We Sons Of Daley [Manhattan Blues]

Psychic powers or not, you're still a political officer of the grand army, and you've got a job to do. Get the hostages out and get back to work.

Tell Alice that she needs to help get the hostages out and you'll explain what you can as soon as everyone is free. Move to next tunnel or whatever to free more hostages

Picking up some EMPATHY and PSYCHOKINESIS might be handy.

Picking up some EMPATHY and PSYCHOKINESIS might be handy.

Ok. You have 20 FREE PSYCHIC POINTS.

[Discipline: Empathy- "'What kind of lame power is heart?' Ask me again after I destroy your pathetic feelings of anger."]
[Discipline: Psychokinesis- All sorts of nifty things that moving things with your mind implies. Has a physical shield and an armor power that works on everything- except people punching your soul.]

Tell Alice that she needs to help get the hostages out and you'll explain what you can as soon as everyone is free. Move to next tunnel or whatever to free more hostages

Psychic powers or not, you're still a political officer of the grand army, and you've got a job to do. Get the hostages out and get back to work.

"Alice. Can you get these people out of here?" You ask. There are about twelve of them. In fact, they look kind of... Hm.

Alice walks around, and notices something. "... He carved the place to be exactly circular... And they're... Hm. I think we're very lucky these hostages didn't die."

"Why?"

"They're arranged in a STAR OF DAVID, and there's a CHALK CIRCLE reminiscent of a KEY OF SOLOMON here." She starts trying to ROUSE people from their CATATONIC STATE, but it's not working too well. Guess seeing A FEW PEOPLE DIE IN FRONT OF THEM wasn't GOOD for their MENTAL HEALTH.

>_

Good job scaring the hostages! Screw them and look for more

Maybe they got their souls eaten? Some black magic like that? Carrying them out of the room seems like a good first step regardless.

Maybe they got their souls eaten? Some black magic like that? Carrying them out of the room seems like a good first step regardless.

"What, did their souls get eaten or something?" You say as you start trying to haul one out of the room.

[FREE POINTS SPENT: 1]
[POWER ACTIVATED: SENSE FEELINGS- Hm. You seem depressed.]
FEAR RUN CAN'T RUN CAN'T DO- You shake your head to try to clear the intensity of the feeling out of it. You cough.

"Don't be silly, there's nothing that eats souls."

"... You got a cure for fear in that magic hat of yours?"

She shakes her head. "Time, maybe. Love, perhaps. There's no magic to cure fear."

>_

Give them a hug and move on, I guess. We can (hopefully) come back to them later and try empathy-ing them into lucidity. Go secure more hostages.

Give them a hug and move on, I guess. We can (hopefully) come back to them later and try empathy-ing them into lucidity. Go secure more hostages.

Good job scaring the hostages! Screw them and look for more

"Well... Nothing we can do for them now, then..." You sigh. "Well, at least we're in a ROUNDHOUSE. Target-rich environment."

Something PINGS on your new ERUDITION. That's... A LOT of magic going off! Like someone set off another TRAP! Hm. Seems like your SQUAD.

Looks like someone else is dealing with another one- there's no way a signature of that presence could be anything other than the GINNIE.

Looks like you have a choice.

>_

You've awakened, choose the Ginnie, it's less of a risk of DEATH. Your squad will undoubtedly discover what happened to you and report it. You wouldn't make it after everything that will happen to you!

So if I understand correctly, the GINNIE is a questionable ally of ours and is assisting us in freeing hostages. We can't exactly use our powers in front of our team, and it might be good to get on working terms with the GINNIE. So go chat up the GINNIE.

Hmmm. Now that the concealment field is gone and the illusion dispersed, you're not likely to survive a good look by the Grand Army.

On the other hand though, while the Ginnie did see through the field, that might not be such a good thing. It's possible that you were spared just because you were a potential asset.

The real question is: How loyal are you?

I think you aren't too loyal to the mass conglomerate, are you? You may as well hoof it with the freelancer, but mind you - support will be much thinner on the ground, not to mention you'll probably be wanted for desertion. Unless deserters happen all the time?

Ahhh just go with the Ginnie

IF you can re-summon your Hide Matrix and restore your former appearance as a Null, then go help your squadmates. You'll have to keep an eye on Alice and book it / kill her if she starts blowing your cover, but that shouldn't be too hard.

IF you can't do that, go see what the Ginnie's up to.

I say this simply because the Ginnie is portrayed (and has behaved) like an unbelievably dangerous serial killer, who both has never needed anyone's help and apparently let you live on a whim. Meanwhile, I'm interested in seeing more of your squad and how it behaves.

Now, yeah, the Ginnie could be getting a bad rap. But sometimes the people who have a reputation for being murderous psychopaths really are murderous psychopaths. Just sayin'.

I say this simply because the Ginnie is portrayed (and has behaved) like an unbelievably dangerous serial killer, who both has never needed anyone's help and apparently let you live on a whim. Meanwhile, I'm interested in seeing more of your squad and how it behaves.

For all we know she's the other side's version of us, and is just trying to rescue hostages herself. For all we know Chicago isn't nearly as nice as Arlington thinks it is! 8<

Now, yeah, the Ginnie could be getting a bad rap. But sometimes the people who have a reputation for being murderous psychopaths really are murderous psychopaths. Just sayin'.

We also know our squad will execute Arlington as soon as they find out he's actually a psychic! The Ginnie could help us, and I sincerely doubt it was a WHIM that made her let us live.

Therefore

>Go find the Ginnie.

New dream! You want to be the very best, like no one ever was. Each ability to understand the power that's inside (of you).

Seriously, though, you really should look into the whole having hidden psychic powers your entire life. Once you've met the Ginnie and figured out whether or not she's as likely to kill you as the Grand Army might be(definitely).

You make a snap decision that the squad can take care of themselves, for the moment; whether this is true or not may be revealed soon!

You accumulate ki all the way down the corridor; this takes you two rounds and you arrive at the start of the third, still accumulating. Long before then, you hear the staccato rhythm of opportunistic gunfire and lots of dodging. It sounds almost like HAMMERS.

The light from your gathered ki (total: 8/8/8/8/10/10) suffuses the entire place with a COLD, BLUE LIGHT. What you see is another matter.

In the center of the room, the first thing you recognize what can only be termed WAR GOLEMS- massive things of metal and leather, animated with magic. Each one has a SWORD. There are currently trying to deal with the GINNIE, who is too small and speedy for them to hit easily, and who is opening fire on them. There are wtelve hostages, and an EERIE PURPLE LIGHT in the form of a STAR OF DAVID and a KEY OF SOLOMON is here, burning brightly. The hostages are all slumped against the walls here, which has, again, been carved out to be a cylindrical room. The chairs are in FLINDERS.

You recognize the guns in her hands as an old, PRE-BLOOM model of handgun- GLOCK 9MM. For some reason, they GLEAM BLOOD RED every time they fire.

She STOVEPIPES, even as she starts UNLOADING into a second one. It'll take her the rest of the round to clear that...

"... That really is the GINNIE..." Alice whispers, in a mix of AWE, ADMIRATION, and FEAR.

Two of the five remaining WAR GOLEMS turn their attention to you.

You have a new TECHNIQUE available, which will allow you to dodge with increased ease. If you want to use it, you have enough ki to activate both it and CROSS COUNTER now.

The Ginnie went first this combat round. Alice goes next, followed by you (How many actions do you want to take this round? You may take up to five.), then the GOLEMS.

[For this combat, you may control both Alice and Arlington. The Ginnie is a guest character.]

>_

Focused offense for Alice, so energy blasts or whatever she's got. Arlington activates Everlasting Moment again and shoots up a golem focused on them with his 1911 first, then his TYPEWRITER if the 1911 can't penetrate it. If the typewriter doesn't seem to be effective enough, freeze/crystallize as many golems as you can to slow them down, and see if the ladies can come up with something on their next turns.

Although it's doubtful she needs it, try to waylay golems if they look like they're about to land a blow on the Ginnie.

Focused offense for Alice, so energy blasts or whatever she's got.

Just so happens she has several spells of that type. Comes with having four BOOKS. But seeing as raw IMPACT isn't effective, going to town with FIRE probably would be about as effective, which is to say, not very.

Right. "MAGIA EREBEA!" In her hand, a SPHERE OF PURE DARKNESS COALESCES and she LEVELS IT AT A WAR GOLEM. "SPHERA UMBRAE!" Luckily, with the amount of SOUL she's poured into that spell- the MOST SHE CAN FORCE- it's a FIRE AND FORGET; the spell itself will assure that it hits if the GOLEM tries to dodge it.

So she starts her next one. As Sphere is about as 'directed offense' as it gets, and knowing some of Arlington's skills already, she decides to be a little cautious in case she gets FROZEN SOLID. Because, you know, that might happen. "MAGIA EREBEA! LORICA NOCTAE!" The magic forms into a dark, yet STARRY overcoat, that almost CLINGS to her like a SLINKY DRESS.

You're not sure what she's shouting, but it sure seems effective.

Especially when that DARK SPHERE or whatever hits the WAR GOLEM, EXPLODES, and... Huh. Well. You guess it's going to find it a little difficult to hit anything without a CHEST.

1x WAR GOLEM slain!

"Tell me you got another of those in you."

"It'll take me nine seconds to charge it up," Alice replies. Curses.

Arlington activates Everlasting Moment again and shoots up a golem focused on them with his 1911 first, then his TYPEWRITER if the 1911 can't penetrate it. If the typewriter doesn't seem to be effective enough, freeze/crystallize as many golems as you can to slow them down, and see if the ladies can come up with something on their next turns.

Although it's doubtful she needs it, try to waylay golems if they look like they're about to land a blow on the Ginnie.

Arlington hits the FROST.

The hostages weren't moving anyway, so let's just call them FROZEN OVER for now; The Ginnie, of course, is fine. One golem barely looks slowed down; two seem to be getting SLUGGISH, and the one in FRONT of you FREEZES SOLID. Not that it was dodging your attacks ANYWAY.

DAMN THAT'S COLD. "WATCH THE WATERWORKS!" Alice shouts.

You take an action to draw your 1911, and another to FIRE. Okay, that wasn't very effective. Even frozen and immobilized, it looks like these things can take a LOT OF PUNISHMENT. Like, SERIOUSLY RIDICULOUS AMOUNTS. Like, it could eat BULLETS for BREAKFAST, LUNCH, AND DINNER and still COME BACK FOR SECONDS OF LEAD, while LAUGHING at MONGO'S PUNY, FUNNY FRIEND. See how much it TICKLES Mongo?

The TYPEWRITER might put more bullets in it, but they're still all .45 ACP, it'd be like hitting it with a rapid-fire PEA-SHOOTER.

You're almost tempted to POP CROSS COUNTER and see if THAT would be more EFFECTIVE.

As predicted, with the GOLEMS on a bit of a DEEP FREEZE, the GINNIE has no trouble KEEPING UP WITH THEM. In fact, the SLOWEST one brings its hammer down so hard it STICKS IN THE FROST. You take another action to SET EVERLASTING MOMENT to one of your three INNATE SLOTS. You have ONE INNATE SLOT REMAINING. The EVERLASTING MOMENT is no longer QUITE so COLD.

Ginnie finishes clearing her WEAPON JAM. Not one to look a GIFT HORSE in the MOUTH, she OPENS FIRE on the one that is STUCK. You hear the horrible cracking of BRITTLE METAL over the sounds of gunfire, until its entire TORSO shatters apart. 1x WAR GOLEM SLAIN. There are three remaining.

>_

Well then use cross counter, stupid!

Alice: Try rapidly heating a really cold one. The temperature flux should cause cracks if it doesn't render the whole thing to pieces.

Then Arlington cross-counters and shoots up some golems. See if the cracking (if it happens) helps.

Alice: Try rapidly heating a really cold one. The temperature flux should cause cracks if it doesn't render the whole thing to pieces.

Good idea! Alice casually snaps her fingers, throwing a FIREBALL at the thing. (Soul used: Under Innate Threshold of 50) WHOOMPH. The immobilized one explodes into STEAM for a moment. You can hear the SNAP of RIVETS SPANGING into the WALLS before EVERLASTING MOMENT strikes it again. Unfortunately, this time (perhaps because of the it's quite able to keep itself moving. Luckily, you can see the armor FLAKING AND CRUMBLING as the cold affects the ARMOR much more PROFOUNDLY than before because of the THERMAL STRESS.

[CROSS COUNTER active] You step forward, not wanting to see what its counter-attacks look like if you were to shoot it at point-blank while it has a chance to MOVE. Your arm is POETRY IN MOTION when it THUNDERS into the CENTER of its GREAT PLATE and the field plate it was wearing CRUNCHES INTO A HUNDRED PIECES. Augh, that was such a PAIN! You punch it AGAIN for good measure.

Amazingly it's STILL STANDING, and decides to take a SWING at you. This is where your OTHER tech comes into play. You hope. It goes off and you SOCK IT IN THE STOMACH ONCE MORE FOR GOOD MEASURE, then before it can bring that hammer back into play, you THUMP IT AGAIN.

You thought you were doing SOME damage to it with those punches, but even you're kind of SHOCKED to see the FORCE OF YOUR BLOW go OUT THE OTHER SIDE OF ITS CHEST. It falls over, inactive.

The other two, seeing that (and the rather impressive display of ki use you're putting on) decide that focusing on the squishier target, namely YOU, is better than trying to take on the Ginnie in a fight when she still has handguns.

This turns out to be a MAJOR MISTAKE, especially when a second one SPROUTS A NEW HOLE.

At this point, even with your shiny new technique, you're a little hard pressed to dodge. But there are two problems with what the GOLEM decided to do.

The first was to go after someone who was using KI when they hadn't run out yet.

The second was turning its back on the GINNIE. Four bullets go in, but it starts to drop after the third. Ginnie drops her empty CLIPS and RELOADS, casually, and looks at you and Alice. She says, n a gravelly voice that you could SWEAR wasn't the voice you heard- is she THAT GOOD at acting?- "You have people to take care of. And be MORE SUBTLE with that SLEDGEHAMMER you call a WILL." Sound advice; they're likely to DEDUCE your SECRET if you go BALLS TO THE WALL like that, even with a CONCEALMENT MATRIX better than any INVISIBILITY CLOAK. (Hint- there are powers that work that may not be obviously SUPERNATURAL to a casual observer! Even better, there are some you can disguise as KI USE!)

With that, she leaves. You're... Not sure how she managed to leave without you noticing. "WHAT ABOUT THE EVIDENCE!?" You shout. Well, that can wait. You turn off the JUICE and the EVERLASTING MOMENT.

These guys seem in better shape in that they're actually starting to STAND, and a quick sense confirms your squad is still FIGHTING.

You couldn't pull out another SLIPSTREAM, but you have another round of CROSS COUNTER remaining. Use it wisely.

>_

Help these poor guys get out of this murder pit.
Is there perhaps a telekinesis power that will boost melee or dodge like cross-counter or slipstream? We seem to have oodles of psychic power, but we can burn through Ki quite easily it seems. Like throwing ourselves around, or reinforcing our punches (and hand bones) with psychic force.

Help these poor guys get out of this murder pit.
Is there perhaps a telekinesis power that will boost melee or dodge like cross-counter or slipstream? We seem to have oodles of psychic power, but we can burn through Ki quite easily it seems. Like throwing ourselves around, or reinforcing our punches (and hand bones) with psychic force.

OK. There are a few ways to go about this at the high-end, but the basics would be:
--Power: PK Armor- Armor that protects against everything but stuff that attacks your fundamental nature, like Light or Dark Magic.
-Discipline: Physical Increase- "For the Jedi in you!"
--Power: Increase Ability- Ups your Dexterity or Agility. Use twice to increase both.
--Power: Increase Strength- Exactly what it says on the tin: "SPINACH".

I'd also suggest a few more Innate Slots to hold all this crap; 2 ought to cover all three of them. The grand total here is 8 PP, leaving you with 12 remaining, and 11 available.

>_

Let's not grab PK Armor just yet. We can activate it with free points if we really need it, but for this mission, we might not.

Get the Physical Increase discipline and the two powers detailed, along with one innate slot. If we need to stay cover, we won't be using Everlasting Moment anyway, so enough slots for Increase Ability x2, Increase Strength, Hide Matrix.

Would there happen to be a Discipline or Power that amplifies or enhances Ki use?

Also, point of curiosity -- what Discipline does Hide Matrix fall under?