show around his eyes and the grey strands forming in his hair. He fiddles with some of the settings on the machine, and her breathing returns to a normal pace. He doesn't seem to know you're there.

> Continue to try and talk to her
> Threaten the doctor
> Other

>>36314918
>> Other
>> Find any identifying markers on him, anything to indicate where this hospital is so you can find it when you wake up

>>36314918
> Other
Check the doctor's nametag. If he doesn't have one, look around the room for something identifiable.

>>36314918
>Try to possess the doctor

>>36314918
this>>36314943

>>36314943
>>36314945
Good, playing it smart. These

File: Akihiko_Kayaba.png (193 KB, 757x688)

193 KB PNG

>>36314918
Fuck, forgot the picture of the doctor.

>>36314943
That, and check for a window. Look for a street name, something.

>>36314984
>SAO
So she's inside a VR simulation, cool.

But if we save our wife and get together with her, how are we going to flirt with Jemma?

>>36315028
You can still flirt if your married, you just can't put your dick in it.

>>36315028
Maybe her time in that thing made her consider polygamy and bissexuality.

Most likely we don't
or do what the talk but don't touch anon says

>>36315028
Or we safe her but don't get together with her again.
Contrary to popular belief, saving a girl does not mean you need to become a couple.

>>36314943
>>36314945
>>36314997
These.

>>36315028
>and get together with her

Oh that bridge is ash in the wind. She might stop screaming and throwing shit at us on sight, but she's still going to turn and walk away. Well, unless we magic her, but how likely is it that /tg/ goes that route?

>>36315105
That's our wife anon

>>36315105
No, but in this instance this person is our wife and for all we know she may have come back to us in time if whatever happened to her happened

>>36315155
our soon to be ex-wife

>>36315156
*hadn't happened
sorry, tired

You phase through the machines, try and see if there's anything on this guy you can read and memorize, a nametag, a badge, something. But all he has is his chart, a pen, and a stethoscope in his coat pocket. You run through him (a very freaky feeling) and try to read the chart, but almost instantly he steps back, looking around him. For a moment, you see his eyes flash green, before he looks back at you.

"Please, try not to disturb my specimans," he says, staring clean at you now. "I'm doing very important work here." You pause for a moment, taking a quick look around the room, not knowing what this guy can see or do to you, but you need any clues you can find if you have any hope of finding Elizabeth. The room itself looks like a hospital room, but there's no windows, tables, sounds or signs you can pick up on to try and discern where you are at right now.

> Threaten
> Question him
> Stall for time, try to discern where you are
> Other

>>36315172
How do you figure? Mr. Santos still seems to care for his wife, and if it were me and I found out something happened to her while she walked out I'd want to know what happened before filing for divorce papers

>>36315214
>Stall for time, try to discern where you are

>>36315214
> Question him
Try to find out any clues about who he is

>>36315214
>Stall for time, try to discern where you are

>>36315214
> Other
"And she's very important to me."
"Can I arrange a time to visit? She's my WIFE after all."

>>36315232
Because Jemma is obviously best girl

>>36315265
>she's my wife!

You want him to know who we are?

>>36315214
>> Question him

>>36315214
>> Stall for time, try to discern where you are
>> Doctor, that's my wife you have there, I apologize if there's no visitation but I'd like a chance to discuss seeing here

>>36315214
>Bail

Nothing more we can do here but make things worse.

>>36315214

> Question him

>>36315288
I'm super against mentioning she's poor wife

>>36315288
>>36315265
>>36315214
This

>>36315288
>>36315265
Lets not reveal to the doc who we are, if we can help it.

>>36315214
> Stall for time, try to discern where you are
> "Sorry, it was rude of me to interrupt you while you're working, but I was having trouble locating you."

>>36315329
This, lets make him think it's him we're after for a second while we try to investigate

speaking of, can we roll to get some info?

>>36315329
This

>>36315329
This, lets be smart about this. I'm already getting a creep vibe off this guy by the very fact he referred to our wife as a specimen, not a patient.

"And what work would that be, doctor...?" You hold back the building wave of rage inside of you, and try to get him to talk. The more information you can pump him for, the sooner you can save Elizabeth. You slowly turn away from him and put your back to the door. Maybe if you can enter the hallway, you can get a better idea of where she's at. But that's not going to work with him watching your every movement.

"Just Doctor," he says, glancing back at Elizabeth, then back to you. "Curious, I didn't know she knew another Awoken..." He makes some notes on his chart, before closing it shut. "I will have to adjust my wards at a later date." He makes a scissors-shaped gesture with his hand, fingers glowing purple. "But visiting hours are closed, try again some other time."

"Sorry, but I didn't know how else to reach you," you yell at him, trying to grab onto his hand. He pauses for a moment, a grin crawling up his face.

"Oh, don't worry, we'll meet again very soon." He snips his fingers shut, cutting the ghostly chord between you and Elizabeth. Immediately you feel as though your breath was taken away, and the room starts to fade from view.

> Threaten
> Talk to Elizabeth
> Other

And I'm sorry I'm not asking for rolls, but with our current stats, even with several exploding die you can't get much more than what I'm revealing to you right now

>>36315501
>> Talk to Elizabeth
>> "Liz, I'll find you, I promise!"

>>36315501
>> Talk to Elizabeth
i fucking knew it she was kidnapped

>>36315501
> Talk to Elizabeth
> "Shit, Liz, I'm sorry I didn't chase after you! I'll find you!"

Rolled 10, 2, 2, 8, 3 = 25 (5d10)

>>36315501
>the dice go crawling back to their holes, sad and unused

>>36315501
>with our current stats, even with several exploding die you can't get much more than what I'm revealing to you right now
so, time for sidequest to grind xp?

>>36315501

> Talk to Elizabeth

>>36315501
>Threaten
I'll find you you fucker

>>36315501

This and
>>36315535

>Threaten
>"And you, you better believe I'll find you! You won't get away with this, you piece of shit!"

>>36315501
Idle question, how hard would it be to destroy one of the Towers?

"I'll find you Liz, I swear it!" You try and grab onto her hand, but it fades from existance. With your last ounce of strength, you turn your gaze to the doctor, the rage bubbling up and out of your throat. "And when I do, this fucker will pay!"

"I'd very much like to see that," he smirks, waving bye to you.

----------------------

You awaken drenched in sweat, the noises of the moving city barely heard over the thumping of your heart. You glance over to the nightstand, grabbing the picture frame that was turned down onto it. It's a picture of you holding onto Elizabeth, arms wrapped around her, the both of you smiling towards the camera. You'd always blamed yourself for the pain you caused her, didn't think yourself worthy of ever being happy again.

But now you know she's alive, and in the hands of that fucking Doctor. He must be a Mage too, based on how he was talking and acting, and severing the connection you'd established with her so easily. But he certainly isn't like Jemma, who was caring about all the normal people she met. No, this guy gave off the 'Mad Scientist' vibe like you see in the sci-fi movies, and if a responsible Mage can wield the power and restraint that Jemma displays, what would a Mage without that morale ground do?

You shudder at the thought. As you climb out of bed and into the shower, you latch onto every little detail in that room, to try and figure out where she could possibly be. Any little clue will help, no matter how insignificant it might seem. The floor was tile, the walls a bland eggshell white, though some of it's paint was peeling a bit. The bed looked to be a modern bed, but all the machines hooked up to her were either brand new or hobbled pieces of metal you think rather belonged in a junkyard. As you click the water off, you lock onto the image of the Doctor in your mind.

> Call Jemma, ask for her help
> Catch up on your work from yesterday
> Try and draw what the Doctor looked like
> Other

>>36315910
>> Call Jemma, ask for her help
we need a plan

>>36315910
>> Try and draw what the Doctor looked like

>>36315910
>Call Jemma, ask for her help
we need information.
We need to know about the supernatural world and we'll need to become stronger.

>>36315910
>> Call Jemma, ask for her help
> Try and draw what the Doctor looked like
> Also write down those weird statistics the doctor was observing

>>36315910
Oh, and if you want to draw the Doctor, I'm going to need a single d10 (chance die, basically have to roll a 10 to succeed).

>>36315910

> Try and draw what the Doctor looked like

>>36315978
This, mnetic overlay, geist continuum readings, tacheon particles, put all that shit down

Rolled 6 (1d10)

>>36315984
>>36315987

Rolled 1 (1d10)

>>36315984

Rolled 7 (1d10)

>>36315984

Rolled 5 (1d10)

>>36316013

>>36315984
Can we burn a will power to add to our roll?

Rolled 10 (1d10)

>>36315984

>>36316155

Sure. If you do this, it's 3d10 instead of the normal chance die.

>>36316182
Thank fucking christ, that was close!

>>36316182
And we got a 10. Yay.

>>36316201
Voting against. Not worth te WP.

>>36316272
Not really necessary, we made the roll

You barely dry yourself off before going to your desk, writing down anything and everything you remember seeing in the room. The Mnetic overlay readouts, the Tacheon particles emissions, the Geist continuum readings, anything and everything you remember seeing in the room. After scratching all that down, you begin to try and draw the Doctor's face. Before you do so though, you grab the card Jemma gave you and call her.

"Gnn... Morning?" She sounds like she was just asleep.

"Jemma, it's Michael," you say, looking for a pencil somewhere in your desk.

"What do you want? It's... *yawn* 10 am and I-"

"I need your help."

"Can't this wait? I just got off work and-"

"Some fucker has Elizabeth."

There's silence on the line, before her cop voice comes over the speaker. "I'll be right over."

"Thank you."

> Quest End

9 exp gained.

>Note: the 10 will carry over to quest 4, when the picture we produce to Jemma will be the picture I posted for what the Doctor looked like.

Any questions you guys have? Comments, concerns, likes, dislikes?

I'm taking a break for the weekend to recharge and read through God Machine Chronicle updates. If the exp table makes sense I'll use it here, and refund exp if need-be.

>>36316347
thanks for running dont forget to archive it

>>36316377
Right, doing that now.

>>36316347
Yay, thanks for the thread OP, was not expecting what happened

>>36316347
Thanks for running!

Ok, it's archived here:

http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/36311153/

And for those who missed it, my twitter: https://twitter.com/MageQM , I will post there before, when, and after each quest ends.

>>36316347
We're good so far. Definitely feels like a mage game. Though I do have to wonder about that watchtower we awoke to. To have everything in it except an air of magic itself (prime) is very strange. Then again, creating a new watchtower in the supernal realms is the end goal of some archmasters. Maybe some dude actually managed that feat recently.

Either way, we need to seriously grind our arcane shit. Get into a lorehouse, learn some more about spirit and forces, and bump up our power level. It sounded like our opponent, this "doctor" is a much more powerful mage than we are. We'll get destroyed if we fight him as we currently are.

>>36316495
In the MtA book, there's a blurb about a possible 6th Watchtower, and after doing a bit more research on it, turns out a 6th does exist, not many end up travelling to it, but it seemed balanced when the 6th Option I was going to give to you guys was going to let you start with 1 dot in all 10 Arcanas, a sort of jack of all trades, master of none Tower.

>>36316347
So, in the end we never cheated on our wife?

>>36316745
>So, in the end we never cheated on our wife?

I hope not. It's kind of a cop-out if the character defining bad decision of the backstory never actually happened.

>>36316745
No we did, we just might not have been fully in the driver's seat when we did if ya catch my meaning.

A few mind and fate spells and you can subtly manipulate people pretty easily. Both we and Elizabeth may have been "nudged" in certain directions.

>>36316745
Maybe, or maybe we were pushed to do it so we could drive the Awaken away and leave her vulnerable.

>>36316832
Hey, if our volition was overrode I'd say that morally we're in the clear.

File: 1351614951673.jpg (217 KB, 700x726)

217 KB JPG

>>36316952
Oh no, see, overriding wills is pretty obvious. You don't go around using mind control if you want to stay under the radar.

Instead why not just... induce certain emotions (desire, lust), fix an appropriate fate on him (this man will be seduced by or is lusted after by women outside his marriage), and watch the fireworks as you're recipe for disaster percolates. Won't draw any unwanted attention that way.

Man was always lustful, and now a girl hit on him and they fucked. This shit happens, move along. Unless they were looking at us long and hard with the appropriate mage sight spells to tell them something's off. Even those might not help, if he was smart enough to veil resonance. Magic man, so many ways to do things if you got the imagination.

>>36317122
That's what I was thinking; the lust was always there, but we were nudged in the right direction to pursue an extramarital affair.

>>36316155
You "spend" willpower on things like this. *Burning* will is much more permanent and is related to things like "relinquishing" a spell so you no longer have to maintain it. For mages, it's usually "burned" to permanently enchant something. Burnt willpower must be repurchased with xp as it permanently lowers your max willpower. It's up to the storyteller if he'll let you burn on things you'd normally just spend it on. The effect would likewise be much more powerful, like granting 8-again AND getting 3 more die on the roll, because you've made a lasting, permanent sacrifice.

>>36318301
..."Burn" is not a term used in any of the books for spending willpower, I don't know where you're getting this info. Burning willpower, when used, usually means spending temporary willpower points, not permanent willpower dots.

>>36318500
In most games the terms are used to describe very distinct actions. You normally "spend" a given resource. For example, you have X in something to spend, using it (Y) enables Z (how much the effect desired costs) but you only have so much. Thankfully, it can be replenished with appropriate actions. When you "burn" it you get a lot more bang for your buck, at the cost of reducing that resources maximum no matter how many times you try to replenish it. That what "burning" tends to mean. You willfully lower your potential and/or incur a major drawback because you want a given thing to happen so bad you offer up a permanent sacrifice. Ya get what ya pay for, more you pay, more you get. It's how the world tends to work in most cases.

>>36313479
Kudos to this guy for calling this, btw

>>36317122
this seems like shirking your responsibility for our choices, trying to invent mind control to explain it.

>>36319199
Huh? We can't mind control for shit. I argued that we were but nudged. Nobody truly "controlled" our actions. Enhanced certain emotions yes, but never truly overwrote our own will and desires.

We all have "bad" days. Days where we fail to uphold our ideals and long term desires. In his moment of potentially induced weakness, he caved. The hot young intern who appealed to a fetish of his made her move and he relented.

If he only knew more, if he knew what would happen, he would have easily repelled the notion of it all. He would have remained loyal to his wife. Sadly, it wasn't just up to him. Magic was acted upon him as a sleeper, enhancing his base desires instead of his more virtuous needs.

It is such a subtle thing, to fall. People do it all the time. His vice is lust, he wants it, she both offered and provided. Get a cake and eat it too? Most would say yes all things considered.

Doc knew that, picked the target because of it.

Basically, what I want to happen is that we were nudged against our will into all of this. Even if you give in with a supernal influence nudging you into committing a sin, you still gave in. Probably grants a few bonus die to resisting degeneration but in the end, you caved despite a resolve not to. You knowingly sinned against your professed true love. That... can't be ignored.

>>36319646
>Huh? We can't mind control for shit.
I was talking about the claim that the MC was mind controlled

>Doc knew that, picked the target because of it.
there is ZERO indication that doc orchestrated an elaborate scheme like that
why would he need to? just another missing person that nobody will find thanks to magic

>>36320206
You don't get it. A "wise" mage would would try to mask it all as a mere coincidence. A lustful man cheats on his wife when confronted with a perhaps unusually forward woman.

It all fits within the realm of feasible possibility. The pair was rather predisposed to this outcome. She hits on him, he gives in, and the end result is his wife running off sans support of her cabal. These things happen.

If he was smart enough to veil the resonance of spells used, he stands a good chance of getting away with it all. Such is my point, he was damned subtle in the end.

>>36320615
>You don't get it.
Don't be condescending, you are just wrong.

>A "wise" mage
This guy is clearly not a wise mage

>would try to mask it all as a mere coincidence. A lustful man cheats on his wife when confronted with a perhaps unusually forward woman.
So you are suggesting he mind controlled us to cheat, then mind controlled her to tell us "never follow me", then mind controlled everyone else she knows to also break ties with her permanently (siblings, parents, friends, coworkers, etc).
So that when he kidnapped her (which she herself is most certainly able to see and sense) nobody will file a missing person report?

I hate to break it to you but not only is this absurd amount of work and risk and backlash from mind controlling all those people and orchestrating this grand plan. But someone filing a missing person report does not in any way shape or form impact his wisdom.

>>36320755
>But someone filing a missing person report does not in any way shape or form impact his wisdom.
Ah, misphrased. I meant there is no paradox risk from someone filing a missing person report.
the paradox risk is in the act of kidnapping, and the act of mind controlling those fuckton of people to permanently break their relationships off.