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Regarding my absence. First of all, I am very sorry that I have resumed Psychic Rebel Quest much later than planned, and I am sorry about stringing players along by posting run times and then cancelling them.
My personal life has been chaotic these last few months, including multiple issues with my computer, coming very close to losing my job, and generally being very down and demotivated.
I have run such quests as I felt able to run, and this means this quest has suffered, for that I am sorry.
I intend to keep running Psychic Rebel Quest up until Christmas and switch over to Paladin of Joy in January, and conclude Paladin of Joy in that run.

>>555584
>Read Doc's mind

>>555584
>Read Doc's mind
70% chance it'd kill him anyway.

>>555584
>Read Doc's mind

>>555588
Glad you're back and running now. Sorry to hear about the IRL troubles, hope it gets better.

>>555584
>>Read Doc's mind
>>Kill Doc Melaskin
It's simple.

>>555588
So this gets less than three full months instead of six? Really lame.

>>555603
Why would it get six?

>>555588
Hope things get better, Pally.

>>555603
September 11th to December 25th is well over three months, anon. Why would it get six?

Mind Reading it is, please roll 1d20+32, best of 3 rolls

And vote on extra Psychic Energy used (if any)

>>555607
>>555609
Isn't that how he juggles quests?

>>555584
>Kill Doc Melaskin

Who wants to go take over the good doctor's city?

>>555611

Rolled 15 + 32 (1d20 + 32)

>>555611
30

Rolled 13 + 32 (1d20 + 32)

>>555611

>>555612
Cycles are, in theory, 3 months, not 6.

>>555612
normally 3 months per quest rather than 6

Rolled 2 + 32 (1d20 + 32)

>>555611
50

>>555612
About three months between each juggle, usually. The only time I can think of that being extended was Paladin of Joy's very first run.

Ok, writing, bit of an info dump and then a decision about what to do next.

>>555616
>Who wants to go take over the good doctor's city?
We'd need to move fast. There shouldn't be any other Reunited in his hive, but I wouldn't be surprised if his 'allies' try to move in and take it over first once he's been removed from the picture. Or our 'allies' for that matter.

>>555584
>you could take out more than one Reunited today, despite your agreement...
I'm pretty sure we pointedly did not agree to not kill Kulrathe.

>>555641
Actually here it is
>“Breaker has the right idea” you say “for now we just share info and warn each other if we know anything, but if something really big comes along, then we'll talk about teaming up” not that you could even trust them if you did do that....but still.

This sets off an extended argument, but eventually you manage to talk everyone around to your point of view, grudgingly, both Kulrathe and Garrax admit that they wouldn't go for each others plans in their entirety, so a compromise is their only solution.
So we'd not be breaking any agreements I'm aware of when we go around and give Kulrathe what he got coming for months now.

>>555651
Bit further down, we agree to keep our grudge with Kulrathe quiet and work together until outside threats are dealt with (with explicit mention of murdering Kulrathe when that happens), though to be fair, rereading it, Kulrathe did brush it off and keep going without explicitly reciprocating, so he arguably rejected that offer, and Doc was an outside threat...

It really comes down to whether we want to take the risk that Garrax, a confirmed Baalzamon-worshiping vestibule of penises, didn't do some kind of subtle contract magic bullshit that would fuck us over for going back on that, even if Kulrathe didn't agree, and if we want to immediately come into conflict with Garrax over it, because he'd probably start getting nervous when we rip Kulrathe in half in the middle of the street the first time we have a chance after that deal.

>>555668
>we agree to keep our grudge with Kulrathe quiet
We only agreed to keep it quiet we also made clear we will hold him to account for it sooner or later.
And arguably the current situation is over anyway.

>>555668
>didn't do some kind of subtle contract magic bullshit
We didn't agree to anything, so he couldn't work any contract magic.
We never agreed to not attack him, we even explicitly rejected teaming up.

>>555668
>because he'd probably start getting nervous when we rip Kulrathe in half in the middle of the street the first time we have a chance after that deal.
To be reasonable, Garrax knows we have a outstanding, legitimate grievance with Kulrathe and we did tell them we'd come for Kulrathe one day.

“Keep an eye on them for me would you?” you say to Rainya and Lirael “this shouldn't take long.”

Kneeling down next to Doc Melaskin as Lirael and Rainya stand guard you touch the defeated cyborgs head and slip into his mind.

As expected of a Reunited who has survived this long he has some gifts that protect his thoughts, but nothing you can't handle, and some of them simply don't activate – perhaps due to his injuries, or maybe you're just that subtle – soon almost all his secrets are yours.

The good Doctor is working with Lady Jasuki Helwiath, today's mission was about stirring up enough trouble in the Hive to draw out the Reunited who live here. Lady Helwiath was supposed to provide more back-up than an angry mob – she had hinted at but not outright told Melaskin that several Reunited from other Hives would be joining the attack, hidden within the crowd. You relay this information to your allies telepathically as you keep sifting through his mind – just in case...

Disappointingly, or perhaps encouragingly, most of what Doc knows about you, including stuff Helwiath has told him, is simply wrong. Doc thinks of you as one of the weaker Reunited in the Hive – today's ambush was primarily intended to kill Kulrathe. Even information he knew about your allies was wrong – he thought Lirael was someone you had given several gifts to in order to pretend to be a Graced for example, as he has given several gifts to some of his lieutenants waiting back in his home Hive.

Doc himself...is pretty much the sort of person you'd expect him to be. He was a medic who was condemned to the mines on flimsy charges because he annoyed the wrong people. He fought for better conditions for the miners and even led strikes. When he became a Reunited his focus changed to freeing the ordinary people of his Hive...and punishing the oppressors. You can see plenty of encouragement from the Infinite Mirror and Baalzamon to take revenge on those who hurt him.

Oh and Baalzamon promised to save Doc Melaskin from the Reunited contest...if he killed you, now there's a an interesting conversation to have with the dragon of shadows.

He eliminated the other Reunited in his Hive by getting them to fight him on his home ground – the mines he once worked in are a confusing maze and many of the gifts he received from the Infinite Mirror and Baalzamon have rendered them into fortress-like death-traps.
He knew it was a big risk emerging from the tunnels to take on Kulrathe, and even thought that Helwiath might betray him, but he was expecting her to stab him in the back once he had defeated Kulrathe, or maybe turn the mob on him.

Doc Melaskin only knows very basic information about many other Reunited – and many of them are still consolidating their holds on their Hives.

One however does catch your interest: a woman called Kallie Omerthon who has a number of Gifts from the Deep Mother and who no longer wears a human form...is out in the ash wastes across the other side of the world...and is apparently trying to open a portal to another planet that is covered entirely in water, planning to flood this one.

Doc smuggled her out of another Hive and provided transport for her, in return for some of the magical weapons she had taken from another Reunited – apparently the Doc has an interesting stash of technology and treasures hidden away in his tunnels.

Helwiath and Melaskin discussed a number of plans for bringing down Kulrathe, one of those (to be used in the event of this attack failing) was that Lady Helwiath would remain in the Hive and stir up riots and demonstrations that would grow more and more violent and destructive and force the fae to declare martial law – tying up Kulrathe in the demands of his job, and generally making life difficult for the 'lesser' Reunited in the Hive.

The Doc knows that Helwiath's powers are focused on large-scale mental manipulation. She can incite crowds to riot and even control them like puppets. She tends to avoid physical confrontations, but rarely flees from fights; she has been badly wounded fighting Reunited but hasn't died – though many in the crowd following her have. The few times she has fled it was when she was alone or with only a handful of followers.

The Doc's home Hive was mostly under his control – all of the poorer people in the Hive saw him as some sort of saviour and the middle-class populace and the police where heavily outnumbered in what was a Hive built primarily for the miners and they fell in line.

The few people living high up the Hive are under siege – in a matter of days the forces of the miners expect to break through the bulkheads and slaughter those who haven't fled. Only a single fae noble is known to have remained behind.

[PE 107/147]

[Note: Further information from Doc Melaskin will be revealed when it becomes relevant]

XXX

With everything you have taken from the Doc stored away for future contemplation you look around: the police and the mob is still fighting one another. None of the police have attacked you, but you can see a dozen or so of the mob lying dead around you – Rainya and Lirael holding their guns menacingly, in case any more of the crowd gets any bright ideas.

“I think the police are going to win this one” your girlfriend comments casually, you think she's right – the insanity and numbers of the mob are slowly being defeated by superior equipment and training. Kulrathe is right in the thick of it: wielding a charged baton he down a rioter with each strike, his elite squad of thugs backing him up as they break apart the most troublesome knots of resistance. It may take them time, but the mob is losing.

“What now sis?” asks Lirael as you rise to your feet.

>Kill Melaskin
>We're go home
>We're going to the Doc's Hive
>We need to track down Helwiath
>We're going to the ash wastes to stop a flood
>Other (?)

>>555697
>Kill Melaskin
>We kill Kulrathe
Seems like a prime opportunity.

>>555697
>Kill Melaskin
>We need to track down Helwiath

>>555697
>Kill Melaskin
>We need to track down Helwiath

>>555697
>Kill Melaskin
>We need to track down Helwiath

Execution and then looking for a lady, but no hurting Kulrathe (yet), writing

>>555698
A Prime opportunity, you say?

>>555697
>Inform Kurlrathe that Helwiath will flee once the crowd thins too much. If he wants his kill, he'll have to move quickly.

>>555724
Pun absolutely intended.

Seriously though, we're gonn have a uncomfortable conversation with Dev if we spare Kulrathe.

>>555724
>>555727
So capture Helwiath, then use her as bait for Kulrathe and take em both out?

>>555697
>Capture Helwiath
>Use her to draw out Kulrathe
>Kill him
>Turn her into a lesbian mind slave

>>555697
>Capture Helwiath and turn her into a lesbian mind-broken slave.
Don't waste useful things.

>>555738
Or find her, call Kulrathe as "backup" and then waste them both and get some sweet Baalzamon powerup.

>>555747
Do we need a second one? We already haven't made proper used of Jade yet.

>>555746
>>555747
No mind sex slaving, just kill her and be done with it.

>>555752
I'm not opposed to regular mind-slavery if possible, to be honest.

>>555754
Problem is we could never be sure since she's pretty dedicated to lying misdirection and mental control herself, also pissing off our freinds and allies while losing out on a power up.

>>555758
>Problem is we could never be sure
We're the fledgling Demi-God of mindrape, we can totally be thourough enough to be sure.

>>555758
>also pissing off our freinds and allies while losing out on a power up.
Eh, only Kae might freak out again, but when doesn't she?
IIRC we only get power ups for Avatars, its been a while though.

>>555758
Can't Reunited cut deals with the Five to get out of FUBAR situations like that? I remember something along those lines, but it's been a long time.

>>555759
>We're the fledgling Demi-God of mindrape, we can totally be thourough enough to be sure.
We're very, very good at it, true, but Baalzamon having powers that perfectly defend against mindfuck and trick the mindfucker into thinking that it worked would make sense for his theme, and she is faking being a mortal that needs to frequently mingle with fae, so her having those particular powers also makes sense. If she also has an aspect that could fight our mind control...we'd basically only ever know completely-definitely-100%-for-sure if the mindfuck worked or not when there's a metaphorical knife in our back, and given that Shee is currently an expectant mother, that's not a risk I'm exactly happy with.

>>555774
>Can't Reunited cut deals with the Five to get out of FUBAR situations like that?
Probably possible to a limited degree, the Five can't directly fuck over contestants, which this woulde cut very close to.

>>555774
>.we'd basically only ever know completely-definitely-100%-for-sure if the mindfuck worked or not when there's a metaphorical knife in our back
Thats technically true,k but technically we also don't know if Rainya isn't the Champion of Baalzamon.

Pointing your rifle down at the head of the supine cyborg you brace it against your shoulder and pull the trigger, exploding the fleshy parts of his head, and boring a hole through the metal.

Rainya and Lirael briefly look in your direction: Lirael seems unconcerned but Rainya's features tighten for a moment, before she returns to scanning the crowd, had to be done though.

Reaching out with your telepathic powers you can't feel any sign of Lady Helwiath – which figures if this was all a trap for the Doc and Kulrathe. You'll start searching for her from the comfort of your home.

“Say your goodbyes” you laconically inform the girls and in the blink of an eye, you are home.

XXX

Pulling everyone into your realm for a meeting you explain what you have learned, and what you plan to do next, whilst sat on the terrace at the side of Kaelyn's house on the beach, enjoying some drinks and fruit.

“It makes sense that she wouldn't be nearby when the whole thing is a trap” comments Dev “but where would she be?”

“Watching from a safe distance” says Kaelyn confidently, leaning back in her chair and sipping her drink “maybe on the news, or through a pawn nearby or something, probably whilst setting her next scheme in motion.”

“So how do we find her?” asks Rainya “I mean if misdirection and mind-control is her thing, she'll be pretty good at hiding right?”

“Well for starters” you say “Lirael, Dev and I will combine our powers and try to find her.”

“She'll have some sort of protection” warns Kaelyn “it would be silly not to.”

“So you're saying it would be impossible for us to find her?” you say to Kae, raising an eyebrow, she flicks a grape at you and says “I'm just saying, don't expect to find her on the first try.”

“So noted” you look at Lirael and Dev “you ready for this?”

“As ready as I'll ever be” grumbles Dev as the three of you take each others hands.

Closing your eyes you hear Rainya comment “this just seems so creepy, spying on someone so easily, I mean, can other psychics see me in the shower or something?”

“Oh I bet Shee saves that privilege for herself” remarks Kae. Pushing aside the distractions the three of you link up and start searching foe Helwiath's presence. Surprisingly you manage to locate her easily – you're worried about it being a doppleganger or some sort of trick until you try to get a closer look and realise that she's in the upper Hive, in the mansion belonging to some Fae family called the Joncwysts. Being careful not to break the vision you say out loud “Kae, the Joncwysts, what can you tell me?”

“They're rich, they like gladiatorial-style games as well as torturing people for fun and public entertainment – though few people know that one” she says “but their main business is high-end cybernetics.”

Lirael's curiosity flows through you, wondering what she could be doing there, whilst Dev, ever practical answers. Doc Melaskin's miners are all heavily augmented but their implants are heavy-duty industrial types designed for mining, not combat. The cyborgs he bought with him to the fight were big and heavily armed but slow and had lots of gaps in their armour as well as exposed flesh.

“She's moving fast” you say out loud “securing resources to help turn the Doc's troops into a better army.”

“And she wouldn't even need to lie to them” says Kaelyn “just tell them who killed their leader.”

Lirael wants to go deeper, to see what Helwiath is saying, you restrain her, keeping your awareness just outside of the Joncwyst grounds.

“They known for skimping on their mystical defences?” you ask Kaelyn.

“Not particularly” she informs you.

Trying to balance three minds as you make a decision you know you could break through their wards but you would probably be noticed. You could simply keep watch from afar and wait for Helwiath to emerge, or even go in person to set up an ambush – it'll be risky in the uphive but Helwiath won't have taken a large force with her if she's there to strike a deal with the Joncwysts.

>Keep watching at a distance, see if she emerges from the premises
>Break through the fae wards
>Go in person and get ready to ambush her when she comes out (follow-up vote for who goes)
>Other (?)

>>555818
Why not give her position and plans to Kulrathe?

>>555822
as a write-in vote that's fine

>>555818
>Go in person and get ready to ambush her when she comes out (follow-up vote for who goes)

>>555782
>Thats technically true, but technically we also don't know if Rainya isn't the Champion of Baalzamon.
I feel like this is a false equivalence. Suspecting the woman who we know is a Reunited and who we have every reason to suspect has a significant number of Baalzamon gifts, given that she attained her position via betrayal, of having Baalzamon Gifts to protect against mind-rape subtly, which is kind of important for dealing with fae diplomatically, which she has to do as a hive governor, and having one or more Aspects when she defeated or subdued all the Reunited of her Hive is a bit different from suspecting Rainya of secretly being Satan.

>>555818
>Go in person and get ready to ambush her when she comes out (follow-up vote for who goes)
> Inform Kulrathe of her position and plans and suggest assaulting combined
Then we can hit both of them together by porting our allies in

>>555818
>Contact Kulrathe. You know her position and her plans, she will likely be vulnerable. You don't intend to interfere, you'll come out ahead either way if one kills the other.

>>555828
>of secretly being Satan
..Wouldn't that be more her BEING Baalzamon rather than his Champion?

Although...

Extending voting time to 10 minutes from now to allow for discussion in light of write-in

>>555833
I will also support this.

>>555828
No vote from you?

>>555818
>Go in person and get ready to ambush her when she comes out (follow-up vote for who goes)
>Inform Kulrathe of her position and plans and suggest ambushing combined

>>555863
Fuck captcha.

Contact Kulrathe and suggest an ambush + go in person

Who is going with you?

>Alone (you can teleport allies in after all)
>With allies (who?)

5 minute vote

>>555879
>Alone (you can teleport allies in after all)

>>555879
>With allies (who?)
A Rainya duplicate
Going completly alone would be too suspicious and might make Kulrathe more cautoous, the force needs to be big enough to be plausible, but still something he thinks he can take.

>>555879
>With allies (who?)
I'm gonna vote Lirael and Kaelyn. They're telepathically sound.

>>555884
I don't trust that comment. We might not be able to teleport allies in once combat begins. A Jag gift that prevents enemies from fleeing or drawing in allies to a fight in progress would TOTALLY be something one of them would have, if it teleport-locked the area.

>>555841
More like accusing her of being King, thinking about it, because he is the Satanalogue of the setting. Antichrist is the word I should've used.

>>555879
>With allies (1d6 Rainyas)

>>555897
>A Jag gift that prevents enemies from fleeing or drawing in allies to a fight in progress would TOTALLY be something one of them would have, if it teleport-locked the area.
With Impossibility we just need to dump enough power to break through such a gift.

pfft, fine, I'll pick.

Bringing a single Rainya with you.

Question: Seeing as how /qst/ is slower than /tg/ (or maybe it's me, matbe I've gotten slow) would longer vote times be better?

>>555910
I don't think thats necessary, personally.

>>555910
It does seem slower, though that could also partially be from the long delay. I don't think extending the vote period is really necessary.

>>555910
Nah. I'm personally still getting back into the swing of things.

“Actually” you say, as inspiration strikes “how about a two-fer” with the gestalt fading, Dev and Lirael know what you mean, but you explain your plan to Kae and Rainya “Kulrathe must be looking for her as well, if we...”

XXX

Dressed like a couple of rich uphivers, you and Rainya casually loiter within sight of the Joncwyst mansion, enjoying a dish of icecream and some sort of fruit pie in a restaurant, looking down on a street below, and the walled compound opposite. Just two girls taking a break from an afternoon out, it would almost be a date except...

“I still can't get over how much of an asshole Kulrathe was” complains Rainya for the fifth time, speaking in a low voice, your heads together as you both pick at your food, mimicking his voice she says imperiously “you stay out of this I'm going to take her out, I mean really, you tell him when and where and keep an eye on her until he's finished with his riot and he just dismisses you.”

“Well that works to our advantage” you say “he might be expecting we'll get involved anyway but he won't know when or where.” Kulrathe really wasn't in the mood to cooperate with you, still, you can take advantage of whatever he is going to do.

As you watch a tall, expensively dressed woman emerges from the Joncwyst compound and gets into a uphive taxi, which pulls away. A few moments later a nondescript car follows. With your mind linked to Lirael's as she keeps up the remote observation of Lady Helwiath, you see the taxi heading towards the level exchange terminal, clearly going further uphive or downhive.

From your conversation with Kaelyn you expect Kulrathe won't attack her in an uphive area – there would be too much fall out from his higher-ups in the police, fortunately for him, she is headed downhive.

After some time she changes taxi's to another one, this one on level 10, a few more levels and she'd be in low-hive, what is she doing? She hasn't reacted to you watching her, or to the various tails that have followed her since her journey began almost an hour ago.

Lady Helwiath gets out of her taxi at a casino, a rough-looking one and goes inside, Lirael's vision pulls back and you can see Kulrathe's forces approaching and spreading out to cover several blocks, surrounding the place in a very wide a loose net.

“Well?” asks Rainya, you've been giving her whispered updates “are we going in now? Or waiting for Kulrathe to grab her first?”

One of the police vans that is moving up is travelling very slowly, a multi-wheeled monster that clearly has something very heavy inside.

>Wait, see what Kulrathe's plan is
>Teleport in and grab Helwiath
>Sneak into the casino
>Other (?)

>>555972
>Wait, see what Kulrathe's plan is

>>555972
>Wait, see what Kulrathe's plan is

>>555972
>Wait, see what Kulrathe's plan is

>>555972
>Wait, see what Kulrathe's plan is

>>555972
>Wait, see what Kulrathe's plan is

>>555972
>Sneak into the casino

well after a very careful count it seems you want to ditch this fight and go on a date with Rainya, ok, writing.

>>555998
Seems like a good plan, let our enemies come to us!

>>555998
The most reliable way to draw out a Reunited.

“Let's see what Kulrathe is going to drop on her first” you tell Rainya “if nothing else, he'll be a useful distraction.”

You wait as Kulrathe's forces surround the casino at a distance and then close in, until there is a tight cordon around the place, covering several streets.

Sat next to Lirael, back at your restaurant, Dev gasps “we have a problem?”

“What?” you ask through Lirael's lips.

Dev flips a computer screen around “that Casino is the headquarters of a crime boss” he says, revealing a news report from several years ago, some guy named Cinzetto. An ally of Helwiath's?

Just then, in the vision Lirael is seeing, the top of the heavy police wagon opens up and rising from the back comes a large, vehicle mounted missile launcher...aimed at the club.

“Oh what the fu-” you break off in the middle of your narration to Rainya to listen to Kulrathe say in your vision, speaking through a loudspeaker “Cinzetto! Send the uphive bitch out now and I don't level this place!”

Everything pauses for several moments and then mobs of people emerge from the buildings all around the casino. People of all ages and types spill out like a pack of animals and attack the police. Some of them, maybe Cinzetto's men, are armed but most simply launch themselves at the police, using fists and teeth.

Kulrathe's police raise riot shields, batons and shotguns, but are heavily outnumbered. Kulrathe simply batters aside any who attack him, his fists turning unarmed bodies into paste.

“Take out the target!” he yells at the crew of the police artillery truck, wow, and you thought the guys who said the police where getting too militarised were just being paranoid.

“What's happening?” Rainya reaches across to shake your arm “what's going on?” you realised you're frozen in surprise and have stopped explaining.

“Things are getting a little crazy” you summarise for her. Linked to her mind, you can feel Lirael's eagerness to get involved, but maybe you should let Helwiath and Kulrathe finish each other. Or maybe showing up to help Kulrathe and then killing him when his back is turned would be more satisfying.

>Sit back and watch
>Just jump into the fight
>Offer to 'help' Kulrathe
>Sneak into the casino – Helwiath could be sneaking away down a hidden escape route or something
>Other (?)

There will be a follow-up vote for who is going with, for every option except 'sit back and watch'.

>>556072
>Sneak into the casino – Helwiath could be sneaking away down a hidden escape route or something

>>556072
>Murder Kulrathe while he's focused on Helwiath. Then kill her puppets, kill her, kill everyone, let the streets run red with blood in a gore-filled mosaic illustrating your beauty and wrath. All will know your name and tremble.

>>556072
>Offer to 'help' Kulrathe
>Sneak into the casino – Helwiath could be sneaking away down a hidden escape route or something
> Lirael stays outside and keeps watching his forces
We offer to pin her down.

>>556072
>Sneak into the casino – Helwiath could be sneaking away down a hidden escape route or something

>>556081
>>556088
>>556116
Go INTO the building that currently has a lot of really big guns aimed at it?

sneakin it is

>Alone
>with allies (who?)

>>556123
>Alone

>>556123
>Alone

Can we have Rainya set up someplace where she can flood Kulrathe with laser arrows once Helwiath is dead?

>>556123
> 3 Rainyas, one stays with the rest.

>>556123
vote deadline is 5 minutes from now

>>556123
>>556128

changing to
> 3 Rainyas, one stays with the rest.

>>556131
sure, write it in as an option

>>556123
>Alone, leave Rainya at the ready to flood Kulrathe under a horde of Rainya.

>>556123
>3 Rainyas, have additional Rainyas remain ready to attack Kulrathe

with 3 rainyas, other rainya's nearby ready to attack Kulrathe.

Please roll 2d20 for sneaking (Shee, Rainya), best of 3 as normal

Rolled 4, 5 = 9 (2d20)

>>556157

Rolled 20, 15 = 35 (2d20)

>>556157

Rolled 11, 6 = 17 (2d20)

>>556157

“We're going in the backdoor” you inform Rainya “I'm going to need 3 of you on me, and at least 1 outside watching, ok?”

Walking casually out of the restaurant the two of you find a private place to teleport back to your home, prepare for a fight and then you teleport to the rear of the casino with 3 Rainya's in tow, after dropping off another in a nearby abandoned building, where she can watch the battle.

Getting in to the casino is easy, it barely has any magical protections. Getting into the secured area's is a little harder but the guards are mostly watching the front of the place and taking pot-shots at the police who aren't being swarmed under by the crazed mob.

The four of you are headed to the top of the building when you hear an announcement coming over the speakers.

“All available guards to storage room 4, everyone to storage room 4, we have a lady leaving the building and I need you to escort her.”

You duck into cover behind a handy cabinet as a group of guards in badly-fitting suits and armed with heavy guns go rushing past, one grumbling under his breath about baby-sitting the bosses new mistress. Sounds like your target...

Following along behind, moving without being spotted becomes increasingly difficult die to the dozens of guards heading to the same place, but somehow you and the Rainya's manage in. Peering through a window covered by thick blinds you see 'Storage Room 4' which is actually a garage housing a half-dozen vehicles, and packed with guards, in the middle of them...is the well-dressed woman you saw earlier, and from Melaskin's memories you recognise Lady Jasuki Helwiath – a voluptuous dark-haired woman in her mid-30's wearing a long dress and carrying no visible weapons. As you watch she lays her hand on the arm of one of the guards and his whole body language changes in an instant from 'annoyed guard doing a job' to 'worshipful desire to please'.

You can see guards speaking into radio's as some start the cars.

“What are they saying?” asks one of the Rainya's

Straining your hearing you can just make it out “they're waiting for a clear path” you say. At your side Rainya looks thoughtful “I can see the mobs focusing on the police near the eastwards side” she says – good thing you left one of her outside to observe.

Looking at the garage door you consult your mental map of this place and are pretty sure this opens on the east side.

“Oh and Kulrathe is going to fire soon” says Rainya, sounding a little jumpy. Well, it's now or never...

>Shoot her
>Use Power (what?)
>Try talking to her first
>Other (?)

>>556240
>Use Power (what?)
>Double, Empowered, Maximised, Quicken Life Drain
>Shoot her

>>556240
>>556258
I was thinking of Haemokinesis shenenigans, but this is overkill enough for me, backing.

>>556240
>Form of the King of Hell (Skalogen)
>Empowered Maximized Doubled Quickened Life Drain
>Empowered Maximized Enlarged Doubled Pyrokinetic Fireball
Reminder that our pyrokinesis ignores resistance.

>>556258
..Mh. Maybe we should use the quicken time to go Skalogen form first?

>>556258
Should we also toss in a Tally the Slain to collect her soul? We may not be able to so much with it right now, but eventually we could wrangle some gifts or other stuff out of her.

>>556271
I like this too, but why enlarged?

>>556275
>Should we also toss in a Tally the Slain to collect her soul?
Tally is reflexive when she dies anyway.

>>556274
Skalogen's not a psychic power, so we can't quicken it. I'm assuming we can take on a form before combat actually starts properly without using a turn, which might be wrong.

>>556279
Figure it'll make any evasive powers that require actually being able to move out of range of the attack less likely to work, due to the bigger boom.

>>556240
>>556258
Changing to
>>556271
Except enlarged, thats just pointless.

>>556282
Really? I was under the impression we had to specifically vote for it until it became so ingrained that it was the norm currently the only soul we've taken was one fae noble. Did we get the Doc's soul earlier and I just missed it?

>>556291
>Skalogen's not a psychic power, so we can't quicken it.
No, but I wasn't sure if it wads a free action, so we might have needed to use our standard action to go skalogen form.

>>556291
>Figure it'll make any evasive powers that require actually being able to move out of range of the attack less likely to work, due to the bigger boom.
Fair, though I think any evasion power would be bullshit enough to activate our relfexive re-direct teleport.

>>556295
>Really? I was under the impression we had to specifically vote for it
Yes, but after the kill.

>>556271
I think this one wins

Please roll 2d20 (Life Drain then Fireball) and vote on extra psychic energy used on

Life Drain
Fireball

Also, I forgot to offer the option on Doc Melaskin, did you collect his soul?

>Y/N

5 minute vote

Rolled 16, 1 = 17 (2d20)

>>556315
>>556315
>Y

Rolled 7, 14 = 21 (2d20)

>>556315
> N
Nah, he seemed alright, no reason to do that to him.
Right now its just a bit of psy power anyway.

>>556315
>>556318
100
Might as well make sure

Rolled 14, 13 = 27 (2d20)

>>556315
20
25

>N

Rolled 15, 1 = 16 (2d20)

>>556291
>Figure it'll make any evasive powers that require actually being able to move out of range of the attack less likely to work, due to the bigger boom.
I think our aura of nothingness would be better than a bigass fireball to prevent fleeing. It does have that thing that makes it so they teleport back inside every time they hit the edge. Plus she'd think it's normal Baalzamon shadows at first and underestimate it or make missteps (probably).

Looks like its too late though.

>>556315
>Y

>>556315
>>556325
30
30
Then

A tie on absorbing Doc's soul, so I'll break for no

And 35 and 37 (splitting the 100 into 50/50) extra psychic energy for life drain and fireball

“It's now” you whisper, your shape warping and shifting into a tall figure in a long blue robe covered in arcane symbols and black-feathered wings, your three faces smile as you unleash your power.

With your psychic abilities you latch onto her life force, draining it from her. She turns towards the window, staring straight at you, apparently unaffected, but you can feel her life flowing into you.

Next to her a pair of guards keel over, crumbling to dust before they hit the floor. Ah, that's what she's doing, interesting. If that's the way she wants to play it...twin beads of fire melt through the glass in front of you, fly towards her and explode, when the flames clear all of the guards surrounding her are dead, and the vehicles are melted wrecks.

[PE 33/147, HP 340/196]

“Any last words?” asks one of your faces, staring at her through the tiny holes in the blinds. She seems unhurt by your assault.

She laughs, a haughty, arrogant sound “what an interesting power” she says “but killing them only made me stronger.”

The pressure of psychic power erupts from her and you find yourself targeted by the same power you used on her as she tries to drain your life away!

At the same time you feel the need to submit to this woman, to worship her, to do whatever she asks of you. At your side the Rainya's sway and moan – clearly affected as well. You think you can protect her using your powers but you'll need to use your Aspects to do it...

Use Invulnerable Hide to ignore Life Drain damage? (10PE)
>Y/N

Use Royal Dominion to protect against mental attack? (1+PE)
>Y/N

Protect Rainya using Royal Dominion? (1+PE)
>Y/N

Using? (only if Y wins)

>Using Family Aspect
>Using Impossibility Aspect
>Using Corruption Aspect

There will be a further vote for your next actions after this reactive one.

>>556462
>Y
>Y
>Y
>Using Family Aspect
Protecting our loved ones is kind of it's thing.

>>556462
>Y
>Y
>Y
>Using Impossibility Aspect

>>556462
>Y
>Y
>Y
>Using Family Aspect
Shame we didn't get to use corruption to turn her redirection back on her

>>556462
>Y
>Y
>Y
>Using Family Aspect

>>556462
>Y
>Y
>Y
>impossibility aspect

>>556462
>Y
>Y
>Y
>Using Family Aspect

>>556462
Yes to all and family.

Please roll 3d20, best of 3 for
Royal Dominion (you)
Royal Dominion (Rainya)
Family Aspect to extend Royal Dominion to Rainya

And vote on next action

Shee
>Shoot
>Use Power (what?)
>Other (?)

Rainya
>Use Energy Weapon (single shot)
>Use Energy Weapon (Storm of Fire)
>Other (?)

Rolled 7, 7, 8 = 22 (3d20)

>>556535
>Shoot
>Use Energy Weapon (Storm of Fire)

Rolled 10, 2, 5 = 17 (3d20)

>>556535
>Telepathically alert Rainyas to Aura going up
>Aura of Nothingness
>Quickened Hands of the Devourer

>All Rainyas get distance from Shee so as to be out of range of the Aura
>Use Energy Weapon (Storm of Fire)

Aura shouldn't impede her attacks, since she can see just fine in the void. Still muddles with her if she's actually in it, though.

Rolled 12, 8, 7 = 27 (3d20)

>>556535
>Shoot
>Use Energy Weapon (Storm of Fire)

well uh, ok, shit...

>>556535
>>556544
changing to
>>556557
Why not, its a good enough plan.

Doubt we'd do it, but we could have a lot more PE right now if we vote that Shee took the guards souls and turned them into PE as they died. Well, assuming that the lady we're fighting didn't already do it.

>>556581
Might be able to fight her over their souls. Even if it just destroys them, as long as she doesn't get it, that's gain.

Hands of the Devourer and Aura of Nothingness it is.

You resisted the mind-control, but Rainya didn't.

>>556601
>but Rainya didn't.
Wut? Royal Dominion is blanket immunity. How does that work?

>>556601
Didn't we use it on her behalf, how can she fail but we don't?

>>556614
Baalzamon gift bullshit, I imagine.

>>556614
>>556631
Your Family Aspect roll wasn't high enough, it wasn't that Royal Dominion itself failed, but that you failed to extend it to Rainya to protect her from an Aspect-enhanced mental power.

>>556634
Literally not possible.

>>556601
Actually, wait a moment, how can you "fail" Royal Dominion?
Its only fail is having to spend more pe to negate, what happened here?

>>556645
Family being the most useless Aspect ever again happened here.

>>556659
Family is truly the jobber among Aspects, it has failed literally every single time we used it.

Though now I'm worried that she can use 3 actions in one turn.

>>556675
Probably just Doubled power and the reflext is automatic. More important is whywe didn't even get to try to overcome her defense with Impossibility/Corruption, since thats exactly the kind of thing they usually do.

>>556691
Might be that it did overcome her defenses, she just had a very, very high effective HP at the start of the battle due to the bond with her guards.

>>556704
>Might be that it did overcome her defenses
It clearly didn't since the reflect applied. And overcoming/corrupting the reflect should have been a option, logically speaking and by precedent.

>>556670
We need to find a way to up it.

>>556704
Do you realise how much damage that was? If only 8ne of those had hit her she'd be dead, she can't even connect THAT many people, this is thousands of HP we're talking here.

>>556719
What for? Its already only 1 point lower than the others and still consistently useless.

Asserting your own indomitable will, you push back against her mental assault and the desire to worship her fades into nothing.

Attempting to wrap Rainya in the same protection you feel your efforts thwarted by another Aspect burning through your own, pulling it apart and preventing you from protecting Rainya. This Aspect has a strong feeling of rulership, control and tyranny about it.

Summoning an aura of void around you, arms spring from it to wrap around Lady Helwiath, she doesn't even bother trying to avoid them, and you soon figure out why. As the otherworldly arms restrain her, purplish bruises appear on Rainya's flesh, not Lady Helwiath's.

Around you the three Rainya's raise their bows of energy and fire at you, leaping to one side and keeping moving, you manage to avoid the flashing, explosive bolts of energy, fortunately it seems that being controlled affects Rainya's aim somewhat – she's moving slower than usual and jerkily, like she's drunk or confused. You hope she's fighting the control somehow.

-No that's me- a voice sounds in your mind, a voice from the deep oceans -She is my follower and attacking the mother of her children runs counter to my ideals-

-Little busy here- you send back to the Ichor in the Depths as you smash through the glass and take cover behind one of the semi-melted wrecks, trying to figure out a way out of this without killing Rainya.

-And in more trouble than you know- advises the Ichor in the Depths -since this one can drain her minions health to heal herself and fuel her powers, if you don't find a way to heal your paramour soon...-

-I'm pretty good with mental powers- you riposte -I can free her-

-But can you free her in time?- Asks the Ichor in the Depths -I would like to make you an offer-

-I'm listening- you reply -But I thought you couldn't interfere in fights between Reunited-

-All I would be doing is removing my follower from danger- says the Ichor in the Depths -Not aiding you directly-

-And what do you want in return?- you ask

-Simple- She says -That the first task you undertake after this stage of the contest – defeating the Reunited on this world, is to visit your father-

There has to be a catch -Why?- you ask.

-You'll see- She responds mysteriously. A bolt from one of the Rainya's slams into the side of the wreck you're taking cover behind

Accept the Ichor in the Depths deal?
>Y/N

5 minute vote and the vote on next combat options

>>556760
>n
nah, we can free her with a quick action. Its trivial as fuck.

>>556760
>Y

>>556760
>Y
thanks mom

>>556760
>N

>>556724
Ok new theory, we subconsciously keep giving our good family rolls to mummy but our hostility toward the Mirror makes us try to steal his good rolls explaining his hostility toward us after we took impossibility.

>>556714
I think she used Absorb Spell. If it was a reflect, it wouldn't have dusted the two guards.

>>556724
I really doubt that Impossibility and Corruption would've fared better with the same roll, unless the DC was 15, in which case being 1 behind is the reason it failed.

>>556768
Unless she can drain her minions as a free or immediate action.

>>556760
>Y
Seems like a decent idea, anyways. If there's drama to be had, best deal with it upfront.

huh, a tie, ok...I guess I'll go with yes.

>>556760
>y

>>556799
>I think she used Absorb Spell.
Wouldn't have been a free action, so it can't be that. She did 3 things in this turn, which means the turning-back must have been a free action.

>>556799
>Unless she can drain her minions as a free or immediate action.
How does that matter? We can Quick action free her too.

>>556760
>Y

>>556799
>I really doubt that Impossibility and Corruption would've fared better with the same roll, unless the DC was 15, in which case being 1 behind is the reason it failed.
Realistically it didn't matter because we were being pretty obviously railroaded. Besides that, that it took more than DC14 to connect to the literal mother of our children with family aspect makes family aspect pretty much worthless.

-Fine, I'll visit my father- you say to the Ichor in the Depths -Now free her-

-Done- She responds and the Rainya's stop moving like they're drunk, and Lady Helwiath gasps in pain, still wrapped up in the Hands of the Devourer.

Actions?

>Shoot Helwiath
>Use Power (what?)
>Other (?)

>>556799
>I really doubt that Impossibility and Corruption would've fared better with the same roll
Corruption could easily have, actually. But besides that, its more Family not doing its intended primary purpose at all, is what makes it worthless. Impossibility and Corruption do their job nearly every time.

>>556826
It was a contested roll, Pally got a better roll on her domination aspect.

>>556830
>Shoot Helwiath
Thanks for fucking over dad and the King because you couldn't be assed to just deal with this ourselves despite being trivially simple. Great job.

>>556830
>Corruption. She dares harm your family. She shall become YOURS

>>556814
>Wouldn't have been a free action, so it can't be that. She did 3 things in this turn, which means the turning-back must have been a free action.
Maybe an upgrade from one of her Aspects? Or the mindfuck is an aura, or possibly the mindfuck is what's accelerated and doubled, while the life drain is from absorb spell as her standard.

>How does that matter? We can Quick action free her too.
Immediate actions take place during and can interrupt other actions, usually.

>>556826
>the literal mother of our children
Father. The literal father of our children.

>>556834
>Corruption could easily have, actually.
You are not the QM and do not set the DCs for aspect usage, nor do you have any knowledge that would . There is no significant reason to assume Corruption has a greater margin of DC than 1 due to the difference in aspect rating other than personal bias.

>Impossibility and Corruption do their job nearly every time.
Because of good rolls or a lack of resistance.

>>556830
>Shoot Helwiath (Focus Weapon, Storm of Fire)
>Quickened Doubled Empowered Maximised Life Drain

>>556830
Right, anyways, more thought than just the random thought in my head.

>Mind Control, boost with Corruption

>>556857
Thats not how it works, actually. Pally said himself it was a roll to connect to Rainya, not to resist the domination. So her Domination aspect didn't figure into it at all.

>>556830
>Shoot Helwiath (Focus Weapon, Storm of Fire)
>Quickened Doubled Empowered Maximised Life Drain

>>556830
>Shoot Helwiath (Focus Weapon, Storm of Fire)
>Quickened Doubled Empowered Maximised Life Drain
Then we take her soul.

>>556873
>Because of good rolls or a lack of resistance.
Didn't have any resistance here either, cerainly Rainya didn't try to resist being covered by our power. Which is all that would have mattered.

And we had some pretty sucky rolls with those before.

>>556882
>>556886
>>556873
Have you guys forgotten about her reflection ability? or is this just denial?

>>556830
>As an additional effect you may assault those grappled by one or more void limbs with visions of the Void, make a Nihil Dominus check against a grappled foes Will check and spend 6 psychic energy points (does not require an action), success means the target suffers a -8 to all d20 rolls whilst grappled by the void limbs and suffers a DC 20 check against insanity each round as their mind is exposed to the sheer impossibility of True Void.
I wanna try out that. Maybe throw in beating in her with Tentacles as well.

>>556881
Ah. I'm sorry I wasn't clear, her Aspect was opposing your use of Family directly, making it a roll-off between her Aspect and yours, with Family enjoying a bonus due to who the target was (Rainya).

>>556902
>her Aspect was opposing your use of Family directly
How? Family covering Rainya is between Rainya and Shee, how does her Aspect even figure into this?

>>556898
She seems to be out of thralls to redirect the damage to seeing as she started getting hurt after Rainya left.

Shoot Helwiath (Focus Weapon, Storm of Fire)
Quickened Doubled Empowered Maximised Life Drain

Seems to be the winner, please roll 2d20 and vote on extra Psychic Energy used on Life Drain.

>>556902
That seems like a huge stretch, why would her aspect interfere with our use of a power on Rainya?

>>556915
>She seems to be out of thralls to redirect the damage to
I'm talking about the reflect to US

Rolled 1, 7 = 8 (2d20)

>>556898
I still think it's Absorb Spell, since she needed to push the damage elsewhere (which is why those two guards dusted, why would that happen if it was reflected? Life Drain is single target unless Warped), and she has no one to redirect onto now.

>>556916
15

>>556936
>I still think it's Absorb Spell
Literally impossible because she used it in the same turn as a mental attack on both of us.

Rolled 18, 9 = 27 (2d20)

>>556916
ITS OVERRRRR

>>556913
>>556920

Her Aspect is Domination, one of the themes of this is cutting off the ties those you control (or are attempting to control) have to others, families, friends etc. This allowed it to contest sharing a self-only power (Royal Dominion) via Family Aspect.

Still, I recognise that this was a controversial decision and will discuss after the fight.

>>556898
Forgotten, I'm willing to consider an other option but we seem to be at the point where the real fight is who's got the best roll on their counter the other persons counter.

Rolled 20, 6 = 26 (2d20)

>>556916

>>556945
>one of the themes of this is cutting off the ties those you control (o
No it isn't. We HAD domination on offer before and it said nothing about anything like that nor does that make any sort of sense as association.

Seriously, if you need to explain your hamfisted railroad at least invest the effort to pretend she had the Aspect of Discord or something like that. Not something we know for fact is wrong.

>>556932
Signs point to her needing to control a person to redirect damage to them. She just got hurt by the void arms and didn't redirect it at all. I suppose it's possible that she dropped her defense for a moment to bait us into a giant attack, but even if that's the case Shee can't be killed by life drain effects and will at worst be reduced to half her current HP.

>>556941
Which is something we can do, so why assume we're the only one with access to such an ability when the Reunited can have unique Aspects, unique peripherals born from those aspects, and gifts we've never even seen, much less gained?

>>556970
It was explained dozens of threads ago that aspects are different for different reunited depending on how they act, who they are, etc, even if they're the same one. Other people don't get void powers from Impossibility. Corruption isn't always referring to changing the world to your will.

>>556989
>She just got hurt by the void arms and didn't redirect it at all.
Wat? Anon, Void Artms is not a psychic Power. We KNOW abilities that can redirect psychic powers, we've seen them before.

>>556998
If this is a psychic ability reflection ability we know about, and void arms isn't a psychic power, explain why it redirected void arm damage to Rainya earlier.

>>556992
Different reunited do different things with them, that doesn't mean they suddenly work wildly different. We got Void because of a specific thing we did others would likely not do. If they did, there is no reason they couldn't get it too.

>>556970
I for one feel stopping a power from preventing us from taking control of something we wanted to control is something we would argue we should be able to use Domination for if we had it and therefore have no problem with a NPC doing the same.

As the Rainya's shake it off and turn their bows towards Helwiath, you raise your rifle and the last you see of her before a storm of shots and arrows made of light obscure her is her expression of surprise and fear.

Once you can see again, you are ready to drain what's left of her life, only to see that is not required – as all that remains of her is a charred and bullet-riddled mess. You wait for a few moments to see if she has some sort of power that let's her cheat death but nothing happens and she remains dead.

Letting out a breath of relief you look over at Rainya “are you ok?” you ask her.

“Yeah” she says, sounding a little fuzzy “what happened?”

“I'll explain later” you promise “for now, let's-”

The whole building shakes around you and you hear dull thumps and bangs in the distance, Rainya confirms your suspicions when she says “Kulrathe launched missiles” in a disbelieving tone.

XXX

Thread over, for your actions today you gain 5XP.

In a moment I'll post addressing player concerns re: what happened to Rainya.

>>557012
What are you even talking about? her ability to redirect damage to followers and her reflect are two seperate abilities.

>>557024
Thanks for running.

Acquire Soul.

>>556992
> It was explained dozens of threads ago that aspects are different for different reunited depending on how they act
I think declaring Domination to "cut ties" is realy a amazing mental stretch to the point of being arbitrary.

>>557034
Agreed in full.

>>557034
Good point, Use Tally the Slain on Helwiath?

>Y/N

5 minute vote

>>557024
>>557049
I'm voting Y on absorbing her soul. She was a bitch and mindfucked our waifu. FUCKING HER BRAIN IS OUR JOB!

>Y

>>557017
In the form of breaking through Royal Dominion, not interacting with things it has no connection to.

>>557049
>Y

>>557049
>Y

>>557049
>Y

Oh, hey, looking at TtS, we actually have a soul of a Fae Noble. Did they have any worthwhile abilities?

>>557085
>Did they have any worthwhile abilities?
We wouldn't know, nor does it matter since we have no power to do anything with it besides turning into PE.

>>557037
I think it's just being poorly explained, would you have a problem with using Domination to force someone to put aside their other concerns and prioritise what we want? I see this as "your feelings (for family) don't matter, do what I want."

>>557049
>Y

>>557085
No idea. Can't do anything with him unless we rank up tts. Or our aspects until we can just brute force soul shit that way I guess.

>>557092
>>557108
Oh, right, we can't take the abilities of those we kill until we up TtS

We should do that.

>>557097
Yes, because thats not Domination, thats Manipulation or somesuch. And more importantly it wouldn't apply to this situation at all, since then it'd would have to be used on Shee to work, but it was used on Rainya.

Ok, regarding what happened with Rainya. As I outlined above it was a contest of Aspect vs Aspect, despite Family Aspects advantage the dice decided what happened, it was not a railroad.

As for Domination having the ability to cut ties to others, it is my view that this is a reasonable permutation of the Aspect. At the time Domination was offered to the players I did not spell it out for the simple reason that I did not think of it at the time.

Aspects as offered to the players, or even described by the QM in meta-knowledge, do not cover all uses to which the Aspect can be put, all themes it can possibly include etc.

As a result I feel that Helwiath's use of her Aspect to deny yours was reasonable; I also recognise that some players do not agree with my views and seem to think this was a railroad.

With that in mind I put it to a player vote:

Should this be allowed as a use of this Aspect?

>Y/N

Please note that this is not a vote on me as a QM, or me being within 'QM rights' to do something, but rather a vote on if you think such a use fits the theme and power of the Aspect.

If the vote is a no, then I will retcon recent events to match it.

You alsy gain 6 Forged By Battle XP

>>557130
I'm personally more cruious why we didn't get to use Corruption/Impossibility to overcome her reflect/redirection ability.

>>557085
Not yet but I'm hopping we can make something nice for Kae with it.
>>557130
>Y

>>557130
>Y

>>557130
>N

>>557130
I don't have a problem with it. If Shee and Helweith had swapped powersets I'd have tried to cockblock Family using Domination. So,

>Y

>>557130
>N

>>557130
>Y
We rearrange people's attachments and priorities when we use psychic mindfuck powers on them, it seems odd that divine mindfuck powers wouldn't be able to. Especially since she was baalzamon-aligned, assuming that guess was accurate.

>>557130
>Y

>>557130
>N
I don't care for any retcons, but if you're asking for opinion, nah, thats way too big of a stretch and just leads to people demanding wildly absurd interpretations for all other powers too.

>>557152
She used Absorb Spell plus an ability that allowed her extra actions.

>>557162
Wasn't Kae, like, horrified when we soulsucked that fae person? Or did she get over it?

>>557196
>She used Absorb Spell plus an ability that allowed her extra actions.
That doesn't answer my question. We should have been able to overcome Absorb Spell with Impossibility.

>>557205
That's an interesting use for Impossibility, how/why would it work like that?

>>557223
Make it Impossible to absorb, thats certainly less of a stretch than Domination "cutting emtoional ties" being taken to mean it can prfevent use from power of third parties on another.
Hell, Corruption could have worked by making her absorbed version do something different.
Corruption certainly also should have been able to counter her draining her minions by warping her ties to them.

>>557223
She was trying to take our round peg and fit it into her round hole. The issue is that what should be our round peg has about as much in common with a circle as China does with the square root of -1.

>>557239
>Corruption certainly also should have been able to counter her draining her minions by warping her ties to them.
Set her minions to suck instead of blow?

>>557251
More the other way around.

>>557202
She didn't know but it made her shiver when we did it. Let's not go into too much detail about it when we use it to make a Reaper trap.

>>557239
I'll concede the first two being possible, and so apologise for not bringing it up, please remind me in future if I forget.

I'll allow that the third might be possible, if you have some sort of power affecting/targeting her minions when she drains them - such as a telepathy power, healing power etc.

I'd say that affecting her power to heal herself by draining her minions without using a power on her minions would be likely opposed by her own Aspects, but possible.

In truth Aspects in general are very broad in what they can do, and I do not always think of how they can affect a power or situation. I encourage players to write-in ways an Aspect can affect an outcome.

Next thread is sametime next week, I hope you will be playing, despite my screw-ups.

>>557288
Definitely.

>>557280
>I'll allow that the third might be possible, if you have some sort of power affecting/targeting her minions
But we did, Life Drain. its the same logic that let her interfere with our Family Aspect based on her using mental influence on us. If she directs our spell to them, then we clearly HAVE a link to them.

And the question remains, why didn't we get to do that, but we got to tget fucked by her widlly creative interpretation of power use.
If you want to make Aspects such a free-form power, which they hadn't been before, thats fine, but then I have to ask why we don't get to do that too.

>>557295
>If you want to make Aspects such a free-form power, which they hadn't been before, thats fine, but then I have to ask why we don't get to do that too.
Because it suddenly being so free form is something he literally just decided to justifiy his blatant railroad.
And noits not fine to degenrate the Aspect system to do literally whatever and make powers fucking pointless because you can do everything with Aspects. Because thats what this leads to, no point in having a power to protect from mental influence, use impossibility to be impossible to influence.
No point having a power that block third party power use, just arbitrarily bullshit something up for it.

>>557295
>I have to ask why we don't get to do that too.
We probably could've, if we'd mentioned it, but expecting the QM to come up with creative uses for aspects at every possible opportunity is asking a bit much, don't you think?

>>557320
>We probably could've, if we'd mentioned it
No? How would we have done that with events mid-update?
We didn't get to react to her defending against our powers.

>>557288
Yep, and you didn't really screw up, in my opinion

>>557295
>If she directs our spell to them, then we clearly HAVE a link to them.

She did not redirect the power to them, she healed herself as the power drained her by draining them.
The power targeted her, had she redirected the power entirely she would not have been able to use Absorb Spell (without altering the power via Aspect or some other way).

Still, I will accept that there were ways that your Aspects might have been able to interfere with it.

>I have to ask why we don't get to do that too.

The answer to this is that I didn't think of them at the time.

I take your point about Aspects being very freeform and open to interpretation.
Would it be better if each Aspect was limited to doing things? A list of possible uses that are either static, or are added to as the Aspect rises in number?

>>557341
>She did not redirect the power to them, she healed herself as the power drained her by draining them.
She had 500+HP? because otherwise this isn't possible due to her being dead the moment she suffered damage.

>>557355
she can do it reflexively to heal damage as it occurs, it does not take effect after suffering damage but instead at the same time.

>>557341
>Would it be better if each Aspect was limited to doing things? A list of possible uses that are either static, or are added to as the Aspect rises in number?
I wished we would stick to how it was handled all the time before, that Aspects are somewhat free within the limited range of their meaning.

Not "they can get wildly re-interpretated to do completly different things based on creative derivations".

>>557372
>she can do it reflexively to heal damage as it occurs
Which is all at the same time and instant, so that literally doesn't work.

>>557380
And she reflexively drained some guards dry to survive it.

>>557341
I had assumed there was a reason why they had a list if things they apply to.

>>557384
>And she reflexively drained some guards dry to survive it.
Which isn't possible? Either she had suffered the daamage, then she's dead. or she didn't, and there was nothing to heal.

>>557341
>Would it be better if each Aspect was limited to doing things?
It would be better if they continue to mean what they say, rather than new things whenever someone feels like making things up. You once explicitly said they are supposed to be NARROW and this is anything but.

>>557389
>Which isn't possible?
Why? Powers operate under their own timing rules all the time. This is just one you don't like.

>>557380
>>557389
It's not instant, it takes time for damage to occur, however in combat since this is less than 1 combat 'round' then in a turn-based combat system all the damage takes effect within 1 round.

This is a rules vs story/realism conflict I feel. The power (Life Drain) does a number of points of damage with no mention of it happening over time however a reflexive/reactive power can still interrupt it and take effect at the same time as it, healing the damage or otherwise doing something.

>>557387
The list of bonuses/penalties is a passive benefit that does not cover everything that an Aspect can do, players have thought up very creative uses for Aspects previously.

>>557402
You're right I did say that they were very narrow in what they did and upon reflection a better way to use Domination would have been to negate/bypass Royal Dominions protection. I am carefully considering what players are saying and will be more careful about use of Aspects in the future.

>>557456
>a reflexive/reactive power can still interrupt it
Provided our enemies do it, because we clearly don't get to do that unless its a power that explicitly says so and you don't forget about it.

>>557288
But I have work on Sunday, what happened to the good old days when you ran on Saturday?
Also how doable would it be to take that Fay Noble soul and make a trap for the Reaper's soul if he ever tried to take over Kae? I'm thinking we mix in Void and the 6 Impossible Elementals thing (for Order) and try and wipe his mind so Kae gets his power rather than him getting her body.
>>557341
I don't really follow the rules as well as some Anons but it seems to me that the system would benefit from some sort of Aspect blocker or reducer, any Reunited fight comes down to we roll Impossibility against whatever they have and try and nuke them. That said I'd hate to see Aspects nerfed much because they should be the ways we don't need to follow the rules, maybe make them blatant so using them leaves a stain on reality or something?

>>557487
>ecause they should be the ways we don't need to follow the rules
Thats how Impossibility works, rules breaking is what it does. Other Aspects shouldn't do that.

>>557487
>But I have work on Sunday, what happened to the good old days when you ran on Saturday?

Running on Saturdays was typically 8pm to 2am for me, which only increased the numbers of mistakes I made due to fatigue.

>Also how doable would it be to take that Fay Noble soul and make a trap for the Reaper's soul if he ever tried to take over Kae? I'm thinking we mix in Void and the 6 Impossible Elementals thing (for Order) and try and wipe his mind so Kae gets his power rather than him getting her body.

Very possible, not easy to do, but achievable. Would take a lot of work to do I'd say.

>>>557341(You)
>I don't really follow the rules as well as some Anons but it seems to me that the system would benefit from some sort of Aspect blocker or reducer, any Reunited fight comes down to we roll Impossibility against whatever they have and try and nuke them. That said I'd hate to see Aspects nerfed much because they should be the ways we don't need to follow the rules, maybe make them blatant so using them leaves a stain on reality or something?

Thank you for the suggestion and your feedback. I agree that Reunited fights can very easily come down to an Aspect vs Aspect roll with justifications for why a given Aspect applies (or not) in a situation.
I would of course want to avoid reducing fights to this whilst still keeping the flavour of Aspects, I will think about it and post some ideas (hopefully) next thread.

>>557505
Corruption is we set the rules so really only Family isn't and we can (if the dice would ever let us) use that to say "no this power can protect our friends as well" for self only powers which was what I meant by ways we brake the rules.

>>557557
>Corruption is we set the rules
No it isn't.

>>557563
It's close enough, really, especially with how Impossibility's changed Shee.

>>557602
No, its not even close.

>>557563
See
>your power will begin to permeate places you spend a lot of time in, warping things around you to match your nature.
We can argue about how I worded it but the point I was trying to make was that Aspects force nature to bend to our will or changes what a power can do in a manner that stretches or brakes the rules that normal people must follow.

>>557602
Corruption is warping things to fit more Shee/her vision and bend them to her wil. Its primarily a mental influence enhancer.
It can to some degree change things, it can't make anything by nature .

>>557626
>was that Aspects force nature to bend to our will
Excrept your point is fucking wrong. CORRUPTION does that specific thing because thats its definition. Its not a "Aspects do X" thing.

>>557633
It's passive benefits are mental influence. It's first active usage involved forcing...I think it was a bathroom wall to repair itself after she broke it while mad at herself over moving too fast with Rainya (or thinking she did, rather), and that was at rank 1. It's done a few other things like that, such as undoing all the water damage after we accidentally flooded the restaurant. That's why I said it's close enough.

>>557658
Not you anon, ID tags, I don't like people speaking for me.

>>557679
My bad, force of habit. My point stands, it does a specific thing. And that is not setting rules.

>>557651
Its not solely a mental influence enhancer, its not bound to its passive effect but it has a definition which is not making new things. Its shifting things for Shee. And frankly we were pretty limited in howmuch we could do that, since it nearly always involved changing existing powers.

>>557651
>It's passive benefits are mental influence.
Which are how its most often used.

>>557705
Aspects control part of reality, arguably all of them set rules or change them.
Though then again so do psychic and magic powers.