event 02 plotting

[thestewards]

A month has passed in the real world and in the game world, and that means it's once again time for something to go hideously wrong.

This month, Strangers arrive peacefully. They sleep through the night, and wake to a household that did not expect more of them. They have the day to grow acclimated to Draega. It's not enough time, but the Guilds and the Council don't care about anyone's comfort but their own. In the early evening, some of the Blood sabotage the power plant northwest of the city. At the same time, a group of angry landens confronts Councilwoman Vera while she's out with her family.

You can read the full event here. The post is currently locked for responses and will open at 8PM EST on the 21st. Take this time to talk to each other about what you're interested in doing and accomplishing in this event.

Questions should be asked here. Strangers are welcome to speak with Loren or Allairavar after breakfast. You may request a thread using our NPC request form. Comment to the appropriate character's top-level. For events like this, simply let us know which of your prompts you'd like the NPC to respond to. You may drive the power plant workers and cityfolk as you please.

Some additional information…

► Strangers at the Queen's Residence will have noticed that more and more often, they are served porridge, simple breads, and fruit of questionable quality at breakfast. There is enough food for everyone, but it's not very tasty.

► At the power plant, Master Elektric Doriah will give Strangers the support they need to get her people out. Inside, there are about 50 landen workers. Each Stranger can save up to three workers. Most of them are trapped in shields of Purple Dusk or lighter. The line managers and overseers are trapped behind Green shields. To free them, you will need to at least wear the Green or use the Breakers donated by Doriah. Anyone trapped in a shield is slowly running out of air as well as overheating. It's not a great feeling.

► The mods will be reading these threads to see how many workers, line managers, and overseers are saved (don't worry about how many of each there are). This will have an impact on faction influence in the future.

► Power will be restored in Draega within a day or two.

► It is common knowledge that Councilwoman Vera loudly dislikes the Guilds. Strangers who have been in Draega for the past month will have heard her position over the Far-casters: if the Guilds are willing to burn the homes of their own people, then they should be willing to fix those homes without assistance of the Blood. The Guilds pursue progress for the sake of progress, polluting the land, river, and air around the city even more than it already is. She accuses the Transport and Tinker Guilds regularly of actively destroying the land, and she has suggested on multiple occasions that the research of the landen Medicos isn't something even the Blood would consider ethical.

► As long as characters are in proximity to Muters, they have no access to any of their powers. They will need to rely on skills that have nothing to do with their supernatural powers. This means that Superman will not have superhuman strength or the ability to fly, and those who can naturally use magic will not be able to. Learned skills (which are those not augmented or inhibited by a Jewel) are not impacted.

► Players have 10 comments (5 each) to diffuse the tensions between landens and Blood in Death of a Councilwoman before the locals become violent. You are welcome to calm people down or let them riot as you please, but the mods will be reading these threads to see if the conflict is resolved peacefully or not. This will have a definite impact on influence in the future.

How will these threads impact influence? Don't worry about that for now. Let your character do what they think is right in these situations. Influence for January will be posted next week when we change over influence jobs for the month. The results of character actions in this event will become apparent in March.

After this event…

► New players can assume that characters know all the information given in the info pages. Whether you handwave a conversation with random NPCs or assume that Loren answered your characters' questions, as of the end of the event all PCs have been informed of the landen Guilds, the Ebon Council, and the state of the world.

► Characters may move out of the Queen's Residence and establish their homes elsewhere. Many buildings in the city are empty and in need of repairs, but no one will stop Strangers from moving in.

► Any one who remains at the Queen's Residence will receive a modest stipend, enough to cover food and drink. Loren will make clear that Strangers who do not live at the residence will not be afforded this money but also that Strangers who do stay are considered part of the Queen's court in as much as actions they take will reflect back on the court.

► Allairavar reminds everyone who chooses to stay at the residence that if you live with the court, you practice with the court. He expects all the Strangers who stay to be on the practice fields with everyone else at dawn. To those who are reticent, he explains that no one needs to learn how to fight only how to defend long enough for help (he seems to imply himself) to arrive.

Comments

Horatio Hornblower

[midship]

Strangers
- At least for now, Horatio will... probably stay at the residence? It's really hard to turn down a place to stay and some steady income after being stuck in the Peace back home.
- He's also 10000% here for anything remotely to do with drill so you can catch him bright and eager first thing in the morning. Or, you know, exhausted and bedraggled but eager af to learn the science of magic.
- "Coffee, thankfully, is not in short supply" is that a challenge he takes that as a challenge like honestly anyone who wants his food can take it he doesn't even care but he will fight off even small adorable children to have his coffee it's the thing he's missed most

Two Ideals
- Running toward disaster is his Brand, so Horatio will be heading to the power plant for sure. He's got minimal sense of how to take care of his own safety, so if anyone wants an accountabilibuddy while doing rescues, that'd be great.
- Also he's just a sweet baby Tigers Eye, so a stronger buddy would be ideal for shield-breaking.
- He survived his last big fire by holding a damp cloth over his mouth, so that's his master plan now, and he'll deffo be recommending anyone with a collar near him pull it up over their mouths while they're running around.
- That said, he'll probably wind up getting banged up because he's a foolish boy, and hopefully that'll push him toward actively working on Craft rather than just running through the motions when he's meant to. Like get him onto the practical military applications and he'll be all about this life.

Misc
- If anyone else is down to go scouting for libraries, please let him awkwardly attach himself to that effort??
- Also if anyone else plays whist (or wants to learn to count cards) please let this happen?? He's so small and he likes so few fun things.
- Also also if you have any thoughts other than this hmu here or over pm or on plurk (but lmk who you are if you hit me there I'm also small and easily confused)!

Re: Horatio Hornblower

[theladyofwinterfell]

Sansa isn't a physical sort of person AT ALL but if Horatio convinced her that he needed her help (she wears Purple Dusk), she'd go help him break shields and things.

Continuing in that vein, Sansa is not gonna be too into drill stuff so if Horatio can gently encourage her that it's ok for her as a lady to learn how to fight win/win

And she will learn whist from him ahha.

[midship]

I'm suspicious that the Gentlemanly Thing To Do will not be to encourage her to run into the explosion with him. :'| But perhaps if they've been training up together, it'd come more naturally?

Also l o r d he will be so stupidly pleased if Sansa will learn whist. It's way easier than Craft, he promises. Even card-counting is way easier than Craft.

[theladyofwinterfell]

Hahah, right - it sucks when you're trying to figure out how to get your character to do something *you* want and they wouldn't do naturally. Perhaps we can thread them doing drills and then it will feel more natural.

And yess, Sansa would love to learn whist. I imagine she knows some card games (even if they don't really mention cards in GoT and the only game they have mentioned is sort of like chess) so she'll enjoy learning it

[midship]

I JUST WANT HIM TO MAKE FRIENDS AND NOT HAVE AN EARLY 19TH CENTURY VIEW ON WOMEN ETC but here we are /drags hands down face
That said, I do think this whole situation is weird enough that he'd be pretty on board with any sparring buddies he could find (especially after the hijinks in the classroom), so drills at least are definitely a go. o7

Gosh he might actually smile about this. c':

[theladyofwinterfell]

HAHAH Sansa won't help him with his 19th century views, she is positively medieval herself.

[midship]

This will go well. :')

No but actually this has been so cute already I can't.

[thequitecontrary]

PS... Mary plays cards. Probably not whist though, since it went out of style by her time period!

[midship]

Please don't tell him his strong fave is forgotten, Mary. :'|

But he would be so down to do an exchange with her, like teaching her whist if she'll teach him Spades or what have you. There's got to be some trick-taking game she knows he could pick up quickly enough.

[thequitecontrary]

Sorry Horatio. It's just the way society is.

She probably knows poker and bridge, so she could probably teach him those.

[midship]

Another reason to hate it, tbh.
Also if she could never tell him about the rise of steamships that'd be great.

Bridge is pretty close but gosh Mary please teach him poker?

[thequitecontrary]

She definitely can do both!

[midship]

Perfection C:

[mekhanikos]

oh my god, horatio, that is not how you survive a fire??

does he want someone who can absorb fire to do some damage control around him and make sure he doesn't, you know, die

[midship]

Are you sure
Are you sure it's not just "try not to breathe smoke and hope for the best"
Are you sure human beings are even flammable
Are you entirely sure

Also as few qualms as he has about potentially dying, I would like that, yes. :'|

[mekhanikos]

yes, he is super sure about this, like 1000% sure

but good! then it's a deal and they shall become firefighters together

[midship]

Sounds fake but okay??

Also, more coherently, this loser and Lalli were going to be into-the-fray together for dragging folks out, but it would be fantastical to me if Leo could drag Horatio out when he (inevitably) turns into a (possibly on fire) liability rather than a helper, if that works for you?

[mekhanikos]

that sounds great! leo's got a top level in the log now, you can hit up any of the prompts you think might be suitable, or wildcard it, or if you're making a top level later i can tag it as well!

[midship]

I will hit you up tonight!

[retrorsum]

you better save river some of that coffee even tho she really doesn't need it it's just for fun
absolutely catch her at all hours looking fresh as a daisy tho. what is tired???

also libraries you know that's my game

[midship]

Coffee fight defused by library discussion, you say :|a

[retrorsum]

you know me
wild times

[midship]

I am here for this nonsense specifically, okay

[retrorsum]

draws hearts around

[midship]

Ping me if you tl or else I will attempt to tomorrow o/