C'Deth's page

To all my games :

Apologies for the lack of posting. October was... not fun. Life sucker punched me, and while I was distracted with the bloody nose, Fate snuck up behind me and beat me with a baseball bat.

Things are clearing up, but it may be after the holidays before I have the energy to post regularly.

On the good side, it's looking like I may be employed before Christmas again, so yay.

Again, apologies for falling off the face of the earth, just... as I said, October was not a good month.

NOTE : Sorry to hear this one is shutting down, and I apologize for contributing to that. :(

C doesn't really have to understand the papers, as long as she memorizes them. Once she's looked them all over, she puts them back where they were originally, using her memory to make sure they are stacked exactly as before.

Once done with that, she leaves the room and finds a place to observe the room in relative safety and obscurity.

Perception, 14-: 14 - 3d6 ⇒ 14 - (1, 2, 6) = 5
Stealth, 11-: 11 - 3d6 ⇒ 11 - (5, 1, 4) = 1

"My my, it appears I've found the other team's base." She says to herself, and then looks over the papers, ensuring that she spends a second to look at each individual page of paper, front and back. Her photographic memory locking each in, even if she isn't sure what it means for now. She does take the firing pin of the pistol, just to be careful, since it's in pieces. She also memorizes all the clutter, in case it's useful in the future. When she's done, she carefully checks the kitchen as well, since it's so neat. But she's much more careful to put things back where they came from. The photographic memory helps, since she can compare what she's seeing to what it looked like before she searched.

Perc, 14: 14 - 3d6 ⇒ 14 - (1, 3, 3) = 7
Perc, 14: 14 - 3d6 ⇒ 14 - (2, 5, 2) = 5
Perc, 14: 14 - 3d6 ⇒ 14 - (2, 5, 4) = 3
Perc, 14: 14 - 3d6 ⇒ 14 - (5, 3, 5) = 1

Nonplussed, C looks around, and if there are no witnesses, she will reach into her kit and pull out a tungsten carbide knife and presses it into the crack of the door where the lock is. The soft steel of this time period should do little to resist the more advanced and acid etched blade of the much more modern knife. And worse case, if it does, she can just cut the wood out from around the lock if the lock is of superior quality.
Seriously, 1800's steel would get sheared off fairly quickly with a tungsten carbide blade.

"Excellent. Thank you." She slips both a bill. "Please show me?" And then follows them to the flat. When she arrives, she proceeds to the door, and knocks on it.

Ditto.

I'm here, but swamped RL, will post as I can.

C nods. "Thank you very much." She slips the two another fiver under the table. After all, the money doesn't mean much to her. "If you can find someone who knows where he's been staying, I'd be willing to pay a finder's fee, once I confirm he's there."

C smiles, and buys the woman a drink, and gets a table for the three. She slides both women another bill under the table. "May I ask what sort of questions he asked?" She asks the woman politely. "And do you know where he lives, and how long he's been in town? He's obviously a foreigner like me."

Acting: 14 - 3d6 ⇒ 14 - (4, 4, 3) = 3 Plus any bonuses from appearnace
Fast Talk: 15 - 3d6 ⇒ 15 - (5, 1, 4) = 5 Ditto

Waiting on a response to my last post

Well, just remember, strong alien morals. I'm quite sure Mr. W-S would find some of the things C is willing to do quite immoral and disturbing. :P For example, she'd have no issues torturing a murderer for information, and would be exceptionally good at it...

Yep, no problem. C can't do that. But I understand it. But it's against her disads to do so. Just playing the disads.

C stops, and tilts her head. "Thom, I am more than willing to kill. But I am not willing to murder. If you are unable to see the difference, then you have much to learn." She pauses, and then continues. "I ask you to think about your feelings if the agency said that for billions to live, you must kill a child, or even a baby. Now, what if it was the child of an analog of you in another Quanta? What if it was your own child's analog in another quanta? What if it was your own child in your own quanta? Where do you draw the line? Now what if you're told to protect the analog of the person who murdered your child in your own quanta, so they can do so in another quanta? I believe you humans in your quanta have the saying, 'a slippery slope'. If someone is attempting to take sentient life, I will happily end theirs. However, a hypothetical 'may cause a quanta shift' is not enough reason for me to murder innocents. If you want me to kill Jack, and then fake the bodies of the last two victims, I can do that, because Jack is a murderer, his or her life is forfeit by his or her own actions. However, if you want me to actively aid and abed the murder of others, I cannot do that, and I indicated that when I signed up for this mission and this group. You heard me remind the 'powers that be' of that before the mission started. I came along in the hopes I could find a way to reconcile the issues, which I did. But if you choose not to take the high road, I cannot stop you. I can only wish your soul a better fate than you are setting it up for. There is no math to this, trading one life for billions is trading one's soul for the theory of saving billions. In other words, it's the easy way." She then turns to continue walking away.

C's not going to actively assist in the murder of innocent bystanders. Sorry.

C nods. "Well, if we are not to go with my idea, then I shall find a place to wait. I cannot assist you in murdering others. That is for your own souls to hold." She smiles. "May your souls find rest, despite the stains on them." She then turns and makes her way back toward the landing pod. "We passed a tavern earlier today that proclaimed it was open 'all day, every day', the Merry Cup. I shall wait for you there."

"Because then we are reacting to the other teams moves, putting us on the defensive. Yes, there are things that could go wrong, but it puts us in control."

C had been merely going along with the group, having no input. But now, she holds up a hand. "If I may, our mission is to ensure that, Primus, nobody else finds out who Jack the Ripper is. And to, Secundus, ensure that the bodies of the two victims are found? In which case, I propose we adopt an insurance policy. We must find the two victims before they die. Obtain samples of both's DNA, and then in a worst case scenario, I can pretend to be one or both victims. It is not necessary that Jack the Ripper be found out, or even be alive. It is important only that his victims are located. I can play both corpses, so long as I can get out of the Mortuary during the day between deaths. Since we know who and where, it might be safest if I took the place of the first victim, while everyone else stays out of sight. The easiest way to ensure that Jack is not discovered is for me to kill them when they attack me, then after disposing of their body, for me to take the place of both victim's bodies. Obviously, we'll need to remove the victims from the timeline, by taking them back. While this is more dangerous for us, it is the safer method of ensuring that Jack's identity is never discovered, since once I kill them, it will be impossible for anyone to know who they were." She pulls a vial out of her waistband. "And as to making sure I kill them, I doubt they can withstand a blow from a Tiger, and identification will be difficult if I maul their face and body. Jack will be a 'John or Jane Doe' who was attacked by a wild animal. Unusual, but not outrageous."

C briefly considers switching out her body for an equivalent high-G or Survival form, but other than the survival form's enhanced smell, none of her humanoid forms have night vision. This is obviously something she needs to correct when the opportunity arises.

For now, she simply travels with the others, not really knowing what they are looking for, as this wonderfully primitive world is a delight for her.

Perception: 14 - 3d6 ⇒ 14 - (4, 6, 4) = 0

C whispers back, to Thom. "I wonder which line she is from? You don't suppose she's one of the ones we're looking for?" Once someone has said that she's a tourist, C thinks of an alt-quantum (given in her mind a Tourist is someone who is from an alternate quantum).

Once it becomes obvious no one else is following her, C's curiosity kicks in, and she turns to return, peering into the alleyway.

She nudges Mei with an elbow. "Why are we still messing around in the alley way? It wasn't anything important, just a non-lethal mugging." She whispers.

If C were a nasty suspicious sort, she would probably think that an American woman, overdressed, in the wrong part of town, was suspicious and might be one of our opposite numbers we are looking for.

But given she's not a nasty suspicious sort, she has no such thought in her head.

C's not spent enough time locally (and hasn't assimilated anyone locally into her DNA matrix), so she's not got a handle on the local culture yet. So her Cultural Adaptability hasn't kicked in, so she wouldn't think anything about her being in the wrong part of town. Once she absorbs some blood or other DNA from a local, her Adaptability should start kicking in.

C'Deth gives a small bow, and puts the gun away. She picks up the pearls and the knife, and returns the pearls to the woman. "You are welcome." She examines the knife for a moment, then puts it in her bag, and turns and walks out of the alley, her curiosity sated for the moment.

Looking over her shoulder at Mei and Thom and the others. "Should we not be on our way? We do have a time table." And then she continues along the path they were travelling on, as if nothing had happened.

"Oh, that's ever so good. I'm not supposed to hurt anyone if I can help it, my employer will be upset with me if I shoot you." Her hand comes up with the gun, keeping it at an angle so that the revolver's round will not punch through the man and into the woman. "Now, do be a good dear, and drop the knife and the pearls. If you do, I'll let you run off by yourself. If you run with the knife and pearls, you'll find that running with a knife is dangerous. Especially since I'll put a bullet through the back of your head, which will force your brain stem forward through what used to be your sinus cavity and out of the 3 inch hole in your face that used to be your nose. If you try to grab the woman as a hostage, I'll shoot you, through her if I have to. I'm a trained doctor, I know where I can shoot her without killing her and yet still hit you with a lethal round. So all in all, it's much better if you just drop things and run. Go on, shoo now..." She makes a shooing motion with her free hand.

Fast-Talk 15-: 15 - 3d6 ⇒ 15 - (5, 2, 4) = 4

Basically, using Fast Talk to convince him the safest thing to do is drop the knife and pearls, and beat feet before someone puts a bullet in him

Curiosity: 3d6 ⇒ (6, 6, 5) = 17

As they walk past the alley, C'deth makes a sharp right turn into the alleyway, curious what is going on. She slips a hand into the slit of her dress and places it on the revolver as she does so.

Perc 14-: 14 - 3d6 ⇒ 14 - (3, 1, 1) = 9 Almost a critical success. Made it by 9

The asian woman raises an eyebrow at Amos, and then shrugs. "As you wish. I'm sure we'll be not at all noticeable as we stroll along like a gabble of forgreth in your living room."

"But the only unusual group is us." She motions to Thom and Mei. "Everyone else looks like everyone else around here." She points out.

"We should still not travel as a gaggle. We'll draw attention. We should travel in small groups travelling together. 3 and 4, or 3, 2 and 2. All within 100 ft of each other, close enough to support, but far enough not to be obviously a group. With the groups changing up who is in front and who is behind from time to time. For example, one group on the left sidewalk, one group on the right sidewalk, and group three following one of the two groups." She draws on the palm of her hand. "Group 1 on the right sidewalk, Group 2 on left sidewalk, Group 3 on right sidewalk behind group 1. After two blocks, Group 1 crosses at intersection to left side, group 3 continues on. Group 1 is now half-block behind group 2 and 3. Group 2 crosses next block to right side, falls in behind group 3, group 1 continues on left side. And continue pattern, so we are never obviously following each other?" C had seen this in a tv show, and remembered it. "If two groups, then no need switch sides, just have group 1 on left and group 2 on right, but who is ahead of who varies every couple of blocks. Group 1 slows, let's 2 take lead, then 2 blocks later, group 2 slows."

C ponders. "Splitting up lets us cover more ground, but makes it more likely that one side will run into a larger force." She checks the devices strapped to her thigh. "I have a heavyworlder DNA sample if you'd like me to gain some strength for fighting, however, I'd need a change of outfits. The Heavyworlder physique is rather bulky."

That's good, if the GM had killed us in an underground train tunnel by crashing the engine, I'd have been steamed.

C looks around the primitive city, and says curiously. "Well, Mr. Andrews, I suggest we keep an ear out for your desired contacts." She taps her ear, but does so behind the ear, where the comm units would normally be back at the base, hinting the should listen for radio transmissions. Probably somewhere private.

Note to Mei : You probably want to either (A) buy the limitation off your magery, or (B) buy your illusions up to 15 first.

Buying a spell up to 15- reduces the fatigue cost of casting and maintaining it, meaning you can cast and maintain more spells without FP cost. Reducing the limitation on the magery lets it add to more spells. You can buy it off the magery by level (IE: buying it off level 1 and leaving it on level 2 and 3) resulting in 1 level applying to all spells and 2 and 3 to illusion, etc. Alternately, you could buy your magery up more, with the limitations, to up all your spells that are illusions. More expensive than raising a single spell, but it raises multiple spells.

You get XP whenever the GM hands it out, usually between 3 and 10 per story (depending on how long/involved the story was). You spend them just like character points.

There's no functional difference between a character who was 150/45/5 with 50 experience, and a character who was 200/45/5 and 0 experience.

I can't find it now, but earlier I had found a site that said the Stratford line (from the 1860's) became an underground in the 1890's, one of the first tubes. But yeah, those things were death traps.

The train is period, that line opened in 1890. We're at 1888, so close enough, an echo can be off a year or two. It's not a modern underground electric train, it's a steam locomotive and wooden passenger cars with lit oil lamps. Basically, it's a rolling death trap, and they had several disasters where people got steamed alive when the steam locomotive went off the tracks underground and cooked all the passengers alive. At least I remember being told about that when I was in London a few years ago looking at a museum thing about it (had to go look up the exact year though for the line).

"Mr. Andrews, I strongly suggest you not discuss your Yang in public spaces, there are children present." She says reprovingly, intuiting that the locals have no idea what that word is, but that to those of this time, it sounds fairly vulgar when used in the sentence the way Andrews had used it.

Before entering town, C turns to the rest. "We will proceed, wait 10 minutes, then the next group continue. We will draw too much attention in this large a group. The more exotic group..." She gestures at herself and Mei and Thom. "Should go first, we'll draw the most attention, and nobody will notice the rest of you, more than likely." C's almost instinctive understanding of the cultures of the creatures whose shapes she took on giving her valuable insight into the locals.

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Once in the edge of town, she points toward the sign with a train. "Mr. Andrews, your lungs are not in good enough shape to walk any further. The fact the tram broke down outside town means you're already pushing yourself too hard. We should take the train." Then, without waiting for a response, she begins heading toward the train station, obviously expecting her patient to do so as well.

C shakes her head. "Obvious tension headaches, I think you're under too much stress. Perhaps you need a shot of Vitamin B. Or an hour with Mei uninterrupted." She comments, following along, enjoying the banter. Aliens were soooo much more fun than her people were.

C shrugs. "If you insist, however, I do not believe your acting skills are sufficient to pull off a fake condition." She considers Thom for a moment, and then nods. "I am certain that your acting skills are not sufficient. You still look like a military man in an illfitting suit who keeps reaching for his pistol and military cap."

Acting 14-: 3d6 ⇒ (1, 6, 3) = 10 Margin of Success 4

C's entire demeanor changes, her stance becomes rigid, her eyes narrow, and she steps closer to Thom. "Attention, soldier! Eyes Front! Square those shoulders!" She growls, and Thom has memories of basic training as she sounds just like a drill instructor.

Memory, 14: 3d6 ⇒ (3, 5, 6) = 14

C looks around, and nods. "I do not think I will get lost. I always remember where I've been." Photographic Memory

C takes up her period luggage, and begins walking toward the road. She looks from Thom to Mei. "I do not think I would make a good research assistant. Instead, I suggest that I am your physician, from Hong Kong, and ministering to you for a chronic health condition you have. I suggest weak lungs, which would be known as COPD where you are from, they are common and not contagious. You should have enough cash to make it obvious you are a wealthy inventor, to cover your having a personal physician and a mistress of Ms. Mei's obvious expense." She takes a bag out of her pack, and opens it, selecting a small bottle. "I can give you an injection that will make it mildly difficult to breath. You will wheeze, but otherwise only have trouble if you need to run. I can counteract it with another shot later."

Physician 14-: 3d6 ⇒ (4, 3, 6) = 13 Made it by one

I assumed we were in the woods outside town, because the original briefing said we'd be dropped off in the wilderness outside town. In 1880, there was a lot of forest outside London

Mei will only be able to maintain it for 10 minutes before she passes out. That's why I suggested simple illusions, even two of them take 0 fatigue to maintain. It's just harder to cast the second than the first. Maintaining two simple illusions she can do without burning fatigue. But Complex, unless this is a High Mana zone, she'll run out of mana (fatigue) in 10 minutes

Maybe I'm miss-reading the rules? But a simple 1 yard radius 4 yard high (cylinder 2 yards across and 4 yards high) simple illusion would take 1 fatigue point to cast, and 0 to maintain. How big is the conveyance? Would she need to cast two illusions to cover it? The second casting would be harder while maintaining the main one. I don't think she wants to permanently cover it, just put up an illusion to hide it for now. How high is the mana here? None, low, average, high, very high?

Also note, the eraser likely only works on actual humans, shape changers like C, or non-human things like dwarfs and elves, it may not work on?