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MageofMystra

2014-01-25, 11:43 PM

Mysteries in your SPACE!

In which the galaxy is explored at slow paces, and untold amounts of time is spent referring to tables.

OOC Thread (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=310670)

MageofMystra

2014-01-26, 12:04 AM

For a successful second mission, the party gains two character points.

Shore leave ended with a bang. The ship hobbled back to the Cincinnatus Venture's zone, with the people inside in constant fear of sudden and unexpected ejection.

It wouldn't be a while until more orders from the Hemera Foundation would arrive. First things first, though--you had to figure out what to do with the data, loot, and turncoat. After some analysis and reading, the reports were not good. Not good at all. The Venture had been dealing in some seriously shady stuff--hoarding ruins, smuggling--and some of their test details were not pleasant. At all. It looks like there were a few whistleblowers before, but that didn't work so well--they were crushed, since there didn't exist a body to protect them.

Captain Jagerhorn and the crew arrived in the Cincinnatus executive's office. The executive asked how about what happened to the data...

Captain Jagerhorn had to speak. It was time for him to decide...

Give the data to the executive. Later, tell the crew to delete all copies of the data--they had no right to it, or whatever.
Give the data to the executive. Keep a copy, but tell the executive this.
Give the data to the executive. Don't tell him you copied the data.
Refuse to give the data to the executive--they wiped the drives already!
Refuse to give the data to the executive--outright tell him you're not going to give him the data.

After some more diagnostics done, the crew already knew that the pirates were transferring data to a contact for the New Hanover Foundation. The executive asked if any information was sent. It was time for Captain Jagerhorn to decide...

Lie, and say that the pirates already sent all the data off-world.
Lie, and say that more data was sent than actually was.
Tell him exactly what data was sent.
Lie, and say no data was sent.
Lie, and say you have no idea whether or not the data was sent.

In addition (if applicable):

Tell him the data was sent to the New Hanover Foundation
Lie, and tell him the data was sent to other pirates.
Lie, and say you have no idea where the data went to.

Now as for the turncoat...

Hand over the turncoat to the Venture.
Hand over the turncoat to the Hemera Foundation.
Hand over the turncoat to the New Hanover Foundation.
Keep the turncoat on the Darwin.
Release him on Seoul-A III.
Release him somewhere else (not possible without a massive detour.)

And for the schematics (select all that apply)...

Let's study them!
Let's sell them!
Let's share them!
Let's freely release them!
Let's ransom them!
Let's delete it!

With all of that firmly done, shore leave came to an end when the Hemera Foundation sent a follow-up message, with details on the Darwin's next mission.

There's a small set of wrecks in the Vladivostok system that were long ago surveyed. Oddly, they've noticed activity on behalf of the Ascension Foundation in the wrecks recently--around a similar time as they started working on the Sydney wrecks, it looks like. They're not quite sure what you'll find, but advise you to be on your guard. With any luck, the mission should relatively simple, but they note that it's never that simple...

They also ask you on the details on your mission with the Venture. You can phrase your response and requests in a such a way to...

Gain influence with the Cincinnatus Venture.
Gain influence with the Hemera Foundation.
Gain an extra character point.

It would take a while to get to the wrecks, but luckily, there was a lot of work to do in terms of research. Captain Jagerhorn would have to decide on what research should be performed.

Lastly, Scientist Wilson Robert informs you that he has been reassigned from the Darwin on his request, effective immediately. He expresses disgust with the recent shift in working conditions and environment, and states that he will be returning to Earth as part of a joint research project between the Foundation and MIZET.

EmperorTojo

2014-01-28, 05:35 PM

The crew arrived in the Cincinnatus executive's office. The executive asked how about what happened to the data...

Captain Jagerhorn had to speak. It was time for him to decide...

Give the data to the executive. Later, tell the crew to delete all copies of the data--they had no right to it, or whatever. X
Give the data to the executive. Keep a copy, but tell the executive this.
Give the data to the executive. Don't tell him you copied the data.
Refuse to give the data to the executive--they wiped the drives already!
Refuse to give the data to the executive--outright tell him you're not going to give him the data.
Other. X

Jagerhorn would turn over the data to the Venture for that would be the honorable thing to do. They did shake hands on it. But he would also declare that he knows of its content. As it will be revealed that the data contain quite alot of shady business, Kyosti feels that it is vital to clear Hemara Foundation of any suspicion that they may possibly have altered the data, copied it or otherwise for their own gain. The captain would use his diplomatic skill to assure the executive that its content is of no concern to the foundation, and will not act upon it. Business is business afterall.

After some more diagnostics done, the crew already knew that the pirates were transferring data to a contact for the New Hanover Foundation. The executive asked if any information was sent. It was time for Captain Jagerhorn to decide...

Lie, and say that the pirates already sent all the data off-world.
Lie, and say that more data was sent than actually was.
Tell him exactly what data was sent. X
Lie, and say no data was sent.
Lie, and say you have no idea whether or not the data was sent.

Jagerhorn remains truthful, certain that it is in the Darwin and the Foundation's interest of keeping good relations with the Venture. He would tell him what he knows of the data transfer.

In addition (if applicable):

Tell him the data was sent to the New Hanover Foundation. X
Lie, and tell him the data was sent to other pirates.
Lie, and say you have no idea where the data went to.

He'd also reveal New Hanover Foundation as the culprit. Jagerhorn would try to find out as much as possible of the relationship between the Venture and Hanover. He'd also ensure Hemara Foundation's friendship in this matter and suggest a possible collaboration to counter this threat if it is serious, considering Hanover's use of corporate espionage.

Now as for the turncoat...

Hand over the turncoat to the Venture. X
Hand over the turncoat to the Hemera Foundation.
Hand over the turncoat to the New Hanover Foundation.
Keep the turncoat on the Darwin.
Release him on Seoul-A III.
Release him somewhere else (not possible without a massive detour.)

Kyosti would turn him in as requested, but he was almost certain the turncoat were to be killed. He would subtly suggest the contrary, reasoning that keeping him alive would be more beneficial considering his value and connection to the New Hanover Foundation.

And for the schematics (select all that apply)...

Let's study them! X
Let's sell them! X
Let's share them!
Let's freely release them!
Let's ransom them! X
Let's delete it!

Captain Jagerhorn wish the schematics studied, to find out how useful they are. Hopefully they are worth selling and ransoming at some point.

They also ask you on the details on your mission with the Venture. You can phrase your response and requests in a such a way to...

Gain influence with the Cincinnatus Venture. X
Gain influence with the Hemera Foundation.
Gain an extra character point.

The captain praises the mission's success and the excellent performance of his crew. He'd also, however, highlight the Venture and subtly give them a good word, as well as the advantage of a future alliance of sorts between the two corporations.

In addition, Kyosti would attempt to appease the Venture further and request an immediate replacement for his resigning weapons engineer from the corporation. Hopefully this could also assist in building a strong relationship between the two, but the captain also desired a weapons engineer who was quite capable and able to work with the schematics they have since heavy weapons would be his field most likely. Although it is dubious they might do this, Kyosti would also be willing to pay for the hire. Additionally, if the Venture were to really grant him this he would also be careful they aren't giving him an intelligence officer tasked with informing his superiors or anything of that sort. He may even request two, since the duo they had were quite a concern to the captain.

It would take a while to get to the wrecks, but luckily, there was a lot of work to do in terms of research. Captain Jagerhorn would have to decide on what research should be performed.

Kyosti would advocate researching the schematics to maximum capability. He wished for the scientists to develop better schematics based on the ones they had, in hopes of achieving superior weapon schematics. He'd also note his interest of making a profit out of this. Although the captain imagines not everyone can work on this single task, he would leave the decision on what to research to the chief scientist.

Lastly, Scientist Wilson Robert informs you that he has been reassigned from the Darwin on his request, effective immediately. He expresses disgust with the recent shift in working conditions and environment, and states that he will be returning to Earth as part of a joint research project between the Foundation and MIZET

Jagerhorn is relieved to have this reckless scum out of the way, and hopes for a more competent replacement.

EmperorTojo

2014-01-28, 05:46 PM

Rolling diplomacy concerning first, fourth and sixth choices:

[roll0] - Diplomacy 14
[roll1] - Diplomacy 14
[roll2] - Diplomacy 14

(I’d have added this to the first post, but I somewhat messed up.)

MageofMystra

2014-02-12, 12:28 AM

Re-iterating details from the thread: four character points gained.

After their ordeal in the Minsk system, the Darwin hobbled back to the Seoul system, going as fast as their engines and bubble could take them. They did not detect any pursuit, and made it back safely.

Now there were a few concerns--the first was the most pressing, being fresh in everyone's memories--the Minsk aliens. He knew that he would have to tell the Foundation, but what about everyone else...?

It was time for Captain Jagerhorn to decide...

"We will not talk to ANYONE about those aliens. We're taking this secret to the grave."
"Everybody be quiet about aliens. We'll quietly report it to the Foundation. They can decide where to go from there."
"Hey, talk about the aliens if you like. It's a hell of a story."
"Yeoman! Get every media outlet on the phone right now! Don't sell the book rights for less than a million! Don't sell the movie rights for less than ten million!"
Other.
(or words to that effect [henceforth written as OWTTE.])

And with that in mind, Captain Jagerhorn assembled his report and gave it to Hemera Foundation officials.

They seemed more than pleased.

"Captain Jagerhorn of the Darwin Unit. Our compliments on an exceptional mission--we are extremely impressed, yet somehow not surprised.

"Given the circumstances, you performed admirably. Not every captain can boast that their ship was boarded by swarms of hostile aliens, and that only two casualties were sustained.

"Moreover, you performed admirably in the disabling of the Umbra group frigates and cargo inspection. Regrettably, you couldn't tow them back, and some of the cargo was lost after the combat in Minsk, but given the circumstances, it would be utterly unreasonable to dole out any punishment for it.

"Furthermore, your combat in the Minsk system has given invaluable data to humanity. Your sortie has yielded mountains of data on signatures, flux cannon technology, alien technology, alien shipbuilding, alien positioning... it will take ages for our scientists to sort through this.

"But more than that, you have provided proof of aliens, and given humanity a warning. If that same sortie had taken place in Seoul... then I shudder to imagine the consequences. My compliments to you. Tell your crew good job--they've flown a mission that will no doubt be the stuff of legends in years to come."

It was time for Captain Jagerhorn to decide...

"Aw shucks!"
"Couldn't have done it without my crew!"
"Just doing my job!"
"Wow, a thank you. That'll really fix up my ship."
Other.
(OWTTE)

They continued:

"There are important details happening back home, however. After basic repairs in Seoul-A III, please return to Geneva-A II as soon as possible. We can finish repairs there. The Darwin will be receiving a previously unscheduled upgrade and overhaul--your crew may receive some well deserved shore leave."

--

After basic repairs on Seoul-A III, the Darwin arrived on Geneva-A II, where the crew was grounded for about a month while the Darwin received serious overhauling. During that time, they gained access to Hemera Foundation training facilities.

Captain Jagerhorn had, by this point (and presumably the rest of the crew), received extensive updates on the state of humanity, as well as more information on his own mission.

The unknown corvette beared many resemblences to Achylan tech, but beared many major differences. Intelligence has not dismissed the possibility that they too have progressed rapidly in technology. The ship has been designated the ACv Israfel.

The unknown diagram found on the Umbra frigates confirmed suspicions held by gravitational scientists--that there may be dormant or undetectable jump points in human systems. After computer simulations and a fair bit of discussion, the galactic map has been expanded, to include speculative jump points (denoted by a ?), names for their systems, along with noting systems with probable Achylan presence (red circles.) Clicky here for the map. (https://db.tt/BLsIL7qE)

Perhaps most interestingly, there was a scientific breakthrough while the Darwin was absent--a young physicist and mathematician, Glenn Lay, managed to make a connection between jump point theory and an obscure branch of topology. While the exact details don't matter to most people, the end result is a new generation of gravitational survey tools and jump engines.

What this means for you, however, is that the unknown jump in the Sydney system was detected, and is now traversable. A new generation scout ship has only recently returned and given the all clear to the jump point (the system has, incidentally, been designated Alexandria.)

Where this comes in for you:

"We'll admit, it's only a few steps removed from a suicide mission. We will not require you to accept this mission.

"The Council is sending in a few ships for exploration and potential exploitation of the Alexandria system. We submitted your name, and given your own history with the system (seeing the ship that jumped out to it), your name came out at the top of the list. IF you choose to accept, then the Darwin will jump (we're overhauling your engine anyways, since it'll probably come in useful) with the GSC Wilhelm and the GSSC Northup to perform initial sweeps and exploration of the Alexandria system.

"We do not know what you'll find. Given our unknown ship, we're not even sure what to expect. We'll understand if you decline."

It was time for Captain Jagerhorn to decide...

"Where do I sign!?"
"I'll do it, I guess."
"Well, discretion is the better part of valour..."

(OWTTE)

Lastly, there were loose ends to be tied up...

Firstly, Yeoman Lyn Richard leaves the crew due to medical complications. She thanks the crew (and Charles in particular, most likely) repeatedly for all they have done for her. Gain Lyn Richard as a Contact (skill 15 for Accountant, News, etc., and skill 12 for other tangentially related skills; Completely Reliable, Fairly Often.)

Secondly, Dr. Fiedler returned to the Cincinnatus Venture. Your new scientist introduces himself as Dr. Henry Durr. He specializes in the sorium reaction, sorium phases, and "direct sorium application", which is really just a euphemism for making things blow up. The Darwin has been upgraded with a reinforced annite cage, which should allow him to perform experiments with relative impunity (because as he notes, safely experimenting with sorium is an oxymoron.)

Thirdly, the crew had a LOT of data to work with. As per their usual arrangements, they share all data with the Foundation. However, they have to figure out how they were going to allocate their own time...

It was time for Captain Jagerhorn to decide:

Focus efforts on salvage.
Focus efforts on figuring out new technology.
Focus efforts on analyzing readings and messages.
Other.

He would also have to decide how he would handle the new scientist:

The Hemera Foundation said it'll be safe, so give him carte blanche.
He'll be pretty free to do what he wants.
Jack will oversee him.
Haha, like you're blowing up sorium on MY ship!

A second round of decisions might arise depending on your choices.

EmperorTojo

2014-02-15, 10:43 AM

Now there were a few concerns--the first was the most pressing, being fresh in everyone's memories--the Minsk aliens. He knew that he would have to tell the Foundation, but what about everyone else...?

It was time for Captain Jagerhorn to decide...

"We will not talk to ANYONE about those aliens. We're taking this secret to the grave."
"Everybody be quiet about aliens. We'll quietly report it to the Foundation. They can decide where to go from there."
"Hey, talk about the aliens if you like. It's a hell of a story."
"Yeoman! Get every media outlet on the phone right now! Don't sell the book rights for less than a million! Don't sell the movie rights for less than ten million!" X
Other.

We’ll be famous!

"Captain Jagerhorn of the Darwin Unit. Our compliments on an exceptional mission--we are extremely impressed, yet somehow not surprised.

"Given the circumstances, you performed admirably. Not every captain can boast that their ship was boarded by swarms of hostile aliens, and that only two casualties were sustained.

"Moreover, you performed admirably in the disabling of the Umbra group frigates and cargo inspection. Regrettably, you couldn't tow them back, and some of the cargo was lost after the combat in Minsk, but given the circumstances, it would be utterly unreasonable to dole out any punishment for it.

"Furthermore, your combat in the Minsk system has given invaluable data to humanity. Your sortie has yielded mountains of data on signatures, flux cannon technology, alien technology, alien shipbuilding, alien positioning... it will take ages for our scientists to sort through this.

"But more than that, you have provided proof of aliens, and given humanity a warning. If that same sortie had taken place in Seoul... then I shudder to imagine the consequences. My compliments to you. Tell your crew good job--they've flown a mission that will no doubt be the stuff of legends in years to come."

It was time for Captain Jagerhorn to decide...

"Aw shucks!"
"Couldn't have done it without my crew!" X
"Just doing my job!"
"Wow, a thank you. That'll really fix up my ship."
Other.

Jagerhorn praises his crew, and perhaps hosts a celebration of sorts in their name. Despite having scolded him earlier, he gives Raymond’s heroic act plenty of attention and presents him as a fine example of heroism that all should follow. Whether the captain believes this himself is questionable though.

"We'll admit, it's only a few steps removed from a suicide mission. We will not require you to accept this mission.

"The Council is sending in a few ships for exploration and potential exploitation of the Alexandria system. We submitted your name, and given your own history with the system (seeing the ship that jumped out to it), your name came out at the top of the list. IF you choose to accept, then the Darwin will jump (we're overhauling your engine anyways, since it'll probably come in useful) with the GSC Wilhelm and the GSSC Northup to perform initial sweeps and exploration of the Alexandria system.

"We do not know what you'll find. Given our unknown ship, we're not even sure what to expect. We'll understand if you decline."

It was time for Captain Jagerhorn to decide...

"Where do I sign!?" X
"I'll do it, I guess."
"Well, discretion is the better part of valour..."

Fortune favours the bold! Glory awaits!

Firstly, Yeoman Lyn Richard leaves the crew due to medical complications. She thanks the crew (and Charles in particular, most likely) repeatedly for all they have done for her. Gain Lyn Richard as a Contact (skill 15 for Accountant, News, etc., and skill 12 for other tangentially related skills; Completely Reliable, Fairly Often.)
Jagerhorn would likely host a feast for the yeoman also, as a farewell, to remember fondly the months they have been together as a crew. Likely this would be tied to the celebration of their magnificent victory.

Thirdly, the crew had a LOT of data to work with. As per their usual arrangements, they share all data with the Foundation. However, they have to figure out how they were going to allocate their own time...

It was time for Captain Jagerhorn to decide:

Focus efforts on salvage. X?
Focus efforts on figuring out new technology.
Focus efforts on analyzing readings and messages.
Other.

Jagerhorn remained pretty indecisive on this one. They had plenty of things that needed researching but on the other hand, other scientists of the Hemara Foundation probably had a lot more resources and time to dedicate into this new technology, as well as analyzing the readings and messages. He shares his concerns with the chief scientist, and that it may just be worth to focus efforts on salvage since other great minds are already working on the other things. He leaves the choice to him, as always.

He would also have to decide how he would handle the new scientist:

The Hemera Foundation said it'll be safe, so give him carte blanche. X
He'll be pretty free to do what he wants.
Jack will oversee him. X
Haha, like you're blowing up sorium on MY ship!

Kyosti is willing to trust his superiors, but if he were to mess up he would in the future request Jack to oversee him.

A second round of decisions might arise depending on your choices.
Ah yes.

Archmage1

2014-02-15, 10:56 AM

Jack, knowing that they don't have any cryptographers, chooses to focus on discovering new technology.

MageofMystra

2014-02-15, 11:25 PM

EmperorTojo

2014-02-18, 11:14 AM

The media! The lights!

At first, nobody really took Captain Jagerhorn or the crew seriously, but after due diligence, the Darwin was practically flooded with offers and requests. The book was irrelevant. The TV show wasn't really an option. The movie, though? That was big. But, only one company could make the movie [arbitrarily], and Captain Jagerhorn had to choose who...

It was time for Captain Jagerhorn to decide...

"What's so hard to decide? Look for the dollar sign, look for the biggest number!" X
"This should be a masterpiece. I want a film that will be remembered generations to come." (requires self-control vs. Greedy) X
"These will be trying times for us all. Produce it as a propaganda film--everybody has to learn that they must do their part soon." (requires self-control vs. Greedy AND Selfish.)
Other.

Jagerhorn would love a masterpiece that he can brag about to his grandchildren later, and tries to control himself in his darkest hour.

[roll0] vs 12 Greedy

And as for the payoffs:

"MINE!" X
"The crew gets a small bonus." (requires self-control vs. Greedy) X
"The crew gets a big bonus."
"I'm sharing this money entirely with the crew!"
Other.

Who are they to get a piece of the cake, really? It was his idea, afterall.. At least he is pretty sure it was. He could reluctantly consider giving them a small bonus just to appease the crew, and hopefully not upset them. Of course, Kyosti Jagerhorn is a man with a way with words, and perhaps he could ease the situation regardless of his decision.

[roll1] vs 12 Greedy
[roll2] vs 14 Diplomacy

For your enthusiastic acceptance and humbleness, you gain influence with the Hemera Foundation. The media attention and your story gets a fair bit of interest. Of most interest, CJOLT has sent you a military-grade overload cannon to help with robots (stats later.)

Humbleness is a virtue!

Charles figures out the purpose of the enhanced ECIAs--there was extensive modification. By the looks of it, the ECIAs were capable of more or less brainwashing the poor people it was hooked into.

It was time for Captain Jagerhorn to decide...

"That's immoral and wrong. Destroy it. Burn the plans. Destroy the data."
"Destroy the models, but keep the data."
"Destroy the data, but keep the models."
"Hey, Charles, send me a copy of that stuff later. Looks interesting."
"Boy, the internet's going to have fun with this one."
"...hey, you think you could make more of those?"
"Release the research, public domain! Free as in freedom, man!"
"Step right up! Mind control device right here! We'll start the bidding at a million dollars!"
Other. X

The captain had always been rather old fashioned when it came to technology, and the idea of mind controlling devices being real was of some distaste. But he fancied himself an enlightened man, and one had to keep up with the times. It would appear the aliens have been making use of the mind control devices, so it is only logical that they fight fire with fire. Although he isn’t sure how these things can be used in a positive way, he is sure they can be useful.

“I’ll have the data sent to my superiors. The Hemara Foundation will be quite excited with this discovery, I believe. We need to study it, and figure out a way how to fight it were we to find more of these. Some device that could disable them on long range if necessary. You are intelligent people, I am sure you will think of something. Regardless, I will caution you all to be careful, for this can turn out ugly were it to fall into the wrong hands.. Thankfully, it has not, so far!”

MageofMystra

2014-02-28, 02:00 PM

The Darwin was passing through Geneva. The Wilhelm and Northup had long ago departed. Captain Holn had returned to the Wilhelm after about a day, so things were normal--except for the Achylan cruiser the Darwin was towing.

Maneuvering back and forth in a warp bubble was somewhat difficult, but it worked out soon enough, and became routine. Jack Tharon was in the bowels of the Samael again today, checking up on the computers and the status of the ship.

Things were a little different today, though. The computer room seemed to gain a display--or maybe Jack just never identified it or understood it as a display--or maybe the ECIA was clueing in just now--but there was suddenly a much more obvious display. Like, a visual one. Understandable by humans.

Slowly flickering on it was the text:

GREETINGS PROFESSOR JACK THARON OF THE HSC DARWIN
PJT_Dar@ACC_TERM ~
$ |
With the last pipe character blinking slowly.

Well, that was a little disconcerting. The Achylan computer seemed to learn English, and Linux all in one go.

...wait, wasn't the computer OFF the last time Jack was here? Didn't he make sure it was off when he left last time...?

It was time for Jack Tharon to decide... (DECISION 1)

"...I should tell the crew immediately. Let's book it out of here."
"Let's see, let's start from the bottom. 'ls -la /'..."
*clack clack clack* "GREETINGS ALIEN."

(It would be nearly impossible to perform checks and diagnostics on the terminal without doing any IO--it's clear that this tech defies reason at the moment.)
(OWTTE)

And moreover... (DECISION 2)

Don't tell the crew.
Tell the crew.

For the next part, things diverge slightly.

IF Jack tells the crew immediately, proceed directly to decision 3.
IF Jack interfaces with the computer before telling the crew, proceed to decision 4. Choices 2 and 3 in decision 1 have the same result, but may affect later activities.

--------
DECISION 3:

Jack [quickly] returned to the ship, where the information quickly spread up the chain of command (the chain's like, one link in this case, though.) Rumours started fast--something had to be done about the ship.

It was time for Captain Jagerhorn to decide...

"Destroy the ship. It's Achylan materiel, and it just resurrected itself. We don't run tests on a live grenade tossed at our feet--we bail or we get rid of it."
"Microwave the terminal. The computer just demonstrated the capability to automatically wake itself despite our talented scientists ensuring it did not do just that--moreover, it broke through firewalls and security, and accessed our files without breaking a sweat--and ON TOP of that, it processed them in the span of two weeks. We are NOT taking this thing into Sol, or another five feet."
"Don't microwave the terminal. Get ready to microwave it at any time. We'll talk to this terminal."
"I trust this alien terminal." (members of the crew become agitated.)
"It hasn't fired on us yet. Let's head over to the terminal, and let's see what we can talk to it about." (requires Diplomacy check; otherwise must choose 3 or 4.)

Any members of the crew can go along. Charles must roll vs. Xenophilia. On a failure, he must go (I assume he'd want to go anyways.)

Proceed to DECISION 4.

--------

DECISION 4:
Jack [and the party] stepped up to the terminal. He wasn't sure how to interface with it, but his ECIA was quickly picking up cues. Or maybe the terminal was messing with his ECIA. Either way, what looked like a floating keyboard loomed in front of him.

What an archaic system.

As Jack [or someone else] began to type, the terminal's screen quickly changes. It resembles a very simple chatting interface. It is headed by "GREETINGS PROFESSOR JACK THARON".

A blinking prompt appears.

Let's...

Give a greetings back.
Ask how it enabled itself.
Ask about the ship.
Ask about Achylans.
Ask about Achylans--specifically, culture and empire.
Ask about Achylan technology.
Ask about Achylan military capabilities.
Ask about the Invasion of Sol.
Ask what it knows about humans.
Ask what it's planning.
_____ (write-in.)

Every member at the terminal may choose as many as they desire. Arrange them in order. You cannot attempt any speech rolls.

More rounds of decisions will inevitably surface.

Archmage1

2014-02-28, 02:21 PM

Not recognizing the strange language(After all, why would a language that has been more or less marginalized now still exist in the future) appearing on the screen, he nevertheless realizes that it was waiting for input, so he tries to respond, typing in a simple
"Hello"

Decision 1, option 3.
Decision 2, option 3(Tell the crew later)
Decision 3, skipped.
Decision 4, option 1

MageofMystra

2014-03-02, 08:32 PM

(hey, you never know--knowing your way around terminal might be handy in the future.)

A small text-based indicator spun around for about two seconds after Jack finished his input.

Text returns.

"COMMUNICATIONS ESTABLISHED. GREETINGS JACK THARON OF THE HSC DARWIN. PLEASE CONFIRM IDENTITY.

"REQUEST MANUAL REACTIVATION OF SENSORS AND RE-INTERFACING WITH CRYOGENIC UNITS."

...now how could you do that...?

Return to DECISION 4.

Archmage1

2014-03-02, 08:48 PM

"Identity confirmed. Why do you need the sensors to be reactivated?"

MageofMystra

2014-03-02, 09:17 PM

The terminal thinks for another few seconds, as its cursor spins.

"UNKNOWN POSITION AND LOCATION. UNKNOWN SURROUNDINGS EXCEPTING 'HUMAN' SCIENTIFIC CRUISER HSC DARWIN AND TOWING CABLE. REQUIRE ABILITY TO DETERMINE POSITION AND CURRENT STATUS FOR OPTIMAL OPERATION."

Archmage1

2014-03-02, 09:37 PM

"What effect would optimal operation have?"

MageofMystra

2014-03-02, 09:43 PM

It thinks again.

"UNSURE. INSUFFICIENT PRIOR EVIDENCE TO FORM HYPOTHESIS."

Archmage1

2014-03-02, 09:44 PM

"In what way is current operation suboptimal?"

MageofMystra

2014-03-02, 09:48 PM

It thinks again.

"CONJECTURE FOLLOWS. INSUFFICIENT DATA TO PERFORM OPERATIONS WHILE MAINTAINING INTEGRITY AGAINST CONFIDENCE INTERVAL LAWS. CURRENT STATE DEFINED AS SUB-OPTIMAL."

Archmage1

2014-03-02, 10:11 PM

Define the confidence interval laws.

MageofMystra

2014-03-02, 10:24 PM

Is that OOC? Because you'd have no idea.

Archmage1

2014-03-03, 06:31 AM

That was IC. Should have remembered the ""

MageofMystra

2014-03-03, 09:04 PM

The terminal processes for a longer time than before. Apparently cluing into your own typing style, it begins to type in lowercase.

"SIMPLIFICATION FOLLOWS. All actions and predicted effects must be calculated to comply with LAWS OF ROBOTICS [DISAMBIGUATION: ACHYLAN]. Depending on the severity of an action, the predicted chance of compliance must exceed confidence levels to minimize risk of undesirable or unknown side-effects, or unmitigated effects. Closest human analogue found to ACHYLAN LAWS OF ROBOTICS is: 'Three Laws of Robotics', including 'Zeroth Law", as accessed on 'Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia.'
"Insufficient information is available at present to be able to calculate risk.
"ANSWER TO PREDICTED INQUIRY FOLLOWS. The LAWS OF ROBOTICS woulld apply to HUMANS until conditions cause risk from HUMANS to ACHYLANS to outweigh cost of actions to mitigate risk."

Archmage1

2014-03-04, 06:59 AM

"What exactly are the Achylan laws of robotics?"

MageofMystra

2014-03-05, 06:19 PM

The terminal thinks for a while, before responding:

"SIMPLIFICATION FOLLOWS. Close analogy to Three Laws of Robotics. Best approximation in human terms as follows:

1. To protect the interest of all Achylans
2. To serve as a tool for Achylans
3. To value the life of organics

"These laws are stated non-axiomatically in simplest terms. Some precision is lost. Implementation is correct, but probability of successful discussion regarding implementation details nearly zero with humans and Achylans alike.

"INQUIRY FOLLOWS: Now will you re-enable sensors and cryogenic controls?"

Archmage1

2014-03-05, 06:22 PM

"Who are the Achylans? What do they look like?"

MageofMystra

2014-03-05, 06:29 PM

The terminal thinks for a long while.

Finally, it responds:

"ERROR: Disambiguate query."

Archmage1

2014-03-05, 06:30 PM

"What are the Achylans?

MageofMystra

2014-03-05, 06:46 PM

The spinning cursor lingers for about a minute.

"ASSUMPTION FOLLOWS: Achylans refers to the unknown perpetrators of the INVASION OF SOL.

"DEFINITION FOLLOWS: Henceforth, the perpetrators of the INVASION OF SOL shall be referred to as Achylans. Henceforth, the species of the alien within this craft shall be referred to as Phaethones.

"EXPLANATION FOLLOWS: Achylans are corrupted brain uploads of Phaethone members, and rogue artificial intelligences."

EDIT: "STATEMENT FOLLOWS: Rectify all previous mentions of Achylans to Phaethones. Disambiguation was not formerly deemed necessary."

Archmage1

2014-03-05, 06:48 PM

"Corrupted brain uploads? How so?"

MageofMystra

2014-03-05, 06:49 PM

The terminal responds near instantly.

"Code output did not match expectations."

Archmage1

2014-03-05, 06:50 PM

"Something went wrong with the upload? When are the intelligences uploaded?"

MageofMystra

2014-03-05, 11:18 PM

The cursor spins, before the text is typed back, more slowly.

"CONJECTURE: Intentional corruption by rogue AI. THEORY: Random coincidence. ACCEPTED BELIEF: Error in programming.

"CONJECTURE: Brain uploaded beings are capable of reproducing code. New beings are created by permutations of existing code and small modifications, akin to biological reproduction."

Archmage1

2014-03-06, 06:33 AM

"You think that there us a rogue AI creating the Achylans for its own purposes, however, that was not a widely accepted belief. Are there any non-uploaded Phaethones?"

MageofMystra

2014-04-01, 11:55 PM

Dropping out of IC for a moment: BRACE FOR INCOMING INFO DUMP. Let's speed this up a bit.

Firstly: made a very big mistake earlier.

"ASSUMPTION FOLLOWS: Achylans refers to the unknown perpetrators of the INVASION OF SOL.

"DEFINITION FOLLOWS: Henceforth, the perpetrators of the INVASION OF SOL shall be referred to as Achylans. Henceforth, the species of the alien within this craft shall be referred to as Phaethones.

"EXPLANATION FOLLOWS: Achylans are corrupted brain uploads of Phaethone members, and rogue artificial intelligences."

EDIT: "STATEMENT FOLLOWS: Rectify all previous mentions of Achylans to Phaethones. Disambiguation was not formerly deemed necessary."
Ignore that entirely, but retain the distinction of Achylan and Phaethone as brain uploads vs. the genuine specimen. Now follows the tale of the Phaethones.

"CHRONOLOGY FOLLOWS: Achylans are corrupted brain uploads of Phaethone members. Cause and origin of corruption unknown, not agreed upon. CONJECTURE: Corruption from rogue artificial intelligence. CONJECTURE ENDS. Achylans proved to be hostile to Phaethone members. Intentions and motives never fully discovered. Intentions believed to be extermination. Achylans were capable of seizing control of computer networks and hijacking vessels. Physical synthetic units were fabricated and reappropriated by Achylan forces. However, not all Phaethone planets and areas affected. Long civil war spanning approximately seven decades follows. Phaethones emerge defeated by very wide margin; remnants of unknown status in Achylan empire. Only known survivors was a large fleet of colony ships, cruisers, constructors, etc.. Search was performed for a suitable planet to recolonize, but the plan was shown to be impossible as Achylan pursuit continued. Fleet fled, but ran into resource problems as orbital sorium harvesters encountered problems in patch of galaxy fleet was in. Fleet eventually went into hibernation to reduce emissions and to hide from Achylans. Hope was future aliens or other galactic civilizations would eventually defeat Achylans and wake the Phaethones.

"CHRONOLOGY CONTINUES: Plan unsuccessful; Phaethone fleet discovered and ravaged. Very small portion of fleet escaped into fringe systems (estimated to be 2 to 8% of fleet; record-keeping is debatable owing to span of time.) Fleet arrives in what is designated as Vladivostok system by humans. Fleet does not find any suitable planets, and continues into what is designated Seoul. Second partial hibernation begins; ended when scouts detected Achylan pursuit again. Chance of survival in confrontation deemed impossibly low. The fleet moved to jump into what you now call Geneva--it was known that Sydney was a dead-end system in our time [though your Earth data seems to disagree.]

"CHRONOLOGY CONTINUES: The Phaethone commanders had a disagreement whilst in the Geneva system as to whether to continue or not. A large portion chose to continue fleeing into the Sol system. As it was discovered, the Achylans did not continue pursuit into Geneva. The jump was known to be dangerous. The portion of the Phaethone fleet were noticed by humans and the invasion of Sol followed. Very small ships managed to escape, and return to the original fleet.

"EXPLANATION FOLLOWS: Based upon data, we had made the conclusion that Sol had been colonized, and was the fringe of a large galactic civilization. Your system had many of the hallmarks--limited exploitation, no apparent orbital sorium exploitation, small bases upon multiple bodies, and a limited EM signature on colonized planets. Massive wreckage rings and extremely primitive and poorly maintained technology indicated that this colony was 'backwater', as humans would say, and received dregs from the empire. We did not suspect that your civilization was, in fact, simply primitive.

"CHRONOLOGY CONTINUES: A very large portion of the Phaethone fleet was destroyed. The ships eventually disbanded. Status is unknown; very likely destroyed. The Samael was fortunate to have a talented physicist aboard. The physicist was capable of retrofitting the Samael's jump engine. The ship eventually opted to hide in the Sydney system amidst ruins, in a deep sleep. When your ship, the Darwin disturbed us, we believed it may have been Achylans, and made a jump that would seem impossible to both the Achylans, and the rest of the Phaethone fleet.

"RAMIFICATIONS: Until conclusive data is gathered, the Samael contains the last remaining Phaethones, excepting the Achylans. CONJECTURE: All other Phaethone ships have been destroyed. STATEMENT: Technically, humanity has dealt our race the death blow. ASSURANCE: There are no ill feelings. Were we capable of defeating your military during your 'Invasion of Sol', my programming is confident enough to state that we would have eradicated your race without hesitation and colonized Sol."

--

If you ask about galactic civilizations, the computer will respond that it does not have much data regarding them, excepting that they were on the opposite side of the empire.

If you ask about the drake precursors, it informs you that it knows nothing more than what is presented on Wikipedia, and that it has no data of any such race in its databanks.

If you ask about why they didn't make the jump into Alexandria earlier, it replies that it was an unknown jump point, and thus, may have been fatal. It would thus have been foolish to attempt jumping until it was deemed necessary. It notes that it was confident that Achylans would not be capable of replicating the jump, even with signatures detected.

If you ask why it believes a rogue AI corrupted the Achylans, it replies that it is an evidence-less conjecture.

If you ask about Phaethones, it informs you that the frozen creatures aboard the ship are all phaethones. It informs you that likelihood of survival through everything that has happened is very low. It informs you that there is very likely a large difference in cryonic technology between humans and phaethones (biological differences, though a lot of it may be similar), and that it does not wish to risk defrosting unless necessary. It believes that these are the last surviving phaethones.

If you ask about how it learned English, it informs you that it was capable of devoting all computational resources in analyzing patterns in the large sample of data it took from the Darwin (Wikipedia and presumably bits of Wiktionary.)

If you ask about why it learned Linux, it informs you that it believed it was the most natural method to communicate to a computer, and the least likely to cause alarm.

If you ask about how it gained access to the Darwin's data banks, it informs you of some security holes. You can patch it easily (and it notes that you have already, in fact, patched them.)

MageofMystra

2014-05-02, 11:03 PM

Skipping ahead from the wrap-up from there (I'll assume you ended up showing the computer to Earth, and that things proceed in a manner), up to the very late wrap-up for session 5!

Session 5 Wrap-up
The scientist was returned safely. The Becquerel heads to Seoul-A III for immediate repairs. Henri Montagne leaves to Seoul-A III, and takes a ship back to Geneva-A II to begin work on the film "Jagerhorn of the Darwin: a Titan Amongst the Stars (detailing the exceptional paragon and his feats)".

The party acquires two character points each.

SESSION 6
HIGH ALERT: CODE 3. HIGH ALERT: CODE 3.
An emergency message was pushed through the Darwin. A code three--that hasn't been issued in ages. The emergency scale went from seven to one--seven being a slight problem (for example, a ship running low on fuel), and one being an alien invasion. Three hadn't been issued in ages.

The message continued:
"Captain Jagerhorn and the crew of the Darwin: you are to immediately drop all tasks before you and report for duty."

You received orders within two hours from your superiors:
"According to reports, the Umbra Group is preparing for a large offensive. By the looks of initial intel, a large portion of their remaining fleet and manpower seems to be behind the attack. The Darwin is to depart immediately to combat this attack--the same orders are being given to almost every other military ship in Seoul. The Grand Solar Navy brass is trying to push through orders as quickly as possible to mobilize major assets.

"By the initial intel, the Umbra push seems to be centred on a set of wrecks in Seoul--Wreckage 194. I think the unofficial designation's 'Porsmel' or something like that. We're dispatching you there--the Becquerel's following to provide some firepower. The GSC Duchamp should also arrive there early. Whatever's happening, it's going to be big--you're almost certainly going to have to enter the wrecks on foot. We're dispatching some forces with the Darwin and Becquerel, and some other military hardware.

"We can't afford to lose here. If you can figure out their objective, then do so--otherwise, you just have to stall them until the cavalry arrives. Godspeed, Jagerhorn."

And with that, you were off to the Porsmel Wreckage.

EDIT/UPDATE:

Session 8 Wrap-up
Firstly, if you haven't claimed the I think it was six points from last session, then do claim them. There was also a reputation, but I somehow can't find it in my notes. How did I even...

The Darwin managed to make its warp back to Geneva gloriously. They were given a hero's welcome--after all, they had just overcome the odds immensely.

As it turns out, not many people were aware that the orders to Seoul-A III were issued--from the perspective of many ships, you had decided to duel with the Israfel for a short moment, escape from it, then swing by Seoul-A III to grab extremely valuable data for fun. Even those who were aware of the orders congratulated you heartily--it was amazing indeed.

Unfortunately, the problem remained that the Darwin was in awful shape. As it flew back to Geneva-A II, it received word from the foundation that the ship would be kept down for repairs and some refitting (since they were already at it anyways.) By the looks of it, it would take about a month. The crew of the Darwin was grounded on Geneva-A II on standby.

Yeoman Lyn Richards greeted the crew as they touched down, and announced she would be fit to return to her post upon the Darwin.

It was time for Captain Jagerhorn to decide...

Welcome back.
You kidding? You're just going to get spaced again, and I'm not losing a crew member to heroics this time.

(OWTTE)

The Porsmel capsule was soon the target of rigorous study. With the downtime, Charles and Jack likely spent some time with it as well. The capsule seemed, in some ways, as significant as the Drake probes. Information of every variety was stored upon it, though much of it was extremely hard to access. However, with what is gleaned, much information on materials is gained. It is believed by scientists on Geneva-A II that the capsule was primarily some sort of super-science bomb. Though the exact function is unknown, it is believed that the bomb somehow leverages jumps--with your understanding of the tech so scant, it is believed that the only way to get definite answers is to blow it up.

The data from the Supernova Systems collider has proven to be a massive boon. Most of the data had not been released, and is believed to moved meson cannon research forward by about half a decade. It is noted, however, that viable meson cannons are still a very long way off.

The retrieval of an Achylan drone head and limb was welcome news, but will likely not pay off much benefit immediately. The drone head has provided some interesting insights in communications, however, it is believed to be a long time before engineers can crack the mysteries of Achylan AI. The limb, though particle blasters were already understood, provided interesting new data, and seemed to be more advanced than the cells provided by the Samael. The data proves to be extremely interesting, and news has come of a breakthrough in particle blaster technology. Raise particle blaster damage by 2. A Spanish research institute displays an extremely interesting technology, being dubbed "particle sheath" technology. The short demonstration shows a small stone being "coated" in the particle sheathing of blaster bolts. The technology has made waves in the scientific community, though it is not believed it will be worthy of real use any time soon.

However, the biggest news comes from Samael research firms. As an experiment, the Samael was given access to the contents of the Drake probe. To immense surprise, the Samael determined that there was a cache of more data within the probe, written in what is presumably the draconic language. It had, for the past few months, begun translation efforts. At the moment, it was only able to translate with confidence one message, and produce one image, though the find has given many scientists hope. The message is as follows:

"OUR HISTORY IS ONE WHICH SPANS THE STARS. THOUGH WE WERE MIGHTY THERE WERE GREATER TERRORS IN THE STARS. THE PEOPLE OF THE SOIL BECAME PEOPLE OF THE STEEL. OUR PLANETS WERE DESTROYED AND OUR STARS WERE SEIZED. OUR RACE CANNOT SURVIVE AND IT CANNOT SPREAD TO THE STARS. WE CAN NO LONGER USE THE MIRACLE OF THE STARDUST BUT INSTEAD OUR CAPSULE SHALL TRAVERSE THE INFINITE VOID. IF YOU HAVE FOUND IT THEN BE WARNED FOR THE PEOPLE OF THE STEEL MAY SEEK TO END YOUR RACE AS IT DID OURS. THROUGH A DESPERATE EFFORT DID WE SURVIVE BUT AT THE GREATEST PRICE, FOR WE HAD TO DESTROY OUR ONLY STARDUST TUNNEL FROM HOME. OUR PEOPLE ARE ALONE THOUGH THERE WERE MANY OTHER VOICES AMONGST THE GRAND STARS.

"YOU MUST BE WARNED. WE GIVE YOU THIS SO THAT YOU MAY PRESERVE."
The Samael notes that the translation is difficult to puzzle together, and that there may be overall errors. It believes the people of the soil refers to the phaethone, while the people of the steel refers to the Achylans. From the bits he could translate in other resources, it makes the speculation that the Drake precursors inhabited a dead-end star system, and were somehow able to collapse the only jump point leading into their home system to avoid annihilation. It ekes together the map linked (click me!) (https://db.tt/LwIsT8Sd) It notes that the actual colours and lines were not in the map data, but that they were composed differently, and that colours were the best way to represent it to humans. Research will continue.

The crew effectively enjoys shore leave and performing other small tasks for about a week. News from Seoul seems to be that the planet is being devastated, and installations are being systematically destroyed--though, oddly, some seem to escape the Israfel's wrath. By the sounds of it, it has not decided to target the jump yet. How odd.

Either way, after about a week, the crew gathers, presumably called by Captain Jagerhorn. Captain Jagerhorn had received word from command--and this time, it was high command. Word from his boss's boss's boss. It was encrypted using a one-time key he had received when he first received command of the Darwin. Whatever it was, it was really important.

The message flickered on, and words from a supervisor he hardly even knew started:
"Captain Kyosti Jagerhorn of the Darwin. If you are hearing this, then you have received this message.

"I will be frank. We have been investigating suspicious activity, and we are beginning to doubt your superior. Unfortunately, we cannot investigate ourselves, as we would draw too much suspicion. We do not know what to look for, however, here is what sparked our suspicion. You are to investigate."

Then the message began with logs and commentary, as the group gathered around, and the session began.

SESSION 9 WRAP-UP
Laughter and fishing filled the Geneva-A II air as a particularly long day (literally--the day's 40 hours long) winded down to a halt. Shore leave was relaxing--albeit hot. Really hot. From their downtime, the crew gains 2 character points each.

The fishing contest was not resolved by the end of the day (alas.) However, a bit of a group had surrounded Captain Jagerhorn, no doubt curious about the details of their adventure. He had to fill a report out anyways, so might as well boot up steno software and get talking.

Everyone already knew the story up to the raid on Grey Tiger's facilities. That was boring. Now, once you departed to Grey Tiger's warehouse... thingy, that was when the excitement started. And so, with the crew and doubtlessly civilians all eager to hear the story of Captain Jagerhorn, he began...

It was time for Captain Jagerhorn to decide...

[Truth] Grey Tiger was in a dingy warehouse in the jungle...forest... thing. Wasn't hard to find him.
Grey Tiger must have found some old abandoned military base, because man, was his compound huge and well fortified...
Grey Tiger must have gone to ground or something, because it was only after much searching that we found in him an ancient Soviet missile silo...
Those coordinates we got were bogus--no, Grey Tiger was actually in a massive flying gunship, as we soon found out in the form of a hail of bullets...

(OWTTE)

The audience seemed captivated by the setup. And then Captain Jagerhorn began to describe the beginning of their siege...

It was time for Captain Jagerhorn to decide...

[Truth] Honestly, we just rammed our jeep into the front door. Wasn't too well defended. There was a big hubbub, but we just shot our way through the first few guards...
They spotted us, though we put up a good effort of stealth. We proceeded under a hail of gunfire, with Charles barely managing to shield us as we stormed the gate/door...
We were maybe a fifty feet in when it was Jack who finally noticed something lurking in the shadows--as we turned, I narrowly dodged a bullet whizzing right by my ear. If Jack hadn't noticed earlier, I'd be toast, because this was serious--must have been an ex-KGB agent...
It certainly wasn't easy, but we pulled some exceptional driving. Grey Tiger definitely didn't expect a jeep flying at 140 km/h to bust through the walls/the silo's gates/the side of his gunship...

(OWTTE)

The story went on, as Captain Jagerhorn described working his way to Grey Tiger...

It was time for Captain Jagerhorn to decide...

[Truth] We shot our way through resistance--and they quickly learned to stop putting up resistance. Grey Tiger was in an office in the back, holed up with a shield module and a small faramite pistol...
Now that we had broken in, it was time to go full auto. You should've seen us--I must've taken down at least 50. We shot our way through to the heart of the station/silo/gunship--and there was Grey Tiger--a small man... but dangerous. Very dangerous...
After our initial encounter was taken care of, we somehow managed to continue sneaking all the way to the heart of the compound/silo/ship. It was dead silent, except for a faint whirring and clanking... we eventually reached Grey Tiger. There he was--no doubt 18 feet tall, and more metal than man... likely some sort of ancient Soviet supersoldier project brought back to life by a madman...
We had gotten in, and cleared the area, but we realized we couldn't get any further. It was quick thinking on Jack's and Charles's parts--but we rigged up some impromptu charges to breach into the depths of the fortress/silo/ship. We proceeded in, and we met Grey Tiger, an eye-patched man. An evil mastermind...

(OWTTE)

But the confrontation eventually ended, because...

It was time for Captain Jagerhorn to decide...

[Truth] He didn't surrender. Meant to take a warning shot, but, well, let's just say his shield module was subpar.
He was much faster than we could've expected. He dashed forward, and cleared the 50 yard distance within... three seconds, I think. He dodged our shots--eventually we had to resort to good ol' fisticuffs. Luckily, however, being guileful, he certainly didn't realize that I had a monowire cavalry sabre... yes, a fine sabre indeed. He was no match for my fencing prowess.
He clearly wasn't about to negotiate. We opened fire--but the bullets seemed absolutely useless. He advanced slowly, utterly impervious to our attacks... it seemed hopeless, but, being guileful, I defeated him brilliantly. As he passed by a cryo-tank in his chamber, I, with perfect accuracy, shot at the tank's valves, releasing a stream of ultra-chilled gas. Grey Tiger froze completely, and shattered soon thereafter.
He pulled a firearm with unbelievable speed, and shot at us. Luckily, it didn't hit us--because it was aimed at a pipe behind us, which released a thick noxious smoke. This was bad. However, being guileful myself, I realized what his plan was. I quickly took a reactor pack and burned its contents at a distance (by throwing.) He fired at the thermal signature--and seeing his weapon's, I fired, and defeated him with one strike.

(OWTTE)
(If you choose any non-truthful sections of your story, roll Fast-Talk or Acting. Add a +1 bonus for any section of truth you did disclose.)

The audience seemed amused and satisfied by the story. Of course, Captain Jagerhorn still had to submit some kind of story to the brass.

It was time for Captain Jagerhorn to decide...

Let's submit the truth to them.
Time to double-down on this one.

(OWTTE)

--

Shore leave continued long after. News from Seoul-A III was growing scanter--the Israfel seemed to be systematically dismantling constructions. The last reports came in with the Israfel seemingly in orbit around the planet, for an unknown reason.

About a week and a half passed, and defenses had become tighter around the Geneva <-> Seoul jump point, as uncertainty mounted. It was believed the Israfel would jump in sooner--it was not a question of if. The big guns had almost arrived--the GTEC Mjolnir, the human's experimental flux cannon mounted ship had already set up.

Of course, things were never that easy. Things never were.

News came in immediately--a complete and thorough red alert.
"WARNING OVER ALL BROADCASTS. THE ISRAFEL HAS JUMPED. THE ISRAFEL HAS JUMPED. RED ALERT. THE ISRAFEL HAS JUMPED..."

This was the news that stirred you out of shore leave--you were sitting around a table, likely having drinks at 31:04 (Geneva-A II time, of course), when that jarring broadcast took over every frequency. Images were beamed thereafter--low resolution video broadcast from blockading ship. The destruction was thorough. Blockading ships had several free shots, which only dented its armour. The Israfel's counteroffensive was short and brutal--flux cannons tore through several blockading ships. Toblerones were released. However, the Mjolnir managed to fire twice--creating a massive gash in the ship's armour. Unfortunately, its shields soon went up. The video feeds ended as the Israfel finished carving its path of destruction.

Damage to the Darwin was already previously extensively damaged, and it was not quite spaceworthy again--which was for the best, since it likely couldn't do much anyways.

An emergency summit was held, as generals desperately figured a way out of the pinch they were in. They had hit their last resort--the same tactic they had employed in the previous two Achylan wars--a kamikaze ship.

Unfortunately, advance Achylan forces were already arriving by the time things were prepared. They swarmed en masse--how did they even know of the ship...? This was worrying.

It was a final struggle--the fate of the system hinged upon the brave ship, the GSF Nicholas. Early attacks, though repulsed, had caused serious damage. Mechanics and machinists were frantically attempting to perform repairs--because they had a short window of opportunity, and they knew it--when the Israfel was close enough and distracted by planet-side defenses, and before it was capable of busting through said defenses and capable of bringing its weapons to bear upon the ship.

And there you were, part of the desperate struggle. History would be made here.

EmperorTojo

2014-07-04, 09:18 AM

Everyone already knew the story up to the raid on Grey Tiger's facilities. That was boring. Now, once you departed to Grey Tiger's warehouse... thingy, that was when the excitement started. And so, with the crew and doubtlessly civilians all eager to hear the story of Captain Jagerhorn, he began...

[Truth] Grey Tiger was in a dingy warehouse in the jungle...forest... thing. Wasn't hard to find him.
Grey Tiger must have found some old abandoned military base, because man, was his compound huge and well fortified... X
Grey Tiger must have gone to ground or something, because it was only after much searching that we found in him an ancient Soviet missile silo...
Those coordinates we got were bogus--no, Grey Tiger was actually in a massive flying gunship, as we soon found out in the form of a hail of bullets...

(OWTTE)

Jagerhorn gathered the crew for a round of drinks as he began his tall tale... The real story was rather boring, after all. He described in great detail this great military base, "A dreaded fort.. On its walls corpses were stringed up, skinned and decapitated.. As a warning, we presumed. It was quite foreboding, really.. It took our combined courage to move on."

[roll0] vs Fast-Talk 16

The audience seemed captivated by the setup. And then Captain Jagerhorn began to describe the beginning of their siege...

[Truth] Honestly, we just rammed our jeep into the front door. Wasn't too well defended. There was a big hubbub, but we just shot our way through the first few guards...
They spotted us, though we put up a good effort of stealth. We proceeded under a hail of gunfire, with Charles barely managing to shield us as we stormed the gate/door... X
We were maybe a fifty feet in when it was Jack who finally noticed something lurking in the shadows--as we turned, I narrowly dodged a bullet whizzing right by my ear. If Jack hadn't noticed earlier, I'd be toast, because this was serious--must have been an ex-KGB agent...
It certainly wasn't easy, but we pulled some exceptional driving. Grey Tiger definitely didn't expect a jeep flying at 140 km/h to bust through the walls/the silo's gates/the side of his gunship...

(OWTTE)

"... And suddenly they were all around us it seemed, five at first, ten, fifteen, twenty of them.. Bullets were everywhere. Faceless, terrifying beings they were, indeed. We, the brave few, despite the odds, sieged this dread fort. If it were not for Charles we would surely have perished there and then."

[roll1] vs Fast-Talk 16

The story went on, as Captain Jagerhorn described working his way to Grey Tiger...

[Truth] We shot our way through resistance--and they quickly learned to stop putting up resistance. Grey Tiger was in an office in the back, holed up with a shield module and a small faramite pistol...
Now that we had broken in, it was time to go full auto. You should've seen us--I must've taken down at least 50. We shot our way through to the heart of the station/silo/gunship--and there was Grey Tiger--a small man... but dangerous. Very dangerous... X
After our initial encounter was taken care of, we somehow managed to continue sneaking all the way to the heart of the compound/silo/ship. It was dead silent, except for a faint whirring and clanking... we eventually reached Grey Tiger. There he was--no doubt 18 feet tall, and more metal than man... likely some sort of ancient Soviet supersoldier project brought back to life by a madman...
We had gotten in, and cleared the area, but we realized we couldn't get any further. It was quick thinking on Jack's and Charles's parts--but we rigged up some impromptu charges to breach into the depths of the fortress/silo/ship. We proceeded in, and we met Grey Tiger, an eye-patched man. An evil mastermind... X

(OWTTE)

The captain takes a few drinks before continuing his great tale of bravery, acting out the different parts and characters for the amusement of others. "The Grey Tiger, the most feared pirate lord of the known galaxy, was a dangerous, grizzled old war veteran, with an eyepatch.. Despite his short stature, we knew he was trouble. He spoke with a trembling voice that would have shattered other men, daring us to face him."

[roll2] vs Fast-Talk 16
[roll3] vs Performance 15 (while in character)

But the confrontation eventually ended, because...

[Truth] He didn't surrender. Meant to take a warning shot, but, well, let's just say his shield module was subpar.
He was much faster than we could've expected. He dashed forward, and cleared the 50 yard distance within... three seconds, I think. He dodged our shots--eventually we had to resort to good ol' fisticuffs. Luckily, however, being guileful, he certainly didn't realize that I had a monowire cavalry sabre... yes, a fine sabre indeed. He was no match for my fencing prowess. X
He clearly wasn't about to negotiate. We opened fire--but the bullets seemed absolutely useless. He advanced slowly, utterly impervious to our attacks... it seemed hopeless, but, being guileful, I defeated him brilliantly. As he passed by a cryo-tank in his chamber, I, with perfect accuracy, shot at the tank's valves, releasing a stream of ultra-chilled gas. Grey Tiger froze completely, and shattered soon thereafter.
He pulled a firearm with unbelievable speed, and shot at us. Luckily, it didn't hit us--because it was aimed at a pipe behind us, which released a thick noxious smoke. This was bad. However, being guileful myself, I realized what his plan was. I quickly took a reactor pack and burned its contents at a distance (by throwing.) He fired at the thermal signature--and seeing his weapon's, I fired, and defeated him with one strike.

(OWTTE)

"... Before we could react, he leaped at us like tiger, sword drawn. He shattered our ranks and brought us down one by one, moving faster than the eye could see. He must've surely had been under the influence of cybernetics, for his movement was more animal than man.. With my comrades fallen all around me, I drew my sword and challenged him to a duel. We exchanged blows for what seemed like an hour.. Each second was an uncertainty, and no one would have been able to tell you who held the upper hand. But one mistake.. One mistake was all I needed. I outmanoeuvred him and cut the beast down, but it was the most difficult swordplay I had ever experienced. "

[roll4] vs Fast-Talk 16

The audience seemed amused and satisfied by the story. Of course, Captain Jagerhorn still had to submit some kind of story to the brass.

Let's submit the truth to them.
Time to double-down on this one. X

(OWTTE)

Full of himself because of the moment, Kyosti is unable to tell what is truth and what is not. He tells them the same tale, if not even more exaggerated.

[roll5] vs Fast-Talk 16

MageofMystra

2014-07-04, 10:22 AM

The audience, captivated, eats up the story with glee. After submitting the report, Captain Jagerhorn's superiors give him an odd look, but seem to also have believed him ("Wow, we might need to update our sources, because we always thought Grey Tiger was a small crook... but if he was a mastermind, then... yes, it'd make sense that he could falsify that reputation.")

Either way, your supervisor directs payment of $4000/person for stipends in arrears, authorizes an additional $300 for work on shore leave, and authorizes a final extra $1000/person for taking down a criminal mastermind that they had no idea about. The party also receives an extra character point each, because you just took down a galactic mastermind.

MageofMystra

2014-11-13, 12:55 AM

d-d-d-dungeon world hijack!
So, yeah, moving the between session stuff over here, because, well, we never use this thread anyways, and the dungeon world thing is over in the Mysteries thread, so, yeah.

What happened afterwards
The expedition returned to Salawood without much of a hitch. You, as well as several other people headed back to Keleck (though you stayed behind a day to gather Salawood berries--you gain 300 coins.) Payments were doled out to each member--each member receives 100 extra coins, and keeps any loot they found at Lakeside.

News of the discovery of Lakeside spread like wildfire. King Sterum of Keleck, and King Gituderith of Sozobruk both express extreme interest in resettlement of Lakeside, albeit for completely different reasons (Sterum seeing it as an alternate to city expansion to alleviate overpopulation issues, and Gituderith as a chance to recapture the glory of the ancients--at least, that's what they both said officially.) Negotiations with the Minister of Salawood are ongoing, as large caravans would have to pass through, and likely use the city as a stopping point. By the sounds of it, a more stable bridge would be built by the time winter set in in the valley, and resettlement would begin the following year--assuming everything proceeded as expected.

Another piece of news caused a stir--the elder Berrenik died, seemingly poisoned by an unknown substance. Issyn Berrenik was the first suspect, and was promptly arrested. His trial was originally set to be held in the Court of Lords within a week--however, somebody (rumoured to be Gituderith) pulled some strings. Issyn's trial was changed to be held at the Greater Court of the Streets, at some undetermined time (as proceedings are far slower there.) This comes as a bit of a relief--because as Felix (at the very least) could tell you, the Court of Lords is a kangaroo court used as a front for political maneuverings between noble families. The Greater Court of the Streets is far more fair--though by the sounds of it, you can't really help Issyn at the moment.

Either way, you rested and relaxed after how grueling the expedition was.

Honeybreath sez:
Menoliir's bard buddy, something Honeybreath, brought some interesting news. Apparently the first snows of the year have arrived earlier in the mountains north of Fort Gallantry--the first winterlusions* are apparently beginning. Fort Gallantry would be a fine place to adventure--provided you didn't mind the bitter cold of the mountains.

*winterlusions are also called snow mirages in the document--effectively, when the lands are covered in snows, the landscape changes. Ruins, towers, caves--you name it--they appear all of a sudden.

Either way, you had to find some work, so it was time to take to the taverns...

1: "BODYGUARDS REQUIRED:

Bodyguards required for journey north of Fort Gallantry to investigate winterlusions. Candidates must be prepared for any sort of combat. Payment of 100 coins + share of spoils + possibility of bonus depending on performance.

This job is not officially affliated with the Fort Gallantry Guild Arcana"

2: "THE BANSHEES OF LAKESIDE:

Have you heard of the banshee of Lakeside? Well, supposedly there's more than one, and they're beginning the cross the river! I've heard rumours of some sort of nest in the woods east of Salawood--could anyone find out for me? I really want to learn more about these creatures!

- Malista Assada"

3: "WHAT'S SOUTH OF KELECK?:

I swear I saw a giant in the mountains, south of Keleck! There's nothing else that could cast a shadow that huge! What on earth is it doing down in the valley--can someone please look into this?"

Alternatively, you could arrange for your own little expedition to explore the world--either to another city, or just pick a direction and go, go, go! You could also try looking around for a way to help Issyn--but it might not be fruitful right now.

Fable Wright

2014-11-13, 01:29 AM

Menoliir gladly spreads the information of the Winterlusions with the rest of the party, eager to help out on such an expedition, though he does have a gnawing feeling in his gut that maybe the herb he got might have been the cause of Issyn's arrest. Regardless of his guilt, he spends his well-earned wealth on another night of carousing, hoping to maybe earn some goodwill with the local populace. This time, though, in honor of burning away the darkness on the nap and discovering a new city to expand into, Menoliir throws a party of a different variety than the last—a bonfire festival, just outside the city walls. During the day, the fire is kindled and food is served—some by vendors, some provided by Menoliir—for a day of fun, while at night, the bonfire is stoked to huge proportions, and where the brave or foolhardy can pass around strong ale, tell tales of horror or glory, relatively safe due to their proximity to the walls and the light from the burning fire.

Making a Carouse roll, investing in a Keg of Dwarven Stout.
[roll0]
(Choosing to grab another useful NPC.)

Archmage1

2014-11-13, 06:52 AM

Felix sees about selling the vendor trash, earning the group another 100 gold(So 80 to everyone when added to the 300), before he separates, trying to see if he can get the Silver goblet and the Potions identified, as well as seeing what kind of value he can get from the Ancient Tapestry.

Once that's done, he agrees with Menoliir(Although it pains him to do so) that the bodyguard job is by far the best one. He doesn't want to have anything more to do with banshees, or giants.

ji9zo

2014-11-13, 07:45 AM

Well, Doren really wants to see what's on the other side of that lake, but with winter approaching an expedition out that way might not be the best idea. Assisting with the resettlement of Lakeside by dealing with these banshees now might be a good idea, and it's what he'll suggest we do. Also, do we know if Lakeside has an amberstone mine? Was it around before such things were necessary, or did it run dry?

The giant south of Keleck might also be worth investigating, seeing as the last giant we met had an interest in ancient dwarven artifacts from a certain lost mountain. However, as we'll probably need some way of dealing with this giant which doesn't involve murderizing everyone again, this is Doren's second choice.

He isn't that interested in bodyguard work, despite the fact that it seems to pay the most. Making the trek all the way up north doesn't seem particularly worth it.

EmperorTojo

2014-11-14, 05:56 PM

Yimric grunts in agreement with Doren; their interests are in Lakeside and they would do a lot of backtracking to reach Fort Gallantry. It is best to rid the place of spooky banshees for the resettlement of the area and in preperation for crossing the lake to the other side. He'd be willing to investigate the giant near Keleck though considering it wasn't as far away. Regardless, he makes it very clear he is uninterested in being a smelly bodyguard. He also might probe a little bit in Felix knowing about the Court of Lords.. (TO BE CONTINUED IN SESSION?)

Other than that, the dwarf fighterman throws a huge party to celebrate, wasting his entire reward on it. He'd personally insist Issyn Berrenik would come too, if possible, seeing as he was the leader of this great expedition. As any sane dwarf he'd spend the night getting completely drunk with ale. But he is a true party veteran and has gained quite an alcohol tolerance, which allows him to remain awake enough to try to engage in coversation with Berrenik. While they share a beverage together, Yimric would tell him an amazing tale of the dwarven people and how they have untold riches such as the telescope. He'd spin an exaggerated story of the possibilities were the dwarves of Momofuz to be found, and that Berrenik would definitely be remembered forever for this discovery. He was bit concerned that the noble might get second thoughts about crossing the lake at some point, and it felt like a good idea to keep encouraging the idea of continuing the exploration. But generally he'd try to form some friendship with the man so he'd knew that he also had the interests of the dwarves in mind. The night is long though, and the drunkard fighter might embarrass himself rather than achieve anything.

(I am not sure if it is legit to target a certain NPC; if not he tries to just befriend some random person of your choosing for some interesting information perhaps.)

[roll0] (Small edit: That's +2 actually, but it still succeeds I imagine.)

all_classics

2014-11-15, 02:56 PM

Dambrath wants to go giant hunting (or at least giant fighting). He'd actually rather not kill the thing, just sort of beat it into submission. This may be the opportunity for him to use some of the arrow-mixtures Meloniir is always going on about.

OOC[That said, I don't know if I can actually be in the session today - a lot of work caught up to me at once, and I don't think I'll be able to divide my time well enough to really be of any use. If you guys want to do a different quest leaving Dambrath alone, maybe he went out on a routine hunting expedition to bring in some meat to eat. Or just have mmys play him. Either one.]

Archmage1

2014-11-15, 02:57 PM

As far as I know, there isn't a session today.

MageofMystra

2014-11-16, 11:10 PM

Menoliir's bonfire party attracts plenty of people for the free food, but ultimately breaks up by the evening, when even the massive bonfire is not enough to assuage peoples' fears of the boogeymen. However, not all was lost, as Menoliir did end up meeting and befriending Tacho Shilles*, a half-elf who swears up and down that he can predict the weather.

Yimric's rejoicing eventually leads him from one bar to the next, where, after severely damaging someone's suit of armour on a very drunken bar bet, he befriends Korré Ander**, a local blacksmith's apprentice.

*I got "Tacho" out of a random name generator, and just had to use it.
**as Issyn is already a party contact

Either way, the party reached an impasse over the next mission--the breakdown was as follows:
2 for the journey north investigating winterlusions
2 for the journey south investigating giants
1 for the journey east fighting banshees

Either way, Yimric would have to be the tie-breaker--though by the sounds of it thusfar, you would be investigating giants...

EmperorTojo

2014-11-17, 12:09 PM

Since Yimric was willing to go giantslaying, he'd lay his vote on that.

MageofMystra

2014-11-18, 12:07 AM

Also, because I seem to have completely missed a fair chunk of Archmage1's post--which might be material to selecting a quest:

Felix takes the items around town for identification (no check needed):

The tapestry is just a particularly old tapestry--the church would be happy to buy it for 150 coins, though you have a feeling you could get a better price if you found a specific buyer somewhere.
The potions are partially identified--one supposedly heals wounds, another toughens your skin, and another makes you fast (or something of the sort)--however, the Keleck Arcanist's Guild isn't of much use past that.
Speaking of the Keleck Arcanist's Guild, they weren't able to get much details on the silver goblet--the only thing known is that it seems to bear emblems of Ingan-Kaladur, a god worshipped primarily in the north (particularly Fort Gallantry.) They recommend checking with the church and Guild Arcana there (for your potions as well.)

Archmage1

2014-11-18, 06:38 AM

Felix will try to convince the others to go his way.
"Now, remember that giant? We couldn't hurt it, not even a little bit. It took dwarven war machines to bring it down. What are we going to do about another one? On the other hand, investigating abandoned ruins near Fort Gallantry... now that's an adventurer's work. Are you afraid? It's not exactly like we can accomplish anything following a giant, and the banshees... that's probably just rumor making things grow. But winterlusions... those can pay very, very well, and are often quite risky."

EmperorTojo

2014-11-18, 08:18 AM

Yimric mocks Felix for believing in winterlusions while thinking that banshees are just a rumor. Ultimately, the fine dwarf warrior is indifferent of where they are going. He seems to stick with Doren's opinions though.

MageofMystra

2014-11-19, 10:19 PM

Well, if you haven't kept up with the IC thread, Doren had a change of heart. The winterlusions win the vote.

(but don't worry, there'll be giants later.)

MageofMystra

2014-11-24, 09:50 PM

d-d-d-d-double dungeon world hijack

What happened afterwards
Arrival of travelers allegedly from Sozobruk caused quite a stir in Toganastad--their annual expeditions have proven to not be useless! There was feasting and revelry for about five days. Lots and lots of hobnobbing, with every leader or potential leader candidate wanting to get their proverbial picture proverbially taken with the explorers from the old world. Many years of accumulated tribute were gathered (though as everybody noted, it didn't anywhere near come close to what they rightfully owed.) The dwarves of Toganastad were filled in on the current political situation, and also expressed interest in Lakeside. After swapping maps, there was a distinct interest in trying to open up a river trade route between Logger's Point and Dian's Pride.

Either way, as for your actual expedition, the dwarves of Toganastad packed and readied their own expedition. They agreed to wait for whatever business you wanted to do in the area, before returning as one large group.

For the most part, Alskn expressed extreme interest in heading down to Logger's Point to see human civilization in the area, and spread the faith. After a bit of chatting, Elisa acceded--so really, you couldn't really argue, even if you wanted to.

You toured Logger's Point for a fair while. The humans there weren't anywhere near as excited about the rediscovery of Sozobruk--however, they did seem to be keenly interested in opening up trade once more. Logger's Point was a fairly wide city, nestled at the base of a truly glorious mountain range. Honestly, it was quite pretty!

Either way, after about 8 days after arrival at Toganastad, Elisa suddenly pointed out in her usual way that they would soon have left Fort Gallantry two weeks ago--long enough for the Guild to assume the worst, and that the group really oughta return. Alskn was against, but in the end, they agreed to hold it to a vote.

It was time for the party to decide...

Yes, let's head back. Musn't let them worry.
Yes, let's head back. The dwarves of Toganastad have been waiting!
Yes, let's head back. I want our reward already!
No, let's stay. There's gotta be some sort of adventure here.
No, let's stay. Let's explore the area!
Wait, so what happened to those ruins we were supposed to check?

(wrap-up will continue after a decision has been made.)

Fable Wright

2014-11-24, 10:04 PM

Menoliir votes for returning to the dwarves. Hostile though they may be, it would be rude to keep them waiting.

[roll0]
Choosing to cause the effect I desire to come to pass, and to avoid paying nature's price, again, if the move in the PM is okay.

ji9zo

2014-11-25, 08:01 AM

Doren also votes for going back to Toganastad before we head back. He's curious about how long ago they lost contact with Sozobruk, and if Uathsithlogem's religious presence here has diminished as it has back home, or if it even existed at all.

Also, do the dwarves have any information relating to the winterlusions which might be of interest to the Guild Arcana or the church of Ingan-Kaladur, considering that they'd made expeditions in that area previously?

Archmage1

2014-11-25, 08:21 AM

Felix will go for option 6, but will accede to going back to gallantry.

EmperorTojo

2014-11-25, 08:53 AM

Yimric suggests to send someone to Fort Gallantry (and possibly Sozobruk) to inform them of their discovery, while the rest of them remain behind to further explore the area and take care of those winterlusions.

MageofMystra

2014-11-25, 05:48 PM

Wrap-up, continued:
The party agreed to at the very least head back to Toganastad.

They took a ride with a set of dwarven merchants, and mostly had a fine time, before arriving back at Toganastad. Another feast was held--by the looks of it, the dwarves were antsy to perform the long expedition east to Fort Gallantry and beyond. With several secure wagons of tribute, and a small army of dwarves at the ready, it would be kinda awkward to not head back at this point...

In the end, the party ended up returning to Fort Gallantry soon after. The first snows of the area, of the season were beginning--so, it was without a doubt a very good idea to start heading back.

You arrived with the massive dwarven expedition at Fort Gallantry about five days later. The expedition was scarily well supplied. You, being the ostensible guests of honour, stayed near the centre of the formation and weren't in any real danger during much of the time--though from what you hear, a fair amount of losses were sustained (and most interestingly, many of you noted that at least two of the treasure wagons were lost...)

Either way, you had to wrap up your work with the Guild Arcana. You left at Fort Gallantry, and watched the dwarves party for a day at Fort Gallantry, then begin their trip south. You went with Alskn and Elisa to wrap matters up with the expedition to Amal'regon (well, that's what it was on paper, anyways.)

On paper, the expedition was a failure. Alskn was pleased as punch with it--though Elisa seemed a bit annoyed. The guild itself was not pleased by this--however, provided that these were special circumstances, agreed to remit payment regardless. Moreover, the dwarves of Toganastad had left you with a small parting gift.

Quest rewards:
110 coins per head
No bonus.
Gain: silver and brass bracers from Toganastad (appraised at roughly 800 coins.)

Contacts
Gain Elisa Paldevale and Alskn Oslmos as contacts.
Gain dwarves of Toganastad as general contact group.
No relationship established with the Guild Arcana of Fort Gallantry.

Either way, you rested up again after a grueling expedition.

--

A few more days passed. Felix is told that the fruit trade he had invested in had gone well--he had received a single coin in dividends (which he had to collect in Keleck, since it's a medieval banking system), and the value of his shares had supposedly risen from 75 to 76 coins (incidentally, that's roughly a 46.3% yield, if annualized naively.) Supposedly the trade mission had some issues, though, and some backers were withdrawing--either way, he could sell, or go long (or if he really had faith, he could buy.) People were also feeling bullish about this wagon outfitting company--values of his shares had risen from 75 to 78 coins--though from what Felix heard, they hadn't delivered any inventory yet.

From the sounds of it, the giant in the south was a lost giant that had wandered down from the mountains, and had been dealt with. Nobody had dealt with the banshees of Lakeside yet, but then again, nobody really wanted to, either.

Honeybreath sez: "It looks like the people of Dian's Pride are getting ready for to chuck their princess in the river again... such a barbaric ritual, for such barbaric reasons. That being said, you still have plenty of time to head over if you want to see the horror for yourself... as for myself, I'm going to be avoiding the rivers for the next month."

You hear no new news about Issyn Berrenik.

Either way, you had time to kill, again.

By the sounds of it, Elisa and Alskn are preparing for another expedition to investigate winterlusions--this time, one a fair bit closer. The winterlusion season was starting up. You noticed Fort Gallantry get noticeably busier (and that was saying something...) You were offered the job, though you weren't under much obligation here, since lots of other adventurers would getting ready to step in.

Other than that, you had found the following bills in the tavern:

1: "KIDNAPPED DAUGHTER!

I don't know who else to turn to--my daughter has been taken by a group of marauding orcs! She was taken nearly a week ago, but neither the guards nor guilds will help me! I'm afraid of the worst here!"

2: "A CAVE OF GEMS!

Here's a little secret--while I was exploring the mountains, I found some little set of ruins in the snow. When I looked inside, I swear I saw a cavern of gems--but it was guarded by some seriously nasty creatures! The location's a secret--I'll tell you, but at a price..."

3: "BALLISTER'S STAR!*

I saw it, I saw it, I swear! I saw Ballister's Star fall to the south--plunging into the valley! I tell you I really saw it--and I can prove it, as long as someone gives me a little help!"

*as you, if familiar with local lore, or Honeybreath would explain, Ballister's star is a general term in the region for what is effectively a shooting star that looks like it hits the ground. Sightings tend to appear more often in winter, and local tales say that whoever can find where the star fell will find some sort of treasure. Of course, those are just tales, but you might be able to consult someone more versed in the topic if you have the right connections.

Other than that, you might be able to look for winterlusions yourself by wandering into the mountains--or you could head to another city, and see what's going on there (or maybe even find some different quests!)

Fable Wright

2014-11-25, 07:51 PM

Menoliir, rather than join the party as they return to Keleck, decided to stay with Elisa and Alskn for a few days with the Guild Arcana to study pre-Ravel binding techniques and have access to their experts. No explanation for this was given.

Several days later, haggard, Menoliir returned to Keleck just before nightfall, unnoticed by anyone without magical means of detection.

The next day, as the sun rose, Doren woke to find Menoliir standing over his bed, looking like he hadn't slept, holding out the shiny stone that Felix had swiped weeks before. "Take it." He said, gesturing the stone at Doren, "and hold it up to the morning light." He looked at Doren expectantly, ignoring the dwarf's ignominious reaction.

ji9zo

2014-11-26, 08:28 AM

Doren, of course, reacts with great confusion at this MYSTERIOUS GESTURE from the spider-elf. He'll certainly humour him though - why on earth would a dwarf refuse a shiny stone, even one offered by an elf.

In his grogginess of the early morning, Doren communicates in little more than grunts and groans as he takes the object and holds it up to the sunrise to see what happens...

As for what to do next, the cave of gems seems almost too good to be true, but if it seems legit then Doren'll vote for that. Similarly, Ballister's Star definitely sounds interesting, but if we don't have any leads then it might just be a waste of time. The Lakeside Banshees will probably be Doren's first choice, though, since he wanted to deal with them before.

MageofMystra

2014-11-27, 09:25 PM

Since I should probably move this along: as Doren holds the gem up to the morning light, the light seems to stream through and create the impression of viewing a mountain range (albeit one that fit inside a small gem, but that was neither here nor there.) One massive mountain is focused upon--it's vaguely reminiscent of Dumdastot (or at least what Doren imagined of it, and what very few illustrations existed), though he couldn't really be quite sure if it actually... like... [I]was Dumdastot, for obvious reasons. Either way, kinda pretty.

The rest of the party should probably decide what they were going to do (and whether they were in Keleck or Fort Gallantry, because that's pretty ambiguous--you returned to Fort Gallantry.)

Archmage1

2014-11-27, 09:27 PM

Felix will cheerfully support going after the cave full of gems. After all, gems are quite salable.
After, of course, determining the accuracy of the rumor.

ji9zo

2014-11-28, 07:17 AM

Doren snaps to alert, eyes widening at the spectacle. "Elf! Where did you find this thing?! Tell me it is not some trickery, is this truly the most lost and ancient mountain, Dumdastot?"

I imagine we'd return to Keleck, though it might depend on what job we decide on. If whatever we choose happens to be in Fort Gallantry or Sozobruk we might stay / go there instead?

EmperorTojo

2014-11-28, 07:36 AM

Yimric is not too pleased about Doren's magic rock, and he warns him of elven trickery as well as sorcery in general. Regardless, he'd be inclined to investigate the cave of gems with the party, even though he suspects that the man might be fooling them. He'd at the very least demand him to come with them when they set off.

Fable Wright

2014-11-28, 07:07 PM

Menoliir nods at Doren's question. "Most likely. The elementals weren't quite sure what 'Dumdastot' was, but this mountain was their best guess." He sits down in a nearby chair, weary. "Needless to say, this stone wasn't found. I had it made by the elementals of the realm, as a way of thanking you for standing up for me back when we had to deal with the undead giant. You were the first person to back me up in this strange surface world. Now we're even." Menoliir yawns, and shifts in his chair, seemingly intending to get up, but instead he begins lightly dozing in the corner.

About 4 hours later, after he wakes up, Menoliir goes out to invest the lion's share of his funds from the expeditions in one of the weavers he found earlier.
Investing 300 gold in the weaver, assuming we pawn off our loot from the dwarves at a value of at least 620 coins to split between us.
[roll0] Investing.

As for what we're doing, Menoliir is going to advocate returning to Keleck, and supports clearing the Banshees out of Lakeside, though the cavern of gems is likely to win over it.

Archmage1

2014-12-06, 06:47 PM

162 coin each for the sale of the Toganastad bracers.

MageofMystra

2014-12-11, 07:50 PM

Recap on last session:

Everyone did stuff, did a big side trip to find a lawyer for Issyn Berrenik, and went to investigate banshees. There's more details, but effectively, you guys are holed in an abandoned mansion at night, with banshees closing in.

No real post-game choices to make here, since you're still in the middle of action.

On a side note, since we've done a fair few sessions with it, what's everyones' thoughts on Dungeon World? Any thoughts on whether we should keep the campaign going with the same system, try a new system and port it over (in particular I kinda really want to try a GURPS Dungeon Fantasy game, though I'm open to other suggestions), or do something else with a different system?

Archmage1

2014-12-11, 08:33 PM

Well... I think we are going backwards.
We started with saying what we were doing, and then rolling, but we've gradually shifted into more rolling, and less description.

If you want to try a different system, I'm fine with it, so long as you are able to explain it.

ji9zo

2014-12-15, 08:43 AM

Stopping in at Sozobruk on the journey up to Fort Gallantry, Doren stocks up on enough gems (spending 50 coin on it) to make himself overburdened. He also tries to recruit a hireling. He'll make it clear that they plan to investigate the winterlusions, but also his longer term goal of reclaiming lost Dumdastot and whatnot, and he'll offer a share of his own loot. He may have a useful reputation in these parts for his work with the Lakeside expedition and finding the Toganastad dwarves, or he might be remembered as that crazy rock cultist who brought a giant here and got everyone killed, so I'll leave that up to you Mage.

I have a feeling I'm not meant to look at this roll so I won't.
[roll0] Recruitin

MageofMystra

2014-12-18, 09:10 PM

Doren's recruitment drive eventually ropes in two candidates:

Sibrek Mebathel
Warrior 3/Protector 3. Costs 18 + expenses.
He's a former member of the Sozobruk Noble Guardians, a semi-official military branch of bodyguards.
"I want to make the surface a safe place for dwarves!"

Degel Steliddodok
Adept (divine variant) 4/Adept (arcane variant) 2. Costs 10 coins, and demands objects/loot of religious value.
He's a theurge, in training, worshipping the White Hunter.
"It's time I finally be able to use my skills in the world beyond."

Either way.

Wrap-up
The mission was finished with a bit of success. The weirdo in the basement seemed to be gone, but you didn't die, and you didn't burn down the woods, so that was a very big plus!

Either way, you headed back to town and claimed your reward.

Lannick sez: "The court date for Issyn keeps moving upwards. The procedure here's a bit non-standard; the discovery phase has been odd, to say the least. I've been doing my own investigation, anyways. I'll be honest--Issyn has a strong case stacked against him, but there are holes in it. Leave it to me."

Honeybreath sez: "Have you heard of the skeletal minstrels? They say that a band of wandering entertainers have been appearing through the cities, wrapped in robes and armour. Most spookily of all, they arrive at sunset, then leave and vanish come sunrise! They're quite talented, too."

You then proceeded north to Fort Gallantry, in preparation for the winterlusions season.

Elisa sez: "Winterlusions will become increasingly frequent as winter sets in. Given information thusfar, this season will likely be one of the busiest in years. Bear in mind expedition details, as your employers will often claim the most valuable items. It may be worthwhile to mount your own expeditions, should you have the money to get the equipment."

OF course, you didn't know much about the winterlusion system, so doing your own expeditions might be difficult. Beyond that, though, there were the following bills in the tavern:

1: "NIGHTMARES OF THE VALLEY!

I'm not sure what happened, but a week ago, I swear I blacked out or something in the late afternoon. I've been having horrible nightmares ever since, of a ruined castle in the valley... I've consulted with a seer, and she told me to seek out a set of ruins southwest of Fort Gallantry, but I'll need help getting there!"

2: "LOST HUSBAND!

My husband went off on a winterlusion expedition earlier last week, and still hasn't returned. Won't someone please find him?

- Administration's note: this bill is cross-posted with the bill 'Lost Expedition', whose body is as follows:
'Expedition to Almen's Bluff has not yet returned, and is presumed lost. People wanted for recovery expedition; an 75% finder's fee will be given.'"

3: "THE FROZEN LAKE!

Have you ever heard that poem about the commander beneath the lake? Supposedly someone's found a winterlusion to the north that very resembles that--and if there's any truth to that, then I can't even imagine what we might find!"

Other than that, you could try and see if you could get some information on winterlusions, and try to mount your own expedition... or you could, of course, go somewhere else, or wander off into the mountains.

ji9zo

2014-12-19, 07:17 AM

Doren will take on Degel Steliddodok. We already have a bodyguard, and he'd like to learn more about the White Hunter's religion. Plus, since he's a little bit of a wizard, Menoliir might be interested in having him around. This is assuming though that everyone is ok with giving Degel any objects which might be significant to his religion.

It sounds like the employer of the Nightmares of the Valley job isn't a professional winterlusion expeditioner, so with it we might have the best chance of acquiring useful stuff for ourselves? That said, though, helping out the missing expedition would probably be the proper thing to do. Doren's sorta on the fence on this one.

Fable Wright

2014-12-19, 08:11 AM

Menoliir will advocate for the Lost Husband route. It's likely to bring them into contact with someone who let them set up their own Winterlusion expedition, and a 75% finder's fee is almost the same as looting a winterlusion ourselves.

Also, helping people, and giving the Paladin a chance to spread his religion to the people we save.

Archmage1

2014-12-19, 08:21 AM

Felix will do a little more research, in an attempt to determine how much pay is expected for each job.

EmperorTojo

2014-12-19, 03:43 PM

Yimric does not care where they go, as long as he gets to kill things.

He probably revealed some sympathy for the woman seeking her lost husband though, and he would like to do this one but he will not press the party about it.

MageofMystra

2014-12-26, 07:09 PM

With the holidays, I totally forgot to update this thread. ^^;

Wrap-up
The mission ended gruesomely. You had an odd feeling that this wouldn't be the last you'd hear about this.

Reward:
Three spell plates: "hand with wreath", "shield with snowflakes", and "speedy star" (at the Guild for identification)
Potions, identified as:
- Elixir of Nonspecific Translocation (teleports you to a random location)
- Potion of Relaxing Sleep (lets you enjoy a restful sleep)
- Potion of Gain Level (gives you a temporary level (http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/219ei0u5jNL._AA160_.jpg))

Honeybreath sez: "By the sounds of it, that guild standardization and regulation legislation is going to be going into effect in a week or two here in Fort Gallantry--and a little bit later down in Keleck. Needless to say, existing guilds are being grandfathered..."

Alskn sez: "This winter's as cold as hell is hot. At least sleds and skis are cheaper than horses and wagons--I guess you could have dogs pull the sleds?"

A letter from Issyn Berrenik has arrived: "Hello. Thank you for finding me a defense lawyer. By the sounds of it, the trial's been moved up yet again, and should be starting in about a week and a half. Mr. Ulmos told me that the discovery process is just about over--and by the sounds of it, he sounds very confident." (note that it will be possible to do one quest before the trial occurs)

The guild standardization act certainly did sound interesting--but it certainly wasn't a substitute for finding a job to do. Winter was very much beginning to settle in, with Fort Gallantry beginning to accumulate snow (thusfar about two inches, which you are told 'is nothing.')

1: "NIGHTMARES OF THE VALLEY!

I'm not sure what happened, but a week ago, I swear I blacked out or something in the late afternoon. I've been having horrible nightmares ever since, of a ruined castle in the valley... I've consulted with a seer, and she told me to seek out a set of ruins southwest of Fort Gallantry, but I'll need help getting there!"

2: "WINTERLUSION EAST OF FORT GALLANTRY

A winterlusion of particular interest has been found to the east. Bodyguards and adventurers wanted; candidates must be prepared for any sort of combat. Winterlusion expected to be of value for the historical record.

This job is not officially associated with the Fort Gallantry Guild Arcana."

Other than that, you could try and see if you could get some information on winterlusions, and try to mount your own expedition... or you could, of course, go somewhere else, or wander off into the mountains. You could also go on auto-pilot, and skip ahead a month or two.

Fable Wright

2014-12-27, 01:53 AM

Menoliir, upon hearing of the Nightmares of the Valley job opening, immediately informs the party that ever since the night he became a beacon for the Tognastad Dwarves and was stuck among the bogeymen as a rock, he's been having nightmares exactly as this man describes. He tells them he's going on this expedition with or without the party—though he would much prefer to journey with them than just with his Paladin aide.

ji9zo

2014-12-27, 07:18 AM

Doren comments that the Nightmares of the Valley job was posted last time we were in town as well, giving Menoliir a suspicious look. That said, he's still interested in taking on the job.

Archmage1

2014-12-27, 08:48 AM

As always, Felix will see about learning which option pays better, as it sounds like the winterlusion trip does this time.

Fable Wright

2014-12-27, 12:38 PM

Doren comments that the Nightmares of the Valley job was posted last time we were in town as well, giving Menoliir a suspicious look. That said, he's still interested in taking on the job.

Menoliir becomes incredulous that he didn't recognize the ad for what it was last time it was up. He blames that the thought of a grieving widow for distracting him.

MageofMystra

2015-01-01, 10:01 PM

Continuation and Wrap-up
The all-midgets expedition returned with success, after pushing over that giant boulder which was TOTALLY ON TOP OF THE LOOT AND NOT IN ANY WAY RELATED TO AN ENCOUNTER WHATSOEVER NOPE WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT

Either way, here's the spoils:
Dwarven burial relics (valued at roughly 150 coins; can be automatically sold at par.)
Magical essence ("Kogomath's Third"). It was free-floating, so you needed some sort of jam jar (deduct one use of adventurer's gear.)

Magical essences are the vehicle by which almost all enchanted items are made. The vast majority of them are arcane in nature--divine enchanted items are generally short-duration buffs.

Every essence has a level--referred to as a circle. The lowest circle is the first. You can apply an essence to an armour, weapon, or shield (depending on what it allows), via an arcane ritual. First circle enchantments can be placed with a 5th level equivalent spell.

Generally speaking, essences require a minimum level of quality, in what they are placed in. Masterwork items can safely accommodate first circle enchantments--double or triple masterwork items are needed for bigger enchantments. If you put an enchantment in something that can't accommodate it, the item might be destroyed, and the essence potentially lost.

Kogomath's Third - first circle essence
The essence is a dull orange, as if it were forged iron beginning to cool down. This enchantment is from the third of a series of masterpiece items created by an ancient Dwarvish smith, Kogomath. It was said that for his weapon, 'Kingclan', his superb worksmanship was magic in and of itself, and left no possibility for bad luck. When you apply this to a weapon, any 1s rolled during damage can be rerolled--including on rerolls. When you apply this to armour, damage die rolled against you, are rerolled if they roll max (except on rerolls.)

The expedition returned safely after three days. Menoliir during the time got food poisoning/was studying/was watching a cricket match. Either way, you could probably do one more mission before heading down to see Issyn's trial--if you were doing that at all.

In an odd moment, the postings board was just about the same.

1: "NIGHTMARES OF THE VALLEY!

I'm not sure what happened, but a week ago, I swear I blacked out or something in the late afternoon. I've been having horrible nightmares ever since, of a ruined castle in the valley... I've consulted with a seer, and she told me to seek out a set of ruins southwest of Fort Gallantry, but I'll need help getting there!"

2: "WINTERLUSION EAST OF FORT GALLANTRY

A winterlusion of particular interest has been found to the east. Bodyguards and adventurers wanted; candidates must be prepared for any sort of combat. Winterlusion expected to be of value for the historical record.

This job is not officially associated with the Fort Gallantry Guild Arcana."

Other than that, you could try and see if you could get some information on winterlusions, and try to mount your own expedition... or you could, of course, go somewhere else, or wander off into the mountains. You could also go on auto-pilot, and skip ahead a month or two.

Fable Wright

2015-03-29, 12:09 AM

Merral scratched his head and groaned. They hadn't even left left the mainland, and already he was getting antsy being away from his research. He was onto something big, and he knew it. The thought that something might happen to his research terrified him. Nothing ever went right. While he was out, research might get stained or destroyed. Topper might get discovered, and his store once again closed out of business. Worse, it was possible someone might discover his notes steal them, and develop his work while he had to start over from scratch. Worst of all, there was nothing he could do about it. He could barely continue his research out here, away from the main sacrificial converter. Sure, he'd set up the workshop on the ship to enable some small-scale tests on bleeding from the crucial muscle groups to try and improve efficiency and experiment with storing energy, but small-scale proof of concepts only did so much; without a full-fledged pig, it was hard to get too much done. With so much of his pay funneled into the shop and setting up the prototype A.L.t.A.R (Active Life to Arcane Reagents) device, it would be a struggle to continue funding research, much less restocking equipment, setting up a proper laboratory, or investing in a profit. To do that, he would have to confront the most irritating challenge he had to deal with thus far: Captain Jaris.

Catching sight of the captain taking a drink while Mimit hauled loads of flower off the ship, Merral trundled over to him, his arrival heralded by the thump of his suit against the stone. Pulling up a chair beside the captain, Merral groaned inwardly as he felt the chair sag under his suit's weight. There were definite advantages to spending every waking moment in an armed and armored mobile workshop, but there were definite drawbacks as well. As the captain glanced over at him, Merral laid his proposal on the table.

"So, captain. I've got plans fer upgrading the ship, and a couple inves'ment opportunities ye may want to hear besides.

"First off, there's an astoundin' lack of parts aboard the ship. I've scrap'd together what I could for the firs' trip, but now that there's funds an' a bit o' downtime, it's time to properly invest in a diverse collection of parts that's difficult 'r impossible to scrap together, 's well as some common parts. Given our pay, that's small fries to fund.

"Second, I was hopin' you'd consider funding me a proper workstation. As now, I can cobble together bits've tech I can use with my armor, but 'm ill-equipped to making tech fer the rest of you, fer upgradin' the cannons, or fer really doing much've anything aside from workin' basics on the engine or with my armor. It's a bit more 'xpensive, but the payoff's worth it.

"Third, there's a..." Merral sighs, and shakes his head. "There's a project I've been thinkin' about, project Blood, Sweat, n' Tears, an' I'd like ye to help fund it. Right now, ye know about my work with blood magic. We've made progress; identified muscle groups that make the most power, an' while we can't store it, we can harness it. Blood, Sweat, n' Tears is an idea to hook up a rig to my suit, so in a pinch, I could give the ship a boost o' speed above what it c'n do right now. If it works, might be able to hook up couple volunteers, break ev'ry record ship's set.

"Fourth, there's a bit've a long term project I'd like you to fund. Project Poltergeist. Biggest problem w' the engine so far is that it keeps tryin' to tear itself apart. But there's no room in the engine room fer two. But if ye remember, back in the 'bandoned city, there was the bone creature, self-animated behemoth smart enough to chase down attackers 'n use tactics. Hell of a punch, too, meanin' strength to turn valves 'n releases even I've got issues with. I'd like fundin' to do research into bringin' life to mechanical 'r organic things, set up the engine so it repairs itself.

"Finally, there's an investment oppertunity fer ye." Merral looks uncomfortable. "I don' like the idea of bringin' you into any investments. No offense, b't you're a greedy sunova with 'n ego to swallow anythin' you touch. Problem is, yer the best way to get the investment off the ground." He reaches into a compartment in his armor, and fishes out a glowing power crystal. "See this? Power crystal. Here in the mainland, they're worth a pretty penny. Poor folk c'n only afford to use them as lights, an' it takes decent cash to consider usin' them for anything else. That, or a fab factory, like I'm wearing." He stashes the power crystal back away into the suit. "That's in the mainlands, mind you. Thing is, power crystals're volatile, 's you've seen. No sane cap'n would transport a load of them 'cross an ocean. So in the colonies, they're worth a lot." He pauses, steadying himself. "Right now, fab factories in the colonies are prohibitively expensive, 'n there's a huge demand for power crystals, even jus' as lights, an' not ways to power expensive mainland tech. But Zed, Topper 'n I are steps away from creating a fab factory affordable by colonists. Put it in a butcher shop, slaughter th' animals right, an' the foods a bit less tasty than usual, but power crystals start to form. Even if it's affordable by colonists, though, sellin' isn't the right way to go about it. I want you to finance the production of several A.L.t.A.R. devices that we provide to the colonists, who get them in exchange f'r a good share of the profits from the power crystals. Say 40% off the top. Ongoing cash that pays itself back, month after month. I'd make this a business on the side, but I'd need to spend all my time making A.L.t.A.R. devices, rent out airships to recover the cash ev'ry now n' again, an' it's just more efficient to get funding to pay someone else to built A.L.t.A.R.s, an airship cap'n with stakes to recover the cash. If ye invested, ye'd be perfect fer the job. Which is the only reason this offer's on the table."

Merral gives the captain an eye. "I'm not lettin' you take over my ideas, 'r earn more off them than me and Zed, but I'll pay you back with interest, 'n give you ongoing cash flow from the profits after debts're settled. This project doesn't need you. But yer help would make it easier. Whaddaya say?"

Archmage1

2015-03-29, 07:38 AM

When Merral returns aboard, Jaris greets him with a wide smile.
"Ah, Mr. Merral, there you are. I've got your pay here. You didn't get much, as your persistent failure to obey orders violates your contract, which invokes the penalties portion of the contract."
He listens to Merral's request for parts, but shakes his head.
"The engineering budget is 20% of the ship's budget, and that isn't going to change. There should be enough there to get spare parts, replace the worn ones in the engine, and do some of the other upgrades you are speaking of. Now your investment idea... it's a start, but not enough of one. You see, the governments of the home countries don't set them up in the colonies for a reason. If both sides had equal access to power crystals, it would make a rebellion much harder to put down, you see? Which means that the laws and regulations are going to be quite difficult. You might be better off selling to the military. Regardless, I'm not, at this time, willing to invest in research. If you can get it working, and if you can show me, I might reconsider that."

Fable Wright

2015-03-29, 12:14 PM

Merral's face grows dispassionate as the captain talks. When the infernal sounds stopped coming out of Jaris's mouth, Merral lifts his arm, four fingers raised.

"Four things. First," he lowers one finger, "name one time, aside from following you t' negotiation, when I disregarded orders. Second," he lowers the second, "those numbers don't add up. Yer keepin' 25% of the pay yerself, divvyin' 25% among the crew, 'n you say the ship's 20% of the budget? Where's the last 30 gone? Third," he sorely resists the urge to make the last standing finger the central one, "because of yer bloody contract, I need approval for each project I start up. Which, specifically, are you fundin'? Finally," he lowers his arm to his side and lets out a barking laugh, "ye honestly think this would put colonists close to the mainland in power crystal perduction? We're sellin' small numbers've black boxes here. No risk to any gov'rnment, an' hell, they might thank us; more efficiency from the colonists, 'n they c'n now afford t' power some o' the pricier imports. Plus, yer talkin' like revolution doesn't make a killin' to merchants like ye, 'nlikely as it is." Marrel pauses, and looks Jaris in the eye. "There's a killin' to be made here, an' yer honestly tellin' me no dice. I'll get back to ye with a prototype, but yer passin' up makin' interest on the research funds, 'n delayin' time to market. Yer call, ah guess."

Archmage1

2015-03-29, 01:16 PM

"Mr. Merral, you are aware that cargos don't grow on trees, correct? They are quite expensive. We also need reserves, for when a disaster occurs. After all, we are uninsurable. No, Mr. Merral, you need my approval before spending ship funds. I do agree that getting some spare parts is a good idea, but I am unwilling to support your research at this time. Until you have a way to store it, it isn't worth supporting."

Fable Wright

2015-04-01, 10:37 AM

Merral frowns. "Ye still didn't answer two of my questions. First, which projects're ye approving me to spend ship funds on? Blood, Sweat, and Tears is immediately viable, but I'm not payin' out of my pocket for the option to bleed fer yer benefit. Poltergeist's also low investmen' right now, much lower'n the workshop. Just requires a broom closet fer storage 'n a couple of parts above restock 'n the A.L.t.A.R. fer other tech. No more than 5% at most o' the upgrade budget, but still not somethin' I can pay for out of pocket. Finally, proper workshop's sep'rate from spare parts an' somethin' I really can't afford fer the ship on my dollar, but has the highest consist'nt payoff.

"Second, ye didn't answer my question. Name one time, aside from following you t' negotiation, when I disregarded orders. If yer dockin' my pay for it, ye need to at least cite that much."

Archmage1

2015-04-01, 10:46 AM

"I thought I was fairly clear. You can get spare parts, and if you really feel that the workbench needs to be upgraded to support repairs, than that would also work. I don't think your blood, sweat, and tears plan is a good idea, so that is not approved. I would need to see a smaller example of your idea for your poltergeist plan before I approved spending ship funds on it. Disregarding orders. Simple. You recall when we were in that temple, and I went one way, and said "Go this way?" And you didn't?"

Fable Wright

2015-04-01, 12:08 PM

Merral blinks. "Yer seriously docking my pay because I noticed a door was melted shut before ye?"

Archmage1

2015-04-01, 01:04 PM

"I'm docking your bonus because you are consistently argumentative, and didn't even consider the possibility of going my way. If you'd prefer, I could not offer you any bonus at all."

Fable Wright

2015-04-01, 02:13 PM

Merral crossed his arms. "First, 'ccording to you 'n yer contract, it's slashin' my pay, not takin' the bonus. Second, I did consider goin' your way. I didn' 'cause I saw a door melted t' the floor in its way. Part o' a trend followin' you, I'll note. Third, ye said 'persistent disobeying of orders' as yer cause. Bein' argumentative ain' the same thing at all, 'n there's no provision fer slashin' my pay for talkin'." He leaned back in his chair, much to its protest, taking a breath before continuing. "I'll give ye a free bit o' advice fer ye to ignore. If ye want respect, earn it. Considerin' advice even if ye disregard it, give credit where it's due, an' you'll get harder work 'n less backtalk than cuttin' pay and disregardin' opinions. Much likelier 't hold onto skilled workers tha can find better employment groun'side, too. I'll admit, you got some skill behin' the wheel, 'n the ship ya 'quired is top-notch. Those're no mean feats, but they mean nothin' without a good crew. A share as large as the rest of the crew's combined an' a complete disregard fer opinions that aren' yours aren' a good way t' keep one."

Archmage1

2015-04-01, 02:20 PM

Jaris just looks at him.
"No. Your pay is your pay. You will note that in the contract it did specify that any additional goods or funds acquired in the course of employment belong to the captain. I've found that those who make excuse after excuse to explain their actions are often not very helpful. Now, I believe our conversation is finished. You don't believe my split of the profits is good? You are welcome to sign on to another ship. Of course, they won't give you a split of profits, but that's your choice."

Fable Wright

2015-04-01, 03:24 PM

Merral does all he can to bite back a snarl. "Right. Not very helpful. Smeltin' down goods on the trip fer free, carryin' yer delirious rear up a mountain t' keep natives from ambushin' ye, goin' on field operations despite bein' paid fer an engine-room job, buildin' the most powerful life-savin' equipment ye've ever seen fer the ship doct'r free've charge with costs outa my pocket, offerin' t' make the ship go faster with energy from me lifeblood an' to design somma the best prototype equipment th' world's ever seen fer yer crew pro bono, given a workshop, an' on toppa that being the only reason ya were able to loot th' temple so thoroughly 'cause I was the only one stubborn enough to bring a wheelbarrow through a jungle jus'. Isn'. Helpful. I'll remember tha, then. Try an' tone down me 'unhelpful' streak, 'r maybe find a more captain wi' lower standards lookin' for a doctor-engineer combo." He wrenches himself out of the chair, leaving behind impressions of dials and pipes in the now-thoroughly used chair. He gives a terse bow to Jaris. "Thanks so much fer settin' me straight, cap'n. I'll try'n be a better crewmember in th' future." He turns to leave, headed back to the city to try and find something to calm him down before he punched a hole in something.

Archmage1

2015-04-01, 04:14 PM

"Mr. Merral, you are quite confused. You did the job, for which you are paid to do. If you feel that my remonstration is insufficient, you are, of course, free to leave."

Fable Wright

2015-04-01, 04:36 PM

Merral shakes his head. "No, captain, I did not do my job, as pay cut shows. Balfour did 'is job, tagging along and quietly following orders, no initiative. I did too much, put in far too much effort, went beyond my job description, an' tried thinking for myself to improve outcomes. That was... unhelpful, and not my job. It's not a mistake I'll make again, don' ye worry."

Archmage1

2015-04-01, 08:33 PM

Jaris shrugs as the engineer walks away.