Sea of Stars - OOC III

[Leon]

Will be away from the 21th till sometime after christmas

[rax]

Hey all, just want to let you know that my wife and son have been hit with stomach flu. It seems to last about two days. Right now, I'm okay, but the odds of me not catching it are grim. If I'm unresponsive in the next few days, the flu will be the reason why.

[Destro_Yersul]

Being sick sucks, hope everyone feels better soon.

[rax]

I was the last man standing but it got me in the end. I was recovered enough to enjoy Christmas dinner but even though the nasty stuff was done in about 24 hours, I was surprised how physically and mentally exhausted I was. I ended up calling in sick at work for two days more...which took me right into the Christmas celebrations.

I'm catching up on all my games and will get IC and OOC posts up tomorrow if needed.

A belated Merry Christmas to you all.

[PotatoGolem]

Well, rather than being at the beach today, I'm unexpectedly flying out of the country for a family emergency. I may be very delayed in responding for the next week or so.

[Destro_Yersul]

Spoiler: Hannabel/Rax Only

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OOC: Hmm, I'm not sure where to go with this. I seem to recall that when Hannabel dropped heavy hints to Anika to look for family resemblances at the Countess' mansion, she noted no striking similarities between Hannabel and Alia. Plus of course, one would expect the others to note Alia's similarity to Hannabel if there was a strong resemblance. And yet, Hannabel sees these similarities very clearly.

In your mind, what would it take for someone else to notice the similarity?

Checking back, Anika did look, and I did say that she found some similarities in appearance, but nothing concrete. In this case, Hannabel's greater surety is due to Hannabel's greater experience - and the fact that she knows what she looked like before adopting assorted disguises, AND knows what her various 'sisters' looked like. Anika has never seen Hannabel's original appearance, right? She and the rest of the crew are drawing from a more limited data set, so you got a bigger bonus on your Awareness check than they did. Remember when I mentioned I do secret rolls sometimes? This was one of those times.

[PotatoGolem]

Who all is down in the shuttle bay with Macharius? Echo is waiting in the observatory, I believe anika and hannabelle are here, what about Ravia?

[Leon]

Observation as well

[rax]

Spoiler: Hannabel/Rax Only

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Checking back, Anika did look, and I did say that she found some similarities in appearance, but nothing concrete. In this case, Hannabel's greater surety is due to Hannabel's greater experience - and the fact that she knows what she looked like before adopting assorted disguises, AND knows what her various 'sisters' looked like. Anika has never seen Hannabel's original appearance, right? She and the rest of the crew are drawing from a more limited data set, so you got a bigger bonus on your Awareness check than they did. Remember when I mentioned I do secret rolls sometimes? This was one of those times.

Spoiler: Destro Only

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That's fair, but I think it's important to remember that while Hannabel disguises herself, the disguises aren't terribly elaborate and she's not had cosmetic surgery or the like. She's mostly relied on keeping her distance and the assumption that among literally billions of humans she won't be easily found even by those who know what she used to look like.

I suppose the real question here is what it would take for the others to begin noticing the similarities. If Hannabel and Alia stand next to each other, would the family resemblance be obvious?

[Destro_Yersul]

Spoiler: Destro Only

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That's fair, but I think it's important to remember that while Hannabel disguises herself, the disguises aren't terribly elaborate and she's not had cosmetic surgery or the like. She's mostly relied on keeping her distance and the assumption that among literally billions of humans she won't be easily found even by those who know what she used to look like.

I suppose the real question here is what it would take for the others to begin noticing the similarities. If Hannabel and Alia stand next to each other, would the family resemblance be obvious?

Spoiler: Rax Only

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It wouldn't be like identical twins or anything, but closer to sisters or cousins than someone completely unrelated would be.

edit: it's also possible I underplayed a bit how much Anika noticed, given what you've mentioned. I kinda figured Hannabel had done more than just changing her clothes and manner of speaking. Nothing elaborate, sure, but maybe something in terms of makeup and the like. I think with Hannabel standing right next to Alia, the resemblance would be much easier to notice. Perhaps not immediately apparent, if the assorted homonculi had a spectrum of diversity in their makeup, which is also something I was assuming was the case. I figured they'd be more like extended family than direct clones.

[rax]

Spoiler: Rax Only

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It wouldn't be like identical twins or anything, but closer to sisters or cousins than someone completely unrelated would be.

edit: it's also possible I underplayed a bit how much Anika noticed, given what you've mentioned. I kinda figured Hannabel had done more than just changing her clothes and manner of speaking. Nothing elaborate, sure, but maybe something in terms of makeup and the like. I think with Hannabel standing right next to Alia, the resemblance would be much easier to notice. Perhaps not immediately apparent, if the assorted homonculi had a spectrum of diversity in their makeup, which is also something I was assuming was the case. I figured they'd be more like extended family than direct clones.

Spoiler: Destro only

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Your edit is pretty much how I envisioned it, yes. I'm only belabouring the point because I think Haval may have felt that there was nothing to see regarding a family resemblance. Hannabel obviously isn't going to point it out herself - at least not unless it's needed to resolve a crisis of some sort - so if someone is supposed to notice you'll probably need to drop a hint. But if you prefer to steer clear of bringing it up then I'm happy to let it slide as well.

[Leon]

"Quite the maze in here."

It is an a Mazing ship

[Blarghy]

Found it! I don't think we know what this bit is about, if anybody wants to ask.

Ravia

Ravia was able to identify the weapon, based on the reports and the description of injuries. Or weapons, rather. There were at least two. The majority of the injuries did come from a sword, likely a double-edged dueling blade similar to the one Etula carried, but by no means unique to her. The peculiar post-mortem head wounds came from a hollow-tine. Normally this was an agricultural implement, useful for caring for large grounds, but it seemed to have been repurposed here for some reason. An ice pick would have been much simpler to acquire and use, and the improvised nature of the object was at odds with the bespoke nature of the rest of the Stalker's gear.

Oh, and I forgot the +10 for Disturbing Voice, there. So that’s another degree of success.

[Blarghy]

Nobody below the governor can afford to move against my house directly, and even his position is tenuous enough that he'd think hard about doing it first."

Do the more politically-savvy and connected characters think that this is true? Furthermore, Destro, do we think that Alia is telling us the truth at all? Do we get the sense that she's holding back, in regards to her motivations? Are you rolling Inquiry checks for us behind the scenes?

And how do you feel at this point, rax? Seems like you're the most invested in this matter. I doubt that Alia is going to break away from her aunt, so is there something else we should negotiate for? Are we just gonna prepare for a fight? Little else is likely to stop her, in my opinion, though it does mean we'd be declaring war on a House that--supposedly--even Hax hesitates to cross...

Do we want to reveal our suspicions about the Jokaero? Follow up on her use of the hollow-tine? Anybody got other ideas?

I'm down for whatever. Kennoch will be mad if we don't either kill or help imprison her, but he's already mad about Galimina anyway, so it won't make much difference.

[Haval]

Do the more politically-savvy and connected characters think that this is true? Furthermore, Destro, do we think that Alia is telling us the truth at all? Do we get the sense that she's holding back, in regards to her motivations? Are you rolling Inquiry checks for us behind the scenes?

It's possible but I'm suspicious. I still don't have Common Lore Imperium for some reason so here's a Scholastic Lore (Archaic) roll instead.

Is Alia exaggerating about the capacity of any rival houses? Or is it mostly about the suit.
vs. Int 53
(1d100)[13]

Scrutiny if it helps
vs. Fel 47
(1d100)[17]

[PotatoGolem]

Macharius has CL:Imperium. (1d100)[21] vs 48

[Destro_Yersul]

Do the more politically-savvy and connected characters think that this is true? Furthermore, Destro, do we think that Alia is telling us the truth at all? Do we get the sense that she's holding back, in regards to her motivations? Are you rolling Inquiry checks for us behind the scenes?

And how do you feel at this point, rax? Seems like you're the most invested in this matter. I doubt that Alia is going to break away from her aunt, so is there something else we should negotiate for? Are we just gonna prepare for a fight? Little else is likely to stop her, in my opinion, though it does mean we'd be declaring war on a House that--supposedly--even Hax hesitates to cross...

Do we want to reveal our suspicions about the Jokaero? Follow up on her use of the hollow-tine? Anybody got other ideas?

I'm down for whatever. Kennoch will be mad if we don't either kill or help imprison her, but he's already mad about Galimina anyway, so it won't make much difference.

Her house is powerful, but saying that Hax would be overly worried about moving against them is probably an exaggeration. I've been rolling some secret scrutiny tests for you as things go on here. She is either telling the truth, or she is a very good liar.

It's possible but I'm suspicious. I still don't have Common Lore Imperium for some reason so here's a Scholastic Lore (Archaic) roll instead.

Is Alia exaggerating about the capacity of any rival houses? Or is it mostly about the suit.
vs. Int 53
[roll0]

Scrutiny if it helps
vs. Fel 47
[roll1]

Macharius has CL:Imperium. [roll0] vs 48

As above, she's almost certainly exaggerating, but not by a lot. Her house has been around for a long time, and has a lot of pull, especially now that so many of the other Scintillan nobility have been murdered. She also, as you've seen at her party, has a large household guard. A coup against them would not be quick or bloodless. Especially not with what you've seen of the capabilities of Alia herself from Thule's security footage.

[Blarghy]

"The Jokaero is long since gone"

I'm guessing this is also an exaggeration, based on Anika's readings from the party. Unless the Kindjals have something else rare locked up in their basement. Maybe Alia's stretching the definition of "long since," and she killed her prisoner around the same time as Thule.

In any case, unless we manage to flip Alia against her aunt--which I still think is a tall order from what she's said--it appears that killing her now will only be the start of a larger task. Any ideas about what we should try to negotiate for, even if it's just a temporary agreement that we plan to break as soon as we can coordinate with Hax and join a strike against their compound?

I admit that I quite wanted to see Macharius try to fight this murder-goddess, but that's just my personal bloodlust.

Alia did raise the good point that Hax might like us by this point. Maybe we should ask for a meeting? Unless the rest of you want to cut a deal in Alia's favor and keep our silence. ...Maybe Alia would help us frame Quinn.

[Haval]

Going to try appealing to her self interest. Not going to try rolling charm because I don't want to risk it.

[rax]

I'm somewhat concerned that Alia seems to be readily buying into the idea of eloping on Manticore's Sting. Even if she's allowed to bring a retinue, surely it's obvious that we could space her any time we wanted to once we're away from Scintilla. Seems like an awful risk for her to take.

[Haval]

I'm somewhat concerned that Alia seems to be readily buying into the idea of eloping on Manticore's Sting. Even if she's allowed to bring a retinue, surely it's obvious that we could space her any time we wanted to once we're away from Scintilla. Seems like an awful risk for her to take.

Probably confident enough to believe that she wouldn't have much trouble dealing with us if we tried to betray her. There's also the whole argument that if we were going to do that maybe we would have tried something already.

[Destro_Yersul]

Tone is hard to convey through text, sorry. It's intended that she comes across as interested, but ambivalent. You floated an idea, and she isn't shooting it down, but she is totally ok with the outcome where you agree to shut up and go away without taking her along. Read her response more 'polite interest, I will hear you out' than 'Best plan, let's hecking go'

[PotatoGolem]

Super busy this week, may not be able to post until the weekend. Sorry!

[PotatoGolem]

How wealthy/connected are the Kindjals relative to the rest of the nobility? Meaning, in terms of trade deals and the like, are we likely to be making more money turning her in or having her buy us off?

[Destro_Yersul]

It's an old and quite wealthy house, with fingers in a lot of pies. I'm not saying you couldn't find a better deal by turning her in, but you'd need to shop around and put in the legwork for it, while her offer is on the table right now.

EDIT: actually, Potato, remind me: do you have Macharius' backstory written down anywhere? I don't have it saved, myself, so I don't remember if he knows who was responsible for sending the pirates after his family.

[Haval]

It's an old and quite wealthy house, with fingers in a lot of pies. I'm not saying you couldn't find a better deal by turning her in, but you'd need to shop around and put in the legwork for it, while her offer is on the table right now.

EDIT: actually, Potato, remind me: do you have Macharius' backstory written down anywhere? I don't have it saved, myself, so I don't remember if he knows who was responsible for sending the pirates after his family.

I feel like Macharius and Anika had a conversation about that. Was it the house seneschal or something like that?

[PotatoGolem]

It's an old and quite wealthy house, with fingers in a lot of pies. I'm not saying you couldn't find a better deal by turning her in, but you'd need to shop around and put in the legwork for it, while her offer is on the table right now.

EDIT: actually, Potato, remind me: do you have Macharius' backstory written down anywhere? I don't have it saved, myself, so I don't remember if he knows who was responsible for sending the pirates after his family.

Just looked it up in the old thread- House Denaire and the former Absalom seneschal Jens Madere.

What are people's thoughts on what we should do here? Particularly Rax, since this seems to be linked to Hannabelle's backstory.

[Destro_Yersul]

Alright. I've responded to the last of Macharius' previous questions, so thank you for finding that for me.

And yes, how would you guys like to play this from here? From my perspective, you have a couple options, but there could very well be things I haven't thought of.

[rax]

What are people's thoughts on what we should do here? Particularly Rax, since this seems to be linked to Hannabelle's backstory.

IIRC I stated before that Hannabel doesn't have a beef with Alia specifically and that still holds true. OOC, what Hannabel wants to see is the Countess brought down and preferably made very dead, but there are circumstances in Hannabel's backstory (which I don't recall if I've made public OOC) which lead her to believe that just bumping off the old lady herself won't guarantee that she's actually dead.

The idea of having Alia leave Scintilla altogether remains intriguing, since it offers an opportunity to question her more directly - she could be separated from any entourage she brings and she would be beyond the immediate reach of House Kindjal. For personal reasons, Hannabel would also like to have Ravia run some blood/tissue tests on Alia. Bringing her on board the Sting could provide cover for that - I'm sure we could spin it as standard procedure to ensure the health and safety of both passengers and crew.

With all that said, for the purposes of not tying everyone up in Hannabel's backstory forever, it would be useful if we could at least manage to convince her to submit to testing before we leave Scintilla. The results could impact just how much further questioning is actually necessary.

[Haval]

IIRC I stated before that Hannabel doesn't have a beef with Alia specifically and that still holds true. OOC, what Hannabel wants to see is the Countess brought down and preferably made very dead, but there are circumstances in Hannabel's backstory (which I don't recall if I've made public OOC) which lead her to believe that just bumping off the old lady herself won't guarantee that she's actually dead.

The idea of having Alia leave Scintilla altogether remains intriguing, since it offers an opportunity to question her more directly - she could be separated from any entourage she brings and she would be beyond the immediate reach of House Kindjal. For personal reasons, Hannabel would also like to have Ravia run some blood/tissue tests on Alia. Bringing her on board the Sting could provide cover for that - I'm sure we could spin it as standard procedure to ensure the health and safety of both passengers and crew.

With all that said, for the purposes of not tying everyone up in Hannabel's backstory forever, it would be useful if we could at least manage to convince her to submit to testing before we leave Scintilla. The results could impact just how much further questioning is actually necessary.

Fairly sure you haven't. Anika is in favour of not trying to kill Alia for reasons that I'm not going to bring up until they matter. That said, she'll defer to Hannabel if there's a decision to make.

Alia is still not to be trusted but Anika is inclined to blame the aunt for all the murder. That doesn't quite justify ignoring it but if there's anyway for us to benefit here Anika is ok with any deal Macharius decides to make. A fringe benefit is that taking Alia with us might piss off the aunt, which is the next best thing to dealing with her directly.

The only problem might be getting her to open up if we think she's hiding something. Other then transportation I don't think we have anything that she wants if we're trying to play nice.