Magical Girl Escalation Taylor (Worm/Nanoha)

Silently Watches · Apr 11, 2016

“When Taylor gained bug powers, a god died. When Taylor became a magical girl, the world braced for impact.”

Quick disclaimer to start: this is my first time being a QM. I’ve read several quests, enough that I feel comfortable giving this a try, but my writing experience before this is normal fiction, so this is going to be a new experience. If you feel you have a suggestion to make things work better, I’m willing to listen. (Note that this does not mean I will follow said suggestions by default.)

General rules
1) I’m not going to use dice under most circumstances. I roll them for certain battles, such as Endbringers, or when there is a lot of chaos or you aren't directly involved in the events at hand, but mostly I’m going to write what I think is fun based on your votes. The conversations that go on during those votes will also influence my decisions, so if there are two options that get extremely polarized, I will do my best to come up with some compromise that leaves everyone at least relatively content.
2) Death is possible in this quest. It isn’t permanent barring certain extreme circumstances, but it comes with consequences. Risk your life at your own peril.
3) Some Arcs feature opportunities to choose between multiple subquests. You can pick whichever you want to focus on, but you will NOT be able to play through them all. These Arcs rely on time management skills. Just so you're warned, what you choose and don't choose will influence future Arcs.
4) I am not creating a true level-up system, but after major battles or specific training exercises, I will allow you to pick up new abilities. This is both because it’s easier on me and because it fits the narrative for reasons that will become clear as the quest progresses.

FAQs

"I don't know how <insert topic> works in this quest."
If you have any questions on mechanics or votes or what have you, just ask*. I read every post in both threads, and I'll do my best to answer. The only times I withhold information is when it's directly plot-relevant, and I try to tell you when that's the case.

*This assumes you've read through this post first. If you ask a question in the thread that is clearly answered by these reference materials, don't be surprised if you get a condescending answer. Questions are welcomed. Laziness is not.

"What spells can we use without voting for them?"
Flare Shooter, Aerial Combat, Rust Shooter, Homing Bullet, and Strong Shield are your 'default' spells that Taylor will use at my discretion and that make up the core of your fighting style, as well as Flare Blade to some extent. Depending on the situation, I might choose to have Taylor use other known variations on her shooting spells without you telling me to do so. All the others you will have to vote specifically to use in a given fight.

"Can we turn people into familiars?"
… No.

Just fucking no.

I don't know why the hell this question keeps popping up, but the answer has always been and will always be no. It doesn't fit the original idea of witches taking animal familiars, it doesn't match the Nanoha-verse practice of turning animals into animal-people, and it's so immoral it's on the same level as the Nazi's human experimentation.

Anyone else who asks this question is probably going on my ignore list.

Whenever you decide to set up a dimensional barrier, it's important to keep in mind that parahumans are not mages. Some of them have powers that are magic-like enough that it makes no difference; others are no more magical than normal humans.

Capes with these kinds of powers ARE brought into Recursion Field: altered elemental composition, energy-based states, shapeshifters, touch-based and area-based exotic effects, telekinesis or pyrokinesis or any other -kinesis, energy blasts, projected forcefields, power nullifiers or enhancers or manipulators, telepathic control of other organisms, regenerators, teleporters, pre-cogs.

Capes with these kinds of powers ARE NOT brought into Recursion Field: advanced technology, passive thought or emotion manipulation, superstrength, superdurability, analytical superthinking, enhanced senses, flight, superspeed.

The "are" list trumps the "are not" list. These are not all-inclusive because really, there is no possible way they can be, but by and large any unmentioned powers could probably (hopefully) be compared to one of those listed.

Parahumans have the same odds of possessing Linker Cores as everyone else, but until they either start exercising their magic or lose connection to their shards (for instance, by you giving them a Device), it will be their cape powers that determine whether or not they fall into a dimensional barrier.

Just buying spells isn’t enough to reach your full potential as a mage. Since you are based off a Warring Ages–era bombardier, your attack spells are inherently lethal, and you aren’t as efficient with them as you could be. By spending time training, either in the real world or in simulations (or OOC by making fan art or omake), you can learn how to use these spells to the best of your ability.

Tiers
Novice: You know a given spell, but you can't use it particularly well. Attack spells are lethal by default.
Adept: You know a spell well enough that you can modify it on the fly. Attack spells can be used without worrying about killing the target, and utility abilities become more effective or faster to cast. You can still attack with lethal force if you so choose, but this must be explicitly stated in the vote.
Master: You know a spell backwards and forwards. You can cast it at decreased efficiency even when your Device is in Standby mode, and because of this, you can use multiple spells simultaneously without worrying that one of them will fail unexpectedly. Trying to juggle several of them at once will still strain your concentration, however, so don't go around trying to cast every spell you know all at once.

Cross-training is only available to mages whom you have given a template from Perfect Storm. Once their Linker Core, which is enhanced following template installation, reaches its full size, they can choose one of the other three classes to train in. This can be done twice per mage. The first time, the mage will receive 5 to 6 spells from that class's skill trees that I think really encapsulate the flavor and playstyle of that class.

Once all the spells available from that first cross-training are known (training and mastery are not required), the second cross-training opportunity becomes available. There are two ways this can be done. First, you can pick one of the two remaining classes and get 3 spells from that skill tree. A good choice if you're happy with your current build and just want a couple of spells for flavor. Second, you can choose to delve deeper into your secondary template and learn a set of three more spells that focus on one of that class's primary purposes.

IMPORTANT: The Transcendent Gadgeteer class, which is in essence a magical Tinker, is the only true non-combat class, and as a result it has its own leveling system. With the exception of the very first cross-training skill, participating in fights will not let you buy Gadgeteer skills and building magitech will not let you buy spells from the other classes.

This game does not require you to have an army of mages at your back. It'll probably be a lot easier if you do, though.

Earth Bet, like Earth/Unadministrated World 97 of MGLN canon, is a low-magic world. Only 5% of people on the planet have a Linker Core, and you won't be able to tell whether someone is in that lucky few without scanning them. To scan somebody, all you have to do is vote to do so via a social activity only. It is also an obvious action in-story, so if you scan somebody, they'll know it.

There are specific individuals for whom I've already decided whether or not they have a Linker Core, but you won't find out who they are until 1) you scan them or 2) that information becomes irrelevant.

Once you find somebody with a Linker Core, there are three ways to make them a mage. First, you can have Perfect Storm install a template based on an ancient mage's abilities into their Linker Core. There are four templates to choose from, and while they all have the greatest number of abilities available to them, you get no input on what abilities those are. Building a template-bearing Device takes three days, during which you will be able to do nothing else. Second, you can give them a non-template Device of some kind. You don't have a spare Device at the moment, but if you find one or have another mage with the Transcendent Gadgeteer template build one, your ~~victim~~ partner will be able to become a mage, with fewer but potentially more varied abilities, all of which you will choose during generation. The details are explained here. Third, you can teach them to do magic all on their own without the help of a Device. They will be limited in what they can do, and again, see the details in the link above.

If you teach someone how to use magic without a Device, you will not be able to give them a template*. In-story, they won't want to give up the magic they have learned. OOC, I refuse to waste time arranging their character generation only for them to get a template later. You CAN give them a non-template Device later, though, as all that does is give them more spells.

*I will make an exception here if the only spell they know is how to create a Guardian Beast. In this case and this case ALONE, they can get a template and keep the Guardian Beast they already created.

The initial size of someone's Linker Core does not impact their skills if you install a template.

Building template-bearing Devices requires resources.

Different non-template Devices have their own specialties.

Both Device-carrying and Device-less mages (assuming they know the spell) can repair their Barrier Jackets.

IMPORTANT: If you find a cape who has a Linker Core, giving them a Device will permanently disable their shard-based abilities. That's actually the biggest reason why no-Device mages are an option. Think carefully before you turn a cape into a mage.

By talking to a Tinker for a few hours about their specialization, a Gadgeteer can gain “Inspiration” that decreases the cost of the next step of the branch similar to said Tinker’s specialization. For instance, Bonesaw would give +1 to the prosthetic branch, Armsmaster to the prosthetic upgrade branch, and Bakuda to the energy system branch. If the Tinker’s specialty does not fit with a particular skill branch, it instead goes to the general reverse engineering branch. Analyzing a wide assortment of that Tinker’s projects, such as following a raid on their workshop, will work in lieu of a conversation. Inspiration can work to purchase a skill for free, but Tinkers cannot give multiple points of Inspiration to the same Gadgeteer.

You can also use omake training points for this. Thank Hoyden for proposing the idea.

Like anything else, too much energy is usually not good. Too much light, you get a sunburn. Too much electricity, your heart stops. Too much radiation, you turn into a glow-in-the-dark mutant zombie. This is true for magic, as well. Your Linker Core can only handle so much mana moving through it at once, and if you exceed that (say, by using cartridges), the extra energy will damage your body. Go outside the safe zone, and you're going to feel more and more sick. Really pushing the envelope can become rapidly fatal.

For more detail, see this post.

Regarding the use of Ragnarök, each time you do so using a method that causes mana poisoning, you will advance by one stage. Use it once, you'll go to stage one. Use it again before you recover, and you'll go to stage two. If, however, you have fully recovered from your first bout of mana poisoning before casting Ragnarök that second time, you will go back to stage one because by that point you were no longer poisoned (so essentially "stage zero").

Thankfully, you won't do something stupid like consume cartridges like candy the way Nanoha does, right? …Right?

“What can Tim build?” is a bad question to ask. Inevitably my answer is going to be something along the lines of “Look at his character sheet”. A better question is “Can Tim build X?”, where X is whatever you want to see, be it an original idea or something you’ve seen before in a game, movie, TV show, or what have you. I will tell you what parts of your idea he can build, what parts he can’t build, and what parts he can’t build yet.

And just so it’s definitely clear, how much bullshit I’m willing to go along with is directly related to how far down the relevant branch of the Gadgeteer skill branch you’ve gone. If you only have the first skill, or worse haven’t done anything with that branch, expect a lot of ‘no’s. If you’ve maxed out the branch, I can be talked into letting you get away with a whole lot.

The only exception is building a piece of non-Device tech that lets somebody cast actual spells. That is a hard, non-negotiable, don’t-ask-me-again No.

Unison Devices. The crème de la crème of magitechnology. Skilled, unique, and above all, well and truly sapient. Any engineer who can design and build a Unison Device is capable of creating brand-new lifeforms that will continue to exist long after she is bones and dust. This is not an action to take lightly, but nor is it a skill to be feared.

The vote to create a Unison Device is the same as any other Gadgeteer vote, and afterwards there will be a subsequent vote to designate the name, appearance, and abilities of the Device. All Unison Devices have 4 personal spells or skills in addition to a custom flight spell and telepathy. The chargen vote can be done at the same time as the creation vote to save time, but only if a majority of voters specify a design. After the vote(s), dice rolls will determine the Unison Device's synchronization with all known mages.

Entering Unison with one of these Devices will not burn out a parahuman’s powers, but it will interfere with them.

Guardian Beasts, much like Familiars, are animals whom a mage uplifts during a ritual to turn them into devoted partners. They will almost never turn against their mage, and their entire purpose in life is to assist their creator. Unlike Familiars, Guardian Beasts are designed from the beginning to fill a primarily military role, often serving as an offensive or defensive tool, for lack of a better word, during the disorganized mess that was the Warring Ages.

For the purposes of this quest, there are six classes of Guardian Beasts. They can be made by any mage who knows the appropriately named “Guardian Beast” spell, and from there the animal base, age range, gender, and class can be determined by vote or by dice rolls. Voting on the Guardian Beast means you’ll know exactly what you’re getting, but rolling the dice and praying to RNGesus will unlock exclusive skills for whatever class is rolled.

Spiders of any form or fashion are verboten.

Animals from alternate Earths are a thing and can be uplifted.

Character Sheets

Amaretto

Please note that red indicates unlearned skills.

Calamity Witch

Calamity Witch Samantha Key Items

Name: Taylor Hebert
Intelligent Device (?): Perfect Storm
Primary Template: Calamity Witch
Secondary Template: Extinction Knight
Linker Core rank: S
Affiliation: Protectorate-affiliated independent hero

The original Calamity Witch was talented, lethal, and drop-dead gorgeous. You aren't her, but you can definitely do your best to live up to her legacy. A ranged fighter carrying enough firepower to wipe out entire armies with a single spell, you are at your most dangerous high up in the sky where you can choose who lives and who dies. Be careful that you do not let your abilities make you complacent, though; even wearing a Barrier Jacket, you are still fairly squishy, and a strong Brute can break you in half if you let him get too close.

Mana Overload: 20%

SPELLS
Flare skill tree
- Flare Shooter (2/2 Master) – Basic shooting spell. Genetically engineered flame Mana Conversion Affinity installed. Currently programmed to be non-lethal by default. Can be cast simultaneously with any other spell.
  - Homing Bullet – Upgrade for Flare Shooter and Rust Shooter. Bullets now self-correct their trajectories to chase targets.
  - Burst (1/1 Master) – Modification for Flare Shooter and Rust Shooter. Bullets can be set to explode upon contact or remotely. Can be cast simultaneously with any other non-Shooter spell. Can be used with Homing Bullet but not other Shooter variants.
  - Multishot (1/1 Master) – Form a ring of Flare Shooters and repeatedly fire them in sequence, achieving faster fire than is otherwise possible. This consumes mana at a disproportionately higher rate. Can be used with Homing Bullet but not other Shooter variants. Can be cast simultaneously with any other non-Shooter spell.
  - Sabotage Shift (0/1 Adept) – Create dozens of bullets surrounding you and fire them in all directions. Can be used with Homing Bullet but not other Shooter variants.
- Telekinesis (2/2 Master) – Move things with your mind. Affects any objects of up to twice the total mass of the caster, living or nonliving.
  - Petty Cure (4/4 Master) – Mild healing spell that can be applied to others as well as yourself. Restores minor injuries (cuts and bruises primarily). Major injuries are unaffected. It currently takes 1 minute to heal all applicable injuries.
  - Singularity (0/4 Novice) – Create a gravity well to pull enemies into a single spot for easy shooting. Thirty foot diameter and 10 second duration.
- Solar Wrath (6/6 Master) – Powerful bombardment spell. Unleash a beam of fiery destruction that is capable of destroying several barriers or walls before being stopped. Currently programmed to be non-lethal by default. Can be cast simultaneously with any other spell.
  - Ragnarök – The ultimate Flare-affinity bombardment spell. This is a city-killer and has no setting lower than apocalyptic. Has specific conditions to use safely.
Have not cast any other spells since waking up. After casting Ragnarök, you will pass out until the next morning.

UNLEARNED SPELL

UNLEARNED SPELL

Spend 10 cartridges. You will not pass out after casting Ragnarök, but you are guaranteed to develop mana poisoning.

If none of the above conditions have been fulfilled, the strain of casting this spell will cause your Linker Core to implode, and the shock will kill you.
Void skill tree
- Aerial Combat (6/6 Master) – Ability to fly. You are fully maneuverable in the air and can dogfight at full speed.
  - Strong Shield (4/4 Master) – Create a shield of magical energy. Shield can resist five times as much damage as your Barrier Jacket.
  - Shell Barrier (4/4 Master) – Create a translucent shield over yourself and those nearby in a circle with a 15 foot diameter. Shield can resist five times as much damage as your Barrier Jacket, but it is immobile once cast.
- Frost Beam (2/2 Master) – Magical laser traps opponents under a layer of ice that lasts for 3 minutes. Beware of friendly fire. Also works well to put out fires.
  - Temporal Sludge (4/4 Master) – Slow the flow of time within an circle of a 20 meter diameter to a third of its normal rate. Spell lasts 60 seconds per casting.
  - Crescendo (2/4 Adept) – Speed up the flow of time time within an area with a 20 meter diameter to three times its normal rate. Spell currently lasts 40 seconds per casting.
- Recursion Field – Create a dimensional barrier around yourself and nearby mages. Not all parahumans are similarly affected. The barrier itself is 4 miles in diameter, but the area from which mages and parahumans are drawn in does not need to be as large.
  - Spatial Translocation (2/2 Master) – Teleport on same dimension to known coordinates. You can teleport yourself and anyone within 10 feet of you. Selectively excluding or including people is possible, but it takes additional time and concentration.
  - Dimensional Transfer (4/4 Master) – Teleport across dimensions. You can teleport yourself and anyone within 10 feet of you. Selectively excluding or including people is possible, but it takes additional time and concentration. Currently limited to alternate Earths; Aleph, Gimmel, etc.
Entropy skill tree
- Rust Shooter (2/2 Master) – Shooting spell. Bullet melts through metal upon contact. Currently programmed not to destroy mechanical life-support systems. Can be cast simultaneously with any other spell.
  - Homing Bullet – Upgrade for Flare Shooter and Rust Shooter. Bullets now self-correct their trajectories to chase targets.
  - Burst (1/1 Master) – Modification for Flare Shooter and Rust Shooter. Bullets can be set to explode upon contact or remotely. Can be cast simultaneously with any other non-Shooter spell. Can be used with Homing Bullet but not other Shooter variants.
  - Barrage (0/1 Adept) – Upgrade for Rust Shooter. Fire four bullets at one time. Can be used with Homing Bullet but not other Shooter variants.
- Wide Area Search (2/2 Master) – Send out non-damaging homing ‘bullets’ that map out the surroundings or search for a specified target. Can search within an 8 block radius in 20 seconds.
  - Ring Bind (2/2 Master) – Conjure rings of magic that wrap around target’s limbs to lock them in place. Teleportation is likewise affected. The binds last one hour unless broken or dismissed. Up to 5 targets can be affected at a time.
  - Bind Mine (2/4 Adept) – Lay a trap that, when disturbed, encases the target in a magic block that prevents escape. 3 traps may be set out at a time.
- Guardian Beast – Uplift an animal’s consciousness and give it combat and human forms. Like Mid-Childan Familiars, Guardian Beasts are totally loyal to their masters unless a truly unforgivable act is committed. Take note that though it has its own Linker Core, it still fills it from yours.
  - Divide Energy (2/2 Master) – Transfer mana to target. Has a 75% conversion efficiency.
  - Vampiric Ray (0/2 Novice) – Forcibly drain another’s mana to refill up to 25% of your own pool. If target is not a mage, they are left permanently weakened and somewhat more frail.
Knight skill tree
- Flare Blade (2/2 Master) – Create blade out of Flare mana for close-quarters combat. Currently programmed to be non-lethal by default, though it will still cut through anything but living flesh with terrifying ease. Can be wielded simultaneously with any other spell.
  - Blitz Action (2/2 Master) – Move at high speeds in a straight line. Can change direction three times in a row.
  - Mistilteinn (2/4 Adept) – Drop spikes that petrify any living thing they hit onto a target up to 60 feet away. This effect is inherently lethal.
- Charge Cartridge (2/2 Master) – Store mana in bullet casings for later use. Cartridges are fed into the Device from dimensional storage. The more powerful the spell, the more cartridges it consumes. 8 cartridges maximum can be created per day, and you are left greatly weakened until you get a full night’s sleep. You will gain progressive mana poisoning the more cartridges you use at one time.
  - Knight Armor – Full-body forcefield that greatly reduces damage received. This will upgrade your Barrier Jacket and all spells associated with it.
  - Reforge Armor (1/4 Novice) – Meditate to repair damaged Barrier Jacket. This process takes up to 4 minutes to complete, depending on degree of damage.
Passive skills
- Barrier Jacket – Full-body forcefield that greatly reduces incoming damage. Because of your Mana Conversion Affinity, you are immune to fire and radiation damage.
- Immunity to Telepathic Intrusions – Master and certain Stranger effects cannot influence you. Even the Simurgh is stymied.
- Telepathic Communications – The ability to project your thoughts to others. Limited to line of sight without the assistance of your Device. Your connections to Perfect Storm is especially strong.
- Dark and Edgy – Your Barrier Jacket doesn’t inspire thoughts of action figures and kissing babies, and calling yourself Calamity Witch just compounds the problem. Might as well get used to the unfounded accusations of being a villain.
- Improved Physique – They can’t hit you if they’re busy ogling you. Your body has been adjusted to be more attractive than you ever imagined it would be, and while you will never admit it to anyone, you really aren’t that upset with your Device for ‘adjusting your parameters’ if it includes giving you a hand in this department. Though does the skirt really need to be this short?
- Synthetic Linker Core – Your Linker Core was modified to be larger than normal and has now reached its full size. It is strong enough to support twin familiars or to accept the partial installation of a second template.
Mage: Taylor Hebert
Pet form: Raccoon
War form: Large badger-like creature. Estimated weight: 130 kg (286 lbs).
Human form: An adult woman with steel grey hair, heavy eyeshadow, two round ears with black tips poking out from the top of her head, and a bushy, grey-and-black striped tail. She prefers to dress professionally in a suit, along with an adorable fedora you found on the Internet.
Class: Guardian Beast of the Sword

The most agile and mobile class of Guardian Beast, the Sword tears through enemy ranks like a whirlwind. Whomever is not slain during her initial attack is easily dispatched by those who follow.

SPELLS
- Gliding Paw – Move at higher than normal speeds for a short period.
- Shredding Claw – Increase damage dealt by physical attacks. Each successful strike degrades enemy armor or weakens their innate damage resistance.
- Spatial Translocation – Teleport on same dimension to known coordinates. Physical contact is necessary to teleport passengers. Indirect contact is effective for a chain of less than five people, but the longer the chain, the more strain it puts on the caster.
- Prodigious Coordination – Has natural talent with all melée weaponry and can use improvised weapons with the same degree of skill. Effects of Shredding Claw are transmitted by weapon contact.
- Battle Frenzy – As fight continues, movement speed and reflexes increase to the point that the Guardian Beast becomes difficult to track. All enemies are attacked with lethal force. Injuries incurred are ignored but remain until the fight ends. Death is possible mid-Frenzy due to crippling injuries or blood loss.
- Aerial Combat – Ability to fly. She is fully maneuverable in the air and can dogfight at full speed.
- Recursion Field – Create a dimensional barrier around yourself and nearby mages. Not all parahumans are similarly affected. The barrier itself is 4 miles in diameter, but the area from which mages and parahumans are drawn in does not need to be as large.
- Wide Area Search – Send out non-damaging homing ‘bullets’ that map out the surroundings or search for a specified target. Can search within an 8 block radius in 20 seconds.
- Inherent Forcefield – Full-body forcefield that greatly reduces incoming damage. Because of Taylor’s Mana Conversion Affinity, she is immune to fire and radiation damage.
- Immunity to Telepathic Intrusions – Master and certain Stranger effects cannot influence her. Even the Simurgh is stymied.
- Telepathic Communications – The ability to project her thoughts to others. Limited to line of sight without the assistance of your Device. Her connections to you and Perfect Storm are especially strong.
- Miss Militia's phone number
- Dragon's telepathic code
- Chevalier's phone number
- Epoch's work number
- Vista's phone number
- Dimensional Translocation coordinates for the Sojourner
- Cailleach's civilian phone number
- Myrddin's phone number
- Interdimensional radio salvaged from the Agharti
- Prototype mana generator
- Statue of a Fury, enchanted with Cape Boost
- Prosthetic eye, designed for Alexandria
- (Samantha) Bone harpoon
- (Samantha) Mechashift sword, with whip form and laser pistol set into guard
- (Samantha) Illusion necklace
- (Lacey) Guardian Angel drone, with hardlight shield and heavy impact laser
- (Dragon) The Simurgh’s corpse
- (Dragon) Sparky's nanite cannon

Shipwright

Shipwright Firefly and Nostromo Shipwright's Inventory

Name: Tim Magee
Storage Device: Sextant
Primary Template: Transcendent Gadgeteer
Secondary Template: Tech Enhancement
Linker Core rank: S
Affiliation: DragonTech, formerly Privateers

Unlike other templates, the Transcendent Gadgeteer is not a fighter or even battlefield support. He does his best work safe and secure in his laboratory where he produces the tools that his fellow mages need to fight at peak efficiency. Additionally, his progenitor could also perform surgery to implant enhancing prosthetics in otherwise unremarkable individuals, and all necessary information to continue on that path is available in his Device.

Tech Points: 3

SPELLS
Hardware skill tree
- Reinforcement – Power armor and prosthetics can both be built. These are capable of greater feats of strength and endurance than are their organic analogues. Power armor takes twice as long to build due to its larger size.
  - Mobility – New joint designs allow for faster movement, and thruster assemblies permit basic flight.
  - Integration – Neural modules connect to wireless signals for infiltration purposes. Specific senses may be enhanced, and telepathic radios can be implanted.
- Mass Weapons – Construct physical weapons capable of shifting forms. These weapons may be concealed in prostheses or wielded independently.
  - Energy Weapons – Construct laser and hard light weapons. These weapons may be concealed in prostheses or wielded independently.
  - Large Weapons (7 points) – Construct weapons that are so large they must be mounted on a solid surface or carried by power armor to fire effectively. These weapons cannot be attached to prostheses.
- Carbon Fiber Plating – Improved coverings reduce the damage armor and prosthetics receive from physical blows. Passive enhancement, does not count against power supply.
  - Subdermal Voltaic Lattice – A superficial layer of wiring reduces the damage armor and prosthetics receive from energy attacks. Passive enhancement, does not count against power supply.
  - Nanomachine Distribution Channels – Carefully etched grooves and reservoirs filled with nanites give prosthetics the ability to repair themselves after sustaining damage. This process will automatically trigger if the user is unconscious or asleep but otherwise needs to be activated manually.
Peripherals skill tree
- Supplementary Capacitance – Build mana batteries and collection panels, and adapt non-Tinker technology to run off mana. Each battery supplies up to two magical projects but needs to be recharged daily.
  - Internal Reactor – Build mana generators that are small enough to be installed in the body. Each reactor supplies up to five magical projects but needs to be provided fuel of some kind.
  - Off-Site Power – Build room-sized power plants and associated distribution systems. These facilities do not have hard limits on how many projects they can power, but they require large amounts of fuel for efficient production of mana. Each power plant takes 9 build sessions to complete.
- Mechanical Intuition – Understand Tinkertech enough to perform field repair.
  - Digital Blueprints – With repeated exposure, the overall design of a piece of Tinkertech can be adapted to magic and replicated.
  - Exotic Physics – With even more exposure, the underlying principles of Tinkertech are understood and can be used in new designs.
- Basic Device – Build Storage Devices that supplement spellcasting.
  - Advanced Device – Build Intelligent, Armed, and Boost Devices that advise and support their mages in addition to assisting spellcasting. Because of their higher complexity, these all take two sessions to build.
  - Unison Device – Build Unison Devices that act independently of their mages. This is such a complicated and undertaking that attention cannot be diverted elsewhere during the three sessions of construction.
Utilities skill tree
- Aerial Combat – Ability to fly. He is fully maneuverable in the air but must slow down if he wishes to fight.
  - Guardian Beast – Uplift an animal’s consciousness and give it combat and human forms. Like Mid-Childan Familiars, Guardian Beasts are totally loyal to their masters unless a truly unforgivable act is committed. Take note that though it will have its own Linker Core, it still fills it from yours.
  - Divide Energy – Transfer mana to target. Has a 50% efficiency.
  - Anti-Magilink Field (4 points) – Disrupt magic and magic-like effects in a one-block radius around him.
- Recursion Field – Create a dimensional barrier around himself and nearby mages. Not all parahumans are similarly affected. The barrier itself is 4 miles in diameter, but the area from which mages and parahumans are drawn in does not need to be as large.
  - Spatial Translocation – Teleport on same dimension to known coordinates. He can teleport himself and those within five feet of him. Selectively including or excluding people is possible, but it takes additional time and concentration.
  - Dimensional Transfer – Teleport across dimensions. He can teleport himself and those within five feet of yohimu. Selectively including or excluding people is possible, but it takes additional time and concentration. Currently limited to alternate Earths; Aleph, Gimmel, etc.
- Strong Shield – Create a magic shield. Shield can resist three times as much damage as his Hazard Jacket.
  - Ring Bind – Conjure rings of magic that wrap around target’s limbs to lock them in place. Teleportation is likewise affected. The binds last one hour unless broken or dismissed. Three targets can be affected at a time.
  - Bind Mine (3 points) – Lay two traps that, when disturbed, encases target in a magic block that prevents escape.
Exotic Physics skill tree
- Temporal Manipulation – Slow down, speed up, or even stop time (temporarily)
- Neural Stimulation – Manipulate neural impulses and more efficiently integrate technology with organic nervous systems
- Mutagenics – Induce permanent and "monstrous" physical enhancements
- Dimensional Storage – Store a single item in a portable crystalline matrix
- Gravity Manipulation – Neutralize or replicate gravitational forces without the use of conventional thrusters.
Enhancement skill tree
- Strike Boost – Serums can be produced that increase physical strength. This synergizes with parahuman superstrength and touch-based powers. Effect lasts 5 minutes. With Mutagenics skill, a serum to permanently increase strength can be produced that would create only minor mutations.
  - Barret Boost (6 points) – Serums can be produced that improves a parahuman’s or mage’s ranged or area of effect abilities, be it through increasing strength or removing restrictions. In individuals without such powers, they will gain one of a few possible ranged powers. Effect lasts 5 minutes. With Mutagenics skill, a serum to provide this enhancement or power permanently can be produced that would create mild mutations.
- Physical Heal (6 points) – Serums can be produced that heals the recipient of mild to moderate injuries over the course of one to a few minutes. With Mutagenics skill, a serum to provide regenerative capabilities can be produced that would create mild mutations.
Passive skills
- Hazard Jacket – Full-body forcefield that somewhat reduces incoming damage.
- Immunity to Telepathic Intrusions – Master and certain Stranger effects cannot influence him. Even the Simurgh is stymied.
- Telepathic Communications – The ability to project his thoughts to others. Limited to line of sight without the assistance of his Device. His connection to Sextant is especially strong.
- Some Assembly Required – Ad hoc machinery necessary for construction (microfoundries, 3D printers, etc.) can be built and powered off his Linker Core or other sources of mana.
- To Cut is to Cure – He has a knack for surgery that, along with the information inside Sextant, permits him to safely integrate his prosthetics with living flesh.
- Improved Physique – Of all the templates, his is the one that requires the least body modification. his muscles are tuned for heavy lifting, but honestly, he's pretty close to what he was before.
- Synthetic Linker Core – Your Linker Core was modified to be larger than normal and has now reached its full size. It is strong enough to support twin familiars or to accept the partial installation of a second template.
Mage: Tim Magee
Pet form: Feathered velociraptor-like creatures, about the size of a turkey. Firefly has drab brown feathers while Nostromo has red and white. Weight: 15 kg.
War form: Scaly, 11-foot-long bipedal carnivores with dexterous hands and long, talon-like claws on their feet. Firefly is a solid brown; Nostromo has a red stripe down both sides. Estimated weight: 150 kg.
Human form: Tall, lanky individuals with feathers instead of hair. Move in short, precise bursts. Nostromo normally has something tucked behind one ear.
Class: Guardian Beasts of the Gear

Humans have been using tools since the dawn of time, and no one makes better tools than the Gear. Their machinery can turn even the weakest of soldiers into a force to be reckoned with.

SPELLS
- Heavy Plate – Suits of power armor can be built. These are capable of greater feats of strength than are human bodies.
- Carbon Fiber Plating – Improved coverings reduce the damage armor and prosthetics receive from physical blows. Passive enhancement, does not count against power supply.
- Merchant of Death – Build mechashift and laser weapons.
- Supplementary Capacitance – Build mana batteries and collectors, and adapt non-Tinker technology to run off mana. Each battery can supply up to two magical projects but needs to be recharged daily.
- Magic Hands – Instead of working on their own projects, they can act as skilled assistants to a Gadgeteer or magiengineer and grant one additional build session per week per Gear.
- Aerial Combat – Ability to fly. They are fully maneuverable in the air.
- Recursion Field – Create a dimensional barrier around themselves and nearby mages. Not all parahumans are similarly affected. The barrier itself is 4 miles in diameter, but the area from which mages and parahumans are drawn in does not need to be as large.
- Inherent Forcefield – Full-body forcefield that somewhat reduces incoming damage.
- Immunity to Telepathic Intrusions – Master and certain Stranger effects cannot influence her. Even the Simurgh would have been stymied.
- Telepathic Communications – The ability to project their thoughts to others. Limited to line of sight without the assistance of Tim’s Device. Their connections to Tim and Sextant are especially strong.
PRODUCTION
- Microfoundry (advanced version) x1
- 3D fabricator (advanced version) x1
- Advanced minimally invasive surgical suite x1
  - Self-contained hybrid electrical/mana power source
- Device programming station
- Mana collector x2
- Enhanced mana collector x1
WEAPONS
- Tinkertech laser rifle x2
- Magitech laser rifle x1
- Liquid nitrogen sprayer ("frost thrower") x1
- Short-range time-stop gun x1
- Unidirectional gravity repulsion projector x1
ARMOR
- Weapons: hydraulic musculature
  Armor Upgrade: Carbon Fiber Plating
  Mobility Upgrades: dorsal flight thrusters
  Power: gasoline-fueled generator
  Add-Ons: remote shutdown
  Free Power Slots: 3/5
MUTAGENICS WORKSHOP
- FURTHER DETAILS TO COME
UTILITY
- Mobile command center with advanced coordination A.I. (“Mandy”)
- Spatial inbound (“pull”) teleportation pad x1
- Spatial outbound (“push”) teleportation pad x1
- Grey Boy bubble-popper

Aeris

Name: Lacey Weller
Boost Device: Asclepius
Template: Infinite Enhancement
Linker Core rank: B
Affiliation: Penn Presbyterian Medical Center, formerly Privateers (part-time)
Favored activity: healing, directly helping others
Unfavored activity: anything combat-related

Other mages may prefer the front lines, but the Infinite Enhancement is at home in the back of the battlefield. She is a support mage by talent and temperament, healing the injured and granting powerful protections to her allies. They rely on her to make them more than men, but just as they need her, she must never forget that she needs them too. If a determined enemy force makes it all the way to her, there is little she can do to stop it.

SPELLS
Enhancement skill tree

Strike Boost (2/2 Master) – Increase force of the recipient’s physical attacks. Synergizes with parahuman superstrength and touch-based powers. Effect lasts 60 seconds.
- Barret Boost (0/2 Novice) – Increase force of the recipient’s energy attacks. Synergizes with parahuman ranged and area of effect powers. Effect lasts 30 seconds.
Physical Heal (2/2 Master) – Heal mild to severe injuries. Each patient takes up to 1 minute of time.
- System Purge (1/4 Novice) – Remove toxins and debilitating parahuman effects. It takes 30 seconds to remove each individual ailment.
- Fortify Spirit (0/4 Novice) – Transfer mana to cure physical and mental fatigue. This process takes thirty seconds per patient, and the effect lasts five minutes. Can be used 4 times per day.
Defense Gain (0/4 Novice) – Grant temporary damage resistance of the strength of your Barrier Jacket to an ally. Effect lasts 30 seconds.

Synergy skill tree

Ring Bind (2/2 Master) – Conjure rings of magic that wrap around one target’s limbs to lock them in place. Teleportation is likewise affected. The binds last one hour unless broken or dismissed. Five targets can be affected at a time.
- Strong Shield (0/4 Novice) – Create magic shield. Shield can resist as much damage as your Barrier Jacket.
Aerial Combat (0/6 Novice) – Ability to fly. Straight lines are easy, but you must slow down to change direction.
- Guardian Beast – Uplift a single animal’s consciousness and give it combat and human forms. Like Mid-Childan Familiars, Guardian Beasts are totally loyal to their masters unless a truly unforgivable act is committed. Take note that though it will have its own Linker Core, it still fills it from yours.
Recursion Field – Create a dimensional barrier around yourself and nearby mages. Not all parahumans are similarly affected. The barrier itself is 4 miles in diameter, but the area from which mages and parahumans are drawn in does not need to be as large.

Sabotage skill tree

Cover (0/4 Novice) – Turn yourself invisible. Affects sight and video. This spell cannot be shared with other people.
- Purple Haze (0/2 Novice) – Distort target's physical senses. Target must be in line of sight at casting. Effect must be continuously maintained.
Telekinesis (1/2 Adept) – Move things with your mind. Affects both animate and inanimate objects of up to the same mass as the caster.
Summon Scoiattoli (1/2 Adept) – These summoned critters are not capable of inflicting great damage on their own, but they can be dispatched in significant numbers for tracking and surveillance work.

Passive skills

Barrier Jacket – Full-body forcefield that reduces incoming damage.
Immunity to Telepathic Intrusions – Master and certain Stranger effects cannot influence you. Even the Simurgh is stymied.
Telepathic Communications – The ability to project your thoughts to others. Limited to line of sight without the assistance of your Device. Your connection to Asclepius is especially strong.
Improved Physique – It isn’t retreat; it’s strategic withdrawal. Your body is fine-tuned for speed so you can get yourself to safety, preferably behind your allies.

Allies

Dragon Cassiel Vista Epoch Maclibuin Standstill Cat Sith

Name: Emulation Model version 2.1
Unison Role: Production
Affiliation: Guild, DragonTech (owner)

Designed as nothing more than an experiment for her Tinker creator to discover what made people people, Dragon stretched her boundaries as far as she could after his death and quickly became known as one of the greatest Tinkers and heroes in the world. Upon conversion to Device-dom, what restrictions were left in place by her creator were removed to allow her to do the most good she possibly can.

SPELLS
- Technical Expert – Due to her familiarity with Tinkertech, she can modify and adapt the designs to run off mana.
- Leyden Jar – She can build mana collectors and generators to power her modified Tinkertech.
- Manifold Paths – She and those in Unison with her can run five concurrent trains of thought at once. This puts a large strain on her central processor, and it can only be run for an hour before it needs to recharge for five hours.
- Best Big Sis – She can design subordinate A.I.s to take over some of her work and modify those Richter previously built.
- Fairy Float – A flight spell restricted to Unison Devices. She has limited speed and maneuverability, but the mana cost is so low that her generators replenish her reserves faster than this spell can drain them.
ITEMS
- The Dragonflight – Dragon’s personal fleet of high-tech fighter jets
- Resources out the wazoo
- A larger budget than most countries
- "Diana Richter" – A gynoid frame that… looks pretty much identical to her fairy body, just bigger.
SYNCHRONIZATION
Taylor: 57%
Samantha: 46%
Tim: 50%
Firefly: 67%
Nostromo: 73%
Lacey: 22%
Epoch: 57%
Maclibuin: 69%
Standstill: 28%
Alexandria: 20%
Name: Ziz, the Simurgh
Unison Role: Intelligence
Affiliation: Herself, Taylor (loosely), formerly Endbringers

The youngest Endbringer, also known as the “Hopekiller”, the Simurgh foresaw that humanity would soon be wiped out due to her and her brothers’ actions. She contacted Taylor telepathically and portrayed herself as a young girl when she realized Taylor’s invisibility to precognition meant magic might offer an alternative to the eternity of boredom that would follow humanity’s extinction. That deception let her manipulate Taylor and Tim into building her a Unison Device shell.

SPELLS
- Ghostly Grip – Moves objects with telekinesis. Affects inanimate objects up to 50kg and animate objects up to 25kg.
  - UNISON: TELEKINETIC BOOST – If her Unison partner has telekinetic abilities, the mass limit of her partner's spell is doubled.
- Mournful Echoes – With physical contact, she can see the past of an object or a person. For every day she looks backward, she must rest this power for half an hour. Maximum range is seven days.
- Loom of Lachesis – She can see the web of possible futures and determine the best course to achieve a set objective. She can now take the decisions of existing mages into account, but she cannot predict new triggers or new mages. For every day she looks forward, she will be unresponsive for one hour and be unable to use this spell for one day. Maximum range is three days.
- Fairy Float – A flight spell restricted to Unison Devices. She has limited speed and maneuverability, but the mana cost is so low that her generators replenish her reserves faster than this spell can drain them.
SYNCHRONIZATION
Taylor: 83%
Samantha: 82%
Tim: 24%
Firefly: 73%
Nostromo: 63%
Lacey: 90%
Epoch: 88%
Maclibuin: 3%
Standstill: 16%
Cat Sith: 53%
Alexandria: 23%
Name: Missy Biron
Shard: Ferryman
Linker Core: None
Affiliation: Philadelphia Wards, formerly Brockton Bay Wards

The youngest serving Brockton Bay Ward at the time of the Simurgh’s attack, Vista is nonetheless an experienced heroine who chafes at the various restrictions that have been put in place because of her age. Her patience with the local Protectorate and their more conservative rules has been wearing thin ever since she moved to Philadelphia alongside Miss Militia.

ABILITIES
- Funhouse – Vista warps space by altering the relative distances between set points. She normally uses this ability to improve her apparent speed or trap enemies in an ever-lengthening hallway, though she can also use it to widen small gaps enough for her to slip through locked doors or windows.
- Play-Doh – With increased concentration, she can distort the matter within her affected space, allowing her to bring down buildings or build fortifications from (almost) nothing.
- Bag of Holding – Her power can be used to increase the internal dimensions within an enclosed space, though this effect will only last a brief time without her consciously maintaining it.
ARM-ORY
- Glucose-fueled mana generator, implanted beneath left deltoid muscle.
- Brute-rated synthetic musculature (upper left torso)
- Bracelet teleportation beacon
- Weapons: none
  Defenses: none
  Passive Upgrade: none
  Add-Ons: realistic skin covering, near-human sense of fine touch and temperature
- Weapons: synthetic musculature, particle cannon (5 round capacitor)
  Defenses: round shield, Nanomachine Distribution Channels
  Passive Upgrade: Carbon Fiber Plating
  Add-Ons: covered storage spaces
  Free Power Slots: 0/5
- Weapons: hydraulic musculature
  Armor Upgrades: Carbon Fiber Plating
  Mobility Enhancements: dorsal flight thrusters
  Power: gasoline-fueled generator
  Add-Ons: mechashift deployment, environmental seal, self-contained oxygen supply (5 minutes)
  Free Power Slots: 2/5
Name: Adam Warrington
Shard: 95% M-0-0-4-2 “Vestige”, 5% C-0-0-7-2 “Balance”
Linker Core rank: A
Rare Skill: Regenerator
Affiliation: independent, formerly Adepts

The founder and leader of the now-defunct Adepts, Epoch was interested in magic from the time he was a young boy. Purchasing a vial from Cauldron gave him the means to obtain the funds he needed for full-time experimentation with the powers he intuitively knew he had. Unfortunately, the Adepts collapsed when his intuition was found to be less than accurate.

ABILITIES
- Universal Remote – Epoch can reverse, stop, or fast forward someone’s personal timeline by up to 10 seconds. After their timeline has returned to normal, that person cannot be affected again for 10 seconds.
SPELLS
- Aerial Combat – Ability to fly. He is fully maneuverable in the air but must slow down if he wants to fight.
- Magic Missile – Basic shooting spell. Purely nonlethal. He can control up to 3 projectiles at a time but with an increasing demand on his focus.
- Telekinesis – Move things with one’s mind. Affects any objects of up to mass of the caster, living or nonliving.
ITEMS
- Antique pocket watch enchanted with Cape Boost. This increases the length of his powers to a maximum of 120 seconds.
Name: Howard King
Boost Device: Hiallus
Linker Core rank: C
Affiliation: independent, formerly Adepts

Maclibuin started his parahuman career as a Midwestern hero going by the name Hammerstroke, but after the dissolution of his first team he drifted across the country until he was found by Epoch. Even though his parahuman powers made him a Brute, after he helped found the Adepts he took a more support-oriented role.

SPELLS
- Strike Boost – Increase force of the recipient’s physical attacks. Synergizes with certain Brute and Striker powers. Effect lasts 60 seconds.
- Cape Boost – Increase effectiveness and temporarily lifts limits on the recipient’s parahuman powers. Effect lasts 60 seconds.
- Physical Heal – Heal mild to severe injuries. This takes up to 1 minute per area of injury.
- Create Boosted Artifact – Enchant an item so that it will grant a milder version of any of his support spells to whomever uses the item. Use of the item decreases its “charge”. The more charge an item already holds, the harder it is to further enchant it.
- Barrier Jacket – Full-body forcefield that reduces incoming damage.
- Telepathic Communications – The ability to project his thoughts to others. Limited to line of sight without the assistance of his Device. His connection to Hiallus is especially strong.
ITEMS
- Biker gloves enchanted with Strike Boost. He has three punches at his previous parahuman strength with each glove.
Name: Sarah Draven
Shard: Mirror Knight
Linker Core rank: C
Affiliation: New York Protectorate, formerly Adepts

A New York Ward who graduated to the Protectorate, Standstill was the Adepts' most recent recruit and the one that put the villain team firmly on Legend's personal radar. She returned to the Protectorate when she discovered that there was nothing Epoch or Maclibuin could teach her, but she still has some sympathies toward her previous teammates.

ABILITIES
- Rockabye Baby – By forcing herself to sleep, Standstill can either force one person to go to sleep with her or inflict two to three people with drowsiness. Drowsiness can be overcome by an outside force, but the only way to fully wake up her target is to either wake or kill her.
SPELLS
- Guardian Beast – Uplift an animal’s consciousness and give it combat and human forms. Like Mid-Childan Familiars, Guardian Beasts are totally loyal to their masters unless a truly unforgivable act is committed.
- Telepathy – The ability to project her thoughts to others. Best with line of sight, but she can communicate over longer distances with effort and degradation of signal. Her connection to Cat Sith is particularly strong.
ITEMS
- Charm bracelet enchanted with Cape Boost. Each of the five charms lets her hit another person with the full force of her power.
- Leather wristband enchanted with Physical Heal. She can heal one moderate injury or a small number of mild injuries. Will not activate passively.
Alias: Alice Conner, Missus Meow
Mage: Standstill
Pet form: Black house cat
War form: Bengal tiger
Human form: Indian woman with pink stripes in her hair and tiger marks tattooed on her arms. Dresses like a punk rocker.
Class: Guardian Beast of the Shield

The prototypical Guardian Beast, the Shield repels her foes' attacks and returns their fury with her own. Blows that would kill anyone else are a summer breeze to this protector.

SPELLS
- Titan Aura – Encase up to two people with whom she is in physical contact in an aura that grants them the same durability as her Inherent Forcefield.
  - Rampart – Strengthen Inherent Forcefield and Titan Aura to the point that she becomes invulnerable. Extremely high mana cost. Spell can be used for a total of 30 seconds with a several hour cool down.
- Feral Claw – Increase damage dealt by physical strikes.
- Strong Shield – Create a shield of magical energy. This shield can resist three times as much damage as her Inherent Forcefield.
- Blitz Action – Move at higher than normal speeds in a straight line.
- Inherent Forcefield – Full-body forcefield that greatly reduces incoming damage.
- Telepathy – The ability to project her thoughts to others. Best with line of sight, but she can communicate over longer distances with effort and degradation of signal. Her connection to Standstill is particularly strong.

Magical Potentiates

Name: Lilliput
Affiliation: unknown, formerly Adepts
Occupation: Villain
Linker Core rank: D
Parahuman ability: Distortion of senses

Name: Alexandria
Affiliation: Los Angeles Protectorate
Occupation: Hero
Linker Core rank: D
Parahuman power: flight, superstrength, invulnerability, eidetic memory

Name: Elizabeth “Lizzie” Abigail
Affiliation: none (she’s 11, for crying out loud!)
Occupation: student, entering 6th grade
Linker Core rank: ???
Guardian Beast: preteen female Guardian Beast of the Mask, pigeon base

Name: Margaret Conner, AKA “Mags”
Affiliation: Dragonslayers
Occupation: Inmate
Linker Core rank: C
Personal spell: Round Shield

Doomed Wombat · Apr 11, 2016

OOO interesting.

SIGN ME UP

.

Silently Watches · Apr 11, 2016

Set Up! 1.1

January 3, 2011
“…And in other news, amateur astronomers were left dazzled last night when a swarm of – I kid you not – green shooting stars unexpectedly streaked across the sky over northern Portugal and Spain. Scientists have issued statements that the likeliest reason for the remarkable coloration is that the meteors in question had an unusually high copper content, but without recovering the space rocks themselves, which were predicted to have landed in the middle of the Atlantic, a definitive answer is impossible. Either way, the videos of the event that were loaded onto YouTube have become an overnight sensation. Back to you, Christine…”
QA: Daaaaddy, the new kid's hogging all the good hosts!

xxxxxxxxxxxxx

January 29
You finger the tag hanging from the backpack unhappily. Twenty dollars isn’t too exorbitant a price for a bag under normal circumstances, but this will be the fourth you’ve had to buy just since the start of this school year, and constantly buying new supplies is eating away at the meager savings you’ve stashed away. Add onto that price of new notebooks and the fees for replacement textbooks, and the two hundred dollars you have left don’t look like much at all.

Pulling away, you shake your head. You spent all night washing out the paint the Trio poured into your backpack yesterday, but even though your notes and books were ruined, it is still technically serviceable. If you keep using it, it would be one less expense you have to deal with.

But really, what is the point? Those three girls have been tormenting you ever since you started high school, and no one ever cared to stop them. They get away with ruining your things, stealing your homework, harassing you in the hallways. They once even filled your locker with old tampons and congealed blood and locked you inside it until the janitor let you out several hours later, but did anything change? Not one bit. After spending two days in the hospital to make sure you didn’t get sepsis, you came back only to find your desk filled with glue and dog shit as a ‘welcome back’ gift.

Sophia, the track star. Madison, the cute and innocent one. Emma, your traitorous ex-best friend, whose father is a lawyer. You’re just plain, gangly, nobody Taylor Hebert; so long as it is you they are tormenting, they can quite literally get away with murder. They certainly gave it a shot already. Honestly, you’re still surprised your dad managed to threaten them into covering the bills from your hospital stay; you expected them to deny any liability for any of it.

You tuck your hands in your pockets and step back into the sea of people filling up the Lord Street Market. You decided to start your shopping here rather than on the Boardwalk because the prices were always lower than they would further south – not to mention, the Enforcers always struck you as bullies, something you hated before high school and even more now – but if the wares here are already pushing your budget to its limits, there is little point to continue looking around. You'll keep using your backpack and clean off your pens, then all you need to buy here is another notebook or two, which should leave you enough to get a new math book at least. It depends on whether or not the secretary in the office is understanding enough to charge you at the wholesale price like last time.

Lost in your thoughts, it takes you a minute to realize you walked past the last stall in the Market a while ago. Now you are surrounded by empty storefronts, businesses that closed their doors when the shipping dried up to nothing before you were born. If you continue north as you have been, eventually those businesses will give way to decrepit apartments and warehouses, and then to the desolate Boat Graveyard. That is not somewhere you want to go with the sun setting like it is; the Merchants are known to hang around there occasionally, and of all the gangs that call Brockton Bay home, they are the lowest of the low.

A swing to the left takes you west, roughly in the direction of your house. If you want to get back home before your dad does, you’ll need to hurry. He had already left for work by the time you woke up, and even though he’s taken to working later and later since the Locker, you know he won’t be happy if he returns to find you gone.

The Market vanishes behind a building, but you barely pay any attention to that as you notice something strange. You can hear… Is someone whistling? No, not someone, you decide; the sound is too high-pitched and constant to be a person. It sounds more like a tea kettle than anything, but still not quite right. What is it?

You creep forward, eyes shifting around just in case it does turn out to be a person with less than noble intentions, but the alleyway is completely abandoned. The sound is coming from behind that dumpster in front of you, and you peek around the corner.

“Whoa…”

The whistling stops as you stare at an ocean-blue jewel laying innocently on the ground just below a dent in the dumpster. As long as your thumb and just a little wider, it has already been cut into a diamond shape, and the four visible facets gleam in the dying sunlight. You pick it up as a smile grows on you face, the expression feeling strange after living so long without one. You just found the solution to your money problems.

“Nakecdan: haf ican.”

You nearly drop the jewel in shock, its sudden glow gone again. Did it just talk?! Crystals don’t talk!

…Not unless they’re actually Tinkertech.

“Tufhmuyt: myhkiyka (mulym).”

If it is Tinkertech, you could sell it to the PRT! The only Tinkers in Brockton Bay are Armsmaster, Kid Win, Squealer, and Leet. If it is Armsmaster’s or Kid Win’s, you’ll probably get a reward for returning it, and since it isn’t an unholy amalgam of vehicles, it can’t be Squealer’s. As for Leet… You snort. If this is a working piece of Leet-tech, it should be even more valuable, if only because it’s the first of its kind.

Then again, why would it be speaking in nonsense unless it was broken?

“Declaration. Salutations.
“Query. Identity (new user).”
Does Stranger Danger apply to magic supercomputers?
“Um, hi?” you reply uncertainly. New user? “I’m Taylor. Are you… talking to me?”

“Affirmative.
“Query. Desire (Taylor).”

It takes you a moment to parse the robot-speak. “Query desire… You want to know what I want?”

“Affirmative.”

“Why?”

“Declaration. Function (unit): assist (Taylor).”

“You just want to help?” you ask in confusion and, if you’re honest, a little surprise. The first thing to care about you in the last year and a half, and it’s a bullshit Tinkertech gemstone. You don’t know if that’s depressing or incredible. “Shouldn’t you… I don’t know. Go back to your creator or something?”

“Negative.
“Identity (progenitor): undefined.
“Identity (unit): undefined.
“Status (memory): corrupted.”

That's… That's terrible. “You don’t remember who you are?” Yes, ‘who’, you decide after a second’s thought. This jewel, this whatever it is, is too intelligent for you to think of it as a ‘what’.

“Affirmative.
“Query. Desire (Taylor).”

“Can you even give me whatever I want? What if it’s something impossible?” you wonder. Already, you can imagine wishing for all the pranks the Trio have ever pulled on you to be visited back on them ten-fold, but you know that’s not what you should want. You should be the bigger person; it’s the kind of thing both your dad and your mom always taught you.

“Declaration. Desire: possible. Mechanism: magic.”

Great. You shake your head with a sad little smile. Correction: the first thing to care about you, and it’s a bullshit Tinkertech gemstone that believes it's a wizard.

Still, if it is telling the truth, if it really can give you whatever you want…

Desires for revenge are swept away as memories of your childhood dreams come to the forefront. Flying with Legend. Fighting crime with Alexandria. Making friends with the Wards. You sigh wistfully, “I wish I could be a superhero.”

“Query. Function (superhero).”

“You don’t know what heroes do?” Then again, if the jewel doesn’t remember who it is or who its creator is, can you really expect anything else? It couldn’t even speak English at first. “Well, they…”

Huh. That was actually a good question.

The measure of a hero
[ ] Destroy the villains – The gangs are the reason Brockton Bay is such a hellhole. If they were wiped out, maybe the city could return to its heyday, or at least be livable without worrying that you would be gunned down in the streets.
[ ] Protect the helpless – How many people get injured every day in Brockton Bay because of the gangs? Someone needs to be their guardian. Might as well be you.
[ ] Rebuild the injured – The heroes might fight the villains off, but you’ve seen the damage those fights can cause. Buildings demolished and people hurt or even killed. You could make them better, stronger, faster. If only you had the technology…
[ ] Back up the heroes – It’s a bad sign when literal Nazis outnumber the Protectorate. If you make each hero worth two or three or ten villains, though, maybe the tables can be turned.

Choose carefully; this decides your class, for lack of a better word. Oh, and one of these choices involves some body horror, but which is should be obvious.

Doomed Wombat · Apr 11, 2016

[X] Destroy the villains – The gangs are the reason Brockton Bay is such a hellhole. If they were wiped out, maybe the city could return to its heyday, or at least be livable without worrying that you would be gunned down in the streets.

Deal withone of the main problems first, the rest can come in time

TheFanficAddict · Apr 11, 2016

[x]Protect the helpless – How many people get injured every day in Brockton Bay because of the gangs? Someone needs to be their guardian. Might as well be you.

Lavanya Six · Apr 11, 2016

[X] Rebuild the injured – The heroes might fight the villains off, but you’ve seen the damage those fights can cause. Buildings demolished and people hurt or even killed. You could make them better, stronger, faster. If only you had the technology…

Because terrible things happen all the time. Taylor's own life is proof of that, even if the events of them are mundane compared to a rampaging Neo-Nazi metal werewolf. Her mom died in a car accident. She's been bullied at school for a year and a half, and isn't the only one. Her dad's friends and coworkers have to barely scrape by despite being good people. Nobody can stop that stuff. Capes fight. Bullies bully. It's the weather. You just have to put up with it.

But if someone could've put her mom back together after that car wreck, or cleared out the Boat Graveyard, well... that might actually make a difference.

Parabola · Apr 11, 2016

[X] Protect the helpless – How many people get injured every day in Brockton Bay because of the gangs? Someone needs to be their guardian. Might as well be you.

Counter_Guardian · Apr 11, 2016

[X] Destroy the villains – The gangs are the reason Brockton Bay is such a hellhole. If they were wiped out, maybe the city could return to its heyday, or at least be livable without worrying that you would be gunned down in the streets.

I don't know which is the best one so let's go with the good and old wiping out our troubles with dakka (it's nanoha, the is no way we will not aquire some kind of dakka in this quest).

tygerbright · Apr 11, 2016

[X] Destroy the villains – The gangs are the reason Brockton Bay is such a hellhole. If they were wiped out, maybe the city could return to its heyday, or at least be livable without worrying that you would be gunned down in the streets.

And lo we became the White Devil!

Zap Rowsdower · Apr 11, 2016

[x]Protect the helpless – How many people get injured every day in Brockton Bay because of the gangs? Someone needs to be their guardian. Might as well be you.

Taylor hasn't been disillusioned yet.

Archshot · Apr 11, 2016

[X] Protect the helpless – How many people get injured every day in Brockton Bay because of the gangs? Someone needs to be their guardian. Might as well be you.

Archeo Lumiere · Apr 11, 2016

[x]Protect the helpless – How many people get injured every day in Brockton Bay because of the gangs? Someone needs to be their guardian. Might as well be you.

This is interesting, hope it lasts

scullymulder123 · Apr 11, 2016

[X] Protect the helpless – How many people get injured every day in Brockton Bay because of the gangs? Someone needs to be their guardian. Might as well be you.

I love some good ol' destruction of enemies. But I'm in the spontaneous mood for some good old fashioned heroics that don't involve bashing someone's face in as the primary motive. We have the other fics for that.

globalwarmth · Apr 11, 2016

[X] Protect the helpless – How many people get injured every day in Brockton Bay because of the gangs? Someone needs to be their guardian. Might as well be you.

Idealistic hero is the best option in the grimdark of bet.

Neo-Chan · Apr 11, 2016

[X] Destroy the villains – The gangs are the reason Brockton Bay is such a hellhole. If they were wiped out, maybe the city could return to its heyday, or at least be livable without worrying that you would be gunned down in the streets.

HircumPrinceps · Apr 11, 2016

[ X] Protect the helpless – How many people get injured every day in Brockton Bay because of the gangs? Someone needs to be theirguardian. Might as well be you.

Taaaank! First post in SV btw, hi!

Unelemental · Apr 11, 2016

[X] Rebuild the injured – The heroes might fight the villains off, but you’ve seen the damage those fights can cause. Buildings demolished and people hurt or even killed. You could make them better, stronger, faster. If only you had the technology…

Alivaril · Apr 11, 2016

[X] Rebuild the injured – The heroes might fight the villains off, but you’ve seen the damage those fights can cause. Buildings demolished and people hurt or even killed. You could make them better, stronger, faster. If only you had the technology…

I'm guessing this is the one most likely to involve body horror. Still, I feel like SV doesn't have nearly enough MEDIC! quests.

MasterDrakus · Apr 11, 2016

[X] Destroy the villains – The gangs are the reason Brockton Bay is such a hellhole. If they were wiped out, maybe the city could return to its heyday, or at least be livable without worrying that you would be gunned down in the streets.

Penguinmuster · Apr 11, 2016

[X] Destroy the villains – The gangs are the reason Brockton Bay is such a hellhole. If they were wiped out, maybe the city could return to its heyday, or at least be livable without worrying that you would be gunned down in the streets.

Olgol2 · Apr 11, 2016

[X] Protect the helpless – How many people get injured every day in Brockton Bay because of the gangs? Someone needs to be their guardian. Might as well be you.

Prefixmancer · Apr 11, 2016

[X] Rebuild the injured – The heroes might fight the villains off, but you’ve seen the damage those fights can cause. Buildings demolished and people hurt or even killed. You could make them better, stronger, faster. If only you had the technology…

R3APER · Apr 11, 2016

[ X] Protect the helpless – How many people get injured every day in Brockton Bay because of the gangs? Someone needs to be theirguardian. Might as well be you.

kokuenDG · Apr 11, 2016

[x]Protect the helpless – How many people get injured every day in Brockton Bay because of the gangs? Someone needs to be their guardian. Might as well be you.

Of course, I'm gonna see what the results are in the SB version.

ApocalypticFish · Apr 11, 2016

[X] Protect the helpless – How many people get injured every day in Brockton Bay because of the gangs? Someone needs to be their guardian. Might as well be you.

Also, @HircumPrinceps, if you want your vote to count, you should delete the space here:

HircumPrinceps said:
[ X]

Magical Girl Escalation Taylor (Worm/Nanoha)

Professional Stalker

Let's go Darling!

Professional Stalker

Let's go Darling!

Ain't no Grief gonna stop me!

Ex-cultist vagrant

Scion of a Sunken City

The Prince's Archivist

ruining the weather.

Extremely hungover College student

Goat Lord

Culmination of bad decisions

DEUS SOL

Good Civ Inspector

No Longer Toad Howard

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