Talk:Elizabeth Allegheny

"We thank you, shaper, but this diversion, although pleasant, is not true. Things never happened thus."
"Things need not have happened to be true. Tales and dreams are the shadow-truths that will endure when mere facts are dust and ashes, and forgot."

The Plot

Big Ideas

• Liz wants to encourage belief in narrative causality.

• Heroism is rewarded.
• The good guys win in the end.
• Heart and flamboyant tactical innovation are important elements of games of chance and skill.

• Liz is a sponsor of Plan Super Robot.
• Liz will use dreams to reach the sleepers and mentor promising ones. That way she can reach people anywhere and avoid technocratic detection (to an extent).

Allegheny Rescue Plan

• Get the family into a safe haven in the cockroach apartments.
• The family will be told that the family has gained the enmity of a powerful organised crime group. The chantrymembers are affiliated with the government. Liz was actually under witness protection, not in a remedial school.

Cover Story

Canada

Liz is under a witness protection program and helping the secret service.

Plot Devices

Book of Fantasies

• Base item: Big hardback book
• Effect: Transport the reader into a fantastical world (Spirit 3)
• Effect?: The reader experiences the story vividly causing ???? (Mind 3)

Sword of Legend

• Base item: China's sword
• Effect: The sword strikes monsters (Prime 2, Spirit 2)
• Effect?: If lost, the sword returns to the/a hero by coincidences (Entropy 2)
• Effect?: The sword cuts through enchantments (Prime 2)
• Flaw: The wielder must perform heroic actions for the sword to maintain its effectiveness
• Notes: Save up Yu Lan tass to make it.

Fetishism

• Base item: Liz's disaster coat
• Desired abilities: defence, no dex penalty, transformation? invisibility? disguise? social bonuses?
• Spirit possibilities: trickster spirit, warrior spirit, movement/messenger spirit
• Procurement steps:
  • Find a spirit: spirit 2/entropy 2, spirit 4, narrative causality (i.e. ask IX), go poking nose in likely locations
  • Get it into the coat: beat it up until it submits (risky), overpower it with magic (I'm only arete 4), power of friendship (dubious), beat it in a gamble (also risky, but relevant to my abilities)
• NB: IX suggests using a Palace spirit. Their effects would be more 'cerebral and ephemeral' than near umbra spirits. He also suggests getting a lightning bolt fetish for when you really need it.

The Liz Guide to Figments

Figments, also known as spirits, are beings of the 'Umbra' or 'Shadow World' of fiction between mundane worlds.

Figmapedia

Super Figment Friends

Skeina, Author of the Tale

Jerkface destiny figment that possessed Liz via her Demesne. Under its influence Liz (transformed into a masked villain) took over the Edgewater Casino until exorcised by Cathy. Cathy (angry mode) then bound it and turned its power against the Technocracy response team until the heroes escaped into the Umbra.

• Status: Presumed At Large
• Threat Level: A?

That One Vulture

Guardian of Horizon's Gate of Life. Wants the words, or failing that a tasty meal of you.

• Status: Told what's what.
• Threat Level: A?

Trysobite

Conniving spirits that sneak in through any gap they can find and spread lies.

• Status: Really real!
• Threat Level: Not very dangerous, just a nuisance really, nothing to get worked up about.

Each Uisge

Malevolent horse furries made of water. Pretend to be cute boys with seaweed in their hair, don't be fooled.

• Status: Explosive
• Threat Level: C

Sprite

Tiny nearsighted fairies. Turn you to ice! Stupid stupid stupid.

• Status: Apologetic
• Threat Level: D

Urban Myths

Cockroaches

The walkers in our forgotten paths and the finders of our lost things.

• Status: Protecting the innocent
• Threat Level: E
• Cockroach 54,122,321, aka Eggscuttledumpsterfindcantnukmehahahah protects the Alleghenny family's information in Vancouver.

Glass Walkers Terrorantulas

Spiders that drink evil and eat other stories. Empowered by the presence of Mari for some mysterious reason.

• Status: Banished into the darkness.
• Threat Level: D?

NB: Liz expanded her spiderlore and expunged her error

Japan

Dark Geisha

Run the tables in underworld casinos. Don't like losing!

• Status: Frozen
• Threat Level: C

Lord Enma-O

Secret Boss of Japan. Ice demon sealed away in Kikuri, rival of Mikhaboshi.

• Status: Sealed. Known gate in Hokkaido.
• Threat Level: S

Iron Oni

Cybernetic demons in service to Lord Mikhaboshi.

• Status: Banished to the Wicked City
• Threat Level: C

Kitsune

Tricky foxpeople that play and cheat at Hanafuda.

• Status: In full retreat after their king and leader was crushed by Liz's Perfect Palm technique.
• Threat Level: Collapsed.

Lord Mihkaboshi

Big Bad of Japan. Technodemon and ruler of the Wicked City, wannabe ruler of Tokyo and rival of Enma-O.

• Status: Foiled but back next episode.
• Threat Level: S

Tanuki

Nothing but trouble.

• Status: Trouble.
• Threat Level: Troubling.
• Monta is Catherine West's familiar and a real pain.
• Miyu is Monta's wife and a pestering annoyance. However, she is also a useful weapon against Monta.

Yuki-Onna

Ice Assassins as broken as the spell.

• Status: Banished to Kikuri.
• Threat Level: B?
• Tsurara was sent to kill Mikhaboshi's minions in Gyokuei, and nearly succeeded with Kana's help.

Inhabitants of CROSSDOWN

Numion

Tall scrawny future-aliens. Never observed to take independent or hostile action, have presumably evolved past such barbarian concerns.

• Status: Present in force on CROSSDOWN.
• Threat Level: E

Zol

Human-scale combat robots. Have both ranged and melee capabilities. Matched up poorly against (named) Akashic consors.

• Status: Present in force on CROSSDOWN.
• Threat Level: D

Mega-Zol

Gundam-scale Zols. Matched up poorly against Technocratic space fighters.

• Status: Present in force on CROSSDOWN.
• Threat Level: C?

Bargaining Tips

• Spirits like quintessence.
• Different spirits demand different approaches. Some you can defeat in a game, others will require bargaining or beating into submission, or other approaches.
• Be very wary of offering to perform a service.
• Mistreated spirits will spread the word and make you notorious.
• You can gain spirit power from unlikely sources, like spirit-weapon blasts or destroyed spirit-robots.
• Remember your obligations or people will whine so much.
• Sieze the moment if you have them over a barrel.

Mage: The Ascension

M:tA First Edition

M:tA Second Edition

• Character Assassination

• Entropy 2
• Mind 2

Some unfortunate convergence of events prominently reveals the ugliest and most embarassing or objectionable aspects of the target's personality.

• Daydream/Sleepwalking

• Spirit 3
• Mind 3

Liz sleeps and becomes the Queen of Games, then sleepwalks and controls her body remotely from her Demesne. In this way she has the powers of the Queen in the waking world - if only inside her own head. At the cost of altered perception and personality, grants access to the purely mental advantages of being the Queen. This rote is vulnerable to the link being severed. If this happens, Liz must make a willpower roll to awake in reality, otherwise her consciousness remains trapped on the other side until she or someone wakes her up.

Foci: QoG costume, intense consumption of relevant media before going to sleep.

• Improv Plot

• Entropy 4

Liz writes a quick plot for herself. She defines an objective or outcome or theme and gains a number of automatic successes that can be deployed on an appropriate roll, emulating the Destiny background. Unlike true destiny however, this rote cannot enhance magic.

Foci: Notes and storyboards about the fulfillment of the destiny.

• Legendary Aspect

• Spirit 4
• Mind 2

All legends represent some archetype embedded in a mass of stories. With this always vulgar rote, Liz wraps a legendary figure in the figments of their archetype and subliminally encourages them to exemplify it. So long as they do so, they benefit from appropriate spiritual arms and powers (charms), powered by the tass generated by that very exemplification. A more extreme version of this rote directly possesses the legendary figure with a heroic archetype, but this is less popular as it surrenders control.

Foci: Props and dramatic descriptions, a Legend.

• Mary Sue

• Mind 2

Liz identifies herself as the main character and the centre of attention. Everyone knows, it's all about her, the most important person in the entire universe. Some people will hate her for being popular, but what can you do? Opposite of fish in water, probably significantly less useful.

Foci: Lustrous hair and piercing eyes (hair gel and contacts), and a purple description of your many overly romantic aspects.

• Method Acting

• Mind 3

Liz weaves a second identity in her mind and puts it in charge, appearing to all concerned - and herself - to be someone else. Liz herself waits behind this personality and watches for the right opportunities to nudge it in the right directions or reassume direct control.

• Trivial Pursuit

• Entropy 2
• Mind 2

The smart guy who knows useful facts is a vital component of any heroic team. With this rote, Liz reveals that one of the things they know is very useful information relevant to the present predicament. This rote adds successes to a Lore, Academics, Science or Occult roll made to recall useful information.

Foci:

Brainstorming

• Propaganda is a Knowledge so pretty cheap, and relevant to changing the world. But it's very specific and possibly redundant.
• Prime 4 is 24 xp and not directly relevant to Liz's schtick, but it's needed to write Grimoires. Is it worth it? Are Grimoires worth it? You're not in a tradition so it'll be tricky even to sell it. However, sale to Dreamspeakers or even Hermetics may be possible by proper use of mythic archetypes.
• If you get Dodge 3 before reading the tome you can pick up Dodge 4 for 3 xp. But that's a lot of xp spent on Dodge.
• Is it possible to raise dream? Potential methods: Expanding umbral authority, a blessing from a spirit, consuming an energy field larger than your head. Probably a good idea to get Mind first.

Attributes of the Trickster

• Fundamentally ambiguous and anomalous: Liz as a Mage can defy the rules of static reality, and furthermore as an Orphan defies the classifications of her supernatural society. Avoid integration into the mainstream.
• Deciever and trick-player: Liz is a gambler and liar. Develop these abilities.
• Shape-shifter: Liz should possibly cultivate the Life sphere, and learn how to protect her electronic identity as well. Or maybe work through proxies and possession.
• Situation-inverter: One masterful bluff or good call can invert a sticky situation. But has Liz managed to do that yet?
• Messenger and imitator of the gods: Liz is a shrine maiden and may yet become involved in native american religion. She should go around collecting various forms of religious training. Become a god.

Tips of the Trade

• If they think you might be someone, run with it.
• Tell them what they want to hear.
• Appeal to their emotions. Be likeable. Alternatively, make them want to get rid of you quickly.
• Get your foot in the door.
• Appear to have authority. Look like you know what you’re doing.
  • Any authority works, even unrelated authority.
• Balance between building confidence and familiarity, and making sure people can’t join dots or get too close a look. The circumstances matter.
• Distract people when they check important things.
• Avoid concrete tests of ability - unless you get a chance to Dream it
  • Dream could also supply knowledge of jargon.
• Get supporting documents, individuals, events, details. Little details help, make things more convincing. But make sure they can’t trip you up.
• ‘People only know what you tell them’
• ‘Nobody can keep their eyes off the pinstripes’
• Be observant. Note every detail. Check things twice.
• Don’t trust what they tell you - think, assume it’s false, and wonder why they might tell you so.
• Think before acting.
• If something happens, ask why.

Making Things

• Making a CCG requires Gambling & Enigmas for mechanics and Expression for making a compelling world.
• Writing stories requires Expression, and ancillary abilities relevant to the story: Occult for modern fantasy, Science for hard SF, Enigmas for mysteries and so on.
• Building a paradigm requires Arete and Spheres, and abilities like Academics (philosophy), Enigmas and Intuition. It also demands paradigm-relevant abilities like Artistic Expression, Expression and Academics (fine art).

NaNoWriMo Progress

• Plot: An ordinary schoolgirl falls into a world of rote-learned magitech wonder and must quest to save it using the creative old ways the technicians forgot.

Week 1:

• Day 1: 1k (1k total)
• Day 2: 0k (1k total)
• Day 3: 3k (4k total)
• Day 4: 0k (4k total)
• Day 5: 2k (6k total)
• Day 6: 2k (8k total)
• Day 7: 2k (10k total)

Week 2:

• Day 1: 0k (10k total)
• Day 2: 0k (10k total)
• Day 3: 0k (10k total)

GURPS Hilarity

Base: ST 8 [-20] DX 16 [120] IQ 11 [20] HT 10 [0]

Perception + 3 [15]

Will +2 [10]

Appearance (Attractive) [4]

Base Subtotal: 149 pts

Advantages

Animal Empathy [5]

Avatar 3 [45]

Awareness [35]

Charisma + 2 [10]

Common Sense (seriously? How the hell?) [10]

Dream 4 [12]

Immune to Delirium [25]

Intuition [15]

Jumper (Tunnel +20%, Limited Jump -10%, Fixed Location -10%, Cannot Escort -10%, Cannot Follow -20%, While Sleeping Only -20%) [50]

Patron (Demesne) [10]

Precognition [25]

Spirit Empathy [10]

Subtotal: 242 pts

Magery

Arete 4 [65]

Entropy 2 [30]

Mind 1 [20]

Prime 3 [50]

Spirit 3 [50]

Subtotal: 215 + 32 = 247 pts

Magick Skills

Entropy 11 [8]

Mind 11 [8]

Prime 11 [8]

Spirit 11 [8]

Languages

English: Native [0]

Japanese: Accented [4]

Subtotal: 4 pts

Skills

Acrobatics 14 [1]

Acting 16 [20]

Area Knowledge: Umbra 12 [2]

Climbing 15 [1]

Driving: Car/TL8 15 [1]

Detect Lies 11 [4]

Diplomacy 16 [24]

Enigmas 12 [12]

Fast-Talk 16 [20]

Firearms (Pistol) 15 [1]

Gambling 14 [8]

Hidden Lore: Bygones 10 [1]

Hidden Lore: Demons 10 [1]

Hidden Lore: Umbrood 10 [1]

Jumping 15 [1]

Makeup/TL8 11 [1]

Occultism 10 [1]

Poetry 12 [4]

Psychology 16 [24]

Savoir-Faire 12 [2]

Sex Appeal 10 [2]

Sleight of Hand 14 [1]

Stealth 15 [1]

Survival: Umbra 12 [4]

Writing 12 [4]

Subtotal: 142 pts

Disadvantages

Dependents, Incompetent (less than 25% pt total), Loved One (x2), Family [-40]

Secret: Non-Technocracy Mage [-30]

Social Stigma: Dirty Orphan [-5]

Subtotal: -75 pts

Total

719 pts