yhlee: Alto clef and whole note (middle C). (hxx clock)
yhlee ([personal profile] yhlee) wrote in [community profile] hexarchate_rpg2017-07-08 04:41 pm
Entry tags:

Move 2 (Chapter 1.2)

Time: 702 (high calendar)
Place: a rebellion outpost near a stable rift

[GM's note: Elesa's player had to drop, so we'll just say that Crow tells you she's been called away to another last-minute mission better suited to her talents and move on.]

[Also, for your ease of reference, Mission information, mostly from Move 1 so far.]

The interior of the Wasp is more spacious than it looks. Crow, when asked, informs you that this is a precursor to variable layout technology. For the curious (and those from earlier eras), she explains that variable layout is a hexarchate-era technology that allows affected areas to be bigger inside than out, and for the "rooms" to be rearranged almost at will, or connected with internal teleporters. The Wasp's version isn't advanced enough for room-shuffling, but it does mean that the moth will easily accommodate all of you.

The Wasp contains, at minimum:
- a cockpit for a pilot and copilot
- a gunnery room (weapons/defenses can also be automated)
- an office for the commander [that's you, [personal profile] smokedetective]
- a small medical bay--the Wasp can suggest first aid treatments with an expert system, and there's room in "freezers" to put up to two people in a primitive form of stasis so they can be taken to a real hospital elsewhere if someone gets badly injured [this will only happen to your character with your permission, but could make for fun drama if you are so inclined]
- a combination galley and dining room
- a large common room suitable for entertaining (which begs the question of just what kind of entertaining pirates do), although its decor is rather lacking unless someone wants to play with the matter printer
- sufficient quarters for everyone to have a cabin of their own
- a capacious storage hold filled with strange liquors and other miscellaneous trade goods, as well as occasional miscellaneous supplies

You can address the Wasp's mothgrid from anywhere within it, or access it through slates that communicate with the computers.

Once you reach the rift, travel through it is as simple as pointing the Wasp at it and going through. Inside the rift, you won't be able to see anything but a shimmering blue haze, and it is highly, highly disrecommended that anything alive go extravehicular while in rift transit; there are robots (non-sentient) to take care of any repairs that might become necessary.

[Note to Alaric: if he's paying attention to this, he may notice that, interestingly, Mothra itself appears to be unharmed by the rift energies, thanks to some sort of innate resistance. Mothra may or may not have anything to say about this if he can figure out a way to communicate with it.]

[General notes and formatting: Since I'm going to have probably limited internet access over the next odd-week per this announcement, this is what I suggest:

Players should familiarize themselves with the Wasp and feel free to set out toward the rift in order to commence their mission with travel through the rift. I don't think one day = one move makes sense, especially during boring travel bits. Feel free to use different threads for different conversations that may take place during different times in the journey (one thread for day one, another for day two, etc.)--whether that means making further plans, or devising clever weapons using the matter printer, or getting to know each other, or looking up the briefing materials on heptarchate culture/tech in the target year 361, etc. Just to make thread navigation easier, I suggest that henceforth threads about major topics be titled to help people navigate. If there's a major topic change, or you need to flag an OOC query/discussion, change the comment title, e.g.

immolationfox: Weapons Inventory
Shuos Jedao happily goes through ALL the crates in the hold to check for any weapons, including knitting needles.

overlyloyalhawk: re: Weapons Inventory
Gized sighs and goes to keep an eye on Jedao help him count, since Jedao sucks at numbers.

immolationfox: [paging GM]
[Are there any small arms in here? Grenades? Also, whiskey?]

We don't need to be strict about this, but if we do this for major topics it'll probably help navigating threads.

Once I get back the week after Readercon, we'll see about moving the action forward on the other side of the rift!]
mercuryhatter: (Default)

edit to the above

[personal profile] mercuryhatter 2017-07-10 03:54 pm (UTC)(link)
*He hopes that Avrayen isn't the only one planting bugs (he doesn't see Avrayen doing so, but it seems safe to assume). It would be convenient if he could get close with someone who is keeping tabs on them all, and the image of a child version of his brother was not the best option.

[edited for clarity since I couldn't find the fake name Mikodez was using at the time of writing this, and the original made it seem as if Istradez knew for sure that Avrayen is Mikodez, when he is not.]
vass: Gold Iawa (OC from The Intolerable Clock) (Iawa (gold background))

Re: firewalls and matter printer shenanigans

[personal profile] vass 2017-07-10 04:01 pm (UTC)(link)
Iawa's first few grid requests are for classic treatises and poetry books. Until he overhears some of the others complaining about it, he doesn't even notice there are restrictions.
mercuryhatter: (Default)

Re: Ankat's Academy

[personal profile] mercuryhatter 2017-07-10 04:16 pm (UTC)(link)
[Istradez can handle a handgun and has basic self-defense training. I imagine him fighting somewhat like Peggy Carter: ie, grab the nearest stapler and hit the opponent until they're distracted or unconscious enough that he can get away. He has a chance of getting himself out of a lot of scrapes, but probably not anyone else.]
vass: Gold Iawa (OC from The Intolerable Clock) (Iawa (gold background))

Re: Ankat's Academy

[personal profile] vass 2017-07-10 04:22 pm (UTC)(link)
Iawa takes a step back. "I hope nobody's going to leave the shooting to me. I did study with the Vidona, but while I understand the ethical inconsistency of refusing to lift a weapon in one's own defense and instead permitting others to incur the danger both of physical and moral injury on one's own behalf, nevertheless..."

They keep rambling until someone interrupts them. Their point seems to be that they never learned to shoot, feel as though they probably should but are not very motivated to do so, and know how to handle a knife but not in a combat or self-defense context.

[i.e. another character could persuade Iawa to learn self-defense by talking sternly to them about duty, but honestly their best weapon is verbal tangent.]

Re: Ankat's Academy

[personal profile] pengwern 2017-07-10 05:24 pm (UTC)(link)
[While his impromptu felting needle lockpicks are working fine, Mikodez won’t be bothering with the lock or make any attempts at secreting a gun away for himself. He dropped one of his precious mobile bugs into the gunnery room to monitor what goes in and out, and that’s enough for him - his even more slapdash felting needle slingshot has already murdered a pillow.

He’ll be meekly attentive in front of Ankat, if any basic training lessons take place, but avoid demonstrating the proficiency that netted him his score in Weapons class at Shuos Academy.]
smokedetective: (Default)

[personal profile] smokedetective 2017-07-10 06:47 pm (UTC)(link)
Ashari's smile turns indulgent. "You're welcome. That's a lot better, isn't it? Can't go drinking on an empty stomach. Shall we, then?"

[The bar absolutely wasn't poisoned, but that did give an idea. Would you be alright with there being a tracker in that bar? So now Ashari will, in a pinch, be able to tell where Mikodez is. Mostly I just think that'll be hilarious.]
smokedetective: (Default)

Re: Ashari's Agenda

[personal profile] smokedetective 2017-07-10 07:02 pm (UTC)(link)
Ashari spends more than their fair share of time retreading and memorizing the profiles. The first time they come across names they don't recognize and have to pair them with those that gave fake names, they laugh for quite some time.

[Oops I definitely messed up the years. Ashari does still want the time period surrounding the year they're visiting though. Thanks for catching that! When it comes to minimalism, Ashari wants to know major themes and color schemes, what's considered tasteful, distasteful, and avante-garde.]

[Also, specific questions: what are Remi's likes, dislikes, major personality traits, and close relationships?]
Edited 2017-07-10 19:39 (UTC)
lleullawgyffes: a wolf looking at the camera (Default)

[personal profile] lleullawgyffes 2017-07-10 07:03 pm (UTC)(link)
[Sounds legit — thanks!]
lleullawgyffes: a wolf looking at the camera (Default)

Re: [high calendar note]

[personal profile] lleullawgyffes 2017-07-10 07:10 pm (UTC)(link)
[Oh, goody! I do have some thoughts — I'll put something together (+ maybe consult with Tal about it). The big one is mostly "oh shit I knew remembrances were getting added more frequently over time but I hadn't realized just how much more frequently — look, there's a whole week in the fourth month without a single remembrance!".]
lleullawgyffes: a wolf looking at the camera (Default)

Re: Virmad's agenda (paging Sulen?)

[personal profile] lleullawgyffes 2017-07-10 07:25 pm (UTC)(link)
[good question — let's say that at the moment, yes, it's still Scrywolf Circling, although if someone were watching him constantly, they'd see intermittent flickers of Uncircled already. there'll probably be one later in this conversation — I plan for Virmad to get directly to the point as soon as he's got Sulen's name.]

Virmad bows in return and echoes their politeness. "That's correct. And your name is—?" Virmad realizes belatedly that he's not sure he actually heard the other Rahal's name in the first place.
smokedetective: (Default)

Re: Ankat's Academy

[personal profile] smokedetective 2017-07-10 07:26 pm (UTC)(link)
Ashari somehow manages to lounge standing up. Their hair is pinned up in an elaborate style with six long hair pins. "Hm. Guns... Truth be told prefer sharp objects. You know... Things like knives. Or needles. And other things, I guess.." They trail off, and lightly adjust their already perfect hair, and the light glints off the pins.. "Anyways, my aim's pretty good with those, but it's a hobby, you know.. Guns aren't my forte, I must admit. It's been years since I've handled one. I am pretty decent with a bow, if that's what you're asking."

[They say "years" but it's been at least a decade since Ashari's had to shoot anyone or handle a gun. The knives and sharp things are very much not a hobby and is definitely their forte, along with poisons. Their hand to hand combat experience is mostly stuff on how to get out of holds, dodge, deflect, and block, and also things that come with close knife combat.. They're messing with Ankat here to gauge his reactions and are just having a little fun.]
Edited 2017-07-10 19:31 (UTC)
smokedetective: (Default)

Re: Ashari's Response to Sasha's Memo - paging Yehan

[personal profile] smokedetective 2017-07-10 07:40 pm (UTC)(link)
Ashari's good with this meeting.

[I can see that there's already a meet up at the printer. I'm on mobile and that threads getting a little long, but I'll see if I can hop in on that.]
smokedetective: (Default)

Re: matter printer shenanigans: fashion edition

[personal profile] smokedetective 2017-07-10 07:54 pm (UTC)(link)
Ashari wanders in just in time to catch the tail end of Istradez's comment. They let out a low whistle as they see the fabric in his hands.

"Infiltration and surveillance is all well and good," says Ashari, trying not to laugh. "But are we sure we want to do it while emulating a particular, uh, herb-obsessed subculture?"

[Ashari thinks the formula is the one for space weed.]

[personal profile] pengwern 2017-07-10 07:58 pm (UTC)(link)
His tongue was going numb. No, wait, those salty chunks were probably the barbecued pork chips, and not flesh sloughing off his palate. Mikodez summons the strength of all his Shuos forebears who ever had to endure experimental Andan aperitifs and smiles.

“If you send me a map, we can bring a few duplicates up to the kitchen first, and I’ll promise to not to mix all the bottles with walnut frosting and mulberry sprinkles.” He strolls off at the first branching of the corridor, regardless of where the cargo hold actually is. “My most useful skill is probably that. Don’t know what else I can add to a bunch of smugglers, but I used to help my sister with dyeing her moon rabbit fleeces, and I can do a spot of drop spindling or make little felt sculptures.” Both involve sharp implements, but maybe Ashari knew that already.

[SURE, but is it like an actual bug, or something that puts out a trail that would decay with time? He might feed the other two-fifths to tiny adorable puppies/robots bounding through the Wasp, if it’s the latter. And he’s probably going to be ostentatiously un-Shuos for a good while - at least an hour.]
mercuryhatter: (Default)

Re: matter printer shenanigans: fashion edition

[personal profile] mercuryhatter 2017-07-10 08:05 pm (UTC)(link)
Istradez squints again and the formula and snorts.

"Well, that certainly would be a cover story," he points out, amused. "It's not as if that particular subculture has never caught up a Nirai or two."
smokedetective: (Default)

[personal profile] smokedetective 2017-07-10 08:33 pm (UTC)(link)
"I've done a little of those, although I was never quite as good at drop spindling as my brother. I prefer knitting. And my sewing's not too bad."

Ashari and all of their siblings had, in reality, been equally mediocre at crafts, but no one needed to know that. Ashari had gotten better with time and practice.

"I have the maps here, I think. Time to test how good you really are with mixing."

[It's a trail that decays over a period of time. I'm loving this kid Mikodez.]
smokedetective: (Default)

Re: matter printer shenanigans: fashion edition

[personal profile] smokedetective 2017-07-10 08:39 pm (UTC)(link)
"They have to do something to relax, I suppose."

Ashari produces a tablet with pictures of some very simple matte black outfits pulled up. "Can we try replicating one of these pieces? They seem fittingly... minimalist."
venndaai: (windbreaker)

Re: Virmad's agenda (paging Sulen?)

[personal profile] venndaai 2017-07-10 08:53 pm (UTC)(link)
They'd already decided not to lie about anything. The obsessive thoughts really don't like lies, and they're not creative enough to come up with a fake identity anyway. "Aricura Sulen. I was a third level inquisitor in 835." With a sudden jolt, they realize that if he's from a year after that, he might actually have heard of them. Depending on how much notoriety they'd received for breaking a heretic out of a secure cell, stealing a moth, getting into a firefight with a Kel moth (not that they'd been the one flying the moth or firing at the Kel...) and disappearing. Probably not that much. As far as traitors went, they hadn't done a whole lot of damage. Still, it's an odd thought.
Edited 2017-07-11 23:18 (UTC)
zuhrovet: A green frog (Default)

Re: matter printer shenanigans: fashion edition

[personal profile] zuhrovet 2017-07-10 09:37 pm (UTC)(link)
Sasha narrows her eyes but successfully restrains herself from sharing her opinion of recreational substances that increase paranoia.

"Yes, I'm hoping black will work, though I don't know how well we can expect to determine matte vs. shiny. Do you have any information on dimensions or materials? The physical printing parts of the printer seem to be doing just fine; it's the blueprinting routines that are all snarled up."
venndaai: a blue nebula (Default)

Re: [high calendar note]

[personal profile] venndaai 2017-07-10 09:49 pm (UTC)(link)
[Questions: 1. in 361, how long has it been since Kujen created the modern high calendar/the remembrances? 2. has Magistrate Ienora created the compromise where people on planets can follow their own day cycles yet?]
smokedetective: (Default)

Re: matter printer shenanigans: fashion edition

[personal profile] smokedetective 2017-07-10 09:52 pm (UTC)(link)
Ashari quickly scrolls down to the basic parameters of the fabric and the patterns.
"I don't know if this will be enough, but it's all I have at the moment."
slybrarian: The Incomparable Leonardo de Montreal, Nightmare's Angel (Nightmare Scientist)

Re: Ankat's Academy

[personal profile] slybrarian 2017-07-11 01:30 am (UTC)(link)
"Yes, I supposed you would call it that," Alaric said. He flourishes his coat back to reveal a scabbard, one much smaller than the blade that he pulls from it. It looks like a fairly standard single-handed, two-edged fencing sword, somewhere between a rapier and saber, with a plain and simple hilt. The blade is rather less standard, in that while it has the general outlined shape of one, it is not so much black as void-colored. There is a faint whisper of air as he moves it about.

"You would not believe the amount of trouble I went to in forging this," Alaric commented. "You have to be very careful about making sure it won't conflict with foreign calendars, otherwise the whole thing could implode."
talifabian: (Default)

Re: Ankat's Academy

[personal profile] talifabian 2017-07-11 01:30 am (UTC)(link)
Ankat's had enough experience with the Andan that he shifts uncomfortably when Ashari's hand begins messing with her hair pins, but the expression on his face is a good bit relieved.

"Frankly, my job is much easier if you have any self-defense training, sir. As for the bow, I'll be sure to retrieve one from the matter printer for you," he manages to say with a straight face. "If you've more experience with close-quarters fighting though, I'll make sure to set up a few sparring groups."
slybrarian: The Incomparable Leonardo de Montreal, Nightmare's Angel (Nightmare Scientist)

Re: Ankat's Academy

[personal profile] slybrarian 2017-07-11 01:33 am (UTC)(link)
"I'm good at many things!" Alaric protested. "Engineering support, especially for problems stemming from moving between calendrical time periods. Heresy. Sabotage. Especially explosive or heretical sabotage - ah, the look on that Vidona's face when he tried to fold me in half. I wish I could have stayed and taken a picture, but I had to run to catch a ship off-world."
talifabian: (Default)

Re: Ankat's Academy

[personal profile] talifabian 2017-07-11 01:37 am (UTC)(link)
Ankat's expression does not get less worried, precisely.

"Is ... is that a concern?"

Where's the boarding tube again? Failing that, where's the nearest airlock?

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