hexarchate_rpg | Chapter 2.2

[Sorry I didn't get this out earlier, y'all. Happy summer/winter holidays!]

The Cantata emerges from the rift on an approach to the Lanterner stronghold called Autumn Pyre. The Cantata hums very quietly to reassure the mothlings, then falls silent; it's been impressed on the Cantata that discretion will be necessary. For their part, the mothlings have free run of an enclosure with Fluffy the Vraselian pseudo-dragon, and both mothlings and dragonet seem to be entertaining each other with games of tag and hide-and-seek. They are happy to play with any humans who stop by, as well.

Scan reveals that Autumn Pyre is heavily fortified by the standards of the day, mostly with invariant weapons like railguns and missiles. A few dozen moths are already docked there, and several more are patrolling the area. Two small Lanterner patrol moths, nearly identical, veer lazily toward the Cantata.

Patrol moth #1 hails the Cantata in several different languages, including the high language. For its part, it transmits the Lanterner emblem--a stylized yellow lantern against a blue background--and the speaker is requesting that you halt and identify yourselves. "This is the Lanterner Federacy in the year 852," the speaker goes on, "under the benevolent rule of the Honorable Aramis kae Pharon. Are you human? What are your hospitality requirements?"

[Feel free to take advantage of the between-moves planning post if you need to, and to make whatever preparations, including rearranging the Cantata's variable layout, you deem necessary.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

There is at least someone who can't play!

Ione is playing with a prismatic twelve-sided die, idly rolling it over and over, tossing it in the air a couple of times -- not so high as to hit anyone -- and catching it again. The way the light catches it is of as much interest to her as the results, and it doesn't look like she's actually paying attention to the numbers so much. She's not; it's not at a point in which the number matters, but she's enjoying the familiar weight.

And definitely looks bored enough to be up to learning a game.

"Hello," Sulen says. They haven't interacted much with Ione yet, but she seems outgoing enough to be a good bet at distraction. They make a small gesture with the hand holding their deck; it's extremely basic, with very plain cards. "I don't suppose you're familiar with jeng-zai? The card game or the divination technique."

"Hi," says Ione cheerfully, putting the die back in one of her five billion (probably more like six) pants pockets and smiling. "I am ..." It's a thoughtful pause, "Familiar with the concepts of both, but not the operation."

"Would you care to learn?" They'd also offer the option of them learning a dice game from her, but they're not sure they'd have the concentration for learning something new. Cards in very straight rows, that's what usually helps sort them out. But they try to keep the suggestion casual.

Sulen also tries scrying Ione, just to see if there's any result in this terrain.

Edited ([ignore deleted text I forgot Ione already has a signifier]) 2019-01-02 18:15 (UTC)

[The GM suggests that scrying in Lanterner territory will give weird, jittery results, so it's not as reliable as usual. Players should feel free to describe what their signifiers look like to any scrying wolves.]

Ione's Voidmoth Scattered Stars is still kind of there under the surface, but there's some weird kaleidoscopic effect going on with the wings, and the stars are scattered in all the wrong places, and the voidmoth is upside down. Sorry about that headache.

"I'd be delighted," is her pleased-but-calm response; she's learning to temper the enthusiasm.

Sulen nods and sits down across from Ione, shuffling the cards carefully. "You're probably aware that it's a gambling and bluffing game. Different combinations of cards have different values." [Not sure whether to be vague about the rules or improv some Space Poker. I'm guessing that Sulen knows a version with seven cards in a hand.]

[If anyone else is hanging out in the common room Sulen would be happy to deal them in.]

[I have never come up with actualfax rules for the game, so you're welcome to be vague or improv Space Poker as you see fit. :p

(Among other things, I have done just enough game design to know that good game design is hard.]

[Haha, yep.]

"That was a pretty die you had," Sulen says as they deal. Seven cards each. One up six down was the most popular variant in the Rahal Academy dormitories, it was called stingray style, but the game will be easier to teach straight. "Are dice games popular where you are from?"

[I AM SUPER THE WORST, I actually dreamed about replying. D:]

Ione, head canted to the side, is watching the shape of the dealing more than the numbers, though she's attempting to keep track. "Dice games and jacks games, things that involve throwing things. I always like when the throwing also reflects light nicely. We don't have divining dice, though, the way your cards also tell fortunes."

Which based on her expression she thinks is Very Interesting.

Chapter 2.2

people who can't play jeng-zai

Re: people who can't play jeng-zai

Re: people who can't play jeng-zai

Re: people who can't play jeng-zai

Scrying in Lanterner territory

Re: Scrying in Lanterner territory

Scrying and game lessons

Re: Scrying and game lessons

Re: Scrying and game lessons

Re: Scrying and game lessons

Re: Scrying and game lessons