[X] Yes. Tell her everything you know, and be completely honest. You've never actually seen the City - it might not even be real.
[X] Activate Signal Relay 3 to scan the entire region. Use your Light to power the scan.(Requires 3 Light. if you're lucky, you could gain a detailed, currentscan of the area up to Old Chicago, potentially beyond.)
[X] Stay together. This way, you can cover each other's weaknesses.
[X] No. It's better not to give her false hope. You've never actually seen the City - it might not even be real.
[X] Go alone and scout out the other rooms of the radio tower, to find the source of the noise. (+5 from Ghost personality trait: Stealth)
[X] Stay together. This way, you can cover each other's weaknesses.
The 2 and 3 I picked seem like they would be mutually exclusive but it didn't say they were so?
[X] No. It's better not to give her false hope. You've never actually seen the City - it might not even be real.
[X] Go alone and scout out the other rooms of the radio tower, to find the source of the noise. (+5 from Ghost personality trait: Stealth)
[X] Stay together. This way, you can cover each other's weaknesses.
[X] No. It's better not to give her false hope. You've never actually seen the City - it might not even be real.
[X] Activate Signal Relay 3 to scan the entire region. Use your Light to power the scan.
[X] Amber is to remain silent, no matter what, not to attract attention. scout the rooms to find the source of the noise, BUT avoid detection and combat.
Vote 1 Result: Will you tell Amber what you know about the Last City?
(Choose one.) [7]Yes. Tell her everything you know, and be completely honest. You've never actually seen the City - it might not even be real.
[3] No. It's better not to give her false hope. You've never actually seen the City - it might not even be real.
[0]Yes. Tell her everything you know, and then some. Invent details about the City to fill her with hope.
Vote 2 Result: What will Ghost do?
(Choose one.) [8] Activate Signal Relay 3 to scan the entire region. Use your Light to power the scan.(Requires 3 Light. if you're lucky, you could gain a detailed, currentscan of the area up to Old Chicago, potentially beyond.)
[2] Go alone and scout out the other rooms of the radio tower, to find the source of the noise. (+5 from Ghost personality trait: Stealth)
Vote 3 Result: What will Amber do?
(Choose one.) [5] Stay together. This way, you can cover each other's weaknesses.
[3] Amber is to remain silent, no matter what, not to attract attention. scout the rooms to find the source of the noise, BUT avoid detection and combat. (+5 from Amber's personality)
[2] Go alone and scout out the other rooms of the radio tower, to find the source of the noise. (+5 from Amber's personality)
Thanks for voting, guys! And since we got 10 votes... we're getting some gear so we don't die! Not that there's anything to worry about. No sir.
[7] Yes. Tell her everything you know, and then some. Invent details about the City to fill her with hope.
[3] No. It's better not to give her false hope. You've never actually seen the City - it might not even be real.
[0] Yes. Tell her everything you know, and be completely honest. You've never actually seen the City - it might not even be real.
[X] Yes. Tell her everything you know, and be completely honest. You've never actually seen the City - it might not even be real.
[X] Activate Signal Relay 3 to scan the entire region. Use your Light to power the scan.(Requires 3 Light. if you're lucky, you could gain a detailed, current scan of the area up to Old Chicago, potentially beyond.)
[X] Amber is to remain silent, no matter what, not to attract attention. scout the rooms to find the source of the noise, BUT avoid detection and combat. (+5 from Amber's personality)
[X] Yes. Tell her everything you know, and be completely honest. You've never actually seen the City - it might not even be real.
[X] Activate Signal Relay 3 to scan the entire region. Use your Light to power the scan.(Requires 3 Light. if you're lucky, you could gain a detailed, current scan of the area up to Old Chicago, potentially beyond.)
[X] Stay together. This way, you can cover each other's weaknesses.
Sorry for disappearing and making you guys worry. But I'm back for good!
Vote 1 Result: Will you tell Amber what you know about the Last City?
(Choose one.) [7] Yes. Tell her everything you know, and be completely honest. You've never actually seen the City - it might not even be real.
[3] No. It's better not to give her false hope. You've never actually seen the City - it might not even be real.
[0] Yes. Tell her everything you know, and then some. Invent details about the City to fill her with hope.
Vote 2 Result: What will Ghost do?
(Choose one.) [8] Activate Signal Relay 3 to scan the entire region. Use your Light to power the scan.(Requires 3 Light. if you're lucky, you could gain a detailed, currentscan of the area up to Old Chicago, potentially beyond.)
[2] Go alone and scout out the other rooms of the radio tower, to find the source of the noise. (+5 from Ghost personality trait: Stealth)
Vote 3 Result: What will Amber do?
(Choose one.) [5] Stay together. This way, you can cover each other's weaknesses.
[3] Amber is to remain silent, no matter what, not to attract attention. scout the rooms to find the source of the noise, BUT avoid detection and combat. (+5 from Amber's personality)
[2] Go alone and scout out the other rooms of the radio tower, to find the source of the noise. (+5 from Amber's personality)
You've gained a map of the area - now that you know what the region used to look like, you decide that the best plan of action is to get a better idea of what it's like right now. You and Amber still have to travel to Old Chicago, after all. At the same time however, the crashing noises that came from below have only come closer, even as they've become quieter. A sense of unease enters your mind, but you need to get to work. As a human, and a young human from a farming village at that, Amber can't operate ancient computers quite the way you can.
//I'm going to initiate a scan of the region; that should tell us more about what's going on around here. That's our first priority.// You tell her. //I'm worried though. Whatever that thing is, it's coming closer, and it's trying to be sneaky about it. I'll have my hands full rerouting the power, so...//
"...I'll handle it." Amber nods. She hefts her aging hunting rifle so that she's ready to fire at a moment's notice. Readying her weapon seems to have helped calm down, and the only evidence of her previous fear is a slight tremble in her fingers. Still, you sense fear in her.
"I think it'd be better if we stuck close. I don't want to be caught alone without you."
//...You're the one with the gun, Amber.// You gently tease, eliciting an indignant huff. Tension deflated for the moment, it's time to act. //All right. I'm going in. Be ready for anything.//
Beams of photonized data stream out of your central eye and into the console, and you work your magic. It shouldn't take too long...
[size=3 said:
G.A.E. Army Signal Station//Chicago Area Relay//Master Control Module[/size]] -Logged in as: $%^!#@ -Terminal Position (Control Room, 4th Floor)
The doors to the control room slam open, and a person-shaped thing barrels in, limbs flailing before it points a gun towards you. A warning shot whizzes past your chassis, only narrowly missing the console you're interfacing with.
"DON'T!" The thing - the man - yells out as the doors to the control room slam open. "Whatever it is you're doing, stop! You'll bring them right to us!"
The instant the doors opened, Amber was already swerving to face the threat - her finger on the trigger, ready to squeeze. Recognition stops her from following through.
"...Derek?" Amber lowers her rifle.
"W... wait, Amber? What are you... why are you with that thing?" 'Derek' lowers his rifle, but still appears wary and ready to shoot at a moment's notice.
Derek is a black-haired man, darkened by the sun and covered in grime. His face is covered in scraggy facial hair, and his eyes are wild with panic. His disheveled attire, a dark, tattered cloak and dirtied hiking clothes, only add to the fear he projects. He carries a pack on his back, also disheveled and tattered.
//It's a long story.// You decide to speak up. //But I'm afraid we don't have much time. We've got ships inbound; the system doesn't recognize their design.//
"...Oh shit. Shit. Shitshitshitshitshit. FUCK!" Derek yells. "This is your fault, you... you idiotic piece of outdated tech!"
You decide to not respond to the insult.
"Derek, calm down. What's going on?" Amber asks. "...Where are the rest of the Scavengers? Weren't you guys in Old Chicago?"
"...They fucking got us, Amber! That's what's going on! Fucking four-armed freaks just showed up and started shooting!" Derek continues to shout. "Wanted our shit. They got Andrew and Marie. The rest of us... I don't know who else made it. Maybe Frankie got away... shouldn't have gone to the shipyard, salvage be damned..."
He shakes his head, as if to refocus.
"Shit! So I figured... if they were already in Old Chicago... what's stopping them from finding the radio tower? It's got tech, it's got loot. And if they find the radio tower... what's stopping them from finding home? So I came here. And the door's wide open. And then YOU!" Derek turns to face you, spittle flying from his mouth.
"YOU had to turn on the power! We're fucking screwed, and it's all your fault!"
He's right, you realize. It IS your fault. Guilt threatens to overwhelm you, but you clear your mind. Panicking never helped anybody make decisions, and without your help, people could die.
You let your thoughts race. Ships that the G.A.E. systems didn't recognize. Aliens, with four arms, interested in salvage.
Fallen.
You'd fixed a Golden Age farming device - and fixed it damn well. There was no way the farmers of Little Chicago weren't making use of it. If its exotic nature didn't attract Fallen pirates scanning for salvage, your activation of Signal Relay 3 most certainly did. And one of their ships is coming here. Now.
//...I'm sorry. I know it's not what you want to hear, but what's done is done. We need a plan.//
"Why you little...!" Derek points his rifle towards you, only to be stopped by Amber. Her presence seems to be the only thing holding Derek back.
"Ghost's right, Derek. Let's listen to him." She walks up to him, and gently pushes his rifle barrel away from you.
"..."
You take Derek's silence as (resentful) acquiescence.
//Did your party have a place to meet up in case of emergencies? A rendezvous point?// You call up your map of Old Chicago, and display it on the console. Two red blips are moving closer to the dot marked "Little Chicago"; another approaches your position.
"...Yeah." Derek grumbles, and plants a finger on the screen. "Here."
You reexamine the updated scans from the Signal Relay, and compare it with the original maps you'd downloaded.
Ghost Analysis said:
BOGIES 1 & 2 ETA to Little Chicago: [2 Turns] BOGIE 3's ETA to the radio tower: [1 Turn]
GHOST & CO.'s ETA to Old Chicago: [3 Turns] GHOST & CO.'s ETA to Little Chicago: [3 Turns] GHOST & CO.'s ETA to Rendezvous Point: [2 Turns]
Travel time from Old Chicago to Little Chicago: [3 Turns]
Travel time from the Rendezvous Point to Little Chicago: [1 Turns]
Travel time from Old Chicago to Rendezvous Point: [2 Turns]
With Amber and Derek's combined experience, bolstered with up to date topography and weather conditions, you can cover more ground. (-1 to travel time this Turn)
Where will you go?
(Choose one.)
[ ] Stay here. There might be something you can do from here. There are still many rooms you've yet to explore, after all. (Spend the next Turn in the radio tower. Significant risk of encountering the Fallen. Secondary vote to follow if chosen, to decide what exactly to do.)
[ ] Head to Old Chicago. There's a reason the Little Chicago scavengers and the Fallen were there. (Spend the next 32 Turns traveling to Old Chicago. Minimal risk of encountering the Fallen.)
[ ] Head to the Rendezvous Point. The surviving scavengers might be there, and they'd be sure to help. (Spend the next 21 Turn traveling to the Rendezvous Point. Minimal risk of encountering the Fallen.)
[ ] Head straight to Little Chicago. There's no time to waste. You have to warn the villagers. (Spend the next 3 2 Turns traveling to Little Chicago. Moderate risk of encountering the Fallen.)
Please format your votes in Plan format, e.g.:
[ ]Plan Lutris
Vote 1
[ ] Head to the Freedom Lounge.
Vote 2
[ ] Go with the flow.
Vote 3
[ ] Refuse to go with the flow.
[ ] Go home instead.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Your course of action decided, the three of you prepare to move.
//Amber. Are you scared?// You ask, knowing the answer. She nods, without looking your way. You decide to tell her of the City that you've heard of so much. You don't want to give her false hope - you don't even know if the City is real, but you know that humanity has always needed hope to push forward. Just a little bit - just enough to survive.
//I don't know if knowing this helps you. But know that there is hope.//
//The other Ghosts... they spoke of a City, beneath the Traveler. Safe, protected. A new cradle for mankind. If we make it out of this... if your village makes it out of this...// You trail off.
A few moments of silence pass. Amber smiles, just a little bit.
"...Fuck that, man. It's still your fault we're getting hit." Derek interjects. Before you can respond, he shoves something at Amber.
"Here. This was Andrew's. It's yours now. Take care of it. Got you some ammo too."
- - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Inventory Changes said:
You have gained:
x1 Up to date and real-time map of Old Chicago and surrounds (100x100 miles)
Amber has gained:
x1 Bolt Action Sniper Rifle
x25 Sniper Rifle Ammo
So. That happened. I'm uh, alive? Life is now stable! Life is now good! Time to Quest! Also, fuck Gary!
To recap, since it's been so long:
You're a Ghost without a Guardian, before Guardians were a thing, currently in the vicinity of the city of Old Chicago with a girl with a hunting rifle named Amber. You're investigating a broken down radio tower that used to belong to the Great American Empire before the Collapse, and fixed the scanning array to get a detailed, up to date map of the region. But guess what! Fallen pirates! On a ship! Headed right for Little Chicago! Also right at you! Wat do!?
As far as what happened as far as rolls went:
You guys chose to have Amber stick together with Ghost, which helped her to relax and not panic (i.e. 0 chance of panicking). Had she gone alone, she might've spooked when she ran into Derek, though the likelihood that she would have fired her weapon was pretty low (if you guys had brought Harrison, on the other hand...). So Derek's not shot, which let you learn about the rendezvous point and what the scavengers were doing in Old Chicago.
Some notes about mechanics:
Ditching the arbitrary "1 hour between updates" thing. It's too shitty to manage. Instead, I'm using Turns.
Turns are a way for me to keep track of events in-game. Think of them as standardized units of game time. Regardless of what choice you make, the next update will feature Ghost's next actions. Whether you choose to go to Little Chicago, Old Chicago, wherever, the next update will begin with Ghost arriving at whatever destination you chose. Time will have passed while you traveled however.
I've got the next campaign almost ready to go, so let's get this game rolling again!
Couple more questions. Do our travel times in the ghost analysis already have the reduction to travel time taken into account? If both Derek and Amber head to a different location than we head to, do we lose the travel time reduction? And assuming the travel times don't have the reduction taken into account, it looks like we'd be able to make it to Little Chicago in as many turns as the Fallen. Would that be treated as us arriving right at the same time as them? Like, skiffs appearing overhead as we reach the perimeter of the village?
You have to travel as a party if you want the reduction. Sorry that wasn't clear. The intent is to provide a clear advantage to not splitting up the party.
And assuming the travel times don't have the reduction taken into account, it looks like we'd be able to make it to Little Chicago in as many turns as the Fallen. Would that be treated as us arriving right at the same time as them? Like, skiffs appearing overhead as we reach the perimeter of the village?
Having the entire party heads to Little Chicago ASAP is the only way you'll get there before the attack starts, with your current resources. Even then, it'll only be enough time to warn the villagers, but not enough time to prepare significant defenses. It's basically the difference between them being caught totally unawares or not. Whether getting there quickly is better than attempting other avenues is up to you guys.
I will say that going to other places opens up other, potentially better, potentially worse options.
Vote 1
[X] Head straight to Little Chicago. There's no time to waste. You have to warn the villagers. (Spend the next 3 2 Turns traveling to Little Chicago. Moderate risk of encountering the Fallen.)
Vote 2
[X] Come with you.
Vote 3
[X] Come with you.
In that case, my vote is go to the village. I'm assuming that the village doesn't have any, like, rocket launchers or anything, so two dropships could probably destroy it. This way we might at least be able to get everyone out before the fallen get there.
As for the choice at hand, I am torn between rushing to the village to give them what warning we can and staying here to see if we can find anything useful in the armory or the garage. Can we ask Amber and Derek if they know if the radio tower was looted previously by the residents of Little Chicago?
As for the choice at hand, I am torn between rushing to the village to give them what warning we can and staying here to see if we can find anything useful in the armory or the garage. Can we ask Amber and Derek if they know if the radio tower was looted previously by the residents of Little Chicago?
I'll just tell you: Some areas of the place have been looted, but it's far from empty. And none of the scavenging efforts in the past had a Ghost with them to open doors.
Adhoc vote count started by Lutris on Apr 18, 2017 at 9:14 PM, finished with 99 posts and 4 votes.
[X] Plan cB557
[X] Head straight to Little Chicago. There's no time to waste. You have to warn the villagers. (Spend the next 3 2 Turns traveling to Little Chicago. Moderate risk of encountering the Fallen.)
[X] Come with you.
[X] Come with you.
[X] Head straight to Little Chicago. There's no time to waste. You have to warn the villagers. (Spend the next 3 2 Turns traveling to Little Chicago. Moderate risk of encountering the Fallen.)
[X] Come with you.
[X] Come with you.
[X] Head straight to Little Chicago. There's no time to waste. You have to warn the villagers. (Spend the next 3 2 Turns traveling to Little Chicago. Moderate risk of encountering the Fallen.)
[X] Come with you.
[X] Come with you.
[X] Head straight to Little Chicago. There's no time to waste. You have to warn the villagers. (Spend the next 3 2 Turns traveling to Little Chicago. Moderate risk of encountering the Fallen.)
[X] Come with you.
[X] Come with you.
[X] Head straight to Little Chicago. There's no time to waste. You have to warn the villagers. (Spend the next 3 2 Turns traveling to Little Chicago. Moderate risk of encountering the Fallen.)
[X] Come with you.
[X] Come with you.
[X] Plan cB557
[X] Head straight to Little Chicago. There's no time to waste. You have to warn the villagers. (Spend the next 3 2 Turns traveling to Little Chicago. Moderate risk of encountering the Fallen.)
[X] Come with you.
[X] Come with you.
Eramis sat in the Captain's pod at the head of her Skiff, but she was no Captain. She was not some pitiful dreg - she would rather die than be reduced to a two-armed speck once more - but she was also a far ways off from true glory.
Her mask and cape were strewn about the hermetically sealed chamber, while the glowing white of ether scented the air. A number of holographic data screens floated around her, but the projector pods they relied on were old and faulty. A broken line rifle lay in pieces across her meager work bench, waiting to be repaired. Neither the pods nor the rifle could be salvaged. She simply didn't have the parts. But she would make do as she must.
"Return with essence and bounty. House Devils masses." The Priest had commanded her Captain. It had been a task from their Servitor, and good Eliksni would always serve its elucidated purpose. And so they departed from their stronghold and headed towards the sunrise.
The first city they found was across a narrow sea, protected by the thieving dead. Their eight Skiffs had become three. The Captain challenged their champions, filled with purpose and courage. But courage meant death, and death was foolhardy. Eramis assumed command; she was the oldest, and the largest, though in a crew filled with two-armed pests this was not an achievement. They turned away as dregs, and fled across an ocean in search of easy pickings. Her pride bled, but it was better than the alternative.
They passed city after city; some had worthwhile bounty, but other Devils had laid claim on them first, and Eramis was no Captain. She would not challenge her betters. She was no fool.
Eramis breathed in the ether, and it made her more. It permeated her very being, soaking into the deepest parts of her soul and filling her with strength. She would be Captain, one day. She would grow - she would grow large, and strong, and mighty! She would take ships, essence, and glory! She would -
Abruptly, the ether dissipated. There was no more. Eramis chattered in frustration, and cursed her poor fortunes. She tossed her sup aside; it was no use to her empty. Return with essence, and bounty. The directive was clear, and yet all Eramis had found were meager pickings - some salvage, useful only to be rendered down into base components for later use.
Three ships, where they once had eight. Her pride stung. But there would be more cities to raid. She would endure. She would gain glory. The Barons of House Devils would reward her handsomely in the end. Sooner or later, her luck would turn, and so too would she rise the ranks. More ether. More power. But not yet. She turned her attention back to her rifle, to fix it as best as she could. Her lower arms held the frame, and her upper arms her tools. It would function, just as she would, and that was all that was needed. Dreg strength would carry her through.
She sat this way for hours more, working silently. Patience would avail her. Her concentration only broke when the comms crackled. "Eramis." A dreg burbled. It sounded excited. "City ahead. Scans promising. Docks and ships. No Light-Thieves. Orders?"
We currently have 4 unanimous votes - hopefully this Interlude provides some more clues without giving away too much. Let me know if anything's weird or inconsistent - writing from an Eliksni perspective was a new experience for me.
