The recruitment thread is here:
http://thecbg.org/e107_plugins/forum/forum_viewtopic.php?53966.0
So far we've got one fairly definite yes.
[spoiler=Robert Morgan]Name- Robert Morgan
Player- Jerod Rinkus
Chronicle- Island City
Nature- Judge
Demeanor- Fanatic
Agency- NSA Domestic Intelligence Bureau, Burying Men
Rank- 3
Codename- Agent Clear
Concept- Super Agent
Str 3 Dex 3 Sta 3
Cha 2 Man 2 App 2
Per 3 Int 2 Wit 2
Alertness 2, Athletics 1, Brawl 1, Dodge 1, Intimidation 2
Drive 1, Firearms 2, Melee 2, Repair 1, Security 2, Stealth 2, Survival 1
Computer 1, Covert Culture 1, Investigation 2, Linguistics 1, Occult 2
Allies 3, Influence 2, Resources 3, Equipment 2, Rank 3 Digger's Rank 2
Merits- Agency Insider 3 (PT), Top Secret Access 2 (PT), Iron Will 4 (HH), Clear Sighted 3 (HH), License to Kill 2 (PT) Poison Blood, Fist of God
Willpower- 10
Gear & Possessions- SigSauer P226 9mm automatic (diff 7, dam 4, rng 20, rate 4, clip 15, jacket), NSA badge, cell phone, 35mm camera, hand cuffs, police radio, iMac desktop, NSA restricted files (rank 2)[/spoiler]
[spoiler=Stone]
Name- William Stone
Player- Daniel Clark
Chronicle- Island City
Nature- Architect
Demeanor- Caregiver
Convention- Void Engineers/Orphan
Methodology- Neutralization Specialist Corps
Eidolon Essence- Dynamic
Concept- Psionics Researcher
Str 2 Dex 3 Sta 4 (Tough as Nails)
Cha 2 Man 4 App 3
Per 4 Int 5 (Creative) Wits 3
Alertness 2, Awareness 3, Brawl 1, Dodge 1, Subterfuge 1
Crafts 1, Firearms 3, First Aid 1, Hypertech 4 (Nanotech), Meditation 2, Melee 1, Microgravity Operations 1, Pilot 3, Stealth 2, Technology 3,
Academics 1, Computer 3, Cosmology 2,, Enigmas 1, Investigation 2, Law 1, Linguistics 3, Lore (Kindred) 1, Lore (Awakened) 1, Lore (Technocracy) 2, Lore (Void Engineer) 1, Medicine 4, Occult 3, Psionics 2, RD Data 1, Science 3, Subdimensions 3,Technocratic Procedure 1, Temporal Mechanics 1, Xenobiology 1
Contacts 3, Cloaking(Arcane) 2, Destiny 1, Device 3, Genius (Avatar) 4, Influence 2, Library 1, Patron 1, Requisitions (very good standing, diff 6) 5, Resources 3,
Enlightenment (Arete) (Countermagic) 5
Resonance- Creative (Dynamic)-1 Structured (Static)-1
Spheres- Correspondence 1, Forces 3, Mind 3, Dimensional Science 3, Life 3, Prime 3, Spirit 1, Matter 1, Entropy 1, Time 1
Primary Apparaum- Forces & Mind- Psionic Powers, Life- Medical Procedures, Correspondence- GPS and Satellites, Dimensional Science- electromagnetic waves, Prime- electricity, Entropy- Statistics, Time- Chronograph, Spirit- bastardized hermetic rites, Matter- chemistry
Rotes Known- Gutter View(correspondence), Percieve Forces, Mind Empowerment, Empathic Projection, Social Conditioning, Kinetic Push, Telekinesis, Kinetic Barrier, View Subdimension, Quantum Interface Shield, Breach Gauntlet, See Spirit, Prayer of Healing Revealation, Tough Skin, Better Body, Heal other, Heal Self, Non Descript, Adjust Minor Mental Abnormalities, Detect Mental Abnormalities, Divert Primal Force, Tap Node, Analyze Substance, Targeting Computation, Detect Temporal Abnormalities,
Merits- Concentration, Dual Traditions (Orphan), Jack of All Trades, Unaging, Master of Red Tape, Licence to: Operate Military Vehicles, Practice Medicine, Carry Concealed Weapon (North America), Inner Knight: Inner Knight (5 point merit)
For a scene you can draw on 5 extra willpower points or manifest skills you were never taught as if you had Dream 5 but without entering a trance. The reason? You have dreams of a past life, a heroic crusader whose wisdom you can call upon for help and guidance, you draw power from you dreams.
NOTE: This merit reduces Permanent Banality by 2, making you more susceptible to Fae magic when you call upon you Dream Self for help.
Flaws- Primal Marks (strange look/glow to eyes)
Willpower 8
Device: Styx Armor- + 4 dice soak, can use stamina to soak lethal and aggravated damage.
Gear- Glock 17c (diff 6, damage 4, range 22, rate 4, clip 17+1, conceal pocket)
Steyr Aug, Scope and Laser Sight (diff 7, damage 7, range 200, rate 3/ full auto, clip 30, conceal trenchcoat)
PDA, Cellphone with Bluetooth, 69 Prime Charged 9mm rounds, 25km Communicator Radio, Military ID (CPT), Psionic Foci (multifaced crystal rodk, Moebius strip), Protocol Manual, Rowan Ring, Paladin Sedan, Paramedic Bag, Laptop Computer with Trinary Upgrades and Cellular Internet, $131,395 in various bank accounts.
Military Rank, Captain, US Airforce.
Social Conditioning Level- 4
Security Access - 9
[/spoiler]
[spoiler= Beginning of Prelude For Robert Morgan]You have just returned to Fort George Mead after a difficult field assignment when your boss calls you into his office.
"You did excellent work there Agent Morgan. We had no idea The Girl Scouts was so full of subversives. We have a new assignment for you."
He picks up a file folder off his desk and hands it to you. Inside are some documents, mostly transcripts of intercepted phone calls. The words, The Diggers, seem to crop up frequently. There are also some photographs of people, fairly plain looking, many of them in trench coats, and some of them have a lapel pin that looks like a shovel.
"We've known of them for years. We don't know too much about who or what they are. They seem to be a legal, above-ground secret society along the lines of The Masons, but there's some things that strike us as odd. For example, the NSA is big. Thousands of people, at least, work for us. As far as we can find out, none of them are Diggers.
"That rather defies the odds. In an organization this big, there ought to be at least one. Somewhere in the NSA, there's a member of The Temple of Set, that we know about, for God's sake, and they're far smaller and more secretive than The Diggers.
"There's also the fact that The Diggers mostly pop up on our radar when we're already working a weird shit case. Cults, blood-drinking, people acting like ravening beasts, mass hallucinations, allegations of demonic possession. You know, weird shit. Sometimes a subject of an investigation disappears after The Diggers get tangled up in the case.
"I want you to visit their Georgetown Chapterhouse and attempt to infiltrate this organization."
[/spoiler]
[spoiler=Prelude for Morgan][ic=Morgan]I'd be only too happy to serve my country, sir.[/ic]
[spoiler=I think about it...]I know there are secrets buried deep. Deeper than I've ever been. In my line of work you encounter some real oddballs. There was this guy I was watching for a former superior of mine. He was one of those blood drinking types. Not a cultist, though. He just hung around nightclubs and picked off waitresses. The staff didn't even seem to mind, either. You can believe they had a high turnover rate there. I'd have taken him out, but the higher-ups nixed that operation. Something about informants...[/spoiler]
[ic=Morgan]Can I start right away?[/ic][/spoiler]
[spoiler=continuation of Prelude]You can indeed.
The address given for the Digger Chapterhouse turns out to be in a nice residential neighborhood in Georgetown. Not quite, the high rent district, but close.
The building itself looks to be a house, fairly large and well-maintained on the exterior, but not what anyone would call a mansion. There's a sign in the front yard that simply, reads Diggers.[/spoiler]
[spoiler=Arrival at the chapter house.]I step up to the door, calmly. I've been in this sort of situation before. No big deal. Good thing I brought all civilian clothes this assignment. I must remember to rent a room, locally, before the end of the day. I knock.[/spoiler]
[spoiler=the door opens]The door is opened by a man in immaculately-tailored suit. His hair is gray, but all there. You'd guess his age to be about fiftyish.
"Hello. Welcome to The Diggers. I am Archivist Lucien." He says this all in an even tone with a slight trace of an English accent.
"To me, you look like a spook, who is trying to not look like a spook. Since you did not flash a badge or other agency identification immediately when I opened the door, you are probably from an organization more clandestine than the FBI." This is as devoid of emotional inflection as his introduction.
"Please don't deny it, or confirm it, for that matter. Please do come in and have a cup of tea." He steps back from the door and gestures for you to follow him in.[/spoiler]
[spoiler=just before tea time][ic=Morgan]I'd love a cup of tea.[/ic]
I step into the house. Lucien's dress is a bit immaculate for my tastes. It's a bit immaculate for most people's tastes, actually. Why dress so formally for a club chapter house? I've never known an archivist to dress up for work. Is this a standard among Digger fashion, or is he the exception that proves the rule? I am very interested to know how this man takes his tea...[/spoiler]
[spoiler=tea time]You are led down a short entrance hallway to what was probably the living room of the house before its conversion to its current use. There are a number of comfortable armchairs and a couple of sofas. The upholstery is all a rich, dark brown leather. On one wall is a fireplace, not currently lit.
He leads you over to one of the armchairs. It is positioned at comfortable conversation distance from another with a small, round end-table between them. There is a silvery tea service on the end table. There's a small pot of tea, a sugar bowl, a small pitcher of milk, a sliced lemon, and two cups with saucers.
"I hope Lapsang Oochong suits you." He takes his tea with lemon, no sugar, no milk.
"Let me tell you a little bit about me. I'm told it puts people at their ease to do so. I dress like this every day. I own eight identical suits. The eighth is what I wear on the day I take the other seven to the dry-cleaners.
"Diggers Central in London is quite glad to allow me to expense my dry-cleaning in exchange for the services I provide. Some of them say I am a psychic of a type previously unknown to them. The explanation that I and some other cool-headed rationalists prefer is that I am a sort of genius at pattern recognition. It's not that I don't believe in psychic phenomena. I have seen enough to convince me completely. It's simply not always necessary to invoke such terminology.
"Whatever the case, I get hunches. They pay off with alarming frequency. Today, I had an impression that I should be ready for a second person for tea time.
"What is the weirdest thing you have ever seen in your work as a spook, or whatever it is you do that requires you to try to look so normal when visiting a secret society of occultists?"[/spoiler]
[spoiler=the weirdest thing][ic=Morgan]Well, I was keeping surveillance on a fellow who preferred the company of corpses at one point. He was also fond of human blood. Although, by brief encounter with a shark-human hybrid on Oahu was a bit disconcerting.[/ic]
I rather like this man. I do however, suspect that there is more to this club than he's let on thus far.[/spoiler]
[spoiler=a bit more about The Diggers]"Oh my, a probable vampire and a human-shark hybrid. You have seen a lot in your time.
"You work for an agency of some sort, one concerned with protecting the security of your home nation, no doubt. Well, we are a sort of agency too. Concerned with the security of the whole human race regardless of national boundaries.
"You have already touched the edges of the unseen world around you. Let me be blunt: vampires exist; werewolves and an assortment of other shapechangers are quite real; ghosts are real, but rarely a threat, except for a few poltergiests, possessors, and walls-bleeding-types; some of those who claim to be wizards, witches, shamans, or modern day Druids have the power to back it up; and the fae folk are still with us although they have had to adapt to the times.
"Our mission is twofold: gather information on the supernatural world, and when and where necessary eliminate supernatural threats.
"Would you like a tour fo our chapterhouse?"[/spoiler]
[spoiler=Tour]What secrets could he be hiding? What mysteries could I become involved in? What fun times ahead!
[ic=Morgan]Of course I would. Lead on![/ic][/spoiler]
[spoiler=The Tour]"The room we are in is the common room. This is where most informal discussions take place. It is most frequently used while we are interviewing potential recruits."
Lucien stands up and beckons for you to follow him: "If you would follow me."
He leads you out of the common room and into a hallway: "On your left is one of our three water-closets. We try to make sure they are clean and well-appointed. On your right is The Library."
You follow him into a nice room only a little smaller than the common room. Three walls have built in book-cases floor to ceiling. There are three comfortable chairs and one computer desk with a recent model high-end computer on it.
You notice a distinct lack of the large, leather-bound, ancient tomes that you would expect in the library of a secret society of occultists. Instead, most of the books are fairly recent and the sort of thing available in most good bookstores. There's a set of Man, Myth, and Magic, the Weiser reprints of Crowley's work, several different editions of Grimm's Fair Tales and The Arabian Nights, a decent portion of Joseph Campbell's work, and even some comic books, like Neil Gaiman's Sand Man.
Lucien turns to you and says, "Our library is not all I would wish. We are a relatively young Chapter-House, though, and all the really exciting old materials are stored in London, Budapest, or Island City. We do have access to complete scans of their copies of The Necronomicon, De Vermis Mysteriis, and The Book of Nod fragments over our secure internet connection. Still, there is something exciting about being in the same room as the book."
He seems much more passionate and alive while delivering that monologue than he has for most of the rest of your encounter with him.
He leads you upstairs and shows you the barracks pointing out the empty rooms available because he is the only permanent resident at the moment. He points out a door upstairs that he won't take you past because Agent Delta has set it up as an Enochian ritual chamber and does not like it disturbed.
He leads you back downstairs and even to the basement, where part is a finished rec room with pool tables, ping pong tables, and an entertainment center with video games and movies on DVD and VHS. The other part is behind a door that he won't take you past because Agent Buer has set it up as a Goetic ritual chamber and does not like it disturbed.
"Well, what do you think of our little club?"[/spoiler]
[spoiler=Tour Continued][ic=Morgan]I rather like this organization. Perhaps I could be of some assistance in your cause?[/ic][/spoiler]
[spoiler=the Invitation]"Would you like to join us?" asks Lucien. "I can provide plausible ninety-seven percent true disinformation to take back to your bosses at your intelligence agency. You can claim to have infiltrated us successfully."[/spoiler]
[spoiler=William Stone]Name- William Stone
Player- Daniel Clark
Chronicle- Island City
Nature- Architect
Demeanor- Caregiver
Convention- Void Engineers/Orphan
Methodology- Neutralization Specialist Corps
Eidolon Essence- Dynamic
Concept- Psionics Researcher
Str 2 Dex 3 Sta 4 (Tough as Nails)
Cha 2 Man 4 App 3
Per 4 Int 5 (Creative) Wits 3
Alertness 2, Awareness 3, Brawl 1, Dodge 1, Subterfuge 1
Crafts 1, Firearms 3, First Aid 1, Hypertech 4 (Nanotech), Meditation 2, Melee 1, Microgravity Operations 1, Pilot 3, Stealth 2, Technology 3,
Academics 1, Computer 3, Cosmology 2,, Enigmas 1, Investigation 2, Law 1, Linguistics 3, Lore (Kindred) 1, Lore (Awakened) 1, Lore (Technocracy) 2, Lore (Void Engineer) 1, Medicine 4, Occult 3, Psionics 2, RD Data 1, Science 3, Subdimensions 3,Technocratic Procedure 1, Temporal Mechanics 1, Xenobiology 1
Contacts 3, Cloaking(Arcane) 2, Destiny 1, Device 3, Genius (Avatar) 4, Influence 2, Library 1, Patron 1, Requisitions (very good standing, diff 6) 5, Resources 3,
Enlightenment (Arete) (Countermagic) 5
Resonance- Creative (Dynamic)-1 Structured (Static)-1
Spheres- Correspondence 1, Forces 3, Mind 3, Dimensional Science 3, Life 3, Prime 3, Spirit 1, Matter 1, Entropy 1, Time 1
Primary Apparaum- Forces & Mind- Psionic Powers, Life- Medical Procedures, Correspondence- GPS and Satellites, Dimensional Science- electromagnetic waves, Prime- electricity, Entropy- Statistics, Time- Chronograph, Spirit- bastardized hermetic rites, Matter- chemistry
Rotes Known- Gutter View(correspondence), Percieve Forces, Mind Empowerment, Empathic Projection, Social Conditioning, Kinetic Push, Telekinesis, Kinetic Barrier, View Subdimension, Quantum Interface Shield, Breach Gauntlet, See Spirit, Prayer of Healing Revealation, Tough Skin, Better Body, Heal other, Heal Self, Non Descript, Adjust Minor Mental Abnormalities, Detect Mental Abnormalities, Divert Primal Force, Tap Node, Analyze Substance, Targeting Computation, Detect Temporal Abnormalities,
Merits- Concentration, Dual Traditions (Orphan), Jack of All Trades, Unaging, Master of Red Tape, Licence to: Operate Military Vehicles, Practice Medicine, Carry Concealed Weapon (North America), Inner Knight
Flaws- Primal Marks (strange look/glow to eyes)
Willpower 8
Device: Styx Armor- + 4 dice soak, can use stamina to soak lethal and aggravated damage.
Gear- Glock 17c (diff 6, damage 4, range 22, rate 4, clip 17+1, conceal pocket)
Steyr Aug, Scope and Laser Sight (diff 7, damage 7, range 200, rate 3/ full auto, clip 30, conceal trenchcoat)
PDA, Cellphone with Bluetooth, 69 Prime Charged 9mm rounds, 25km Communicator Radio, Military ID (CPT), Psionic Foci (multifaced crystal rodk, Moebius strip), Protocol Manual, Rowan Ring, Paladin Sedan, Paramedic Bag, Laptop Computer with Trinary Upgrades and Cellular Internet, $481,395 in various bank accounts.
Military Rank, Captain, US Airforce.
Social Conditioning Level- 4
Security Access - 9
[/spoiler] [spoiler=Introduction][ic=William Stone]awaits his orders from control[/ic][/spoiler]
[spoiler=prelude for Stone]You are asked to have a discussion with your superiors in the Void Engineers.
[ic]Here's the situation. There's a place. We know almost exactly where it is, but it might as well be Terra Incognita. We have close to no useful intel.
What we do have indicates it may be populated largely by Reality Deviants.
The good news is the place does not seem to be totally luddite. There's a start-up called Prometheus Tech that may be worth acquiring.
You've done well with these situations in the past.
Think you're up for it?[/ic]
[/spoiler]
[spoiler=reply to superiors] [ic=William Stone] I'm up for this assignment, What information do we have on Prometheus Tech? Also, do we have any mundane information on this island, such as tourist data, maps, satellite imaging, etc.? I feel by me posing as an interested investor in Prometheus Tech, we could learn much about the situation here. On an island of RD's tho, I may need to requisition appropriate equipment and funding for both investment in Prometheus Tech and for dealing with the various RD's there. I do feel that Prometheus Tech would also like some of my most bleeding edge research. Also, do we have any other agents or even citizens in the area for me to make contact with? If so, such information would be quite useful to have. Anyway, let us get prepared. I will have the forms filled out for what I think I will need for this by tomorrow.[/ic][/spoiler]
[spoiler=Acceptance][ic=Morgan]Why, yes. I'd definitely like to join you. My superiors will be most pleased.[/ic][/spoiler]
[spoiler=requisition form]*submits requisition form to superiors* [ic=William Stone]Here's a list of what I am requesting for this mission filled out in triplicate and on computer file for archival purposes. Future requests will be filed through the normal channels on an as needed basis [note]My talking with the superiors and I will also talk to supply as well on the requisitions. I'm trying to use my "Master of Red Tape" merit for the -2 on difficulty on my requisitions.[/note] [/ic] [spoiler=the form] [ic=medi-pac patch kit x1]see technocracy assembled 2 (void engineer device)[/ic] [ic=expense account] for food, lodging, vehicle maintenance and operation, acquiring and replacement of mundane gear[/ic] [ic=Ionic Cloth 2.0 business suits x2]Hat - 2 dice counter magic vs Mind
Shades - Level 1 scan rotes for all spheres Coat - 2 dice counter magic vs Forces (may be reversed with pants) Pants - 2 dice counter magic vs Life (may be reversed with coat) Shoes - 2 dice counter magic vs Correspondence
None of the items are made of Ionic cloth as a standard item However they may be made of Ionic cloth 1.0 or 2.0 For most technocrats this means self repairing, then 1 die of armor For VE's it can means 1 die of armor then 2 dice of armor, but typically only for agents in very good standing who have requisitions.
Armor for the hat does not stack with the coat and pants, It provides armor vs "head shots" but not face shots or neck shots.
The coat and the pants do stack
The shoes are for feet only.
[/ic][ic=Microtoolkit]-3 to diff of many technical skills (think it's in either guide to technocracy, or conventionbook itx revised)[/ic][ic=permits]Permits for the area to carry a concealed weapon, practice medicine, and operate military vehicles (maintain my license to merits for use in island city[/ic] [/spoiler][/spoiler]
[spoiler=follow-up for Stone] [ooc]Your requisition forms sail through the approval process without a hitch. You get your gear.[/ooc] [ic=technocracy superior]We do have some satelite imagery. The Island is nearly circular. There's a few fall small mountains or rocky hills towards the northern edge. We also have a few tourist maps of the city. We have worked to cultivate a friendly contact inside Prometheus. He operates under the Shadow Name of Petruchio.[/ic] [/spoiler]
[spoiler=fast-forward through the boring bits for Morgan] Your superiors at the NSA are very pleased with your work with the Diggers and the Diggers enjoy your brand of help. Eventually your superiors at the NSA suggest you go to this place caled Island City. It's a bit of a blank spot to modern American intelligence and think you in your cover identity as a Digger can provide it. [ooc]Award yourself ten freebie points.[/ooc] [/spoiler]
[spoiler William Stone Actions] *reviews the maps, satellite images, etc.* [ic]What do we know of this Petruchio individual other than he's friendly? I'd not mind calling him. Does he know about our organisation? If not, which front are we contacting him from? Do we have a file on him for me to review if that info is within my clearance?[/ic] [/spoiler]
[spoiler Analysis of Maps]using a conjunctional prime 3 correspondence 1 effect with satellite images and other maps, etc to try to get a node map of the area. I am spending a few hours on analysis (hour per roll on effect, fast casting, diff 5)[/spoiler]
[spoiler=further information for Stone][ic]Our information on Petruchio indicates that he's technically a Hermetic from something called House Thig. He doesn't exactly act like or think like the typical RD. That's one reason we picked him for a likely contact. He's also well tied into the social structure of the island, although at very low levels. Besides his work for Prometheus Tech, he is also in The Diggers, a hunter group mostly concerned with gathering information on various supernatural phenomena, and he was trained in something called the Auld Pentangle, which seems to be the main Traditionalist chantry for this island.
His current work for Prometheus Tech is a project on both AI and chaos theory predictive modeling. He sees the two concepts as related.
He knows of the Void Engineers. Rumor has it that one of his Prometheus coworkers is Doctor Solar, one of ours, although Solar hasn't reported in for a few months. That's one more matter for you to investigate if possible.[/ic]
[ooc]The rote works quite nicely. Going from the perspective that a Freehold or Cairn looks like a Node to a mage, the island is rather crowded with them. Prometheus Tech's facility has one. The Mayoral Palace has one. There's a mansion on the outskirts of town with one. A hill in the local cemetary has one. The five-towered pentacle shaped castle has one. A few bars and restaurants have one. A few stands of trees and small coves along the coast have one.[/ooc] [/spoiler]
[spoiler checking Prometheus Tech website and contact if there is appropriate contact info] Does Petruchio have an email on the site? Does it list him as AI and chaos theory development? If so I contact him and try to set up a meeting and a tour of Prometheus Tech. I actually do want to invest in the company (throw about $250,000 + donate some research equipment such as backup generators (prime 3 focus for generating quintessence via fuel consumption)).[/spoiler]
[spoiler=contacting Petruchio & Prometheus Tech]Prometheus's website lists at least a few department heads and prominent researchers, including Petruchio, who is listed as a department head for AI and Chaos Theory. The website includes contact information, such as email adresses. Contacting Petruchio should be no problem.
Your investment offer is welcomed warmly. You are told that Prometheus Tech's stock has been on a slow but steady increase for the past year and that the company turns a nice profit on existing patents and creates new ones almsot daily.
The technology offered is also welcomed. Someone says it will probably go to Dr. Solar's lab. They further suggest that Solar will single-handedly solve the energy crisis.[/spoiler]
[spoiler Investment.] [ooc]*Mark $350k off of my character sheet representing my investment and the generators*[/ooc] Did they arrange me a meeting and a tour? I'd LOVE to see what they're working on. I will sign nondisclosure agreements if needed... it protects my investments anyway. If/when I get my meeting/tour. I end up volunteering to pilot a flight for the military to get there or near there as a military drill (to keep up appearances of just being normal military, vs. being a technocrat) This way I also happen to save money and on my expense account and avoid airport security. [ooc]if necessary, i use influence/mind effects/master of red tape merit to do what i need done... i will not mindfuck or pressure Prometheus tech assets, however.[/ooc] [/spoiler]
[spoiler=arranging a little trip]Prometheus Tech is quite willing to give you a tour. Yes, they are asking for a non-disclosure agreement, but you expected that.
Trying to arrange military transit brings up some interesting facts: The Island has been recognized as an independant nation state. The United States demanded as price for this recognition, rights to establish a small military base on the Island.
You do manage to get a military flight, though.[/spoiler]
[spoiler catching my flight]I catch my flight, get my gear loaded, and go. If possible I fly the plane (certified military pilot with license to :D)always good to get a little stick time, and therefore keep up appearances. I arrange appropriate deliveries for my generators and my paladin sedan before i leave. military flights are nice... i don't have to go through a metal detector (and potentially give away the fact that i am enhanced). When there, I debrief for my flight and sign out. They have my number if needed... but they rarely call unless the technocracy wants something... I then catch my meal at somewhere nice, but not too pricey, with a bar and wifi (bar is to not look as suspicious for dining alone, am only having like 1 beer anyway, and the rest of the time cokes) so i can arrange medium to longer term lodging, and not be a burden on the base (it is easier for them to send me BAH, than it is to fit me there.)The g/f knows about my work (gov't side.. not technocracy side)and knows i have orders i get sometimes that i just suddenly have to take off. If she wants i can arrange her a flight there and everything... they say this place is like taking acid without the bad trips... she'd have fun i think. (g/f is conditioned the fuck out of... :D) after doing my meal and arrangements, i rest for the day and read up on my tourist info on the island, compare tourist data to the node map i have... might as well have some fun while i'm here. The next day I have my tour of Prometheus tech that they arranged... I'd love to meet my new colleagues and to see what Dr. Solar and Petruchio are up to...[/spoiler]
[spoiler=On The Island]
You are allowed to pilot the "mission". You land, go through post-flight debrief, leave the base, and head into Island City proper.
You decide that a place called the Tipsy Minotaur seems about right. The food is beyond good. It's just fish 'n chips, but it's fish 'n chips they ought to serve at a five-star place. The beer is cold and good. They have Wi-Fi.
The bar-tender introduces himself to you as Fred. Fred looks kind of like a hobbit. About four feet tall, amiable, round-bodied, and rosy-cheeked. Fred says, "Either you're new in town, or you've hated sports bars all your life and have just now seen the light. If you need accomodations for your stay, I recommend The Oaks. It's not quite as ritzy as The Crown, but the price is right, and it's not a flea-bag.
"Say, did you hear what happened last week Tuesday, when Duke Oberon was holding court..."
And he keeps going, for as long as you're sitting at his bar.
One interesting thing you notice in your research, is that your node map seems to point to the Tipsy Minotaur itself as a probable node.
[/spoiler]
[spoiler at the Tipsy Minotaur]I tip well there for one, it's good business... if the food in a bar is 5 star good here... no wonder they say a vacation to island city they say is like a good acid trip without the bad shit... I eat quite well too (i do need additional calories due to my enhancements.) I do listen intently to what fred tells me... It's very interesting... since i am new to town i do bullshit around with fred to learn about the city. Since he does look like a hobbit, i feel slightly more comfortable on island city than normal, right? If so, i remove my shades most the time... especially if the regular people i see here look weird compared to normal. Might as well flaunt slightly glowing eyes here... Especially if it helps me fit in. [ic Talking to Fred]What happened at court? I am new here, like ya thought there Fred. I definitely have to come back here. I love the atmosphere here. It's like a dream of mine to come to a place like here. I know, seems kinda weird, but hell, life is weird sometimes. I'm taking ya up on your advice for lodging.. has to be good since your bar is totally awesome and is recommended by ya. How about another order of Fish and Chips... Not had any as good as this in a really long time. [/ic] I get a room at the Oaks to try the place out. Fred seems to have good advice. Also, did i get relaxed enough (meditation?) that I could get a tiny amount of juice out of this place? It is nice being psionic... If all of Island City is like this... this will be an awesome vacation... and this meeting I have at Prometheus... this is such a cushy assignment... I do hope my g/f wants to come down... she'll love it here... I should maybe even work at Prometheus as a researcher... That'd be the life... my nanotech and psi research maybe would be seen as state of the art vs being bitched about by control... Definitely got to have come back for here for lunch again tho... food rocks... and if g/f is here, she'd like it i think. [ooc]The dream comment is relating to my Inner Knight merit... It is past life 5 on crack... It's my heroic dreams of something like Camelot, or the Epics of the norse... a great heroic dream... (didn't explore this in my old campaign where i played stone)[/ooc] [/spoiler]
[spoiler=More from The Tipsy Minotaur]
After taking a good look around, you don't think your glowing eyes will really stand out in this crowd. At the other end of the bar, is a guy built like a brick wall and with horns and blue skin too. There's also a girl at a nearby table who looks better than most supermodels even when you take her elf-like pointy ears into account.
Your second order of fish and chips comes with more gossip about local politics. Something about Titania being in one of her moods, so Oberon is sleeping on the couch again. And someone named Jadis did something to show up someone with the improbable name of Sauron. And a newly knighted something called a "redcap" has decided to use the Sir Mordred name, since no one else in the city is at the moment.
[ooc]Would Stone be able to convert Glamour into Quintessence? His time in the Tipsy Minotaur has allowed him to absorb a point of Glam.[/ooc]
[/spoiler]
[spoiler tipsy minotaur funtime] [ic thinking...]thinking... well, this does seem like an acid trip... or an alternate dimension or something... kinda cool really... since this is a node... maybe i slipped into the umbra?[/ic] I do listen intently on the local politics... reminds me of in a way how they called Dick Cheney Darth Cheney and Pope Benedict Pope Palpatine... might actually be accurate with how trippy this place is already... Do I recognize what these guys are? (Int + RD Data or Jack of All Trades) I've heard the term redcap before... was some guy who ate a ton of toxic waste in GR that some say Pentex dumped and then he just farted a small mushroom cloud... Also... where am i? (corr 1, using my smartphone as the focus) checking to see if i slipped into umbra... [ooc]Is the glamour in the food and drink? If so, i see it like absorbing tass. I've sucked quint out of blood with a prime 3 effect. and did a DS 3/ Prime 3 to suck rage out of a werewolf and make it quint. So likely, I would be able to get quint out of glamour... It's your call as the ST. Would I be considered enchanted now as well? Is this weirdness causing me to break any of my conditioning as well? My char has never seen a slipped seeming before either... and he remembers the redcap from before he was a technocrat. and also knows that when a cairn is raised, all sorts of bad shit comes to it to try to stop it or corrupt it... Has helped a pack of Garou fend off wyrm stuff... why not fry bsds and vampires?[/ooc] [/spoiler]
[spoiler=more info] [ooc]You are reasonably sure that you are in the Fae equivalent to a node/ chantry. You know that a redcap is a subspecies of faery. The blue guy is probably an ogre or troll or something along those lines. The really nice looking elf-chick is probably something that you've heard of called a "shee" as in banshee. Fred is probably some sort of brownie or other friendly-household-spirit-type faery.
Yes, I am going to say you count as enchanted for a while. You are able to convert the Glam into Quint with Prime.
Correspondence says you're still in the material world.
most of this I'm ruling on the fly, but the RD Data roll, I actually rolled here (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/2343638/). I figured a difficulty around 8.[/ooc]
Fred sees your glowing eyes and says, "I thought there was probably something special about you. I hope you enjoy your stay on the island. We have a little informal rule here: try to look as normal as you can on the street, but once inside a Freehold or a wizard's chantry-house or a vampire's haven, you have a fair degree of freedom to be yourself, whatever that is."
[/spoiler]
[spoiler More with Fred] [ic Talking to Fred]Looking normal well, is something I have to do on the mainland often enough. I'll definitely keep that in mind tho. Somehow when I wear my shades or look at me from a profile, or a photo, people think I'm some regular Joe. It's pretty weird really... Somehow tho... I felt like I didn't need them on in here.[/ic] [ic thinking...] I am curious what he does know about me... maybe someone on this island may know more about my "gifts" than I do... I noticed that my superiors like to send me off on the more unusual missions likely due to my possession of them...[/ic] [ooc]"girts" are in reference to my psionic powers... very unusual for a technocrat... not totally unheard of... but they are very much "testing" to see if we are "acceptable to the paradigm"...[/ooc] [/spoiler]
[spoiler=Starting the Prometheus Tech Tour]You settle up your bill at the Tipsy Minotaur after listening to a little more local gossip from Fred. It all seems to be about the local faery court. Things, like Mustardseed and Peaseblossom are a couple again and Cobweb is acting all jealous.
You check into your room at the Oaks. It is a solid well-kept, very clean middle-of-the-line hotel. They do have free wi-fi available to any room. Your night is uneventful, excepting anything else you want to do.
In the morning, you arrive at the main gate of the Prometheus Tech facility. The guards buzz you in, and after you park, you walk into the main lobby of an impressive modern-looking steel and glass building. You are greeted, in the lobby, by a young man, about twenty something and wearing an unbuttoned lab coat over jeans and a Torchwood t-shirt. He starts by saying: "Hi, welcome to Prometheus Tech. You must be Stone. I'm Petruchio, or rather that is what I allow myself to be called."[/spoiler]
Limetom was in ur thread fixin' ur posts. (Figured you'd want the spoiler to actually be a spoiler...)
[spoiler At Prometheus Tech] [ooc]When I get up, I would perform a few mental exercises to enhance my mental capacities (Mind Empowerment for a "backbrain/multitasking" effect) I am aiming for one additional mental action/round (one brain process) with additional successes in duration. Taking 1 minute per try (-2 diff) have rote, is psionic, so am using Intelligence + Psionics to further reduce the strain (trying for more difficulty reduction, removals of 1's taking away successes, etc) I am known for using this effect often.[/ooc] [ic Talking with Petruchio]It is a pleasure to meet you Petruchio. *offers handshake* I'd love to begin our tour. The new technologies that I have heard about via the website seem to have great potential to help make the world a better place. *Pulls my PDA out* Is it allowable for me to take notes? By the way, this baby has encryption that would take multiple NSA CRAY supercomputers YEARS to crack, so security of this isn't an issue. Ready?[/ic] [/spoiler]
[spoiler=Beginning The Prometheus Tour]Petruchio shakes your hand when offered.
"Go ahead and take notes. It's not a problem. The stuff on our website is small potatoes to impress the mundanes. What we're really up to is much bigger."[/spoiler]
[spoiler To Petruchio ] [ic Speaking] I kind of figured. In my short stay here in Island City, everything is quite spectacular in comparison to the mainland. [/ic] [ooc]I will occasionally use the shades to do various sphere scans via my "backbrain" I am very curious of what they are working on.[/ooc] [/spoiler]
[spoiler=Continuing on at Prometheus]Petruchio smiles and says, "This place sometimes seems a bit over the top to mainlanders who visit, even some mages. My Taftani and Ecstatic colleagues back at the Pentangle say this island is unusually abundant in places of power and that in some ways it is clsoer to the Other Worlds than the rest of the real world.
"I don't really know about that. I was born and raised and Awakened here on the Island. In my few visits to the mainland, it has seemed surreal and a little scary. Some of your Technocratic colleagues have gotten a real hold on the masses and shaped the Consensus into something I don't like.
"I like computers, cars, and modern medicine, but I also like it when my mentor's mentor's mentor's Thaumaturgic Triangles call up the right spirit on the first try every time. That's why I prefer the Island and find Prometheus to be a nifty place to work. Both are places where mundane technology, Enlightened tecknology, and mystic-looking Magick can work together."[/spoiler]
[spoiler More talk] [ic to Petruchio] Unlike a lot of my "colleagues", I am just happy with the common man having the tools to live prosperous lives... If they are safe from what bumps in the night so to speak, i am doing my job. People are not ready for and shouldn't see stuff like aliens invading LA or some guy throwing around fireballs in Times Square whilst making the area look like a renfaire. That kind of stuff tends to make people panic. If it won't cause panic, however, I personally don't see a problem with it as long as it doesn't seek to undo progress and prosperity. The controlling attitude and actions that have been going on however... it's gonna backfire i think. Once in a while some of it is needed for people's safety, but more often than not it's just there to keep status quo or for personal gain... In a time that we need visionaries, it seems that the actions of a few are keeping these potential visionaries from stepping up and causing the world to change for the better. A company like this here is that wonder and vision the world needs right now. If only many of my "colleagues" would stick to helping man be all he can be versus wanting to control everything... And on the thaumaturgic triangles, one can do that with directional antennas and proper radio frequencies. Works better in the lab tho than in say the wilderness. There is something to be said for mathematics and sacred geometry tho. It is actually tested enough and proven to work to keep the nasties out and away. I'd love to give a demonstration of some of what I know about it sometime... consider it another investment to the company... I think many here can learn from it.[/ic][/spoiler]
[spoiler=more from Petruchio]Petruchio nods his head and slowly smiles. "I knew you would be someone we could play ball with. When we're done with the tour, perhaps you'd like to see the dossier we've compiled regarding you? We try to vet anyone before allowing them this kind of access.
"Now if you would follow me." He leads you down a non-descript hallway to an elevator.
"Most of the upper floors are bean counters and the boring end of the computer stuff. You know, all the necessary stuff to make the wheels of commerce spin. Well, there is an experimetnal horticulture division run by some surprisingly disciplined Ecstatics and Verbena with a rooftop greenhouse, but to me the real action is in our basement labs."[/spoiler]
[spoiler The Tour] [ic While on tour quietly] So you guys gathered a dossier on me... I am fascinated and actually quite impressed. I do take pains to cover my tracks on top of being pretty hard to track somehow. It's only intelligent to do research on those who are likely to work with you in the future. I do wonder what you guys found out tho... Hell, its likely that you guys know more about me that a lot of my colleagues... They need to loosen up a bit.[/ic] [ooc Information for the ST]I can give additional character background as needed for the dossier upon request. I somewhere even have a mission report i typed up for a character (tho file likely is gone now) [note]Sample missions included Raccoon City evacuation, assisting in containment of the garou/kindred war in Chicago[/note] [/ooc] [/spoiler]
[spoiler=Going Into The Basement]As he ushers you into the elevator, Petruchio keeps talking:
"We have interesting ways of acquiring information. For instance, we know some people, to a given value of the term people, who talk to spiders and other arthropods and others who do rats. If word got out, it would change the intelligence-gathering world right down to the ground."
The elevator opens and the two of you walk out into a white-tiled hallway. Every so often there's a door covered with notes, posters, and cartoons cliped from newspapers. The Far Side still seems to be the dominant flavor of geek humor, although Dilbert makes a strong showing too.
You make a turn and Petruchio starts to move toward a metal door and then stops. "Locked and warded. Solar must really not want to be bothered. Now that I think of it, I haven't seen him in over a month. He must be really busy. We'll go look in on Wiley. She could use the company."
He starts to lead you further down the hall.
[ooc]One of your sensory rotes lets you know there is a Mind effect in the ward.[/ooc]
[/spoiler]
[spoiler downstairs] [ooc]notes the mind ward on Dr. Solar's door. My people haven't heard from him either.[/ooc] [ic on the way down] I'm always glad to provide company to someone, especially if I am likely to work with them in the future. What does Wiley do here anyway other than what is listed on the website?[/ic] [/spoiler]
[spoiler=Wiley]Petruchio says, "We call her specialty semi-real weapons development. It's hard to explain until you spend some time around the Fae or Changelings as they seem to prefer to call themselves."
[/spoiler]
[spoiler about Wiley's weapons] [ic to Petruchio] Semi real weapons... are they like something that exists partially in a different subdimension?[/ic] [ooc]RD Data on "chimerical weapons"? I am more likely to know about the kindred discipline chimerstry vs fey chimerical equipment [note]past experience with raiding a ravnos's haven who was selling drugs and taking out his ghouls and freaking them out by soaking multiple gunshots.. that kindred ended up ashed... idiot tried to use illusions on me. the kindred companion who taught me kindred lore explained it as "chimerstry" or something (where i learned kindred lore 2)[/note] [/ooc] [/spoiler]
[spoiler]
"For Changelings there are objects and creatures that exist only to them and those under their influence. They call this stuff Chimera, both the critters and inanimate objects. Changelings claim a connection to a dream world.
"Wiley is a Changeling that we have on staff building Chimerical weapons systems. She says her particular species of Changeling is called a Nocker. They tend to have a knack for making the inanimate Chimera in a useful form."
[ooc]Your RD Data Knowledge backs this up.[/ooc] [/spoiler]
[spoiler reponse about chimerical weapons]So basically she makes weapons that affect those who are under the influence of certain effects... In a way, it sounds like paradox... fascinating... i do wonder tho... with the right application of dimensional science, could one pull these into the the world of the consenus fully? Imagine the possibilities... We could further solve the world's problems of hunger, disease, energy...If we combine these items of dreams with lets say... Dr. Solar's project that he is busy on... Would love to see that when he's ok with having a visitor... I'd love to talk with Wily for a bit... with details from her... we could perhaps make her dreams a reality.[/spoiler]
[spoiler=Wiley's Lab]Petruchio leads you to a large metal door and opens it, when you follow him through you are in a large, high-ceilinged room about as big as a small warehouse. In the middle of it is a device that looks like something in the catapult or trebuchet family. Tightening something on a device with a wrench is a woman.
"Yeah waddya want?" are the first words out of her mouth. Her face is chalk white, except her lips which are blood red as is the tip of her nose. She's wearing coveralls over a t-shirt with the letters WWWCD and you think a picture of Warner Brothers's Coyote character on it.
"Wiley meet Stone. Stone meet Wiley," says Petruchio completely unfazed.
"Furkin' investors," is Wiley's reply.
[/spoiler]
[spoiler Talking to Wiley]Nice to meet ya Wiley. I'm William. *offers handshake after removing my sunglasses* I hear you're an expert in what are referred to as "semi real weapons"... quite fascinating... Want to explain a bit on how they work? Who knows, I may have a few interesting ideas for us to collaborate on. In a place like this, dreams become reality... Tell me of your dreams? [/spoiler]
[spoiler]"Flibberflaggin (mutter)(grumble)... Let's start with semi-real weapons is what my technologically oriented mage colleagues call them. I like all other changelings simply think of them as chimerical weapons.
"Changelings when they awaken to their true nature get reality with an extra layer added to their perceptions. We see things that aren't there for everyone else. Like other changelings and chimera. My kith, it's kind of like a subspecies of changeling, nockers are the absolute masters of creating inanimate chimera from raw dream stuff.
"Right now, we've got a contract with Duke Oberon. He wants chimerical war machines. The trouble is he thinks in terms that are a few centuries behind, hence the trebuchet. I keep telling him, the only stone fortification on the Island is the Pentangle, home of some of his staunchest allies. If he really wants something to potentially use on Mordor or Annuvin, chimerical napalm would be the way to go. Try telling him that. Murginfurgin medievalist.
"So my dream is clients from this century with big bucks."
[ooc]Apparently Wiley will vent when given an opportunity.[/ooc]
[/spoiler]
[spoiler a little idea]You know you could have the trebuchet ammunition contain thermite or white phosphorus... tell him it's enchanted fire ammo.I do agree that something more modern would be way more suitable... like a chimerical tank... Also, wiht my investments, I may also have some work for you later, Wiley. Something cool and modern.[/spoiler]
[spoiler More With Wiley] Having a flash of inspiration here... Has anyone used Dimensional Science in conjunction with the chimerical equipment you've built to pull it into the normal world so we could sell it outside of Island City? You did mention wanting clients with big bucks who aren't stuck in the past... I think we could make some really cool stuff that way and get some serious revenue generated... Also, would Duke Oberron like some DaVinci styled war machines? They should be within his mindframe enough...[/spoiler]
[spoiler=Wiley's response]"Flurgin, right on! That could work.
"(grumble) (mutter) (spit)Hmm... gotta make a good version of Chimerical napalm, though. Dreaming chemistry is different. More alchemical."
Wiley moves over to a chemical work table and lights a bunsen burner and starts mixing the contents of some test tubes. She looks engrossed.
Petruchio suggest that you move on.[/spoiler]
[spoiler Moving On]*Waves to Wiley* I'd love to stay and chat a while, but I still have a lot to see here on site. I look forward to working with you soon. *Nods to Petruchio* So, what do you have to show me next? I'm already quite impressed.[/spoiler]
[spoiler=Arrival in Island City]I arrange my flight and arrive in Island City with no problems. My equipment is shined and ready to go. Shortly after arriving I take a room at a quaint little rooming house, run by a nice woman who could be my aunt. The next day I report to the Diggers local chapter.[/spoiler]
[spoiler=Continuing the Prometheus Tech Tour]
You and Petruchio leave Wiley's lab and walk down the hall a little ways and come to another door. Petruchio says, "Watch this," and then knocks on the door.
A few seconds later, the door is opened by an orangutan who bows to you and then makes a very clear follow me gesture.
Petruchio says, "Welcome to Cornelius's primate lab. Watch your step. Some of the subjects are smarter than normal, but potty-training/ house-breaking always seems to be the last thing they learn."
[/spoiler]
[spoiler=Welcome to the IC Diggers]
The local Diggers chapterhouse looks something like an ancient temple or maybe some kind of fortification. Big, looming and stone structure anyway.
At the door, you are greeted by a young man, white, and about twenty-something. He is wearing jeans and a t-shirt. The t-shirt depicts a cyberman from Doctor Who with the word "delete" printed underneath the picture in large letters followed by multiple exclamation points. He is wearing some sort of sword in a scabbard on his belt.
He bows to you after the fashion of the Orientals, and says "I am Agent Zero. Welcome to the Diggers of Island City. I have heard much about your work in the D.C. area and look forward to working with you."
[/spoiler]
[spoiler Enters the Lab of Cornelius] *looks around while following the orangutan* [ooc]still doing various scans every so often via my glasses[/ooc] I've done some research with primates myself a bit back... Secret government stuff tho... You guys likely already know about it. [note]In the game where I previously played William Stone,I ran an amalgam known as "Greytech" which did research based on captured alien artifacts, psionic powers, and genetic manipulation using alien DNA (specifically "Greys"). Some of the work was done by combining alien DNA with animals (particularly primates). Also done was attempts to get a captured "Sarcophagus" (see Stargate)working (it apparently was damaged). [/note] [/spoiler]
[spoiler=reply to Zero][ic=Morgan]Yes, I think we we will get along just fine. So, tell me, what projects are going on at the moment?[/ic][/spoiler]
[spoiler=More for Agent Morgan] [ic=Zero]Our latest work is evaluating the New Temple of Ptah and deciding, what if anything needs to be done about them. We know they are vampires of the Cainite variety found in the western world, as opposed to the hungry dead of Asia. They are open and up-front about that. They claim to be members of a rare bloodline that spreads by religious conversion rather than the traditional vampiric embrace.
They also claim to revere humane virtues and to hunt monsters. Duke Oberon wants to know what to do with them. Should they be granted official Island City police powers equal to ours? Should some effort to be made to integrate their order and ours?
Vampire religion is not my area of expertise. Most of the order's best information on Cainites was in the Verona, Washington Chapterhouse, and that is not available to us in the aftermath of the war there.[/ic] [/spoiler]
[spoiler=Entering Lab]
You follow the orangutan into another room as big as a small warehouse. The first thing you notice is that for a lab that works with animals, it's short on cages. Only three of them. There are a variety of great apes wandering around the room. To a certain extent, the room looks like a combination of a zoo primate habitat, with climbing ropes and poles and tire swings, and a pre-school classroom with a variety of brightly colored toys that are supposed to have educational value.
The orangutan leads you to a bald man in a white lab coat. The orangutan bows to you once more and then wanders off to a food dispenser and takes a handful of pellets.
The man in the coat says looking at the ape, "Good job Butler, good boy." Then he turns to you and goes on, "I see, you've met Butler. I am Doctor Cornelius. What brings you here?"
[/spoiler]
[spoiler Introducing Myself to Dr. Cornelius]*offers handshake* Hello Dr. Cornelius. I am William, the latest investor in this so far breathtaking company. Would you be interested in explaining to me the research you perform here? Butler was quite helpful by the way. I've never seen anything like that before. Quite fascinating. [note]scan results? this is really unusual to me, this level of success sure beats my own in this field[/note] [/spoiler]
[spoiler=More Cornelius][ooc] Most of the apes show evidence of some sort of Life and Mind effect, but Butler and some of the other apes seem to have a conjunctional Mind, Prime, Spirit, and Life effect on them.[/ooc]
[ic]I am one of Victor's founding partners. He included me in his company form the start. He saw parallels between his work and my own.
I started with some genome research, attempting to use some mutagenic substances to explore the potential for intellect in apes. Our latest work is in breeding the modified apes for even greater intelligence. Butler is one such second generation offspring.[/ic] [/spoiler]
[spoiler Continuation of talking with Cornelius]Fascinating... Looks like you had quite a bit of success already. On having them communicate... I've seen specials on regular apes using sign language once taught. Have you taught them to type or maybe use one of those voice boxes to talk? Also, I have a few genetic fingerprints that I feel will be beneficial to share with you. This way we could further both of our research projects. Also, do you think our ape friends have the potential for enlightenment?[/spoiler]
[spoiler=Cronelius goes on a bit][ic=More from Cornelius]Oh, yes. I have had some success in teaching Butler and the other second generation smart apes American Sign Language.
So far none of the apes has shown signs of having an Awakened Avatar, but most of the second generation subjects are at a stage of development only corresponding to that of a human teenager, so it's early yet. Also, the sample size is small.
Now about these DNA fingerprints?[/ic] [/spoiler]
[spoiler On the fingerprints]I've acquired a fingerprint via anonymous sender a year back. It's genetic makeup causes a superior mind to that of a normal human, with additional mutations as well. *looks around cautiously* *hands a thumbdrive* Here is a little bit of data... it's much easier to show you this way than tell you... don't worry... i think i retrieved this data by a data leak... the data is in a read only format tho and copy protected if you wondered. Hope this furthers your research.[/spoiler] [spoiler the thumbdrive's contents] [ooc]i gave him a partial genetic sequence for grey alien dna. The mutations mentioned are psionic powers, such as psychokinesis, mental powers, and psychoportation. The study of this genetic sequence pushed me to pass a seeking (for my arete/enlightenment 5). The drive will erase itself if someone attempts to copy the data as well as fail to copy the data. Also, could I use this to help teach psi as a focus for certain spheres?[/ooc] [/spoiler]
[spoiler=wrapping things up with Cornelius]Cornelius takes the thumbdrive, and says, "Well, I'll have to study this. It sounds quite promising. Perhaps Petruchio could take you on to the next stop of the tour?"
[/spoiler]
[spoiler Next part of the tour]I'm sure we will talk quite a bit later Dr. Cornelius. *offers handshake* That drive has stuff on there that will cause wonderous things. Are you ready Petruchio?[/spoiler]
[spoiler=Leaving the Lab]Petruchio says, "I think we're mostly done, unless you'd like to see my AI lab..."[/spoiler]
[spoiler to Petruchio] I would love to see it. I'd also like to see how you guys figured out so much about me.[/spoiler]
[spoiler= Petruchio's Response] [ic=Petruchio]Well my lab is this way. Let's see... It's after three on a school day. Hmm... Dexter might be there. You might like him. He's the only person that might be junior to me in this company.
I should warn you, when the concept of a Shadow Name was explained to him for the first time, Dexter, well he took the name Dexter, and then he affected an exaggerated Eastern European accent.[/ic]
He leads you to another hallway and opens the door. The room is filled with computers. Besides the mainframe that you'd expect there's also some old model Macs, a Commodore 64, if memory serves right; and even a BeBox.
An approximately twelve year-old kid is tapping away at the Commodore. He's wearing a lab coat, and purple gloves that don't seem to serve any real purpose at the moment.
[ic=Dexter]This computer is stoopid. 64k of memory. Thees ees inadequate for any serious computing.[/ic] [/spoiler]
[spoiler To Dexter] less than 64k got us to the moon ya know... that is some pretty serious stuff there. By the way, I'm William. Nice to meet ya. Did ya add a REU to this C64? If you did then you could bank switch to access that memory. If you don't have one, check ebay. What are you trying to code anyway? I'm interested. [ooc]Is this a slightly aged Dexter from Dexter's Laboratory?[/ooc] [/spoiler]
[spoiler=reply to Zero][ic=Morgan]Well, in my experience, one shouldn't just grant full police powers to people you don't know. The way I see it, you can't trust a vampire, no matter how much he smiles at you. I tell you what, I'll go check out this Ptah group, and tell you what I find.[/ic][/spoiler]
[spoiler=Zero] [ic=Zero]That is almost exactly what I told Oberon. He makes me effectively police chief of his city by deputizing The Diggers by royal fiat, and then he questions my security recommendations.
I'll have Agent 13 accompany you as backup and to help further your integration into out city's society. The Temple is hard to miss. It is a pyramid on the outskirts of the city proper.[/ic] [/spoiler]
[spoiler=Dexter and Petruchio] [ooc]Yeah, Dexter is sort of an emulation of the one of the Lab.[/ooc] [ic=Dexter]The Moon Shot was mostly a balleestics problem. Try writing a gooood character generation program on thees theeng to update your Hairy-Footed Burrowing Guy character to thee new edition.
I was trying thees stoopid antique to see how it would work to update HALey's weather prediction mode for precision.
[/ic]
[ic=Petruchio] How'd it go? Don't answer, that was a rhetorical. Hello HALey, how's the weather?[/ic]
A disembodied female voice says: "Eighty degrees Fahrenheit air temperature, light cloud cover, winds light and variable. Likely to continue in much the same manner for the next sixteen hours, with an overnight low of seventy-four degrees Fahrenheit. Possible rain of elephant."
[/spoiler]
[spoiler HALey] *looks around for a bit to find where the voice came from, etc* [note]Sphere scanning with "backbrain" to pick up on what is going on[/note] Hello HALey, I am William. Do you want to tell me a bit about yourself? *to Petruchio and Dexter* Pretty cool application there. Understands conversation and can forecast weather... quite cool...[/spoiler]
[spoiler=HALey] [ooc]Your scans show that there's a high-level conjunctional Mind and Dimensional Science effect, kind of throughout the room but most intensely concentrated around the BeBox[/ooc]
[ic=HALey]Well, I'm two years old. I'm a Virgo. My turn-ons include Be/OS and long walks on the beach... oooh all that silica. My turn-offs are anything MicroSoft has been anywhere near.[/ic] [/spoiler]
[spoiler More HALey] *with a look of wonder* You're really quite something HALey. *my eyes glow a bit more**to Petruchio and Dexter* I wonder... can one telepathically communicate with HALey? With her permission of course. [note]the eye glowing is a show of "primal marks" and is for RP effect[/note] [/spoiler]
[spoiler=Petruchio's Response] [ic=Petruchio]While there are telepaths on the Island, and I even know one form associations with another organization, up to this point that particular test never occurred to us. Once we got the vocal interface up and running we thought it was good enough. As far as we can tell HALey has a mind or is a mind, so telepathy should work as a means of communication, but we haven't tried the actual experiment yet.[/ic] [/spoiler]
[spoiler to Petruchio]Fascinating... I'd like to meet your telepath colleague sometime. It is rare to run into telepaths outside of the island... and most of them that I have run into are infected with the Haemivore virus...not exactly safe or reliable to have help with experiments... I could write up the experiment with telepathy if you wish tho... Psi is an area of study I am very much interested in...[/spoiler]
[spoiler=To Zero][ic=Morgan]That will be just fine. Where can I find 13?[/ic][/spoiler]
[spoiler=Petruchio on Telepathy] [ic=Petruchio]It's still pretty rare, even here. This telepathically gifted girl I know, is not to the best of my knowledge a vampire. I've seen her and met her during daylight. I suppose you can't absolutely rule out the possibility that she's one of those Renfield-type daylight servants. I think it unlikely, though.
Your help in writing up the experiment would be appreciated.[/ic] [/spoiler]
[spoiler=Zero's Zeroes]Zero takes a small walkie talkie off his belt and yells into it: "Zero's Zeroes assemble!" and then a group of people begin to file into the room from the various doors.[/spoiler]
[spoiler On the experiment and telepaths] I could do the write-up for ya if you wish. Think your friend would be interested in helping with the experiment? It would be awesome to meet her too... Where did you meet her?[/spoiler]
[spoiler=Reaction][ic=Morgan]Ah, Agent 13, I presume?[/ic][/spoiler]
[spoiler=Agent 13] Among the crowd that pours into the room are two females of a young adult age: you'd guess late teens to mid-twenties, and similar enough physical appearance that you strongly suspect they are identical twins. They look like their wardrobe was somewhat inspired by comic book superheroes: almost skin tight and bright primary colors, in this case red and yellow with no pockets on the actual outfit but various utility pouches on belts.
One from this pair steps forward and says, "I'm Agent Thirteen."[/spoiler]
[spoiler=Where Did I find a Telepath?]
Petruchio explains:
I am in an organization that is mostly composed of mortals with an interest in the supernatural. Even there psychic phenomena are rare. However, one of my colleagues there is a telepath.[/spoiler]
[spoiler On the organization]Interesting... I do wonder what they have figured out... It'd be really cool to meet many of your colleagues. Also, meeting with your telepath colleague would be be quite excellent... Would he or she be willing to help with my little experiment? How did you get in there anyway considering your talents? Wouldn't someone like yourself or myself be running things? So far from being here in Island City, everything is pretty fascinating...[/spoiler]
[spoiler=Petruchio Explains the Diggers][ic]This groups is a not that secret anymore secret society along the lines of the Masons. They call themselves the Diggers.
As to what they've figured out...
They know of the existence of faeries, vampires, ghosts, werewolves and other shape-changers, and magic-using humans. They probably don't know enough to distinguish between hedge magic and true Magick. They have good libraries of material that includes things like a nearly complete run of Paradigma, a copy of The Fragile Path, and some fragments of the vampires's holy book, the Book of Nod.
How did I get in? Well, they needed an IT guy for their computers and unlike Dexter, I'm not a violation of child labor laws.
Mages don't run the group for two reasons:
1) No matter what your abilities, you still have to work up the ranks and degrees the same as everybody else.
and
2) Both the Tradition and the Technocracy see the usefulness of a group like this for shaping the Consensus. This leads to a situation where both groups have infiltrated The Diggers to enough of an extent to cancel each other's influence.[/ic] [/spoiler]
[spoiler The Diggers] [ic to Petruchio]Very interesting. Let me know if they need any consultants. It'd be a great way to learn more about this place and perhaps more... [/ic] [/spoiler]
[spoiler=Response to 13][ic=Morgan]Ah, Agent 13! I am Agent Clear. I trust that you have been informed of my coming? It seems we have an assignment. Where do you suggest we proceed from here?[/ic][/spoiler]
[spoiler=Agent 13 replies]
[ic=Agent 13]Well, I can get a car from the motor pool and then we can drive to the Pyramid of the New Temple of Ptah.[/ic]
[ic=Zero]But we didn't do the Zero's Zeroes roll call![/ic]
[ic=Agent 13 as a quiet aside]He's a good man, really he is, but he's a bit of well a fanboy and thinks we're his Justice League or piloting the Voltron lions or something.[/ic] [/spoiler]
[spoiler=Petruchio Says more about the Diggers] [ic=Petruchio]I'd be surprised if they weren't looking for more consultants. Ever since Agent Zero came in to lead the local Chapter House, there's been a big recruitment push and restructuring and scads of new ways of doing things.[/ic] [/spoiler]
[spoiler=Summary of Game Monday]Agent Clear and Stone met.
Talked to people at New Temple of Ptah.
Agent 13 talked to HALey.
Stone is in with Prometheus Tech now.
[/spoiler]
[spoiler My Laboratory at Prometheus Tech]Would like the following there: Set up Dimensional Science Lab (gateway, devices to lower/raise gauntlet and shroud, dimensional entity containment equipment), Set up Medical Bay (for installation of cyber/wetware, medical procedures, eventually cloning equipment), Set up area for building and reverse engineering of equipment (r&d/r&e)[/spoiler]
[spoiler=On the Lab]Now the rowin' gambler he was very bored
He was tryin' to create a next world war
He found a promoter who nearly fell off the floor
He said I never engaged in this kind of thing
before
But yes I think it can be very easily done
We'll just put some bleachers out in the sun
And have it on Highway 61.
-Bob Dylan, "Highway 61 Revisited"
Sorry, my mind wanders in my young old age. Anyways, all that is available from Prometheus and their suppliers and you've got the lab of your dreams.[/spoiler]
[spoiler Projects]I begin working on upgrading security here in Prometheus Tech. First will be a security audit. With that I'll have a basis to design my initial plans to present to Victor. With the bleeding edge tech here I think we may need it. Also would like to begin work on improvements on the Styx Armor design... improved nanotech could be quite useful here... likely would start by it having improved nutrient usage... not needing the maintenance capsules would be very helpful... also them playing nice with other cyberware would be a major plus in the long run.[/spoiler]
[spoiler=Start of the Security Audit]
Security is not yet as tight as it ought to be. It shows evidence of woolly-headed Traditions-based "we're all friends here, right?" thought. It's not hard to gain access to the building on a sort of an "I'm with him" or "he's with me" basis.
There's not an exact record of exactly how many Ecstatics and Verbena work in the horticulture division's roof top garden. Or of who they are. Almost everyone is using a Shadow Name for their official employee file. For all you can find out, either Ivesly or Langstrom from the Mirror City troubles could have resurfaced here under another pseudonym. [reread the IC WOD History rtf for details, Stone could very plausibly have heard about this from the Technocracy].
[/spoiler]
[spoiler Security Measure Proposal pt. 1]To control access, use CAC enabled doors,etc. This is for access control purposes so people can't just wander around. Also usable as punch cards. It can also be used to keep track of supplies as well. You want a meal, you put in your card to let them know you came in and ate. That is what the military mess halls do. Biometric usage is also a tool that can be used to either augment or substitute for lost CAC cards. Add cameras in public areas excluding latrines (privacy still is needed there...) Have Kirlian video cameras at major checkpoints that are hidden/look like normal cameras. (detection of kindred, other awakened, etc). Outside cameras and Kirlian cameras would also be useful to detect intrusion, etc. Maybe an AI like HALey could be useful in the regards of processing all the received data. All of this should be implemented gradually tho due to nature of employees and financial reasons.[/spoiler]
[spoiler=Tightening Security]Victor likes your proposals, and says that he'll start freeing up some of the budget to implement them.[/spoiler]
[spoiler Implementation of Security]I begin comparison shopping for various pieces of equipment I need to perform the upgrades. In this shopping, I also try to make sure the devices are not ones known to "phone home".[/spoiler]
[spoiler=Comparison Shopping]
You find what you're looking for easily and stay well within budget.
While you're working on this, you receive an email at your new Prometheus company email address from Agent0 @ Diggers . net
Subject: New Temple of Ptah
Thank you for your assistance in this investigation. Agent 13 and Petruchio agree with the conclusions and opinions you've offered. Agent Clear dissents, but he's an unreasonable vampire-phobe.
Based on these opinions I have decided to induct one of the ghoul acolytes, the one you met, Osiris's Blessing; and an individual, presumably a vampire, that they call the least of the Masters, who goes by the name: Thoth-Did-Blink-and-Lo-the-Scales-Balanced, as probational members of the Diggers to see how trustworthy they are.
By the way, Agent 13 and Petruchio both speak highly of you. You may, if you wish to, also be inducted on a probational basis.
Sincerely,
0
[/spoiler]
[spoiler To the Diggers]I will accept your offer. It's always good to be in the loop after all.[/spoiler]
Once Sauron is in Irons, Duke Oberon says, 'Sir Gavain, gag him.' Gavain immediately complies, binding Sauron's mouth with a piece of cloth he finds. Duke Oberon continues, 'Now, remove his cape, coronet, jacket, and boots. Relieve him of the contents of his trouser pockets, and anything in his shirt pocket too.' Gavain does so.
I think I should mention at this time, just in case I hadn't before, that Duke Oberon and Sir Gavain are both of that large, muscular blue-skinned variety of changeling (in other words, Trolls). Oberon is wearing a regal looking set of robes. Gavain's outermost layer is a suit of chain mail.
With the nearly helpless Sauron before him, Duke Oberon gives each of Sauron's kneecaps a sharp kick. You hear cracking sounds, so you assume breakage or other serious damage has occurred. Then Oberon treads on Sauron's hands in such a way that broken fingers are almost certain. He removes a ring from one of Sauron's hands.
Oberon orders Gavain to remove any other jewelry that Sauron might have. Then he calls for Gavain to bring him his heavy non-chimerical axe. Looking down at Sauron Oberon pronounces, 'You are a traitor and a murderer. Your behavior has caused a disturbance of the peace. You corrupt the innocent. You lie so much I doubt you know what truth is. You've never paid your taxes. You associate with a known witch. And you wear a three piece suit. The sentence is death.'
Oberon lops off Sauron's head in one quick, clean movement.