Knight of Dandriss: Stone and Steel
- Thread starter Academia Nut
- Start date
- Original
Not pursuing AI is a one-way track to dead ending. Also we have widespread muses already, and are not controlling the polity (nor are we likely to this generation). Don't think there's any way to put that genie back in the bottle, so we might as well embrace it.
Ridiculously Average Guy
I'm you, but stronger
- Location
-
Weren't we batting about something about raising all of the Tier 2-forward AI as people, or with a companion child?
And having higher tiers of operation gated behind meeting personality/trait qualifications.
And having higher tiers of operation gated behind meeting personality/trait qualifications.
- Location
- USA
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Yeah we had some lengthy discussions on how to manage it, though they were mostly people who wanted it to work since the others just took the stance of it fucking us come Crusade. As such, I'm not certain they're as refined as they might have been.
Yes, although the plans were still quite good in my opinion.
A part of the plans was grounded on Mirande and the psyker education though, so may need some adjustment.
Ridiculously Average Guy
I'm you, but stronger
- Location
-
Wether it exists or not, the issue is less scrap code and more making sure that the entities with god-like minds are actually good people.
Alternatively, we could have a Yozi system, where (when not performing an operation needing the greater mind) the AI break down into many smaller AI.
Alternatively, we could have a Yozi system, where (when not performing an operation needing the greater mind) the AI break down into many smaller AI.
- Location
- USA
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Keep the smart AIs low-power when they aren't busy is a viable analog, supposing a complex paradigm like you outline isn't managed.
Ridiculously Average Guy
I'm you, but stronger
- Location
-
I can't see them liking that, which is a problem given that they'll be smart enough to take control if they dislike things too much. Main reason why I want to tier power by personality.
I also think that the end of life solution is to just merge both the human and the pair-bonded AI into a groupmind in one of those creepy Grave Temples of ours.
I'd say that they gave us something to look forward too, something to build towards. The problem came when people couldn't agree on whether to assume the fetal position and not do anything that could make the superhuman fanatics angry, or to try to get to the point where we had a reasonable chance of fighting back.
I freely admit, a lot of what attracted me to this quest was the possibility to create an alternative to the Imperium, and fuck up the Emperor's plan. Now that we don't have that certainty, I'm not nearly as interested.
Alternately, we could go the same path we're already on with the muses and use Cybran-style brain modification to make everyone as smart as AI. After all, when everyone's special...
1.3
- Pronouns
- He/Him
[x] Minimum, 2 Culture
[x] Semi-casual social
Despite an initial desire for something a bit more risque, Ella had decided that her party preparations were best done to a more moderate taste. Not too formal, not too shocking, just a way for the movers and shakers of the community to get together and to meet her. There would be drinks and food and music, but all only to set the atmosphere rather than to become a part of the objective of the gathering. There would of course be the usual dance of rich, bored aristocrats trying to socially knife each other over whether or not they had under or over dressed or who they had brought and what have you, but Ella would save the debauchery or ridiculous excesses of a masquerade for a later date. While a masquerade could tell you a lot about a person - despite the theory it was actually impossible to achieve true anonymity from the person hosting the party simply because security checked people at the door and kept records of who was who - it would probably be more valuable once she actually knew everyone important and had an understanding of their surface personalities.
As it was, Ella had the big job ahead of her of making herself appear presentable. In terms of aristocratic wear there were a number of options, but she had already decided on which ones to go for. While she had placed fairly clear limits on the degree to which she could go all out by making it a semi-casual affair, that had actually made things a bit harder. Under formal conditions there was far more tolerance for simply going by protocol and heaping as much bling as possible on top of that. In a more casual gathering of the rich and powerful, she had to be fashionable. Among the aristocracy she had three general options: cutting edge fashion, priceless classics, or military wear. Ella had already discarded the last item as being not suited to the tone she wanted to set. That left either something new or something old. She had access to her grandmother's collection of pre-Starfall dresses, but there was no way she was going to spend the political capital to get something shipped out to her.
That left something new, which was of course the biggest pain in the ass to deal with. If it came from before Starfall you could wear the same dress to every major party and no one would bat an eye because as long as it was well maintained it demonstrated depth of wealth and pedigree, although some might mock you behind the back about 'past glories'. For new stuff though... ugh, so many choices. Now Ella actually liked fashion for the most part, but under a situation like this it could become downright annoying. Colour, fabric, style, designer, tailor... it all had meaning and Ella had to juggle it just right. She preferred the stakes lower so she could more honestly show off her personal style.
As it was she went with something relatively conventional but still the sort of thing that would leave an impression. She went with a light, breezy, backless cocktail dress of a deep blue trimmed with sculpted bioglass and a knee length skirt for her main article of clothing, something that spoke of the wealth and power to never have to risk going outside in it because it was completely impractical for anything other than indoor wear. The open back also allowed her to show off her MMI implants, which would serve as a reminder that she wasn't just a pretty face, although she did of course make sure that her face was pretty. Also, the cut and looseness of the dress very deliberately teased the eyes with the possibility of an accident and the question of whether or not she was wearing anything under it. The answer was of course "Depends on your definition of underwear". For footwear she wore glossy dark knee high boots with intricate lacing, ice-blue bioglass eyelets, and a mild heel that gave a military touch while still being elegant. Over her hands she wore gloves made of a similar but thinner material to the boots that went up to just below her elbows.
Of course the centrepiece of it all was her aforementioned pretty face. She was wearing a dark purple lipstick and had expertly done her eyes and cheeks with light and dark contrasts to give a suggestion of Gravetender skull markings to show her general allegiance with the religious factions without showing blatant and outright favour, and blended in subtle highlights of gold dust to brighten the effect away from the macabre. Perhaps the biggest feature though was her hair. While she had to keep it relatively short to fit in under a helmet it was naturally curly enough that she could get a surprising amount of extra length out of it by straightening it a bit. Having done that and applied a number of dyes to her already dark hair to get a visually appealing 'oil-slick' look, she wove multiple strands together into a bun at the back of her head almost like a woven basket, into which she had inserted a number of sword-leaves to create a halo of sparkling, iridescent bioglass and diamond behind her head that especially picked up the slick colour of her hair.
All together as she assessed herself in the mirror she liked the effect. It was mostly simple and elegant with a definite flair of funny and flirty seduction, but also a natural predatory air. She wanted those in attendance to look at her and see an apex predator, self-confident and utterly at ease but also ready at any moment to tear someone's heart out, literally or metaphorically.
Discerning Fashion (Int+Intr) 36 + 23 = 59
Appearance Impression (Phys+Cha) 55 + 23 = 78
Arriving at the party to arrive at the socially appropriate time after everything had officially started to be available to the early birds but also clearly not desperate for attention, Ella soon found herself not quite the fanciest person to show up, although she was definitely making a splash. All in all she figured that while she wasn't going to set any trends here, there would be very little ill said about her appearance or ability to put on a party. She did definitely also pick up excellent intelligence on the standards of decorum among the upper classes of Razorleaf Meadows as more than one woman came wearing what amounted to weaves of treated leaves, which technically made their dresses transparent, but the carefully layered bands of bioglass and diamond offered just enough refraction that only the occasional subtle change in colouring suggested what lay beneath, and to stare long enough to actually start piecing things together was to make one's actions obvious enough to invite scorn. While these sorts of weaves did offer a remarkable degree of lifting and shaping, Ella also judged them a complete bitch to get in and out of. Ella had to turn up her nose at that sort of thing.
Any clothing that required a make out session to be interrupted right when things were getting good to summon servants to aid in its removal was strictly verboten in her books.
Random Social Encounters 99
Social Fu (Cha+Intr) 65 + 26 = 91
Drifting among the assembled people through the multi-level hall she had rented, chatting with those in attendance in a gentle circulation. The upper two floors were mostly filled with quieter tables and booths that looked down on the open courtyard that was the first floor where the main bar and an open space available for dancing was located. The whole thing was under an actual skylight, the ultradurable transparent material a relic of before Starfall when such things could be made, and it and its fellows throughout the original buildings being one of the reasons why Razorleaf had been recolonized as a resort town for the elite. However, much to Ella's delight during her wanderings she ran into one of the people she had been hoping to encounter outside of official business hours: Samantha Sea, South Woods Company executive and frequent visitor to the Meadows. More than that though, when encountered she was standing and chatting with a man that Ella's muse thoughtfully informed her was Massi Sturgeon, representative of the Dandriss Banking Compact. Ella could only raise an eyebrow at the amount of economic clout held between the two of them.
Also, at their appearance. Samantha was a short, middle aged blonde woman who was fairly obviously using medical technology to cling to a youthful appearance. Ella honestly found her appearance a bit unseemly but kept that thought thoroughly to herself. She did have to admire the woman's brazenness in terms of skirt length and underwear choice since she was leaving a lot on display, especially with the way her heels were pushing her butt up. Of course, Ella had also read the files and she knew that Samantha had enough negotiation victories under her belt that the woman couldn't possibly be stupid and that her appearance was almost certainly calculated. Although given some of the other things on her file, in this context the calculation was just as likely meant to attract boytoys to have fun with as to cause potential competitors to underestimate her. Ella had to admit that while she hoped she accepted age more gracefully, she sure wanted to remain as active and fun as Samantha!
Her companion in Massi was much more conservatively attired though, and from the look on his face it was obvious that he was inured to Samantha's behaviour and dress. Perhaps the most interesting thing was, aside from being a full head taller than Ella, who was not short by any standard, his suit incorporated subtle touches from the various major factions on Dandriss. An affect to help create a neutral stance when doing international relations no doubt. Like Ella he had subtle touches of Gravetender skull makeup on his face, but instead of using black and white he used a blue-silver and cream combination, no doubt homage to the blatantly transhumanist people of Indigo Hammer and the paler skinned, bunker living members of the Authority.
Actually, as Ella's mind processed all of this she went off on a slight tangent in her head about how the only people who really got any direct sunlight were the crazies of Indigo Hammer and somehow the people of the Authority were noticeably paler than everyone else anyway. It was weird. Still, after the flicker of thought Ella was back to business and approached the two of them saying, "Ah, have we a pair who can't leave business in the office here?"
Chuckling warmly, Massi said, "Not quite."
Before he could elaborate Samantha was all over Ella, going, "Well here's the woman of the evening right here! I've been hoping to find you so I could thank you personally for this party! I've been to enough of these to know when a host has me in mind and damn girl but you went all out! You got the serving boys with asses you can grind wood on, if you know what I mean, just the way I like them!" She accompanied this vociferous announcement of her approval of Ella's hosting abilities with a number of whoops and lewd gestures. Ella had to admire Massi's capacity to maintain composure at the exuberant, bubbly, and more than a little clingy woman.
Lifting up a crystal wine flute, which was filled with a curious pale blue liquid that had come from a sintered bioglass bottle of obvious Indigo Hammer origin, the man said, "Rather, we were enjoying the fruits of some of our mutual business. Indigo Wine. Care for some?"
Considering it, Ella asked the obvious, "If that's from where I think it is..."
"It's no more toxic than most intoxicants, as non-reassuring as that sentence might be when put that way," Massi said with a smile. "Mostly it is like alcohol mixed with a mild stimulant, with less of the negative side affects such a mixture normally has. Perfectly legal as well, if little consumed due to the shipping distances and the fact that it doesn't keep well. Air transport only."
Ella had to whistle at that. There were neither the aircraft or facilities for large scale air travel, so anything like that was courier only on government planes. Doing some math in her head she asked, "So, what, that bottle probably costs more than the Meadow's yearly operational budget?"
"Not quite," Massi answered.
"More than anybody else here can afford though," Samantha replied with a conspiratorial wink and a shit eating grin. She then wandered over to playfully harass a member of the wait staff.
There was a slight pause before Massi suggested, "I think she likes you."
Snorting in amusement, Ella replied, "I should hope so considering I would like to at least have the option to get the South Woods company on my good side."
Returning with an exaggerated flounce and holding a crystal flute, Samantha said to Ella with a smile, "Now I have to show my appreciation for you actually going to the effort to figure out what I might like, so I am definitely sharing a glass of the good stuff with you."
How Good (Phys*2) 73 + 18 = 91
Taking a sip of the poured glass, Ella had to blink at it a few times to process the taste. The initial impression was of some sort of organic solvent other than alcohol, with more of a sweet and tingly sensation than the typical burn of liquor, with a strong aftertaste of something like black cherry and pepper that quickly slide away down the back of the throat. A second or two after the first sip she also felt a warmth rising within her somewhat similar to the affects of strong alcohol, but with less of the buzz and dizziness of the head. Her comment was a rather nonchalant, "Interesting. Perhaps a bit of an acquired taste, but I can see how it would be popular."
Samantha just laughed at that assessment and said, "Looks like you can hold it enough to finish a glass at least!"
"Oh, I shall. Still, I suspect that this is something to be savoured over an extended period," Ella answered, taking another sip. The flavour was certainly unique, she had to admit, and there was something compelling about it.
"A woman of taste and discretion," Massi noted thankfully, giving an exaggerated wink at Samantha's expense.
"Massi..." Samantha whined out with equal comical exaggeration. "You're not supposed to tease me until after I'm bent over a fountain with a pool lifeguard plowing me from behind."
Face utterly straight Massi responded, "It is after such an incident."
Slapping his arm, Samantha pouted, "I mean in the same evening!" Letting the banter go she smiled at Ella and said, "He exaggerates."
"Barely," Massi countered.
"My point is still technically correct, which as we business types know, is the best kind of correct," Samantha shot back before taking another sip of her own drink.
"Oh please, do go on and continue spilling all sorts of embarrassing personal secrets that I can use to bend you over when need be," Ella replied casually. Somewhat surprisingly it was Massi of the two who nearly choked on his drink.
The two women watched him get his composure over a few seconds before Ella had to ask, "I must know why that of all lines very nearly made you do a very expensive spit take."
Wiping away a tear - likely from getting some of the strange wine up his nose - Massi said, "Sorry, I just very suddenly had an explicit scenario run through my head and it rather interfered with the other thoughts I was having."
While Ella was content to just shrug at that, Samantha criticized her friend's face for a moment before she snapped her fingers and said, "This is about the strap-on lady, isn't it?"
Both Massi and Ella were very lucky that they had both finished swallowing their latest sips before that came out, to which Massi spluttered, "Hey! I thought-"
"No double standards here mister!" Samantha replied with a waggle of her finger. "If you're going to bring up the end of year party, I'm going to air your dirty laundry too."
Massi looked rather put upon, but from his expression he obviously didn't have a counter to that and instead just hung his head and said quietly, "Sorry."
Samantha considered this for a moment before she nodded herself and said, "You know what? You're right, that was a bit more intimate than my story. I apologize as well, I should have thought that through a bit more."
There was a pregnant pause before Samantha asked luridly, "...buuuuuuut I was right wasn't I? You were thinking about our dear, sweet, half-your-age Ella here naked and then her comment turned that picture into one featuring a laser topography scanned, 3D printed, glass-"
It was Ella who interrupted and said, "Samantha, you're clearly making him uncomfortable. I'm not above racier speech, but it's obvious he doesn't want to talk about it."
That caused both of them to pause, to which Ella took a sip and shrugged and said, "Hey, my grandmother might be the Duchess Anna Stone but even she includes anti-sexual harassment courses in basic."
That caused both of them to look thoughtful for a moment before Massi said, his brain clearly derailed from his prior comfort via pure curiosity, "You know, I have to ask, simply because the story is so wild..."
Flat faced and deadpan, Ella replied, "It was a light mech early in her reign, and it was a statement of capability more than anything else. The story has since been exaggerated and conflated with the fact that she does still sometimes engage her paramours in the cockpit - which she still giggles about namewise in these situations - of her mechs, but with considerably more privacy. She claims the whole thing was really poorly thought out and she somewhat regrets it for just how awkward the positioning was and generally awful the sex was."
Entirely thoughtful about it, Samantha said, "That does make sense, considering the story I heard would, well..."
"Involve crushing the vast majority of the participants under the feet of a multi-tonne warmachine? Yes, yes that is how most of the versions of the stories I have heard would play out," Ella finished with sarcastic deadpan.
Swirling his drink around in his glass a bit, Massi noted, "You know, its shit like this that makes Indigo Hammer think we're the weird ones."
Shaking her head with a sigh, Samantha stated, "Their loss. Ahhh... I suppose the good hostess should get back to managing her party." She pouted in an exaggerated but fundamentally sincere way at that.
"I should, but I do thank you for the drink. I shall be sure to invite you to any future gatherings in hopes more," Ella replied with a sly wink as she started to disengage from the impromptu meeting.
"You'll have to make sure that Massi is the one to get the invitation instead of being my 'plus one' if you want that with any reliability," Samantha answered.
"Consider him on the list," Ella answered, to which Massi silently raised his glass with a smile.
Overall Party Success (Cha+Intr) 81 + 26 + 10 Good impressions = 117
Waking up the next day with a minimal headache because, despite some of the more exotic things sampled during the party, Ella knew how to pace herself. Unlike some of her peers back in the academy...
But, it was with relative freshness and a complete lack of embarrassment that she checked the social media about the event. The highlights her muse provided her brought a smile to her face, in that while it was obvious that people would get bored if she kept things at that level too frequently, most people were quite pleased with her socializing and making them feel that she wasn't going to rock the boat for them, nor be completely irresponsible. To some degree it was her house now, but they were all still welcome. There was a definite demand for something a little more extravagant next time though, either more formal where people could go ridiculous with aristocratic airs, or something wilder where they could be ridiculous in their behaviour and fashion.
Something to keep in mind she supposed.
Of course, she still had patrols to run. While she hadn't been so stupid as to not give herself at least a day in terms of scheduling to recover, she still had much to do. Her Centurion medium command mech brought both heavy firepower and integrated command to the patrols, which were especially useful in the forests where she had both the freedom of movement and the open lanes of fire to get the most use out of both capacities.
Rail Patrol 1 (52)
Forest Patrol 1 (61)
Forest Patrol 2 (57)
Despite a certain degree of enthusiasm for the possibility of a fight, the patrols went mostly quiet, only occasionally interrupted in the forests by a wild animal big enough and dangerous enough to require the use of military weaponry, which as often as not is something the infantry is carrying as fire from your mech. Ah well, while a glorious victory over reavers or dragons or the like has certain advantages, just ensuring that the peace was kept and that there were people on patrol to help out anyone in the rail lines if they ran into mechanical trouble had its own advantages. It certainly helped with the attempts to drum up business by demonstrating that Razorleaf Meadows was a safe place to visit!
Basic Rewards (Int+Mang) 90 + 26 + 10 Mult. Patrol = 126
+1 Culture, +1 Economy, +1 Military
Advertising (Cha+Mang) 20 + 29 + 10 Patrol + 10 Successes = 69
-2 Culture, +1 Economy
Actually, some of the game you brought back from the hunts and some of the assistance you rendered probably made you a little extra money over the course of the year, and you think that your relatively sensible attitudes helped wear away some of the misgivings the higher ranked but still subordinate officers under you might have had. As for your advertising efforts, you are fairly certain that they did their job at restoring some confidence, but unfortunately you didn't see some of the increases in interest in hunting tourism you had hoped some of your pictures might have had. Ah well, you must have leaned too much on the military visuals and reminded people just how bloody difficult hunting was.
Available Influence
Culture 13
Economy 13
Science 8
Military 6
End of Turn 1
[x] Semi-casual social
Despite an initial desire for something a bit more risque, Ella had decided that her party preparations were best done to a more moderate taste. Not too formal, not too shocking, just a way for the movers and shakers of the community to get together and to meet her. There would be drinks and food and music, but all only to set the atmosphere rather than to become a part of the objective of the gathering. There would of course be the usual dance of rich, bored aristocrats trying to socially knife each other over whether or not they had under or over dressed or who they had brought and what have you, but Ella would save the debauchery or ridiculous excesses of a masquerade for a later date. While a masquerade could tell you a lot about a person - despite the theory it was actually impossible to achieve true anonymity from the person hosting the party simply because security checked people at the door and kept records of who was who - it would probably be more valuable once she actually knew everyone important and had an understanding of their surface personalities.
As it was, Ella had the big job ahead of her of making herself appear presentable. In terms of aristocratic wear there were a number of options, but she had already decided on which ones to go for. While she had placed fairly clear limits on the degree to which she could go all out by making it a semi-casual affair, that had actually made things a bit harder. Under formal conditions there was far more tolerance for simply going by protocol and heaping as much bling as possible on top of that. In a more casual gathering of the rich and powerful, she had to be fashionable. Among the aristocracy she had three general options: cutting edge fashion, priceless classics, or military wear. Ella had already discarded the last item as being not suited to the tone she wanted to set. That left either something new or something old. She had access to her grandmother's collection of pre-Starfall dresses, but there was no way she was going to spend the political capital to get something shipped out to her.
That left something new, which was of course the biggest pain in the ass to deal with. If it came from before Starfall you could wear the same dress to every major party and no one would bat an eye because as long as it was well maintained it demonstrated depth of wealth and pedigree, although some might mock you behind the back about 'past glories'. For new stuff though... ugh, so many choices. Now Ella actually liked fashion for the most part, but under a situation like this it could become downright annoying. Colour, fabric, style, designer, tailor... it all had meaning and Ella had to juggle it just right. She preferred the stakes lower so she could more honestly show off her personal style.
As it was she went with something relatively conventional but still the sort of thing that would leave an impression. She went with a light, breezy, backless cocktail dress of a deep blue trimmed with sculpted bioglass and a knee length skirt for her main article of clothing, something that spoke of the wealth and power to never have to risk going outside in it because it was completely impractical for anything other than indoor wear. The open back also allowed her to show off her MMI implants, which would serve as a reminder that she wasn't just a pretty face, although she did of course make sure that her face was pretty. Also, the cut and looseness of the dress very deliberately teased the eyes with the possibility of an accident and the question of whether or not she was wearing anything under it. The answer was of course "Depends on your definition of underwear". For footwear she wore glossy dark knee high boots with intricate lacing, ice-blue bioglass eyelets, and a mild heel that gave a military touch while still being elegant. Over her hands she wore gloves made of a similar but thinner material to the boots that went up to just below her elbows.
Of course the centrepiece of it all was her aforementioned pretty face. She was wearing a dark purple lipstick and had expertly done her eyes and cheeks with light and dark contrasts to give a suggestion of Gravetender skull markings to show her general allegiance with the religious factions without showing blatant and outright favour, and blended in subtle highlights of gold dust to brighten the effect away from the macabre. Perhaps the biggest feature though was her hair. While she had to keep it relatively short to fit in under a helmet it was naturally curly enough that she could get a surprising amount of extra length out of it by straightening it a bit. Having done that and applied a number of dyes to her already dark hair to get a visually appealing 'oil-slick' look, she wove multiple strands together into a bun at the back of her head almost like a woven basket, into which she had inserted a number of sword-leaves to create a halo of sparkling, iridescent bioglass and diamond behind her head that especially picked up the slick colour of her hair.
All together as she assessed herself in the mirror she liked the effect. It was mostly simple and elegant with a definite flair of funny and flirty seduction, but also a natural predatory air. She wanted those in attendance to look at her and see an apex predator, self-confident and utterly at ease but also ready at any moment to tear someone's heart out, literally or metaphorically.
Discerning Fashion (Int+Intr) 36 + 23 = 59
Appearance Impression (Phys+Cha) 55 + 23 = 78
Arriving at the party to arrive at the socially appropriate time after everything had officially started to be available to the early birds but also clearly not desperate for attention, Ella soon found herself not quite the fanciest person to show up, although she was definitely making a splash. All in all she figured that while she wasn't going to set any trends here, there would be very little ill said about her appearance or ability to put on a party. She did definitely also pick up excellent intelligence on the standards of decorum among the upper classes of Razorleaf Meadows as more than one woman came wearing what amounted to weaves of treated leaves, which technically made their dresses transparent, but the carefully layered bands of bioglass and diamond offered just enough refraction that only the occasional subtle change in colouring suggested what lay beneath, and to stare long enough to actually start piecing things together was to make one's actions obvious enough to invite scorn. While these sorts of weaves did offer a remarkable degree of lifting and shaping, Ella also judged them a complete bitch to get in and out of. Ella had to turn up her nose at that sort of thing.
Any clothing that required a make out session to be interrupted right when things were getting good to summon servants to aid in its removal was strictly verboten in her books.
Random Social Encounters 99
Social Fu (Cha+Intr) 65 + 26 = 91
Drifting among the assembled people through the multi-level hall she had rented, chatting with those in attendance in a gentle circulation. The upper two floors were mostly filled with quieter tables and booths that looked down on the open courtyard that was the first floor where the main bar and an open space available for dancing was located. The whole thing was under an actual skylight, the ultradurable transparent material a relic of before Starfall when such things could be made, and it and its fellows throughout the original buildings being one of the reasons why Razorleaf had been recolonized as a resort town for the elite. However, much to Ella's delight during her wanderings she ran into one of the people she had been hoping to encounter outside of official business hours: Samantha Sea, South Woods Company executive and frequent visitor to the Meadows. More than that though, when encountered she was standing and chatting with a man that Ella's muse thoughtfully informed her was Massi Sturgeon, representative of the Dandriss Banking Compact. Ella could only raise an eyebrow at the amount of economic clout held between the two of them.
Also, at their appearance. Samantha was a short, middle aged blonde woman who was fairly obviously using medical technology to cling to a youthful appearance. Ella honestly found her appearance a bit unseemly but kept that thought thoroughly to herself. She did have to admire the woman's brazenness in terms of skirt length and underwear choice since she was leaving a lot on display, especially with the way her heels were pushing her butt up. Of course, Ella had also read the files and she knew that Samantha had enough negotiation victories under her belt that the woman couldn't possibly be stupid and that her appearance was almost certainly calculated. Although given some of the other things on her file, in this context the calculation was just as likely meant to attract boytoys to have fun with as to cause potential competitors to underestimate her. Ella had to admit that while she hoped she accepted age more gracefully, she sure wanted to remain as active and fun as Samantha!
Her companion in Massi was much more conservatively attired though, and from the look on his face it was obvious that he was inured to Samantha's behaviour and dress. Perhaps the most interesting thing was, aside from being a full head taller than Ella, who was not short by any standard, his suit incorporated subtle touches from the various major factions on Dandriss. An affect to help create a neutral stance when doing international relations no doubt. Like Ella he had subtle touches of Gravetender skull makeup on his face, but instead of using black and white he used a blue-silver and cream combination, no doubt homage to the blatantly transhumanist people of Indigo Hammer and the paler skinned, bunker living members of the Authority.
Actually, as Ella's mind processed all of this she went off on a slight tangent in her head about how the only people who really got any direct sunlight were the crazies of Indigo Hammer and somehow the people of the Authority were noticeably paler than everyone else anyway. It was weird. Still, after the flicker of thought Ella was back to business and approached the two of them saying, "Ah, have we a pair who can't leave business in the office here?"
Chuckling warmly, Massi said, "Not quite."
Before he could elaborate Samantha was all over Ella, going, "Well here's the woman of the evening right here! I've been hoping to find you so I could thank you personally for this party! I've been to enough of these to know when a host has me in mind and damn girl but you went all out! You got the serving boys with asses you can grind wood on, if you know what I mean, just the way I like them!" She accompanied this vociferous announcement of her approval of Ella's hosting abilities with a number of whoops and lewd gestures. Ella had to admire Massi's capacity to maintain composure at the exuberant, bubbly, and more than a little clingy woman.
Lifting up a crystal wine flute, which was filled with a curious pale blue liquid that had come from a sintered bioglass bottle of obvious Indigo Hammer origin, the man said, "Rather, we were enjoying the fruits of some of our mutual business. Indigo Wine. Care for some?"
Considering it, Ella asked the obvious, "If that's from where I think it is..."
"It's no more toxic than most intoxicants, as non-reassuring as that sentence might be when put that way," Massi said with a smile. "Mostly it is like alcohol mixed with a mild stimulant, with less of the negative side affects such a mixture normally has. Perfectly legal as well, if little consumed due to the shipping distances and the fact that it doesn't keep well. Air transport only."
Ella had to whistle at that. There were neither the aircraft or facilities for large scale air travel, so anything like that was courier only on government planes. Doing some math in her head she asked, "So, what, that bottle probably costs more than the Meadow's yearly operational budget?"
"Not quite," Massi answered.
"More than anybody else here can afford though," Samantha replied with a conspiratorial wink and a shit eating grin. She then wandered over to playfully harass a member of the wait staff.
There was a slight pause before Massi suggested, "I think she likes you."
Snorting in amusement, Ella replied, "I should hope so considering I would like to at least have the option to get the South Woods company on my good side."
Returning with an exaggerated flounce and holding a crystal flute, Samantha said to Ella with a smile, "Now I have to show my appreciation for you actually going to the effort to figure out what I might like, so I am definitely sharing a glass of the good stuff with you."
How Good (Phys*2) 73 + 18 = 91
Taking a sip of the poured glass, Ella had to blink at it a few times to process the taste. The initial impression was of some sort of organic solvent other than alcohol, with more of a sweet and tingly sensation than the typical burn of liquor, with a strong aftertaste of something like black cherry and pepper that quickly slide away down the back of the throat. A second or two after the first sip she also felt a warmth rising within her somewhat similar to the affects of strong alcohol, but with less of the buzz and dizziness of the head. Her comment was a rather nonchalant, "Interesting. Perhaps a bit of an acquired taste, but I can see how it would be popular."
Samantha just laughed at that assessment and said, "Looks like you can hold it enough to finish a glass at least!"
"Oh, I shall. Still, I suspect that this is something to be savoured over an extended period," Ella answered, taking another sip. The flavour was certainly unique, she had to admit, and there was something compelling about it.
"A woman of taste and discretion," Massi noted thankfully, giving an exaggerated wink at Samantha's expense.
"Massi..." Samantha whined out with equal comical exaggeration. "You're not supposed to tease me until after I'm bent over a fountain with a pool lifeguard plowing me from behind."
Face utterly straight Massi responded, "It is after such an incident."
Slapping his arm, Samantha pouted, "I mean in the same evening!" Letting the banter go she smiled at Ella and said, "He exaggerates."
"Barely," Massi countered.
"My point is still technically correct, which as we business types know, is the best kind of correct," Samantha shot back before taking another sip of her own drink.
"Oh please, do go on and continue spilling all sorts of embarrassing personal secrets that I can use to bend you over when need be," Ella replied casually. Somewhat surprisingly it was Massi of the two who nearly choked on his drink.
The two women watched him get his composure over a few seconds before Ella had to ask, "I must know why that of all lines very nearly made you do a very expensive spit take."
Wiping away a tear - likely from getting some of the strange wine up his nose - Massi said, "Sorry, I just very suddenly had an explicit scenario run through my head and it rather interfered with the other thoughts I was having."
While Ella was content to just shrug at that, Samantha criticized her friend's face for a moment before she snapped her fingers and said, "This is about the strap-on lady, isn't it?"
Both Massi and Ella were very lucky that they had both finished swallowing their latest sips before that came out, to which Massi spluttered, "Hey! I thought-"
"No double standards here mister!" Samantha replied with a waggle of her finger. "If you're going to bring up the end of year party, I'm going to air your dirty laundry too."
Massi looked rather put upon, but from his expression he obviously didn't have a counter to that and instead just hung his head and said quietly, "Sorry."
Samantha considered this for a moment before she nodded herself and said, "You know what? You're right, that was a bit more intimate than my story. I apologize as well, I should have thought that through a bit more."
There was a pregnant pause before Samantha asked luridly, "...buuuuuuut I was right wasn't I? You were thinking about our dear, sweet, half-your-age Ella here naked and then her comment turned that picture into one featuring a laser topography scanned, 3D printed, glass-"
It was Ella who interrupted and said, "Samantha, you're clearly making him uncomfortable. I'm not above racier speech, but it's obvious he doesn't want to talk about it."
That caused both of them to pause, to which Ella took a sip and shrugged and said, "Hey, my grandmother might be the Duchess Anna Stone but even she includes anti-sexual harassment courses in basic."
That caused both of them to look thoughtful for a moment before Massi said, his brain clearly derailed from his prior comfort via pure curiosity, "You know, I have to ask, simply because the story is so wild..."
Flat faced and deadpan, Ella replied, "It was a light mech early in her reign, and it was a statement of capability more than anything else. The story has since been exaggerated and conflated with the fact that she does still sometimes engage her paramours in the cockpit - which she still giggles about namewise in these situations - of her mechs, but with considerably more privacy. She claims the whole thing was really poorly thought out and she somewhat regrets it for just how awkward the positioning was and generally awful the sex was."
Entirely thoughtful about it, Samantha said, "That does make sense, considering the story I heard would, well..."
"Involve crushing the vast majority of the participants under the feet of a multi-tonne warmachine? Yes, yes that is how most of the versions of the stories I have heard would play out," Ella finished with sarcastic deadpan.
Swirling his drink around in his glass a bit, Massi noted, "You know, its shit like this that makes Indigo Hammer think we're the weird ones."
Shaking her head with a sigh, Samantha stated, "Their loss. Ahhh... I suppose the good hostess should get back to managing her party." She pouted in an exaggerated but fundamentally sincere way at that.
"I should, but I do thank you for the drink. I shall be sure to invite you to any future gatherings in hopes more," Ella replied with a sly wink as she started to disengage from the impromptu meeting.
"You'll have to make sure that Massi is the one to get the invitation instead of being my 'plus one' if you want that with any reliability," Samantha answered.
"Consider him on the list," Ella answered, to which Massi silently raised his glass with a smile.
Overall Party Success (Cha+Intr) 81 + 26 + 10 Good impressions = 117
Waking up the next day with a minimal headache because, despite some of the more exotic things sampled during the party, Ella knew how to pace herself. Unlike some of her peers back in the academy...
But, it was with relative freshness and a complete lack of embarrassment that she checked the social media about the event. The highlights her muse provided her brought a smile to her face, in that while it was obvious that people would get bored if she kept things at that level too frequently, most people were quite pleased with her socializing and making them feel that she wasn't going to rock the boat for them, nor be completely irresponsible. To some degree it was her house now, but they were all still welcome. There was a definite demand for something a little more extravagant next time though, either more formal where people could go ridiculous with aristocratic airs, or something wilder where they could be ridiculous in their behaviour and fashion.
Something to keep in mind she supposed.
Of course, she still had patrols to run. While she hadn't been so stupid as to not give herself at least a day in terms of scheduling to recover, she still had much to do. Her Centurion medium command mech brought both heavy firepower and integrated command to the patrols, which were especially useful in the forests where she had both the freedom of movement and the open lanes of fire to get the most use out of both capacities.
Rail Patrol 1 (52)
Forest Patrol 1 (61)
Forest Patrol 2 (57)
Despite a certain degree of enthusiasm for the possibility of a fight, the patrols went mostly quiet, only occasionally interrupted in the forests by a wild animal big enough and dangerous enough to require the use of military weaponry, which as often as not is something the infantry is carrying as fire from your mech. Ah well, while a glorious victory over reavers or dragons or the like has certain advantages, just ensuring that the peace was kept and that there were people on patrol to help out anyone in the rail lines if they ran into mechanical trouble had its own advantages. It certainly helped with the attempts to drum up business by demonstrating that Razorleaf Meadows was a safe place to visit!
Basic Rewards (Int+Mang) 90 + 26 + 10 Mult. Patrol = 126
+1 Culture, +1 Economy, +1 Military
Advertising (Cha+Mang) 20 + 29 + 10 Patrol + 10 Successes = 69
-2 Culture, +1 Economy
Actually, some of the game you brought back from the hunts and some of the assistance you rendered probably made you a little extra money over the course of the year, and you think that your relatively sensible attitudes helped wear away some of the misgivings the higher ranked but still subordinate officers under you might have had. As for your advertising efforts, you are fairly certain that they did their job at restoring some confidence, but unfortunately you didn't see some of the increases in interest in hunting tourism you had hoped some of your pictures might have had. Ah well, you must have leaned too much on the military visuals and reminded people just how bloody difficult hunting was.
Available Influence
Culture 13
Economy 13
Science 8
Military 6
End of Turn 1
redzonejoe
Vaguely Pastafarian
- Location
- Canada
Huh, no option to vote on turn 2 actions?
- Pronouns
- He/Him
It's getting late, I'll do it first thing in the morning.
Powerofmind
In Madness Fallen
- Location
- United States
Damn, Green Owl is liberated.
Also, dem rolls was deh best.
Also, dem rolls was deh best.
- Location
- Hell
While having +1 in three different stats might be because of the 126, looks like we found a source of more varied Influence
?
Powerofmind
In Madness Fallen
- Location
- United States
That was, in part, due to the massively high technical crit we got. I doubt we'll see that much free influence from future patrols. Maybe we can expect 1 Mil on a more typical turn...
They're nowhere near Slaneeshi, but let's just say I'm really really glad this switched to original setting...
redzonejoe
Vaguely Pastafarian
- Location
- Canada
I'm actually having a bit of trouble figuring out the rolls. Is AN rolling a 1d100 + basic stats?
When I see this, for example:
Discerning Fashion (Int+Intr) 36 + 23 = 59
Int is 11, Intr is 12
So how do we get 36+23?
... Wait, we rolled 36/100, then the 23 is both int and intr together?
Alright I figured it out, thanks for explaining it to me, me.
No problem me, anytime.
When I see this, for example:
Discerning Fashion (Int+Intr) 36 + 23 = 59
Int is 11, Intr is 12
So how do we get 36+23?
... Wait, we rolled 36/100, then the 23 is both int and intr together?
Alright I figured it out, thanks for explaining it to me, me.
No problem me, anytime.
I mean hey it worked for France right?
Omegahugger
Inattentive Idiot
Blackmail material for everyone.
LoganBert34
Apprentice Clerk
- Location
- Australia
Call me an idiot but I nearly read panicked since I read that '1' before I noticed the '(52)'
I kinda want to go hunting in turn 2, but we don't have the time for that between a fancier and or wilder party and finding allies.
Probably doable in turn 3 or turn 4, if nothing derailing comes up. Which likely is going to happen. Though encouraging hunting tourismus would be a good thing.
Probably doable in turn 3 or turn 4, if nothing derailing comes up. Which likely is going to happen. Though encouraging hunting tourismus would be a good thing.