PSSL IC Chat thread

Prak · Post by **Prak** » Sat Aug 04, 2012 6:29 am

Use this thread just to keep stuff less confused.

Koumei · Post by **Koumei** » Sat Aug 04, 2012 6:51 am

Well, putting aside "I wonder if something bigger put the idea in his heart and sent him crazy like that" and "I hope he didn't hurt his girlfriend", Megan is going to try to get a hold of Isaac - because we need to know where he stands. Her intention is to befriend him, because friendship is magic(al).

To some extent, she's going to need Amelia's help with finding the others, or wait for them to reveal themselves with powers the way Isaac did.

Also a definite thing: discussing costume ideas with Amelia, such as "our own magical girl costumes that sort of fit a theme like they're part of the same team but aren't completely identical like we're both cosplaying the same character."

And she's going to be practising her acrobatics, and ask her parents for money to buy some Sirin products. If necessary she'll dial the charm up to 11.

Korgan0 · Post by **Korgan0** » Sat Aug 04, 2012 6:55 am

I'm going to head off to my sept (whereever that is) and talk to the leader (whoever that is) about the fact that some crazy guy with bone spurs attacked me and then a student turned into a statue-angel and dragged him off me. You know, everyday stuff.

Korgan0 · Post by **Korgan0** » Sat Aug 04, 2012 7:00 am

Also, it stands to reason that I wouldn't know this sept that well as I'm new in town, and my old CoG sept would probably have put me in touch with them or something.

Quantumboost · Post by **Quantumboost** » Sat Aug 04, 2012 7:53 am

After the big mess, I'll sign Amelia up for the Chess and Science clubs, and try to chat up the Science teacher and get a feel for just where on the science vs. SCIENCE!!! scale he fits. And avoid the Guidance Counselor like the plague... or like an NWO plant.

And since I still have that .ds file, I'm going to try to narrow down who and what the other teenage supernaturals of note (i.e. the player characters) are using a combination of the Spirit Sense in the Mercury Computer and Advanced Metagenetic Analysis aka Life 1 sense magic. That... might actually detect vampires by virtue of them not showing up as alive, unlike the Spirit Sense. And then get Megan to help since she doesn't have +lots to all social roll difficulties with strangers. Direct interaction with Michael can probably wait for Chess club to start up, anyway. Nothing like a few games to break the ice.

Not going to investigate that large Spirit presence until we get more than two people in this little team of ours. Which we're definitely coordinating outfits on, based thematically on Aphrael's Apocalyptic Form since that's probably not as ridiculously mutable as an icon or even just actual clothes. And Amelia already has the sailor suit we'd use as a base.

Getting the Resonance signatures of all the Mages I can find is another priority, along with an idea of the magical capabilities of the team and any other resident supernaturals.

In the meantime, dedicating a bit more time to Tai Chi and weapons practice, costuming, and making some communications gear. And working on some programming (rotes), and the preliminaries of deeper understanding of Graph Theory and a bit of Chaos Math (Correspondence and Entropy). Digital Web surfing = basic Otherworld travel practice.

Prak · Post by **Prak** » Sat Aug 04, 2012 8:46 am

@ Koumei:
Megan's parents will tell her that if she wants Sirine Cosmetics, she can buy them with her own money, just like the stuff she buys now. (However, this is for mundane asking only). Let me know if you put on the SC that Mandy gave you.

@ Korgan:
As you follow the directions your buddy gave you while high, you have to drive around a bit, and realize "oh, that's the 'big tree that looks like Bob Marley,' ok, this makes sense now" you start to suspect something. Once you get there, you realise that the sept is the hippy commune that Sarah was talking about. The theurge Signals-Spirits-With-White-Smoke will greet you and invite you in to talk about your first day at the high school.

@Quantum:
When you visit Mr. Rowles' room on orientation day, you'll actually hear the precise, measured tones of Mr. Smith, followed by Rowles' incredulous laughter and the statement "In my class room, I do what I want, and I have what I want, and so long as it isn't a danger to the students, which we both know this isn't, it's none of your business. Aaron knows about it, and has no problem with it. In fact he seemed to be awed and amused. So I suggest taking it up with him." Mr. Smith will walk away, stiffly, as he always moves, placing his hat back on his head as he leaves with almost mechanical smooth-ness as he steps outside.
Inside Rowles' class room is a miniature tesla coil on the lab table he uses as a desk. The arcing electricity frying flying insects, and otherwise arcing to small rods circling it. You can tell this isn't some cheap office toy. "Ah, hello." he says, brightening out of his scowl as you walk in "Any questions I can answer for you?"

Continued analysis of your .ds file with life scan will reveal that the new teacher, Mr. Branagh has certain aspects to his pattern that are similar to wolf patterns, and Mr. Charlotte has aspects of spider pattern to him.
Mr. Rowles and Ms. Lilan both have Dynamic resonances, and Smith has a Static resonance. The spiritual presence, and the pattern similar to Megan's that was noted as being somewhere on campus, are deeply entropic.
Other than that, the program will note a high level of background spirit activity, consistent with an area with a very thin spirit gauntlet.

Korgan0 · Post by **Korgan0** » Sat Aug 04, 2012 8:55 am

Prak_Anima wrote: @ Korgan:
As you follow the directions your buddy gave you while high, you have to drive around a bit, and realize "oh, that's the 'big tree that looks like Bob Marley,' ok, this makes sense now" you start to suspect something. Once you get there, you realise that the sept is the hippy commune that Sarah was talking about. The theurge Signals-Spirits-With-White-Smoke will greet you and invite you in to talk about your first day at the high school.

I thank him profusely, go in, probably smoke a ~*peace pipe,*~ apologize for disturbing the peace and bypassing the usual pleasantries and tell him/her in no uncertain terms what kind of stuff went down at the school. I ask him/her if there are any known wyrm manifestations, or at least what kind of thing could result in someone turning into a mouth-covered shadow or an enraged bone-spur-wielding berserker. I then ask what's going on in the city as a whole, and what the local spirits are like. Tom is really discomfited by what happened, and he wants to make sure that both himself and the wider community will be safe from whatever's going on.

Koumei · Post by **Koumei** » Sat Aug 04, 2012 9:06 am

Prak_Anima wrote:@ Koumei:
Megan's parents will tell her that if she wants Sirine Cosmetics, she can buy them with her own money, just like the stuff she buys now. (However, this is for mundane asking only). Let me know if you put on the SC that Mandy gave you.

Can she afford it? She has a reasonable allowance you might expect a teenager to have, but good cosmetics can get very expensive. If they're in her price range, she will in fact buy her own. If not, she'll totally ask a second time, but with the Lore of Longing on her side, pointing out how important it is for her to make friends and to take part in something athletic to try to make her request seem more reasonable. But yeah, if she can afford it, then she'll buy it with her own money.

As for what Mandy gave her, she'll take a look to make sure it hasn't gone manky, and apply it in private first, seeing how it suits her - and to make sure this isn't some evil plot by bitchy cheerleaders.

Prak · Post by **Prak** » Sat Aug 04, 2012 9:19 am

@ Korgan:
The theurge will think for a bit. "Weeellll... there are a few Pentex corporations around the town, so there's all the usual ickyness there. But from what you, um. Fuck, what's the word, um the guy you told me about. You might want to look more towards the vampires. Fomori tend to have some pretty big deformities and shit, I mean, besides obvious mutations. If he were dripping nasty pus or something, then yeah, totally. But teeth and bone spurs would be well within the realm of Vicssisissi- vampire flesh sculpting." He takes another toke. "The other thing, well... that sounds really Bane-ish. Don't know though. I mean, hell, there are whisper spiders, but those are little things (he pantomimes something the size of a dessert plate)... and more controllers of people than things that disguise themselves. I suppose it could be a spirit that's manifested, or a spirit that's possessed someone. Sounds like something you'll hafta check out." He jumps up and grabs a bulk store sized bag of chips and rips it open, "Wha'd ya think of the principle?" he snickers.

@ Koumei:
You can afford some very basic Sirine Cosmetics, a foundation, and one each appropriate high light and shadow colours, and a tube of lipstick. They actually have reasonably affordable basic kits, but beyond that things quickly ramp up price-wise.
Also, see pm, coming in a moment.

Korgan0 · Post by **Korgan0** » Sat Aug 04, 2012 10:10 am

Prak_Anima wrote:@ Korgan:
The theurge will think for a bit. "Weeellll... there are a few Pentex corporations around the town, so there's all the usual ickyness there. But from what you, um. Fuck, what's the word, um the guy you told me about. You might want to look more towards the vampires. Fomori tend to have some pretty big deformities and shit, I mean, besides obvious mutations. If he were dripping nasty pus or something, then yeah, totally. But teeth and bone spurs would be well within the realm of Vicssisissi- vampire flesh sculpting." He takes another toke. "The other thing, well... that sounds really Bane-ish. Don't know though. I mean, hell, there are whisper spiders, but those are little things (he pantomimes something the size of a dessert plate)... and more controllers of people than things that disguise themselves. I suppose it could be a spirit that's manifested, or a spirit that's possessed someone. Sounds like something you'll hafta check out." He jumps up and grabs a bulk store sized bag of chips and rips it open, "Wha'd ya think of the principle?" he snickers.

"I dunno, man, I didn't really talk to him. He seemed pretty normal, I guess, if, uh, a bit weird. I dunno. Like, there just seemed something off about him, like the way he talked and stuff. He just seemed like some weird human, though."

Tom thinks for a few seconds. "Isaac, I don't know. I actually talked to him for a while, and he seemed totally chill. Just, like, another weird, kinda repressed, sorta angsty teenager. And then he turned into this blob of shadows with eyes and shit everywhere, and then he just turned back like nothing had happened. I don't think a Bane was controlling him, but I haven't got a single clue. I dunno, man, I just dunno. There's some weird shit to be sure."

Tom turns to him with a grin, sits back, and begins to ruminate. "But you know what, man? We've got Gaia on our side, and with Her help, and the help of all Her children, we can take on anything. You know what I mean, man? Now let me take another hit of that, and I should be on my way. I still need to write up lesson plans and shit. Oh, and tell me where you get this herb, man, this is some good shit."

Koumei · Post by **Koumei** » Sat Aug 04, 2012 10:22 am

In that case, yes, Megan will just buy the basics - she can get a few extra highlights, eyeliners, shades etc. over time.

Quantumboost · Post by **Quantumboost** » Sat Aug 04, 2012 5:11 pm

"Ah, good afternoon Mr. Rowles. I like your... pretty tesla coil-based thing? I was just hoping to find out a little more about my club advisor, how you approach the sciences. See if you were someone I should be avoiding as much as Mr. Smith."

"Do you know much about Ms. Lilan, by the way? I can tell she's Awakened, and unlikely to be in the Technocracy, but I'm not sure which Tradition she is if any."

((Also, it doesn't necessarily matter to me the player what the specific descriptions of the Resonances are (i.e., Dynamic (Fiery), Static (Rational), Entropic (Malevolent) etc.), but does Amelia at least know so I can tell if, say, an active effect was created by one of those faculty members?

And I'm sure that Encrypt Mind was a very good idea and not at all a waste now that I'm confident we've got a member of the Technocracy on the faculty who's probably very good with Mind superscience.))

Prak · Post by **Prak** » Sat Aug 04, 2012 8:47 pm

He laughs, "Smith's just doing his job, whether we agree with it or not. Though if he advises you to do anything, I would think long and hard and weight towards doing the opposite. But then I'd say that about any guidance counselor. Mary is a virtual adept," he eyes your computer, "As I assume you are as well."

yeah, she can know the resonances and such.

Quantumboost · Post by **Quantumboost** » Sat Aug 04, 2012 9:45 pm

"Hee. Sounds like good advice, I'll take it. And yes, Virtual Adept. This is my... well, 'Familiar' I guess. That's what the mystics call it, right? I mostly let her handle things related to extradimensional spirit thingys, though from the look of things around here I might need to brush up on all that as well."

Prak · Post by **Prak** » Sat Aug 04, 2012 10:43 pm

"Well, if she can talk to other spirits, it might be worth letting her do that from time to time around here."

Quantumboost · Post by **Quantumboost** » Sun Aug 05, 2012 4:40 am

The Computer picks that up through the background noise of yet another session of StarCraft, and sets to gathering Spirit Gossip on local Gauntlet thinning.

Amelia takes some more time to make small talk with Mr. Rowles about local events, what sort of projects he works on. Veiled references to each other's major spheres. That sort of thing.

After a bit, she'll excuse herself (politely) and look for Ms. Lilan to engage in PROPER TRADITION-SPECIFIC DECORUM when they're not being watched by mundanes:

"J0, Life-Hacker new to school, you the local Kibo? Any Trads or Technos in the area to look for aside from Rowles and Smith?"

Korgan0 · Post by **Korgan0** » Sun Aug 05, 2012 7:21 am

[uh, what did that theurge say about the principal?]

Prak · Post by **Prak** » Sun Aug 05, 2012 7:52 am

@Quantum:
Roll me a Manipulation/Charisma + Intimidate/Expression for your familiar (and tell me which).

Rowles works a bit of Life (he'll bring out his own familiar, which is a Stitch plush toy brought to life), but mostly he works Matter/Correspondence/Forces for the benefits to machinery.

Lilan will greet you, "Hey! So Sam let the secret slip, eh? They're the main ones. I'm sure there are some amongst the students but don't know of any at the moment."
(I have no clue what Kibo means).

@Korgan:
"Ha, yeah, he does pretty well fitting in, you'd never know he worked with out little swirly, mutagenic friend in the spirit realm. Not a gorgon, of course, they're never humans."

Korgan0 · Post by **Korgan0** » Sun Aug 05, 2012 8:29 am

Prak_Anima wrote: @Korgan:
"Ha, yeah, he does pretty well fitting in, you'd never know he worked with out little swirly, mutagenic friend in the spirit realm. Not a gorgon, of course, they're never humans."

"Wait, what? I had no idea. Damn, this is a big deal. Like, is there anything I should watch out for, or anything I can do? Oh, that reminds me, what are the other garou like in the area? I've got some bad voodoo with the Silver Fangs, so I don't want their energy anywhere near me, if you know what I mean."

Prak · Post by **Prak** » Sun Aug 05, 2012 9:21 am

"Welllllll you might not want to kill spiders you see around the school. The other garou keep to themselves, for the most part. Got some fianna, some glass walkers, and some bone gnawers. The last take it as a kindness if you toss the copious bums around some scratch when they hit you up. They'll occasionally come by here too. Oh, and watch out for sharks in the bay."

Quantumboost · Post by **Quantumboost** » Sun Aug 05, 2012 3:57 pm

Manipulation+Expression: 2d10 = (9,5)

(("Kibo" is short for "Knowledge in, bullshit out" and it also means the people who "know stuff" and process information in the Tradition. "Hacker" is the term for people who put that information into practice, like doing raids and making stuff and whatever.))

"Cool, just thought I'd check in. Lots of freaky spirit stuff going on around here, figured it'd be the best idea to stay patched into the network."

Amelia will exchange tags with Ms. Lilan and chat for a bit about the area, computing stuff, how safe the school network is for casual net-jaunts. Then, send off an encrypted message to Megan:

"Hey. Did some checking in on the teachers who scanned as Awakened humans. All technomancers, which is weird. Rowles is Son of Ether, they're all SCIENCE!!! and Dynamic tech. Lilan is a reality hacker like me. Smith is probably Technocracy, probably New World Order, they're basically totalitarians.

Two of the other teachers match your general type signature. Not entirely sure which ones, have suspicions. There's another presence like that near the PAC and Gaiman Hall, but really big and really mean. There's one other who probably isn't a teacher, but given the mouth-guy from before that's probably him.

The Ecology teacher is wolfy. Possibly one of the rage machines I told you about. I think the principal is Spiderman."

Prak · Post by **Prak** » Sun Aug 05, 2012 11:37 pm

((Silly me for checking Urban Dictionary and Wikipedia instead of the mage book. Also, if anyone knows which mage book talks about Mage-Vampire interactions, I'd love to know! Because Vampire ST Guide ain't helping...))

Mercury Computer's Spirit Gossip gets you essentially the same info, though it will also pass word of a lot banes in the school. The library, a classroom with lots of books and words and such (which you can determine is Mr. Sepulk's) and the Gaiman Hall/AFPPAC area, as well as Mr. Charlotte's office are pretty much the safest areas for the spirits. They're not entirely happy about the first few, especially number three, and think Charlotte's office is creepy, but they are safe respites for non-bane spirits.

Oh, and you'll also learn that Thomas is a werewolf and the spirits are actually really excited about it.

Lilan will tell you that it's generally not a great idea, since it can make the computers go wonky and people may be watching. The school network is heavily monitored, after all.

Quantumboost · Post by **Quantumboost** » Mon Aug 06, 2012 1:46 am

((Mage Storyteller's Handbook has interactions between Mages and... pretty much everything except Demons. Since Demons apparently came out later. Vampire stuff starts on page 197.))

Prak · Post by **Prak** » Mon Aug 06, 2012 4:06 am

((Welp, apparently that's not the one I have. So we'll just go with what I can figure out and what makes sense. Was trying to check what resonance WW said ghouls and vampires were)).

Quantumboost · Post by **Quantumboost** » Mon Aug 06, 2012 4:59 am

((I recall from somewhere that for purposes of using it as Tass, vitae had resonances of something like Malevolent, Leeching, and Undead. So three different types of Entropic.

Resonance as a whole is apparently not very well-defined mechanically (lol White Wolf) outside of, like, the Las Vegas sourcebook of all places.))