ramblings-from-the-ether

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Prohibition AU | Character Profile: Percy

When it comes to criminal affairs, a strong external ally can be just as vital to a racket as the strength of the racketeer themselves; and when it comes to strength of any kind, Detective Percival King is as good as anyone can ask for. Having left the lead-littered ruins of the Great War behind her, Percy now battles to maintain peace and safety in the criminal boiling pot that is the United States, under the overwatch of a deal made with a certain crime family.

Background.

Born in a village bordering Cambrai, Percival King was dropped right into the middle of the Belle Époque, and her life in France was largely defined by a short-lived era of societal overhauls and tumultuous politics. Gifted with a preternatural precocity and a portfolio of peculiar interests which included masonry, engineering, law, and swordplay, she swiftly and thoroughly took to educating herself on all topics immediately and potentially relevant to her life, before it was so violently disrupted by the advent of the Great War.

When war arrived in France and the German army struck Cambrai, Percy took it upon herself to help her country fight back in any manner possible. Usually, this involved playing the role of field medic, building and repairing makeshift fortifications ad nauseam, and even manning the guns and mortars herself, if not duelling enemy combatants in person. She had long become accustomed to the rhythms and rituals of battle by the time she was forced to evacuate by the oncoming Battle of Cambrai.

Following the scorching of the city and the German forces’ retreat, and after managing a sincere—if vain—attempt to restore her hometown, Percy eventually followed a close friend to the States in search of new opportunities. Managing to bring along an entire mortar from the battlefield, she soon landed a career in law enforcement in the small, border-facing Sweet Jazz City, where her talent for crime-fighting and fighting in general soon attracted the attention of the city’s most prominent crime family. And thankfully, one more interested in peace and order than violence…somewhat.

Relations.

Despite taking a healthy caution in regards to the members of Bliss Ocean, Percy does have her share of attachments within its ranks. Chief of which are her surrogate affection for Molly Blyndeff and her close friends, as well as her unexpected acquaintance with Professional Lying Rat Bastard™ Ramsey Murdoch, who occasionally helps her administrate the balance of order and chaos in the city.

Deeper within Bliss Ocean’s ranks, Percy often remains contentious towards the family’s less savoury members, but she does hold some duty of care for the younger Sylvie and Giovanni, as well as recognising and highly respecting the former’s precocious talent, and she does her best to reciprocate Rick and Indus’ endless (if unsettling) friendliness towards her. She keeps her distance otherwise, but expressly appreciates what loose morality and discipline the family occasionally displays.

Bliss Ocean Report.

It’s nothing new for criminal syndicates to pay off or work with the slouches and sleazebags of law enforcement to dodge the ire of its more thorough officers, especially come the legislative fustercluck that is the Eighteenth Amendment. However, when along comes a detective so lightning-minded, so capable yet eccentric, so dedicated and yet empathic as Percival King, how could I not chance the risks to add her boon to our family’s firepower?

Far and away one of the most capable members of Sweet Jazz City’s police force, all of Detective King’s apparent quirks seem to disappear in the heat of battle behind a commanding assuredness and flurry of combat prowess. Her military history is readily visible in her tactical wit and preference for the longsword over conventional urban weaponry, and for someone with such a seemingly absurd moral code, she can be deceptively pragmatic and crafty in combat, especially when lives are at stake.

Having had the great pleasure of discussing civil matters with the great detective on several occasions, her unique mind stands out even past the little absurdities of her personality, and perhaps even in service to them. She has a distinctly…three-dimensional perspective to things, both in and out of combat, directly informed by her passion for engineering and extensive experience in rural warfare. Even her defensive, counter-focused fighting style and acrobatic skill seem apparent to me in our conversations, in the way she observes and reacts to situations.

Dr. Ashling and I can best describe Percy’s psychological profile as…’circular’. Every part of her craft, skillset, and fighting style owes itself to, and in turn heavily influences, every other part of her mindset and personality. Perhaps this interconnected web of principles, insights, and spatial awareness is also the explanation for the fact that she owns a mortar. A…mortar. From the war. A mortar that—perhaps fortunately so—sees little use in her line of work…so far. Time will tell whether her symbiosis with our little syndicate will necessitate its deployment once more.

On the subject of her relationship as a police detective to Bliss Ocean, though…being honest, I’m not worried. As I’ve said, Percy can be surprisingly pragmatic, and so far she’s been more than willing to look at things from my perspective. More importantly, she trusts my word, and recognises the value in our grip over the city’s underworld. She’s even begun to acquaint herself with some of our family, most notably Molly, for…what I suppose are obvious reasons. In any case, it’ll be interesting indeed to see how we can fully utilise her unique capabilities…

- Naven

[ramblings-from-the-ether]

Not much to ramble today but imagine Frostpunk 2 but reskinned so you are essentially rebuilding Deepwood Country following the Aminata Disaster.

Instead of clearing ice, perhaps now you are clearing wildland in a way that does not over damage the environment (or instead choose to clear it all out) while juggling massive corporate powers funding your city project, and managing intercommunal tensions boiling over as in the original game (but perhaps with a greater emphasis on class conflict and intersectionality with environmentalism and other causes that could be depicted).

Each type of district in FP2 already has a unique colour in the UI; with Deepwood Country's coloured lights having meaning, this new Deepwood Simulation could see multicoloured districts lighting up the dark.

Also perhaps the secret police reskinned are basically the white-robed lethal enforcers.

[ramblings-from-the-ether]

May I please use all these cool headcanons in my fics?

Sure! We love to see what you can come up with, do leave us a note when you do.

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One day a portal opens between Taiga Country (or any other EE country if you so desire) and yours, what do you imagine happening?

Do you imagine awkward-til-tension-defusing cultural exchanges? How can you imagine world logic varrying for those that cross here and there? What food would Howie Honeyglow approve of from your homeland?

Under what circumstances and story do you imagine seeing your favourite EE character across the street, how would you meet?

[ramblings-from-the-ether]

One idea in including Phoenica Fleecity as a noticed background character could be to pose it as "oh dear, the general's kid is with us" and the background story of how she gets along (or not) with the other children (of various less fortunate backgrounds), and ends up becoming friends with Molly (another background character now).

Then, when the Soldiers' Outpost is met, the news may be brought that Percy's mentor/father figure and Feenie's dad are dead; the latter in the outpost which offers Feenie the chance to leave to pay her respects for a bonus in relations with the rogue soldiers' junta (making it possible to make a devil's deal with the outpost). If the outpost is to be raided, Feenie may be at risk.

EE Frostpunk AU (Pt2)

What if instead of finding a generator site (since Percy's evacuating group was just sent in a random direction to prevent overcrowding the other generator sites), they crashed into the side of a dormant volcano/exposed 'geothermal vent' (following the theory that the Great Frost was partially caused by overpowered eruptions of Krakatoa).

Thus, the initial gameplay quest involves finishing an abandoned not-quite-complete geothermal power plant project to act as a heat source.

Perhaps later in the story it was determined that they would not have enough steam cores or other unique resources (even after a few side quests in exploration) to upgrade the completed plant to a degree that it can fully heat an above ground settlement. Thus bringing in a dilemma:

1) *Scrapping the damaged dreadnought* that brought Percy's people here for critical parts (and thus removing the possibility of a 'safe' escape into the frostland and a second chance)

2) *Raid a nearby outpost* that the former scientists who built the site escaped to that is run by a military junta (posing a moral question of stealing to survive plus the element of does standing against evil permit unrestrained measures for one's own interests)*.

*Here is another potential to include Bliss Ocean reforming and proposing negotiating with the junta or destabilising the junta, or to negotiate with the scientists who's support is an unknown variable

3) *Maintain both* the subpar (but still remarkably working) geothermal plant and the damaged dreadnaught as heat sources. While the heat output of both is smaller than with a single generator tower, at least the entire settlement does not rely on only one heat source plus the future possibility that the damaged land dreadnaught could be rebuilt (when enough materials are made available in the future).

4) (Unlockable if Percy/The Player permits the risky expansion of underground chambers to redirect the flow of heat to cover a wider area**) *Using the big drills* found in caved-in French rail tunnels, dig larger tunnels and 'safer' chambers to allow people to live between the hot magma below and the cold surface above.

**Consequences may include small spots of the settlement map becoming off-limits to construction as geysers burst through the loosened earth.

[ramblings-from-the-ether]

EE Frostpunk AU (Pt2)

What if instead of finding a generator site (since Percy's evacuating group was just sent in a random direction to prevent overcrowding the other generator sites), they crashed into the side of a dormant volcano/exposed 'geothermal vent' (following the theory that the Great Frost was partially caused by overpowered eruptions of Krakatoa).

Thus, the initial gameplay quest involves finishing an abandoned not-quite-complete geothermal power plant project to act as a heat source.

Perhaps later in the story it was determined that they would not have enough steam cores or other unique resources (even after a few side quests in exploration) to upgrade the completed plant to a degree that it can fully heat an above ground settlement. Thus bringing in a dilemma:

1) *Scrapping the damaged dreadnought* that brought Percy's people here for critical parts (and thus removing the possibility of a 'safe' escape into the frostland and a second chance)

2) *Raid a nearby outpost* that the former scientists who built the site escaped to that is run by a military junta (posing a moral question of stealing to survive plus the element of does standing against evil permit unrestrained measures for one's own interests)*.

*Here is another potential to include Bliss Ocean reforming and proposing negotiating with the junta or destabilising the junta, or to negotiate with the scientists who's support is an unknown variable

3) *Maintain both* the subpar (but still remarkably working) geothermal plant and the damaged dreadnaught as heat sources. While the heat output of both is smaller than with a single generator tower, at least the entire settlement does not rely on only one heat source plus the future possibility that the damaged land dreadnaught could be rebuilt (when enough materials are made available in the future).

4) (Unlockable if Percy/The Player permits the risky expansion of underground chambers to redirect the flow of heat to cover a wider area**) *Using the big drills* found in caved-in French rail tunnels, dig larger tunnels and 'safer' chambers to allow people to live between the hot magma below and the cold surface above.

**Consequences may include small spots of the settlement map becoming off-limits to construction as geysers burst through the loosened earth.

[ramblings-from-the-ether]

Percy's sword is a relic some stowaway smuggled on board the land dreadnought (battleship-sized evacuation vehicle), I can imagine it ending up becoming her symbol of authority as interim-then-undisputed captain of the settlement she builds.

Perhaps if we want a thematic representation of tension, we could borrow some Sword of Damocles visual by installing a downwards facing sword design in the front of the generator. And when Percy makes a speech in front of it, the perspective from below the stage should make a striking visual.

Anyways, if the entire Epithet Erased cast is here... Bliss Ocean definitely makes an interesting challenge gameplay-wise (imagine this story as a scenario in Frostpunk 1).

Idea: Frostpunk (1) AU

Just imagine Percival King as the Captain of a generator outpost of meant-to-perish evacuees (their evacuation land dreadnaught was sent off in a random direction to increase the chances of the Rich's survival) consisting of children, not the most compliant young adults, and criminals without conviction (no time to hunt down assassins or artifact thieves when the world is ending).

[ramblings-from-the-ether]

Idea: Frostpunk (1) AU

Just imagine Percival King as the Captain of a generator outpost of meant-to-perish evacuees (their evacuation land dreadnaught was sent off in a random direction to increase the chances of the Rich's survival) consisting of children, not the most compliant young adults, and criminals without conviction (no time to hunt down assassins or artifact thieves when the world is ending).

[ramblings-from-the-ether]

Prohibition AU | Character Profile: Giovanni

The Roaring Twenties is a time of conflict, crime, and chaos—but chaos is opportunity, and the inexplicably salmon-haired Giovanni Potage is a professional agent of it. Currently under Naven’s employ after falling out with a much larger gang, he leads the majority of Bliss Ocean’s soldiers with little other than a vandalised baseball bat, a cooking pot of tricks, and a reckless confidence only matched by his sheer dumb luck and unconventional faculties.

Background.

Giovanni Potage was born to a small immediate family of two mothers in the Chinese diaspora of the US, and close relatives to the legendary crime family known as the Roughhouses. His upbringing was largely informed by honoured family traditions and festive gatherings, the ripples of the Great War overseas, and the growing cultural obsessions of baseball and motorsports in the States. The values of respect, diligence, and unity were deeply instilled in him since childhood, just as much as his taste for brazen rebellion and troublesome aptitude for making a weapon out of anything he could pick up.

Hungry for excitement, surrounded by an extended family versed in crime, and perpetually cruising for a bruising, Giovanni was soon enveloped by a strange aspiration: To become the greatest criminal name in the United States of America. He quickly found himself in a notorious, nationwide criminal group known as the Banzai Blasters, where his natural charisma and unusual, uncanny instincts would soon earn him a small company of deathly-loyal soldiers and an early promotion to captain (and help him to survive the job, at that!)

Giovanni first met Naven by proxy of Molly, who he had befriended early into the Prohibition during an operation gone-awry, and who he proceeded to protect from the chaos of said operation. When the organisational fallout of that night’s events revealed to him the true penny-pinching, dog-eat-dog mentality that suffused the Banzai Blasters’ ranks, Giovanni swiftly left the gang, bringing along his loyal crew of “boys” and a gang-spanning grudge with him. Naven quickly saw the unique assets and potential of the young rogue, and would soon approach him with a new, once-in-a-lifetime job offer. And what kind of aspiring criminal legend could refuse?

Relations.

Though he serves Naven and Bliss Ocean with diligence, Giovanni’s loyalties lie ultimately with his own “boys”. Notable among them is his younger cousin Trixie, of the Roughhouse crime family; as well as the resident foundling, Molly Blyndeff, who he has developed a remarkable compassion for, even serving as a sort of surrogate guardian towards her in her family’s absence. By proxy of the two, he also maintains a somewhat rivalrous acquaintance with Phoenica Fleecity and Dr. Sylvester Ashling.

Within the family’s inner rankings, Giovanni’s almost aggressive amiability—and frankly, his utter lack of social awareness—have also earned him the friendship of the equally-eccentric Rick Shades, the ever-friendly Indus Tarbella, and even a somewhat-amused Zora Salazar. As a largely-amateur criminal, he also admires and is close acquaintances with one Ramsey Murdoch, who has (resignedly) taken to mentoring Giovanni and “making sure the kid doesn’t get himself killed”.

Bliss Ocean Report.

In a business where saying or doing the wrong thing can cost you immeasurably, secrecy and anonymity tend to be valued luxuries; which I suppose is why my colleagues in the underworld find so perplexing my decision to place the notoriously loud, painfully unsubtle Giovanni Potage under my employ. But I do have my reasons, and he does have his traits that set him apart from the common gangster.

Given the young villain’s penchant for making general mayhem, it’s easy to miss just how excellent Giovanni is at making targeted mayhem when he wants to, especially when working in tandem with a team (or a teammate, failing that). Though not necessarily a gifted strategist, Giovanni is a remarkable improviser with seemingly no bounds to his creativity in combat, capable of fashioning life-saving plans out of the most ridiculous of circumstances. His talent with his favourite baseball bat especially is not to be underestimated…although his choice of embellishments for the signature weapon (knives??) can certainly be questionable.

Giovanni also appears to possess some stranger attributes which admittedly interest me somewhat, on top of simply being quite useful. Catastrophe seems to tail the teen wherever he’s directed to create chaos, but no matter the destruction that inevitably befalls the crime scene, he’s never been dragged away with more than a dozen or so scrapes and bruises (and the occasional concussion or dislocated shoulder). Ramsey pins the blame for the damage done on his “lucky” number, 13, which the otherwise-chronically dyscalculic Giovanni keeps count of with a strange obsession. Given his uncanny survivability and tendency to inflict the most devastating attacks at nigh-miraculous moments, I’d argue the accursed number is what’s keeping him alive.

Then there is the matter of…Giovanni’s soup. His soup, which is not only the strongest and spiciest I have ever smelled and tasted of a meal (and seasoned to perfection as far as anyone can attest), but also capable of spontaneous resuscitation, temporary adrenaline production, and sometimes even a minor increase to natural healing. Giovanni has attempted to explain this away as the work of a ��family recipe’, which explains…well, nothing, and the effects aren’t even always consistent or guaranteed. Nonetheless, he’s never seen without a cooking pot full of it on hand, and he swears it has been a major boon in those missions that come to bullets and blows. I still dare not challenge this claim.

But Giovanni’s greatest asset to us, by far, is his charisma and his compassion. Just during his time working for the Banzai Blasters alone, he’s managed to earn the veritably undying loyalty of six of his peers, largely simply by being true to himself and kind to those around him. He has also taken it upon himself to care for our goddaughter Molly, who I think could benefit from his guidance and infectious confidence more than anyone…despite his criminal aspirations. Giovanni Potage is a chaotic, contradictory character indeed, a wild card to be sure; and personally, I’m almost as eager as I am nervous to see what becomes of his career in Bliss Ocean.

- Naven

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This isn't an AU idea or anything, but I do think it's neat how Giovanni's lucky number is 13, and Molly gets the best bit of good fortune she's had in years in chapter 13 of PoP

A very good catch!

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We had a gag where the target is a mafia boss fleeing (upon hearing news that Zora is coming) into his car; And Zora turns from the driver's seat saying "hella fellas!".

(Cut to external camera shot) Car proceeds to shake violently with muffled screams.

[ramblings-from-the-ether]

Prohibition AU | Character Profile: Molly

The silent, stress-shouldering youngest of a widowed toymaker, eternally-exhausted Molly Blyndeff does her best to occupy as little space as possible in a time where even space is often sought after. Molly spends her days toiling to maintain her family’s finances and keep them above the poverty line, but come nightfall, Bliss Ocean’s goddaughter and errand girl finds an unconventional respite in the operation of a different resource: information.

Background.

Born the younger sister of a prodigious teen actor and puppeteer favoured by their father, Molly is quite used to going through life unseen and unheard, especially after the death of her mother, whom she was closer to than anyone. In the years that followed, she was forcibly thrown the responsibilities of her household and of running their small, family-owned toy business for income’s sake, earning her a necessitated knack for diplomacy and administration.

She first met the illustrious Naven Nuknuk taking pictures with him during one of his PR campaigns, directed towards helping the needy in Sweet Jazz City; where her disillusioned deportment and striking ability to garner sympathy from the press would catch his attention (and later, so would the exact circumstances of her home life). They became fast friends outside of work, and he would later go on to foster, support, and even mentor Molly in her neglectful family’s stead.

Molly’s first real brush with crime presented itself when she inexplicably found herself in the midst of a frantic firefight between one Giovanni Potage’s old gang and the ever-zealous Dr. Sylvester Ashling, and even more inexplicably when she managed to befriend both individuals in the end. Naven’s discovery of this event would mark the beginning of Molly’s induction into Bliss Ocean’s far outer circle, where her skills in subterfuge and gathering intelligence would be put to good use in return for some much-needed additional income.

Relations.

Even before working for Bliss Ocean, Molly had a tight-knit friendship with Trixie Roughhouse and Phoenica Fleecity, both youngest members of their respective legendary families. Her unexpected sibling bond with Dr. Sylvester Ashling and aspiring gangster Giovanni Potage was also the catalyst for her honorary induction into Bliss Ocean, and the two of them have had a major positive impact on Molly’s perception of herself.

Molly’s penchant for diplomacy and general affability has also helped her ingratiate herself with even Bliss Ocean’s inner circles. Detective Percival King and Ramsey Murdoch especially found a sort of surrogate affection for her, supporting and nurturing her as such. Other members of the family—Rick Shades, Mera Salamin, and even Zora Salazar, to be precise—have developed a kinship with the troubled young girl, occasionally providing her emotional (and sometimes physical) support.

Bliss Ocean Report.

Truth be told, I do feel some guilt over involving the young Blyndeff in such a perilous trade, but my avenues for supporting her otherwise are limited, and Molly has made it quite clear herself that she’d prefer it over continuing to endure her current circumstances. Regardless, she’ll only be gathering information and running some small errands; ideally, she shouldn’t ever be in much danger, if at all.

I want to say I was taken aback at just how swimmingly Molly’s taken to her new job, but given her already-tumultuous home life, I’m not sure how surprised by her adaptability I really should be. From her field reports, it seems she has a remarkable administrative talent, able to quickly assess her surroundings and parse out any potential assets and liabilities she sees. And yet, her still-unexplainable ability to elude notice and disappear from view at the drop of a hat has become even more apparent.

After getting to know her better, it’s become rather obvious that Molly hates attention and prefers to appear as unremarkable as possible. But she’s clearly an empathetic person; she knows how people think and see her, and she knows how to take advantage of it. She wields a people-pleasing smile and an aversion to conflict better than many politicians I’ve met, and it’s always a delight seeing her practise her craft in less stressful situations. In fact, I’ve recently taken it upon myself to personally teach her additional communication skills; given time and practice, I believe she could make quite a masterful diplomat.

What troubles me still regarding Molly is her passivity. Her recent years have been more difficult than anyone deserves, and the one thing she has to show for it is an incredibly potent set of skills that could drastically improve her circumstances if nurtured and used properly, but she clearly views them more as a means of survival and protecting herself than as tools for change and gain. But they are tools, very powerful ones, and the fact that her unforgiving home life has forced her to use them almost solely to defend herself saddens me greatly.

If there’s any solace to be had, Molly’s situation is improving, if slowly. She’s bonded quite well with the rest of Bliss Ocean, and I believe those connections are good for her. Giovanni was already encouraging her to use her skills more proactively, something I absolutely advocate for, and Sylvie, Percy, and even Ramsey have taken to supporting her in lieu of her family. Perhaps with time, and with their help, the future will finally see things getting better for her.

- Naven

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Thank you for the positive feedback.

Stink & his Host are meant either as a campaign end-boss or something akin to an environmental hazard. You can't fight him unless you've got an army of your own (or are game-breakingly OP), but you can evade or turn his attention elsewhere if you're clever.

For example, if you say that the Halo Corp's Chairman of the Board has been trying to copy or upstage him, & provide enough evidence that they are actually doing it, he will turn his Host around to rampage into Halo Corp territory until he finds the Chairman (or gets distracted again), leaving you alone for the time being. Stuff like that.

Very Nice

I like how you're making side-quests now.

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Deranged ramblings about Dark Zone!Stink LET'S GOOO!: "The Nightmare Child" is a title whispered in hushed tones across the world. There are very few things all the inhabitants agree upon, save one: If you see a small 11-year-old boy with spiky black hair wandering around wielding a sword with strange energy readings, RUN. His "family" is not far behind. Ever-twisting Anomalies that feed & grow off of each other, corrupted machinery and subverted Hive organisms blend machine & metal into horrifying techoorganic forms, bands of deranged Mutants, hordes of zombies, madmen & more all congregate around their child-emperor of the Dark. Worse still, there are rumors of a Consortium member who acts as a doctor & surgeon to his horde in exchange for not being fed to "Stonk", a large skeletal monster of unknown origin who serves as Stink's best friend/ mount/ advisor/ pet he feeds whoever makes him angry to. The Host of the Nightmare is the largest singular force in the post-collapse world. Other major factions do have larger armies, but cannot mobilize the necessary forces to quash the horde of madmen without leaving themselves vulnerable. It would take a multi-factional alliance to bring them down, and even then there would be heavy casualties. They are seen as the return of the conquering hordes of antiquity, and of mankind's folly & mistakes coming up to destroy them.

As for the Nightmare Child himself? "Capricious" would be the best word to describe the perpetual adolescent. He is prone to flights of fancy, one moment ranting over another child from a Federation settlement being mean to him (which usually ends in his horde razing the entire settlement in revenge) to spotting "cool new friends" (a Machine Beast pack who had the misfortune to land in his crosshairs), causing him to forget about their earlier source of his ire.

The Host of the Nightmare & their leader are not invincible, however. The strange properties of the sword & its wielder may give the Anomalies "knighted" by them sentience & movement, but they must feed on living beings regularly or risk starvation. Artifacts (particularly Growth-related ones) can harm them even via proximity. And said Anomalies are the ones protecting their King from being sniped... The aforementioned sword is what gives Stink the ability to ignore the Dark Zone's contamination. It will not vanish instantly, & he can still command his horde, but keep it away from him for long enough & he will, ironically, die from exposure to his "family".

(Any thoughts? Questions? Did I make him too OP?)

We actually appreciate this! Although you aren't really making a character that fits the character creation process of the setting's CYOA, you have created something / someone that fits into the setting; and that (worldbuilding) is something we can respect.

We further enjoy the character dynamic/'mechanics' done here.

[ramblings-from-the-ether]

Holy Helheim I just realised he could turn Beefton into a stand. How have I been so foolish

New Moves: Sylvie

Molly

Giovanni

Some ideas for potential ways Sylvie could learn to use his moves, as well as potential new moves and abilities he could learn in the future!

Sleeping Sand (Upgrade): As Sylvie's Proficiency increases, he can learn to use his sleeping dust in more ways. He can imbue them into weapons and objects, causing them to make enemies drowsy on impact. He could learn to manipulate and levitate it, controlling its flow and releasing it in fumes or clouds. He could even sling it at his enemies from a distance (think Sandman from Rise of the Guardians).

Nightmare Fuel (Upgrade): As Sylvie's powers develop, he can learn to use Nightmare Fuel on more targets at a time, and he can even shape their nightmares into different forms: He can summon creatures of fire and shadow, or even create empowered forms for himself made from their fears.

Dream Big (Upgrade): Sylvie can only summon Dr. Beefton when he's unconscious because his epithet "summons the dreams of drowsy targets". As his Proficiency increases, though, he could learn to use Dream Big at partial strength, conjuring parts of Beefton to aid him temporarily. He could summon armour fashioned from a smaller form of Beefton, increasing his strength as a bonus, or even use his horns as a melee weapon. Effectively, he can draw upon a weaker version of Beefton's powers without the drawback of losing consciousness or becoming completely vulnerable afterwards.

Daydream: Sylvie can wake a sleeping person, rousing them from an unconscious state into a drowsy state.

Dream Catcher: The equal and opposite of Nightmare Fuel. Sylvie can target a drowsy or tired ally, bringing their good dreams to life to aid in combat.

Dream Eater: If Sylvie can summon constructs of another's subconscious, he could destroy them. By hitting someone with his Sleeping Sand or Counting Sheep, he can disorient them enough to break their concentration on an epithet summon.

Sleep Paralysis: By hitting an enemy with a Sleeping Sand-imbued attack, such as his Counting Sheep or a dust projectile, Sylvie can temporarily paralyse them. Works well with Nightmare Fuel.

Somnambulist (Orbit Class Move): Sylvie targets a sleeping person, controlling their body like a puppet. Simple, but cost-efficective and powerful in the right circumstances.

Lucid Dream (Orbit Class Move): Sylvie lulls a target to sleep, summoning forth a dimension from their dreams. People nearby are trapped in the dimension, and people outside can enter at will. Anybody in the dimension becomes part of the target's dream. Sylvie is in the dimension, but doesn't appear in the target's dream, and isn't affected by anything inside it. He can also subtly manipulate the dream as it goes on. The dream dimension is dispelled when the target wakes up, which Sylvie can trigger.

[ramblings-from-the-ether]

Prohibition AU | Character Profile: Molly

The silent, stress-shouldering youngest of a widowed toymaker, eternally-exhausted Molly Blyndeff does her best to occupy as little space as possible in a time where even space is often sought after. Molly spends her days toiling to maintain her family’s finances and keep them above the poverty line, but come nightfall, Bliss Ocean’s goddaughter and errand girl finds an unconventional respite in the operation of a different resource: information.

Background.

Born the younger sister of a prodigious teen actor and puppeteer favoured by their father, Molly is quite used to going through life unseen and unheard, especially after the death of her mother, whom she was closer to than anyone. In the years that followed, she was forcibly thrown the responsibilities of her household and of running their small, family-owned toy business for income’s sake, earning her a necessitated knack for diplomacy and administration.

She first met the illustrious Naven Nuknuk taking pictures with him during one of his PR campaigns, directed towards helping the needy in Sweet Jazz City; where her disillusioned deportment and striking ability to garner sympathy from the press would catch his attention (and later, so would the exact circumstances of her home life). They became fast friends outside of work, and he would later go on to foster, support, and even mentor Molly in her neglectful family’s stead.

Molly’s first real brush with crime presented itself when she inexplicably found herself in the midst of a frantic firefight between one Giovanni Potage’s old gang and the ever-zealous Dr. Sylvester Ashling, and even more inexplicably when she managed to befriend both individuals in the end. Naven’s discovery of this event would mark the beginning of Molly’s induction into Bliss Ocean’s far outer circle, where her skills in subterfuge and gathering intelligence would be put to good use in return for some much-needed additional income.

Relations.

Even before working for Bliss Ocean, Molly had a tight-knit friendship with Trixie Roughhouse and Phoenica Fleecity, both youngest members of their respective legendary families. Her unexpected sibling bond with Dr. Sylvester Ashling and aspiring gangster Giovanni Potage was also the catalyst for her honorary induction into Bliss Ocean, and the two of them have had a major positive impact on Molly’s perception of herself.

Molly’s penchant for diplomacy and general affability has also helped her ingratiate herself with even Bliss Ocean’s inner circles. Detective Percival King and Ramsey Murdoch especially found a sort of surrogate affection for her, supporting and nurturing her as such. Other members of the family—Rick Shades, Mera Salamin, and even Zora Salazar, to be precise—have developed a kinship with the troubled young girl, occasionally providing her emotional (and sometimes physical) support.

Bliss Ocean Report.

Truth be told, I do feel some guilt over involving the young Blyndeff in such a perilous trade, but my avenues for supporting her otherwise are limited, and Molly has made it quite clear herself that she’d prefer it over continuing to endure her current circumstances. Regardless, she’ll only be gathering information and running some small errands; ideally, she shouldn’t ever be in much danger, if at all.

I want to say I was taken aback at just how swimmingly Molly’s taken to her new job, but given her already-tumultuous home life, I’m not sure how surprised by her adaptability I really should be. From her field reports, it seems she has a remarkable administrative talent, able to quickly assess her surroundings and parse out any potential assets and liabilities she sees. And yet, her still-unexplainable ability to elude notice and disappear from view at the drop of a hat has become even more apparent.

After getting to know her better, it’s become rather obvious that Molly hates attention and prefers to appear as unremarkable as possible. But she’s clearly an empathetic person; she knows how people think and see her, and she knows how to take advantage of it. She wields a people-pleasing smile and an aversion to conflict better than many politicians I’ve met, and it’s always a delight seeing her practise her craft in less stressful situations. In fact, I’ve recently taken it upon myself to personally teach her additional communication skills; given time and practice, I believe she could make quite a masterful diplomat.

What troubles me still regarding Molly is her passivity. Her recent years have been more difficult than anyone deserves, and the one thing she has to show for it is an incredibly potent set of skills that could drastically improve her circumstances if nurtured and used properly, but she clearly views them more as a means of survival and protecting herself than as tools for change and gain. But they are tools, very powerful ones, and the fact that her unforgiving home life has forced her to use them almost solely to defend herself saddens me greatly.

If there’s any solace to be had, Molly’s situation is improving, if slowly. She’s bonded quite well with the rest of Bliss Ocean, and I believe those connections are good for her. Giovanni was already encouraging her to use her skills more proactively, something I absolutely advocate for, and Sylvie, Percy, and even Ramsey have taken to supporting her in lieu of her family. Perhaps with time, and with their help, the future will finally see things getting better for her.

- Naven

[ramblings-from-the-ether]

Jane here

Can I draw an eldritch god molly?

Yeah, sure! We ain't yer boss

Excited to see it, though!