Session 257.5

Chancel_Amyra
Chapter 36

-->| YOU (Angelo) have joined #Nobilis

<Angelo> Hi Guys! :-)

<Knockwood> Yeah, I'm in Reno

<Knockwood> Hiya Angelo

<Etheric> I see.

<Random_Nerd> That does bear a similarity to Kite's temple, really.

<BethE> I did not know that! I am only vaguely aware of Burning Man taking place in a some sort of desert.

<BethE> Hi Angelo!

<Angelo> Even to you in Reno! :-P

<Angelo> Or to Beth's burning man knowledge :-P

<BethE> Well, if you ever need pictures of Kite's temple, dear, there you go.

<Random_Nerd> So, while we wait for V, any questions on how the game's going?

<Knockwood> Burning man's location: https://maps. google. com/maps?ll=40.782622,-119.208264&q=loc:40.782622,-119.208264&hl=en&t=h&z=14

<Knockwood> Zoom out a little and you'll see me. (I'll wave. :) )

<BethE> *snort*

<Random_Nerd> Oh, I did want to mention something, see what you guys thought. I see the Amyra game as about... mmm, 3/4 of the way finished. We're nearly to the peace talks, and after that the turning of the Age. And I see that as pretty much where the game ends, other than epilogue stuff.

<Angelo> ARGH! Who changed gMaps! O.O !_! è_é

<Random_Nerd> How does that sound>?

<Etheric> It makes sense to me.

<Knockwood> so, sometime in 2016? :)

<Random_Nerd> Well, I was thinking next year or the year after... but yeah.

<Angelo> Sound like too short to contain all the things Ftisk wanna do! :-(

<BethE> Do you see us saving Creation or destroying it?

<Random_Nerd> Bit of column A, bit of column B.

<Angelo> I bet on destroying!

<Etheric> Yes. Yes I do.

<Random_Nerd> Oh, and I don't have a planned specific ending.

<Random_Nerd> I know what the various factions and major players want.

<Random_Nerd> And how stuff works.

<Random_Nerd> But what happens.. we'll see.

<Random_Nerd> Did you guys have any stuff, particularly stuff that hasn't been in the spotlight lately, that you want to make sure gets addressed?

<Angelo> seem like we are doomed then!

<Knockwood> We were always doomed, Angelo

<Random_Nerd> Like, the "Imperial status of Humanity" thing... you still want to do anything with it?

<Random_Nerd> Or what the deal with Jan ben Jan's plan is?

<BethE> Would the Excrucians have any info on that? Or could we get that answer for saving Creation?

<Angelo> I want to have some spotlight on warmain Ftisk <-> dad Vassa relation

<Random_Nerd> (I mean, when we're finally done I'll at least answer questions on where I was going with stuff.)

<Random_Nerd> Hmm...

<Random_Nerd> On how shards relate to their parent Excrucians, you mean?

<BethE> Is Jan Ben Jan off somewhere nursing a migraine because of us?

<Angelo> yeah, RN

<Random_Nerd> Okay.

<Angelo> and how the shard - parent relation reflect Ftisk Vassa one

<Random_Nerd> Yeah, I can work that in.

<Random_Nerd> Anyone else have something?

<Random_Nerd> Or characters you'd like to come back?

<BethE> I'd like to hear more of Kudzu's backstory. Like the times he visited Amyra before and why poking at John and so forth.

<Random_Nerd> Okay. Excrucian-Shard stuff as it relates to Ftisk, Kudzu's backstory with Amyra.

<BethE> Will we get Will's wedding done?

<Etheric> On the Imperial thing, I've been meaning to write that up as a Project for a while now.

<Etheric> So, that would probably be good to do sooner rather than later.

<Etheric> But I confess I'm still not 100% clear on how writing up a Project works.

<Random_Nerd> Will's wedding will probably be the storyline before the peace talks.

<Random_Nerd> Any specific questions?

<BethE> (Good. I want the wedding. And cake. And Ftisk throwing the bride...I mean, catching the bridal bouquet.

<Angelo> :-P @Beth!

<Knockwood> We'll probably think of a dozen things once the session's over

<Random_Nerd> Aaargh, I'll really have to do a resolution to the whole James thing, won't I?

<Angelo> Right!

<Etheric> Well, you don't HAVE to.

<Etheric> You could say it's CDaU.

<Random_Nerd> My plans there have been screwed up about three or four times by successive Jameses and the need to reintegrate and then shuffle them off.

<Random_Nerd> Yeah, I may have to.

<BethE> Have we reached a six-pack of Jameses yet? Can we just have Lesson evolve into a James?

<Random_Nerd> James is just one of those things that's important in the setting, but I don't really have a good plan for at the moment.

<Random_Nerd> Dare you tamper with the curse?

<Angelo> I dare!

<BethE> But see, Lesson is already cursed and damned, so becoming a James might not do anything to him.

<Random_Nerd> Hmm.

<Random_Nerd> Still no V.

<Etheric> I thought the daring was Knockwood's job.

<Random_Nerd> And no Laz, but that's expected.

<BethE> (Laz was feeling sick.)

<BethE> Hmm, question. Are there any Nobles who are demons?

<Knockwood> Yeah, Dante pokes bears for fun

<BethE> If so, how do they handle hierarchy stuff?

<Random_Nerd> Yes.

<Random_Nerd> You've met one.

<Random_Nerd> One of the Angel of the Moon's.

<Random_Nerd> Power of the Chase.

<Random_Nerd> Why?

<Etheric> So, as for specific questions about Projects, I wanted to reread the Projects chapter before I asked one, so this is a little bit late. But I read it and I'm still confused.

<Random_Nerd> Oh? Let me pull it up, and we can go over it.

<Etheric> To begin a Project, what do I do? Just draw a single circle?

<Random_Nerd> Yes, and come up with what it's about.

<Etheric> It's clear how they develop after being started, but not how they're supposed to begin.

<BethE> Well, just because I'm thinking about Lesson and his thoughts on power structures and hierarchy and determining just where he is in the scheme of things and wondering how Noble demons handle it and whether Lesson could handle it or whether his own personal circumstances made him kind of broken to be considered for enNobling.

<Random_Nerd> It relates to the mind-map character creation thing, kinda.

<Knockwood> Depends on how far RN is willing to take his character arc./

<Random_Nerd> Now, we didn't really do that, officially, because of the character conversion.

<BethE> (Oh and I woulnd't mind a side-bar about Patterns and whether he does anything to his Imperator/etc.)

<Etheric> So, for Carrie's, and using the "how" format from the book, it'd probably be "How humanity's Imperial potential was restored."

<Random_Nerd> But it's already been established that this is one of your character's Things.

<Random_Nerd> *Nod*

<Random_Nerd> Bear in mind, that'll take a couple stones.

<Random_Nerd> It's a setting-shaking thing.

<Knockwood> Don't forget that getting out of that hierarchy is one of the things we mentioned to him to sell the idea of letting us take out his heart and having him join us

<Etheric> Oh, absolutely. So that "how" isn't supposed to be in the Heart?

<Random_Nerd> Well...

<Random_Nerd> Let me find the bit I'm referring to.

<Etheric> I'm not saying it should be accomplished now, I just thought the book said that the end goal is where you start.

<BethE> Knock - true, but he still thinks in that manner, he just doesn't act on it in ways that would be normal for his upbringing.

<Random_Nerd> Hmm...

<Random_Nerd> Let's start it with something smaller.

<Random_Nerd> Like, How Carrie Discovered What Remains Of Humanity's Imperial Nature, say.

<Random_Nerd> And then based on how that gets resolved, move on to the next step from there.

<Etheric> Then, "How I fulfilled my prophecy and discovered humanity's Imperial nature." Something like that?

<Random_Nerd> That can work.

<Random_Nerd> And we've got stuff around that can help with that.

<BethE> I mean, Lesson, I think, kind of _cares_ for his crew and underlings. And I don't think that is something that would be true if he had a crew in Hell.

<Random_Nerd> The Giant. Cain.

<Random_Nerd> Heck, the demon in the current plotline was indirectly taking about it.

<Knockwood> The trick would be is we could get Lesson thinking outside of the hellish hierarchy...

<BethE> *grumble call me an animal, you jerk grumble*

<Random_Nerd> That would be difficult, though not impossible.

<Knockwood> actually, Eth, do you intend to _restore_ humanity's Imperial nature, or just learn about it?

<Random_Nerd> His current approach is "think in terms of heirarchy, but with a view where responsibility runs both ways, so a leader is responsible for the care and protection of his minions."

<Random_Nerd> Learning about it is step 1?

<BethE> Hmm, that is an effect combination of both old approaches and new for Lesson. And I'd think it could be a very workable way of...working for him.

<Random_Nerd> Besides, he's currently in a situation where he has people who work for him, and people he reports to.

<Knockwood> Don’t forget Lesson got infused with Courage when we first met

<Random_Nerd> If he had to entirely set aside the hierarchical worldview, he'd have no idea what to even do.

<Knockwood> well, ours is a _different_ hierarchy.

<Knockwood> The main difference is how we treat each other.

<Angelo> but is a hierarchy

<Random_Nerd> Yeah, and that's what he's currently using.

<Knockwood> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allegory_of_the_long_spoons

<Random_Nerd> He doesn't mistreat subordinates, he doesn't constantly expect mistreatment from you guys, and he's civil to rivals and peers.

<BethE> (Although, I think if Lesson was being literal, he would question the need of spoons when one has teeth.)

<Random_Nerd> That, or say that he spent his whole life in hell, and nobody has any spoons there.

<Random_Nerd> So... still no V.

<Random_Nerd> And no Laz./

<Knockwood> ayep

<Random_Nerd> Well, we haven't missed a session in a while.

<BethE> Maybe there are spoon shaped demons.

<Knockwood> that's true

<Knockwood> If you think about it, the Hell hierarchy is basically "shit rolls downhill... usually."

<Random_Nerd> Pretty much.

<BethE> (Argh. I used image search. I got more shirtless...male...bodies than I was expecting.)

<Random_Nerd> With the occasional coup.

<Knockwood> The exception being when a high-up demon makes an example of his subordinate for fun.

<BethE> (http://www. rockpapershotgun. com/images/10/jan/whowillrulehell.jpg)

<Etheric> Knock, to answer your question, if a bit late... Carrie's goal is to somehow restore it. But the WAY it's restored matters. And I'll have to understand it at least partially in order to make a judgment about HOW it matters.

<Knockwood> Very true. If it is restored slowly, that's a whole different game. Specifically Aberrant. (or other supers games.)

<Etheric> I don't really think that superpowers are necessarily anything even close... After all, Imperial miracles are slow and subtle.

<Angelo> And a big question arise.... what's next?

<Etheric> It's the Noble miracles that change reality in one fell swoop.

<Random_Nerd> Next after Carrie's thing, or this storyline?

<Angelo> I mean after we complete RN Nobilis

<Random_Nerd> Ah, that.

<Random_Nerd> I dunno.

<Random_Nerd> Been thinking of doing a World of Darkness game. Maybe Geist, maybe the new Demon thing.

<Random_Nerd> Might keep the Chuubo game going, if you guys remain interested in it.

<Angelo> how is that game going?

<Knockwood> Which one? There were two

<Etheric> I'd like to keep doing the Chuubo thing. At least, I anticipate I'd like to continue.

<Angelo> my question is on last one

<Knockwood> Oh, reminds me. What I was thinking of for Dulc...

<Random_Nerd> Oh?

<Etheric> There's a storyline going on now with nightmare beasties and things.

<Knockwood> "Slowly regrowing a heart"

<Random_Nerd> And one with a rat and a biker.

<Random_Nerd> Hmm.

<Etheric> And Hisui died and was resurrected. Kinda.

<Random_Nerd> So, you want to shed Heartless, and replace it with another wound?

<Random_Nerd> That could work.

<Knockwood> Not yet. "Slowly", remember. :)

<Random_Nerd> What sort of powers did you have in mind?

<Knockwood> Plus, doing it suddenly means I'm no longer perfect or skewerable. :p

<Random_Nerd> Both in terms of theme, and whether it's the "once every once in a while imperial miracle" kind, or the "do it whenever it's appropriate" kind or whatever.

<Knockwood> First step might be passion and/or compassion

<BethE> (Angelo - my character got to be all Matrix-like in a dream, while beating up nightmares. ^^ And now she is off to steal some beer for this biker dude.)

<Knockwood> Think about what it would take to defend Vik

<Random_Nerd> Hmm.

<Angelo> (Beth your character is the sun kid?)

<Random_Nerd> Something like the first Glorious ability, only less... paranoid?

<Random_Nerd> Figure out what people want or need, rather than how they're plotting to destroy you?

<Knockwood> ooh, that might work.

<BethE> (No, my character is Rinley, who was not part of the first Chuubo game. She has the title Troublemaker.  :)

<Knockwood> (Either that or turning into Utena. :p )

<BethE> (Laz plays the child of the Sun.)

<Random_Nerd> No, the second power may not be Turn Into A Car.

<Random_Nerd> No.

<Random_Nerd> No.

<Knockwood> aw, why not?

<Angelo> (Cool!)

<Random_Nerd> It's Town! Hardly anyone drives!

<Random_Nerd> Oh, did you pick a perk power?

<Knockwood> Not yet, I wanted to run the concept by everyone first

<Random_Nerd> Rinley picked Hammerspace Magic: 2, if that helps.

<BethE> (...darn it, Knock. Now I have to listen to that Utena AMV that is so totally not modest.)

<Random_Nerd> What concept?

<Random_Nerd> Oh, was the Slowly Regrowing for your perk, not a Wound?

<Knockwood> Right

<Knockwood> actually it's more character development

<Random_Nerd> Well, that's kinda how the Wounded Angel thing works.

<BethE> (Angelo - it's been an interesting set of things going on. Although we really didn't mean for V's character to die. She got better, though. Kind of. Has star eyes sometimes now...)

<Random_Nerd> It's, like, weaponized character traits.

<Random_Nerd> You take your paranoid egotism and use it as a danger sense, and so on.

<Knockwood> so, making her better adjusted would royally screw with the character?

<Angelo> (star eyes - sometimes? Damn! I feel like that is a lot of fun!)

<Random_Nerd> It would make her /different/.

<Random_Nerd> Like, Chuubo has calmness oriented powers.

<Random_Nerd> While I don't think that quite fits for Dulci... I mean, even if she was less damaged I think she'd still be manic and passionate...

<Random_Nerd> It's a thing.

<Random_Nerd> This is the Chuubo game, character traits are represented in part by miraculous powers!

<Random_Nerd> Exhibit A: Rinley.

<BethE> (Oh and Jasper, Laz's character, has a beard made of light. A Beard. A Beard of Omens. That got us into a meeting of grizzled old sea veterans. It is theorized that if the beard ever speaks on its on, it will speak with Brian Blessed's voice.)

<BethE> What? Huh? What about Rinley? I didn't do it...

<Knockwood> Don't forget "nobody saw me do it, you can't prove anything"

<Angelo> (Brian, Nobilis's Brian?)

<Random_Nerd> (An actor. One moment...)

<BethE> No, with Rinley, they _did_ see her do it, it's just that she has a perfectly rational explanation for what she was doing...

<BethE> (Brian Blessed - http://www. youtube. com/watch?v=FMiLQwKLSQM )

<Random_Nerd> (The guy in the beard here: http://www. youtube. com/watch?v=23L4AHfd4xc)

<BethE> (Or http://www. youtube. com/watch?v=-JpKuYbJQK4 )

<Angelo> (sad face - All are sleeping. No sound atm)

<BethE> (Ah. Yeah, not a good idea to have Brian Blessed while people are trying to sleep.)

<Random_Nerd> Former stage actor. Shouts a lot. Has a very beardy beard.

<Angelo> eh, side effect of being in a timezone were are 04:39 atm

<Random_Nerd> Hmm. So, Knock, you were wanting to have the new Heart-Regrowing power act to bind or mitigate your own heartlessness?

<Knockwood> Good question.

<Random_Nerd> I mean, it's kinda meta, but I'd allow it.

<Knockwood> Let's see, "Friendless" is what powers "I alone can save you", right?

<Random_Nerd> Developing powers to protect herself or other people from her /other/ powers is the sort of thing Dulci would do.

<Random_Nerd> Yes.

<Random_Nerd> And one other thing, let me see which.

<Random_Nerd> And Holding Up The Sky.

<Knockwood> Thing is, there are some contradictions in how I'm playing her.

<Random_Nerd> Oh, and your memory-power!

<Knockwood> Being Heartless and Friendless, she should have told Viktoria to bug off.

<Random_Nerd> Eh...

<BethE> The kid has Powers.

<Random_Nerd> But it's a particular /sort/ of heartless and friendless.

<Random_Nerd> Protecting people is supposed to be big for her.

<Random_Nerd> It's part of how you're going to Show Them.

<Knockwood> Ah yes...

<Random_Nerd> That's kinda how Friendless works.

<Random_Nerd> You don't have /friends/. But you rescue people.

<Random_Nerd> That's what I Alone May Save You means, subtext-wise.

<Knockwood> Oh! That's the way to go... either getting better at rescuing people or actually Showing Them.

<Random_Nerd> Because, deep down, Dulci's creepy, but she's heroic.

<Random_Nerd> Being the villain would be taking the easy way out.

<Random_Nerd> Instead, she's gonna be creepy and poke around with Things Highschool Girls Were Not Meant To Know... but still be the Hero.

<Knockwood> Ah, so I need to figure out something that would make her a better Hero

<Random_Nerd> If that's where you want to go with her, at least.

<Knockwood> That's where I _am_ going, kinda by accident

<Random_Nerd> Like... it's a Batman thing. Batman doesn't live a normal person life... but he protects the people who do. And he does it /by/ being scary and obsessed and violent.

<Random_Nerd> I think that's the default thing for Leonardo, only with nightmare science instead of punching muggers in a mask with ears.

<Random_Nerd> But, hey, it's your character.

<Knockwood> well, it's their character, I'm just using it

<Random_Nerd> You're playing it, so it's your character.

<Random_Nerd> Still, it seems like how you want to play it matches fairly well with the default.

<Knockwood> except for being nice to Vik

<Random_Nerd> (Oh, and this aspect of the character is partly why I compared her to Homura Akemi, a while back.)

<Random_Nerd> Well, Viktoria's going through some of the same stuff Dulci is, in a way. So there's some fellow feeling there.

<Knockwood> ... protection against nightmares without having to call the Bleak Academy... OK, that could work

<Knockwood> the Dark Knight of Nightmares. There's the perk. :)

<Random_Nerd> That works.

<Random_Nerd> What sort of thing do you want it to do?

<Knockwood> Hm...

<Knockwood> WHat are the parameters again?

<Knockwood> and does anyone else want to chime in on this idea?

<Random_Nerd> Two things, basically.

<Random_Nerd> It relates to the powers you use, and either protects people from them, chains things related to them, punishes things related to them, or summons things related to them.

<Random_Nerd> The former seems to make the most sense here.

<Random_Nerd> Second, it can be three types of power.

<Random_Nerd> A Major one, that you can use once a season, or more with MP.

<Random_Nerd> Basically, like the Engine.

<Random_Nerd> A smaller one you can use once a week, or more with MPs.

<Random_Nerd> Or a small one you can use every scene, if some relevant circumstance is true.

<Random_Nerd> Like the stuff you can do when you're in the dark right now.

<Knockwood> which tier is something like my heartlessly perfect in the dark power?

<Random_Nerd> The third.

<Knockwood> oops, answered. :)

<Random_Nerd> And I Alone May Save You is an example of the 1/week kind.

<Knockwood> actually, like you said, I could swap any of those out by changing my Wounds, right?

<Random_Nerd> Your existing ones? Almost any of them, yeah. Like, not Empowered Wounds itself, but the Heartless, Friendless, Glorious ones.

<Random_Nerd> One wound is worth two or three powers of these types.

<Knockwood> but the perk would add to that set while not being swappable, right?

<Random_Nerd> This would just be a separate thing.

<Random_Nerd> Not drawing on a particular wound.

<Random_Nerd> Just something you learned how to do.

<Knockwood> (No one else has an opinion?)

<Etheric> I don't really have an opinion, no.

<Angelo> (not me)

<Etheric> And, since it's clear by now that there will be no game tonight, I suppose I should be going.

<Etheric> See you all next week.

<BethE> Night, Eth!

<Angelo> Night Eth!

<Random_Nerd> Yeah, if V was going to show, it would have been like an hour ago.

<Angelo> nod

|<-- Etheric has left irc.magicstar.net (Disintegrated: Destiny is choice.)

<BethE> (And no, I took a bunch of brain cells out to figure out Rinley's new power.

<Angelo> ah, when we stop I'll run to the beach! Night swimm! weeeee!

<Knockwood> I thought that was her new power. :D

<Random_Nerd> So, which of the three power types did you want?

<Knockwood> Looking at that middle tier.

<Random_Nerd> Okay.

<Random_Nerd> Shall we go with the anti-nightmare circle that you were talking about earlier?

<Knockwood> hm... so, once per session I can zap a circle into existence that nightmares can't enter?

<Knockwood> or exit?

<Angelo> Guys, I go, have a great discussion!

<Knockwood> cya next week Angelo

<--| YOU (Angelo) have left #Nobilis



Chancel_Amyra
Chapter 36