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] Plan Catchy Name
  1. Maintenance: While the destroyers have their own facilities, the tender has a much larger and better equipped machine shop and tons of spare parts that destroyers need to function. While there probably isn't a lot that needs work, you need to figure out when to send across your maintenance crews to take a look so that you know what, if any, spare parts should be sent over.
  2. Recoal: The Okinami has huge coal bunkers, not just for herself but to top off the supply on the destroyers, which are older models without as much endurance as the newer models that are supposed to be coming off the slipways soon.
  3. Victuals: The destroyers carry enough food for their patrols, but need periodic resupply if the crews don't want to live off of nothing except barley, millet, and rice. For this reason, you carry vast amounts of tinned and pickled food to help provide a bit of spice to the otherwise monotonous diet of the small ships. You'd say that you hoped the newer models have better legs but then you might be out of a job.
  4. R&R: Not real R&R but the tender has facilities that help to keep the moral of destroyer crewmen from getting too low. Especially because they're expected to stay out on patrol until the relief gets here at the end of the month. There's a small bath house so that the crew can take a proper Akitsukuni style bath in shifts, a library full of uplifting Navy approved literature that can be checked out and taken back aboard their vessel, room for them to exercise on the deck and even a small shrine that they can use to take a quiet moment for contemplation in.

Well, that's the winner! Someone give me a 3d6 + Strategy roll.
 
My luck hasn't been the best lately but I'm sure that'll turn around soon

Edit: Narrator: it did not turn around soon
Shebe Zuu threw 3 6-faced dice. Reason: +strategy Total: 8
6 6 1 1 1 1
 
Okay, might I suggest that everyone only rolls one die from now on?

Neither Sketch nor Art said the same person had to do all of them.
 
I mean, I can only guess as to what a partial means here (and I don't think I rolled so terribly as to get a complete failure), but I don't think it's actually that bad? I would think that the problems would arise with things we de-prioritized first, and neither the food nor the R&R situation seemed critical so maybe it'll be ok?
 
Dreams of Steel
  • Apocrypha
    • Omake time:

    Albia Rules The Waves

    The glass hit the bow and split into a bloom of sparking shards that caught the afternoon sun. A spray of fine Gallian vintage landed on the pristine new paintwork, bubbles still fizzing away.

    Below in the lower works, two teams of men were given their awaited signal and pulled hard at thick ropes. After a brief strain the heavy oak chocks came free, and fell onto the stone slipway with twin dull thuds.
    Slowly at first, but with ever gathering speed, the great mass of iron slid backwards on the rollers, to the tortured groaning sounds of wood on keel.

    The stern went into the water first, sending a rippling wave outwards into the basin. The smaller boats within were buffeted and pushed away, even as their horns called out in greeting to their new sister. The crowds lining the docks, holding bunting and waving flags, were showered in spray as the waves broke against the piers. They continued to cheer all the same.

    This chorus was echoed up in the more dignified viewing galleries constructed around the slipway. The politicians, naval officers, corporate magnates, and union leaders alike threw their hats into the air and flowers onto the departing vessel. All celebrating in the newest addition to their nation's pride and glory.

    Beyond this august throng, in a quieter part of the stands, a lone woman viewed her creation with a steady gaze. Her dark blue uniform was heavy with braid and ribbons and a cross hung at her throat, bright with gilt and enamel. Her hair was greying, and her narrow face worn, adorned by a simple pair of spectacles.
    Even in her youth, she had never considered herself beautiful, she was too tall, her jaw too sharp, and her eyes were dull, almost grey. This lack of grace had not concerned her overmuch, as she instead threw herself into the hard career of a fighting naval officer. Across those years, starting as a lowly midshipwoman uncertain of her place in a man's navy, she had seen wooden hulled sailing ships armed with muzzle loading cannon pass into obsolescence, and risen to command behemoths of iron driven across the seas by fiery hearts that wielded exploding shells of terrible power.

    Today however Admiral Dame Jacqueline Weaver, First Sea Lord of the Albian Union, knew true beauty. As she beheld the ship before her, as much her child as any born of her own flesh, she could not help but be enraptured by the clean lines of her hull. The strength of the twin funnels that stemmed from the mighty turbines buried deep below her armoured belt. The deadly promise of the twelve heavy guns that covered all arcs.

    "HMS Juggernaut" A hand clapped the admiral on her shoulder. "A crowning achievement to your career, Jacky my girl."

    The speaker was Sir William Johnson, recently retired Admiral of the Fleet, and one of Weaver's predecessors as First Sea Lord. An aggressive officer of the old-school who had commanded ships in almost every one of the little wars that had established Albian dominance over the globe in the last century.
    He had taken an interest in Weaver's career early on, and come to regard her as a protegee in his efforts to expand and modernise the navy.

    She turned to face her mentor and offered a curt nod of acknowledgment.

    "With this ship you have secured Albia's place as the greatest naval power for another century." The retired admiral let out a barking laugh. "At a stroke every one of the Kaiser's battleships is now obsolete. You did that."

    "She is just one ship, Sir." Weaver took off her glasses and absently polished them with a small cloth she kept in her jacket for just that purpose.

    "Ha! Just like you Jacky. Never satisfied." He looked her in the eye. "Take the advice of an old man. Don't stay brooding up here. Enjoy your achievement today, go and mingle."

    He gestured to the area beside the dock where the important guests were now celebrating around tables loaded with canapes and drinks, midshipmen from the naval academy circulated amongst the crowd as waiters, wearing their immaculate dress uniforms.

    "I will sir. But first.. I just want to watch her." Weaver pointed out to the Juggernaut, now under tow by a pair of tugs. The far smaller vessels were shepherding the new battleship to a nearby berth, where her fitting out would be completed, and her first crew would board. Soon her boilers would roar into life, ammunition would fill her magazines, and her propellers would churn the water into a wake of white foam. She would assume her true form, a mighty ocean predator. Unrivalled.

    Sir Johnson snorted.

    "Of course." Sir Johnson's smile creased his ruddy cheeks. "Well, the brandy is calling my name, and I do believe I see the Dyskelandic Ambassador down there. If you will excuse me I'm going to go and gloat most horrendously."

    He patted her on the shoulder, before turning to leave. And then called over his shoulder. "And for god's sake girl, stop calling me sir. You are the Admiral now, and I'm retired!"

    As the old admiral left, Weaver turned back to the view. A smile crept across her lips.


    Old Johnson was wrong. It wasn't done. Not yet.

    She looked out over the harbour, at her newest child, and the empty sea beyond. The sun glinted off her glasses, making them seem like glowing pools of fire.

    In her mind she saw that sea filled.

    She saw vessels mightier yet.


    She dreamed of Steel.
     
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  • Apocrypha
    • Admiral Skippy said:
    So clearly we tried to feed the men several sacks of delicious coal, greased the engines with pickled mackerel, stocked the ships' bunkers with rousing patriotic literature, and then let the crews amuse themselves with a set of spanners and some machine oil.
    Click to expand...
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    ...Filling the bunkers with the rousing patriotic literature actually sounds like a good idea? The crews' morale may actually be more improved by this than by using it for its intended purposes.
     
    Admiral Skippy said:
    So clearly we tried to feed the men several sacks of delicious coal, greased the engines with pickled mackerel, stocked the ships' bunkers with rousing patriotic literature, and then let the crews amuse themselves with a set of spanners and some machine oil.
    Click to expand...
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    So basically the usual thing that happens when you leave young sailors unsupervised. Good thing we're not near a city, otherwise the destroyer captain might force us to post bail for his boys.
     
    1-9: Regulations
  • Threadmarks
    • 18, partial success.

    You met with your opposite number from the other ship, a tired looking lieutenant who barely seemed to notice that you're a woman. Sure, that was weird, but he had a lot to do and not a lot of time to do it in. You went over what he needed with him in a brief conference and decided that first things first, you were sending your maintenance crews and some spare parts over. While the destroyer was in perfectly good working order, he had some reports from the engineering spaces that something or other was making a noise it shouldn't when the engines went over ten knots, which was quite a lot of the time as it turned out. With that as your first priority, you had Warrant Officer Ikeda borrow some engineering crew and send them over along some of your own boys carrying the spare parts. That examination would probably take the most time. Except for maybe what needed to happen next.

    Recoaling a ship was not easy. It was not fun. What it was, was extremely dirty, dangerous, and difficult. Thankfully, this time it seemed to go smoothly. You organized your men (and took the time to pull on trousers and some of the heavy gray xanvas work coveralls that were ubiquitous for any work that was potentially dirty, even in the semi-tropical heat) and then got to work. You didn't do any of the hauling yourself, but you supervised until you feel sure that it was going to go smoothly. Chief Petty Officer Sakiyama, it seemed, was a competent enough man once he'd gotten the motivation to actually work. As everyone settled into a rhythm it seemed like everything was going to off without a hitch as coal was transferred from your bunkers to the destroyer's. It was long, filthy work and by the time it had been finished, you felt mentally exhausted.

    So of course, that's when the first disasters started occurring. Because your men, and much of the rest of the ship, were busy, a random group of ratings (the ones who normally managed the Okinami's sole weapon, a three-inch gun on the prow) had been sent to retrieve foodstuffs. Normal enough, except you'd just organized the entire stores, so they checked where it usually was, didn't find it, and promptly went back above to complain to an officer, who complained to his superior, who complained to the captain.

    Who complained to you. At least he didn't yell at you for wearing trousers this time.

    So now you were away from your usual post, leading a variety of officers and section leaders lantern in hand to each room under the deck, explaining in simple and child-like language what a ship looked like when it was stocked according to regulations.

    "And this room, being farthest from any steam pipes and thus coldest, is where pickled items go." You explained patiently. "That way, they don't taste like shit when it's time to eat them. And the next room is another munitions room, because?"

    "We always separate combustibles by two bulkheads." Everyone recited wearily.

    "Exactly! You'll thank me when we don't explode." You said.

    You finished giving the grand tour and everyone wearily wandered off to whatever duties they had, and you climbed back on deck to see what else needed doing.

    There were about thirty sailors on the Hanatsuki milling about near the gangplank with bitter looks on their faces, and your second was looking annoyed as he found you.

    Oh spirits, you didn't sign them over to the ship. Everyone had to be signed over when they crossed to make sure nobody ended up where they weren't supposed to be. And that fell under your job as princess of book-keeping. They'd likely been waiting hours.

    You winced, apologized, signed the paperwork, and got out of the way as a dozen sailors raced for the baths.

    Fuck today, actually.

    +1 Stress

    ---

    Things got done as the sun was starting to set and the Okinami set off out of the port, heading north. The Akishimo was parked on a popular route for gun-runners, a role that called for a lot of little sprints. It was next up for recoaling.

    To be honest, you sort of wanted to curl up in your office and relax as you came off-shift, but all this paperwork and sitting was getting irritating, and it was making you lethargic. You decided to take the chance to walk some circuits of the ship's deck, stretch your legs and take in the sea air. You were pacing around when you met Hideaki leaning against the rail as well.

    "A good day!" He announced, a huge smile on his face. "A ship coaled, anchored in a lovely bay, and nobody died!"

    "I'm glad you had fun." You said wearily. "24 more days." Maybe when you were back at port there was a chance you'd get transferred to a real ship.

    You passed the little 3-inch gun on your walk. This ship was 8 years old, and there was a gun drill of 3 shots every two weeks, so it had been fired…

    Some number of times. You'd work it out on paper later, if you cared. It'd never been fired at something, other than maybe floating targets. That's the part that mattered.

    Maybe you'd get transferred to something with guns. Plural.

    There was a sudden shift in the deck under you as you walked, and you looked quizzically.

    "Why are we turning? We're practically to the Akishimo, aren't we?"

    Hideaki shrugged. "I dunno, we'll probably find out-"

    An alarm blared on the deck. Duty stations, right now.

    You sprinted to your office.

    ---

    The Maikaze had been crippled.

    It chased a junk up along the coast, firing until it pulled over. The ship had no colours and no registration, so they'd boarded it. A conclusion was quickly drawn from the material found aboard, and the crew arrested. Cathay communists, running supplies to their terrorist friends.

    Then somebody opened the hold. There was nothing inside but dynamite. Thousands of sticks of dynamite. The Maikaze made to move away…

    And something happened. It sounded deliberate. The little ship had gone up, and now the Maikaze was listing. It would need help to get back to port.

    [ ] Recoal: The stricken ship was low on coal anyway. It will need fuel to get back to port. Assuming it can make it there.
    [ ] Medical Care: There was no word on casualties yet, but there was no way their little ship could keep up. Those men needed treatment. You'll need to coordinate with the ship's doctor to get wounded men aboard, though triage isn't technically in your job description.
    [ ] Care: Not all the wounded will be desperate, and the crew will have spent hours fighting fires and righting the ship when you get there. Ensuring the destroyer's crew can pass out somewhere safe while the relatively fresh maintenance crews of the Okinami fight to save the stricken destroyer might be important.
    [ ] Maintenance: Their ship is fucked, and will need all the help it can get to limp back safely. Organize your machine shops and get your boys ready to start hauling parts and materials to where its needed.
     
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  • Threadmarks
    • [X] Plan There is something wrong with our destroyer today
    1. [X] Maintenance: Their ship is fucked, and will need all the help it can get to limp back safely. Organize your machine shops and get your boys ready to start hauling parts and materials to where its needed.
    2. [X] Care: Not all the wounded will be desperate, and the crew will have spent hours fighting fires and righting the ship when you get there. Ensuring the destroyer's crew can pass out somewhere safe while the relatively fresh maintenance crews of the Okinami fight to save the stricken destroyer.
    3. [X] Medical Care: There was no word on casualties yet, but there was no way their little ship could keep up. Those men needed treatment. You'll need to coordinate with the ship's doctor to get wounded men aboard, though triage isn't technically in your job description.
    4. [X] Recoal: The stricken ship was low on coal anyway. It will need fuel to get back to port. Assuming it can make it there.
    OKAY, so - Obviously our highest priority needs to be making sure that the Maikaze isn't, you know, sinking. After that, once we've transferred maintenance and DamCon (are Dedicated DamCon people a thing right now? Probably not - something to maybe keep in mind if we ever get in a position to do something about it) teams over to the destroyer, our focus should turn to getting as many unnecessary people off the boat as possible - both to give them a breather and to keep them out of the way. It also limits potential casualties if the ship is really going down. Once the situation is under control(ish), we can think about recoaling the ship and getting her underway. Medical Triage is important obviously but it's also really not our wheelhouse and we've got a lot to get in order in our own house before we can start thinking about other people's.

    Edit: Changed Medical Care to 3
     
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    Shebe Zuu said:
    OKAY, so - Obviously our highest priority needs to be making sure that the Maikaze isn't, you know, sinking. After that, once we've transferred maintenance and DamCon (are Dedicated DamCon people a thing right now? Probably not - something to maybe keep in mind if we ever get in a position to do something about it) teams over to the destroyer, our focus should turn to getting as many unnecessary people off the boat as possible - both to give them a breather and to keep them out of the way. It also limits potential casualties if the ship is really going down. Once the situation is under control(ish), we can think about recoaling the ship and getting her underway. Medical Triage is important obviously but it's also really not our wheelhouse and we've got a lot to get in order in our own house before we can start thinking about other people's.
    Click to expand...
    Click to shrink...

    I see no reason to put the treatment of the non-wounded above the treatment of the wounded. Heck, you put the treatment of wounded last. We're the administration, and if we don't sign of on it, those wounded are just going to stay on the destroyer waiting for our signature.

    [X] Plan : Priorities

    1. [X] Medical Care: There was no word on casualties yet, but there was no way their little ship could keep up. Those men needed treatment. You'll need to coordinate with the ship's doctor to get wounded men aboard, though triage isn't technically in your job description.2
    2. [X] Maintenance: Their ship is fucked, and will need all the help it can get to limp back safely. Organize your machine shops and get your boys ready to start hauling parts and materials to where its needed.
    3. [X] Care: Not all the wounded will be desperate, and the crew will have spent hours fighting fires and righting the ship when you get there. Ensuring the destroyer's crew can pass out somewhere safe while the relatively fresh maintenance crews of the Okinami fight to save the stricken destroyer.
    4. [X] Recoal: The stricken ship was low on coal anyway. It will need fuel to get back to port. Assuming it can make it there.
    First priority should be medical care. We have a better hospital, allow the people to get there. Then, make sure the ship doesn't sink, then take care of the rest of the crew. Recoaling is last priority. Heck, depending on the damage it may not even be needed.
     
    [X] Plan There is something wrong with our destroyer today

    Recoal could be higher, but this is good enough.

    10ebbor10 said:
    I see no reason to put the treatment of the non-wounded above the treatment of the wounded. Heck, you put the treatment of wounded last. We're the administration, and if we don't sign of on it, those wounded are just going to stay on the destroyer waiting for our signature.
    Click to expand...
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    This is not USA of 201X, this is Japan of 190X. Medical care is all good and well, but they can press more people into service, as opposed to magicking up a new destroyer should we fail.
     
    10ebbor10 said:
    I see no reason to put the treatment of the non-wounded above the treatment of the wounded. Heck, you put the treatment of wounded last. We're the administration, and if we don't sign of on it, those wounded are just going to stay on the destroyer waiting for our signature.

    [X] Plan : Priorities

    1. [X] Medical Care: There was no word on casualties yet, but there was no way their little ship could keep up. Those men needed treatment. You'll need to coordinate with the ship's doctor to get wounded men aboard, though triage isn't technically in your job description.2
    2. [X] Maintenance: Their ship is fucked, and will need all the help it can get to limp back safely. Organize your machine shops and get your boys ready to start hauling parts and materials to where its needed.
    3. [X] Care: Not all the wounded will be desperate, and the crew will have spent hours fighting fires and righting the ship when you get there. Ensuring the destroyer's crew can pass out somewhere safe while the relatively fresh maintenance crews of the Okinami fight to save the stricken destroyer.
    4. [X] Recoal: The stricken ship was low on coal anyway. It will need fuel to get back to port. Assuming it can make it there.
    First priority should be medical care. We have a better hospital, allow the people to get there. Then, make sure the ship doesn't sink, then take care of the rest of the crew. Recoaling is last priority. Heck, depending on the damage it may not even be needed.
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    We're not the ship's doctor - and while people may be sticklers for protocol in non-emergencies, I would hope that our crewmates have enough sense to let the badly wounded over without a piece of paper.

    Ultimately, the ship's medical teams will be the ones taking care of the Triage, and seeing as they aren't our subordinates, our personal supervision is probably not required and may not even be wanted.
     
    10ebbor10 said:
    I see no reason to put the treatment of the non-wounded above the treatment of the wounded. Heck, you put the treatment of wounded last. We're the administration, and if we don't sign of on it, those wounded are just going to stay on the destroyer waiting for our signature.
    Click to expand...
    Click to shrink...

    Uh...
    Artificial Girl said:
    though triage isn't technically in your job description.
    Click to expand...
    Click to shrink...

    Yeah, no. We can help out with this but it absolutely will happen with or without our involvement. Unless you assume that just literally nobody is in charge of medicine I guess, but that seems probably wrong.
     
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