Aircraft Design Company- Matsura's Planes Are Always Fastest!

[open_sketch]

​

Stress 0​

Office Stress 0​

XP 5​

Spoiler: Character Sheet

Matsura Asuka
Head Designer for Ohara Airworks
Age 24 (Legally 25)
Year 12 AF (After Flight)

Design Stats
Aerodynamics Engineering - +2
Structural Engineering - +2
Chemical Engineering - +1
Mechanical Engineering - +1
Ballistics Engineering - +1
Electrical Engineering - 0

Personal/Political Stats
Social Skills - 0
Politics Skills - 0
Importance - 2
Income - 1
Investments - Ohara

Resources
Power - 0
Wealth - 2

Designs
Type 1 Series - Military Variation (Designated T1M1)
Type 2 Racer (World Speed Record October 1910-April 1911, 180kph)
Model 2 Scout (Designated T1M2)
Navy Scout Prototype (Drowned Rat)
Dive Bomber B1M1 "Duck"
Machine Gun Carrier R1A "Dragonfly" (World Speed Record May-July 1911, 200kph)
Naval Rescue Water-Landing Supply Plane NR1M0 "Dolphin" (World speed record 240kph)
Rhino Demon Train Hunter
The world's first airliner
The world's first pulsejet airplane

Assets
Slide Rule
Computator (1 Reroll per Routine)

Languages
Albian
Gallian

Familiar Vices
Drinking
Prostitutes
Dancing

Family Life
- Engaged to Arita Yachi, formerly the leading Ace in the Imperial Army. Designated #1 Cutest Army Boy, he's having some serious problems with PTSD right now.
- Taking a second try at dating Mikami Kiho, ex-dockerwork from the south.

Upgrades
- 3 XP to upgrade a stat.

Spoiler: Ohara Airworks

Ohara Airworks
Start Up, Imperial Capital, Akitsukuni

Owner
- Mr. Ohara, Rich. Aircraft Enthusiast. Business guy.

Engineers

Kibe Koume, 26, Office Manager
Tiny & angry, Kibe went to school in Albia, picking up the language, the religion, and a fuckload of swear words. Speaks Albian.
Mechanical +2, Ballistics +1
Office Manager: If Kibe is not assigned to a team, the Office Stress is reduced by 1.

Sakane Jun, 26, Second Team Leader
A soured patriot, Sakane is married and has a young child being raised gender-neutrally. His two brothers who fought in the war.
Structural +2, Aerodynamics +1
Team Leader: If there are any additional projects, Sakane will lead them.
Joinery: Sakane has training in the traditional Akitsukuni carpentry art of joinery, creating complex self-supporting joints with no fasteners or glue. When working with non-monocoque wooden spars or ribs, +1 Structural.

Tezuka Kenji, ???
A stoner with occasional flashes of insight. Nobody really knows what he does, but he's probably useful?
Aerodynamics +2, Chemical +1
Flashes of Brilliance: Each natural 10 rolled by any team Tezuka is assigned to gives +1 forward to the next research roll.

Hasegawa Morio, 26
A hopeless nerd with a photography habit, mostly on account of developing his own film, Hasegawa seems to do nothing but work and stack card houses, but somehow has an incredible attractive boyfriend. Speaks Gallian.
Chemical +2, Ballistic +1
Silent Workhorse: Hasegawa can work on two different projects at once for no cost to Office Stress, providing they use different stats.

Kawamura Yosai, 25.
Serially successful womanizer and incredibly attractive, Kawamura doesn't seem to have much of a personality outside of seducing women. Well, except for that time he seduced Asuka, which nobody talks about. Speaks Dyske.
Structural +2, Electrical +1, Social +1
Easily Distracted: If Kawamura is working on the same team as a female or non-binary employee, the team is at -1d10.

Koide Hatsu, 24.
One of the few female graduates of an Akitsukuni engineering school, Koide is brilliant and incredibly driven, but her first job at Akibara was both humiliating and exposed her to an abusive coworker. Her father is a rich businessman with factories in Joseon, and she's engaged to Ken from Castles of Steel. Speaks Joseon.
Mechanical +2, Structural +1
No Sleep: If you let her, Koide will work herself to death. She can work a second project for no Office Stress, but all her stats will be reduced to 1 for the routine.

Kobayashi Ayao, ???
Disowned heiress of the Kobayashi family, all Kobayashi wanted was a career and to be a modern woman. For her trouble, a cousin threw acid on her, scarring her face, neck, much of her torso, and her left arm. Despite appearing serene and above it all, she's actually an avowed communist activist and baseball player.
Aerodynamics +2, Social +2

Adachi Ren, 24
Adachi learned chemistry from her father, one of the most famous chemical engineers in the country, rather than through formal schooling. She's married, has a kid, and takes spirituality very seriously. Yes, you did the math right, she had Yuki when she was 17. It's 1912, folks.
Chemical +2, Electrical +1
Young Mother: Adachi will cause double Office Stress if she has to work multiple tasks.

Uyeno Sei, Ballistics Engineer, 31.
The oldest member of the crew, this is Uyeno's second career. Her first was as an officer in the Imperial Navy with specialized technical training: her very promising career was cut short by her transition. Her work in a naval arsenal on machine-guns landed her the job here. Briefly dated Satomi (the age range is a bit creepy but again, 1912), she's missing a piece of her ear and is deaf on that side, from an exploding cannon. Recently returned from Varnmark from experimental surgery, she's known for her skill navigating gendered bureaucracy.
Ballistic +3

Mi Kyung-Jae, 23
A recent graduate of the Imperial College of Heijo, Mi is from the recently annexed territory of Joseon. For those keeping track at home, that means he's a Korean national living in Imperial Japan in 1912. We haven't seen much of his personality because he's rightfully terrified of everything around him. He has a specialty in endurance engine design and modification. Speaks Joseon.
Mechanical +1, Chemical +1
Endurance Engines: Mi has an excellent understanding of metallurgy and tolerances. Any engine he works on gains +1 Reliability if a 16+ is rolled.
Pulsejet Wizard: Mi is now one of the world's leading experts on the pulsejet engine. He can be given his own project to custom-craft pulsejet engines, and he gives +1 to any pulsejet-related project.
Joseon National: Mi does not have security clearance to work on any top-secret projects.

Miyoshi Shigeri, 23.
A non-binary person and admirer of Asuka's work, they were in an support role in the Army before joining the company.
Structural +1, Mechanical +1, Aerodynamic +1
Mechanic: Miyoshi has some experience repairing and refurbishing aircraft. They get +1 if assigned on the clean-up phase.


Other Employees
- Ohara Satomi, 22, Mr. Ohara's niece and the company test pilot, Ohara is a general lesbian disaster. She's good at flying planes, driving cars, and kissing girls. She's bad at being patient, being respectable, and sticking to literally anyones conceptions of gender roles. Deeply in lesbians with Coralie D'Amboise.
- Fujkikawa Sotatsu, old, modelmaker. He's an old man and toymaker and we don't see much of him because he locks himself in his workshop a lot. He's friends with Kawamura?

Assets
- Engine Test Rig (Allows engine tweaking and optimization.
- Wind Tunnel (+1 Aerodynamics)
- Rapid Prototype Lab (+1 Clean Up)

Spoiler: Expanded Cast

Expanded Cast

Akitsukuni Industry
- Homura Mohoko: Head Engine Designer for Kobayashi. First female engineer in the country. A lot of sex appeal.
- Okumura: Head of Akibara aircraft design.
- Yamanaka Hajime: Kobayashi engineer. Young and eager.
- Igarashi Masazumi: Kobayashi engineer. Reserved and experienced.
- Admiral Akibara Toru: Imperial Navy Admiral. Maximum nepotism. Maximum douchebag.
- Lt.Cmnd Akibara Shinzo: The above's son. A hottie but very forward.



Character Families
- Matsura(?) Mizuko: Asuka's sister. Was paralyzed in an accident in Asuka's first flight. Lives Elsewhere and is married now. Can't forgive Asuka, even though she's tried.
- Adachi Motoki: Adachi's husband, an accountant. Legally blind.
- Adachi Yuki: Adachi's 7 year old daughter and wannabe pilot. Very adorable.
- Yachi's Brother: Exists.
- Sakane's Wife: Exists. Drives him a bit crazy, but he loves her.
- Yachi's Brother's Wife: Exists. Is statistically likely to be pregnant.
- Lt. Coralie D'Amboise: Gallian pilot in exile. Satomi's girlfriend. 25. Accomplished bisexual duelist. She flew in the war for a single day, and for her troubles got a hole blown in her cheek and had her left arm paralyzed.

Akisukuni Army & Ex-Army
- Lt. Torio Tanaka: Yachi's former observer as an enlisted man. Was jumped up to fly Ducks and lost a leg on his first mission. A trained painter, married to Torio Saya.
- Captain Amari Shiro: A Dragonfly pilot who ended up flying as Yachi's partner. Kind of delightfully twinky. They sorta slept together at one point, which wasn't great. He lost his previous boyfriend in the April Offensive and turned his plane into a shrine. He was shot in the gut and is still recovering.
- Major Izuhara: Logistics officer, Imperial Army, this bespectled officer stood up to the Caspian Crown Prince and accidentally kicked off the Akitsikuni-Caspian War. The guilt was so much that, after almost a year of running Army procurement, he shot himself in a phone both.
- Captain Nakai Sekien: Army scout pilot. First person to drop a bomb from an airplane, later head of the Duck Squadrons.
- Captain Teshima: A Desk pilot that fought with Yachi. Lost an arm in the process, took over for Major Izuhara after his death. Seems cheery despite it all.
- Captain Nashio: A real piece of shit dude and probably a rapist, he's also a war hero as the second-highest scoring ace on the Akitsukuni side. He was a young shitty kid in way over his head but it's no excuse.
- Lt. Kinjo: Kind of a dumb lump and Nashio's friend, one of the desk pilots. Dead at 19.
- Lt. Okazaki: Yachi's friend from before the war and pilot, he died in a spin in his dragonfly. His death probably hit Yachi the hardest.

Westerners
- Rose & Antoinette Sears: Pioneers of flight. Sisters. Black in 1910s not!America. Yikes.
- Timina Guasti: Famous aircraft designer from Otrusia. Likes big planes and green.
- Prince Protasov Vasilyevich: Crown Prince of Great Caspia. Real dick. You gotta hand it to him though, a decent flier.
- Count von Zeppelin: Invented rigid airships. Runs a successful airline business. Damned impressive.
- Bennhold: Aircraft Engineer. Experimenting with metal aircraft.
- Aileen Middlemiss: Albian reporter for the Artimis Times. Well meaning and oblivious.

Spoiler: Technology

Available Tech

• Materials: Wood, Duralumin, Molded Wood, Wood & Silk Composite, etc
• All engine mounts
• All wing types
• Basic reinforcement
• Wing warping and ailerons
• Basic water radiators
• Flying Wings
• Semi-Monocoque design (requires at least half the slots have frame pieces)
• Valved pulsejets
• Basic weapon mounts and turrets

Tech not Yet Developed

• Custom engines
• Monocoque construction
• Cantilever Wings and associated tech
• V and T tails
• Tailless designs
• Aluminum and titanium
• Cellulose surfacing
• Any kind of radar
• Weapon accessability mods
• Interruptor gear
• Geared propellers
• And Maybe Other Stuff

Spoiler: Akitsukuni & World

Akitsukuni
Island Nation

Government
Constitutional Monarchy
- The democratic portions of the government are dubiously legitimate.
- The head of state is the Empress of Akitsukuni. She gives her blessing to newly formed governments.
- The Navy and a small number of families have undue influence on politics.

Economy
Developing Mixed Market
- Most industry is controlled by a small number of wealthy, family-owned companies.
- The state provides most contracts to industry. Consumer good market is anemic.
- Exports are few, mostly cultural.
- Imports are raw minerals, food, oil, and expertise.
- Currently suffering an economic crash after the last war.

Politics
The Diet is currently ruled by a Constitutional Nationalist government. It has a system of nonlocal proportional representation, with representatives appointed by the party in accordance to their share of the vote.
- Constitutional Nationalists: 50%
- Purity Club: 9%
- New Independents: 26%
- Fairness Association: 11%
- United Communist League: 2%
- Monarchists: 1%
- Assorted Fringe Parties: 5%

Demographics
Akitsukuni is mostly very ethnically homogeneous. Around 5% of the population are various minorities, most from nearby countries. Roughly .1% are westerners here for business or in advisory positions.
- Population: 55 Million
- Religion: Mostly Kodo. Roughly 2% of the population follows western religions.
- Wealth: Most wealth is concentrated in the top 5% of the country. Nearly 20% of the population lives in conditions indistinguishable from peasantry.
- Urbanization: Heavily urbanized for a small economy: 35% and rapidly growing.

Military
At Peace
- Imperial Akitsukuni Navy (IAN): The 6th largest in the world, and the most experienced.
- Imperial Akitsukuni Army (IAA): 150,000 highly experienced soldiers, and a considerable reserve.

Aspects
- Poor Resources: Aluminum costs +1.
- Damn Akitsukuni Engines!: Engines have -1 Reliability.

Spoiler: Old Map

The Main Character Of This Quest Is Nonbinary And Uses They/Them Pronouns.

I Am Putting This Here Because The Next Person To Misgender Them Is Getting Yeeted Into The Trash

Also here's the Gayaverse TV Tropes page, because why not.​

 

[open_sketch]

12. Partial success.

---

The first mechanic threw the propeller down while the second pulled her clear of it's arc, and after a second of coughing and sputtering the engine started, a steady pop-pop-pop echoing across the field. As the mechanics scrambled clear, the blocks were pulled, and the plane started taxiing down the field, gaining speed. The tail slowly lifted, and then it was in the air and slowly, steadily, climbing.

The plane made a few broad circles over the assembled observers, then started diving and showing off, at one point buzzing just twenty meters over the party, startling the families and Army representatives. Like clockwork, it went through the paces, and then a half-hour later came back down, landed smoothly, and cut the engine. The second crewmember jumped out, showing off a sketch of the surroundings he made while in the air.

There was a lot of muttered conversation between various parties for a few minutes after that, which the design team was mostly excluded from, but then Mr. Ohara came over with a big grin on his face. "They're going ahead with the order. Well done, team!"

---

There was a further demonstration after this, with a brave volunteer from the Army group climbing into the plane and taking off to get a sense of the perspective an aircraft would offer. He came down beaming, chattering excitedly about the possibilities with his seniors and Mr. Ohara. After a few moments, Mr. Ohara pointed a finger, and the young man came your way, pulling off his oil-soaked goggles and running a hand through his hair.

"I'm told you designed that machine. It's wonderful." He smiled, giving a small bow. "It's going to change this country, you know."

"It's not entirely my design. I just adopted it." You admitted. "And it wasn't just me. The whole team was involved."

"Regardless, it's a work of art. Flight is the future, even if some of the older officers don't understand that yet. Oh, where are my manners. I'm Captain Arita Yachi, 12th Artillery Battalion."

You exchanged pleasantries, and then conversation turned back to aircraft. Yachi didn't know much about aircraft, exactly, but was very enthused by them, and their possibilities. He expressed a desire to learn to fly, and asked endless questions about how the craft worked. He was charming, even as he enthusiastically described his vision for huge military planes carrying artillery pieces and mines. You mostly tried to be polite and modest.

Soon, however, the aircraft was being packed back up, and the Army representatives began making their way back to their horses. Cpt. Arita gave a mock salute and started to pull away. "Say, if you'd like, I'm posted in the city right now, we could get tea together and talk this over further. You can reach me at the 5th Division HQ, just send a wire." He handed you a business card.

[ ] I'd love that.
[ ] If my busy schedule permits.​

You were soon on a trolley back into town, Mr. Ohara discussing all the options the new infusion of money would bring while the team congratulated each other. As you all stepped out in front of the office, Mr. Ohara announced an early close. "Take the rest of the day off, everyone! Tomorrow, we build the Army planes!"

The design team cheered and, as one, started shuffling off. "Come on, Matsura." Tezuka said, pulling absent-mindedly at your jacket sleeve. "We're heading to celebrate!"

Downtime
[ ] Accompany the team on their celebration.
[ ] Go talk with Mr. Ohara.
[ ] Send Cpt. Arita a wire.
[ ] Write In.

During downtime, you burn off Stress by engaging in Vice. Vice is anything which is fun, but not wise. Overindulging the same Vice has bad consequences, so you want to spread it out a bit.

The only Vice you have right now is Drinking. You can be taught vices by other members of your team.

Finding yourself a love interest (a Confidant) is a good idea, because they take 2 Stress off for free just by spending time with them.​

 

[DanBaque]

[X] I'd love that.
[X] Send Cpt. Arita a wire.
Getting a friend (or Confidant) in the Army would be nice, besides the de-stressing it provides.

[ ] Accompany the team on their celebration.
We do need de-stressing, and going with Cpt. Atira is not guaranteed to do so.

 

[Decim]

Finding yourself a love interest (a Confidant) is a good idea, because they take 2 Stress off for free just by spending time with them.

Click to shrink...

I... are you seriously telling us to put on our shipping goggles and go looking for love? I think this is a bit of a first for me on SV. I've always seen the shipping be led by the players and not the GM.

 

[open_sketch]

Getting yourself a special somebody is a huge part of Flying Circus, as is the Drama that surrounds it...

 

[TotallyNotEvil]

[x] I'd love that.
[x] Send Cpt. Arita a wire.

Gotta find a Darling.

 

[Ato]

[X] I'd love that.
[X] Accompany the team on their celebration.

Networking is important. Especially with what might be an up and coming officer who believes in air power. But we don't have to hop on it right now, better to destress and build relaations with the rest of our team.

 

[NothingNow]

[X] I'd love that.
[X] Accompany the team on their celebration.

Team building first, dating later.

 

[mcclay]

[X] I'd love that.
[X] Send Cpt. Arita a wire.

Yo, let's get fucking gay

 

[Sarpedon]

[X] I'd love that.
[X] Accompany the team on their celebration.

Time to get destroyed and do embarrassing drunk things.

 

[brmj]

[X] I'd love that.
[X] Accompany the team on their celebration.

We're new here. Best to bond with the team.

That said, as much as I dislike romance subplots and the like, this game system makes them near-obligatory. There will be time for that a little later, though.

 

[tryrar]

[X] I'd love that.
[X] Accompany the team on their celebration.

 

[Zeroth Jupi]

[X] I'd love that.
[X] Accompany the team on their celebration.

 

[GretelOstrich]

[X] I'd love that.
[X] Accompany the team on their celebration.

 

[Wang and HuHu]

[X] I'd love that.
[X] Accompany the team on their celebration.

Time to get blasted.

If we don't wake up in a dumpster somewhere late tomorrow afternoon then it is a fucking waste of time.

 

[CthuluWasRight]

[X] I'd love that.
[X] Accompany the team on their celebration.

 

[Helher]

[X] I'd love that.
[X] Send Cpt. Arita a wire.

 

[Ato]

I've been inspired to do some art.

Here is what the new Ohara Airworks Type 1 might look like:


And also a suggestion for what the Empire of Akitsukuni flag might look like:

 

[open_sketch]

Accurate, save that the Type 1 is a two-seater! It would probably also be more open at the front for airflow, because this is an early radial engine with crude cooling.

I love the flag. Originally I had pictured a starburst, but this is much, much better.

Update OTW.

 

[Ato]

Accurate, save that the Type 1 is a two-seater! It would probably also be more open at the front for airflow, because this is an early radial engine with crude cooling.

I love the flag. Originally I had pictured a starburst, but this is much, much better.

Update OTW.

Click to shrink...

Lul, don't know how I missed that, i'll revise it.

What time period around about is aviation technology in this setting? Because rudimentary aero cowling over radials appeared pretty early.

 

[open_sketch]

It's roughly 1910-ish right now.

 

[open_sketch]

[X] I'd love that.
[X] Accompany the team on their celebration.

The team soon split up, with two members, Sakane and Adachi, hopping onto a trolley to, presumably, head home. You recall them being the members of your team with families. The rest of the team trod on through the cobbled streets, talking cheerfully. You started to notice a change in the atmosphere of the city around you; the buildings were growing more colourful, and signage more plentiful, and...

Okay, this was definitely the pleasure district.

The team filed into a building whose sign read Miss Yukaku's Fine Dining, which was... actually a restaurant. Of sorts. The waiters and waitresses were all very attractive, and the group was soon sorted off to a private room where there was not only some decent food, but plentiful booze, and the staff lingered quite a while (and pretty close) taking orders. Unsurprisingly, it took about ten seconds for Kawamura to have a pretty girl leaning against his shoulder, her kimino loose. Hasegawa's face was already beat-red as one of the waiters brushed up against him suggestively while laying out whiskey. You suspected the staff were not just servers.

You gripped a glass, a little overwhelmed, when Kibe cried out, throwing her glass in the air.

"Cheers!"

The cry was echoed, and, mechanically, you downed the little cup in one go. It was strong.

1 Mark on the Vice Track. 1 Stress removed. Roll 1d20.​

 

[brmj]

Rolling.

brmj threw 1 20-faced dice. Total: 15

 

[open_sketch]

Partial success! Select a Dare. Dares need to be completed by the end of the routine, or else the difficulty of your Stress Check at the end of the routine goes up by 1, effectively as if you hadn't cleared stress. To be clear, you have; this penalty is one time only.

[ ] Do something physically dangerous.
[ ] Do something gravely financially irresponsible.
[ ] Reveal a dark secret about your character.
[ ] Get a teammate to break their Trust in you.
[ ] Show a teammate what you really think of them.
[ ] Confront or upset local authority.
[ ] Make a romantic or sexual connection.
[ ] Start a fight.
​

 

[AlphaDelta]

Hey. Look at the convenient option!
[X] Make a romantic or sexual connection.

 

[Wang and HuHu]

Wouldn't pretty much every other choice just result in the last choice as well?

Why not just cut out the middle man? Jail here we come...

[X] Start a fight.