Theo Anders and the Black Exaltation[Worm/Exalted][Hiatus]

[evildice]

I don't see the point of learning non-Solaroid charms. Solaroids are thematically better than anyone else at whatever they choose to learn, so why bother?

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Because being able to learn and imitate any random parahuman's powers will make us a super-Trump, and we have some great nearby allies who can help us learn these fun tricks.

Rune >>> Mind-Hand Manipulation.

Hookwolf >>> Hundred Direction Blade Bastion Stance.

Kaiser >>> Loyal Steel Springs Eternal Technique.

Fog >>> Vitriol Body Evaporation Prana.

Othala >>> Scenelong Fuckyoufortrying Meditation.

 

[Jack of Olives]

Skitzyfrenic Can we learn parahuman powers as charms if we go Moonshadow?

Edit: Also, we should keep in mind that even if he does allow it, the parahuman in question would need to spend weeks teaching us all the nuances about his powers.

 

[```]

ho hoh, what is this? is the Skitzyfrenic a bad enough dude to write yahtzees as real characters?

 

[evildice]

Skitzyfrenic Can we learn parahuman powers as charms if we go Moonshadow?

Edit: Also, we should keep in mind that even if he does allow it, the parahuman in question would need to spend weeks teaching us all the nuances about his powers.

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I'm assuming that what we'd get is a custom charm which is based around something the parahuman power could do.

Like, not necessarily a full parahuman power, but rather custom Charms (and balanced as such) which violate our usual themes & powers.

 

[SwiftRosenthal]

You mean like when you WANT to do something a solar can't do due to thematics? Like elemental effects? Or OH MY GOD! Faster healing such as dragonblooded use? or unspeakably good spirit extra action charms or essence storage tanks? or shape-shifting charms? or wait... raksha have BETTER defensive charms that are not perfect effects?

Do not buy into the myth that Solaroids are best at everything... they're good at somethings... but every other types have effects that solars might want.

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You probably have a point because I don't know enough about the other Exalts' crunch, but I can't imagine hearing it said IC for one simple reason: Pride is a Solaroid theme too.

Because being able to learn and imitate any random parahuman's powers will make us a super-Trump, and we have some great nearby allies who can help us learn these fun tricks.

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All Exalts can do that AFAIK, except for Sids because of their closed charmset. Creating a new charm creates, what, four times more training days, plus whatever hoops the GM sets up for the player? If the parahuman power's theme isn't already sufficiently Abyssal, I don't mind if our version is reskinned to fit.

 

[Anasurimbor]

Edit: Also, we should keep in mind that even if he does allow it, the parahuman in question would need to spend weeks teaching us all the nuances about his powers.

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The intervals are weeks, but the total is unlikely to be less than a month per charm, and most interesting powers will consist of multiple charms. Not terribly practical, If you really want to fiddle with powers, play a Daybreak and fiddle with them directly. Or show an amateur like Bonesaw what real zombies are like.

 

[SwiftRosenthal]

The intervals are weeks, but the total is unlikely to be less than a month per charm, and most interesting powers will consist of multiple charms. Not terribly practical, If you really want to fiddle with powers, play a Daybreak and fiddle with them directly. Or show an amateur like Bonesaw what real zombies are like.

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If we use Abyssal-skinned versions, however, the intervals fall to days. Without houserules, it's 4 * Ability days to create a Favored/Caste charm and 4 * (Ability + Essence) days to create any other charm for your own Exalt-type. That's no more than 40 days to develop any non-Elder charm.

 

[Skitzyfrenic]

Skitzyfrenic Can we learn parahuman powers as charms if we go Moonshadow?

Edit: Also, we should keep in mind that even if he does allow it, the parahuman in question would need to spend weeks teaching us all the nuances about his powers.

Click to shrink...

I would welcome your help then.

Moonshadow anima being able to parse powers as non-native charms is ok. Ruling on packages, ie Alexandria package, Flechette Sting suite, that's a suite of powers and so would require multiple charms to get the whole thing.

They will still be expensive to purchase, and take a while to train/learn. 16 xp plus (min ability + min Essence) weeks (that should be at least 2) of training, so it isn't something trivial to get.

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It wouldn't really be fair to gimp a caste like that. The charms powers give are unlikely to be exactly the same or be expensive mote wise. So.

 

[1986ctcel]

[X] Plan Bii
[X] The Dark Prince
[X] A dot inside a circle. Is the dot falling into a pit?" - Moonshadow (TalkySpy/Diplomat/Businessman of the Dead)(Bureaucracy, Linguistics, Ride, Sail, Socialize)
[X](Tell him about the vision, but coached in words he would recognize (eg Freja, not the Lover)) I... I saw this woman...
-[X] The world just greyed out... and I think I saw this woman... *pause in silence and memory of just how fucking HOT she was* And then everything started to move again... and erm... *look at where the wound USED to be* I got better?

 

[Jack of Olives]

It wouldn't really be fair to gimp a caste like that. The charms powers give are unlikely to be exactly the same or be expensive mote wise. So.

Click to shrink...

Oops; I must have missed that. Sorry.

 

[Skitzyfrenic]

Oops; I must have missed that. Sorry.

Click to shrink...

Doing the final tally right now, looks like Moonshadow has won. Parahuman powers are going to take at least 2 weeks to learn, and that's for low end, low threat powers. Its an option but I don't want it to be so attractive that all Theo does is bang Nazi chicks and score parahuman powers. Otherwise conceptual rocks would fall, rise, and appear inside of Theo all at the same time with no warning, and I'd have to choose a new person to Exalt.

Tally is going up.

 

[Skitzyfrenic]

Vote closed!

======
Theo's Abyssal name:
[0]Cenotaph of Laughter and Hope
Votes: Jack of Olives

[10]The Dark Prince
Votes: SwiftRosenthal, Biigoh, Happerry, dasstan, Valor, Jack of Olives, unsafejakal, Hextroyer413, Least Devotee, 1986ctel

[1] Herald of the Final Solution
Votes: TheAlec

[2] Terminal Nadir
Votes: Biofan09, evildice

[1] Um
Votes: namelis


Theo's caste:
[2]A circle with a starburst around it, like someone drew a sun!" - Dusk (General/Soldier/Champion of the Dead)(Firearms, Martial Arts, Melee, Thrown, War)
Votes: AZATHOTHoth, Selias, cyberswordsmen

[6]A disk... I... I think it blinked at me!" - Midnight (Priest/PR/Entertainer of the Dead)(Integrity, Performance, Presence, Resistance, Survival)
Votes: Jack of Olives, SwiftRosenthal, Anasurimbor, unsafejakal, Valor, Hexstroyer413, TheAlec

[0]A smiley face of blood with no eyes, spooky." - Daybreak (Mad-Scientist/Necromancer/Doctor of the Dead)(Craft, Investigation, Lore, Medicine, Occult)
Vote count:

[1]A ring, like Max should be putting on our fingers some day soon! Except, you know, not made of blood..." - Day (Assassin/SneakySpy/Thief of the Dead)(Athletics, Awareness, Dodge, Larceny, Stealth)
Vote count: Drak4806

[10]A dot inside a circle. Is the dot falling into a pit?" - Moonshadow (TalkySpy/Diplomat/Businessman of the Dead)(Bureaucracy, Linguistics, Drive, Sail, Socialize)
Vote count: Biigoh, Happerry, dasstan, Jack of Olives, Selias, Biofan09, evildice, Least Devotee, namelis, 1986ctel


What do you tell him?
[0](You think you're a parahuman) I think I'm a parahuman.
Vote count:

[8](That was close to an actual religious experience and you remember it vividly, Lie)I think I'm a parahuman.
Vote count: SwiftRosenthal, unsafejakal, AZATHOTHoth, dasstan, cyberswordsmen, Valor, Biofan09, evildice

[9](Tell him about the vision, but coached in words he would recognize (eg Freja, not the Lover)) I... I saw this woman...
Vote count: Anasurimbor, Biigoh, Happerry, Jack of Olives, Hexstroyer413, TheAlec, Least Devotee, namelis, 1986ctel

- The world just greyed out... and I think I saw this woman... *pause in silence and memory of just how fucking HOT she was* And then everything started to move again... and erm... *look at where the wound USED to be* I got better?(Bii's addition votes: Biigoh, Happerry, Jack of Olives, Least Devotee, 1986ctel)

[0](Tell him the whole truth as you know it) The world greyed out and I was offered a deal.
Vote count: Jack of Olives,

[1]That he's an asshole.
Vote count: Selias

=====

Results: The Dark Prince of the Moonshadow Caste shall be telling his former self's father that shadowed Hel (Maybe it was Freja) offered a deal of trading away name, destiny, and freedom for life and power.

Feel free to start talking chargen stuff like dots and charms. That vote won't actually go live until after the next snip, along with another vote or two, but its coming. He gets full chargen, no restrictions on it. But the following must be included:

Theo gets Resources 1 as allowance. Some people could squeak a living off of what he gets as pocket change, his family is wealthy. And has Liege 2 but can't take advantage of quite a bit of it. The Lover is keeping a watchful, but not all encompassing, eye on Theo because her mission dictates, and will train him sometimes in his dreams. So its more of a Mentor 2 right now but spoilers. As of right now, he is considered a Loyal Abyssal.

Also xp rules are up in the index post, as is the current character sheet.

 

[dasstan]

shall be telling his former self's father that shadowed Hel (Maybe it was Freja) offered a deal of trading away name, destiny, and freedom for life and power.

Click to shrink...

Max: "Okay, son."
Max, thinking to himself: "Wow, trigger events when you're bleeding out are weird. Oh god, my son is going to be one of those magic capes like Myrddin... Well, Nazi's had the Thule Society. I can work with this."

 

[Skitzyfrenic]

Max: "Okay, son."
Max, thinking to himself: "Wow, trigger events when you're bleeding out are weird. Oh god, my son is going to be one of those magic capes like Myrddin... Well, Nazi's had the Thule Society. I can work with this."

Click to shrink...

Is very likely to happen. Things may conspire and you may choose to do things that at least convince him to feed the 'illusion.'

Myrrdin sets a precedent. As do other capes who think that they are.magic. and organizations like Haven really set the precedent for 'religious' experience.

 

[dasstan]

Is very likely to happen. Things may conspire and you may choose to do things that at least convince him to feed the 'illusion.'

Myrrdin sets a precedent. As do other capes who think that they are.magic. and organizations like Haven really set the precedent for 'religious' experience.

Click to shrink...

I can't imagine something along those lines not happening. I'm assuming that Theo is the first exalt on Earth-Bet, so the entire concept should be foreign, and there are parahumans that need to feed their psychosis for better results (Labyrinth) and ones whose powers cause psychosis the more the power is used (Burnscar).

Once Max realizes just how powerful his son can be, I'm sure he, and others of his organization, will feed the 'illusion'.

 

[SwiftRosenthal]

Once Max realizes just how powerful his son can be, I'm sure he, and others of his organization, will feed the 'illusion'.

Click to shrink...

Later, once Max realizes that his son is growing too powerful... what's a little patricide between friends?

 

[1986ctcel]

I can't imagine something along those lines not happening. I'm assuming that Theo is the first exalt on Earth-Bet, so the entire concept should be foreign, and there are parahumans that need to feed their psychosis for better results (Labyrinth) and ones whose powers cause psychosis the more the power is used (Burnscar).

Once Max realizes just how powerful his son can be, I'm sure he, and others of his organization, will feed the 'illusion'.

Click to shrink...

Right up until his sexy sexy liege finally appears to congratulate Theo on his first harem

 

[dasstan]

Right up until his sexy sexy liege finally appears to congratulate Theo on his first harem

Click to shrink...

"What an interesting projection you have there, Son."

 

[Skitzyfrenic]

"Then take your Last Breath as Theodore Anders and rise the Dark Prince, and know that you serve the Lover Clad in the Raiment of Tears before all others."

The Lover pulled back and settled in her chair. Her first agent on this 'Earth Bet.' The process of Exaltation had gone smoothly. She had expected some difficulties, the humans of Earth Bet not having souls, lack of a sub-structure of Essence, or simply not even being able to pierce the wall betweens worlds through her 'Bowl of Udr.'

The Lover pondered re-naming it to something more impressive. Perhaps when she had started experiencing some success in her task to investigate, subvert, and destroy an 'Earth.' She swirled the waters, keeping an eye on her new charge.

The Dark Prince's family was recovering well, as if they expected that something like Exaltation could happen. When the Deathlord visited his dreams, she would have to inquire about it.

The father wiped the excess blood off his son's brow, revealing the full glory of the still bleeding Moonshadow caste mark.

A Moonshadow wasn't ideal, but definitely workable. The possibility of using another of her precious Exaltations would have to be considered for the short term. Opening a full shadowland was a priority, as was having a powerbase on Earth Bet.

Yes, that would be his first mission. He would have to gather a suitable power and knowledge base. Once that happened...

The Lover's lips turned down. She definitely hated having to rely on a single agent, especially one so untrained. It made it difficult, but not impossible to plan. She would still have to wait to see were his talents lay.

The Dark Prince's Character Sheet:
[]Write in (More below)

The bowl was covered, and the Lover Clad in the Raiment of Tears swept out of her private, hidden study, only stopping long enough to redo all of the traps and protections. Amusement and entertainment were needed. She could visit his dreams later.

=====

Your mouth opens and closes a few times before finally settling on what you are going to tell your father.

"I..." you pause and look at Max, his attention is riveted on you.

"The world went grey, and I saw this woman," you pause again, remembering her curves, her legs, her delicate hands, her pouty lips, her intense eyes. She was so fucking hot.

"She was really fucking hot, I can't even explain how hot she was. I think even you would have been a bumbling fool in front of her, and even that would be an understatement."

That gets a snort of amusement out of your father, along with a slight lift in the corner of his mouth.

"I think she might have been Freja, because she offered me a deal. I had to give up my name, my Wyrd, and enter her service. In return she would give me life and power. I..."

You look down at your hands and feel the tiniest bit of shame.

"I was afraid, I didn't want to die," you look up at your father's now concerned face, "I took the deal, she renamed me 'the Dark Prince.' Theo Anders took his Last Breath on that floor, then everything started moving again, and," you finger the hole in your shirt absently, "I got better."

"And here we are," Max spoke up. He looked over your shoulder to where the twins were, before casting his gaze back down at you.

Before he can speak, heavy bangs interrupt, and you all jerk in surprise. Jessica quickly leaves the room, and Nessa's slightly panicked voice startles your father to action.

"That could be the paramedics. I called 9-1-1 while Jess called Ophelia."

"Scheisse!" Max swears. "Theo, go change your shirt quickly, keep the handkerchief pressed to your forehead. We must protect your identity if its the paramedics. You fell down and knocked yourself out. We panicked because you were unresponsive and your wound bled profusely. Quickly now, go!"

You get up and start making your way to your room, thinking about how you want to handle this.

Pick one from each category:

[] Fuck your dad and his ideology. Tell the paramedics (if it is them) the truth (but not that your dad is Kaiser. That is a bit to far over the imaginary cape line) and probably end up a Ward of the State and in the Wards.

[] Protect your identity, play along with your father. If you want to break away from the E88 or never join up with it, it can be decided later, your identity is more important at the moment.

And:

[] If its Ophelia and Aaron, let Ophelia play nurse. Even missing an eye, she's definitely fap worthy.

[] If its Ophelia and Aaron, keep Ophelia from fussing over you or decline treatment, you're a grown fucking man now. You touched death and a very pretty lady came along and helped you kick it in the teeth.

=====

+2 xp! (Forgot to out this here)

Chargen is going to take place over 5 rounds as per SwiftRosenthal 's very sound advice.

First round:
Motivation:
[]Write in

and

Anima Banner:
[]Write in

No snips tomorrow night unless I get super motivated. I want to put some time in on Tera with my friends.

 

[burningclaw2]

[X] Protect your identity, play along with your father. If you want to break away from the E88 or never join up with it, it can be decided later, your identity is more important at the moment.
-[X] Dad went through a lot of trouble to build us a rich and powerful organization. It'd be a shame to turn it against us rather than bend it to our dark will.

[X] Motivation: To take over the Empire 88.

[X] Anima: A rank and file army of knights, clad in armor of pitch black with silvery trim and baring silver swords and black spears. Behind the marching knights are legions of mounted knights riding on skeletal horses. Each knight is ready and wishing to spill the blood of those who stand before their liege. Towering behind the knights is a pack of undead dragons, foul poisonous fog exuding from their maws as they stamp forward. The howling of spirits, both ally and enemy, follows behind it all.

 

[1986ctcel]

[] Protect your identity, play along with your father. If you want to break away from the E88 or never join up with it, it can be decided later, your identity is more important at the moment.
-[] Dad went through a lot of trouble to build us a rich and powerful organization. It'd be a shame to turn it against us rather than bend it to our dark will.
[] If its Ophelia and Aaron, let Ophelia play nurse. Even missing an eye, she's definitely fap worthy

 

[burningclaw2]

I want to take over the E88.

 

[SwiftRosenthal]

Theo gets a full chargen, and it's on you guys, he's yours to play by popular vote. Other than the backgrounds that he has to start with. Those DO count against all his background points, and can be upgraded, with reasoning.

No snips tomorrow night unless I get super motivated. I want to put some time in on Tera with my friends.

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Actually it would probably work better if we did this step-by-step. Chargen for the Infernal Madison quest was a 20+ page clusterfuck, and the first build to get a majority vote wasn't even valid.

So I'd do five voting rounds, one after the other: Motivation and Anima Banner (counted separately), an Attributes plan (using the Overlord Ascendant allocation method), an Abilities plan, Backgrounds/Charms/Virtues (three plans, counted separately), and finally Intimacies and bonus point allocation. This would also prevent a situation where we have several competing complete plans, none of which are anything alike, and voters who may not like any of them but don't want to create their own complete plans.

 

[unsafejakal]

[X] Protect your identity, play along with your father. If you want to break away from the E88 or never join up with it, it can be decided later, your identity is more important at the moment.

[X] If its Ophelia and Aaron, let Ophelia play nurse. Even missing an eye, she's definitely fap worthy.

Never did chargen before so will pass on that.

 

[Skitzyfrenic]

Actually it would probably work better if we did this step-by-step. Chargen for the Infernal Madison quest was a 20+ page clusterfuck, and the first build to get a majority vote wasn't even valid.

So I'd do five voting rounds, one after the other: Motivation and Anima Banner (counted separately), an Attributes plan (using the Overlord Ascendant allocation method), an Abilities plan, Backgrounds/Charms/Virtues (three plans, counted separately), and finally Intimacies and bonus point allocation. This would also prevent a situation where we have several competing complete plans, none of which are anything alike, and voters who may not like any of them but don't want to create their own complete plans.

Click to shrink...

That is sound advice.

Going to change the votes. But I am going to need you to explain the Overlord Ascendant allocation.

 

[Biigoh]

[X] Plan Bii

[X] Protect your identity, play along with your father. If you want to break away from the E88 or never join up with it, it can be decided later, your identity is more important at the moment.

And:

[X] If its Ophelia and Aaron, let Ophelia play nurse. Even missing an eye, she's definitely fap worthy.

[X] Motivation: The Dark Prince is but a young abyssal. Thus, his goals are smaller in scope. To destroy those who would stand in his way, who would harm Kayden and Aster, Frenja and Menja, Rune, and all the other sweet pussy he would tap in the Empire.

[X] Anima: A single disc of absolute darkness floated in absolute perfection, a gaping maw into the void of oblivion, while a ring of energetic dark light spun clockwise around the disc. The bleeding had long stopped when the icon of negative energy had formed over the stigma.

Shimmering waves of translucent darkness flowed off of the Dark Prince like an elegant noble robe of energy with silver highlights. While seething black orbs swirled slowly and purposefully around him as of planets around their sun, a miasma of almost black dark purple and silver sparkles trailed behind them.

And yet, he spent more essence. Pulling at the very fabric of reality, denying its existence, and his aura only grew, forming an ever elaborate robe around him. While the orbs of darkness only multiplied...

Eventually, reality was rent... and the heavens darkened. One could still see perfectly... and yet, it was as if the very sun and all sources of light had been eclipsed.

While behind the Dark Prince, a majestic lady stood towering over him. She was dressed as he was, in flowing robes of darkness and glittering silver, a halo of absolute darkness floated above her head, while wings fluttered from her back, countless wings with feathers of infinite darkness and depth. There was a sense that she saw all, despite her eyes being covered by the reptilian bird skull that she wore as a helm.

 

[Biigoh]

Tanuki will do up a character sheet afterwards.

 

[evildice]

[X] Protect your identity, play along with your father. If you want to break away from the E88 or never join up with it, it can be decided later, your identity is more important at the moment.
-[X] Dad went through a lot of trouble to build us a rich and powerful organization. It'd be a shame to turn it against us rather than bend it to our dark will.

[X] If its Ophelia and Aaron, let Ophelia play nurse. Even missing an eye, she's definitely fap worthy.
(You mean Othala, right?)


Character building stuff:

Caste: Socialize, Drive, Ride, Pilot/Sail, Bureaucracy, Linguistics -- We ought to pick either Ride or Pilot/Sail, no strong opinion on which.
Favored: Martial Arts, Dodge, Presence, Occult, Medicine -- Medicine is what we use for Necrotech, right?

 

[Skitzyfrenic]

Yes, Ophelia is Othala and Aaron is Victor. I couldn't find civ IDs for them. So I made them up.

 

[SwiftRosenthal]

That is sound advice.

Going to change the votes. But I am going to need you to explain the Overlord Ascendant allocation.

Click to shrink...

See this post. Together with the auto vote counter, it creates a compromise plan out of all the individual votes. You'd need to adjust it somewhat to keep the end result valid for Exalted's 8/6/4 rule, but it's better IMO than a plurality vote between Stat Plan X and Stat Plan Y.