OOC For IC

I am sure it is ok to reply to the IC thread I will let Warp know.

I missed this thread, and the swordfish quip.

But yeah, Colin still pipes up in the briefing when he feels he has more to add. The "Lock & Load Lobby" part of looking for Nicole is basically seeing if she and Serge have joined the final gathering before we all head to Seattle, or if they're still doing their own prep work in private. Not assuming they're there, just checking if they are.

Ooops I did not notice Bicole's post I will reply to it as soon as possible.

So is everyone busy, for if so not a problem take your time the game will wait, or are you stuck for what to do for if so what if we go to the scene Colin is in where everyone met up in the lobby and his heading down to the ritual room to get going to Seattle.

Sorry, been exhausted this weekend.
Like, slept for 16 hours per day exhausted...

Then not a problem get the rest you need.

Just waiting for Nicole's post.

Ok. Let us move the lock and load lobby down into the basement then since Nicole wanted to meet the others there.

Hmm?

I'm on the final stretch for the stupid Wikipedia crud I'm dealing with...

Not a problem I just wanted to make sure no one was stuck, real life happens so take the time you need.

Okay, a quick 'to do list' for the seattle mission...

1 Hire car & van.
2 Get disguises for Nick and Serge
3 Prepare the two transport crates
4 Make wood drill-bit.
5 Mod impact driver for 4.
6 Get prop tablet for Serge.
7 Get chloroform.
8 Do decals for 1.

Is there any other tasks needing doing before leaving?

Oh, is it possible to fit a tass-battery to the driver to give it extra power?

I do believe that is all of the tasks that needs doing yes.

A tass battery on the rental car? It is possible but you would need a Tass battery then and time to do the modifications.

Anja wrote:A tass battery on the rental car? It is possible but you would need a Tass battery then and time to do the modifications.

No, for the power drill/jackhammer. Basically, a more powerful motor than a mere gasoline/battery-powered one.

Ah well you would still need a Tass battery but if you get one then one could be installed on q jackhammer to make it more powerful.

An 'impact driver' is - in layperson's terms - an overgrown, more powerful drill [which is why they're often called an 'impact drill']. Nick would be v familiar with their uses in an auto shop. This is very different to a jackhammer - the former is all about torque [turning power], while the latter is about impact pressure.

Nick's plan is to basically make the stake one big, wooden screw, get Van Hess to harden it up as much as possible and drill it into the vampire. She's familiar enough with Etherites using Tass batteries to provide extra power for gear.

Well, Nick has that Tass stipend from the Chantry [cryistals, wasn't it? Or was it water in glass casings?] Surely, she's managed to swap most/all of it [perhaps from Westchapel] to be in a form she can actually use?

Yes the Tass is in crystals, and sure she could have managed to swap out the Tass to be something she can work with. Sounds like a plan then. One Tass powered vampire drill comiing up.

Well, we did discuss this before; it's logical that each Tradition has it's 'favoured type(s)' of Tass and when it controls a Chantry/Node, it produces said type [and the Etherites being some form of battery, perhaps similar to ones used by the Union]. So there's a bit of a backround trade going on [Serge might want Tass he could eat or something]. One of those annoyances of the Mage world, like in RL we have to deal with different types of electrical plug.

Anyway, if she can get 'Ether batteries' from Westchapel, can we assume Nick's got a holder for it and can affix it correctly to the driver? [Doesn't the use of Tass give automatic successes or something? This is something I've never done before.]

There's also the little matter of crafting the screw. Now, Nick doesn't have Crafts: Woodwork but can she use her other Crafts + YouTube HowTo + workshop to make an attempt?

If successful, Nick can then take it to Van Hess, treat the screw, then fix it to the head of the driver. Done.

Seems reasonable that Westchapel accepts various qualities of Tass in exchange for "properly calibrated" fuel cells. Probably has a fairly simple micro-reactor that can be connected to any electric motor, for example, too. Might want to make sure the motor can handle the power supply, though.

As for the benefits of Tass, using Quintessence (such as Tass) generally lowers difficulty, rather than giving autosuccesses.

Seems reasonable that Westchapel accepts various qualities of Tass in exchange for "properly calibrated" fuel cells. Probably has a fairly simple micro-reactor that can be connected to any electric motor, for example, too. Might want to make sure the motor can handle the power supply, though. Wink

Yeah that works.

As for the benefits of Tass, using Quintessence (such as Tass) generally lowers difficulty, rather than giving autosuccesses.

Yes Quintessence lowers diff.

Well, we did discuss this before; it's logical that each Tradition has it's 'favoured type(s)' of Tass and when it controls a Chantry/Node, it produces said type [and the Etherites being some form of battery, perhaps similar to ones used by the Union]. So there's a bit of a backround trade going on [Serge might want Tass he could eat or something]. One of those annoyances of the Mage world, like in RL we have to deal with different types of electrical plug.

Not really there is so much difference between the members of a Tradition. Jeffry for example would not favor the same type of Quintessence as Nico. Etherites also are so diverse so they would not have a standard type. Someone working with orgone energy would not need Tass in the same from as a Ethernaut using basically Star Trek Tech.

Anyway, if she can get 'Ether batteries' from Westchapel, can we assume Nick's got a holder for it and can affix it correctly to the driver? [Doesn't the use of Tass give automatic successes or something? This is something I've never done before.]

Lowers diff but yes we can do that.

There's also the little matter of crafting the screw. Now, Nick doesn't have Crafts: Woodwork but can she use her other Crafts + YouTube HowTo + workshop to make an attempt?

Yes I will allow that.

If successful, Nick can then take it to Van Hess, treat the screw, then fix it to the head of the driver. Done.

That works.

Not really there is so much difference between the members of a Tradition. Jeffry for example would not favor the same type of Quintessence as Nico. Etherites also are so diverse so they would not have a standard type. Someone working with orgone energy would not need Tass in the same from as a Ethernaut using basically Star Trek Tech.

I did say 'favoured type(s)', plural. If every Etherite used different/unique Tass configurations they'd spend all their time re-inventing the wheel, which would be pointless if there was no clear benefit to doing so. Plus, it makes no sense. Every ship in the Fleet, weapon, machine etc would have unique settings and 'fuel' which would be the logistical nightmare from hell. It would be like if every Hermetic made up their hand gestures and picked whatever language they fancied to be the 'magickal' one. [Perhaps not limited to simply making up a 'language'].

Perhaps a clarification is needed. Tass has two elements, right - 'form' and 'flavour' [for want of better terms]? The first bit is the physical shape/condition it is in - water, a crystal, mushroom, a rock - while the flavour is what resonance [if any] the Tass holds. Therefore, it's quite possible that [for example] the Hermetics have a few favoured forms of Tass [like crystals, gems etc] but they all have their unique flavour.


As for doing the fitting of the driver, perhaps you should to the roll(s) here to see if it works? After all, Nick would not report to go with a broken tool...

This is one of the main reason WHY the Sons of Ether left the Union, they did nto want to be one steamlined bunch, and each of them do re invent the wheel. The Sons of Ether is nto in any way uniform. The only things the Etherite have in common is that they practice what is called fringe science, but what that science is vary so much. A person who use orgone energy makes devices just encasing crystals and metal in natural resin, a Ethernaught might have a seam driven ship or they might have a Star Trek like ship or they might go completely science fantasy with magitech. You have biologists who use odd medicine the list go on and on they are nto streamlined, them all re inventing the wheel for themselves is part of the core idea with the Sons of Ether.

Or to put it like this Samuel Hahnemann, Wilhelm Reich, Nikola Tesla, Victor Frankenstein and Geordi La Forge would all be Etherites in the World of Darkness, they would not use the same tools.

Every ship in the fleet do use different ypes of fuel and is made in different ways, some are Star Trek like spaceships some are frigates who sail on the Ether winds. The Sons of Ether basiclaly collected all the findge science pracitioners of the Order of Reason and when they where ordere to be mroe uniform they left, that the Union wanted to ban the use of Ether was just the final straw. The Sons of Ether are a gathering of fringe scienteists they can nto use one another's stuff more often than not.

Yes Tass is Quintessence given physical form so it will have a form, which can be anything and just like all other Quintessence it have a Resonance as well.

I can do the rolls for the tool. Let me see three sucsesses, that is enough to have done a pretty good job at it so the tool should work.

This is one of the main reason WHY the Sons of Ether left the Union, they did nto want to be one steamlined bunch, and each of them do re invent the wheel. The Sons of Ether is nto in any way uniform. The only things the Etherite have in common is that they practice what is called fringe science, but what that science is vary so much. A person who use orgone energy makes devices just encasing crystals and metal in natural resin, a Ethernaught might have a seam driven ship or they might have a Star Trek like ship or they might go completely science fantasy with magitech. You have biologists who use odd medicine the list go on and on they are nto streamlined, them all re inventing the wheel for themselves is part of the core idea with the Sons of Ether.

That... makes no sense.

Nick, after having all those lessons on Science etc at the Academy, is then to take a big hammer to her head to forget it all? She is *not* to copy any designs she was taught by her mentor(s), *not* allowed to look in journals like Helmsman, Paradigma etc for new designs for tech and certainty not allowed to buy any texts with blueprints of 'tried and tested' inventions [like EtherGoggles] in it.

Look, I get they're not a unified group [though not even the Union is] but there will surely be de facto basic standards, at least within each faction. For example, most Ethernauts trained at Quebec [like Nick] and thus, they'd have roughly the same syllabus even over decades, Professor Z's 'Etheric Engines' manual is considered the 'definitive text' on the subject etc. Like trains like; our new biologist is taught by older biologists and so on - and newbie ends up with a concentrated dollop of 'best practice' from their seniors.

Etherites don't want to 'remake the wheel' - they want to invent a better one.


Thanks for the roll.

It makes perfect sense to me. The Sons of Ether is a collection of disperate fringe scientist and nto one uniform mass that makes every sense in the world.

Sons of Ethr do not have an acadamy that educate all of their students to do things one way, some groups like the Ethernauths have such academies that teach those of the same group to do things the same way but far more often Etherites are taught by a Mentor one a one or one basis or in a small class studying under one Mentor.

Off course Nicole can use what she learned, she studied at the Ethernaught Acadamy did she not? What I am saying is that most Etherites did not go to that school and will not do it the same way. No one is saying Nicole can not use her education off course she can, what I am saying is that the next Etherite she meet more likely than not will not do things the same way.

The Paradigma post articles from all sort of different Paradigms, it is sort of in the same, and there is allot of inspiration to be found there but that do not mean Etherites do things in a uniform way.

Some factions have more standards than others but even there it is allot of difference but most Etherites trained at the same school and can understand one another but that do not mean they can easilly work with someone from another faction. What you seam to not grasp is that the idea of what is real and not will vary allot, each Etherite have their own Paradigm. A old school homeopatist will not understand how a Star Trek like Etherite do things and vice versa.

The thing is the Etherites will never be able to agree on what a better wheel is so each one of them will make one for themselves with a collection of knowledg that work for them.

It makes no sense that the Etherites have no standardization - more likely, they have something to the tune of half a dozen (more or less compatible) sets of standards that they teach; for example, an internal combustion principle pumping Etheric oil (liquid Tass, not to be confused with the mundane stuff) into a combustion chamber for generating propulsion or electricity, solid state batteries (crystalline Tass in a standardized casing), and so on. After all, if there were no standardization, the various Etherships would be three and a half nightmares trying to refuel - but they have standardized fuel tanks and systems allowing other Etherites to perform maintenance without too much of a fuss.

Again, I'm not suggesting the Etherites are completely homogenous - far from it - but they would have certain more or less formal disciplines or schools of engineering with their own standards, and most Etherites of Adept rank or higher would likely be at least familiar with most, even if they might dismiss them as "incorrect interpretations of the readings" or something, and stick to the models they can work with.

Etherites would, I think, be more diverse than the Order of Hermes in terms of paradigms, but at the same time, a lot more precise in the distinctions and the similarities between the "established" paradigms of the Society.

It makes no sense that the Etherites have no standardization - more likely, they have something to the tune of half a dozen (more or less compatible) sets of standards that they teach; for example, an internal combustion principle pumping Etheric oil (liquid Tass, not to be confused with the mundane stuff) into a combustion chamber for generating propulsion or electricity, solid state batteries (crystalline Tass in a standardized casing), and so on. After all, if there were no standardization, the various Etherships would be three and a half nightmares trying to refuel - but they have standardized fuel tanks and systems allowing other Etherites to perform maintenance without too much of a fuss.

Some groups have standardized systems but remember that unlike for example the Order of Hermes who other than House Ex Misc have one Paradigm and then personal falvor to that, and the Cultists who are connected though the idea of working magick though changing their states of mind, the unifying principle of the Etherites is fringe science. But the thing is fringe science can be homeopathy, raising the dead though electicity, strange medicine, Star Trek like tech, steam based tech and so on. It is a little hard for a old school homeopathy doctor to maintain a hyper science Umbra ship engine.

Again, I'm not suggesting the Etherites are completely homogenous - far from it - but they would have certain more or less formal disciplines or schools of engineering with their own standards, and most Etherites of Adept rank or higher would likely be at least familiar with most, even if they might dismiss them as "incorrect interpretations of the readings" or something, and stick to the models they can work with.

What is says in the Tradition books is that most Etherites have methods and theories that seldom go past their own school or even their own lineage. A orgonite user would not learn how to use a steam engine for example, and there is allot of arguments because while all Etherites see what they do as Science with a big S they do not always see what others do as Science. Yes setting wise in M20 most of the toher styles have been ignored in favor of making Etherites more Steampunk so in the new M20 setting they are more uniform but in Second Edition they are very diverse. A homeopathy user for example would demand that a Tass battery be diluted, a Steam engineer would want to boil it into seam and so on.

Etherships is a bit different since you have a school of Ethernauts and they are taught at least how other Etherites make their ships so it would be a bit more uniform but Etherites in general are all over the place.

Etherites would, I think, be more diverse than the Order of Hermes in terms of paradigms, but at the same time, a lot more precise in the distinctions and the similarities between the "established" paradigms of the Society.

Some of them are fairly close to establised ideas and some of them differ allot from them. You can have a machisnist who just is a bit better with machines and who is fairly close to conventional scinece and then we have the doctor who heal your thorn of arm in a chamber made of mtal, resin and crystals...scratch the crystals if he is old school.