The Practice War [Complete]

State Department

As with several of the Ministries this year, funding is heavily drawn down from the State Department with the steady approach of the Third Battle of Sol. Pre-allocated funding is maintained for the Unison Intelligences and other projects and plans have been laid in preparation for what is to come. But beyond that, the Department has gone almost completely dark. There is little left to do now but wait, and be as prepared as one can for any surprises ahead.

The Circles continue their own part in this too, working beside and in some cases even beyond the limits of the State Department to prepare humanity's soul for what is to come. The Second Battle of Sol, whilst a pinprick compared to the Week of Sorrows, was the single largest loss of human life since that event by orders of magnitude. It had shaken humanity in ways you hadn't been able to properly prepare it for. This time, the Circles were taking no chances. Humanity would endure, whatever the cost of survival might be. Though they would mourn the losses surely to come, those sacrifices would by remembered in that light.

Ministry of Science

Following the pattern of the State Department, the Ministry of Science has taken on no new projects this year, with its final short-term allocations set to return by the middle of next year at the latest. All that remains beyond that are the steady, longer-term projects, of which Arcadia's work is part.

Ministry of Practice

The Ministry of Practice is a similar story again, with its only new project being that of aiding in the development of guidelines for the new Unisonbound. A training program has been developed with aid from many of the Two Twenty Three, including yourself, and several Heartcircles have already pledged to aid in the process of training the new Unisonbound. The name of that formation remains undecided for the moment, most likely to be chosen by its members in time. Recruitment will begin next year, and there looks to be no lack of volunteers. That support is likely to prove invaluable.

War Office

Final developments are being integrated into the new FSN this year, with the shipyards standing ready to add those the Ministry of Science are still working on to the fleet as swiftly as possible. Lina has mostly stepped back from her wider Ministerial duties to oversee the Navy's final preparations, spending more time aboard her new flagship this year than she has on Earth. With the Third Battle of Sol so close, none can hold it against her, and her constant presence with the FSN has had more than just a small effect. Lina led the FSN to victory against the Tribute Fleet, and despite your own contributions, they know that it was her orders that won them the conventional victory around the works of Practice.

Fortress Command stands ready within the expanded Beltway and the Orbitals, themselves now returned to their place above Earth and Mars to bolster the orbital defences of those worlds, defences that have not stood idle in the years since the Second Battle of Sol, either. Over the past months, they've run live-fire exercises against FSN formations using tactical data recovered by Project Insight. Combined forces exercises have also been a focus, with the few Warden Focused from the Fourth who have proven suitable for command at this point leading the defences. They've been highly successful, and Lina is looking forward to blunting the Regular Fleets' nose on their skill with defensive strategies. They're a good match for her, given her focus on more aggressive tactics, and their presence will allow her to use them.

You doubt the Shiplords will enjoy that experience.

Home Office

The largest work of the Home Office this year was to supply the necessary output to refit the fleet, and the steady movement of the out-system orbitals back into the safety of the Stellar Exclusion Zone. Although the Shiplords are not expected to arrive for another year yet, it's seen as simple sanity to prepare early rather than risk any one of those cities being left vulnerable to the Regulars.

The logistical base that Lina requested has been almost entirely completed, and the vast majority of the industrial capacity of Sol is now pouring into the construction of more ships, more weapons, more defences. There is little else to do.

Ministry of Security

The Ministry of Security, on the other hand, remains opaque to you. Information on the Regulars is filtering down swiftly, but whatever they succeeded in doing last year is not being shared at anything but the very highest levels. Levels at which you no longer operate, though being honest, you're happy about that.

There is talk of securing the future of humanity, though, with plans to seal away information deep within the Elder's Vault in the event that the battle goes ill and the Shiplords do not wipe you from existence. Or even if they attempt it. The Vault is large enough that enough of humanity could be preserved to one day rebuild, and though it is an awful possibility, it is one the Ministry of Security exists to prepare for.

Infowarfare divisions stand ready to snapshot the infosphere and temporarily wipe any mention of the Contact Fleet from existence, with Marcus, Vision and Iris all prepared to engage in more direct cyberwarfare. You aren't sure how you feel about Iris being part of that group, but she's so much like her parents that you know trying to fight her on it would be futile. It is a difficult feeling, that, and one you are still grappling with as the year comes to a close.

General News

There is little left to say. Humanity is ready as it might ever be; all that remains is for Insight to confirm a date of arrival, and for the battle itself to come. And you will have victory, no matter the cost. Anything is better than extinction, or a second Sorrows.

Whatever it takes.

"This is the last year," you murmured, looking around at the preparations you'd made laid out before you. New Years had been good for you all, and the extensions you'd developed had provided all the space you'd ever needed for Iris, her friends, and their families. Of course, that now meant that you were faced with the task of cooking breakfast for most of a hundred people, but that was ok. For one thing, you could cheat. And for the other, well…

"You shouldn't be so hard on yourself," Jordan said firmly as he stepped into the kitchen, a bright smile on his face. "If you and Alden have anything to say about it, I don't doubt we'll be stuck with making New Years' breakfast a century from now." You looked over at your younger brother and saw the concern in his grey-blue eyes, clear as the day breaking around you. Mytikas had a strange relationship with dawn, with how deeply the city was ensconced within the caldera of Olympus Mons. Daylight hours were several hours shorter than they were for the rest of the planet, and that had taken some getting used to after life in the Residence.

You had, and you were quite certain that more than a few of your guests would be using the extended night to try and actually sleep the right number of hours. Not that you were in much of a position to judge on that score, with Sidra allowing you to completely ignore those demands when necessary. But what was life without little pleasures? And with what was coming, you felt a need to grasp those as often as you could.

"You know I can't help but worry, Jordan," you shrugged a little helplessly, pulling one of the bowls towards you. "And with this the last year left before Third Sol could happen, and my place in it when it comes, how can it not be on my mind?" Even with everything you'd learnt, all the information Insight had gleaned and the strength the FSN and the Potentials had gathered in the intervening years, the ugly spectre of the Medicament and everything it had represented remained.

You stirred on reflex, smoothing the separated batter into silky smoothness. "I know better than almost anyone what we're facing," and that was true, in a way no one in your family but Mary could understand. "And it scares me, Jordan. It terrifies me." Even though its existence had become more known after Second Contact, the exact details of the UPI report remained close held, and that could be hard sometimes. Knowing the true shape of your enemy, when so few others did. Not because they couldn't be trusted, but because you couldn't risk that information being on the net for the Shiplords to find. If they knew what you knew, the consequences didn't bear thinking about.

"That's sanity," your brother replied, retrieving a small bowl of his own from the fridge and deftly dumping half of the contents into your own. The bright blue berries bobbed cheerfully through the mix as you continued to stir, prompting a little smile at the literal fruit of your labours. Jordan's tone remained serious as he dropped the other half of the bowl into his own mix, though. "I know more than the rest of the family, Mandy, except maybe Alden. You know that."

Again, you did. Although Jordan was technically a member of the Diplomatic Corps, he occupied a position within them that reported directly to the Ministry of Security instead of the State Department. He was, to use civilian vernacular, a spook. A very diplomatic spook, but a spook nonetheless, and he'd brushed up far closer to the reality of the UPI report than most in the Diplomatic Corps had given that position.

"But even if I didn't, I wouldn't want you clouding your New Year's with this." He added firmly, before his tone turned a touch wry. "And you know how Amelie would react if I told her about this, sis."

You shuddered at the thought, not entirely jokingly; your youngest sister had some truly draconian opinions on the place of work in family time. You were pretty sure she'd gotten some of that from you, and no one in the family was really interested in arguing the point. Not when she was still in the process of raising more children than the rest of the family combined. You still weren't sure how she did it, but it could make her…scary sometimes.

"That's low, Jordan," you admonished, though without heat. "But," you took a long breath, "also not wrong. I just couldn't help thinking about it with everything so close."

Your brother set down his bowl with a gentle sigh. "You'll have the entire year to do that, and to do more than just distract yourself from the important things." He gave a nod towards the bowl in your hands. "Speaking of which, I think that's ready. Want to make a race of it again?"

"I always win," you smiled without a hint of arrogance. "Are you sure you don't want me to restrict my access to my Aegis?"

"I'm sure," he matched your expression. "Mine are always better."

"Oh you're on."

You were never quite sure if it was your shared laughter or the smell of fresh pancakes that brought everyone down to the extended kitchen. But by the time it did so, any thought of the Shiplords and their return was long since banished. Tomorrow, you would worry. Today was for better things than that.

3 Research Actions

Momentum Levels
Tasting Lightning, Level 5
Lightless Circuits, Level 2

Banked Rollover
+68 to analysis of Shiplord Hull Materials
+31 to Unison Platform research

[] A World of Secrets: Looking into the Secrets is always a complex task, and with the existence of the Directives it can be dangerous too. You need to understand more about these loopholes in reality. But which ones?
-* [M] Tasting Lightning: The Luminary's representative gave humanity an Emitter; the cornerstone of all Third Secret technology. Electromagnetic manipulation has immense possibilities if you can understand how to access the Secret that makes it possible. Who better to try and find out than you? [625/???]
-[] Wings of Starlight: Humanity has perfected a Fifth Secret drive system comparable to what the most intricate workings of Practice had been able to create before the Second Battle of Sol, but a few of Arcadia's members think there might be something more…and that it might link to the First Secret. Connections between the Secrets are possible, you know this. But humanity's yet to discover one.
[] A Clear Sky: The atmospheric conversion towers on Mars are incredible examples of Practiced technology that no one understands beyond that it involves the Sixth Secret. Adriana's government has confirmed them to be free of any Second Secret influence, but that doesn't explain how they work.
[] Practice in Unity: You talked to the Circles last year, and asked them to help you begin to understand how some small measure of Practice might be within the reach of every human. The problem lies in finding a way to bring it out. You've but one example to go on; your own actions during the Second Battle of Sol. Still, it's better than nothing.
* [] A Skin of Steel: Until now, your work on Iris' shell and the surrounding technology has proven too resource intensive to be worth extensive study. It's always been there, but more important things have been in front of it. Mary's creation from that base of technology last year has changed the variables of that process immensely. [422/???]
[] Whispers of Life: When Iris came to you with her surprise, you didn't expect for it to be a research project on the scale of any of Arcadia's current priorities. And yet, there it is. Your daughter wants to try and delve into the mysteries of her birth, how she came into being, and what the existence of her and Vision might mean for the universe. The Shiplords have AIs, you know this, but Vision's description of them was very different to how she says she sees Iris. It could be a coincidence, but equally, it might not. [295/???]
* [] The Eternal Well: Practice draws its power from a place that no one alive understands, a reservoir of energy born of the willing sacrifice of an entire race mixed with the blood of more than a billion humans. From what Metaconcert showed Mary, some of those deaths were willing, too. To truly understand what anything is, you have to understand where it comes from. That's the line the Science and Practice Ministries took, at least. And now they're asking for your help.
* [M] Lightless Circuits: The transmission of information through the electromagnetic spectrum reshaped humanity. Data transfer and analysis undertaken by devices built using that switching technology allowed your race to overcome monumental challenges, and the foundational technology is basically the same today. But there are limits to what even lightspeed processing can do. For the Orrery to truly work, you'll need more than that, and the War Office knows it. They're promising the second working model of any final design Arcadia has a hand in. [121/???]
* [] Gestalt: With the reverse engineering of the Unison Platforms finally complete, the task lies before humanity to create what the intelligences born of the first Platforms wish for those who will come after them. Although more Unisonbound will fly come Third Sol, the first generation has called for something new for the future. What the Conference called Gestalt Devices, which should be capable of growing with their Potential in ways the current Platforms simply can't.
[] Write-in

4 Minor Actions

[] Mother of Circles: Beyond returning to the Circles to learn and teach, there's also the opportunity to simply be part of them again. You never lost your place among them, you simply set it aside for a time. Now you can return to it if you wish, to grow and build.
[] The Spoken Word: Your success in teaching Vega to Speak, for all that you still lack an advanced understanding of the subject, led her to suggest that you begin teaching others. Not everyone is her, but the vast scale that Words act on make this a possibility you can't ignore. Even if only a fraction of the Potentials prove capable of it.
[] Valkyries: The Two Twenty Three were the only force to emerge from the Second Battle of Sol intact, after facing the most lethal of the FSN's enemies in that fight. They brought down the Medicament, and faced Shiplords in direct combat aboard Calypso. Yet there is much that can still be done to temper the blade of the Unisonbound, and you are part of that weapon. With Third Sol swiftly approaching, even the smallest flaw could be fatal. None must be.
[] Tinker: Being free of your old role changed many things, but one that didn't was your interest in creating and understanding your own Practiced creations. Two of those remain unknown to you in full, and you finally have the time to study them. You also now have the time to dedicate to creation again, with all your new understanding of Practice. That's going to be interesting. (May be taken multiple times)
[] An Uncertain Grasp: The Lady in Fire Enfolded is a group within the Circles that seems dedicated to confounding you. On the one hand, they believe in you to a degree that is far more than you're comfortable with. On the other, they've refused to jump to conclusions as to your presence on Mars when the Restoration occurred. How to deal with them, and if you even should, is a question that you're not sure there's an answer to. But if there is, you know who to ask.
[] The Past is Prelude: The Olympus Colleges were more than just research centres. They were places of learning as much as science, and Arcadia is still an Institute. That means it, too, is a place of learning. You know far more than you like to consider, but there's no reason that that knowledge can't be put to good use. You've never been that sort of teacher, but there's nothing stopping you from learning.
[] Web of the World: Arcadia has stripped the time to truly focus on government policy, but that doesn't leave you without ways to support or influence it. A few words from you still hold considerable weight, and you've no lack of ears open to them. [Please write-in your general intent when choosing this action.]
[/] Caliburn: Iris has more than a body now, she has a shield against the world that the Shiplords make so hostile to her very existence, married to a humanity she's still learning to understand. Exploring that could be dangerous, however, and that leaves you with the final part of Mary's plans for her frame. One day, not now, or tomorrow, your daughter will need a sword. [573/500] Complete
[] A Healer's Fire: You're a Mender, you know that. Conflict is difficult for you, if not as much as Mir. But when you spoke Purify the first time, at the height of the Second Battle of Sol, you weren't trying to fix something. You framed the logic of the action in the manner of excising cancer, but it wasn't that simple. What you did that day was use Practice as a weapon, something you've only done once since and the second time is an edge case. You don't want to explore this, your very Focus rebels against it, but what you did that day might need to be understood. [226/250]
[] Sketching a Path: The Unisonbound understand the connection that exists between Potential and Platform better than anyone else. You helped create the second Platform and all the others that came after. Thanks to Mary, you've also forgotten more about Practice theory than most scientists have ever learnt. The Ministry of Practice could probably use a hand from someone like you.
[] The Fourth's Path: With the fourth wave of Potentials coming suddenly far faster than had been expected, there's a new need for teachers. You've taught before, and you have a great deal of experience in unravelling the deeper meanings of a Focus. You can help as few others can.
[] Write-in

2 Personal Actions
Mentor is locked until further notice.

[] Unison Training: Training with the entire Two Twenty Three is one thing, but you can get just as much personally out of dedicating time to work with your own small part of it. Vega, Kalilah and you represent three of the organisations most powerful members, and a high level of synchronicity between you will reflect on the rest even without full group training. Of course, combining the two will make that effect much stronger.
[] Bonds of Blood and Laughter: Although your sabbatical has ended, you won't be missing your friends or family as much as you did before. Lead Director of Arcadia is a big job, but it pales in comparison to the Presidency. Still, you could always make more time.
[X] Mentor: When Iris found her first friends in Aya and her sister Nei, you had been glad. You'd not expected that, most of a decade later, you'd be teaching one of those friends how to understand and use her Focus. But what Aya might be able to do, once she does know those things, would make the effort worth it regardless. That it lets her be near to those she cares for, well…that's just a happy side-effect.
[] Those Great Creations: You've been part of some of the largest acts of Practice in history, and yet for all that, there is a part of you starting to wonder if all of them were simple spoilers for a truth that could lie at the heart of the power that allowed you to bring the will of humanity together during the Second Battle of Sol. You created the Circles with Practice, you know this. But there's a difference between a creation of Practice and an Artefact. Which is it? [169/200]
*New* [] Lyrics of Fire: You can remember the melody of the song that rang in your mind in the moment you spoke Purify the first time, at the height of the Second Battle of Sol, but you cannot find the words. To Speak as you did then, or even surpass it, you must find not just the shape and feel and sound of humanity, but the music which makes it more than a civilisation of those who are simply living. Cannot be taken without Healer's Fire. Will roll at a penalty dependant on how swiftly that action completes.
[] Write-in

Hero Units
Hero Units may be assigned to Research Actions to support you, adding relevant modifiers and the opportunity for synergy bonuses if you choose wisely. Hero units are assigned by adding a sub-vote of their name to the action you wish to assign them to. Only one Hero unit may be assigned to each Research Action.

Mary Alessandra D'reve
A genius in a way that goes beyond the normal definitions, Mary's understanding of science and the Secrets is like no other. The Restoration of Mytikas has left your friend fragile, but she's healing quickly now, and you can see the strength returning to her with every day that goes by.
Special: Applies a blanket bonus to all Research Actions if left unassigned. If not directly assigned, she may apply her stats to any or all Research Actions, bypassing standard limitations.

It is advised that you limit the number of actions that Mary can apply to if this option is taken. Do so by including a [/] Mary: [number] in your plan, which I will take as the limiter for how many actions she can apply herself to.

Iris
The first AI that could be said to have been born of humanity, Iris developed with incessant speed until the early months of last year, when she found a few friends her own age. Her rampant growth has slowed since, to more human levels, but she's still an AI. And she was designed to coordinate and oversee research.
Special: Lowers synergy thresholds of all Research Actions. Cannot be assigned. May apply her stats to any one Research Action into AI or similarly advanced computer science per turn.

Phoebe, The Iron Eye
Phoebe lost everything to the Sorrows, and almost lost it all again in a deadly misstep just before the Second Battle of Sol. Yet she recovered, and with your help Insight was rebuilt newer, and far more capable than before. Phoebe isn't a scientist in the same way you are, but she is the leader of Project Insight, giving her the ability to access the knowledge of the universe in a way no one can match.
Special: Cannot be applied to any research directly into the Secrets.
Occupied with Project Insight

Vision
In many ways Iris' true mother, Vision's birth was far more accidental and went unrecognised until much of her development had finalised. Vision is a fully developed AI, possessed of a powerful intuition and a truly comprehensive library of knowledge. Specialises in heavy duty data processing, modelling, and intuitive design concepts.

Vega Cant, The Proven Miracle
Vega is much like yourself but of the Third Awakening's generations, a nexus point for thousands, now millions, often used as a touchstone. The most capable Harmonial known, Vega is personally responsible for the creation of the Unisonbound, and it was her work trying to unlock the complexities of her Focus that gave humanity the Restoration.
Special: Massively increases the chance of synergy with the action she's assigned to. Applies an additional bonus to research into Unison Platforms or where her Focus would conventionally apply.

Planmakers, please label your plans with the [Plan] tag so that it separates. For the sake of my sanity it is preferred that you build your [Plan] vote in the following manner, with only a single X in the Plan vote, nothing more. I'll build the rest from there.

[X] [Plan] Plan Momentum

Research (3)

[M] Olympus Unleashed
* [] A Clear Sky
[M] Clairvoyance

Minor (3, 1 changed to Personal)

[] The Spoken Word
[] The Past is Prelude
[] Caliburn

Personal (1+1)

[] Powerful Words
[] Science and Potential

Hero Units:

Mary: Limit to 1 Project
Phoebe: Clairvoyance
Vision: Olympus Unleashed

Click to expand...

Click to shrink...

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Answers With Amanda

Each turn, you (the questers) will get the opportunity to vote on a single question to ask Amanda about the world that she lives in, her past, etc. A warning: attempts to ask 'waifu' questions will result in you wasting a question if it wins. I should not need to tell you what classifies as one of those. The response will come in the manner of a reply to a friend, a diary entry, or something along those lines. Do not expect more than a paragraph or two per response (this may be lies). I'm doing this so that you can start learning more about the world if you like, and hear about it from the PoV of Amanda, who will be the primary point of view of the quest from this point onwards.

A note: Due to my not actually being a philosophy major, please do not be surprised if asking deeply philosophical questions leads to incomplete or unsatisfactory answers.

[] [Answer] How has the Sixth Secret, Practice, and other advancements impacted fashion?
[] [Answer] What is a typical Practice User curriculum (what do they learn and how), and how is an apprentice's learning experience different?
[] [Answer] Who are the people Amanda and Mary most often visit as guests? What are their homes like?
[] [Answer] Of the Two Twenty Three, what does Focus distribution look like? (i.e. 11 Harmonials, 47 Menders, 75 Destroyers, 35 Protectors, and 55 assorted with less than 8 on any given Focus; an average circle has X, Y, and Z roles that are fit by so-and-so Foci.)
[] [Answer] Does Iris have any significant others in her life?
[] [Answer] Can we please hear some amusing tales about Amanda's Artifacts, their quirks, and events surrounding them?
[] [Answer] Can we please hear some amusing tales about Amanda's singing career and events surrounding it?
[] [Answer] Write-in