For Science! Test Group A. Chapter one, It ain't over till the fat man screams.

[Evil DM Mark3]

It is 19:07, December 1st, 2010 and the most painful part of the month has just ended. Rent has been paid. Having counted it the chunky slab of muscle and, concealed by a shirt, flesh-tone plastic, that is Frank turns and smiles.

"OK lads, that looks like everything. Only thing left is a message from Clockwork Harry. We wants a word with you in the bar, a word about money he would like you to have if you understand. Well, got to get the Noel recipes entered before I abed tonight, plus visit some other tennants. See ya!"

The Bar is just next door, you know of Dr Malcome Richards (Clockwork Harry to his friends, JUST his friends) but have never met him.

[The Kings Raven]

Lilly's finances followed a fairly regular routine, two weeks of impulsive recreational buying followed by two weeks of saving for the rent. Just moments ago she handed over £500 to A.C. Frank which meant the good times had just rolled in.

Looking around Lilly realised she was the first of her semi-official Collaborative to arrive, she had money, she had a moment, what better way to celebrate these facts than by purchasing and consuming unusual yet alcoholic beverages? Lilly had heard of Dr Malcome Richards but never met him, so making an educated guess she waved her arrival at the man with clockwork themed Wonders before heading to the bar and ordering an “Edison's Just Deserts”: A cross between sparkling vodka and lime cheesecake. Lilly could name and describe ingredient, she'd learned the hard way what happened if you left your chemistry degree outside Frank's Bar.

Drink in hand she walked up to the presumed Clockwork Harry and without asking joined him at the table, the circuitry adorning her suit contrasted with the clockworks of Harry's Wonders. ”Dr Richards? I'm Lilly, you wanted to see me."

OOC: I'm assuming the a Genius bar will allow full body wonders. If I'm wrong Lilly instead is wearing jeans and a shirt. She's got the spark rings on her (she always has the spark rings) but to be non threatening she's not wearing non-integral Katastrofi. Belt Pouch or pockets

[Evil DM Mark3]

OOC:Yes that's fine. Just don't out any weapons, Frank has good security.

The patron looks at you for a moment, blinks twice and then indicates a man wearing a Teddy boy style suit drinking what you recongise as a "Armageddon Clock 11:15." "Him."

[Phunbaba]

After hearing that Dr Richards wanted to seem them he'll plac his fedora atop his head. He'll also stop working on the next fedora that he was making on the bench. After he puts his tools away he'll go to follow the lovely Miss Clark to Frank's palce.

As he enters and well see about making an order. After all it's only polite right? He'll snag the first waiter/waitress/other that comes by in uniform and ask for a mohican flaming mary-pie and that he'll be with Dr Malcome Richards. He's not sure what he'll get but that's part of the fun. And he didn't add any mechanical terms that he knows of so he's pretty sure he wont be getting some sort of flamming petrol, that was embarrassing.

After placing the order he'll go ahead and try to find Dr Richards and Lilly. He'll catch sight of her as she leaves a man sitting at a table. So he'll start there.

Coming up to the man he'll ask "Dr Richards?" At this the man will kinda sigh and point towards Miss Clark's retreating back and say "That way." "Oh sorry, thanks. Err, have a good night." And then he starts off again to join Miss Clark with the right Dr Richards.

[The Kings Raven]

"Cheers" Says Lilly raising her glass in thanks. She quickly scoots over to the correct Harry. "Dr Richards I presume? I'm Lilly."

[Evil DM Mark3]

"Hmm. This is two of you. I was waiting for more than that. However in the interim, tell me about yourselves."

[The Kings Raven]

Lilly spends a moment wondering how much of her private life she should tell a complete stranger before deciding on none of it. “Well I've only been Inspired for a couple of months now and it's been so much fun but nearly all my money is going into the lab and developing stuff, that sucks. I wish I was one of those Makers who can just rummage around the junkyard for freebies.”

About her work Lilly says the following:
“Mostly I work with electromagnetism. You go further if you just pick one field and get really really good at it, but I don't understand why some people specalise in” Lilly almost says Clockwork but catches herself “Mirrors or stuff like that. Specialising in macroscale science just limits you, go for one of the four fundamental forces.”

When asked about her Catalyst she explains:
“Well the psych tests said I'm a Grimm. I'm not sure how I feel about being super-angry, I don't really feel angry that often, but Katastrofi is pretty cool I guess. I'm just glad I'm not a Klagen or a Neid, who'd want to be mopey or stop trusting all their friends? Oh, you're not a Neid or a Kalgan are you? If he is she'll say “Sorry!”

On joining the Navigators:
“I guess I just don't see myself as the academic sort. Building Wonders is fun but I can't imagine spending my entire life in the lab. I want to get out there and do stuff, stuff most people can't even dream of. The Navigators understand that. And everyone seems to have such interesting stories, like have you ever been to outer-space? As soon as I'm old enough I'm getting a temp job on a spaceship, I am not going to die without ever leaving this planet.”

If asked about Fellowships
“Iridium Sentinels! Can't you tell from the outfit? I need a Scholarship if I'm ever going to keep up with the cost of Wonders, the Sentinels is outdoor work, adventure and good for the community. She doesn’t mention how the Sentinels tie into her Breakthrough, or her worry that vigilantism doesn’t reinforce her link to M^2 humanity like you'd expect playing to her Catalyst would.

[Phunbaba]

After hearing some of what Lilly says David will add chime in with, "I might be able to show you how and give you some tips. Like finding out when a company is going to be upgrading a lot of it's computers and then pretending to be the guy that's there to pick 'em all up. If they don't just throw em in the trash that is. And if you don't mind being a little creative in how you get your things running.

So far I seem to have a bent for protection, always good, and holograms. I think I might be close to building a device that'll really change one thing into another but I'm still scrounging some parts on it. Or what time is it?" Looks at his watch "Or rather right now I guess Shaun is."

After she say's "Oh, you're not a Neid or a Kalgan are you?" he'll say "I forget, have I told you I'm Grimm too? Well not grimm the mood but from the psych test too." He'll wait for Dr Richards yes or no and possible apology before continueing on with "I've never really thought of myself as a particularly violent person myself. Was always raised to see violence as a last resort.

I've always liked tinkering with things to find out how they work. Not just destroying stuff for the sake of destroying it. Though I haven't really had much call to need to destroy stuff either. "

[Evil DM Mark3]

"To be Grimm is not to be angry, it is to be anger. It is rare for individuals to be able to tell in themselves, but answer this. If a threat to your work emerged, would you have any hesitation in destroying it? No. Because you are anger. Over time that nature will become clearer and more focused, as you gain inspiration. I am a psychologist myself, I find the study of young Geniuses such as yourself fascinating."

[Recaiden]

The rent. the second month was just starting and he was already worrying about coming up with next month's. And supplies, the electricity... And he knows he can afford it, for now. But crazy plans for getting money come into his head anyway.
But now there's someone looking to meet them.
Dorien snatches up his monocle and walks to the bar. Still couldn't 'get' the drink menu here. But there's people to talk to. Oh, forgot to take off his lab coat again. No matter. "Evening Lily, David. You're Dr. Richards?" he asks, taking a seat.

[Evil DM Mark3]

"Ah, wonderful. I am the head of a group of Geniuses that are responsible for countering an annual maniacal hazard on behalf of the Peerage. I want you to understand that this is one of the most important things the Peerage does. Failure could bring about a global breakout crisis. It is scheduled to occur in 23 days time, at dusk, with a primary focal point 3 miles north of Bristol. Now the main team deals with the actual hazard, but we need secondary teams to deal with the mop up, the event generates vast quantities of Maniacal and Wondrous objects and individuals that need isolation and/or termination. I am willing to offer £850 for one night's work, paid in advance, a boon in the current season I am sure you will agree. Now then, do you wish to become involved in 24D?"

[The Kings Raven]

In response to David's tips Lilly laughs "I'm going to be a Sentinel, I'll have to string you up for that."

When David says I forget, have I told you I'm Grimm too?" Lilly jokes "Not you doufus, him" gesturing to Clockwork harry. "I know you're Grimm"

Clockwork Harry's impromptu lecture drains the good mood somewhat: If a threat to your work emerged, would you have any hesitation in destroying it? No. "Um yes. I mean I might rough it up a little but I don't want to destroy anyone...". She trails off and focuses deeply on her drink. Being a mad scientist is only fun when you avoid thinking about the "mad".


Fortunately she cheers right up when she hears that she will be paid almost a months wages for one days work. A day of cleaning up and maybe pocketing potentially valuable maniacal objects. Sure! Thinking she may have come across as over-eager Lilly quickly thought up a way to sound more mature and responsible in front of the magical job offering Genius. Mania clean-up will look great on an application to the Sentinels. Suddenly Lilly realises what she just heard: Wait, every year? F***"

[Evil DM Mark3]

He looks at you as if he is waiting for something.

[The Kings Raven]

Why was he looking like that? Lilly had already agreed to his offer, thinking of his precise speech patterns and the implications of "clockwork", perhaps he was unwilling or unable to accept such a loosely worded agreement? In a slightly questioning tone Lilly says: "Yes I will take the job."

OOC: A Wits (4) + Empathy (1) roll to figure out what's up with Harry. [rollv]5d10[rollv]

[The Kings Raven]

Oops, forgot the / :smallfrown: [roll0]. Cool two successes. Don't worry about the 10s, I'm sure I won't get an exceptional success out of them.

[Evil DM Mark3]

He looks like a man waiting for something to dawn on a pupil.

[Recaiden]

"On Christmas Eve? Well, to keep the world safe...I'll do it." No need to mention it's really just for the money, and the fact that what mad science is he going to get done on a holiday anyways?

[The Kings Raven]

"Is it December already? Isn't that next we... Oh." Suddenly a penny carrying the implications of the date begins to fall. With a wicked grin spreading across her face Lilly's voice becomes exponentially more enthusiastic. "Oh. I wouldn't miss this for the world. Will we get too see a Mane of the fat guy himself?"

[Phunbaba]

David will quietly consider what he has heard and break out with, "Right I'll take the job. Sure why not. But why do you say a focal point and not the focal point? "

Fat guy? Christmas Eve? Oh right, wow. Are the toys wondrous or something? Or are they not spreading good cheer and toys? I should make people some presents.

Any-who, with that in mind I'll probably still help out. And is that £850 each or split three ways?

And does 2040 remind anyone else of some defunct sci fi tv series?"

[Evil DM Mark3]

"Imagine the scene. It's Christmas day and Johnny Smith comes down the stairs to find that his stocking is full of presents including a toy soldier in the top." The doctor leans towards you at this point. "He reaches out towards the Maniacal toy, its not really real, the product the the vanishing belief of a year of children. It's stable, for now. but then he touches it." The doctor slams his fist onto the table. "WHAM! Havoc. The toys are suddenly unstable manes. There are a lot of them, far too many to be able to share so they tear little Johnny apart. Now imagine this happening in every home where there is a boy or girl who's behaviour has been above that determined by their instinctive understanding and hormonal levels in the western world and Japan. Our most positive projections predict the death of 12% of the western world and Japan's children, and that is before you consider the injuries, the beholden, the breakthroughs. It would end the world as we knew it. And £850 each, bring your wonders."

[The Kings Raven]

Hearing Clockwork Harry speak dampened Lilly's mood. Oh, not nearly enough for her to stop thinking this was going to be a fun job, with sweet cash and scavenging. But definitely enough to make Lilly realise that if she took the job, and she was defiantly taking the job, she had to take it seriously. “Look, I'm not going to lie to you. I want the money, I'm hoping to scavenge a few Christmas presents for myself, but I think I speak for all of us when I say I know what's at stake here. I'm in and until the 25th nothing is more important than saving the world. Deep inside a little part of Lilly whooped in delight that she could say that without irony or being silly.

[Evil DM Mark3]

"I need signatures..." He pulls out some contracts which, upon inspection, are surprisingly easy to read and simply detail what you know already. "And then we can deal with money and you can be on your way."

[Recaiden]

Dorien takes a contract swiftly and reads over it. "Nice contracts you've got here. You should work writing them." He signs.

[Phunbaba]

Taking one of the contracts he'll read it the whole way through before signing.

With a smile David will say, "And now I can officially say I'm a contractor. After all what's a contractor but a guy who works by contract. I wonder if people will think I'm in construction worker of some sort."

He'll hand back a signed contract and extend a hand with witch to shake and ask, "So, there anything else you want to talk about?"

Assuming Dr. Richards says "No." he'll turn to the others and ask "So, do you guy's want to tell me what you want for Christmas or should it be a surprise?"

[The Kings Raven]

Lilly held the pen to her cheek as she thought which name to sign with, before putting her real one at the bottom of the half read contract.

"Just don't get me anything sentient, biological or Orphaned" Laughs Lilly. Since she already knows what she's getting everyone she dosn't return the question.

[Evil DM Mark3]

"Good. Here is the money. I have other people I need to meet so if you don't mind..."

[Recaiden]

To David, with a smile, Dorien says "I am shocked that you would ask. Christmas presents simply must be a surprise. You're letting your desire for peace and prosperity cloud your judgment."
To Clockwork Harry, he simply nods.

[The Kings Raven]

Lilly is perhaps a little too eager to take the money but it's hers now. A huge pile of cash calls for more alcohol! Once Harry left Lilly turned to the rest of the table. "First round's on me, what does everyone want?"

[Phunbaba]

Looking around the table David will say, "I don't think the first drink I ordered has even arrived yet. I wonder how long it takes to make a mohican flaming mary-pie. Or maybe they don't have that here. As a rule with a cocktail list as long as this place has I just have fun coming up with names. "

And speaking towards Dorien and Lilly, "Well since he wants us to go I guess we better go. Though I thought he said he liked watching slash studying us. Maybe they'll know the drink should be mind 'cause I'm wearing a fedora."

[Evil DM Mark3]

As you speak one of the bar staff wheels over a trolley with a fractional distillation and liquid nitrogen chilling set up on it. At one end is a tiny pastry case filled with green ice. "That will be £18."

[Phunbaba]

Looking at the trolley he'll spout out, "Liquid nitrogen, I wasn't expecting that. To be clear this is non-hazardous when ingested by normal human physiology correct?" And he'll start reaching to his wallet to pay for the drink. "And if it isn't could you point out some sentient entities that should find it enjoyable. Might be able to get a conversation out of it at least."

[The Kings Raven]

“You ordered without reading the schematics?” Calls Lilly from a new table, which she seems to have migrated too while everyone was watching the trolley. “Eat it, drink it, whatever. I want to see what happens.”

[Recaiden]

"I'm sure he wouldn't serve anything too lethal."
Dorien slides his chair back to watch anyway.

[Phunbaba]

In a pointed way to Dorien "If you'd care to have it before hearing the answer I'll gladly accept £18 from you." And he puts up a hand to try and stop the server from answering his question so he can hear Dorien's response. "Or you for that matter," he'll add towards Lilly.

[The Kings Raven]

"No way am I touching that. You ordered it, you eat it!"

[Recaiden]

Dorien chuckles. "Full price for a second-hand drink? You must think I'm mad. £10, no more."

[The Kings Raven]

"You are mad" laughs lilly throwing a balled up paper coaster advertising the campaign for unreal ale at Dorien's head with perfect accuracy. "You're entirely bonkers. But I'll tell you a secret. All the best people are."

[Evil DM Mark3]

*Time Skip! 2xp each.*

You hung around for a few hours, Clockwork spoke to several groups until he left in a rage. A genius he was talking to seemed to have annoyed him.

"I DO NOT APPRECIATE YOUR TONE OR YOUR INSINUATION YOU ARROGANT LITTLE PRIG! WE HAVE AN OBLIGATION TO PROTECT HUMANITY FROM EVENTS AND KNOWLEDGE THAT WILL HARM IT AND THE SOONER YOU REALISE THAT THE BETTER YOUR CHANCES OF AVOIDING THE BIG BURN!! I DON'T CARE WHAT HE LOOKS LIKE OR WHAT HE THINKS, HE IS GOING TO SLAUGHTER INNOCENT CHILDREN. AND GUESS WHAT? HE IS POWERFUL, CHILDREN ASCRIBE A LOT OF POWER TO A QUASI-DEIFIC ENTITY AND SOMETIMES WE CAN'T RISK DISABLING IF WE HAVE THE CHANCE FOR A KILL."

You decided to leave not long after that...

It is a week later and you are in the lab. Composure+Resolve please (perception)

[The Kings Raven]

Composure + Resolve
[roll0]

[Recaiden]

Dorien leaves, wincing sympathetically at the outburst. Man had to blow up on someone trying to do the right thing, didn't he? He shuffles back to the lab.
Composure + Resolve = 2+2
[roll0]

[Recaiden]

Dorien is at a (mundane) computer, reading over the history of interchangeable parts.

Extra roll for the 10 [roll0]

[Evil DM Mark3]

Dorien notices that there is a man in a nearby car park taking photos of the lab from inside a van.

[Recaiden]

That's no good. Dorien gets up and heads out the back door, trying to get around to the car park without being seen.

[Evil DM Mark3]

Roll Dex+Stealth. It is the mid day on a Saturday, so the street is fairly busy and there is an unbroken line of sight to the carpark

[Recaiden]

This is going to go over great. He's not exactly the sneaky type. But he'll do his best.
[roll0]

[The Kings Raven]

Lilly remained oblivious to all that was going on: She was working on the toughest school had to offer: science homework. Lilly used detailed study notes, textbooks, google, and calculators to ensure that at no time did she ever engage her own brain for if she did Mania would helpfully provide good answers and nonsense explanations.

(OOC:)Just a little justification for why the quick witted Lilly hasn't noticed anything.

[Evil DM Mark3]

The car pulls away and drives off. The sign on the side is for a vet.

[Recaiden]

As the car starts to move Dorien freezes, hoping to give his goggle stability to record details about the van, such as the precise name of the company or license plate. Then he'll head back into the lab. He should have expected that. Maybe a more passive approach will work better next time.
"There was someone spying on the lab."

[The Kings Raven]

"Who? Did you get any way to track them? As she suggests tracking Lilly glances towards her suit. Certainly her crimefighting began and ended with chance encounters while patrolling the worse parts of town but everyone starts with their first investigation. "We should ask around, we might not be the only ones, let me check online, it's a little early for next door." She fires up a new browser tab and begins searching through the labyrinthine webpages that were the online Bristol inspired community.

Intelligence 2 + Computer 1 [roll0]
For Tens (and equipment bonus, if any] [roll1]

[Evil DM Mark3]

You find nothing of interest, no one else has reported anything. You do do a double take however when you see the name of the man who runs the Vet the van supposedly belongs to, "Uncle Jeff" Richards golfs with your father.

@V King's Raven, as that was the person who made the roll.

[Recaiden]

Whose father?

"I'm afeared not. They got away before I could get close." Dorien will relate all the information he has, and sit at his desk, attuning the Inspiration Calculator to his perceptive resonance (1 mania to power it), and search for any information the internet might have on Jeff Richards, correlate it, and try to see if that will give any insight into why he would be doing this. Shady business connections leading to Lemuria, rival labs, a history of being creepy, anything that can be found or emerge from the patterns of info, really. "The real question is, 'why?'."

Computer Roll Int + Computers + Equipment 5+5+2
[roll0]

[The Kings Raven]

"So is my dad's golf buddy secretly a super snake ninja?" asks Lilly as she looks over Dorien's shoulder. Her tone is three parts genuine question and one part incredulous. It was hard to imagine someone as ordinary as her dad playing golf with an agent of an ancient reptile conspiracy.

Then again it's hard to imagine anyone as ordinary as her dad having a mad scientist superhero-to-be for a daughter so there was that. "What's the range on those things?" She's referring to Dorien's goggles. "I could find out when Dad and Jeff are next golfing and listen in. Maybe Dad's just got it into his head I'm in trouble and Jeff is spying for him. It was kinda amateur, he even used his own van."

Suddenly Inspiration strikes. "Here's the address for Jeff's store. Think you can get into a CCTV camera?

OOC: If bristol is like London there'd be camears everywhere on a high street. If it's not like London or you don't want the it on a high street I'll edit the last bit out.

[Evil DM Mark3]

London has the highest number of CCTV cameras per capita IN THE WORLD (your money is on Lemurians in the London Bureaucracy, you certainly know that Peers tend to avoid London and Oxford) but Bristol has more than a few too, just not such a high saturation.

The search on Jeffrey Richards turns up a reasonable amount of things, one being that he is apparently visiting an infirm relative in America at the moment.

Born in 1962 to British parents living in Egypt Jeffrey was raised by his grandmother from the age of 7 after his parents where killed in an apparent mugging gone wrong. HE moved to England to be raised by an uncle. Despite a rocky childhood the gifted Jeffrey passed the 11+ and eventually went to university and qualified as a veterinarian. His career has been mostly uneventful but you do notice a lot of foreign travel. Aside from that there is little of note about him, he has lived a good life rather well up until this point.

The DVLA records for the van show that the plates are false.

[Recaiden]

"He could be anybody's secret super ninja." That's one hundred percent genuine answer. Dorien finds it easy to believe.
"But something's not right. The driver outfitted it with fake plates, and he's supposedly across the Atlantic right now.
If it's him, why fake plates and a false trail if he was going to use an emblazoned van? If it's not him, why use fake plates. To throw suspicion onto him, clearly." The the web of suspicion and lies begin!
"We need to know if he actually got on that plane for the United States, to test it. Maybe I can get something with the cameras. Great idea."
His fingers fly over the featureless control board. "Let's see if I can tap part of the network meshing. Assuming there's one with a view of his place."

Here are some computer rolls:
With the Psychoscanner Eyepiece to locate an 'appropriate target' CCTV camera near Jeff's store through the wireless network: Int 5+ Computers 5 [roll0]
For any tens: [roll1]

[The Kings Raven]

"Dad did mention a trip, but if he's lieing dad's probably not in on it. Airports are full of security so there's got to be records we can lift." Ah Apokolypsi, truly knowledge was power.

"Maybe it's a double bluff, or triple bluff or something. They use their own van, put fake plates on it, and we spend all day wondering who's framing who? Maybe he went to America to look clean while he gets his beholden to do all the work. He could be working for a Snake and his boss borrowed the van. It could be anything, did you get something solid from the cameras?"

[Evil DM Mark3]

There is nothing unusual at the Vet, although there is a van parked there with the signage on it, but it is of a very different model to the one you saw.

[Recaiden]

"That could be it. Cameras are giving me nothing. Sorry. They've got a van there but it's not the one that was outside. No one has come or gone in the timeframe I have access to. We may have to wait until something else occurs. A second incident would vastly increase the analyzable data available to us."

[The Kings Raven]

"Keep the feed, if the van turns up we'd want to get a look at the driver. I know! Go back to the DVLA again. Look up all the vans owned by the pet store, see if they own the right model.

[Recaiden]

"Don't you think I've already done that?" he quips. He does cycle back to make sure, because the model has slipped his mind. He also compares the color and any plates that might be visible on the new van.

[Evil DM Mark3]

The vans are definitely not related. The van that was spying on you however matches the make and model of one sold to a second hand dealership by the Vets three months ago and was reported stolen later that week.

[Recaiden]

"Here's...well, a great false trail for Jeff or an explanation. The original car was sold off and then stolen from the new dealers. Which tells us little, and means we can't track it through legit channels." Dorien sighs.

[The Kings Raven]

"So they sold the van, then stole their own van to make a paper trail but put fake plates on it so it looks like a proper stolen getaway vehicle and the last person you'd ever expect is that they'd stolen their own van but left easily identifiable markings pointing at themselves because no one would ever suspect anyone to do something that silly! Lilly paused her increasingly incomprehensible and breathless stream of words. She thought about what she was saying and looked at one of the lab safety posters Harry had put up everywhere. There in black and white below a glowering puppy was a warning: You will see patterns where there are none, stop that.

"I don't, I don't think the pet shop people are involved. Give me a moment, I need to self medicate." Lilly turns on her ipod and starts a playlist of pirated pop songs that imply a woman's life revolves around fashion, popularity and boyfriends. Enough to slow down anyone's brain.

"I think the pet shop is just a coincidence, or just left as a distraction by the actual thief. I could look around the dealers but I think we're three months too late for that. Here's the thing if they're not from the pet shop then there's no link to me, they might be after all the Inspired, I suggest we break until pub-hours then try asking around, maybe whoever knows something just didn't post online and we need to put the warning out."

ooc trivia:I intended her first idea to be silly but not incomprehensible, somehow it came out as pure awful English. Why look a gift horse in the mouth?

[Recaiden]

"Right. Jeff probably is innocently in America."
He nods. "That sounds good. I should be getting some work done anyway."

[The Kings Raven]

Lilly returns to her science homework, after purging her brain with another few minuets of anti-thought music.

[The Kings Raven]

*Timeskip*

It was evening and the Inspired had desended upon DC Franks for drinks as bizzare as their names and the company of one's peers. Lilly Clark entered wearing heir finest formal labcoat and chrome edged welding goggles upon her forehead. Her mission, put the warning out that someone was spying on Geniuses and maybe hear if anyone else had a similar encounter.

Of course everyone knew intoxication lubicated the gears of socalisation, and by everyone we mean young Inspired woman named Lilly who didn't need much excuse to grab a drink. And so, carbonated fermented peach and chilli in hand, Lilly desended upon the crowd. Starting with those her own age, taking gaps in coversation when they occurred, forcing herself in when they didn't, Lilly began to spread the warning.

Presence (3) + Socalise (-1)
[roll0]

[Evil DM Mark3]

OK, I am making a decision, because of the spotty attendance of some players both groups are below a functional level. Test Group B join thread A, anyone who has not posted in the last 48 hours has until 9pm, GMT, on Monday to move their character sheet over to As OOC thread or be booted.

At a corner table you see Frank talking to, a tank?

Yes.

He seems highly distressed, Frank that is, not the tank. You also recognise that there are a lot more people here than usual, and those people who are here are more influential on the whole. The air seems like that before a storm. You get some way warning younger people, but the older peers seem cagey and evasive.

Something is insulting Newton.

[Exthalion]

Alrai had had a stressful day recovering from his scouring. Now, as he walked to the bar he almost forgot how tired he was. He felt the stars singing on his skin. He heard the intricate dance of electricity and heat a modern city brings. He saw the lingering echos of thought and all the mental processes that had birthed them.

He stopped mid way and steadied himself and chanted something in a throaty whisper. Opening his eyes he looked on with supernal vision, seeing things beyond mortal ken; the true nature of all he surveyed.

A rather tired looking young man of obvious Asian descent half walks half stumbles into the bar. Settling next to the tank he rests his head for a moment on his crossed hands.

Briefly he scans the room, occasionally stopping to scrutinize something that caught his attention.


Supernal Vision
Dice Pool: Wits+Occult+Prime+High Speech=1+0+1+2=4
[roll0]

[Evil DM Mark3]

The whole room seems to be filled with a thin white mist, its effects on your already tired mind is in danger of giving you a migraine. The lightening you have come to associate with Mania swims in the air and over everyone, far more rapidly and visibly in a few people sitting at the table furthest from the door. Flashes of that light seem to be moving in the air between Geniuses, almost as though it was jumping between them, although what that would mean is beyond you. Many of the wonders here in the bar have far more directed and focused auras than the works of your collogues, whatever that means.


"OK Ark, give me the data and we will see what is what."

[Malfunctioned]

A tallish man, his exact ethnicity hard to pin down but dark olive skin and tightly curled hair seem to be all that stands out, walks into the bar and stands just behind Alrai. He wears a heavy worn leather jacket, slightly oversized jeans and a pair of fingerless wool gloves.
"You're doing it, aren't you?" He questions Alrai.

[Exthalion]

"If you mean following my career path, then yes. However, something is not quite right. Going by the last time we were here as a baseline."

[X15lm204]

A little ways away, a young man listens to Lilly's warning with interest. He is a tall, well-built man with messy blond hair, a friendly face, and reading glasses perched on the end of his nose. Contrasting strongly with this is the fact that he is wearing bulky armour from the neck down, and giving occasional nervous glances he throws at the more hostile- or twitchy-looking patrons of the bar. He has no drink or meal.

I wonder... he says as Lilly concludes, have you or your friends by chance seen or heard of a squid-like device in the river? It's got a friend of mine- he nods towards Frank and Ark -quite worked up, and I get the feeling this isn't something that can be safely left alone... Most likely the two occurrences are unrelated, but I'd rather take no chances with this.

Oh, I'm Sean Baines, by the way. He offers a hand to shake.

[Exthalion]

To confirm his suspicion, Alrai began to scrutinize the resonance of the white fog.

Scrutinize Resonance Intelligence+Occult=5+2=7 Storyteller is supposed to roll for me. Mage the Awakening Page:277-280

10 rounds of scrutiny

[Recaiden]

Dorien strides into the bar. He's remembered to take off his labcoat and looks almost normal, only the odd monocle over his left eye looking out of place beneath his messy brown hair.
Ordering a drink at random, he drifts over by Lilly and her conversation partner. "Haven't heard a bit about it. Pleased to make your acquaintance though, Mr. Baines. Dorien myself."

[The Kings Raven]

"Er no, I don't do to much with the river. Water, electricity, you know. Think it might be Lemurian? We had a spy at our lab earlier."

To Dorien she says "Look at this place, something is definitely up and I don't think it's 24d, that's too organised to cause this. I'm going to find out what's going on."

Using a simple heuristic Lilly selects a conversation based on the mean influence of it's participants multiplied by talkativeness on a 0 to 1 scale and positions herself nearby. Her body language makes it clear that she's listening in but remains unobtrusive.

[Evil DM Mark3]

Listening in on conversations you hear that several Geniuses have been attacked over the past day.

Alrai, roll Stamina+Composure.

[The Kings Raven]

Hearing the news made Lilly feel more at ease. A few hours ago she was one of two people targeted by an unknown spy now she was one of many well armed madmen with a common enemy.

A part of her wondered what people were waiting for, when you're attacked the last thing you do is hide away. Another part guessed the answer was that the experienced Geniuses were worried about letting well armed madmen off the collar. Most of her was content to ignore the question, she could feel the energy of the room, people were itching to fight back why worry if the bigshots needed to talk stuff out first.


Lilly drops by Dorien. ""It's official, we're not the only ones. There's been attacks too." before mingling into the crowd, trying to get a sense of who's ready to fight. She regrets her choice of clothes. She had dressed formal so people might take her warnings more seriously, in retrospect Prostaisa and Katastrofi would probably have been more appropriate, slipping the Spark Rings onto her fingers can only help so much.

[Doran]

Ark passes over a few printouts of info on the squid like vessel he found to Frank "-There you go, Frank-"

[Evil DM Mark3]

Frank feeds the data into a small device on the table. After a while it produces a hologram that looks like a sort of black metal squid. Frank stands up and nods at a table furthest from the door. One of them stands up and suddenly you realise you can see them. Peter VanKolingsveld a jittery man in his early 40s, Brigadier Walter-Walters a middle aged woman in a peculiar uniform, Barbera Hardgrieves a woman with sort of plasticly skin, Llewellyn Ap Jones a man in a tatty suit and thick glasses, and Jannet Rattery a woman in a bright purple cardigan and pearls (if you know them, you know them, otherwise you don't) are sitting at it.

The Brigadier stands up.
"Ladies, Gentlemen, Both, Neither, Yes Please and Withheld. Settle down. This is important. We have recently had several attacks on Peers in this city. A non-Peer associated with a collaborative has provided data that, take together with witness reports, confirms our suspicions. There is a Seig Class Ulbermenchen Scout vessel operating in the Avon. Ulbermenchen have been sighted in Bristol. We don't know why. It is incredibly important that we do not reveal that we are aware of their presence as a whole. Your coming and going today has been concealed by the wonders of VanKolingsveld. As you leave you will be given the contact details of one other collaborative and my pamphlet "Ulbermenchen and you". Avoid revealing what we are aware of, we need to find out what they are doing here and why. Adding to the complication we have also had unconfirmed sightings of space vessels that may or may not be related. I will now take questions from the floor."

[The Kings Raven]

When Lilly gets a chance, and assuming no one asked first, Lilly goes for the obvious question:

"How bad is a 'Seig'? Is the problem preventing a big fight in front of mere mortals or could the Nazi's take us all in a fight?"

[Exthalion]

[roll0]

Turning from his scrutiny of the mist Alrai begins to scrutinize the loud, and some what obnoxious, speaker.

[Evil DM Mark3]

*pop*
It's a high density mutual discharge field caused by the effect of your spell on the standing Mania field. It is a non-hazardous interference phenomena.
*pop*

That idea arrived, fully formed (along with 24 hours of the narcissism derangement) in your head, you know not from where. You believe it is right, but lack the background knowledge to understand what it means. You also have a splitting headache and numbness behind you left eye.

The speaker has a refined, rigid and focused aura, her every action and thought lead by a brief flux in the aura. Everything this woman does she knows about and plans for. Even as she stands there however, there is a core of excitement in her, an edge desire that appears to be constantly on the verge bursting through.

"A Seig is a scout vessel, not a major hazard in and of itself, but equipped with high level sensory wonders and those tentacles are fully combat operative. A little beyond you at the moment Captain, but give it time." At this point she cracks a smile and a few of the other Geniuses stifle laughs. The jittery man stands up at this point.

"N-no one is t-to t-take on the su-su-submarine in any c-c-c-case. We mu-mu-must hide the level of our inteleg-g-gance."

"Quite so. Everyone is to hide how smart Peter and I am." This gets a few genuine laughs. "But your point is good Captain, they are a big enough issue that we would risk exposing Mundanes to the conflict. This we WILL NOT look kindly upon."

[The Kings Raven]

Lilly knows the Brigadier is right. She's not ready to take on a vehicle and especially not underwater, but it still makes her angry. Actually Lilly is surprised at how angry it makes her but rational sense prevails. Between Nazi's, Santa Claus and what assumed were the local heads of all five foundations there is sufficient motive to keep cool, even then it's close and Lilly dosn't risk opening her mouth for a while.

[Evil DM Mark3]

Someone throws a ball of paper through Peter, revealing him to be a hologram.
"Told you!"
"OK stop that! You know Peter has Agoraphobia, (and Achluophobia Agateophobiam Allodoxaphobia Ballistophobia Bathophobia Caligynephobia Carcinophobia Carnophobia Deipnophobia Dextrophobia Dutchphobia Eisoptrophobia... Look my point is don't taunt a man who knows what you had for dinner on October the 8th 7 year ago). Now, anyone other than a Teenage Navigator have an intelligent question?"

[Doran]

Ark quickly checks arond to see if Clockwork Harry is there. "-Do you have any more detailed specifications/blueprints on their speed, attack types and weak points? Not that I'm planning to engage them, but its best to be prepared.-"

[Evil DM Mark3]

He is not.

"Well now look you." Ap Llewellyn adjusts his glasses. "I have had experience myself with their machines so I have. Pretty tidy they are too. The problem with specific weakness you see is beyond the actual army you have the personal devices of the various Inspired they have and that means unpredictability isntit? The ideal of construction is towards efficiency however, often to the point of overspecialisation. More than a few time I've seen them pull back because their war walker or whathaveyew is designed for mountains and there is a road in the way or similar. Get them out of their designated roles, that's yer ticket."

Jannet Ratterly then interjects. "Now the Ulbermench him or herself is a product of intensive Eugenics program, scrutinised from birth for any defect that may result in them not meeting the narrow confines of the Nazi ideal. For this reason expect them to be strong, aggressive and dedicated. But this also makes them easy to spot, just look for gangs of blond, blue eyed, 6ft men in boots and work shirts. They also defer to their superiors whenever they can, taking orders in natural to them, independent thinking is rarer among the foot troops. Above all though rely on them to attack if in a corner. They have the unshakable belief that they are better than you, and will fall back on that assumption if needed."

[The Kings Raven]

Now, anyone other than a Teenage Navigator have an intelligent question?"

Lilly is going to feel a lot of pride from that comment, after she gets rid of her anger.

[Doran]

Hsving heard everything he wanted to, Ark grabs the pamphlet and the details of the collaborative next door, and clanks over to talk to them in the corner. Injecting a shot into an auxiliary port, he introduces himself. "-Greetings! Been kind of an odd week hasn't it, first with 24D, now this buisness with Nazi manes. Are any of you ladies and gentlemen looking for any katastrofi or apokalypsi wonders in light of this news? I am willing to offer such a service-"

[The Kings Raven]

Ark hasn't caught Lilly in the best of moods. She's surly and speaking only into her drink in a poor attempt to hide that. "I make my own. Ask me again when it's time to use them."

[Malfunctioned]

Madhukar rest a hand on the table next to Lilly.
"No need to be so rude. My associate here was only attempting to properly introduce himself."

He looks up.
"Madhukar Ragno." He offers his hand in introduction.

[Recaiden]

Dorien nods to Ark with a smile, adjusting some settings on his monocle-visor.
He'll probably skip Lilly and shake Madhukar's hand. "Dorien Robertson. Pleased to meet you."

"Now, Katastrofi, you say? Tell me more, if you would." he directs to Ark.

[The Kings Raven]

Lilly shakes Madhukar's hand, his insectoid traits don't bother her in the slightest. ""Lilly Clark" she replies in the same tone as before.

[X15lm204]

Sean wonders for a moment why several previously indifferent people are suddenly giving him hostile glances before realizing that he has the misfortune of being the only blond haired, blue eyed, 1.85 metre, strongly built man in the room. He chuckles nervously, pushes his glasses farther up his nose, and slowly edges closer to the rest of his collaborative.

Ark, he says quietly, when we get back to the lab I'd like to discuss a possible trade. Something I'm working on now might interest you, and all I have for weaponry at the moment is my fists.

[Doran]

Ark glances over at Sean, "-Yes, sure I'll do that.-". He turns to Dorien, happy to talk about himself, "Yes, I am currently studying the Katastrofi axiom in order to enhance my current weapon capabilities" He swivels a tentacle over to one low slung mounted barrel. "-This is currently a webgun designed for immobolisation and capture of targets-". He points to his glowing eight eyes, "-Whereas this is an upgraded apokalypsi scanner, for detecting various kinds of metanormal phenomena.-"

He chuckles "-Since, even as genuises we have trouble mastering all the axioms at once, I was hoping to perform a few swaps to expand my current capacity.-"

[Recaiden]

Dorien nods, looking at Ark with much interest.
"My own area of study is primarily that of Automata, creating servitors and computers, but this," he points to the monocle, "Is my own work in Apokalypsi."
"I would certainly not be averse to trading the use of devices, if we can each provide something."

[Exthalion]

Alrai walked over to the conversation between the tank and the monocle clad genius.

"Ark, were I you I would focus more on weaponry." he glanced around briefly before continuing.

"My own contributions in the realm of detection are more reliable and intuitive."

He was being as polite as he could, but the abomination of a tank had no right to look at him meta-normally.

[The Kings Raven]

Lilly looks at the obvious Apokolysi in Dorien's monocle and Ark's eyes, then she gave an uncomfortably intense stare as she scrutinises Alari's eyes before trying to see where he might be carrying an Apokoylpsi Wonder. Finally she gives up.

"What you got? I don't see any scanners."

[Doran]

Ark suddenly realises Alrai has a method of magic detection, apparently oblivous to both the suggestion and the subtext. "-Ah, so you have a method of detection too! I would not mind talking with you later about it, perhaps the common data can be used to improve both our respective devices.-"

[Exthalion]

Alrai returned the stare though he most certainly got more out of it then Lilly did. Here emotions, her thought processes, even the flow of heat, chemical, and electrical energy in her body.

"What is a scanner but a prosthetic; a tool meant to replace a deficiency in one of the senses of its user. The subtle alchemies of Enlightened Science may repair these natural flaws. My eyes are not as yours eyes, for mine possess an enhancement built on the foundation laid by giants. In short... I don't need any external to myself.

Concerning a sharing of information Ark, perhaps specialization based on comparative advantage would benefit us more?"

OOC: What emotions are all of you feeling?

Also, he is trying to be sort of cryptic. The interpretation of the above he is presenting as obvious is that he just built some scanner wonder and incorporated them into his eyes.

Of course to those in the know, it means something quite different.

[The Kings Raven]

Lilly calmly reaches over and takes hold of Alari's head, holding it steady as she spends a very awkward, for other people, minute staring directly at his eyes.

If no one interrupted her analysis she concludes with a predatory smile. "You are lieing, did you think I wouldn't be able to tell.".

Lilly is currently feeling angry and aggressive, with frosting of satisfaction for going on the offence. If you get any "truth vision" Alari can tell she's completely certain there's no Wonder in his eyes. It's entirely irrational anger from her Catalysis so be careful.

Examining Alrai's eyes with the detecting Wondrous Things rules (p292)
(Wits 4 + Inspiration 2)
[roll0], er forget about the 10. Won't go to an exceptional success anyway.

Looks like EvilDMMk3 posted while I was editing. Sorry if I confused someone, I overlooked the need for a entire minutes analysis first time I checked that rule.

[Evil DM Mark3]

You seem to be drawing a small crowd, the discussion group seems to have broken up.

[Recaiden]

Dorien is feeling hopeful, and now a bit suspicious.
"Now, I think that's a harsh view. Tools are to extend, not to repair. Our minds are all we need, and as we have them, tools are just icing."

[Exthalion]

Alrai unfortunately did interrupt her analysis. These Genii and their wonders. Fallen imitation of Supernal revelation. It almost made his skin crawl when the one tried to examine him.

He batted her hands away angrily "Don't touch me! I am not some experiment for you to modify or subject to be tested. What right have you to treat me like some thing to analyze?!"

[The Kings Raven]

"What right?" Says Lilly, not letting go despite Alari's attempts. "You're in a Peerage meeting during a state of war. You're lieing about yourself and you're using archaic Lemurian phrasing. Is that right enough for you?" She practically hisses the final "right".

While I'm finding this to be delicious roleplay, Let me know OOC if this is going too far, maybe the crowd could intervene. But Alari has Str 1 brawl 0. A chance die compared to 5 to 7 dice (Str 2, + 3 + Up to 2 Mania). Extremely rude grabbing someone's head without permission but in her defence, she's having a mental episode.

As for the archaic Lemurian phrasing: "Enlightened Science". Lilly dosn't think he's Lemurian since they'd know better and she's sure he's not a Nazi since that roll would detect a Mane. But she does find it very suspicious.

[Exthalion]

Alrai's voice has gotten very low. He wasn't yelling, but he might as well have for all the venom in his voice.

"I don't know what it is you think you are accusing me of, but if you do not release me very soon I am going to do something that I know I will regret later. How much you regret it is a function of how much you continue to try to aggravate me.

Ark, perhaps you, being somewhat more diplomatic then I am feeling at the moment would be so kind as to do something to diffuse this situation?"

OOC: I might note I do have what amounts to a forcefield up. Oh, and grappling my head might count as grappling.

As a matter of open discussion, there are several vulgar spells can cast and none of the people here add to my paradox roll. I am not going to try to kill Lilly, but casing a candle or butter warmer somewhere to erupt into an inferno, generating enough sound to permanently damage hearing, causing all the electrical appliances to blow up, etc. all fall under the range of things I can do.

[Recaiden]

"You did start this, mate. And you really ain't got anything in your eyes. How about you back off and let us work out the trades for our pieces?"
Dorien taps the Mania-sensor node of his monocle meaningfully.

[The Kings Raven]

After Alari's failed attempt to gain regain the freedom of his head and his lack of Wonders of any kind, is it any wonder Lilly assumed this was an empty threat. Add in a little madness and you won't be surprised that she started deliberately started provoking him.

"A big strong man like you" the word "strong" is oozing with sarcasm. "I'm regretting it already. Come clean or do your worst!"

OOC: Armour dosn't affect grappling rolls so no retcons needed luckaly. But if it comes down to it what's the armour rating on your forcefield.

[Evil DM Mark3]

At this point a tartan Thermos flask lands in the middle of your growing huddle. Then things get, bright.

Contested Stamina+Metanormal advantage Vs my rolled value of 5 please.

[Recaiden]

Well, this is no good. Dorien shuts his eyes and steps away, almost certainly too late.
[roll0]
in case of tens...yeah right. [roll1]

[The Kings Raven]

Focused on the offense Lilly didn't notice the incoming Thermos.

[roll0] For tens [roll1] Oh dear, completely blind.

[Doran]

Ark steps forward to try to break up the possible fight, but notices the arching flask and tries to close his 8 eyes


[roll0]

In case of 10s:
[roll1]

If I'm reading this right, we have to get 5 or more successes to block the incoming flash, right?

[The Kings Raven]

OOC: You take 5 - successes penalty to attack, Defence and vision. At -5 you're blind.

[Exthalion]

Oddly enough the bright light was not particularly more painful for Alrai then any other. The fact he could distinguish the energy of the various rays was of little comfort though. It was blinding, whatever detail he could make out. There was a rather disconcertingly detached part of him trying to identify if there were any missing bands.

There was a strange moment though where his magic worked around his lost sight and readjusted itself to his other senses. Where before he had seen he electromagnetic spectrum know he felt it. Where before he had been able to view though precursors now he heard them.

[roll0]
So, does this make us the kingdom of the blind? Oh, and have you let go of my head yet? Not saying I am not blind, just saying that mage sight can manifest as other then sight. Mostly a fluff matter.

[Evil DM Mark3]

"Allright boyos, break it up. Just so you knows, you two will be working together in the immediate future. I knows what this is about, see? I knows what this is. Now smarten up the two of yew, or so help me I will smarten you up for you. And this goes for the rest of yew, we have more to deal with than a few bruised egos, as big as they grow round year. He has Ulbermenchen, and I for one am more worried about what they want."

Ap Llewellyn picks up his Thermos and pours himself a cup of tea from it.

"No offence Frank, but it's my diet see?"

[The Kings Raven]

And to think, Lilly had laughed when the Navigator training covered blindness. She ignored the more advanced techniques and settled for option one: Let go of his head, sit still and wait for it to go away. Carefully Lilly reached for her glass and resumed drinking.

She had considered making accusations to Ap Llewellyn but decided against it for two reasons: Firstly he had implied he knew Alari's secret when he said he "knew what this was about", and more probably: if the big five were watching that meant Peter had looked in. If he gave the all clear who could argue with that?


More importantly she'd won, the reset switch for Lilly's mental issues. In an instant Lilly was back to her old self again. After, or rather if, Ap Llewellyn moves on. She turns to where Madhukar was when she could last see. "If we're arming up I was wandering if want to collaborate on something. My magnetic work is perfect for long-ranged recoilless rifles but I could use some assistance in the biological sciences to make tranquillisers."

Now I've let go of his head.

[Malfunctioned]

"The Bracon hebetor, a species of parasitic wasp commonly found as a form of biocontrol agent, uses a particular venom to paralyse moth larvae to use as incubation and food for their eggs and larvae. I believe if I can obtain a sample of this particular delightful create I can assist you in this creation."

He flexes his arm and removes the fingerless glove, showing the pressurised skin-valve that covers the hole where the palm-stingers extend from.

"Though I believe I have close combat sorted for now."

[The Kings Raven]

"Paralysis darts, I like the sound of that." Lilly dosn't respond to his stingers, being blind at the moment. It's a shame, she'd have appreciated them.

[Doran]

Ark blinks a few times, and activates his scanner as a compensation. He turns to Dorien, "-Well... I'd be certainly interested in some kind of remotecontrolled avatar or possibly a small bot to visit places I cannot. As for my side of the deal, I could certainly supply you with any non-lethal weaponary you wish, *and*, if you were willing to make me blueprints for your excelkent monocle, I could look into maybe upgrading it.-"

[Exthalion]

Alrai very pointedly did not respond. He would not move, he was too good to lumber around like a drunk, but that didn't mean he had to participate. That didn't mean he couldn't brood though.

Licentious ignorant Quiescent blind, Sleeping fools! Trading personal revelation for bobbles. It is of little wonder that their souls remain ignorant, they barely bother developing them! And Lumurian! What sort of twisted joke is that? The Diamond Orders still hold to Atlantis like a religion but to saddle me with it? Don't get me wrong, the place may have existed, but it isn't like that is relevant anymore. Action without repercussion is the same as non-existent. If there is no reaction then there is no action.

And all of them are broken in some way! Bad enough their Inspiration all but burns out their sanity, but they all carry around such a pleasant string of mental disorders. How they even manage to keep a society together I don't know. Less a society and more like anarchy that hasn't gotten to the shoot the intellectuals stage yet.

With a sudden and dawning horror Alrai realized mind reading might not be beyond some present. He emptied his mind and very carefully noticed only his own breathing for several minutes until the blindness cleared.

OOC: The italicized text is his thoughts. If you can read those, feel free to comment on it.

[The Kings Raven]

"I think everyone's getting ahead of themselves. Before everyone takes the biggest gun any of us know how to make, who here actually knows how to shoot?" She starts counting of on her fingers.

"I am a trained Navigator, a tank goes without saying, you said you have close combat solved" referring to Madhukar, "that's three of us, it should be enough to get the rest of you up to at least basic combat ability."

In truth while Lilly was estimating towards the lower end of combat skill, most people went their entire lives without handling a gun, she actually know who was competent in combat. Yet no one else had asked, it was an important question. That out of the way Lilly moved on to the bigger issue.

"The second thing you're all overlooking is that we're talking about soldiers here. They think as one, they move as one, they fight as one. If you don't understand why that's important ask the Brigader if you can go a round in the sims. We can't rely on pointing a tank at them when there might be MMs around and we certainly can't take them in a group brawl"

"I plan to use mobility and range against their lack of initiative. The rifle I'm going to build will also be ideal for a beginner: It's recoilless, silent and it keeps you away from the fighting. It also wont kill anyone if you screw up and shoot a passer by so ask if you want a duplicate. But before you ask for a weapon, ask if you're going out looking for trouble and aks if you have a plan for fighting an entire team of professional fighters. If the answer is no, ask me about Prostasia or Skafoi, I know a little of both.

[Recaiden]

Ark blinks a few times, and activates his scanner as a compensation. He turns to Dorien, "-Well... I'd be certainly interested in some kind of remotecontrolled avatar or possibly a small bot to visit places I cannot. As for my side of the deal, I could certainly supply you with any non-lethal weaponary you wish, *and*, if you were willing to make me blueprints for your excelkent monocle, I could look into maybe upgrading it.-"

Dorien nods. "I may well be able to modify my current machine to function as a human avatar by rerouting the power-source, or create smaller machina, either of which your communicator should be able to interface with." He runs a finger along the storage module of the monocle, thoughtful. "I'll see if I can make the plans comprehensible, and that would certainly be welcome, as would a weapon to induce unconsciousness or to stun."

He turns to Lily for a moment. "A bit of weapon training, but none for real combat, as such."

[Exthalion]

"Have we considered anything less... gross? I have a great deal of doubt that if and when we hunt the so called supermen that these precautions will be the basis of our strategy. More likely they would be in service to it as opposed to an end unto themselves.

And simply because the idea occurs to me, why are they even called ubermensch? I seem to recall the speaker mentioning that they were forced to undergo rigorous selection and that the lower ranks had been conditioned for obedience.

That is in almost perfect opposition to Nietzsche's definition. It is not from the greatest of humanity that the new man would be drawn, the new man would transcend it. Humanity contributed only a bridge, a transition step, to the new man. You could not look to current humanity to find him.

Moreover, the new man is one who creates his own values and standards instead of accepting the herd mentality of mankind. He is beyond good and evil because such things are constructs made by those without power to preserve their own security in their own sociomoral interactions.

If the term were to be applied to anyone in this situation it wouldn't be these well bred soldiers, but in those who have become fellow creators."

Even in the midst of his derangement Alrai had some small respect for the Genii. Effect can matter more then theory where theory cannot adequately explain. And the effect they produced was to be respected if not understood.

[The Kings Raven]

"Gross? We're fighting Nazi's and you're worried about wasp venom being icky?" Says Lilly completely misunderstanding the magical terminology. She doesn’t answer his comment on strategy because, well she'd just finished saying the exact same thing. As for the lecture on Nietzsche, she didn't know anything about why the Nazi's were called Ubermensch, didn't care either.

[Exthalion]

"Gross, adjective, definition; coarse, rude, vulgar, obscene, impure, great, serious, glagrant, or shameful. From the Middle English gross meaning whole, entire, flagrant, or monstrous.

And while we are off topic, they aren't Nazis. I very highly doubt they are members of the national socialist party. As such they are simply stateist, totalitarian, expansionary, racists. With certain discrepancies allowed due to their lack of a state.

And if you wonder why I make a point of this at all, I assure you it is not simply for my own need to pontificate. To ascribe to your enemy qualities and ideologies not their own gives them a power over you by forcing your thinking to contest not with them as they are but with a carefully constructed effigy. To fail to ascribe to them true qualities and ideologies weakens your own planning.

As to the proper word usage, that is just my annoyance on native English speakers limiting themselves to less then half the words in their language and not even bothering to know the real definitions of most of the words they use. It is one step short of self imposed New Speak. Which is ironic considering our likely target.

And now, my eyesight seems to have recovered sufficiently for me to find my way home. I bit you a good evening and an even temper."

[Doran]

Ark looks after Alrai's retreating back "-Odd, he isn't usually this long-winded, or even that much uptight. Perhaps it is something to do with the concentration of Mania? Fascinating-". He makes a few notes on an onboard computer, and turns back to the discussions on wonder trading.

[Recaiden]

"So, I'll see if I can't modify that engine and get you a little probe to work with. Now, if I can just alter the receptivity of the power linkages from electricity to the Apokalypsi signal... Let me get to that, actually." Dorien will stand, nod, and retreat from the bar to his lab.
"A pleasure to make your acquaintance here, sir."

[The Kings Raven]

Before Dorien leaves Lilly slips of her Spark Rings and hands them over. "Here, I'll take the rooftops tonight."

To Ark she says "Sounds like he's trying to sound smart. He's not a Hoffnung is he?"

[X15lm204]

I liiiiiiiiiiive!!!

Sorry, guys, I expected to have internet access over Thanksgiving break, but a combination of sudden power outages and mandatory family activities left me unable to post. Hopefully this will not happen again any time soon.


Sean sighs loudly and rubs at his eyes. He honestly likes all the people he's fallen in with of late, but wishes they weren't so keen on giving him migraines. I get the strong impression that I'm going to have to focus my studies primarily on Exelixi if we are to work together and survive, he mutters.

To Lilly: He certainly has strongly held beliefs as to how to make the world better. This does not, of course, technically answer the question. I get the impression that Alrai feels compelled to stand out in crowds. Don't worry, he's much more personable when around fewer people.

Sean blinks. Wait... Rooftops?

[The Kings Raven]

"Skafoi" Explains Lilly "and what are you helping him hide? Peter gave the all clear and that's good enough for me. But if we're going to be fighting together we mustn't keep our capabilities secret. You should know that Captain. Like most Navigators Lilly didn't take rank's seriously, she calls Sean Captain as winking reference that he'd gone through the same training as she had. She also dosn't know that Peter has given any sort of judgement, but if he's half as good as he looked it's a pretty safe guess.

[X15lm204]

Sean carefully suppresses a wince as Lilly sees right through his evasive wording. He's never been a good liar. At all. While I'm all for full disclosure, anything any of the members of my collaborative might have told me in confidence would be their secrets to tell or keep. If you are curious, you should ask him - though considering how unremarkable secrets and oddities are in this crowd - he gestures to everyone around - Alrai would be a rather arbitrary place to start, don't you think?

Anyway, I wasn't asking how you got to the rooftops, but remarking on the fact that you were up there at all. Bit chilly up there in December, particularly with the recent weather, hmm? On the lookout for anything in particular, or just whatever the night might throw your way? Sean seems as genuinely interested as eager to change the subject.

[The Kings Raven]

"There's secrets and there's Secrets. keeping secrets doesn't hurt combat effectiveness, keeping Secrets does. If Alrai isn't saying what he can and can't do, that's a Secret. I wouldn't call it arbitrary asking about a potential comrade in arms would you?." At this Lilly showed a smile before following Sean to a new topic.

"I've got Prostasia, it's comfy in all weathers. Normally I'm on patrol for MM trouble, Iridium Sentential work, tonight I think just a nice Nazi free shortcut home. I'll get back to full patrols once I'm armed for it."

[X15lm204]

The Iridium Sentinels? Are you a member, or just looking to join? I've heard some good things about them, and have considered joining myself...

He gets an odd look on his face for a moment. I'd honestly like to do some patrolling myself, but my experiments have kept me far too busy lately... Maybe I'll take some time "off" soon...

[The Kings Raven]

"Not yet, I'm all set to apply with the next batch"

[Evil DM Mark3]

A week has gone by. (2xp)

Slowly.

Small fires have been breaking out in the scrub of Peer society all week, three Peers (two navigators and an artificer) have been assassinated and eighteen have been injured. The activity has been mostly focused around the river, although there was an unfortunate case of being noticed when an attack craft clashed with some kind of saucer, being considered by local crackpots (well, local crackpots who are not Geniuses) to be a Martian sighting.

You are in group A's lab, arranging the transfer of Wonders.

[The Kings Raven]

With a thank you Lilly takes the clips of darts from Madhukar and puts them on her belt. She hasn't changed since she got in which means that she's wearing street clothes over Prostasia and now has a large chrome rifle slung over her back. It makes an unusual picture.

“Well here's the run-down” she says passing around a sheet taken from the Navigators proxy of local police reports. “Third one this week and the Brig is livid about some air-fight the public saw. It looks like the Nazi's are focused near the river so that's where I'm patrolling tonight. Is anyone interested in tagging along, or sending a robot along” that comment was directed at Dorien.

[Exthalion]

After the night at the bar Alrai sleep was tormented by strange dreams. He watched the evening again as though he were an outsider.

He watched himself insult his friends, contemplate killing an ignorant if foolish genius, growing proud. His eye was critical but clinical.

Not all pride is hubris, but what of this? The feeling is... unclean. Moreover, while it is true that the Awakened it above the Inspired such behavior works against my purpose. I must take care lest pride cloud my eyes.

All I work to build depends on them. I am not an Exarch to rule over man as I please. If the tools I have been given are brittle it means only that I must take care with them.

The scene at the bar had been instructive in more then one way though. Until his power was greater he could not rely on magic alone. It... rankled. In his spirit was kindled the Supernal fire, and in its light the Lie of the Fallen World was burned away. Yet it was small still. Care must be taken lest it be extinguished.

Besides, he was a magician after all. Parlor tricks had there place. Taking advantage of the able equipment in he Lab for the first time he set to work on a special tool.

[Doran]

Ark examines the sheet Lily passed around. "-Sure, when and where do you want to meet up tonight?-"

[The Kings Raven]

"Tonight’s sunset is at 16:01. We'll meet at 16:20 at" Lilly gives the address of a building safely five minuets walk from the river, the roof of said building. "Remember the longer we're waiting for eachother the longer were sitting ducks. Don't be early, don't be late."

OOC: It is the 14th of December isn't it? Otherwise that's the wrong sundown time... which dosn't matter at all I guess :smallredface:

[Recaiden]

Dorien nods. Sounds like a good plan. "Yeah. I'll be watching." He lift a tiny robot out of its cage beneath his desk, unplugs a pair of cords tethering it to the wall, and sets it down."Follow her." It scuttles over towards Lily, rocking back and forth as it walks.

[Exthalion]

Alrai was bent over a mess of DOS like windows he had open and pictures of everything from alchemical symbols to the Blue Marble. With a brief glance around he realized none of the others were present.

An idea had been ripening in the back of his mind for several weeks and now he felt ready to carry it out. Pulling out his PDA he sent a quick TXT to Ark.

"Ark, before you go tonight, I was wondering if you might consent to a little experiment. I was wondering if I might combine a little of both of our work together and so create something greater still. Would you be up for it?"

[The Kings Raven]

"Awwwww" croons Lilly. In an instant she had Dorean's robot on it's back and was tickling it's artificial belly. When she got board of that the Automaton soon found itself riding her shoulder.

[Doran]

Ark receives the same text, and inwardly grins in delight. Only
a couple of weeks in and some chance for experimentation! He texts back "-An excellent idea! Will do so after this meeting-"

[Exthalion]

Neither building wonders nor using them Alrai was left with a lot of time to think. He glanced over at one of the lab safety posters. One of the walls seems to have become an art project of some kind where small exposed fragments of posters formed a larger image. What ever it was supposed to be Alrai couldn't tell, it looked half finished. Then again, perhaps it was meant to represent a fifth order derivation of un-magnetic potential of the greater metropolitan area. Hard to tell with Genii.

Given pride of place was one that seemed relevant: Some very odd looking deep sea fish, presumably a new species, presided over a cation "You don't yet know what you don't know."

The tank, he knew of magic, moreover he suspected me. To wish him ill is beneath me, yet he is a variable in need of isolating. This test may or may not harm him. If it does, I don't think I will mind much. Sean though, I suspect he has much the same idea as Ark. Him I don't mind so much though. He may not realize just how above him I am, but he respect the fact that I have power. I suppose I might in time come to consider him a friend. The others though, that other, what is that genius word? Collaborative?, that woman needs to be humbled. Not by me though, it isn't my place. Though I will be ready if she should try some such foolishness again.

[Doran]

After the meeting, Ark meets up with Alrai back at their mutual lab. "-So, what does this experiment entail?-"

[Exthalion]

"Nothing particular strenuous. There are several possible ways magic and mania might interact and testing each in a controlled environment seems to be the safest way of discovering their interplay. As such, I propose to cast a simple spell on one of your wonders. Assume it doesn't explode or otherwise do something dramatic I want to be able to know wheather it is working as intended.

So what I propose is this: You place a sensory wonder in the clear walled isolation tank. I will then cast a spell of vision upon it. We can proceed based on what happens."

[Doran]

"-Sure, let me take a minute to pull something together-". Ark scuttles back to his nest and and starts rapidly soldering and welding components together from a camcorder, and old computer, his eyes glowing, welding things together on a large trolley.


Spending one mania, and channeling one to replace it

Kitbashed Viewer
Apokalypsi 1
Two step -4 penalty to build
Inspiration + Attribute + Skill + Laboratory Equipment + Beholden Ability - Wonder Rank
Add an additional die if the wonder is of the genius' favored Axiom.
1+3+1+3+0-1-4+1+1 = 5
[roll0]


He returns, towing the trolley with several fizzing devices hooked together to a screen on it. "-Here is a basic scanning device I've pulled together, it won't last long, but long enough for our purposes, and for that time no different than any other wonder. I'll set up various recording devices on the tank, both mundane, as well as my wondrous eyes, just encase a backlash occurs.-"

He wheels the trolley into the centre of the tank and spends 15 minutes placing and linking various cameras, one set linking to a seperate mundane computer, and another set linking via a long cable into his eight-fold vision, and from there into his onboard computers.

"-Just in case there is any kind of magic or manic backlash, I'll go to the far side of the warehouse, and make sure to shut off the feed at the first sign of anything occuring.-" He prepares to switch the wonder to a continous scanning loop, "-After all, though the potential rewards are great, I'm well aware of the risks. Before we continue, however, can I get your assurance of performing the same experiment in inverse? That is testing mania use on a magically crafted spell?-".

[Recaiden]

Lilly will probably get bored fast. Adorable robot animals aren't till Automata 3. :smalltongue: It mostly ignores being tickled, and indeed everything Lilly's doing, until it gets picked up.

[Exthalion]

"The conditions may not be equivalent, but I will do what I can. There is a magical equivalent to wonders, however I do not yet have the skill to perform such works yet. My research has been in other directions until now. Such capability has seemed more relevant of late."

Composing himself he began to chant.

"I look to the stars and am not content, for they are not where my help comes from. Yet set amid the splendors of creation I have beheld the Supernal wonder."

The words sounded appropriately magical but were utter nonsense. Those who slept could not understand the High Speech and in many cases this was a good thing. To Alrai it felt like a wind of ozone, charged with power burst from his chest like a storm, weaving betwixt and between the spells already upon him.

"Obrimos door of the Highest, grant me your eyes for but a moment so that others may behold, this echo of perfection more lasting and more beautiful then all save the realms Supernal!"

With the final word of his chant he directed the raw and pure potential he had called through the lens of his soul. He could almost feel the connection of power between him and the Wonder in the tank, when they touched the magic burst into a starburst, each tendril wrapping around the Wonder before finally coming to settle and bind around it. Now the true test.


Eyes of the Matrix
Gnosis+Forces+High Speech
3+3+2=8
[roll0]

The spell grants the effects of Read matrices to another. If it worked properly the device should have gained the ability to percieve energy and magical resonance, detecting the presence of all the univer's various forms of energy: heat, gravity, elevtromagnetism and the like, including the presence or absence of different sorts of radiation such as x-rays or cosmic radiation, either visually or through tactile perceptions.

An undiscerning mage might be fairly blinded by the overwhelming variety and sheer quantity of energy that moves around them at all times, unable to process the ever-shifting tapestry of power that is all but invisible to the untrained eye.

Note: I know it says on some other person, but I have one dot more in Gnosis then the spell needs, am a Prime Mover, and this isn't a rote, so I think it will work.

[The Kings Raven]

Lilly will probably get bored fast. Adorable robot animals aren't till Automata 3. :smalltongue: It mostly ignores being tickled, and indeed everything Lilly's doing, until it gets picked up.

Lilly knows how to handle robotic mindlessness and simply orders it to wave it's legs. She only after gets board a couple of minuets after having painstakingly guided it to the apex of mechanical cuteness.

[Evil DM Mark3]

Hi guys, I'm back

Ark roll Composure+Science please.

[Doran]

[roll0]
For any 10s
[roll1]

[Evil DM Mark3]

The wonder shudders and convulses, and then there is a dry fraying sound in your head as it sprouts legs and runs off.

An Orphan. Wonderful. Still this is not the largest sample size now is it? So take care in drawing conclusions.

[Exthalion]

"Sorry to be the Mage in the Collaborative, but should it be doing that?"

Alrai knew little about wonders and Genii, far less then he really should have. Before their Christmas escapades he would have to rectify that.

He called a few spells of the Forces Arcana to mind in case the thing broke out of the tank but for the most part was just surprised.

[Doran]

Ark sighs, knowing it was unlikely they'd be successful on the first try. "-No, and yes. Its something that happens to any wonders that aren't linked to a genius, they become Orphans, like you see here. It seems your spell severed the connection between my mind and it.-" Ark scuttles over to the recording 2 PCs. "-While I review the exact moment of casting, mind checking to see if the spell is on it, and see if it is still working? Afterwards, I'll disassemble the wonder.-"


Making a occult (magic) + intelligence + burning one willpower to investigate the recordings. = 3 + 4 +2 = 9
[roll0]
Rerolling any 10s:
[roll1]

[Evil DM Mark3]

The feed is no longer working, there is a strange interference at the moment of the spell that you realise is a derived waveform of some kind and then the feed cuts out.

[Doran]

Ark, puzzled, but still determined, transcribes the interference, and uploads it and tags it for analysis a part time share on an anonymous online genius network, as well as sending a copy over to Alrai's pda. Finally, remembering that Dorien has some wonders that may help, he sneds a copy of the interference to him, pleading his help in exchange for a favour.

He resolves to return and check the results after going on Lily's 'nazi patrol', and shifts round to see how Alrai is doing. "-Any luck?-"



Extended analysis roll (not sure if this will add bonus die)
Intelligence + Computers (internet)
[roll0]
Rerolling 10s
[roll1]
Also performing Ark's virue, prudence, regains a dot of willpower, right?

[Exthalion]

"There is some small difficulty differentiating the magical and maniacal. However the etheric flow is resolving itself due to continued scrutiny or the solenoidal intersection fractal is resolving its ground state transformation. Could be a number of others things also, but those were just the first that came to mind." Not bothering to look for a quizzical expression he continued, "In other words, the longer I look at it the easier it becomes to understand."

He also hadn't pointed out that his explanation was absolute gibberish. True, he hadn't once lied, though it was rather skirting the line. The problem wasn't that he thought the explanation mattered, but that the Supernal Law was not meant for those who Slept. Misuse of the Nomos Excelsis had ruined the world once. Mankind should be ready before such things were made known to them.

Scrutinize Resonance of my spell
Intelligence+Occult=5+0
[roll0]

[Evil DM Mark3]

Further scrutiny of the output uncovers nothing new. Scrutiny of the spell reveals much which is strange. The short version is that the spell seems like it should be functioning, but isn't.

[Doran]

"-Looks like we'll need to perform more research. In any case, I need to meet with Lily for tonight's patrol. Be seeing you.-" With that, Ark jumps into the tank, crushing the wonder into a collapsed wreck. He starts climbing up the adjoining wall, and heads out ontop the rooftops, quickly scuttling off to meet with Lily.


The wonder only lasts to the end of the scene in any case, so I'm just getting rid of it here

[Evil DM Mark3]

As you head out into the cold, frosty, evening you can taste a staleness in the air, the days of stress and suspicion building up. Perception rolls all about.

[The Kings Raven]

ooc: Coming right up. Wits (4) + Composure (2)
[roll0]
tens
[roll1]

[Doran]

Wits +Composure
[roll0]
10 reroll
[roll1]

[Exthalion]

Wits +Composure
[roll0]

[Evil DM Mark3]

OOC: So, do I still have more than 3 players? I assume not.

2+ successes: You notice a strange sort of heat haze in the air around an empty factory up ahead.

[Doran]

Seeing Lily's change in attention, Ark shifts towards the factory.
"-I'll get on the nearby rooftops and look inside with my sight-". Ark scrabbles up a nearby wall, peering in through the windows, and engaging his vision, checking through all different modes for trouble.


I'm assuming that I don't need to roll for a usual scan

[Recaiden]

I'm still here. But my character isn't participating in this exercise.
He has to work to afford those fancy wonder components, you know.

[The Kings Raven]

"You reading anything?" Lilly asks following Ark up the wall. She has a pair of binoculars but dosn't bother using them, they're a cheep pair and a joke compared to Ark's super scientific scanning equipment.

OOC: Lilly's mundane equipment is pretty basic: Zipcuffs, binoculars and cheep sandwhich bags for evidence. Wondrous equipment is more extensive, her Suit + Integrals, the Spark Rings, the Sniper rifle and I believe there is still a little spider robot riding her shoulder.

[Evil DM Mark3]

There is a faint haze when you scan for superscience, but you cant tell much more than that.

[The Kings Raven]

When Ark explains what he saw Lilly thinks out loud for a moment. I'd like to send Dorien's robot up ahead but if you can't scan it there's a good chance the remote control won't work. Whatever is generating that field sounds like a good target to me. We can send the robot to scout for us, we'll reposition to that alleyway there Lilly points to an alleyway that opens one street away from the haze and has no direct line's of fire. I'll have the robot dash just inside the haze then out again, and tell us if it saw anything.

ooc: If Ark dosn't have a better plan Lilly will try to move with Stealth. Dexterity (4) + Stealth (1).
[roll0]
tens: [roll1]
Aww, one more ten and I'd be at four successes :(

[Recaiden]

The robot will hop down off of Lily's shoulder and look back up at her for a moment.
Then it will turn and skitter forward towards the haze's area.

Assuming the communications aren't blocked, anyway.

[Evil DM Mark3]

The robot sutters off and passes beyond the interface. The remote feed still works. Inside the factory there is a man in a 12ft brass robot suit with a flamethrower for each arm and a pair of men in stormtrooper uniforms with 1940s machine guns trying to defend a large tank intended to store liquid from three other storm troupers, taking cover behind an energy shield, and an octopus like 5ft robot with a chain gun under the main body, also made of brass. All of the people in here could well be Ulbermenchen. They seem to be at a more or less stand off.

[Recaiden]

Good. Because without Dorien's control it would still be sitting on her shoulder.

As Lily suggested, the robot quickly returns to the group, and tapping the back of it's head to get her attention, will replay what it saw on the communicator's screen.

[The Kings Raven]

So it's the two of us against five men and one robot, sweet. I can think of a few plans already. Lilly ticks off her fingers as she lists ideas.
First: We send the robot back to watch, they look like they're about to fight each other so we wait for that.
Second: They look pretty distracted, instead of fighting them we sneak around the roof tops and go looking for their invisibility generator.
Third: We charge right in and get them! Lilly's grin suggests she might not be thinking rationally at this point. Go for the robot first, we take it down while we have surprise then it's two Nazi's each. Easy! It's best not to smash the vat until we know what it is.

ooc:
First up charging the wonders.
Skafoi boots: 1
Shock Rings: 1 for extra defence.
Armour: 4.

Given that Lilly will need a lot of mania for the fight and she knows this I'm going to use Deep Inspiration to power her Armour before the fight when it's safe.

Don't worry, I'll spend Willpower if necessary. She won't become Umanda and at Obligation 7, drawing 2 Mania each, that's 5 and 4 dice. No chance of a Dramatic Failure. But before I roll, I'd like to take the Suggested Modifiers “related to Geniuses Catalist” (Grimm prepping for a fight) and “related to Geniuses Obligation.” (Iridium Sentinel fighting Nazis) Do those sound fair?

####################################

Doran, here's a possible battle plan if we go for plan 3. If it looks bad Ark will have to be the voice of reason here, just be careful to avoid implying that Lilly can't handle anything you suggest against or she'll lose it.

The two of us try to get the drop on the robot and use Deconstruct technology.

That's Dex + Crafts + Mania spent + Willpower - Defence. Ark has 8 Dice, Lilly has 11. That could be enough to destroy it in one, certainly would if we get the killing blow rule, or barely scratch it. We've got no idea how tough that thing is which is what makes this plan dangerous.

After that it's two troopers each. Ark is basically invincible to small arms fire (lets hope the vat isn't acid) as for Lilly: Defence five + dodge using the Scorpion Trooper's 11 dice as a bench mark means they're down to one die each. If they miss they take 5 dice reflected damage. Just need to keep them close. Option two is for Lilly to use Arks body as cover and go for a ranged battle.

Whew, essey over. But if we do attack, we'll need to know the negative dice modifiers we're up against.

[Doran]

"-I'd prefer to make sure none of them get away, we don't want any going back to their vessel for reinforcements-" Ark looks towards the direction of the generator "-We could break down the generator, but that could reveal their presence to the town, and I'd prefer not to get law enforcement involved in this.-" His eyes glow brighter "-Plus an invisibility generator is the kind of thing that could come in handy for me. I say we go with option one, if they fight then ambush the winners.-"

[Evil DM Mark3]

You know what, people at the lab make awareness rolls (lets get you back in here)

[The Kings Raven]

Lilly responds by getting right too it, she holds the robot to her face. "Doreen, did you hear that? I'm going to send the robot back to spy. If they start fighting let us know what's happening," she looks at Ark "Can Ark can receive Apokolypsi?"

With that she gently puts the robot down, letting Doreen take control.

[Recaiden]

The robot nods and starts walking back forward, as sneakily as it can. Which is not very.

At the lab, Dorien is rather intent on managing his robot, but not totally lost in it.
[roll0]
For tens [roll1]

[Exthalion]

Back at Group B's lab, Alrai was enjoying some alone time. It seemed every genius he came across had an energy level somewhere around that of a hamster mainlining caffeine. Quite, with a little soft music and a good book, was good for the soul every so often.

[roll0]
[rollv]5d10[rollv]

[Evil DM Mark3]

I will have internet wobbles over the next few days.

[Evil DM Mark3]

Neither of you notice anything.

An hour later, make another roll.

[Exthalion]

Concerto for Two Violins in D Minor, what a lovely piece of music. Mill's On Liberty went well with it. Then again both of those went well with anything.

[roll0]
[roll1]

[Doran]

[roll0]
10s: [roll1]
[/QUOTE]

[Recaiden]

Maybe reading a science magazine while waiting for the timestreams to mesh...

[roll0]
[roll1]

[Evil DM Mark3]

...

You guys are not good at this.

What is going on with the factory please?

[The Kings Raven]

Doreen has sent the robot back to spy on the Nazi's and will patch the info through to Ark. Lilly and Ark are waiting to see if they get into a fight, if they do we plan to ambush the survivors.

[Evil DM Mark3]

They seem to be in a standoff, there are occasional bouts of fire, but nothing that seems likely to become an actual fight until someone upsets it.

[The Kings Raven]

"Well, plan three is a bust. What shall it be: One or two?

[Doran]

Arks sighs, and starts moving towards the factory rooftop. "-Let's go for three-"


What is the roll for sneaking?

[The Kings Raven]

Lilly gave an outright wicked grin before securing herself behind Ark's indestructible body, "For Science!" she shouts at a whisper.

ooc: Dex + Stealth I think. Since Lilly is hanging on to the back (or wherever puts the most armour between her and the Nazi's yet still lets her quickly move to attack) of Ark rather than moving I assume Ark's roll counts for both of them.

EvilDMMarkIII, I asked for a ST call on situational modifiers for a couple of Unmada checks last page.

[Evil DM Mark3]

Yes Dex+Stealth and yes take those mods.

[Doran]

Dex+Stealth
[roll0]
Reroll 10s: [roll1]

[The Kings Raven]

Here goes.

Obligation (7) + Mania gained (-2) + related to Catalyst (+1) + related to Obligation (+2): 8 dice
[roll0]

Obligation (7) + Mania gained (-2) + related to Catalyst (+1) + related to Obligation (+2) + previous use of Deep Inspiration (-1): 7 dice
[roll1]

ooooh. An exceptional success. Pity that dosn't actually have any bonus this time. Still Lilly is now all charged up :)

It occurs to me that Deep Inspiration is actually a really really lenient rule compared to other Splats power sources. It might have something to do with Bound Mania meaning the Inspired need it but Moochava has said he's not really a fan of Resource Management so it could be that.

[Evil DM Mark3]

You manage to get into a position overlooking the factory floor, no one seems to be paying attention to anything other than the other groups.

And the people in the labs, one last chance!

[Recaiden]

Then again, he does not notice things well...

[roll0]
[roll1]

[Doran]

Before jumping in Ark does a quick scan of the facotry, looking for any hidden traps and checking the robot and troppers capabilities, before quietly asking Lily "-Ready to break down the robot?-"
He also spends a point of mania to charge up his web gun.


Scanning: Wits +computer +1
[roll0]
Any 10s:
[roll1]

In particular can I have the defense of the Robot?

Kings Raven, not sure on your earlier battle plan, it is Crafts + Dex to decontruct, right? Can we spend multiple mania on the same roll?

[The Kings Raven]

Ready! whispers Lilly tensing her body to spring into action.

ooc:

It's Dex + Crafts + Mania spent, minimum of one Mania per attack. You can spend as much Mania as your maximum per turn as defined by Inspiration. I plan to only spend one at a time so I can last for more attacks.

[Exthalion]

Really shouldn't have bought those noise canceling headphones...

[roll0]
[roll1]

[Evil DM Mark3]

Those in the labs suddenly realise that there has been a person sitting on a folding camping chair across the road from the lab for about 2 hours...

(Yes, two men, one at each lab)

Factory: Nothing that you can see. (as an aside, I love that phrase as an ST, never say there is nothing, say that there is nothing you can see) The tank appears to hold good old fashioned H2O.

Robot: A wonder, rank 2, built with Protensia, Katastrophy and Automata. Built of plastic with metal plating.

Suit: A wonder, rank 3, built with Protensia, Katastrophy and Elixeri. Built of copper-platinum nitrate alloy giving off a small amount of beta radiation.

Troopers: Str 3, Dex 4, Sta 3, Ulbermenchen. Standard health. Nothing else interesting.

[Doran]

Ark springs and lands on top of the robot, Lily clinging to his back. No bothering to waste his breath with insults on the storm troopers, he quickly starts breaking down the robot.


Deconstruct Technology:
Dex + Craft +Willpower = 3 + 1 + 2 =6
[roll0]
Rerolling 10s:
[roll1]
For the robots defense, just subtract the appropiate dice at the end I guess.
I've no idea about nWod battle mechanics so please tell me if I'm doing anything wrong.

Erg, should have said beginning :smallsigh:

[The Kings Raven]

As soon as Ark lands Lilly bursts into action like a coiled spring. In a blink she's on top of Ark, running across his body then letting one hand magnetically clamp onto the robot she pivots her entire body landing just behind it's head. Using her suit's ability to cling to provide grip on the robot's smooth skull she quickly works a plate off and reaches in to smash delicate mechanisms. Loose parts orbit around her magnetically protected fingers as she does so.


Dexterity (4) + Crafts (3) + Mania (1) + Willpower (3)
[roll0]
for tens
[roll1]
That... could have gone better.

[Exthalion]

"I really have to get one of them to install better security. Or I suppose a few spells might do."

Alrai left through the front door, and after making sure to lock it behind him, walked over to the man in the folding chair.

"Excuse me, but may I help you? I couldn't help but notice you out here and it is rather cold. Is there something you want, or do you just enjoy sitting and building watching?"

[Evil DM Mark3]

Factory:Ark lands on the robot and, it, um, explodes. (There was a kinda, lynchpin, thingy...)

Gimme battle joining!

Lab B: The man holds out his hand, it is ungloved. Make an awareness roll.

[Exthalion]

Barin glanced at the open hand for a moment.

[roll0]
[roll1]

[Evil DM Mark3]

You see nothing of note.

[Exthalion]

"A pleasure to make your acquaintance, but I don't shake hands. Poor manners I know, but I don't know where its been. Now, can I help you?"

[Recaiden]

Dorien casually flips open the lid of the coffin under his desk and taps the automata within lightly.

"Get up. Go to the man in the chair across the street and bring him back here."

As for himself, he goes to get his gun out of the desk itself.

[Evil DM Mark3]

Lab A. The automaton walks outside and shakes hands with the man in the chair. Roll it's Sta+Cmp vs this roll's total:
[roll0]

Lab B. The man looks you up and down and then moves to pick up the chair.

[Evil DM Mark3]

re-rolling that 10 [roll0]

[The Kings Raven]

"Suit's yours Ark, I've got these guys." With that Lilly goes for the closest trooper, ducks under his arm and attempts to twist him into a grapple.

Str(2) + Brawl (3) + Mania (1) + Willpower (3)
[roll0] (4 successes)
tens
[roll1]

[Evil DM Mark3]

OK, sorry for the wait.

Innit rolls:

Suit:[roll0]
Mooks:[roll1]
(You need to roll Dex+Comp+d10 for combat order)

[Doran]

Ark readies himself, preparing to fire on the suit with his Aranea gun.


Initiative: [roll0]

Gun: [roll1]

Aranea gun
Katastrofi 1
Mania-bound: 1
Size: 2
Variable: Integral (+1) Grappling, Knockdown (-1)
Dice Pool: Dexterity + Firearms
Type: Rifle
Range: 100 yards
Base Damage: 5B
To build: crafts
Misc notes: Built on top of main body. Shoots webbing that tries to knock down and ensnare enemies
Aranea gun
(NOTE: For grappling I assume you meant Immobilising?)
Fault:The weapon's fluid is inefficient, distributing the blow too evenly over the target. The weapon does not benefit from the 10 again rule.

[Exthalion]

"Am I not who you are looking for, or not what you are looking for? Do I lack Inspiration? If you wish to congress with my Collaborative, I am as much a member as they. If not, I wish you a pleasant evening, and many good returns."

[Recaiden]

Lab A. The automaton walks outside and shakes hands with the man in the chair. Roll it's Sta+Cmp vs this roll's total:
[roll0]

Lab B. The man looks you up and down and then moves to pick up the chair.

It...autofails that comparison, I believe. [roll0]

Dorien himself is approaching the door leading out of the lab.

[The Kings Raven]

I already posted Lilly's action on the last page (Grapple against the nearest mook, four successes). But her Dex + Comp + Fast Reflexes is 7 so she's going before any of the Nazi's anyway.
[roll0]

[Evil DM Mark3]

Lilly grabs the first of the soldiers in a tight grip.

The mooks next to him swing their guns around, but don't open fire, they seem worried that this might escalate. (Guarding)

Ark's gun strikes home [roll0] causing the suit to topple over and use its action to stand back up.

[The Kings Raven]

"I'll make this simple" Shouts Lilly with all the authority a seventeen year old in spandex can muster while trying to hold her captive between her and the gun. "Throw down your weapons or we fry you."


Presence(3) + Intimidation (2).
[roll0] Lilly is technically bluffing here. She's happy enough to fill everyone here with lots of volts but she's hoping to do it without killing anyone, so the Nazi's might be able to roll Empathy against her or something.

[edit] No successes :smallfrown: Well it does make sense, between the tank, the power suit, and the trained adult solderers a seventeen year old waif is probably the least intimidating person here even before they start looking down on anyone with non ayrian skintones.

P.S. Did the Aranea gun immobilise the suit?

[Doran]

Ark spins up his machine guns, pointing them at the soldiers. "-Comply-"


Presence(3) + Intimidation (2):
[roll0]
For any 10s: [roll1]

Ark is playing dumb here, hoping to fool the soldiers into thinking he is a common automaton, but built for combat.

[Evil DM Mark3]

As one the soldiers drop their guns.

[The Kings Raven]

"What the f" Lilly catches herself, it's important to look in control when handling prisoners. She knew they could take them but everything she'd heard suggested these Nazi's were blood blinded fanatics. Either there was a serious morale problem in the ranks or they'd acquired a sense of self preservation in the last few days. Still Introduction to Prisoner Handling, secure the prisoners before you contemplate the mysteries of the universe.

Catching on to Ark's ruse Lilly chose to play along. "Minion! if they move without me saying so deal with them!" If Lilly sounded like she was enjoying ordering Ark a little too much that's because she was on a complete power trip, the same reason as why she was perhaps rougher than necessary with the Nazi's, not that Ubermenschen weren't used to that sort of treatment.

OOC: So here's what I'm thinking. Ark has cargo space so we can get the guns and strip down the robot and suit for parts.

Doran, here's the things we need to decide on:

First do we press on or call it a huge victory and go home to celebrate? We might be able to make a go at taking down the cloak generator but I think Lilly might get shouted at if Nazi's suddenly became visible in the middle of town.

Do we leave the Nazi's here or try to march our captives home, or to the Navigator headquarters. Lilly knows the way.

Oh. And once the prisoners are tied up Lilly will have a quick look at the big vat. Intelligence (2) + Science (2) [roll0]

[Doran]

Ark keeps his guns on the goons, switches off his external speakers, and calls Lily on her cellphone. "-You going to interrogate them on the standoff as you tie them up first?-" He looks round the factory while he does so, assessing what mane equipment needs to be cleared up or destroyed.


Intelligence (4) + Science (2): [roll0]
Any 10s: [roll1]

Hmm, I think it'd have to wait on what they can tell us, either way leaving them to do whatever isn't an option, and letting the police step in certainly isn't. I'm not sure what Foundation policy is on the Ubermenschs, shoot on sight?

Edit: An exceptionial success, excellent :smallamused:

[The Kings Raven]

Lilly gives a nod to the person on the phone, making sure she's not looking at Ark at the time. After she dumps the last gun down Ark's passenger entrance she walks over and stands on the chest of the nearest Nazi "Allright listen up *********** that was the " Lilly's face makes a curious display, almost like a couple of damaged frames on a video cassette as she tries to say the word 'boss' but unknown to herself fails entirely to get it out her throat. "It seems I have the unfortunate job of interrogating you. I don't your pale skin, I don't like your Führer and I don't like. You."

At this point Lilly pauses to walk over and stand on a different Nazi. "So I want you all to know I don't want to be talking to you, in fact just being near you makes me upset so I'd like a little sympathy please. You wouldn’t want to upset a young girl, because if you do the human body makes a great emotional ground."

Sure, one interrogation roll coming up :) Thinking about it, Lilly is actually a pretty scary and sadistic young woman. When I took Intimidation 2 I imagined she would use it on other people her age at school to project a huge don't mess with me field. I didn't predict she would acting as an emotionally twisty sadistic integrator. Ah well, this is fun to rollplay :smallsmile:

Wits (4) + Intimidation (2)
[roll0]

[Evil DM Mark3]

"You vork for ze Varlock and you have issuez with ze way ve operate?"

The analysis reveals the tank to be full of river water BTW.

[The Kings Raven]

Lilly flips the man who spoke onto his back then pulls his head up. "You call that an answer! I want details. Who is the Warlock, what does he want, why are you here. Start from the beginning and tell me everything!

[Evil DM Mark3]

The feel in the room has just become one of accute suspicion. It is clear from the looks on their faces that you should know who the Warlock is and that you don't is confusing.

"You vill forgive perhaps ze epiphet, you vork for ze owner of zat machine. He is ze von ve refer to."

[The Kings Raven]

Lilly shrugs of the suspicion and accusation. These men were a threat before she took their guns and tied them up, and she was ready to take them on anyway. Now, we'll if they surrendered to her under a misunderstanding why look a gift horse in the mouth.

Silently grateful for Ark's ingenious deception Lilly replied "I am the owner of that machine, not any 'Warlock'" On the second point she could be confident, with the amount of time she and the tank spent together, well if she couldn't recognise an Inspired Orphan from a loyal Wonder she deserved to have today blow up in her face.

OOC: My first guess: Ark's origonal mind isn't as dead as we thought.

[Doran]

Ark struggled internally but gives no external sign of reacting. He thinks through the few possibilities, the 'Warlock' is simply an unrelated Genius also using spider-tank 'bots, the 'Warlock' is using tanks salvaged from the Manx lab, or the 'Warlock' was, or maybe still is...

Best to find out more. "-Hmm... designs similar to my own? Try asking them if they have heard of this Warlock recently?-" Ark's mind races ahead to the potential consequences, thankfully he's only told Alrai his cover story so far, and that can easily be played as distrust of a known mage. If they bring the Ubermensch to the Navigators, they mention the Warlock, and the Artificiers get wind of it... '-Wait, but there was no mention of the Warlock as an alias in my files. So I have some time yet... In any case, depending on what info can be extracted from the Ubermensch, I need to get a story in place for Lily in case she gets suspicous afterwards...-'


Ark is extremely worried by the thought of any part of his former self surving, thinking the Mages and Geniuses will simply finish the job. To the effect he's still untrusting, but has just been shown by the Alrai incident, that he can't afford to spin a web of lies.

[The Kings Raven]

Lilly puts the phone down a second time, hoping that the impression her higher up was watching put her in a stronger, not a weaker position, but Ark had pulled through as a partner on this job. She could afford to ask on his behalf.

"Good news, it seems that what you know is valuable enough to be worth the bother of looking at you. The Warlock's recent activity. Start talking!"

[Evil DM Mark3]

"Doktor Rhelker vould never work wiz such a monzter!"

One of the troopers on the other side of the standoff pipes up.

"Zat is because he is a Hollowenzer coward!"

The two move closer.

"He iz a Scientizt! You Lunaz are afraid to embrace ze true mysteries and glory of SCIENCE!"

The two move closer

"Coward!"

The two are face to face.

"Ignoramaz!"

The first one then throws a punch...

[Doran]

Ark starts spinning up his machine guns aiming them at the pair. "-Desist-"


Intimidation + Presence: [roll0]

Evildmm3k, what about my earlier check to see what mane stuff needs to be cleared out of the factory?

[The Kings Raven]

Unlike Ark Lilly didn't go for the polite option, not when the other way was so much more fun. She immediately charged in and started grappling with the first Nazi to throw a punch. Oi! No one moves unless I say so!

I really should have tied them up :smallwink: Clearly Lilly isn't quite as competent at prisoner management as she things she is, which also explains why she's diving in.

Strength (2) + Brawl (3)
[roll0]

[The Kings Raven]

Sorry, I keep forgetting to reroll the tens at the moment.
[roll0]

P.S. So it's Hollowearthers vs Moon Nazi's, a delightful development :smallsmile: Anyone else looking forward to the film Iron Sky?

"Now you", you being the man who refereed to someone, presumably the Warlock, as a monster. "The monster, the warlock, I'm still waiting for answers."

[Evil DM Mark3]

OK, sorry:
The automaton does not seem to be effected. The guy starts to walk off.
No mane stuff.


"Ze Varlock is a resercher of notoriety who haz conducted experiments that caused ze Ulbermench forum in Hollenzland to issue un official condemnation. Beyond zis and de shape of ze vunders I know nothing."

[The Kings Raven]

Wits (4) + Subterfuge (-1) seeing if he's lieing.
[roll0]

I can't wait to find out about this. What on Earth can Ark be doing that's bad enough to offend Nazis?

"So if the Hollow Earth knows nothing, perhaps the moon would care to enlighten us. Who did you dig up that's bad enough to shock a Nazi?"

[Evil DM Mark3]

Guys? Hello?

[Doran]

Ark is waiting on the info from the Nazis

[Evil DM Mark3]

OOC: OK, I did not see that post...

"Er, vell if I am honest, I also do not know. It iz not our place to ask qvestions..."

He seems decidedly embarrassed at this.

[Exthalion]

"Well that was certainly strange. I wonder..."

His magesight lingered yet, and would for some time. Looking intently he scrutinized the area where the man had been sitting.

[The Kings Raven]

Lilly gives a theatrically overblown sigh. "I'll have to deal with this later. For now lets get you moving." Suddenly a thought strikes, Mane or not these were based on the paper heavy German military. "I want to get my aquisiton of intelligence forms finished before tomorrow."

OOC: Shall we lock them up in ark's lab. That will let Exthalion rejoin the group. I havn't seen Recaiden for a bit :(

[Doran]

Yes that'd be good, tie them up, get the one in the suit out, and guard them in the lab. Also I guess we could take the invisibility generator, as well as damage this water tank of the Warlock's. Other than that the rest of the factory stuff is non-mane so we could leave it for the police.

It may be a good idea to check them for any comms

[The Kings Raven]

You can scan for Comms with your Apokolypsi

[Doran]

Ark casts his eyes over the goons, checking for any communicative devices.


Wits +computer +1 = 6
[roll0]
Any 10s: [roll1]
Edit: Woo! Exceptional success! :smallbiggrin:

[Evil DM Mark3]

OK. You get them back to your lab (I presume you are contacting someone in the peerage to collect and imprison them?). They have no comms devices or anything of special interest on them. The tank contains, as far as you are able to determine, ordinary river avon river water.

[Doran]

Still playing the dumb bot, Ark calls Frank. "-Evenin' Frank, have had a further encounter with the Ubermenschen in a factory being concealed by an invisibility generator. Seems there are two different groups, Moon Nazis and Hollow Earthers. Myself and Lily are currently keeping an I on them at my lab, do you want to contact any of the local heads, and send round interrogators?-"

[The Kings Raven]

While Ark is secretly phoning Frank Lilly is sitting above - yes above, she's clinging to the wall - the door while watching the Nazis and dancing sparks around her hand. She was enjoying the power rush a little too much to really question the ease of this mission but in the back of her mind doubt's festered: Where was the legendary Ubermenschen bloodlust.

Were they so scared by the Warlock they'd surrender just to escape his clutches? If so why did that apply to both parties. Were they simply unwilling to fight a tank with small arms? For most people that would be a perfectly sensible explanation but the Ubermenschen were said to lack self preservation.

[Exthalion]

What about my scrutiny of the resonance where the guy was sitting.

[Evil DM Mark3]

There was no resonace.

At all.

(I am going to go ahead and assume that you are all at the lab.)

Frank's answer comes quick and clear. "Keep them there, expect a recovery team in 13.2 minutes."

5 minutes later. Roll awareness.

[Doran]

Wits +Composure
[roll0]
10 reroll
[roll1]

[Exthalion]

Wits+Composure
[roll0]
Ten Again:
[roll1]

[The Kings Raven]

Wits (4) + Composure (2)
[roll0]
[roll1]

[Evil DM Mark3]

(this everyone?)

[The Kings Raven]

(I think so :smallfrown:)