Castles of Steel - Lesbians Good, Imperialism Bad

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Lieutenant Arisukawa Haruna

Balance Stats
❁ • ❁ Work / Life ❁ • ❁
❁ • ❁ Warrior / Princess ❁ • ❁
❁ • ❁ Radical / Respectable ❁ • ❁

Tactical Stats
Gunnery 0, Navigation +2, Command +2, Technology -4, Personal -2, Strategy +3

Stress: 3​


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PLEASE READ THE QUEST RULES BELOW

You collectively vote on the actions of Arisukawa Haruna, the first woman to serve openly in the Imperial Akitsukuni Navy.

This quest is set in a universe which is much like our own circa 1910, but with different politics, cultural norms, and ideas about gender and sexuality, as well as some unusual and advanced technology in places.

We are using this quest to explore themes like breaking the glass ceiling, divergent outlooks on gender and sexuality, colonialism and imperialism, and the place of royalty.

Content Warning
This quest goes some dark places.

There is violence, often explicit, often unfair, often against undeserving targets.

There are not always good options forward. The protagonist is not necessarily a good person.

There is implied content and discussion of sexual harassment and assault.

This is a world where people are often racist, sexist, queerphobic bigots. Sometimes, even the PC and the people they are friends with.

Voting Rules

We will tell you if write-in votes are allowed. If we do not say that write-ins are allowed, they are not. This is to prevent people from unrealistically hedging their bets.

You may proposal other options in a non-vote format, subject to approval, on non write-in votes.

We will tell you when a vote allows approved voting. If we don't say the answer is no, pick an option. We like making people commit.

Discussions makes the GM feel fuzzy.

Game Rules
When we ask you for a roll, roll 3d6. You are aiming to roll equal or under the value of your stat. If you succeed, Haruna gets through the situation with no real difficulties. If you roll above the target value, Haruna will still succeed, but this success will cost her something or add a complication.

Whenever Haruna loses something or faces hardship from a botched roll, she takes Stress. The more Stress Haruna has, the more the job and the circumstances she's in will get to her, and it'll be reflected in the narrative. Haruna must be kept under 10 Stress: if she reaches 10 Stress, she will suffer a breakdown and the results will not be great for her.

Haruna loses stress by taking time for herself, by making meaningful progress on her dreams, and by kissing tall, beautiful women.

Meta Rules
Author commentary is in italics so you know it's not story stuff.

Please don't complain about the system or the fact we have to roll dice. We've heard it before, we've heard it a thousand times across multiple quests. We're not going to change it, and it wears at our fucking souls.

Just going "oh noooo" or "Fish RNGesus Why!" is fun and fine. Complaining at length because you didn't get what you want less so.

If you have a question, tag both @open_sketchbook and @Artificial Girl. If you only tag one of us, you will be ignored. Seriously, we both write this quest.

And yes this is an alt-history type setting with openly gay and trans people, ahistoric medicine, and weird politics. Just... deal, please?

This quest employs a special system called Snippet Votes. Please read this post for more information.
 
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[X] Torpedo the monitor while submerged and hope Ha-17 can make it out. (Fate roll)
 
[X] Torpedo the monitor while submerged and hope Ha-17 can make it out. (Fate roll)
Yeah, nah, ain't risking it.
 
[X] Torpedo the monitor while submerged and hope Ha-17 can make it out. (Fate roll)

Either the damn thing moves, and our buddy makes it out, or it doesn't, and we've just denied them the entire harbor for the cost of a minisub.
It may be a bit cold, but it's a partial win either way.
 
[X] Torpedo the monitor while submerged and hope Ha-17 can make it out. (Fate roll)
 
3-17: Convoy Attack music intensifies
  • Threadmarks
    • Ken looked around the group of officers. Whatever the decision to be made was, in the end it rested entirely with him.

    "We'll submerge and torpedo the monitor. Hopefully that should give them the breathing room they need to get out of the harbor." He was quiet for a moment longer, then called up the hatchway. "Clear the bridge! Prepare to submerge the boat! Put us at periscope depth."

    Everything happened quickly and soon the hatches were battened down and the submarine began its descent beneath the waves, sinking down to periscope depth as you neared the entrance to the harbor. Akio vanished forward to his torpedo room. You stood near the radio hutch and the hydrophone station, simply… waiting. There wasn't much to do now but wait. The boat wasn't completely silent but there's a soberness that seemed to have settled over the control room. As the electric motor propelled you onwards, the commander's periscope is brought up. Kenshin tilted his peaked cap back on his head as he glued his eyes to the viewfinder. You watched as he turned the periscope, wondering what it was he saw.

    "Spirits," he muttered. "The town is completely lit up still. The monitor is outlined perfectly. They're practically begging for this to happen." He laughed, almost sounding excited by the prospect.

    "Bring the boat to bearing two-nine-zero. Speed ahead slow." he ordered. The helmsman twisted his wheel, echoing the order.

    "Two-nine-zero, aye. Speed ahead slow." Someone sharply moved the handle on the engine order telegraph and a moment later the pointer moved to mirror the position in acknowledgement of the order. The orders and acknowledgements sounded overwhelming even though they were speaking in normal conversational tones. Kenshin stuck his tongue out, twisting the periscope again. It was starting to feel hot in here already with the hatch closed and the lack of circulation. Sweat dripped down the back of your neck and you could see it beading on Kenshin's forehead.

    "All stop." He paused, then: "Range to target, 800 meters."

    "Range to target, 800 meters, aye."

    "Target set," Kenshin murmured, then started rattling off targeting information, which was relayed through a speaking tube by another officer up to the forward torpedo room. Each order was acknowledged as the torpedoes were set. While one officer matched the actions here, you knew Akio is performing the complicated calculations needed to ensure the torpedo runs to its target with slide rule and pencil in hand.

    "Prepare tubes one, two, three, and four for firing," Kenshin ordered and the electric tension in the air seemed to get even thicker. He was taking no chances on this. The plan seemed to be to put a full spread of torpedoes into the monitor to make sure she stays down.

    "Flood tubes one through four." You found that your grip on the handle next to the door of the radio hutch was getting white knuckled. Then acknowledgement came back.

    "All tubes flooded, sir." The boat was deathly quiet, everyone waiting to see what Kenshin will order.

    "Tubes one, fire!" The boat shuddered as the first tubes was emptied and you heard the stopwatch held in Kenshin's hand start its maddening ticking. A scant few seconds later, Kenshin spoke again.

    "Tube two, fire!" Another shudder.

    "Tube three, fire!" Another.

    "Tube four, fire!" The final shudder of the boat and then all was quiet except for the ticking of the stopwatch. Everyone was holding their breath, waiting to see if the first shots the I-02 had fired in anger would hit their target. How could they miss? It was a big, fat ship that wasn't even moving!

    At their speed, the torpedoes could be expected to cover the roughly 800 meters to the target in about 53 seconds. It was the longest minute of your life. Everyone was silent, listening, straining to hear what was coming net. Then came the sudden rumble like thunder as the first torpedo hit and the sound of the underwater explosion was carried back to you. There was a raucous cheer throughout the boat but Kenshin frowned and yelled over it, voice cutting through the noise.

    "SILENCE!" In the silence that followed there was a second explosion, then a third and…. The fourth never came as seconds ticked . A miss, perhaps. Or a dud. Kenshin moved back to the periscope and squinted through the viewfinder again. Then exhaled quietly.

    "Arisukawa, come have a look." You stepped over to take his place. The periscope view was low to the water, some drops of water clinging stubbornly to the glass. Neatly outlined by the narrow headlands of the harbor you could see the mass of the absurdly shaped monitor outlined by the lights of the town behind it. And more importantly, lit up by a mass of flame towards what you thought was the bow. The ship was listing already, settling heavily onto its port side, the closest to the submarine. Even through the minimal magnification of the periscope you could make out small shapes outlined by flames and electric light scrambling about on the deck and sliding down into the sea.

    You could almost hear the shouts and screams. But that had to be your imagination. What you could hear was the scraping metallic noise of the ship as it continued to groan in protest, the hull warping as more water poured into the massive holes your torpedoes had torn in her hull.

    "Do you think she'll settle enough to let Ha-17 get through?"

    "We'll just have to wait and see," Kenshin replied quietly. As he spoke you could see a tugboat and other small craft hurrying towards the stricken monitor, slowing as they neared to begin throwing out lines and life-preservers to the small shapes bobbing in the no doubt frigid water.

    "Spirits, she's going down fast," you muttered, then finally stepped away. You were glad of the victory, if a victory it was. Watching men drown and fight for their lives while you stood by though went against all your instincts as a sailor. Even in war, saving life from the sea was the duty of all who sailed upon it. But a submarine couldn't do that, usually. Not from its own targets.

    The executive officer, Lieutenant Takamitsu, took your place at the periscope, grinning.

    "Good shooting, Kehara," he said and there's an acknowledgement from the speaking tube. You can't make out the words, but Akio sure sounds proud of himself. The tension seems to have drained out of the room and everyone is smiling. Then Takamitsu speaks up.

    "Oh Spirits, there's the Ha-17. She's making a run for it on the surface." Everyone's good mood vanished in an instant.

    "What? On the surface?" Kenshin sounded incredulous and he hurriedly elbowed Takamitsu aside to look for himself.

    "...Looks like they're trying to slip out in the confusion. I don't know if they'll make it," the XO said soberly. Kenshin's voice didn't sound pleased when he replied.

    "I don't think anyone's noticed them yet but it's only a matter of time…" He turned the periscope slightly. The tension in the submarine had returned and you didn't like it. This wasn't an anticipation of success, but a fear for your comrades. Minutes ticked by like hours and finally Kenshin spoke.

    "...They spotted them. I think. There are shell-splashes around her--she's reached the monitor and I think the firing stopped. They're afraid of hitting their own men in the water." Everyone breathed a sigh of relief. Maybe they'd make it out! And get a real bawling out from command about their idiocy in getting themselves trapped and be none the worse for wear.

    Then:

    "Oh Spirits. She's cleared the harbor. Come on, dive! Dive! Damn! Something hit her, maybe a light shell from a gunboat. She's slowing--" The little boats already weren't the speediest things on the seas. They made 12 knots at best on the surface. If the hit was bad enough to make her lose way...

    "Another hit. She's listing now." You could hear the strain in his voice. You could tell that he desperately wanted to act.. "The crew is coming out on deck--they must be abandoning ship."

    "Are they surrendering?!" Akio's voice, almost disgusted.

    "No. They're all abandoning ship--I think the Caspians are holding their fire. Wait, no--" Kenshin winced away from the viewfinder.

    "Another shell. Shore battery, I think. Right in front of the tower."

    "Bastards." Akio again, his voice taut and angry. "Bastards."

    "She's still afloat, I think--still a few more sailors coming out of the tower. I can't tell how many…"

    "We have to help them, sir!" Akio again. "We can't sit here and watch them be shot to pieces! At the least we can pick up survivors!"

    "Lieutenant Kehara!" Takamitsu barked. "Trying to come to their aid now would only endanger this boat and everyone on it also. We have to consider our responsibility as officers to our crew and our boat."

    You flinched and looked around the control room. The sailors all looked impassive, but they had to be listening. You liked the idea of leaving your fellow sailors even less when they were your countrymen.

    [ ] Go to their aid: Surface the boat and go in to pick up survivors. Leaving them is unthinkable! (Hard tactics roll, possibility to save the friendly crew)
    [ ] We have no choice: It does no one any favors to let your boat possibly be damaged or even sunk in a rescue mission. Then you'll all be in the water yourself. Besides, the Caspians will probably come and pick up survivors, right? But on the other hand, they might think she's the sub that torpedoed the monitor... (No roll, but you have to rely on the goodwill of the Caspian sailors here)

    The usual two-hour voting moratorium applies here. ​
     
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  • Threadmarks
    • Rat King said:
    I think we need to save them. Or try.
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    Honestly, it's not a possibility.

    The Shore batteries have already zeroed in on the submarine's location. They need only a single hit to cripple our ship.

    The best we can do is transmit a radio message ordering Ha-17 to surrender, which will hopefully remind the Caspians that any war crimes will be reported.
     
    10ebbor10 said:
    Honestly, it's not a possibility.

    The Shore batteries have already zeroed in on the submarine's location. They need only a single hit to cripple our ship.

    The best we can do is transmit a radio message ordering Ha-17 to surrender, which will hopefully remind the Caspians that any war crimes will be reported.
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    I don't think we should be on record as ordering another ship to surrender.
     
    Another thing to consider:

    Where exactly do you guys plan on putting the crew we rescue? We're not exactly free on much space, even with 4 torps gone. Granted, the minisub won't have that big a crew after all that's happened, but.....
     
    Draft plan: Record everything
    [D] We have no choice we can't go but we can radio them to surrender and record the events that follow in case of any war crimes
     
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    Rat King said:
    I don't think we should be on record as ordering another ship to surrender.
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    Actually, this might be palatable. Being ordered to surrender by their commander is about the only they they might.

    Besides, stereotypes of Japanese soldiers simply refusing to ever surrender beyond reason lie in a very specific set of circumstances: 1941-45, in island garrisons, with broken-down soldiers with nothing left to live for having been ordered specifically not to surrender under any circumstances and convinced their foe would torture them to death. We're years and miles separated from those circumstances.

    The more pressing circumstance is the fact that there almost certainly isn't anyone taking messages on the radio right now.
     
    veteranMortal said:
    They're in a stricken ship, I'm pretty sure we have a duty as sailors, let alone as comrades in arms.
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    And we also have a duty to not die. We'd have to get out there, surface, open the hatches, get them inside, all while we're near a submarine that's sinking, and is already dialed into the rangefinders of every surface battery.
     
    We'd have a better chance if we pulled up on shore and launched a daring commando raid to save prisoners than we would by taking our larger target right into the one spot in range of enemy guns that we know they've zeroed in on.
     
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