Well, I've already written the radio bit. Let's stick with that, for now.Duzzit said:
Poor Stranded Aces - OOC
- Thread starter Usandru
- Start date
- OOC
Haha, oh wow.
Claire's going to be fucking pissed at Theodore, when/if she finds out he lied.
Also, for the disease thing, could I make a suggestion/handwave for why it's normally not an issue? Barrier Jackets keeping such things contained within our own bodies on the planet, whilst simultaneously protecting us from most planet-borne diseases? Yeah, it's not perfect, but it explains why we're not worried about setting up a quarantine, or traveling around in space-suits.
Claire's going to be fucking pissed at Theodore, when/if she finds out he lied.
Also, for the disease thing, could I make a suggestion/handwave for why it's normally not an issue? Barrier Jackets keeping such things contained within our own bodies on the planet, whilst simultaneously protecting us from most planet-borne diseases? Yeah, it's not perfect, but it explains why we're not worried about setting up a quarantine, or traveling around in space-suits.
- Location
- 委員長の牢獄
Diseases
A barrier jacket is effectively a CBRN suit. While on, it provides near total immunity from standard environmental hazards. TSAB-standard is rated for direct exposure to outer space for up to several hours near some fairly hard radiation even, though an actual barrier is highly recommended in those cases.
The problem is that barrier jackets are active spells and eat your mana. People don't wear them while in "safe" areas, like the ship. Your germs are drifting about nicely on the Clear Skies. There's some decontamination and stuff, but you never get rid of bacteria. You don't even really want to after all.
Also, immunity doesn't apply to stuff you eat or otherwise get "inside". Skin is protected, but if you're bleeding or stuff it into an orifice, you're no longer safe.
This is not a major issue for you guys though. Gladyn isn't a specialist in strange and foreign diseases, but you have antibiotics and other stuff, so it's almost certain that you can save yourselves, and being mages gives you some extra power in dealing with sickness.
No, the issue is that at some point you're probably going to need to walk around on the planet near people without barrier jackets on.
And you have no idea if the natives can protect themselves from your diseases.
Gladyn can figure this out now, though the rest of you don't know since you didn't think of it.
Also.
AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
A barrier jacket is effectively a CBRN suit. While on, it provides near total immunity from standard environmental hazards. TSAB-standard is rated for direct exposure to outer space for up to several hours near some fairly hard radiation even, though an actual barrier is highly recommended in those cases.
The problem is that barrier jackets are active spells and eat your mana. People don't wear them while in "safe" areas, like the ship. Your germs are drifting about nicely on the Clear Skies. There's some decontamination and stuff, but you never get rid of bacteria. You don't even really want to after all.
Also, immunity doesn't apply to stuff you eat or otherwise get "inside". Skin is protected, but if you're bleeding or stuff it into an orifice, you're no longer safe.
This is not a major issue for you guys though. Gladyn isn't a specialist in strange and foreign diseases, but you have antibiotics and other stuff, so it's almost certain that you can save yourselves, and being mages gives you some extra power in dealing with sickness.
No, the issue is that at some point you're probably going to need to walk around on the planet near people without barrier jackets on.
And you have no idea if the natives can protect themselves from your diseases.
Gladyn can figure this out now, though the rest of you don't know since you didn't think of it.
Also.
AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
- Location
- 委員長の牢獄
The disease thing was always a thing. I've had that in mind for a long while now. :3
You basically saved the party from a pretty hefty early plot thread by bringing it up.
Also, just gonna quote something I said on Skype because it's worth telling all of you.
The world doesn't care. The universe is cold, merciless and indifferent. I don't take sides. I'm not setting you up to win or lose. There are events with inertia you don't even know about and probably can't prevent, but the stories of your characters have no predetermined outcomes. I can do both tragedy and triumph. And your actions will have consequences, both good and bad. Though which are which might depend on your point of view.
That said, the situation itself is cruel. The pressure involved will press down. Because you're the frontrunners of what is essentially an imperialist culture, and you have the advantages. You can change this world. You really, truly can. You can change the course of history on this planet.
So the question becomes... should you? And if so, how?
There is no truly right answer. However I look forwards to seeing you try to find one regardless.
You basically saved the party from a pretty hefty early plot thread by bringing it up.
Also, just gonna quote something I said on Skype because it's worth telling all of you.
Further, as GM I have two functions. I facilitate plots, stories that we want to tell. These are typically related to the characters that show up, and how they interact with you guys. However I also have a second function, which is as the arbiter of the world.
The world doesn't care. The universe is cold, merciless and indifferent. I don't take sides. I'm not setting you up to win or lose. There are events with inertia you don't even know about and probably can't prevent, but the stories of your characters have no predetermined outcomes. I can do both tragedy and triumph. And your actions will have consequences, both good and bad. Though which are which might depend on your point of view.
That said, the situation itself is cruel. The pressure involved will press down. Because you're the frontrunners of what is essentially an imperialist culture, and you have the advantages. You can change this world. You really, truly can. You can change the course of history on this planet.
So the question becomes... should you? And if so, how?
There is no truly right answer. However I look forwards to seeing you try to find one regardless.
- Location
- 委員長の牢獄
So either Duzzit, alguLoD, Shaderic or Jemnite need to post in Aces. Preferably all of you, but hey.
If you feel that it's getting close to "decision making time" or you want to do something, keep in mind that the primary still standing issues are "what to do about Hye" and "so where to go next". Are you going to visit the Great Market, or will you instead try to find Anjeong based on whatever sketchy coordinates that Hye can provide? Or simply jump to a different place, and hope for the best?
As for Hye, there are many, many options. Talk about them, or decide on something. Even if that something is just to go and hide under a rock, or to wait until the prisoner can be interrogated.
And because I don't want to make this just prodding my players, have some setting fluff.
The TSAB, Mid-Childa and Language
Telepathy is a useful and reliable replacement for spoken language virtually everywhere. It does, however, have a number of interesting requirements in that firstly a language must be known - even if it is not the same language - by all participants. Remarkably, this language doesn't have to be spoken, but it must have what linguists call "grammar", a term somewhat broader than what most other people colloquially call grammar.
Therefore, spoken languages are still extant in magical societies.
Further, telepathy confers no understanding of writing, and so far, the only examples of writing encoded with telepathically readable information have been some spectacularly rare and spectacularly useless Lost Logia. Thus, written language remains highly important.
Further still, the ability of spoken languages to be supplanted in international relations by telepathy has largely prevent the creation of dominant spoken languages, even in highly modern and centralized planets like Mid-Childa. While there are a number of generally predominant spoken languages, their extent is far lower than on Earth, as the absolutely largest Mid-Childean language is spoken natively by only about three percent of the total population. There is, in other words, immense lingual diversity.
This, however, is not true of the written language, where the TSAB, for administrative reasons, has enforced standardized writing. Amusingly however, due to the issues in using a phonetic script as basis for the writing system, the standard and official TSAB writing system is not an alphabet, but instead ideographic, leading to many distinct languages adopting the writing system and appending their own phonetics onto the ideograms. Alas, even with these attempts to avoid excessive lingual domination, as enforced by the internal anti-imperialism faction in the TSAB, the "Standard TSAB Writing System" nonetheless has a fixed syntax and lexicon, which makes one to one correspondence between it and other languages impossible, except for the peculiar variant languages with highly distinct phonetics but comparatively completely regular syntax and lexica that have developed in response to TSAB Standard.
Most TSAB citizens, be they from Mid-Childa or elsewhere, are thus fluent in both their native language and the written TSAB Standard language.
Furthermore, three distinct types of people have arisen from this complex lingual situation. The Telepaths, the Polyglots and the Specialists.
The Telepaths largely eschew spoken language where possible and tend to stick to TSAB Standard for writing because it is easier. It takes very little to be able to communicate with virtually all other people everywhere, and with the kind of regular usage many Telepaths experience, they often exhibit superior telepathic skill to others, mainly in safety and ease of communication using telepathy.
Conversely, the Polyglots consider spoken language (and to a lesser extent written language) to be extremely important, and actively attempt to learn additional languages. Fortunately for them, telepathy is helpful here too, as it is possible to accelerate the acquisition of the lexicon and correct pronunciation by interacting telepathically with a native speaker. Learning a language still takes time, but it is not uncommon for young polyglots to know upwards six or seven languages, and older polyglots have been renowned for achieving basic fluency in as many as a hundred or more languages.
The Specialists, finally, are by far the smallest of these three groupings, and consists of the people that devote themselves to their native languages. These are often the people that promote its usage, help keep it alive, and learn to write it well. The Specialists are often unusually articulate, and have deep reserves of vocabulary and experience in writing which proves helpful in many situations. For one, their ability to telepathically communicate complex subjects is consistently rated as higher than other people. They also tend to be better writers and proofreaders than essentially everybody else.
And now, for the pay-off!
You guys get to pick. Which kind are your characters? It grants a perk. You may also decline to pick. This may or may not grant a different perk at a later date. I make no promises.
Also, while you all know a language which is commonly used in the TSAB which has a remarkable similarity to English because fuck dealing with lingual complexity all the time, you may also make up some other language which may be your native one - or multiple, if you pick polyglot - and as long as you don't describe it as something I must veto for being dumb, you get that. Not that it will matter.
(I may do more - probably not language related - stuff like this later on)
If you feel that it's getting close to "decision making time" or you want to do something, keep in mind that the primary still standing issues are "what to do about Hye" and "so where to go next". Are you going to visit the Great Market, or will you instead try to find Anjeong based on whatever sketchy coordinates that Hye can provide? Or simply jump to a different place, and hope for the best?
As for Hye, there are many, many options. Talk about them, or decide on something. Even if that something is just to go and hide under a rock, or to wait until the prisoner can be interrogated.
And because I don't want to make this just prodding my players, have some setting fluff.
The TSAB, Mid-Childa and Language
Telepathy is a useful and reliable replacement for spoken language virtually everywhere. It does, however, have a number of interesting requirements in that firstly a language must be known - even if it is not the same language - by all participants. Remarkably, this language doesn't have to be spoken, but it must have what linguists call "grammar", a term somewhat broader than what most other people colloquially call grammar.
Therefore, spoken languages are still extant in magical societies.
Further, telepathy confers no understanding of writing, and so far, the only examples of writing encoded with telepathically readable information have been some spectacularly rare and spectacularly useless Lost Logia. Thus, written language remains highly important.
Further still, the ability of spoken languages to be supplanted in international relations by telepathy has largely prevent the creation of dominant spoken languages, even in highly modern and centralized planets like Mid-Childa. While there are a number of generally predominant spoken languages, their extent is far lower than on Earth, as the absolutely largest Mid-Childean language is spoken natively by only about three percent of the total population. There is, in other words, immense lingual diversity.
This, however, is not true of the written language, where the TSAB, for administrative reasons, has enforced standardized writing. Amusingly however, due to the issues in using a phonetic script as basis for the writing system, the standard and official TSAB writing system is not an alphabet, but instead ideographic, leading to many distinct languages adopting the writing system and appending their own phonetics onto the ideograms. Alas, even with these attempts to avoid excessive lingual domination, as enforced by the internal anti-imperialism faction in the TSAB, the "Standard TSAB Writing System" nonetheless has a fixed syntax and lexicon, which makes one to one correspondence between it and other languages impossible, except for the peculiar variant languages with highly distinct phonetics but comparatively completely regular syntax and lexica that have developed in response to TSAB Standard.
Most TSAB citizens, be they from Mid-Childa or elsewhere, are thus fluent in both their native language and the written TSAB Standard language.
Furthermore, three distinct types of people have arisen from this complex lingual situation. The Telepaths, the Polyglots and the Specialists.
The Telepaths largely eschew spoken language where possible and tend to stick to TSAB Standard for writing because it is easier. It takes very little to be able to communicate with virtually all other people everywhere, and with the kind of regular usage many Telepaths experience, they often exhibit superior telepathic skill to others, mainly in safety and ease of communication using telepathy.
Conversely, the Polyglots consider spoken language (and to a lesser extent written language) to be extremely important, and actively attempt to learn additional languages. Fortunately for them, telepathy is helpful here too, as it is possible to accelerate the acquisition of the lexicon and correct pronunciation by interacting telepathically with a native speaker. Learning a language still takes time, but it is not uncommon for young polyglots to know upwards six or seven languages, and older polyglots have been renowned for achieving basic fluency in as many as a hundred or more languages.
The Specialists, finally, are by far the smallest of these three groupings, and consists of the people that devote themselves to their native languages. These are often the people that promote its usage, help keep it alive, and learn to write it well. The Specialists are often unusually articulate, and have deep reserves of vocabulary and experience in writing which proves helpful in many situations. For one, their ability to telepathically communicate complex subjects is consistently rated as higher than other people. They also tend to be better writers and proofreaders than essentially everybody else.
And now, for the pay-off!
You guys get to pick. Which kind are your characters? It grants a perk. You may also decline to pick. This may or may not grant a different perk at a later date. I make no promises.
Also, while you all know a language which is commonly used in the TSAB which has a remarkable similarity to English because fuck dealing with lingual complexity all the time, you may also make up some other language which may be your native one - or multiple, if you pick polyglot - and as long as you don't describe it as something I must veto for being dumb, you get that. Not that it will matter.
(I may do more - probably not language related - stuff like this later on)
ed: Actually, reconsidered. While telepathy fits him the "best" of those three groups, it doesn't exactly fit him very well, either. So I'll just say that he isn't part of any of those groups, and additionally I'll note that his favored method of communicating involves hitting people in the face with his sword. So yeah.
Happerry
Bat out of Hell
- Location
- Kanto
Mattias is a Polyglot, as 'writing things down in a language the other guy doesn't know' was a popular security measure on his homeworld. (Granted, it was usually more 'and then, in the language we think they don't know, we'll also encode it with the best code we have' but you still need to know those languages to even have a clue. If nothing else, being able to read signs like 'Danger : High Radiation' or 'Danger : Deathtraps' can be quite important in an enemy base..)
Hmmm.
I want to say Claire is a Polyglot, if only because Strangereal is a big mixing pot.
On the other hand, for an engineer, clear and concise communication that everyone can read is a big thing. So, Telepathy is big too.
Eh, I think I'll go with Telepathy then.
EDIT
Also, what kind of vaccination tools do we have? Auto-injectors, or the nasal spray?
Most days, I personally prefer the prick of a needle to getting that stuff shot up my nose.
I want to say Claire is a Polyglot, if only because Strangereal is a big mixing pot.
On the other hand, for an engineer, clear and concise communication that everyone can read is a big thing. So, Telepathy is big too.
Eh, I think I'll go with Telepathy then.
EDIT
Also, what kind of vaccination tools do we have? Auto-injectors, or the nasal spray?
Most days, I personally prefer the prick of a needle to getting that stuff shot up my nose.
Jemnite
CVN-69 Fella
- Location
- 清源书院
I'd say Agatha's a polyglot, because of a strong focus on languages in her Church education (considering that their entire religion involves deciphering the teachings of a dead empress of an ancient empire which fragmented into a thousand different countries each with their own dialect, which is written in a dead language which can only be deciphered through its descendant languages). Also, she gets weird mental impressions whenever she uses telepathy, like stuff she's never done before, but remembers doing, so telepathy isn't exactly something she put much thought into specializing in.
- Location
- 委員長の牢獄
So movement! Lots of movement! Weee!
I'm going to wait until tomorrow to reply to al, in case someone wants to interject or intervene. Shad, post in Clear Skies if you want to do something there, or you can teleport to the planet by posting in Planetfall.
Feel free to ask clarifying questions.
I'm going to wait until tomorrow to reply to al, in case someone wants to interject or intervene. Shad, post in Clear Skies if you want to do something there, or you can teleport to the planet by posting in Planetfall.
Feel free to ask clarifying questions.
- Location
- 委員長の牢獄
Well, you'll need to put him to sleep first if you don't.shaderic said:
Okay, so, Gladyn is a Polyglot. Aside from Space English, she knows Space German, Space Russian, Space Bantu and Space Arabic.
And Space Medicalese
And Space Medicalese
- Location
- 委員長の牢獄
Alright! As you may, or may not, have noticed, a Really Important Thing just happened yesterday. You got a case of genuine first contact, having spilled your guts to Hye.
Now, from my end that looks pretty much like the end of the scene. You may continue talking in Planetfall, and Hye will respond, but I'm going to prepare for the next phases and move out of the intro portion.
For that, there are some important choices you have to make though.
What do you do with Hye?
[ ] Take her up with you to the Clear Skies so she can participate properly in the planning.
-- [ ] Take her up straight.
-- [ ] [Write-in]
[ ] Keep Hye on the ground, despite the inconvenience.
-- [ ] Set aside time to go down and talk with her frequently.
-- [ ] Keep it low-burn for a little while.
-- [ ] [Write-in]
[ ] [Write-in]
Planning or Action?
[ ] Start work on your first long-term(ish) plan for the next two weeks to a month or so.
[ ] Go look for more things on the planet immediately.
You don't have to make up perfect plans immediately, but I need this to figure out what will happen during the next bit. You may also think of personal activities for your characters, and of course I'll have to finish up the Scene with the prisoner and Claire before we wrap up. Talk lots with Hye in Planetfall until then.
Now, from my end that looks pretty much like the end of the scene. You may continue talking in Planetfall, and Hye will respond, but I'm going to prepare for the next phases and move out of the intro portion.
For that, there are some important choices you have to make though.
What do you do with Hye?
[ ] Take her up with you to the Clear Skies so she can participate properly in the planning.
-- [ ] Take her up straight.
-- [ ] [Write-in]
[ ] Keep Hye on the ground, despite the inconvenience.
-- [ ] Set aside time to go down and talk with her frequently.
-- [ ] Keep it low-burn for a little while.
-- [ ] [Write-in]
[ ] [Write-in]
Planning or Action?
[ ] Start work on your first long-term(ish) plan for the next two weeks to a month or so.
[ ] Go look for more things on the planet immediately.
You don't have to make up perfect plans immediately, but I need this to figure out what will happen during the next bit. You may also think of personal activities for your characters, and of course I'll have to finish up the Scene with the prisoner and Claire before we wrap up. Talk lots with Hye in Planetfall until then.
And so this game ceased being Poor Stranded Aces (especially the poor part) and started being Spice and Wolf: Hye & Co. Edition: The Recettear: Capitalism, ho!Usandru said:
Anyway, methinks we should bring Hye up with us. No reason not to - just keep her out of sight of the prisoner (can never be too careful) if they're aboard at the same time.
Happerry
Bat out of Hell
- Location
- Kanto
[X] Take her up with you to the Clear Skies so she can participate properly in the planning.
-- [X] Take her up straight.
Money is good, but lets not destroy existing social structures while were making it, or convince every local merchant house on the planet they need us dead. If nothing else, causing economic disasters is probably something the TSAB will frown on when they reach us out here.
....On the gripping hand, if we make enough money just by serving as pack mules, maybe we don't need to find lost logia to break even on this trip.
-- [X] Take her up straight.
Money is good, but lets not destroy existing social structures while were making it, or convince every local merchant house on the planet they need us dead. If nothing else, causing economic disasters is probably something the TSAB will frown on when they reach us out here.
....On the gripping hand, if we make enough money just by serving as pack mules, maybe we don't need to find lost logia to break even on this trip.
- Location
- 委員長の牢獄
The details of the interactions will grow more apparent in a while. Just now you're giving me the context for what will happen, so I can figure out how Hye will handle things, and what ideas she'll have.
There'll be a few more phases of stuff like this, where you'll get to provide opinions and input.
There'll be a few more phases of stuff like this, where you'll get to provide opinions and input.
[X] Take her up with you to the Clear Skies so she can participate properly in the planning.
--[X] Inoculate BeforeAbduction Planning Session, or figure out some alternative to keep her from dying to common cold
[X] Set up a cleanroom on board and move the Prisoner to it, as soon as possible.
[X] Set up the teleporter room as another cleanroom. Possibly hold the planning session there?
--[X] Inoculate Before
[X] Set up a cleanroom on board and move the Prisoner to it, as soon as possible.
[X] Set up the teleporter room as another cleanroom. Possibly hold the planning session there?
- Location
- 委員長の牢獄
The fastest method to get Hye safely to the Clear Skies is to have three people spend about six hours setting up the cleanroom, then taking one of your EVA suits normally for use in ship repair and scrubbing vigorously. Teleport the EVA suit to Hye, have her put it on, and teleport up to the Clear Skies. While highly uncomfortable in the long-term, it'll effectively allow Hye to function on the ship, without having to isolate her into the cleanroom while she undergoes inoculation along with the prisoner.
It is further possible to have her inoculated during this period where she must wear the EVA suit. Once this is done, she should be almost completely safe.
Of course, the reverse is not true, and Hye will end up spreading her space germs around the ship if she gets safe enough to take off the EVA suit.
Then again, the prisoner is pretty much already doing that, so hey!
Hope the doctor doesn't get sick first?
It is further possible to have her inoculated during this period where she must wear the EVA suit. Once this is done, she should be almost completely safe.
Of course, the reverse is not true, and Hye will end up spreading her space germs around the ship if she gets safe enough to take off the EVA suit.
Then again, the prisoner is pretty much already doing that, so hey!
Hope the doctor doesn't get sick first?
Ergh. At this rate, we'll have to scrub the whole ship.
Fuuuuuuck.Usandru said:
I had nearly forgotten about that.
Here's hoping Claire doesn't get killed by the Blue Choking Fever.