Third Story - Anger

<Hollyhock God> So, last week stuff happened, and the week before that some other stuff happened. I assume that Immanuel was brooding while his Siblings wrestled with city management. Where was Dan?

<Immanuel> That, and hiding in a shell of light-consuming fire.

<Dan> Hmm. Well, we could have art immitate life and he could have been off at an IEEE Convention, dodging his Godly life by retreating into his mundane one.

<Hollyhock God> I suppose Joktan would never lower himself to looking for you at a nerd gathering, so it's a good hiding place.

<Miranda> (Joktan doesn't discriminate against nerds. He hates you all equally.)

<Hollyhock God> Nevertheless, in spite of your best efforts, it seems you've had to return home in order to avoid being unwoven from the top down by an Imperial miracle.

<Hollyhock God> Doubtless to face the scolding of one or more Siblings. Not that they have much room to talk.

<Hollyhock God> Feel free to perform scoldings and/or commiseration if you like.

<David> "Immanuel! Good to see you; you missed out on Chancelfolk drama."

<Henry> "Ah, I see you have found the limits of your tether as well? I was retrieving my effects from my home when I found myself beginning to lose fingers."

<Immanuel> "I apologize. I was busy creating the world's largest kaleidoscope so Light wouldn't try and murder me."

<Henry> "…as a gift or a defense?"

<Dan> "Save us all if they ever find a way to work an Imperial Miracle into a EULA. So what did I miss of importance?"

<Immanuel> has no comment.

<Dan> (http://www.kaleidostore.com/largest.htm)

<Immanuel> (I wonder if 'don't get murdered' is a sufficiently epic project.)

<Henry> (depends on who's after you, probably)

<Hollyhock God> I feel like "Don't be murdered" should be a *step* rather than a Project to itself.

<Grayson> "Sorry for my absence, as well; a Third Eye agent on the world Medphyll had gotten himself into a spot of trouble and needed to call in the big guns. Plant-based life forms don't have the best weapons tech, but they do tend to be hard to fool."

<Hollyhock God> If I have to make a mindmap every time you make a sandwich things will get complicated.

<Dreams> (Sorry! Alarm malfunction)

<Miranda> (Depends on the obstacles he keeps putting up)

<Miranda> (I mean, *Immanuel* not getting fired could be appropriately epic…)

<Immanuel> (What if it's a world-destroying anti-sandwhich?)

  • Immanuel is always fired.

<Grayson> "And chlorophyll-based drinks are surprisingly good."

  • Grayson swirls his glass, which is full of something thick and green.

<Dreams> (Where are we and what are we doing? Or should I just pop Dreams in in media res without knowing?)

<Grayson> (We're all sort of in medias res at the moment; Bridges has returned and we're discussing our various absences last week)

<Hollyhock God> Everyone is having dialogue with all the people who've been absent.

<Grayson> (I don't think we've defined a location.)

<Hollyhock God> So that a bit of talking can happen before plot happens.

<Miranda> "Ah. I see you've finally decided to rejoin us."

  • Miranda remains clad in black, since the funeral.

<Dreams> "Oh, have we joined? Nobody told me?"

<Henry> (We should totally have a bar called Medias Res.)

<Dreams> (I'm sold.)

<Immanuel> (Get on it, Commerce.)

  • Dan is clad in a rumpled grey suit with a binary tie, looking suprisingly good in it.

<David> (Can my miracles create places of commerce? Seems like a bit of a grey area)

  • Immanuel is wearing a smoking jacket, or a smoking smoking jacket; you're not quite sure which.

<Hollyhock God> What does your Domain do if not create businesses?

<Dreams> (Perhaps not, but loads of cash can make one mundanely quite easily)

<Henry> Henry is wearing a nice business suit.

<Immanuel> (I assumed you'd incentivize the creation of such a thing resulting in its creation post-haste)

<Dan> (Presumably it would create business, if not businessES)

  • Grayson is wearing a suit with a startlingly bright and strangely patterned green shirt under it; it appears to be made of leaves.

<Dan> (Open it mundanely, make it thrive as a miraculous action.)

<Miranda> (You can create a network of commercial relationships)

  • Dreams is wearing jeans and a button-down white shirt with one of those elaborate but abstract stitched designs on it.

<Hollyhock God> Since we're down to talking about clothes, I think it's time for plot.

<Hollyhock God> A message arrives on David's phone. Text messages don't usually have serifs, but this one is an exception.

<Dreams> "So what are we meeting about?"

<David> "Um, I guess this?"

  • David shows the text to everyone.

<Dreams> "Ah, of course."

<Text Message From Remus Finn> "Hope the market treats you well. I gave the issue of the wager you mentioned previously some thought, and came up with an interesting way to pass the time. Wonder if you and your firebrand Sibling will care to take up a challenge? I've located an item that I think you'll want to compete for. Expect me this evening if that's convenient. -Remus"

  • Henry looks.

<David> "Looks like the rich old man has condescended to come down here with the little people."

<Immanuel> "Hmm. I wonder what he's planning."

<Miranda> "Well. It seems we'll have guests. Ridiculous as it seems, we must have the Stewards prepare hospitality for the man who has everything.

<Dan> "What did you wager him, David?"

<Dreams> "How dare he accept the challenge you yourself set to him!"

<Dan> "Or rather, what did you wager on, I suppose."

<Immanuel> "Well obviously, we should provide him nothing."

<Henry> "It would be one solution."

<Miranda> "David, I assume you'll want to confirm a time?

<David> "I'd suggested a wager over Immanuel's progress with the Duchess of Light, but I suspect this is something new. Shall I tell him that we'd all be happy to have him in our humble chancel?"

<Immanuel> "Oh yes, I do so love that Glaswegian accent."

<Immanuel> "I hope he brings his monocle."

<Grayson> "I suppose he might propose something diverting."

<Dreams> "I admit he really can pull off the top-hat."

<Dan> "I'll bow to the majority here, not really my field."

<Henry> "It would be rather impolite to refuse him unless we could come up with a good excuse."

<Hollyhock God> I have to admit to finding David's intense dislike of Remus for no particular reason awfully funny.

<Miranda> "Diversion is not something we need at the moment."

<David> "Of course, I'll need to be suited for success. This–" He gestures to his casual polo shirt, and slacks, "won't do for an epic wager!"

<Immanuel> "I could make your clothes into fire, if that would help."

<Hollyhock God> You're going to need all the magical clothing Persona can buy.

<Henry> *flips open his phone* "I could get you the number of Entropy's tailor. Or Ananda's."

<Grayson> "Immanuel, I hate to break this to you, but the solution isn't always adding more fire to everything."

<Dan> "When all he's got is a hammer…"

<Dreams> "I liked that outfit the Stage wore to that one party. Who did that?"

<Immanuel> "Lies. Lies and deceit."

<Hollyhock God> But he spent most of his CP on adding fire to everything! That's what Persona is for!

<David> "I have a red silk tie, very dashing. If you could set it ablaze without burning away the rest of my clothing, that might show Wealth what for."

<Dan> (If you use Emulations to put Bonds/Afflictions on people, do they only stick around as long as you maintain them? )

<Immanuel> (I should do this with a level 7 miracle or something equally ridiculous since we're in the chancel)

<Dreams> (His flaming tie can be seen for miles!)

<Hollyhock God> Emulations only work on yourself, but fortunately Enchantments are permanent.

<Miranda> "Oh, gods. Ananda's tailor. Remember the time he told him that only the virtuous could see his new clothes, and nobody said everything because everyone looking at him immediately went blind?"

<Dreams> laughs.

  • Immanuel gives a minor enchantment to David's tie to make it burn without consuming, Persona 1.

<Dreams> "Oh! Ambition! Sorry, ah, Henry. You should make some of that tea."

<David> A few minor Treasure miracles later, and David's decked out in pyroclastic fashion.

<Immanuel> Oh, wait.

<Immanuel> I'm going to drag a bunch of destroyed treasures out of my horde for when we meet with Wealth.

<Henry> "Ah yes, I would be happy to."

<Hollyhock God> So, do you have a plan for how this meeting is going to go?

  • Dan lesser enchants his suit to give (social) power to those who control it. Which, unless someone steals his suit, is him.

<Hollyhock God> Please take as much of the wheel as you like and just let me know when to go on.

<Henry> (the wheel?)

<Henry> (oh, in terms of steering. I was thinking like, cheese or combat initiative wheel or something)

<Immanuel> I'm going to drag out the Peacock Throne for the meeting and lounge about on it.

<Grayson> (should we provide a cheese wheel?)

<Dan> Wine and cheese is certainly always a fine choice for entertaining guests

<Henry> (of course!)

<Dreams> (A cheese wheel crafted with milk from the megalith cows!)

<Dreams> (Or perhaps we could assume we have respectably odd finery and cut to him arriving?)

<Hollyhock God> I leave the decision of how much is enough up to the guy who means to upstage the visitor.

<Immanuel> I'm also a pillar of non-burning flame. I should probably mention that.

<Henry> (all the time or just for the moment?)

<Miranda> has a bad feeling about this. Alright. Six-o-clock, then?

<Immanuel> (Just for the meeting)

<Miranda> "Alright. Six-o-clock, then?"

<David> "Six…o'…no, damn you autocorrect! Six o'clock."

<Henry> "I'm free."

<Immanuel> (Commerce should never have clashed with my outfit)

<Hollyhock God> And so it was!

<Grayson> "Perhaps Remus would be impressed with a meeting place that offers a view of the whole chancel?"

<David> "Any place in particular?"

<Grayson> "The Tower of Fog and Mist can be quite tall."

<David> "Perfect, then. We'll receive him–we'll receive the hell out of him!"

<Immanuel> (You're not going to fling us into the air again, are you?)

<Hollyhock God> Remus Finn arrives at precisely six o'clock in an antique but carefully-maintained two-seater biplane.

<Henry> (Alone?)

<Dreams> (Presumably he has a pilot?)

<Hollyhock God> No, he has a pilot, a daredevil-looking sort of mortal fellow.

<Hollyhock God> Probably with goggles and a trailing scarf, you know the sort of thing.

<Henry> (Ah, of course.)

<Grayson> (I suppose we meet him by a canal, a set of gondolas prepared to bring us to the Tower?)

<David> "Remus, welcome, welcome! Our chancel is still something of a mess with our Imperator gone, but I think we've cleaned up nicely. How did the voyage treat you?"

<Immanuel> (Wouldn't want him falling into the pit of fire and secrets.)

<Dreams> The gondolas slide across the water with all the subtle majesty of dreams! Strange things, only barely glimpsable, stir in the water in their wake.

<Hollyhock God> "Glad to see you all again," he says, looking pleased, as he steps out of the plane and returns his hat to his head. "The weather's been fine lately."

<Hollyhock God> "Very fine, I might say! Sunny."

  • Immanuel bows, which is very odd for a pillar of living flame to do.

<Dan> (Who needs gondolas, bridges will carry us there just fine >_> )

<Dreams> (Gondolas have style!)

<Dan> (Pah!)

<Dreams> (Bridges sliding across the water with all the subtle majesty of dreams would just be *weird*.)

<Henry> (Maybe instead of gondolas we have mobile, floating bridges?)

<Henry> (Heh.)

<Grayson> (Plus the Tower is hard to find without the service of its special gondoliers.)

<David> "So, what's this I hear about a wager with you? Have you finally found something worth stooping to gamble over?"

<Immanuel> (Perhaps bridges only lead where they want to lead)

<Dan> (I have mobile bridges. All the time. >_> )

<Henry> ("Who's a good little bridge? You are! Now fetch!")

<Miranda> (If it's a boat, is it really a bridge?)

<Grayson> "Perhaps we should wait to discuss business until we have sat down to a meal?"

<Dreams> (I suppose if it connects two things?)

<Immanuel> (Well, they used to build bridges right over boats…)

<Grayson> "Remus, I hope you'll join us for dinner at the Tower of Fog and Mist."

<Henry> (Boats are just larval bridges.)

<Hollyhock God> "Well, a bet is only entertaining if it's for fun," he says, eyeing you sidewise. "But I think I might have found something that will pique your interest."

<Dan> "Is that a plural you?"

<Grayson> The silver-haired gondoliers travel in a tight fleet, making conversation between boats easy as they take a strange and winding path through the waters of Venice.

<Immanuel> has somehow maneuvered the Round Table into the Tower, and dragged his gaudy throne next to it.

<Remus> "It might be! I found something I thought you would want. I am good at knowing what people will want."

<Grayson> Before long, a shining steel and glass tower rises out of the water in front of the boats.

<David> "And what's this wonder-treasure you've got?"

<Dreams> tries to remember if there's enough of those delicious dessert cheeses for everyone.

<Miranda> arches an eyebrow. What she wants is both obvious and almost certainly beyond his power to provide.

<Grayson> Once everyone has entered, a large portion of the lobby's floor grows a railing and rises through the building until it settles at the roof, high above the city, where the table has been prepared.

<Immanuel> (Don't worry, I've prepared some baked alaska, and bananas foster.)

<Dan> Hms, and pulls out his tablet PC. Does Wealth have anything it can connect to on him?

<Hollyhock God> Remus lifts off his top hat and sets it on the table, then reaches inside and begins searching carefully.

<Grayson> The building beneath becomes so indistinct as to be nearly translucent, affording unparalleled and uninterrupted views of the city below.

<Hollyhock God> Like, on the internet? He might have a Wikipedia page that lists him as a wealthy and mysterious Glaswegian.

<Henry> (If it were a friend, Henry would cook himself with Aspect 8, but since Henry sees Wealth as kind of annoying he's unlikely to do anything but make tea)

<Dan> (No, I mean is he carrying any devices on him. Even if they're not supposed to be connected to, I should be able to, yeah?)

<Hollyhock God> Then he carefully extracts a small piece of jewelry on a long silvery chain. The single stone appears to be red, and surrounded by quite a lot of intricate filigree.

<Dreams> watches with some interest.

<Grayson> (Grayson is a trained French chef with a bit of aspect and a lot of Shine; presumably his people prepared the meal under his direction)

<Henry> "Is that a… no, I have no idea what that is."

<Miranda> arches an eyebrow. This should be good.

<Hollyhock God> (I suppose you can connect to anything he has, then! But he doesn't have any electronics, just a pocketwatch and some magical storage space in the hat and his jackets. You'll have to put up a fight to see inside those!)

<Miranda> (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scrooge_McDuck)

<Hollyhock God> You can all sense the miraculous power of the… whatever it is… quite clearly.

<Dan> (Nah, not willing to take action against a guest atm.)

  • Grayson examines the object with the Sight; are any secrets clinging to it?)

<Dan> I'll bring up the Sight as well, any resonance with my estate?

<Immanuel> Tritto.

<David> ka-Sight

  • Henry will only check what the stone wants if that's revealed to be a non-stupid question.

<Remus> "It's called the Reliquary of Life. I picked it up in exchange for a few favors owed a little while ago, and it told me that it was something you would want to own. It's said to contain the blood of Cneph himself."

<Dan> (Sounds like asking what the stone wants is not a stupid question after all!)

<Hollyhock God> Hm, Immanuel senses some resonance, as though the stone had strong energetic connotations. Dan might see a hint of possibility in it as well.

  • Henry (*is not really surprised, and will do so.

<David> "…would I be wrong if I guessed a few drops of the Maker's blood held power to, oh, say, bring a dead angel back to life?"

<Immanuel> "May I examine it? Things of beauty are my stock-in-trade."

<Dan> "It might be a connection between two realms? There's something there, anyway."

<Remus> "Certainly it carries quite a kick! I don't know that anything will bring back the dead so easily as that, but a treasure like this might be a valuable step. That's what I foresaw, anyhow."

  • Miranda sips her wine. And in return, you would ask us to wager….

<Hollyhock God> Remus swings the talisman back into his hand and drops it into his hat. "So there we are. I thought I might be able to use this to take you up on your offer of a gentleman's wager, and brought it alongside a challenge I devised." He grins.

<Miranda> "And in return, you would ask us to wager…."

<David> "I believe I can personally say I would take up any challenge that brought us any closer to having Prax back, damn the odds and defy the consequences. But I cannot speak for my Familia."

<Remus> "Ah! Now there's a question. Here's my offer. If you can best me at this little game, I'll hand over the Reliquary gladly. But if I win, one of the seven of you agrees to be adopted by my Imperator, the Waxen Serpent."

<Immanuel> "I would wager much to see His return."

<Dan> (David is the nominal "eldest?" Or who is?)

<Grayson> (I think Miranda is; or possibly Dream?)

<David> (I think Dreams is oldest.)

<Hollyhock God> (Eldest status appears to be a matter of contention. Dreams is probably the literal oldest.)

<Henry> (Henry is probably third or fourth son)

<Grayson> (Grayson is somewhere in the middle as well)

<Dreams> "Hmmm."

<Immanuel> (Hmm. Can I use a personal miracle to make the light in here revelatory, to see what his intentions are?)

<Hollyhock God> It's something like Dreams-David-Miranda-Henry-Grayson-Dan-Immanuel, but who knows?

<Miranda> (I think Dream is, but he kinda left and Miranda's been 'functionally' the oldest for some time, an issue about which she bears something of a grudge)

<Dreams> (What are the Waxen Serpent's estates, and what's its general nature, at least as far as known?)

<Hollyhock God> (The Serpent's Estates are Wealth and Illumination (not Diane Spinnaker). It's a bit dreamy, which is par for the serpent course.)

<Hollyhock God> What sort of miracle is Immanuel thinking of?

<Hollyhock God> I should note that actually finding his secrets means miraculous combat.

<Grayson> (I'd like to use a Greater Divination (spending 1DMP with a -3 discount so essentially for free) to ask my Estate what it knows about the Reliquary; what secrets are out there about its existence, its provenance, and its power and who might hold those secrets)

<Dreams> "Fairly serious. I assume the Waxen Serpent has expressed approval of this already?"

<Immanuel> Hmm, what about the reliquary?

<Miranda> has paled and glowers a little at Fire.

<Hollyhock God> Hm, a lot of people have owned the Reliquary and schemed for it. As far as you can see, Remus doesn't have any secrets relating to it, so he must have acquired it honestly (or is hiding the truth from Grayson somehow).

<Henry> (We should figure out how much of a breach of etiquette it is to use divination miracles on people, in terms of general Nobilis society. Because it could be seen as either just something people do, something that's very rude, or something that's equivalent to shooting them in the face)

<Miranda> "You would be wagering any possibility of his return, placing your faith in this reliquary."

<Hollyhock God> Is "whether or not it really has Cneph's blood in it" a secret if nobody is actually trying to keep it from you and they just don't know?

<Dan> (I would argue that most people would probably find it rude, with individuals finding it more or less hostile as they feel.)

<Miranda> (Not doing it seems pretty silly.)

<Immanuel> "If we're going to wager an Estate, I would like to evaluate the Reliquary. May I?"

<Immanuel> (Asking permission for I use a miracle on the Reliquary)

<Henry> (A middle ground makes sense to me, just would like to establish a baseline.)

<Grayson> (If nobody at all knows it, it probably doesn't qualify as a proper secret; if a small number of people (evean as small as one) know it and choose to conceal that from other people, then it is a secret.)

<Hollyhock God> Remus holds the Reliquary out for you to inspect, but is careful to keep a hand on the chain in case of sudden consumption.

<Immanuel> I'm taking this as an affirmative, and attempting a Persona miracle on the Reliquary.

<Immanuel> Unless this counts as combat.

<Hollyhock God> My general assumption is that using divinations to peer into Noble secrets is SHOCKINGLY rude. And that it's also accepted that all of you do it all the time. Just not to the person's face.

<Henry> (Gotcha.)

<Hollyhock God> It's combat if the Reliquary is actively trying to conceal its secrets. But you can try! What miracle are you using?

<Immanuel> I want to imbue it with the illuminating Affliction, making it reveal its nature, with a level 4 Persona miracle.

<Grayson> (seems about reasonable)

<Miranda> "What is nte nature of the game you propose, Remus?"

<Dreams> "We haven't had a Judgment of Paris in ages."

<Hollyhock God> Light flickers from the Reliquary's central blood-red gem. You can feel the power in it. It's real, and vital; it wants to act; it wants to bring life. But the conditions are not yet right.

  • Dan tries to connect to port 48 on the Reliquary, partly because he's interested in it, and also to find out what sort of things he could get.

<Immanuel> Would I know if it was resisting, by the way?

<Hollyhock God> Remus smiles his lopsided smile. "The challenge is… a two-man balloon race to the moon!"

  • Henry blinks.

<Immanuel> "Which moon?"

<Hollyhock God> I think you would have a feeling if it was resisting.

<Henry> (Divination of what's standing in the way of its ambition?)

<Hollyhock God> "Specifically, my colleague Commerce and his brother Fire against myself and my sister Illumination, in a race to the moon, by floating conveyance."

<Hollyhock God> "The moon in question is the primary satellite of our own sweet Earth, to be specific."

<Hollyhock God> Is that a legitimate divination of Ambition? I'm unsure!

  • Immanuel is disappointed we're not going to Io, but will survive.

<Henry> (I'm not sure myself, honestly)

<Dreams> (Can you handle the game if it is? If not, make it a major one!)

<Hollyhock God> "To be held tomorrow, beginning at sunrise."

<Grayson> "Are others enjoined from any interference in the competition, or simply not to ride along in the balloon?"

<Immanuel> "Do we decide which Estate we cede if we lose, or do you?"

<Hollyhock God> "Direct interference would be rude, but perhaps they can think of something useful to do, regardless."

<Hollyhock God> "Exactly who will pay your side of the wager is up to you."

<Dreams> (A giant hovering shield around the moon, upon which is emblazoned "I have no problems with rudeness.")

<Hollyhock God> (In any case, what it takes to activate the Reliquary is outside the scope of today's story. It's mysterious and complicated and will involve steps in Miranda's big Project.)

<Henry> (that's cool)

<Grayson> "A fascinating wager, Remus. I don't suppose you'll mind if we discuss it in private for a moment before responding?"

<Hollyhock God> (But your power may be useful in finding out what to do when the time comes!)

<Henry> (figured it would be more complicated than just asking nicely)

<Hollyhock God> "Certainly, certainly.)

<David> "I say we do it!"

  • Grayson waves his hand a wall appears separating Remus from the rest of the table.

<Miranda> is a bit at war with herself— it is her nature to be cautious, and to keep the family together. But then her obsession is to bring Praxael back. Even if this is clutching at straws…

<Hollyhock God> I think this is twice now I've ruled your Gift didn't help, so I don't want you to feel like it isn't useful. :(

<Immanuel> "Well, I'm up for the challenge, but who knows what tricks he may have up his sleeve?"

<Grayson> "I think before we accept his bet, we need to make a decision."

<Hollyhock God> Note that you're still bound to remain with the Familia even if you accept adoption, so the consequences of losing are largely metaphysical.

<Henry> (Last time it was actually useful, just required some creativity on my part.)

<Grayson> "Who will pay the price, if it comes to that?"

<Dreams> "Well, if Commerce or Fire are willing to pay the price yourself, I see no reason why we should stop you. It does occur to me that the 'loss' condition might actually be to our benefit."

<Henry> (and I knew I was stretching on trying to divine a secret that had Major Plot Point written all over it. :P )

<Dreams> (Assuming this is aside)

<David> "It'd be unfair for anyone but me to pay the price, if I lose."

<Miranda> grits her teeth.

<Miranda> "Our. Benefit?!"

<Dan> "I'm not really keen on the idea of losing any of you."

<Dreams> "Well, Ananda had a point. We are without an Imperator's protection right now. It does make us vulnerable."

<Henry> "I have no objections to paying the price. I have affection for all of you, but no strong attachments to this place."

<Dreams> "And the person who goes over wouldn't be 'lost', really. They'd still even be required by the times of the will to reside here with the rest of us."

<Henry> "And as you know I had… disagreements with our Imperator."

<Immanuel> "It would be dishonorable to allow our brother to venture his estate without wagering my own."

<Grayson> chuckles.

<Grayson> "It seems we are overburdened with volunteers."

<Miranda> "These estates are Praxael's. Seeing them detached peicmeil is like seeing him dismembered. Totally unacceptable."

<Dan> nods at Secrets "Guess they're all eager to get away from us"

<Dreams> "Well, if you consider this a betrayal, I suppose you have 30 days to make Commerce a better offer."

<Immanuel> "I think a hand is worth a soul."

<Miranda> "We are not making any decision about which estate we would need to sacrifice. Because we are not. going to lose."

<Grayson> "I suggest, then, Miranda, that you join me in ensuring that we do not lose."

<Grayson> (whoops, you already said that ;p)

<Grayson> (strike my comment)

<Hollyhock God> I knew I could count on you to bite my hook. :)

<Immanuel> However!

<Miranda> (Good players always bite.)

<Hollyhock God> (Nobilis players can bite hooks I didn't know I'd cast.)

<Dreams> (And then we pull in the opposite direction!)

<Immanuel> "I want him to ask Illumination to ask Light not to murder me, or attempt to do so, for the duration of the race."

<Miranda> "No."

<Hollyhock God> Hahahahaha you think that's totally not the point of the race

<Grayson> "Ah, we do have an issue there."

<Miranda> "No, you're going to do quite a lot more than that.

<Miranda> (What is Light's imperator?)

<Grayson> "When our dear brother leaves the chancel again, he will be in danger of the duchess's wrath."

<Dreams> "You… think Illumination will be able to convince Light?"

<Hollyhock God> Maxiel, Angel of Lights.

<Miranda> "No. I think we're going to visit Locus Maxiel. We need to rig the sunrise."

<David> "I think it would be fair to negotiate some kind of no-kill policy for the race."

<Immanuel> "We're in the same group. The Illuminati. I've never invited you?"

<Dreams> "Mine is not an estate which is luminous by essential nature."

<Immanuel> "I could simply demand it as a condition for the race."

<Immanuel> "He's Wealth, he can make things happen."

<Grayson> "I quite agree that a visit to the Locus Maxiel might be called for."

<Hollyhock God> Remus certainly knows that Immanuel will have to brave Duchess Fine's fury in order to participate, so I doubt it's an acceptable handicap.

<Dreams> "'If the Duchess Fine murders me, the race is declared null, by the way.'"

<Grayson> "But I don't think bringing Immanuel along would be a good diea."

<Miranda> "Which is going to entail a certain amount of apology."

<Immanuel> I'm only forbidding her from killing me.

<Dan> (I can make bridges that lead from our chancel to e.g. the Locus Maxiel, yeah?)

<Immanuel> Not, you know, giving me cancer.

<David> ducks out of the huddle.

<Grayson> "Ah, yes, because Duchess Fine has always demonstrated such willingness to accept apologies. And Immanuel always provides them with such sincerity."

<Hollyhock God> Conveniently, Locus Maxiel is on the moon.

<Grayson> (hah!)

<Henry> (aha)

<Immanuel> "How do you know I don't? You've yet to see me apologize."

<Dreams> stifles a chuckle.

<Grayson> (presumably not on the dark side)

<Hollyhock God> So in a way Immanuel is required to race straight to FIne's front door.

<Grayson> "A fair point."

<Immanuel> "My apologiies are a thing of beauty."

<Dan> "Methinks I smell a setup."

<David> "Wealth, my brother has a fair concern. Would you consent to not allowing any really lethal miracles for the course of the race? And, well, should some outside party try to kill a contestant, we call of the race until she can be rebuked?"

<Miranda> "First, she can't kill you. Second, she won't attempt to kill you so crudely, and is probably not silly enough to develop a protracted plan of vengeance for your ridiculous slight. Third, she has a vested interest to see you not dead. Yet. And fourth, we're going to preempt this whole thing with a quick trip."

<Immanuel> "And yet.

<Immanuel> "I think she'll make the attempt anyway."

<Grayson> "I will eagerly anticpate the day that I see one, Immanuel. But you will forgive me if I have some doubt that today or tomorrow will be that day."

<Dreams> "You… missed the part of the party where she attempted to kill him, and fairly crudely at that, didn't you?"

<Henry> "In our own home, no less."

<Immanuel> "You haven't been to the clubhouse. She once gave a waiter skin cancer for undercooking her meal."

<Miranda> "Trust me. That wasn't a serious attempt."

<Hollyhock God> Remus chuckles. "Dear me, I can't be expected to compensate for any feuds you might have gotten into. That would take all the fun out of it."

<Grayson> "Yes, I think you were busy with the Fairest when Immanuel was almost reduced into his component parts."

<Immanuel> "I was expecting a duel, at most."

<Henry> "Perhaps we can arrange for her to be busy at the time of the race."

<Immanuel> "And in any case I could have certainly taken her in our own estate."

<Hollyhock God> You could send Immanuel to apologize before dawn!

<Dreams> "And now we'll be traveling to a place where she is strongest, rather than Immanuel."

<David> "It's hardly a fair wager if one side has nuclear death-lasers being thrown at them from the moon."

<Grayson> "That idea appeals to me, Henry."

<Immanuel> "Surely an honorable gentleman as yourself is interested in a fair contest." I say to Wealth.

<Grayson> "Perhaps some of us can meet her somewhere away from her Chancel."

<Hollyhock God> "Perhaps some neutral party will throw death-lasers at my sister or me! This is a part of life. But one must take the wager as offered or decline it, I think." Remus clearly finds this situation hilariously funny.

<Hollyhock God> Yes, because Remus totally hasn't informed her about the bet.

<Henry> "A pity my powers do not tend towards strong control over my Estate, or I could arrange for mankind to have renewed interest in lunar exploration. I could cause such interest through other means, but not in time for the race."

<Grayson> "Daniel, you were absent for the event of Immanuel's insult, and you are of course imbued with the essence of reconnecting things that have been separated."

<Immanuel> Oh yes.

<Miranda> is about ready to frog-march Immanuel over there.

<David> "Well, Immanuel. Will you brave Duchess Bluh Bluh for this?"

<Immanuel> Good thing I haven't burned any bridges recently.

<Dan> "Quite appreciated, indeed."

<Immanuel> "I've done it before. I shall do it again. However, before the race commences, we should make an earnest attempt to win her favor, or at least her non-murderous-rage…"

<Grayson> "I could make her forget all about the race, but it would be rather rude of me. And I am unsure whether I would be able to do so in her own chancel."

<David> "I have a plan, little brother. It's a good plan, because there's a lady in it…"

<Dreams> "Yes, and I could make their argument as but a dream, should I desire to risk lasery death if she realized what I was doing."

<Hollyhock God> Will Immanuel lose his hat?

<Immanuel> I don't wear hats.

<Grayson> "And I would prefer to resolve this in a way that doesn't place a permanent stain on our relationship with Locus Maxiel."

<Hollyhock God> Then I guess it's still a good plan.

<Dan> I'm sure commerce could get you a hat.

<Immanuel> I have plenty of hats, thank you.

<Dreams> (The Crown Of Flames Undying)

<Dan> But none you find worth wearing.

<Miranda> "Very well. Remus, I believe you have your race, but we will require a certain amount of time to procure a balloon."

<Immanuel> Correct.

<Dreams> ("Certainly, you shall have until sunrise.")

<Hollyhock God> "Then I'll be ready for you at dawn."

<Hollyhock God> Seriously, you're gods; you can find a balloon in twelve hours.

<Immanuel> How long until Sunrise?

<Henry> (I can make one!)

<Henry> (Aspect 8 for 1 MP)

<Immanuel> Well we're obviously buying time.

<Miranda> (Eleven hours.)

<David> (Has Remus left?)

<Grayson> "Where shall we meet to begin the race?"

<Hollyhock God> I think you'll have to give him a room for the night.

<Dan> (So Immanuel and I are going to play Ombudsman?)

<Grayson> Ah

<Immanuel> …I still say we give him nothing.

<Grayson> Of course.

<Miranda> (Actually, I wanted to drag a couple of others along to locus-Max for separate reasons)

<Grayson> "The Tower of Fog and Mist has as many rooms as mankind has secrets, and the finest shall be yours tonight, Remus. Please consult my staff if you have any needs."

<David> does a squiggly motion with his wrist and fingers, and the god-monster Nng'Ketesh appears in a flash of eye-burning emerald light, hovering rugosely in mid-air.

<Immanuel> (Easy. We're the decoys."

<David> "Could you take Remus to a room, please?"

<Dreams> sketches elegantly artistic balloon designs.

<Dan> (Once Ambition made the Ballon, I'm giving it a greater Enchantment of "Carrying you past obstacles". 1 MP)

<Hollyhock God> "Capital!" says the man who has everything, and allows himself to be led away.

<Hollyhock God> The timer stands at t-minus eleven hours.

<Immanuel> Well.

<David> Once he's out of the way, David dials up the Power of Uncertainty.

<Miranda> "Henry, Dan, the race begins at sunrise. I want to ensure that sunrise doesn't come when he thinks it will."

<Henry> *rings for a servant* "I shall require a workshop and the materials to make the finest hot air balloon the world has ever seen!"

<Grayson> waves his arm again, and the Tower rearranges itself some more, creating a room for Remus. He instructs the Tower to alert him if Remus leaves his room.

<Immanuel> You think you can move the world's largest kaleidoscope, Brother?

<Immanuel> I'm assuming Bridges can move things.

<Henry> (with Aspect 8 I could probably make it out of pretty bizarre materials but I'm not sure of any we have on hand that would actually make one work better than a normal balloon would)

<Dreams> "Hot air balloon? The challenge was 'floating conveyance'. I'm not sure a balloon is their game."

<Grayson> (well, it does need to stand up to the rigors of outer space)

<Henry> (point)

<Dan> (*I* can't, but one of the bridges that does what I want to happen probably can.)

<Dreams> "Could we go faster than balloon? A zeppelin of some sort?"

<Miranda> "You could hold a balloon and jump.

<Hollyhock God> Rinne answers the call. "Ah! It's you! What an unexpected surprise. And, indeed, a pleasure, Dominus."

<Grayson> "Miranda, would you like me to join you for this dangerous visit to Locus Maxiel?"

<Immanuel> "Why don't we just attach a balloon to a rocket?"

<Dreams> "Perhaps some sort of gas-expelling space-squid?"

<David> "My dear Rinne, I have a favor to ask of you, and a commensurately delicious present in exchange. Interested?"

<Henry> "Excellent, excellent!" *starts taking down notes*

<Hollyhock God> Meanwhile, servants rush to bring Henry everything he requires, except maybe the squid.

<Miranda> "Alright. We need to divvy up tasks"

<Dreams> "Rocket-propulsion might raise an eyebrow."

<Immanuel> (Rocket-propelled balloon animal space squid?)

<Hollyhock God> "Details, David, details. The devil is in the details," Rinne says, catlike.

<Dan> looks oddly at Dreams. "That's almost exactly what I was thinking."

<Immanuel> "It'll be a balloon rocket."

<Dreams> sketches space squid howdah designs.

<Grayson> "I'm not much concerned about our speed; if Remus and his Sister are appropriately distracted, we might have all the time we need."

<Hollyhock God> Please imagine that Rinne uses Carmen Sandiego's advice.

<Hollyhock God> *voice

<Immanuel> Way ahead of you.

<Dreams> "Great minds think alike."

<Henry> (heh, was wondering what her advice would be)

<Grayson> "Perhaps we should arrange it so that they have some difficulty locating the Moon."

<Dreams> "Three moons!"

<David> "Are you familiar with our very, very good friend, the Duchess Fine? I'd be most happy if you could leave her entirely uncertain as to the location of a particular individual for, say, the duration of tomorrow. As payment, well, it'd really have to be seen to be believed…"

<Henry> (I'll go with a rocket balloon/zeppelin. I'm not sure what other means of propulsion would work in outer space, but if we can think of any non-miraculous ones I can install them as backups)

<Grayson> "Or no moons at all."

<Immanuel> "If they're using any sort of ignition, we'll have this in the bag."

<Miranda> "What?

<Miranda> "… we're tripping on each-other's toes."

<Grayson> "What if for a day, everyone except us forgets where the Moon is?"

<Dreams> "Three moons, and none of them are the real one! A classic con."

<Immanuel> "Why not make them forget what a moon IS?"

<Henry> (:D)

<Miranda> "David is making a deal to address the issue with Duchess Fine, when I thought we were addressing it head-on."

<Hollyhock God> "Wouldn't it be a lot simpler just to apologize?"

<Dreams> "Find the queen. Whoops, the queen has death-lasers!"

<Miranda> "By apologizing."

<Immanuel> I'm going to apologize. With a kaleidoscope.

<Immanuel> Women love kaleidoscopes.

<Henry> (well-known fact!)

<Miranda> "OK, so our tasks:

<Grayson> "Because at that point, Immanuel, I'm not sure whether Remus would even remember his wager."

<David> "I'm not sure if that would work, really. She's rather tenacious, and I doubt Immanuel will manage to win her over with his charms within the next twelve hours."

<Miranda> "We need to make-nice with Duchess Fine.

<Grayson> "For us to win, he needs to know that a moon exists and we got there first."

<Miranda> "We need to tilt the race in our favor.

<Miranda> "We need to ensure that we get to the moon fast.

<Dreams> "A sincere apology from Immanuel might stun her for 12 hours, though."

<Dreams> "/I/ certainly wouldn't be expecting it."

<Hollyhock God> "How many favors are you going to end up owing in order to let your brother get out of a bit of grovelling? That's not the businessman I thought I knew." She laughs softly to herself.

<Immanuel> "Don't be so certain brother. My charms are like the rising of the sun."

<Grayson> "It seems Dreams and I may be best suited to countering Remus's plans."

<Henry> (who's going to be accompanying Remus?)

<Miranda> "I thought we were pro-grovelling. Grovelling is definitely on the agenda."

<Hollyhock God> The Power of Illumination,

<Grayson> "I believe you and perhaps Bridges are an appropriate escort for Immanuel to Locus Maxiel."

<Miranda> "So. Volunteers for 'make sure we get to the moon real fast'?

<Grayson> "And Henry seems to be well on his way to creating the balloon."

<Dan> I'll help how I can with the vessel itself.

<Immanuel> "Fire does not grovel. It burns gently and compassionately. I'm sure she'll see the…light of reason."

<Hollyhock God> The light of culture and reason?

<David> "I have a soft spot for the little firebrand, I must admit–and any chance to spend more time with you may or may not be a pleasure indeed."

<Miranda> "Good. Henry and dan. Ambition and bridges should be able to make something obscenely fast."

<Immanuel> Yes. I'll proclaim my undying affection for her and claim I was blinded by her beauty.

<Miranda> "Immanuel, you're going to apologize."

<Miranda> "You are NOT going to try to charm her."

<Immanuel> "For certain values of apologize."

<Immanuel> "And how else would I try to apologize?"

<Grayson> "You see why I'm nervous about your plan, Miranda?"

<Dreams> "Come, Grayson! Subterfuge awaits!"

<Miranda> "If you so much as open your mouth about being blinded by her beauty, I swear, I'll—-"

<Grayson> "To the Control Room!"

<Dreams> "We have a control room? Fabulous."

<Henry> (Hmm. Domain-wise, I can make the balloon want to get to the Moon; Persona-wise I can give it the strength to achieve its goal. But either would cost me 4 of my 5 MPS in those categories)

<Immanuel> "Who are you to say what I am or am not blinded by?"

<Dreams> (Perhaps you could use treasure to awaken the balloon's miraculous nature?)

<Miranda> "I assume Henry and David will be in the balloon?"

<Immanuel> "Light loves to blind people!"

<Grayson> "This is a the headquarters of the universe's premiere espionage organization."

<Henry> (Wouldn't I have to have a Bond to it?)

<Dan> (Persona wise I'm giving it the power to carry them past obstacles. I might actually *also* be able to give it the property of itself connecting to the moon. I'm not sure.)

<Hollyhock God> "It's always a pleasure, David. But I can't help but think that a Power who can't be diplomatic even if it kills him might be better off disintegrated. That's how Remus explained it to me, anyway."

<Dreams> "I always kind of imagined the great game as one without players, just endless layers of conspiracies all the way up, circling each other."

<Miranda> "Henry, your obsidian scalpel can cut through space; Dan, you can connect the two bits. Ideally our travel will be instantaneous."

<Henry> (Hmm, I could get Duchess Fine's personal phone number and distribute it through hacking to as many Earthly companies as possible and ensure it ends up on their call lists. If we want to distract her that is)

<Immanuel> "Perhaps we could make it so that Venice is on the moon and always has been."

<Miranda> (We're trying to leave her LESS pissed off)

<Dreams> (Yes, there's no way she could deal with a constantly ringing phone.)

<Henry> (true)

<Grayson> "And in all those conspiracies are born secrets, and who but me has access to all the secrets that are, were, or will be?"

<Miranda> "Show of hands, who is going to locus Maxiel?"

<Hollyhock God> Plus you're assuming she has a telephone, and not a flock of magical messenger cherubs or something.

<Henry> (depends on how attached she is to it, there are people that would flummox)

<Immanuel> (If we're going to distract her I'd just make it so that fire no longer generates light. Of course, I have no intention of doing so, that would be rude.)

<Henry> (My phone has the phone numbers of people who don't have phones)

<David> "Remus! That double-scoundrel; don't tell me you've been seduced by his…seduction…things.

<Miranda> raises her hand as a demonstrative gesture.

<Immanuel> I suppose I technically HAVE to go….

<Grayson> I ask the Tower what Remus is doing in his room; is he sleeping, simply sitting quietly, somehow communicating with someone, or what?

<Immanuel> is still a pillar of fire. I stop being one and raise my smoldering hand.

<Miranda> grabs Immanuel by the ear as he materializes. Best. Behavior.

<Miranda> "Best. Behavior."

<Immanuel> turns his ear into fire and promptly shuffles off to the side.

<David> "So, we're on Operation Apologize, then?" says David, covering up his phone with one hand for a moment.

<Dan> raises a hand "Might as well, my part with the balloon will only take a moment."

<Hollyhock God> "Heh. It's not about persuasion, David, although, oh yes, he is persuasive. It's about what's best for everybody, yes? Your brother will just have to apologize or die. Let me know how it turns out!"

<Dreams> (Oh snap)

<David> "Of course!" David hangs up, and proceeds to grumble. "Flighty broads…"

<David> (HG, can I call this out as a Struggle in terms of my larger Project?)

<Miranda> "Right. Now. Who's going to keep an eye on Remus to ensure he doesn't… um… do any of the things we plan on doing?"

<Immanuel> Did we decide romancing Light was too ridiculous a project?

<Henry> (no such thing!)

<Hollyhock God> Yes, but you have to come up with an answer to the question. "Flighty broads" won't do it.

<Dreams> "I imagine if myself and Grayson remain in the tower, eyes will be upon him."

<Miranda> (Isn't it a Failure?)

<Grayson> "The Tower will alert me if Remus leaves his room, and my spies will follow him if he does."

<Hollyhock God> Romancing Fine isn't a ridiculous Project but all your steps so far have been.

<Immanuel> What steps?

<Henry> (:D)

<Immanuel> All I've done is offend her and sulk!

<Dreams> Kaleidoscopes and glass flowers?

<Hollyhock God> Every single thing you have suggested doing to get her to stop being mad at you, ever.

<David> (Hm. I suppose the question here would be 'How Do I Get Uncertainty On My Familia's Side, When Remus Has Her In His Pockets?")

<Miranda> (I dunno… driving her to a merderous rage sounds like a solid first step for a Sam/Dianne strategy.)

<Hollyhock God> All the things. All of them.

<Immanuel> I didn't actually send her the kaleidoscope yet.

<Henry> (giant kaleidoscope gift edges on non-ridiculous)

<Grayson> "I certainly imagine he will have plans to confound us just as we plan to confound him; I suspect we'll simply have to deal with them as they come up."

<Henry> (I mean, an apology gift is, in theory, not a horrible idea)

<David> (Answer: Simultaneously make him look bad and diminish his Estate in favor of my own, starting with this balloon race?)

<Dan> ( I think my project is going to be "How I came to appreciate my job and my estate.")

<Miranda> "Grayson, that's where you come in."

<Hollyhock God> The secret is to send an actual apology alongside the apology gift.

<Miranda> "Can you find out what he's planning and shut it down?"

<Immanuel> I'm sending her things that demonstate the beauty of her estate.

<Immanuel> Seems to make much more sense than chocolate.

<Grayson> "When he sits within our Chancel, inside our very Tower? Yes, I suspect I can."

<Miranda> grins.

<Immanuel> And obviously those were preludes to the actual apology. Which we're doing now.

<Miranda> "I knew we could count on you."

<Dreams> "Now, let's see this Control Room."

<Dan> (BRB, I need to go start dinner.)

<Miranda> "OK. So, Henry and Dan are team speed. Greyson is on defense. Immanuel, Dreams and David are heading to Locus Maxiel. Am I correct?"

<Dreams> (Three-way split!)

<David> (Poor HG)

<Grayson> I thought Dreams was staying here?

<Dreams> "Wait, I thought I was on defense as well."

<Hollyhock God> Grayson peers into Remus's secrets!

<Miranda> "Good. Makes more sense. More even split."

<Henry> (technically Commerce and Fire were the ones challenged)

<Henry> (so presumably they have to be in the balloon)

<Dan> "I had volunteered to go to Locus Maxiel, my contributions to our … craft won't take much time."

<Dreams> "And where will you be, Miranda?"

<Miranda> "Hm. Good question. I think I may be needed to keep Immanuel alive.

<Hollyhock God> He secretly plans to teach Immanuel a lesson, for his own good, by forcing him to apologize or die. The entire affair was arranged out of the goodness of his heart. It's barely even a secret, really. Oh, and he might get one of you adopted like his Imperator wanted. It's pretty much win-win for him.

<Grayson> Does he have any secret plans to win the balloon race?

<Grayson> If he's trying to hide it from me, I'm happy to spend some Strike

<Hollyhock God> He doesn't really care whether he wins or not, although he plans to give it a good fair try. He's paid a few anonymous Powers to intervene in case you try to cheat.

<Miranda> Deanonymize them!

<Grayson> Indeed

<Miranda> We intend to cheat *within the rules*.

<Dreams> Yes. By having all of us directly intervene in the race.

<Dreams> Possibly by stealing the moon.

<Hollyhock God> I dunno. Autoevolution. Ink. Chemical Reactions. Passivity.

<Grayson> If he can hope that Immanuel gets split into a thousand pieces by the Light, I don't see why I can't make him forget where the Moon is.

<Grayson> Seems to me that fair is fair.

<Immanuel> Harrumph. I'm the bastard, but they're a bunch of would-be cheaters.

<Henry> (technically Light would rip him apart after the race, not during)

<Henry> (I think)

<Miranda> has trust issues. She should probably mention that she's totally planning to be on the moon because it's the finish line. Uh. Just in case.

<Henry> (that being the key distinction)

<Immanuel> Only if she agrees to this truce.

<Hollyhock God> Arguably Immanuel is in danger any time he's outside the Chancel and visible.

<Grayson> (I think he'd be at risk of Light ripping him apart as soon as he leaves the Chancel)

<Grayson> (or, what the HG said.)

<Dreams> (That presumes a certain patience on Light's part that I'm not sure she possesses.)

<Miranda> ooc OK, so, to Locus Maximus!

<Hollyhock God> Yes, let's get moving.

<Immanuel> And honestly, I'm not that afraid of her. What's light going to do to a pillar of flame?

<Dreams> (and the Control room!)

<Hollyhock God> (Kill you.)

<Grayson> and Dreams descend into a room deep below the Tower.

<Hollyhock God> How are you going to get there? By balloon?

<Immanuel> (Pfft. How? I'd just get hotter!)

<Hollyhock God> That would be funny if you did!

<Dreams> (Magic bridge?)

<Hollyhock God> You can take a magic bridge, but you probably want some kind of vehicle.

<Grayson> Its walls are lined with screens showing a variety of scenes, including Remus in his room in the Tower, and it's full of Third Eye agents working furiously at computers.

<Immanuel> (How do we know she's not going to kill me in the chancel, anyway?)

<Henry> (did we resolve who's actually going in the balloon?)

<Grayson> (Commerce and Fire go in the balloon)

<Dan> (Well, bridges move at my whim, so bridges *are* a vehicle, as far as I'm concerned…)

<Grayson> (those, I think, are the ruleS)

<Immanuel> (Assuming we've arranged a non-kill treaty for the duration of an apology?)

<Henry> (gotcha)

<David> (Could David invoke his awesome mansion-anchor to pull out a sufficiently awesome private shuttle?)

<Hollyhock God> Okay, so you want to use a miracle to make it easy?

<David> (Still not sure how collections work)

<Miranda> (No, but we've told them we're coming and will be polite)

<Dreams> (If by "non-kill" you mean "Miranda will stand between Fine and Immanuel, and she's Immortal"?)

<Miranda> (Yeah, um. Have I mentioned that it hurts my feelings that you're more afraid of her than you are of me?)

<Immanuel> (But I would so hate to see my sister take a light-speed punch to the face.)

<Henry> (ah, the practical version of hospitality protection)

<Grayson> "Here is my proposal, Dreams."

<Hollyhock God> "I live in luxury and strangeness" should have a plane in it somewhere. Or a space buggy or something.

<David> (Excellent!)

<Henry> (chariot drawn by space goats)

<Hollyhock God> It's not hard to get! Just tell me what you're driving!

<Immanuel> (I'd suggest a chariot of flames but we should probably tone down the flameyness for the duration)

<Grayson> "I use a great miracle to make the location of the Moon a secret, kept hidden from all of those who know it except the members of our Familia."

<Grayson> "The race will take place during daytime, so Remus and his sister won't even be able to see the Moon."

<Hollyhock God> But the moon isn't invisible during the day.

<Grayson> "By the time they figure out which direction they're supposed to be heading in, our brother should be safely on the moon's surface."

<Dreams> "Hmmm. That strikes me as having potentially awkward effects on the world's population."

<Dan> left the chat room.

<Hollyhock God> Also, won't the Powers who live on the moon object?

<Grayson> Well, it's not invisible as in not possible to see.

<Dan> joined the chat room.

<Grayson> But it can't be seen from a place on Earth where it's daytime

<Immanuel> They just won't know the relative location.

<David> David goes to get his transport warmed up. His mansion is stuffed snugly into the architecture of Locus Praxael; the garage spire occupies quite an impressive spot on the horizon. "Miniature space shuttle, no…gravitational pogo stick, very no…ah, here we go."

<Dreams> (Yes…. it can?)

<Grayson> (Well, sometimes I suppose)

<Henry> (how about making the method to get to the Moon mysterious instead of its location?)

<David> His rainbow-maned pegasus isn't quite large enough to seat everyone, but they should be able to scooch in.

<Grayson> (The method seems easier to discern using simple logic than the location; if you know where something is, you get there by heading in its direction, and if you have a hot air balloon and the direction is up, I don't know how I could make them forget how to get there)

<Hollyhock God> I suppose, but making "straight line from here to there" mysterious seems complicated. I guess you can try!

<Hollyhock God> But wouldn't Remus either contest it or take a Wound and ignore it?

<David> Bang, zoom, straight to the moon?

<Dreams> "It might further offend the powers on the moon as well. The Duchess might be a lost cause, but it would be a shame to truly anger Rhys and Lightning as well."

<Grayson> "A fair point."

<Miranda> "So just during the race."

<Grayson> Well, if he takes a wound, then someone else tries a different trick

<Immanuel> You could just make it unknown to Remus and Illumination though this provides them with more means to deal with it

<Miranda> rolls her eyes.

<Dreams> "Mind you, actually angering Rhys would probably earn us some merit."

<Miranda> "Don't get me started on Noel. Lost. Cause.

<Grayson> And eventually he's running low on wounds and not willing to take any more just to win a silly contest

<Dreams> "Miranda, weren't you… going to the moon with Immanuel?"

<Dreams> (Curse you, aura of strangeness!)

<Miranda> (Did we leave? I, uh…)

<Hollyhock God> For that matter, what if he's Immortal or something?

<David> (Not yet!)

<Immanuel> No we're going to Locux Maxiel. Let's get this Rainbow Pony on the road.

<Miranda> (I was kind of wondering why I was still in full gravity.)

<Miranda> (Fire: Locus Max IS ON THE MOON)

<Hollyhock God> But anyway, a bunch of people have already left for the moon so we can argue it later.

<Immanuel> Since when?!?

<Henry> (yesterday)

<Grayson> (Hmmm. Immortality or Immutability would create a complication to that plan, I suppose)

<Miranda> (Since 1973.)

<Immanuel> No wonder my presents haven't been delivered!

<Grayson> (though I'm not quite sure how Immortality works in conjunction with taking Wounds to ignore miracles)

<Hollyhock God> Miranda, Immanuel, and David leave Earth-orbit in the miniature space shuttle. Are you sending a note ahead?

<Immanuel> We should correct this at once!

<Dreams> (Immortality means you get to ignore a lot of things!)

<Immanuel> Yes.

<Miranda> (Yes.)

<Hollyhock God> Saying what?

<Immanuel> That I would like to apologize for the unfortunate events of our previous meeting.

<Dreams> ("XOXO, Immanuel. PS: I burn for you!")

<Miranda> (Dear allied powers, can we make a social call? blah blah apology blah blah)

<Immanuel> No, that was on the kaleidoscope.

<Grayson> (You're not helping, Dreams ;) )

<Dreams> checks to make sure he was just imagining Miranda.

<Dreams> "You know, we should consider that losing this race might not be the worst thing to happen to us."

<Hollyhock God> So you're offering to apologize? Then I guess you'll be allowed to land inside the Chancel's moonfield.

<Grayson> "Dreams, I know you've never been much attached to this Chancel."

<Immanuel> wonders why the power of the Sun lives on The Moon.

<Hollyhock God> Noel meets you at the edge of the field, standing just beside the paddock where the moonsteeds frolic.

<Grayson> "But I have to say that I'm with Miranda on this one."

<Hollyhock God> (Ecumenicalism!)

<Grayson> "We need to stick together."

<David> "Noel, good to see you! How's the Familia?"

<Grayson> "And I don't think one of us becoming a servant of two masters is a positive step in those terms."

<Immanuel> "What a lovely Locus you have here. I just love the decorating."

<Miranda> hug

<Miranda> (Oh, wait, Noel, not Rhys. Strike.)

<Dreams> "Strictly speaking, it'd be being a servant of one master rather than none. I mean… what, are we hoping to bring Praxael back from the dead with this trinket?"

<Miranda> "Noel."

<Grayson> "Miranda certainly is."

<Dreams> "No Angel has ever come back. Praxael could, in fact, be /angered/ if such a thing were to be accomplished."

<Hollyhock God> Noel is pleased to be hugged. "Things have been slightly tense. Albeit not for the first time. Have you come to put an end to this feud?"

<Grayson> "But even if we can't, the fact is that despite Praxael's death we remain a Familia

<Hollyhock God> Oh, wait, he's not pleased to be hugged.

<Hollyhock God> :(

<Immanuel> I offer Noel my hand. To shake!

<Hollyhock God> Noel shakes hands evenly.

<David> "Ideally!"

<Hollyhock God> "Then I'll show you in."

<Dreams> "Fair enough. But being a family doesn't mean we all have to have the same boss."

<Dreams> "We'd even still be living together."

<Grayson> "But would adding a new boss really do anything to help things?"

<Immanuel> "I hope your sister will forgive me, I was disconsolate with grief, and would hate to cause such discord between our Familias."

<Grayson> "What if the Waxen Serpent has certain designs on the Accords?"

<Grayson> "Or on the Chancel itself?"

<Hollyhock God> Noel leads you into the enormous, many-spired castle and up to a great set of closed silver doors. "Don't screw this up," he tells Immanuel, affectlessly.

<Dreams> "Well, should a Full Riding of Excrucians come knocking on our door, it'd help."

<Hollyhock God> Then he leaves you there.

<Grayson> "What if he orders his new Power to work against the rest of us?"

<Dreams> "Hmm. The accords."

<Immanuel> I took the kaleidoscope with us.

<Grayson> "Should we fall under serious Excrucian attack, I would hope that other Imperators and Powers would aid us."

<Immanuel> It's in a giant green box with a purple bow.

<Dreams> "Well, if it's David, Miranda has the option of buying out an Imperator."

<Grayson> "The Excrucians are the enemy of all and the loss of any estate would be a loss felt even by Lord Entropy."

<Dan> (Back, reading backscroll)

<David> "Who wants to knock?" David's tone implies that it is definitely Immanuel's job to do the door-knocking here, not his.

<David> There could be lasers!

<Henry> (since I'm offscreen for the moment, mind if I run and grab food? shouldn't take more than 5-10 minutes)

<Immanuel> …I assumed we were waiting for them to usher us in.

<Immanuel> But alright.

<Hollyhock God> I think you'll have to open the door.

<Miranda> has opted more for glaring than hugs, given that it's Noel. But it does mean eye contact.

<Immanuel> knocks firmly on the door.

<Grayson> "Will we be able to buy out the Imperator of Wealth?"

<Immanuel> then proceeds to open it.

<Hollyhock God> The door opens ponderously to your touch.

<Dreams> "Well, on that note, what could the Serpent of Wealth have to /gain/ by ordering one of our own, hypothetically, against us?"

<Dan> "Anything that's not for sale."

<Hollyhock God> The room is wide, and bright, and empty. At the center of the room the Duchess of Light sits upraised on her very high throne. She looks down at Immanuel as if she's wondering why you came.

<Grayson> "I admit I'm not an expert on the Accords, but their importance is, I think, unquestioned."

<Immanuel> looks around for Rhys.

<Dreams> (Dan was with us, and not the moon crew?)

<Dan> (Oh, my bad, I thought we were on the moon.)

<Dan> (I'm somewhat confused.)

<Hollyhock God> No Rhys. Just Fine and you.

<Miranda> bows politely to Duchess Fine.

<Grayson> "What might the Waxen Serpent desire of the Accords? An excellent question, and one I can't answer."

<Grayson> (me and Dreams stayed in Venice)

<Dreams> "You know. I think it's high time one of us became an expert on these Accords that keep being mentioned. Let's segue to the vault, shall we?"

<Immanuel> (thought Dan was on the moon too but whatever)

<Dan> (I am.)

<Immanuel> coughs, clearing his throat

<Dreams> "I assume tabs will be kept on our guest regardless?"

<Dan> (I just thought we were doing moon stuff.)

<Dan> (Rather than two+ things simultaneously)

<Grayson> "It always makes me feel a little sick when you do that, but sure. The Tower itself and the Third Eye agents in the building will watch Remus."

<Dreams> (Oh, sorry.)

<David> gives the Duchess a little wave.

<Dreams> (If side conversation is distracting, we can table it or split to a different channel.)

<Immanuel> "Duchess Fine, I have come to make amends."

<Hollyhock God> "Have you, then. I will listen."

<Immanuel> "It was not my desire to cause strife between our Familias. I was beset by grief at my beloved Imperator's loss, and truly, I spoke out of turn.

<Dreams> ("I took youYour suggestion that we were incompetent fools playing with powers beyond our ken was taken in entirely the wrong light.")

<Dreams> (Sorry, I'll stop helping.)

<Miranda> (haaaaaaaaaa)

<Dan> (Do Fire and Light count as seperated things I can build a bridge beween?)

<Dan> (Is that miraculous combat?)

<Immanuel> (I'd think so)

<Dreams> (If they resist?)

<Hollyhock God> Is that the whole speech?

<Immanuel> (I was waiting for a response, so I guess now there's more!)

<Immanuel> "We need to stand fast now more than ever, and I wish to end any enmity between our persons and our estates."

<Hollyhock God> The Duchess raises one immaculate eyebrow. "Is that so?"

<Immanuel> "I know well the value of Light, and to this end I have brought you a gift that I hope, in some small way, might soothe strained bonds."

<Immanuel> unwraps his giant kaleidoscope!

<David> (that is a sublimely-timed innuendo)

<Immanuel> "It's a metaphor. For you see, a kaleidoscope creates vistas of beauty, but only with the power of Light.

<Hollyhock God> "It's an appealing trinket," says the Duchess. "But have you to say, for yourself?"

<Immanuel> "Without light, it's just a lump of base matter, of no use to anyone."

<Henry> (back)

<Immanuel> "Light is the means by which Beauty is perceived, and for this I will always be grateful."

<Dan> (Light is the means by which ugliness is created, for are not all women beautiful in the dark? <_< )

<Immanuel> (Quiet you!)

<Hollyhock God> "But what about you?"

<Immanuel> "Fire illuminates. Without Light, what would fire be but merely heat?"

<Miranda> (Combustion and consumption?)

<Hollyhock God> I don't think you're going to be able to get away without saying it.

<Immanuel> I was using the Socratic Method of apologizing.

<Henry> (good luck with that)

<Dreams> (Yes, but selling it as if he's /really not wanting to/ will probably make her enjoy the apology all the much more.)

<Hollyhock God> The Duchess responds with more silence.

<Immanuel> "And finally, let me say that I am well and truly sorry."

<Henry> (someone caught that on film, right?)

<Immanuel> (There is no film on the moon. It easily combusts.)

<Hollyhock God> The Duchess smiles. "Oh, well, that's all right then."

<Miranda> (That's why David is here. His smartphone has video.)

<Hollyhock God> She gently hops down from her throne and casts aside her golden crown lightly onto the seat.

<David> Discretely record! Discretely record!

<Hollyhock God> "Remus wanted me to have everyone we knew jump out from behind the throne and say "Was that so hard, already?" but I told him it wasn't necessary."

<Hollyhock God> "Oh, and there's cake waiting in the next room."

<Grayson> (aw, we missed the cake?)

<Immanuel> (It's mine!)

<Hollyhock God> There is loads of cake. It's delicious.

<Dan> "Free Cake? You should appologize more often Immanuel!"

<Grayson> (also, I don't like Remus. no one sneakily manipulates my family members except for me!)

<Miranda> (And, y'know: knock Fire upside the head until he apologizes to Whitsunday was next on our to-do list anyhow.)

<Immanuel> devours morsel after delicious morsel, far in excess of what his frame would allow, while silently thinking that he still could've taken her.

<Grayson> (exactly. and he's been running around chatting about us behind our backs with every Power. we don't just need to beat him, we need to embarass him.)

<Dan> (Keep buying her presents she likes, and you might get to take her ^_~)

<Grayson> hmm.

<Grayson> calls up Commerce.

<Hollyhock God> "The cake is slightly passive-aggressive," the Duchess admits. "I placed a large bet on your losing the balloon race. But still, eat as much as you like."

<Immanuel> smirks

<Hollyhock God> Meanwhile, Immanuel eats twenty tons of cake.

<Immanuel> "Only slightly.

<Grayson> "If the apologizing has gone well, would one of you ask the denizens of Locus Maxiel if they would mind terribly if most people forgot the location of the Moon for most of tomorrow?"

<Hollyhock God> Cheating! Cheating!

<Miranda> "Ah. So I suppose enlisting your aid and coorperation wouldn't be helpful."

<Miranda> (Dude, he specifically allowed outside interference)

<Immanuel> (Yeah. What's good for the goose.)

<Dan> "Unless you can offer her more than she stands to lose from the bet, anyway."

<Miranda> (We ASKED him not to, but he insisted…)

<Grayson> Yes, but if I cheat successfully no one will know that I cheated.

<David> "Got it."

<Grayson> That's what's so great about being Secrets!

<Dreams> (If by 'allowed' you mean 'declared shocking rude')

<Immanuel> (Yes that's what we said, allowed)

<Miranda> (Huh? I thought he said he had no concerns if Duchess Fine oblitterated Immanuel?)

<Grayson> I just whittle away at your wounds until you're willing to forget that we fought in the first place.

<Hollyhock God> What he said was that direct interference would be rude, but that he "thought you'd find something to do."

<David> "Dear Duchess, this cake is simply sublime, I must beg you for the recipe. And, ah, another question, if you could countenance hearing it: would you mind us hiding the Moon for a day?"

<Hollyhock God> Fine laughs. "But then I would lose my bet!"

<Grayson> Well I'm not *directly* attacking him. I'm making everyone forget about the Moon!

<Immanuel> I give the Duchess a meaningful look.

<David> "Remuuuuuuus!"

<Grayson> Maybe I'm just doing it to prove that I can and it's a coincidence that it will help us win the race!

<Hollyhock God> "Surely you aren't afraid of losing to a little old man, are you?"

<Immanuel> "Not all wagers are meant to be won, you know."

<Miranda> (Is anyone else in the cake-room?)

<Immanuel> (The passive-aggressive cake)

<Hollyhock God> I'm sure Rhys and Noel will appear at this point, since there's no reason why they shouldn't.

<Grayson> (Try Rhys, he's very agreeable)

<Hollyhock God> Doubtless Rhys is pleased that we're all friends again, and Noel is thinking oh who am I kidding you don't know what he's thinking.

<Miranda> does, however, *imagine* she knows what he's thinking. Shmuck.

<Hollyhock God> Fine agrees with Immanuel. "Yes. My wagers are meant for winning, and other people's are for losing. Indeed."

<Immanuel> "Perhaps you would care for a sidebet?"

<Grayson> Just out of curiosity, I intrude again on Remus's secrets. What significant wagers has made on this race, and for what stakes?

<Hollyhock God> I should clarify that hiding the moon does in fact count as cheating if you aren't one of the two people in the balloon.

<Miranda> (What? Where in the rules did it say that?)

<Henry> (ah, good to know)

<Hollyhock God> Remus made lots of small bets on the race, but it's all for peanuts.

<Hollyhock God> The bit where he said that interfering directly would be gauche.

<Grayson> Hmmm. But what if I were to, as Remus did, provide someone else with an incentive to interfere in the race?

<Grayson> I call up my friend Matilde Eriksdottir, Power of Logic.

<Dreams> He provided them with an incentive to interfere if WE did.

<Immanuel> He conspired to get us cake. Surely that's cheating of some variety.

<Grayson> He also told someone who wanted to kill one of our team members where he'd be and when he'd be there.

<Hollyhock God> "Direct interference would be rude, but perhaps they can think of something useful to do, regardless." is what he said.

<Immanuel> (So is Fine not taking the bait?)

<Hollyhock God> And then he conspired to get you to make up. That doesn't really add up to murder attempt.

<Immanuel> (re: sidebet?)

<Hollyhock God> There's no time for people to take bait! You've got 18 minutes to win or lose that balloon race before I have to go to sleep!

<Hollyhock God> I now declare that it is dawn.

<Immanuel> (It was an either/or proposition. Cake or death.)

<Immanuel> I wanted a sidebet with Fine =*(

<Dan> (I demand the chicken!)

<Immanuel> BUT I SHALL ENDURE

<David> The lunar-bound powers return by rainbow-maned pegasus!

<Dreams> But we haven't even had a scene!

<Dan> (And one magic bridge!)

<Dan> (Damn it, I WILL TRAVEL EVERYWHERE BY BRIDGE!)

<Immanuel> (Even bridges?)

<Hollyhock God> Remus presents his antique hand-sewn balloon, and his sister Illumination, a young blond girl with a prominent bow strapped to her waist.

<Dan> (Yo dawg.)

<Immanuel> Anyway, before I left I gave the duchess a glass flower enchanted to lightly shine.

<Hollyhock God> Balloon team, present your creation!

<Grayson> Hmm. well, if it would be cheating to hurt Remus, I can at least prevent other interference.

<Hollyhock God> The Duchess does not bite off the stem and stab you with it. So I guess you made some progress!

<Grayson> A Creation of Secrets, then: the location of our Balloon, and its cargo, will be unknown to everyone outside of our Familia until its arrival at the Moon.

<Hollyhock God> So are you just determined to cheat while everybody is watching, or what? I mean, I can't stop you from cheating, but everybody is going to know.

<Grayson> That would be considered cheating?

<Hollyhock God> Sure, it stops Illumination from shooting your balloon down. :)

<Dan> (Would laying a greater enchantment on our baloon also be counted as cheating?

<Immanuel> Er

<Dreams> Let's get up to secretive shenanigans instead!

<Immanuel> Does she have a ribbon bow or an arrow bow?

<Miranda> (OK, dude. You totally need to give us a contest where having cool cosmic powers and crazy contacts actually counts as an asset.)

<Miranda> (Doesn't have to be this one.)

<Hollyhock God> It is an asset!

<Hollyhock God> But only the people IN the contest are allowed to use their assets.

<Miranda> (But… it's… cheating!)

<Hollyhock God> It's not cheating if Immanuel or David does it.

<Immanuel> (And you were totally down for cheating earlier!)

<Dan> (Again, what does enchanting the balloon count as. Is that cheating?)

<David> Hmm. A Divination of Commerce: Is Remus richer than I am?

<Dreams> "Well, if Fine lasers the balloon, we can interfere to stop that."

<Hollyhock God> Not if it's part of making the balloon, I guess.

<Immanuel> He's certainly Wealthier.

<Dreams> "Since she's not part of the contest either."

<Hollyhock God> Yeeeeeeeah, that's another philosophically loaded question. I guess you have more cash money.

<Dan> (allright, so a greater enchantment of overcoming obstacles was part of it's creation? )

<Hollyhock God> Yes, that's fine.

<Dreams> He has /liquid assets/.

<Hollyhock God> You can all get together and make the most magical balloon imaginable.

<Henry> Henry's Balloon consists of, mostly, rocket, with just enough balloon to support it. The rocket part is also capable of detaching, if necessary, leaving the balloon powered by ordinary hot air.

<Grayson> Hmm

<Grayson> Ok then

<Henry> (What other people do to it is out of my hands)

<Hollyhock God> But if Grayson is sustaining a miracle to make the balloon invisible, that's cheating.

<David> An Enchantment of Commerce, then: the balloon benefits those who have the most wealth (aka us!)

<Immanuel> So. Am I allowed to just up and burn their balloon?

<Dan> (We totally have a +7 Balloon.)

<Hollyhock God> Yes, you can burn their balloon. And she can shoot you.

<Henry> (Also, I'll spend a DMP to make the balloon want to go to the Moon)

<Miranda> (Uh, David…. he has more wealth. By definition.)

<Grayson> I'll spend 4PMP (for an actual Price of 1PMP) to make a Lesser Enchantment on the Balloon: that, like a Secret, it is Defended Against Outsiders.

<Hollyhock God> Okay, so the balloon overcomes obstacles, goes faster if you have more money, and it wants to go to the Moon.

<Immanuel> We're in our chancel?

<David> (He's the power of wealth, but not necessarily wealthier)

<Hollyhock God> And it's defended against outsiders.

<Grayson> well, we made the balloon in our chancel

<Immanuel> Ah

<Hollyhock God> I'm assuming that the property uses David's idea of what wealth is, not Remus's.

<Immanuel> Well, I'm going to use a P7 miracle on it then.

<Hollyhock God> Okay, it's safe to say, this is one extremely magical balloon, protected by several handy Afflictions.

<Grayson> and I bring two space-worthy helicopters from the Third Eye that we can ride in to observe the contest

<Henry> (excellent!)

<Immanuel> To make it hunger for victory like it needs it to live.

<Hollyhock God> Excellent, excellent.

<Hollyhock God> Miranda, do you have any magic to sew into the fabric or whatever?

<Dan> (I will ride in a heliocopter into space, because while I could take a bridge there, I don't have anything protecting me from space while I'm on it.)

<Henry> (Remus now introduces his twist: we have to switch balloons!)

<Dan> (And I do need to be protected from the terrible secret of space.)

<Hollyhock God> But anyway, at this point we can just go with "It's clearly a very magical balloon."

<Grayson> (I know the secret of space. it's not really that terrible.)

<Grayson> (I mean, comparatively.)

<David> (oh god, now the song's in my head!)

<Hollyhock God> Now you must start! Rinne arrives to blow the whistle and cheer!

<Immanuel> (Must not be the terrible secret of space then.)

<Immanuel> I wave my non-existing cap at the assembled nobles.

<Miranda> No, but I *am* prepared to cheat if I have to.

<Grayson> glares at Rinne.

<Hollyhock God> Turn order is thus: David, Remus, Isolde (Illumination), Immanuel.

<Hollyhock God> Objective: Land your balloon on the Moon before the other team does!

<Hollyhock God> Begin.

<Miranda> Waiting on the moon near the finish with the rest of the peanut gallery.

<Immanuel> Er

<Hollyhock God> Fine pulls up a light-show showing you all what's going on.

<Dreams> spectates with Will, assuming he's here with his sister.

<Immanuel> Now's a good time to ask do we know anything avout Illumination statwise?

<Hollyhock God> You know she has a bow.

<Dreams> (5s across the board!)

<David> David takes the balloon helm, playing with gizmos and gears with childlike glee. "To the Moon!"

<Immanuel> Gee, maybe should've asked that earlier.

<Grayson> oooh. I thought before you meant she had a bow like a part of her dress

<Grayson> but you mean the weapon with arrows

<Grayson> that is more relevant.

<Immanuel> It can be both.

<Hollyhock God> I shall be kind and let you consider the balloon a wondrous Anchor, David.

<Miranda> Oh. Uh. Can I protect the balloon from harm?

<David> (Pleasing to the Ebon Dragon!)

<Immanuel> Hmm. Well, since the cause and solution to all of life's problems is fire…

<Hollyhock God> No, for the reasons gone into extensively above. You could have made it immortal back when they were still making it, but now it's too late because the session is almost over.

<David> David takes to the balloon-helm, playing with the gizmos and gadgets of it with child-like glee. He whispers a story into the fiery heart of the balloon, a story of the heroic young Nobles who won a balloon race to the moon, and won the blood of God. It's an impossible story, to be sure, but the balloon cannot help but believe.

<Hollyhock God> So, Treasure 6?

<David> (Level 6 Treasure miracle, weaving destiny)

<David> (I assume I get 3 strike my "I can get people what they want" Bond)

<Hollyhock God> Your balloon leaps into the air with childlike glee.

<Hollyhock God> You can if you invoke it! Which I guess you just did!

<Hollyhock God> Remus takes mysterious actions. Probably the exact same one.

<Hollyhock God> Illumination draws an arrow from her quiver and does something with it.

<Hollyhock God> Immanuel, your turn.

<Immanuel> How is their balloon propelled again?

<Immanuel> Standard hot air balloon?

<Dreams> (Mostly rocket)

<Immanuel> For magical values of standard.

<Hollyhock God> It looks like an ordinary balloon. Although it's probably some kind of magic.

<Immanuel> I think it's safe to say it's going to involve Fire.

<Henry> (can you make the balloon consume attacks against it like fire?)

<Henry> (something defensive would be good, possibly)

<Immanuel> Sure I can.

<Immanuel> I already gave it an affliction Hunger for Victory 7

<Dreams> (Here I was thinking he'd just shut off their ignition, myself)

<Immanuel> That was my idea yes

<Immanuel> Which I will in fact be doing.

<Immanuel> Let's have at it.

<Hollyhock God> What sort of miracle are you using?

<Immanuel> Going to make their ignition cease to burn.

<Immanuel> Level 5 persona, removing it's burning quality.

<Immanuel> So it's inert and no longer generating heat.

<Hollyhock God> Do helium balloons work like that? I guess I said yes to hot air balloon, so I can't claim it's helium now.

<Grayson> got any bonds to get strike with?

<Hollyhock God> Although in fact that would be a really stupid choice of balloon for Remus

<Hollyhock God> Oh, well.

<Immanuel> Well, I did ask.

<Immanuel> No, but I'm going to use 2 PMPs for strike.

<Hollyhock God> Your balloon pulls ahead as lack of heat starts to affect their speed!

<Hollyhock God> David's turn.

<Hollyhock God> I guess you're still sustaining Weaving Destiny, but you still get an action.

<Immanuel> (Initiative is determined by Aspect right?)

<Hollyhock God> No, it is determined by my whim. Although Aspect is as good a basis as ever.

<David> (I can't use another miracle while I'm sustaining destiny…hrm)

<Hollyhock God> No, you can use a miracle.

<Hollyhock God> You can use a miracle and sustain a miracle, or you can sustain two miracles, but you can't sustain two miracles and do anything else.

<David> (Oh, cool)

<David> With one hand on the wheel, David reaches out to Remus's airship. He can feel the essence of Commerce dwelling within it–it is a tie between people, between societies, through the exchange of its passengers. It's a check cashed from Earth to the Moon, and the Power of Wealth is the smugly-smirking signature on the dotted line. Not anymore.

<David> (Lesser Sacrifice of Persona, calling on the same Bond)

<Hollyhock God> So, you're destroying it's capacity to be a link between Earth and Moon?

<David> (Yep)

<Hollyhock God> Interesting!

<Immanuel> Clever.

<Hollyhock God> Remus' balloon jerks and weaves as it suddenly stops being a valid means of transport. Remus raps at it with his stick, shouting.

<Henry> (nice)

<Hollyhock God> Something he does must take, because it begins weaving drunkenly towards the Moon instead of orthogonal to it, although it still might well run into something along the way.

<Immanuel> Are we in space yet btw?

<Hollyhock God> Next, Isolde fires an arrow at your balloon.

<Hollyhock God> You're still in Earth's atmosphere at this point, but you're doing your best.

<Hollyhock God> isn't quite sure where the atmosphere stops in Mythic Earth.

<Dreams> (I assume they're travelling in the mythic world, or will the lack of atmosphere actually be an issue, yeah?)

<Immanuel> It was more a question of what they're using for light

<Immanuel> But I suppose I can imprison them in the lightless void regardless

<Hollyhock God> Moonlight will probably work!

<Immanuel> Hmm.

<Miranda> (Yeah. Imprison the power of Illumination in a lightless void. That'll work.)

<Dreams> (Also, you may wish to do something about that arrow)

<Immanuel> (Easily. It's a question of who has more power.)

<Immanuel> I want to use a persona quality to allow the balloon to consume it.

<Immanuel> Which is, p4

<Hollyhock God> Okay.

<Immanuel> I'm granting it all-consuming projectile stance.

<Hollyhock God> The balloon's silk canopy rips open for just a second to allow the wan little arrow entrance.

<Hollyhock God> Then it zips shut, harmlessly.

<Hollyhock God> Then you begin to plummet towards the Earth like a stone.

<Hollyhock God> David, you're getting confused feelings from your link with your Anchor.

<Hollyhock God> It's as thought it's had a religious experience and has realized a new purpose in life- hitting the Earth at terminal velocity.

<Immanuel> blows a kiss to Illumination then hangs on for dear-life as the balloon beings to sink.

<Immanuel> Hmm, I gave it a hunger for victory affliction.

<Immanuel> Doesn't that override that?

<Grayson> (she's presumably piling on the strike)

<Dan> left the chat room.
Paradox_Cat joined the chat room.

<Dreams> (Perhaps being hungry for victory and being able to achieve it are two different things?)

<Hollyhock God> I presume she beat you. It seems like she used Persona on the arrow last turn and then fired it at you this turn while she sustained the effect.

<Immanuel> I was a level 7 affliction =P

<Immanuel> it*

<Hollyhock God> No such thing. It was a level 7 miracle.

<Hollyhock God> Which you aren't sustaining, so the actual miracle level of its effect is at my discretion.

<Immanuel> Don't afflictions created by persona equal the miracle level?

<Immanuel> Rats.

<Hollyhock God> Not in that sense, and it generally doesn't work that way with Enchantment.

<Hollyhock God> David's turn again.

<Miranda> "I don't suppose it's too late to persuade you to move the moon?" Miranda asks over cake, near the finish line.

<Hollyhock God> "I'm not sure that I could move it fast enough!" says Fine, who is eating massive amounts of cake and enjoying herself immensely.

<David> (Could I use a second weaving destiny to declare the balloon has a sudden change of conscience and goes back up?)
Paradox_Cat: "Not to be an ungrateful host, but is there anything other than cake?"

<Hollyhock God> That seems more like Getting Some Help than Weaving Destiny.
Paradox_Cat: (er, guest)

<Immanuel> (Lemme handle that, I can Purify the balloon)

<Hollyhock God> "There's everything," Rhys assures you.

<David> (Actually, I have something more amusing in mind…)

<David> frantically mashes buttons on his phone, calling up an old friend who owes him a favor–the universe's greatest expert of inanimate psychology! A calming voice pours out over the speakerphone, asking the airship how it feels about its creator, and kindly encouraging it to go back towards the moon!

<Immanuel> Balloon psychology.

<Immanuel> shakes his head.

<Miranda> That's just full of hot air.

<Dreams> (There's a chancel where that would be an actual profession, you know.)

<David> (Call that a weaponized use of my people-who-owe-me-favors anchor, maybe?)

<Hollyhock God> Reasonable, but how strong a miracle will you use?

<Hollyhock God> Consider that whatever effect she used overcame your Weaving Destiny.

<Dreams> passes a drink to the Wave and watches the race with some interest.

<Immanuel> I knew I should've just set them on fire.

<David> (Up the strength to, let's say, 7. And invoking the Bond)

<Dreams> "So how long do you think before it devolves into a straight balloon-to-balloon brawl?"

<Hollyhock God> Your soothing ballooning babble seems to have an effect, and your balloon is successfully deprogrammed.

<Hollyhock God> Remus reaches a hand out of the basket of his careening craft and drops something small and black toward you.

<Hollyhock God> Meanwhile, Isolde takes another shot.

<Hollyhock God> Immanuel's turn.

<Immanuel> Hmm.

<Immanuel> If you want to go on the defensive next turn I can do something horrible now.

<Henry> (do it!)

<David> (Gotcha)
Paradox_Cat: has wandered off into the pantry, he's linked to the two baloons via his tablet, and is keeping an eye that way.

<Immanuel> And did I actually spend those 2 pmps earlier?
Paradox_Cat is now known as
<Dan>.

<Hollyhock God> Yes, to use a Greater Enchantment.

<Immanuel> No

<Immanuel> That was in the chancel.

<Hollyhock God> Oh. Which two, then?

<Immanuel> The pmp was for the flame.

<Miranda> (Oh. Fire doing something horrible. That's unprecedented. :) )

<Immanuel> Er, the ignition

<Hollyhock God> Wasn't that a level 5 miracle?

<Immanuel> Yeah

<Grayson> (yes, but now it's a good thing that he's doing something horrible!)

<Hollyhock God> (Fire being horrible in a useful fashion is- yes)

<Dreams> (And Dreams follows up his question with "Oh, never mind" as fire engulfs the other balloon.)

<Immanuel> Horrible by my standards!

<Miranda> "I don't suppose you also wagered on the outcome?" Miranda asks the other members of Familia Maxiel.

<Immanuel> Anyway, I typed I was using strike as you typed the response.

<Dreams> (Letters of flame spelling out their concession!)

<Immanuel> So wasn't sure if that counted.

<Immanuel> BUT

<Immanuel> Regardless I'm going to cause their balloon to begin consuming them.

<Hollyhock God> "I bet on both sides," admits Rhys. Noel looks away.

<Dreams> "I'll owe the Wave here a round of drinks if we lose. See? Family solidarity!" Dreams smiles and tips his chlorophyll-drink to Miranda.

<Immanuel> Which is a level 4 miracle

<Dreams> "These really ARE surprisingly good."

<Hollyhock God> All right.

<Hollyhock God> …I should point out that whatever Remus dropped and Isolde's arrow will resolve at the end of this turn since nobody did anything about them.

<Hollyhock God> I'm pretty sure that's how it works now.

<Dan> returns with a salmon sandwich. "Chlorophyll is popular in CA I hear."

<Immanuel> Hmm. I was assuming he would get them.

<Hollyhock God> Yes, but he already used his turn on pop psychology!

<Immanuel> Can I retroactively state I'm sustaining the consumption miracle?

<Hollyhock God> Tell you what, Remus's balloon eats whatever he was trying to drop.

<Immanuel> All-consuming projectile stance!

<Hollyhock God> Then it attempts to eat him!

<Miranda> "No faith in my familia, then?"

<Immanuel> chortles as the Glaswegian tries to fend off his now ravenous conveyance.

<Hollyhock God> Meanwhile Isolde is hopping from perch to perch to avoid being bitten by her own balloon. But that doesn't prevent her from shoting you!

<Hollyhock God> She nails Immanuel through the heart. Deadly Wound!

<Dreams> (Yikes, was she going for a kill shot?)

<Hollyhock God> Suddenly your heart is open to the glory of the universe and the wonder of all living creatures (because there is a hole in it).

  • Grayson, observing from his helicopter, sighs in relief as the arrow hits Immanuel rather than the balloon.

<Hollyhock God> You receive the Affliction: "Burdened by love for all things."

<Dreams> (I laughed out loud, Grayson.)

<Hollyhock God> (Don't tell Lord Entropy!)

<Immanuel> Is the arrow still in me?

<Immanuel> This will be relevant.

<Grayson> (I'm just concerned Duchess Fine will be jealous.)

<Hollyhock God> Meanwhile, your balloon continues to rise. Both teams have left Earth-orbit, and are roughly par, but your craft is moving faster.

<Hollyhock God> It's stuck through you, yes.

<David> (Is Illumination named Kama?)

<Immanuel> Isolde.

<Dreams> (Wonder what Tristan is the power of?)

<Immanuel> (Delusion? Betrayal? Failure?)

<Hollyhock God> (Symmetry For Symmetry's Sake?)

<Hollyhock God> And, oh, yeah, new turn. David's move!

<Immanuel> (Wagnerian Opera)?

<Grayson> "Go tean man-eating balloons!"

<Immanuel> Have at it Dave.

<David> David continues to play with his phone. "Apps…utilities…death ray!" A thin green beam of neutron decoherence plasma flashes out from the device, searing Isolde's bow with questionable physics!

<David> (Weaponizing my death-phone, with bond-strike 3)

<Immanuel> Awww.

<Immanuel> I was going to make her eat her arrows.

<Grayson> Do something horrible to Remus instead! He deserves it more

<Dreams> That's not acting with love towards all things!

<Hollyhock God> Not sure how attacks against Anchors work, but okay.

<Immanuel> She loves archery.

<Immanuel> And the bow and arrows aren't living.

<Hollyhock God> Remus does something you can't see properly, but dollar bills start fluttering along in his wake.

<Grayson> Presumably she can either accept the temporary disabling of the Anchor or take a Wound to prevent it.

<Dreams> Mmmm, s'what I would assume.

<Hollyhock God> Isolde shoots at you again.

<Henry> (sounds right)

<Hollyhock God> Immanuel?

<Immanuel> Is the bow disabled or not?

<Dreams> (Perhaps Remus bought her a new one?)

<Hollyhock God> It's not resolved until the turn ends.

<Immanuel> Alright

<Immanuel> Then I put all consuming projectile stance on HER.

<Hollyhock God> is trying to be more coherent about turns than he was when the conflict started.

<Immanuel> Making her seek to become one with the bow and arrows she clearly loves so much.

<Hollyhock God> You… use an Enchantment to make her eat everything?

<Immanuel> Hmm, how should I define this?

<Immanuel> Everything that can be thrown or shot. Because that is what she loves. Shooting.

<Immanuel> Yes, I'm going to make her ravenously consume her bows, arrows, those dollar bills arguably, perhaos Remus.

<Dreams> (Somewhere along the way Immanuel became the power of Om Nom Nom)

<Hollyhock God> Won't she just take a wound and ignore it?

<Immanuel> Hmm.

<Dreams> (Well, it'll be a wound she'll have to take!)

<Grayson> Well, and gain an Affliction

<Hollyhock God> You're going to reach the moon long before anybody runs out of health levels.

<Immanuel> Yeah, she'll have the affliction won't she?

<Immanuel> eat shooty things!

<Hollyhock God> Try something like "Her touch will eat away at everything." That would give her a more useful Affliction.

<Hollyhock God> It seems like "Must work hard not to destroy whatever I touch" is more useful in this case than "Must work hard not to eat ranged weapons."

<Grayson> the Affliction might be more like "Desparately resisting the urge to eat my arrows," I think

<Grayson> right

<Immanuel> I can invoke my affliction too

<Immanuel> I'm imparting my love to her by granting my all-consuming nature.

<Hollyhock God> No! Only I can invoke Afflictions!

<Miranda> (But if I got 'must work hard to destroy whatever I touch' I'd just launch myself at the other balloon)

<Immanuel> Her touch has the consumptive properties of fire.

<Hollyhock God> They are not for everybody. They are just for me.

<Immanuel> Awwww

<Hollyhock God> Anyway!

<Immanuel> But yes that

<Immanuel> P4

<Dreams> (Actually, I think the PC gets to decide what affliction they get when they take a wound?)

<Hollyhock God> Miranda's bow is evaporated by death-ray.

<Hollyhock God> Remus sates the balloon's hunger with an endless flow of cash.

<Immanuel> We'll look it up later Dreamsy old boy

<Miranda> had been eating cake on the moon. HEY!

<Miranda> "Hey!"

<Miranda> "Stray shot."

<Hollyhock God> An arrow that left the bow just before the bow exploded pierces your canopy.

<Hollyhock God> And Isolde finds herself destroying everything she touches. Starting with the floor.

<Immanuel> Well I thought her eating the arrows would be funny. But this works too.

<Hollyhock God> New turn! David- you're in a balloon careening wildly sideways as air begins to hiss out. What do you do?

<Dreams> "See, this is why I try to avoid these open-ended challenges. They always end in explosions and attempted murder."

<Hollyhock God> The moon is so close! You can almost taste it!

<Dreams> "Not seriously attempted, but still."

<Grayson> "Isn't that the fun of them?"

<Immanuel> Just be glad you're eating cake.

<Immanuel> No cake on the Lunar Express.

<Dreams> Well, whose fault is that?

<David> "Immanuel, can you patch up the balloon?"

<David> "I wanna burst their bubble."

<Immanuel> Of course.

<Hollyhock God> "The important thing is that everyone is having fun," says Noel, leaning just a little bit into Miranda.

<Grayson> (Is Grayson in a helicopter or hanging out on the moon eating cake? It's a secret! He was determined to create some sort of location-related secret today, and so he has.)

<Hollyhock God> Grayson is muscling in on Uncertainty's territory! This means war!

<David> Another ray of exotic and questionable physics (an absolute-magnitude neutrino plasma) lances out towards Team Wealth's balloon, a scintilla of indigo amid the cosmic void!

<Hollyhock God> I don't know what that is, but it sounds deadly!

<Immanuel> And beautiful.

<Miranda> "This is fun for you, Noel?"

<Dreams> (Stare him in the eyes and smolder when you ask that!)

<Grayson> "If you're not having fun, Miranda, you're doing something wrong!"

<Immanuel> I shed a tear as it passes by on a collision course with Team Wilmination.

<Hollyhock God> Remus activates the ejection seat and launches Isolde at your balloon.

<Hollyhock God> Immanuel!

<Immanuel> Did I spend those 2 PMPs earlier or not?

<Immanuel> Because I'm going to try something absurd.

<Immanuel> By my standards.

<Noel> "Yes. Fun. We gather to watch a sporting event and participate in enjoyable social activity."

<Grayson> oh my.

<Hollyhock God> I have decided that you did!

<Immanuel> Oh, and does the ejector seat mean he's heading to the moon or conceded?

<Hollyhock God> Because seriously it's ten o'clock and somebody needs to win this balloon race.

<Dreams> (Last Trump! Expend everything you have on this simple balloon race!)

<Hollyhock God> It means he's using her as a projectile.

<Grayson> No, he's sending Isolde, with her all-consumingness, heading at your balloon

<Grayson> he's still in his balloon

<Immanuel> Ah

<Hollyhock God> Technically only the balloon has to arrive at the moon.

<Hollyhock God> Although if she falls it's going to put a hamper on her ability to help out.

<Miranda> Miranda glares at Noel, leaning back "If my family fails, one of their souls will be absorbed by the Waxen Serpent. This is *not* fun for me. Cake or no cake."

<Dreams> (Also, potentially, her grisly splattering on the surface of the earth.)

<Miranda> (Oh, hell, Immanuel, then just incinerate the balloon)

<Hollyhock God> Nah, it's just a Deadly Wound. Hardly deadly at all. TO HER

<Grayson> (I'll probably catch her. I don't have any particular grudge against her.)

<Immanuel> Fine, fine.

<Noel> "You make it sound like the end of the world. Which it is not. Here, have a shrimp."

<Immanuel> Oh, can I plug that leak with a mundane action?

<Hollyhock God> Like, what action?

<Grayson> "Can't you at least enjoy watching Immanuel get shot?"

<Immanuel> I'll tape it up or something!

<Immanuel> still has the arrow in his heart

<Noel> "I'm enjoying watching Immanuel get shot."

<Hollyhock God> I don't think that's valid as a mundane action at a conflict of this pace.

<Hollyhock God> My advice:

  • Grayson sighs at Noel.

<Grayson> "I'm trying to have a conversation with my sister here."

<Immanuel> I was going to eat Isolde until I remembered she had Bad Touch

<Hollyhock God> Fill the balloon with so much hot air that you shoot up so fast that she misses you nand falls.

<Miranda> "I ought to be there. Protecting them. I should have—- the balloon should be shielded."

<Dreams> (So is he!)

<Grayson> (I'm being hostile!)

<Immanuel> Alright.

<Immanuel> That then, persona 4, air Burns.

<Dreams> (He's being ambiguous as to his hostility and/or friendliness!)

<Miranda> (No! Remember what happened last time we were deliberately hostile to these folks?)

<Immanuel> Sustaining it.

<Grayson> (Noel probably doesn't deserve it, but I can't mess with Remus until the race is over)

<Hollyhock God> "It's almost as though you weren't omnipotent!" says Noel, ignoring the hostility because that would interfere with his coolness and unflappability.

<Grayson> (I'm just being mildly hostile.)

<Hollyhock God> Isolde charges her hands with deadly philosophical insight!

<Immanuel> Is this the next turn?

<Hollyhock God> Just one touch will bring you to a revelation of the desirable spiritual effects of failure!

<Hollyhock God> I am resolving now.

<Miranda> (And for Miranda's part, even if Rand won't invoke it, Noel is an affliction on her sheet)

<Hollyhock God> But, that's not very helpful because she misses your balloon as it shoots up. :|

<Grayson> (Isolde is entertaining!)

<Miranda> (Bad roll!)

<Hollyhock God> He's present! That's all the invoking I need to do!

<Immanuel> Yes I'll send her some cake after.

<Grayson> (I say we reverse the terms of the bet and keep her)

<Miranda> (Blame the dice.)

<Hollyhock God> Meanwhile, David shoots a matching hole in Remus's balloon.

<Dreams> (Just think, if we lost, she'd be a semiofficial member of the family! Sort of by way of marriage?)

<Hollyhock God> They shoot sideways as you shoot up.

<Dreams> (Yes, Celestatis In-Law.)

<Miranda> "No. I'm not omnipotent. But I am responsible."

<Grayson> sends his helicopter plummeting at the same speed as Isolde.

<Miranda> "Even for Immanuel."

<Hollyhock God> Congratulations, you crash into the moon as Isolde falls vexedly to Earth!

<Grayson> "Want a ride to the Moon? I'm headed to a victory party for my brothers there."

<Grayson> only smirks a little bit.

<Immanuel> Huzzah!

<Hollyhock God> Meanwhile, Grayson swoops in to catch Isolde in his helicopter catchy thing.

<Hollyhock God> Victory is yours!

<Immanuel> Filled with love for all living things I give David a hug.

<Hollyhock God> "……I love you, man."

<Grayson> leaves Remus floating sideways in his messed up balloon.

<David> "Douchebag Rich Guy: 0, Team Prax: 1!"

<Immanuel> Then I use a persona 4 miracle to purify myself of the arrow. And its affliction assuming I can do that.

<Hollyhock God> Isolde happily leaps into Grayson's arms as he dextrously scoops her into the helicopter in some kind of action-movie pose.

<Hollyhock God> You can remove the arrow, but healing the Wound may take a while.

<Immanuel> I was aiming more for the affliction, that lasts as long as the wound though?

<Dreams> (Can't you spend MP to speed up wound-healing? Does it still have to be aspect-based?)

<Hollyhock God> Then Isolde remembers that what she touches, she destroys. Also her hands are charged with deadly insight.

<David> Yuh-oh!

<Immanuel> would laugh if he knew what had just occured and wasn't filled with love for all things.

<Hollyhock God> I guess you can speed up healing.

<Grayson> hmmm. perhaps this plan wasn't very well thought out.

<Dan> I'm sending a bridge after Secrets

<Hollyhock God> And then everybody did a bunch of things to bring everybody together for an orderly denoument!

<Grayson> Yay!

<Dan> Hooray!

<Immanuel> (cue music from the end of A New Hope)

<Henry> (heheheh)

<Hollyhock God> And you arrive at the Moon to celebrate and eat more cake.

<Grayson> was already pretty full of deadly insight anyway. It's sort of an occupational hazard of being the Power of Secres.

<Grayson> *Secrets.

<Hollyhock God> Except that Miranda has to stand by Immanuel and punch him when he's about to tell people that he loves them.

<Miranda> He has an arrow wound I can just twist.

<Immanuel> You'd just shove cake down my throat if you were a good sister.

<Hollyhock God> And Grayson secretly wishes you had lost and does not know why!

<Grayson> Immanuel's love for all people is a secret! I so declare it.

<Henry> heh

<Hollyhock God> Noel teases Miranda for being so worried.

<Miranda> sighs with secret relief that she hadn't been forced to cheat, as she'd intended to do.

<Immanuel> I attempt to hug Isolde but Miranda wrestles me to the ground before I can touch her!

<Grayson> Also, I hide the Moon just for a second, to prove that I can. Everyone is briefly confused.

<Miranda> "You laugh, Noel, but —- Immanuel, stop!!!!!

<Hollyhock God> Isolde kindly stops sustaining her miracle so that she can hug Immanuel.

<Henry> (I'm going to have to go pretty soon)

<Hollyhock God> Remus arrives, announcing that it was a capital bet and he had a lovely time, and to relinquish the Reliquary of Life.

<Hollyhock God> It's very shiny.

<Henry> Huzzah!

<Immanuel> has the arrow pushed deeper into him by all the hugging.

<David> graciously accepts the magical amulet, and passes Remus a glass of extremely fine moon-scotch.

<Hollyhock God> OH CNEPH SO MUCH LOVE

<Hollyhock God> I invoke the Affliction, because I can!

<Miranda> Which one?

<Immanuel> Everything dies!

<Dan> Hrm. Can I destroy the arrows property of connecting to Miranda?

<Hollyhock God> Immanuel finds himself blushing and looking away when the Duchess turns her eyes his way, as his love-ridden bloodstream fills with uncomfortable emotions!

<Immanuel> …the "I destroy what I love" one.

<Dan> Er, Immanuel

<Hollyhock God> Everyone giggles and pretends not to notice.

<Hollyhock God> And then everybody went home, having learned a valuable lesson about friendship!

<Dan> Heh

<Hollyhock God> And then the session was over because seriously ya'll it's ten o'clock.

<Immanuel> And that not all arrows are bad.

<Henry> I'll use Aspect surgery to remove the arrow at some point

<Henry> though I doubt it will heal the affliction

<Immanuel> I've already purified myself

<Grayson> Bah, Immanuel is more fun to look at with an arrow in him.

<Immanuel> But it's funnier if I keep the arrow

<Dreams> Just leave it sticking in there, yeah.

<Dreams> It's like the power that got turned into a frog. Think of the conversation-starting potential alone!

<Rand Brittain> Next time I'm just going to stick all 7 of you on a balloon so we don't have all these discussions about cheating.

<Dan> Fair enough!

<Immanuel> We'll just strap them to the bottom.

<Henry> That might be easier

<Grayson> We're going to need a bigger balloon!

<Immanuel> is now known as <Melum>

<Rand Brittain> I didn't really want everybody tossing miracles around in this contest because then I would have had to have a 14-Power conflict to make it even remotely fair.

<Henry> for a given definition of easier

<Dan> Yeah, I was kinda tuned out, as it was all "Here's an hour of other people doing things while you can't"

<Grayson> is now known as Polotet.

<Melum> Which is why we should've had mass cheating.

<Rand Brittain> Juggling seven gods is hard! But I will keep trying~

<Miranda> I figured, you know, worst came to worse, Word of Command on the finish line.

<Dan> I can only imagine. I had enough trouble running a less free form game with 7 players.

<Melum> Clearly you need to pit us against each other.

<Benhimself> Because that will be so difficult.

<Rand Brittain> Yes, I considered having Miranda cheat like a maniac and then have Remus declare her the winner anyway.

<Rand Brittain> And then you stand there and accept the Reliquary and know that EVERYBODY KNOWS

<Henry> Oh noes!

<Melum> That would be amusing.

<Melum> And then he would hand us a trophy.

<Rand Brittain> And then spiral downwards into total madness.

<Melum> For Not Cheating.

<Miranda> Fortunately, I have familia to rely upon.

<Melum> And you would cry and cry.

<David> is now known as TheDementedOne.

<Miranda> Yeah, downward spiral incoming.

<Rand Brittain> What you should have done was shield your Familia's cheating miracles from detection. :)

<Polotet> For certain values of "rely".

<The Demented One> Hurray balloons!

<Polotet> Making things secret is my job!

<Dan> is now known as <Lafing Cat>.

<Melum> I was hoping this would involve balloon animals.

<Rand Brittain> You've already gone mad with power!

<Rand Brittain> It's Miranda's turn for that now!

<Miranda> Yeah, but she didn't actually want to cheat. And hiding things from detection is more Grayson's gig.

<Polotet> I've gone mad with lots of things!

<Miranda> Siphilis.

<Rand Brittain> I remember that episode of Just Shoot Me, yes.

<Polotet> The hazards of secret agent-ing.

<Melum> You mean the one where David Spade was sarcastic?

<Miranda> is now known as <ADamiani>.

<Polotet> I saw that one!

<Rand Brittain> Anyway, the rivalry between Commerce and Wealth seems to be proceeding to the happiness of all concerned!

<ADamiani>: OK, so we had a Victory right? That's XP! Uh, Destiny P.

<Polotet> Also, now Secrets is annoyed at Wealth too.

<Rand Brittain> I guess you did in fact succeed in collecting a magical life-based artifact. So, yes, Victory.

<Rand Brittain> Also, Immanuel apologized! That's Change!

<Melum> I'm annoyed at Wealth for manipulating us but delighted by the challenge.

<Rand Brittain> I guess Commerce is struggling with his rivarly? Is there a Struggle in there somewhere?

<Melum> And Isolde will get a thorough congratulations at the next Radiant Powers Clubhouse Meeting.

<Rand Brittain> Grayson struggled with the GM's failure to explain the ground rules of the conflict!

<Henry> I'm still struggling to find a purpose. Also, Henry is kind of annoyed at Wealth, though he's subtle about it

<Henry> The existence of someone who has everything is an affront to his Estate

<Rand Brittain> Miranda should have wriggled around a bit more with the temptation to cheat. You could have phrased that as a struggle!

<ADamiani> It was, but the struggle was mostly external.

<The Demented One> Commerce's struggle is in getting Uncertainty over on his side

<Rand Brittain> I struggled with the fact that I completely forgot about Remus's most prominent Anchor and didn't use it in this conflict!

<ADamiani> Also, I kinda didn't understand we weren't supposed to intervene until 2/3 of the way through.

<The Demented One> I'd proposed in the thread a Project wherein I convince her to zap our current period of uncertainty with miracles and make it turn out okay for us.

<Rand Brittain> Hubris!

<The Demented One> So I'm not sure if this counts as personal struggle, a failure for that plan, or gornischt

<Rand Brittain> I guess it's a failure, but failure is good!

<Rand Brittain> Although removing the uncertainty from your life is specifically outside the power of miracles.

<Melum> My biggest disappointment this session was not countering Illumination with The Fire Sermon.

<Rand Brittain> I questioned to Dr. Moran whether that prohibition was necessary during the playtest, but she insisted that it was!

<Rand Brittain> Apparently she was right!

<Polotet> Based on my backstory my Project should probably involve my secret love of a Devil but I'm not sure if there's a way to integrate that with the broader story at the moment, so I think it probably makes sense to hold off on declaring it a Project

<The Demented One> Not going to remove it, but make it work out okay for us

<Benhimself> Aha. It'll take one month for a deadly wound to heal, one week if an appropriate miracle is used (purifing himself?) one day if a very powerful miracle (HG's discretion) is used.

<Rand Brittain> Certainly having gods on your side is helpful!

<Melum> You might make our failures inevitable.

<Henry> Same with mine to redeem Hell in some matter

<Melum> Heh.

<The Demented One> So a failure is 5 Destiny towards that project?

<Henry> So I need to find something else

<Melum> Once we get back to the chancel I can use a greater purification.

<Henry> Possibly becoming Imperial

<ADamiani> Yeah, no.

<Benhimself> Immanuel isn't elusive, right?

<Melum> No

<Rand Brittain> Yes, seems so.

<Rand Brittain> So, 5 Destiny for that Project, 10 Destiny for "Raising Praxael," and some Personal Destiny for various people.

<ADamiani> Oh! That's a bubble!

<Melum> You're doing what to me now, Ben?

<Rand Brittain> So! Questions, comments and concerns?

<Polotet> 5 Destiny for which Project?

<Polotet> Oh, the Uncertainty one?

<The Demented One> I think my Uncertainty Shenanigans project

<Lafing Cat> I don't know that I did anything deserving of Personal Destiny :/

<Melum> Did that count as a non-ridiculous step towards Light's Love?

<Rand Brittain> I guess it's a small step.

<ADamiani> Concern: 8 people is too much.

<The Demented One> It is a little bit a lot.

<Melum> Otherwise we can always go with the "I'm becoming a Dragon" project

<Rand Brittain> Well, I was ready to kill Immanuel if necessary! But you pushed him to make good decisions too efficiently!

<Rand Brittain> glares

<The Demented One> We might benefit from multiple rooms. At least an IC and an OOC.

<Lafing Cat> I'd rather not leave, but given as how I'm a late comer, it makes sense for me to be the first cut if it comes to that.

<Rand Brittain> An OOC channel might make a bit more sense.

<Melum> Harrumph, no respect for my personal agency!

<Rand Brittain> Also next time I will try for more plot threads.

<Lafing Cat> I've found them to be helpful, to be sure.

<ADamiani> OOC channel will make logs harder.

<Rand Brittain> Logs!

  • Rand Brittain glares at History.

<Benhimself> Mmm. Or perhaps even, as I suggested, when multiple things happen in multiple places split them into different channel rooms?

<Polotet> A lot of stuff that would be in the OOC channel might not need to be in logs, though.

<Melum> What client do you use?

<Polotet> Perhaps; I'm not sure whether that would make things easier or harder for Rand.

<Melum> You could always add timestamps, would help organizing?

<Polotet> (@Ben's suggestion)

<Lafing Cat> Generally in the past, I've not logged OOC channels for my games.

<Rand Brittain> Right now I am in Colloquy and I am regretting that choice now that I have to sort out this monster log.

<Rand Brittain> But if the juggling does not improve I will just keep sending Excrucians at you until someone dies~

<Rand Brittain> you see it is all simple

<Melum> holds Miranda in front of him while reading a magazine.

<The Demented One> Colloquy bros!

<The Demented One> You can't kill me, we use the same chat client.

<Polotet> both of those tasks require two hands!

<Rand Brittain> I have some sort of program for turning Colloquy's logs into something postable but it isn't working yet.

<Rand Brittain> He reads the magazine by eating it.

<Melum> Yes, what of it?

<Henry> Anyways, gotta run.

<Rand Brittain> is pretty sure that if he goes on long enough, someone will quit of their own free will anyway.

<Henry> Same time next week?

<Melum> Later!

<Rand Brittain> Because that always happens.

<Rand Brittain> Yes, same time next week.

<ADamiani> Yes, but the count is going in the opposite direction!

<Henry> Hurrah.

<Polotet> Plus, with 8 people it's reasonably likely we won't have a full load some weeks.

<Henry> left the chat room.

<Polotet> Like, last week ended up being just 3.

<Rand Brittain> Yes, I just need to avoid plots that require a specific person unless I'm sure you'll be there.

<Rand Brittain> Hm, next week, next week.

<Melum> So I'm at 5 destiny for this session?

<Rand Brittain> The Power of Ink hires Uncertainty to steal the accords!

<Rand Brittain> 5 Personal Destiny, I think so.

<Melum> K.

<The Demented One> Damn it, Uncertainty, stop giving me Fail-Destiny!

<Melum> She won't actually move it, just make us doubt as to whether or not it's actually the real accords.

<Rand Brittain> "Be honest, David. You know I give you the best failure."

<Rand Brittain> Previously the vault was locked. Now it only might be locked.

<ADamiani> Isn't fail-destiny > victory desti—- woah, wall of innuendo crits for 9000.

<Rand Brittain> Was the double-meaning intentional? You can't be sure!

<The Demented One> I think Immanuel should get a freebie Destiny for unwrapping his giant kaleidoscope.

<Rand Brittain> All you know is that a minute ago you had more money than you do now.

<Melum> Only useable towards absurd gifts.

<Rand Brittain> Technically that was part of his existing advance.

<Rand Brittain> Dang it, Destiny is hard to keep track of.

<Polotet> Absurd gifts or Absurd Gifts?

<Melum> It can be both.

<The Demented One> Okay, I'm out. This week has not been the best week. :<

<Melum> Later!

  • TheDementedOne left the chat room.

<Polotet> Because a giant kaleidoscope is already a pretty absurd gift.

<Rand Brittain> Well, it was confusing but it was still a pretty good session.

<Polotet> Agreed!

<Lafing Cat> My first ever Nobilis game!

<Benhimself> Yeah, it helps with actual project sheets you can easily add additions to.

<Rand Brittain> And we learned some useful things about managing large games.

<Melum> Huzzah!

<Benhimself> Rather than internet images that are a pain to edit, and upload new versions of.

<Rand Brittain> Next week I will try to give everyone more things to do. Bridges to build, and so forth.

<Melum> And burn.

<Lafing Cat> Heh.

<Rand Brittain> Noel challenges you to a game of Catan.

<Lafing Cat> I HAVE WOOD FOR SHEEP

  • Benhimself will steal the Accords before Uncertainty gets to them!

<Rand Brittain> Are you sure you stole the Accords?

<ADamiani>: "Dammit Noel! I can't trade you that brick! I have responsibilities. Bastard!"

<Rand Brittain> Noel uses Persona to ignore the normal movement rules.

<Benhimself> Is she sure she didn't just dream it happening?

<Rand Brittain> Yes.

<Rand Brittain> Lesser Destruction of Uncertainty.

<Polotet> Is anyone besides me even sure the Accords exist?

<Polotet> Hmmm.

<Melum> Well, I know no one set it on fire.

<Melum> …Hey, we can always do that!

<Rand Brittain> First you use a Major Creation to expand the waveform of the Accords.

<Rand Brittain> Who has them? It's uncertain!

<Melum> It'll show up back in my collection.

<Rand Brittain> Then you use a Major Destruction to collapse the wave function so that it's you.

<Rand Brittain> It's like omnipotence, only more expensive.

<Lafing Cat> I think you could use the Major Destruction simultaneously with the Major Creation.

<Lafing Cat> As a single miracle.

<Polotet> I could always just use a Greater Motion so we end up holding on to the Accords but no one else knows it.

<Melum> I'll just make it burn whoever touches it.

<Benhimself> We could auction the Accords off!

<Melum> Nothing could possibly go wrong.

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