PL: The EPIC OOC - closed thread

[Northwest Slobovia]

My thoughts on stuff...

---

Free (or not so free) clinic:

Treating non-Residents inside the Building... as a player, I say 'No'. It defeats the purpose of our security system and, in the future, we will need that tough bastard in place.

Lemme read Blackwater's infodump again. I thought the lobby was a DMZ of sorts: visitors can come in despite being within our "secure perimeter", but can't go up the stairs. So the lobby clinic might work, assuming Ogoti is willing.

That opens a new can of worms... Treatment of PCs and NPCs. A standard of care? Some players are still growling over foreign body parts being sewn onto people, and energy drinks being poured down gullets.

Oh, yeah. I forgot that from a previous to-do list for Sandy. Sandy would want something close to his understanding of US standards of care: informed consent where possible, best interests of the patient where not.

I'm pleased the teleporter runs on 100% pure nanostructured handwavium bogonide.

Rudimentary healer training:

Will players be half-arsed to actually research it in order to play it out? Seriously, I encourage people to learn about their character's interests. If you want to run a medic, add a bit of realism to your post lest you piss off people who want to run medics and took the time to research it.

We'll do it if you make it a condition of getting the skills.

Healer team training? VERY doable.

Yay!

All that said, I agree with Min: "Magic healers may be relied on more heavily which could overshadow our other healers, or vise versa. We also run the risk of working our chars too hard and expending our medical supplies. Treatment should be limited to basics while serious emergencies can be played out if a scene opens itself to it."

Sandy's well aware of the trade-offs between magic, advanced tech, and mundane -- by which i mean comparable to RL medicine -- treatment.

Avoiding running out of stuff is one reason I was thinking of charging for care. We'll need to develop relationships with suppliers and keep deep supply reserves, but cash flow is good.

Medicinal herbs in garden? Yes. We won't go overboard. We've only had one season (winter) to grow stuff, and food takes priority.

Oh, right: Sandy's ability to conjure things to drink will marginally help our food situation, and will increase the variety of things we have on offer.

[Highfort]

That opens a new can of worms... Treatment of PCs and NPCs. A standard of care? Some players are still growling over foreign body parts being sewn onto people, and energy drinks being poured down gullets.

Oh, yeah. I forgot that from a previous to-do list for Sandy. Sandy would want something close to his understanding of US standards of care: informed consent where possible, best interests of the patient where not.

Suggestion: Have some peeps from each location (once we befriend them and offer medical and other services) list what sort of medical treatments are forbidden so we don't accidentally offend them by, for instance, doing blood transfusions or sewing on limbs and other such invasive procedures.

Also, have the head(s) of the medical group set up some basic ethics stuff so healers don't go around force-feeding people energy drinks.

[Swith Witherward]

Varg stuff...

We really need to have our characters have coffee and figure stuff out. As it stands, we have a bunch of magic users ("Imma Wizard!" *zot zot zot*) and some machines ("I'm a gunslinger!" *pew pew pew*) and some fighters ("Imma generapaladibardabarbarirangeredi!" *swish swash swish*)

Part of my frustration as a player is when other players want their characters to remain mysterious. The time for mystery is over. All the PCs have to pool talents and cover for weaknesses.

Marcus:

• controls electricity and can use it as a form of attack, but he prefers to defend. He was assigned by Klaus to keep Giovenith safe. Strength: he can do fatal damage across a broad area. Weakness: He's not proficient at attacking so, if forced to fight, other characters will want to give him room while he's working. The attack might also wipe out any non-shielded equipment.
• repairs tech. We have a Jedi that can fix things but, since Marcus is NOT a fighter, I figured NA wouldn't mind the lad filling the "fixer" niche.
• is a priest. Meh. No advantage here.
• provides extremely limited comms to Building. It's through the priests' network (rather than radio waves) which allows it to work while in the Wold.

Amara:

• is Drone. Can reform into FUBAR by multiplying its zeptomites.
• can be used as a shield
• is Cer's character so I don't know what else I can add right now.

Varg...

*snorts*

THIS WINTER... Marcus spent time in the town library hunting down information specific to Gallimaufry Mundi and Varg rather than just going by what other dimensions have to say about dragons and litches. He also paid a visit to the blacksmith. (OP-approved) Now I'm waiting on Cer to tell us what Marcus learned. Gio, if you want to have your character tag along with him, that's cool by me. We can say that he asked her along because he trusts her dragon-sense/gut feeling on these matters. That's basically what his whole winter was: researching and building for Septimus; researching for Varg. He had no life beyond that.

Who wants to go next? What can your character offer, what are their strengths, and what are their weak areas? What did they do to prepare for the quest? What would you like the OP's blessing on regarding preparation stuff?

---

Lemme read Blackwater's infodump again. I thought the lobby was a DMZ of sorts: visitors can come in despite being within our "secure perimeter", but can't go up the stairs.

That's the lobby, not the clinic attached to it. In a pinch, it worked well. In the future, during an emergency where death is right outside the front door? Sure. But day-to-day stuff? As a player, I'd rather we kept the facility secure.

[Swith Witherward]

Oh, yeah. I forgot that from a previous to-do list for Sandy. Sandy would want something close to his understanding of US standards of care: informed consent where possible, best interests of the patient where not.

Suggestion: Have some peeps from each location (once we befriend them and offer medical and other services) list what sort of medical treatments are forbidden so we don't accidentally offend them by, for instance, doing blood transfusions or sewing on limbs and other such invasive procedures.

Also, have the head(s) of the medical group set up some basic ethics stuff so healers don't go around force-feeding people energy drinks.

Totally support this idea!

[New Aksarben]

Maghrl

• Force powers, versatile, can do just about anything but without proper training its a double edged sword, as crudely making the force do something can lash back at the user(like for example how Plagieus attempted to make the ultimate Sith but created Anakin instead, who was the ultimate jedi). Maghrl himself is mostly good at sensing through the force, a bit of precognition into the future(mostly sensing during battle what might happen and dodge attacks), telekinetics, and a bit of healing. He can also sense emotional states, and focusing on a person can glean things like if they're lying or not. No mind reading here, just their impressions on the Force.
• Savvy with deals, bartering, and trading, as his species and upbringing helps. Only useful if we deal with cooperative beings, and his lack of proper diction hinders this.
• Good with robotics and repairs, but I agree with Swith, Marcus would be better for this role though Maghrl can help in a pinch. Would be unfamiliar with how the robotics of a good portion of the group would operate.
• Sword combat(basically) and training to defend himself and others. His Philosophy as a jedi means he rarely will make the first attack in confrontations, unless he's convinced the person is a threat to someone else. While he has two sabers, he usually uses one in combat, multiple only against multiple enemies, and like normal double bladed fighting its quite difficult.
• Squib have claws, sharp teeth. They also have sensitive fur, which can detect intricate details of objects such as forgeries, what it is, and similar things. Without previous exposure or knowledge of something he can't really tell much besides more intricate details similar to a sense of touch.
• Biggest weakness is his size, he's naturally weaker than most humans, not nearly as durable, but is a much harder target, more agile, and tends to be underestimated by bigger beings. As a fighter he relies on his aptitude in the force to nullify this weakness and his agility to avoid blows, fighting similarly to Yoda.
• His speech pattern is confusing and he doesn't know enough Basic to improve it, so this might be something that someone could work with him on. Otherwise his utility as a trader is reduced.

If I missed anything here, feel free to point it out

[Swith Witherward]

Maghrl looks good to me, NA. In a pinch, if no one else has characters able to this winter, the Jedi can always go bug the front desk cultist. If Volker can't find someone to help him, he might be able to help with the English basics.

*Three Months Later*

The Jedi speaks fluent German... still sucks at English.

[New Aksarben]

Maghrl looks good to me, NA. In a pinch, if no one else has characters able to this winter, the Jedi can always go bug the front desk cultist. If Volker can't find someone to help him, he might be able to help with the English basics.

*Three Months Later*

The Jedi speaks fluent German... still sucks at English.

That would be perfect

One problem that might arise is the fact English and Basic do have different alphabets, so he might have to learn that too, or at least their equivalencies in English.

Enough basics to get him legible, using more proper grammar, would be good though. He'd still use a lot of Squib terms translated into Basic, and likely to retain the third person speech pattern, as that seems to be pretty common for Squib accents.

[Swith Witherward]

That would be perfect

One problem that might arise is the fact English and Basic do have different alphabets, so he might have to learn that too, or at least their equivalencies in English.

Enough basics to get him legible, using more proper grammar, would be good though. He'd still use a lot of Squib terms translated into Basic, and likely to retain the third person speech pattern, as that seems to be pretty common for Squib accents.

*nods* We'll pool minds and find a way to make it work.

Are you and Torsi going to figure out your Jedi/Sith relationship during the winter?



GIO! TG! INFO THERE!

[New Aksarben]

That would be perfect

One problem that might arise is the fact English and Basic do have different alphabets, so he might have to learn that too, or at least their equivalencies in English.

Enough basics to get him legible, using more proper grammar, would be good though. He'd still use a lot of Squib terms translated into Basic, and likely to retain the third person speech pattern, as that seems to be pretty common for Squib accents.

*nods* We'll pool minds and find a way to make it work.

Are you and Torsi going to figure out your Jedi/Sith relationship during the winter?



GIO! TG! INFO THERE!

We should figure that out, I'll talk with them about the issue.

I also had another character in mind, he probably would be better suited to show up after the skip, so I might wait to post his app until then. Got it just about done, already.

[Mincaldenteans]

A fennec and owl made a coordinated attack upon me today in IRC to go over what we could do to help the teens along.

Now, admittedly for the most part, I've paid little attention to the teens (well, since my chars are all adults and any interaction with the teens have been very limiting - we see that divide in almost every character with significant age differences). So the fennec pulled on civet ears, the owl clawed his tail, asked each had the audacity to ask him for poop that turns coffee. In the end, we came down to a few items that would be integral as developmental skills which will affect everyone, but more importantly, show the teens are just as up to muster as the old crones. It's not to say teens haven't tried to assert themselves, but the line thins as the danger grows and we'd like to see more of them step up.

Teen drama and interpersonal relations can still be played out (it is after all, a core central to their development), but the kids now have added objectives that they are required to juggle and maintain.

The following have been proposed for the teens to tackle:

• Garden
• Chicken coop
• Defense academy
• Admin task (varies)

The benefits:

• Character growth/development
• Contributing to the setting at large
• Contributing to the Building & Residents
• Team work and coordination
• Independent work and self-reliance
• Logistical and practical experience
• First hand experience in various fields (construction, botany, defensive arts)
• Administration experience
• Learning to juggle between objective & personal
• The list can go on

Our group of teens have untapped potential and we believe its time to see them shine with a guiding hand of each 'department head' (garden, coup, defense, admin). So far, teen storylines have been high on drama, little on action: let's see them grow. Let's see them with gumption to prove their worth - not for the older folk, but for themselves.

The Garden will be manned by Cer/Swith, as would the Coop, I believe. The Defense academy will be manned by me (Tilt, pair with me!). Admin will be tasked out as needed. There will be overlap between all 4 of us regarding each 'department' as needed in IC, the point is we'll be handling each one to help the teens. Do not flock to one 'department', the Staff still has to juggle the other active characters. Instead, spread the teens out. Any complications (conflicting RL schedules or conflicts) will be handled by the Staff to keep your character moving along.

There ya have it. This isn't a one time offer, this will be ongoing. Teens will find themselves among other adults, and sometimes just by themselves. The line between age groups fizzles when survival is at stake.

[Swith Witherward]

*nods* I think it's a good idea.

There are also a few stories that can be continued. Kale was working with Amanda on development of the grass story outcome. Drova was going to get some training done to enhance his skill set.

Hmmm. Maybe we can do a bit of this IC? Get the Varg group back home, end the Carnival. Have players team up with whoever in order to knock out some posts depicting some training or whatnot? If it's IC, it counts towards our character's skill points, IIRC.

Everyone's thoughts?

[Fvaarniimar]

Long post - vanished. Highlights: Carly, Storm, go wild, feel free to build on setting, TY. Rmwtyliin: Volunteered for medical stuff if around; will research her training, need baseline as I wasn't expecting anything beyond 21st-century layperson's medical knowledge; using Carnival for English practice if around more than a day. Taking shifts in clinic. Nick: Not necessarily volunteered; while likely happy to help, not necessarily happy to sit on a stranger for hours. Don't consider him a Tylenol replacement; will willingly anesthetize in more severe cases ie surgery, will happily try to help if issue is mental but might be clueless. Kwa'a: Will sit self down with app tomorrow. If said is done pre-timeskip she'll have found the courage to request magical healing; if obtained Minerva will have had a recruit.

@Swith: Would rather not end Carnival, but completely understand other stories taking priority.

[Swith Witherward]

Long post - vanished. Highlights: Carly, Storm, go wild, feel free to build on setting, TY. Rmwtyliin: Volunteered for medical stuff if around; will research her training, need baseline as I wasn't expecting anything beyond 21st-century layperson's medical knowledge; using Carnival for English practice if around more than a day. Taking shifts in clinic. Nick: Not necessarily volunteered; while likely happy to help, not necessarily happy to sit on a stranger for hours. Don't consider him a Tylenol replacement; will willingly anesthetize in more severe cases ie surgery, will happily try to help if issue is mental but might be clueless. Kwa'a: Will sit self down with app tomorrow. If said is done pre-timeskip she'll have found the courage to request magical healing; if obtained Minerva will have had a recruit.

@Swith: Would rather not end Carnival, but completely understand other stories taking priority.

We aren't ending it just yet. We're still plotting out our stuff.

[Monfrox]

Well it looks like the Belgian military is getting called into Brussels. Christ, what's next on the hit list.

[Tiltjuice]

A fennec and owl made a coordinated attack upon me today in IRC to go over what we could do to help the teens along.

Now, admittedly for the most part, I've paid little attention to the teens (well, since my chars are all adults and any interaction with the teens have been very limiting - we see that divide in almost every character with significant age differences). So the fennec pulled on civet ears, the owl clawed his tail, asked each had the audacity to ask him for poop that turns coffee. In the end, we came down to a few items that would be integral as developmental skills which will affect everyone, but more importantly, show the teens are just as up to muster as the old crones. It's not to say teens haven't tried to assert themselves, but the line thins as the danger grows and we'd like to see more of them step up.

Teen drama and interpersonal relations can still be played out (it is after all, a core central to their development), but the kids now have added objectives that they are required to juggle and maintain.

The following have been proposed for the teens to tackle:

• Garden
• Chicken coop
• Defense academy
• Admin task (varies)

The benefits:

• Character growth/development
• Contributing to the setting at large
• Contributing to the Building & Residents
• Team work and coordination
• Independent work and self-reliance
• Logistical and practical experience
• First hand experience in various fields (construction, botany, defensive arts)
• Administration experience
• Learning to juggle between objective & personal
• The list can go on

Our group of teens have untapped potential and we believe its time to see them shine with a guiding hand of each 'department head' (garden, coup, defense, admin). So far, teen storylines have been high on drama, little on action: let's see them grow. Let's see them with gumption to prove their worth - not for the older folk, but for themselves.

The Garden will be manned by Cer/Swith, as would the Coop, I believe. The Defense academy will be manned by me (Tilt, pair with me!). Admin will be tasked out as needed. There will be overlap between all 4 of us regarding each 'department' as needed in IC, the point is we'll be handling each one to help the teens. Do not flock to one 'department', the Staff still has to juggle the other active characters. Instead, spread the teens out. Any complications (conflicting RL schedules or conflicts) will be handled by the Staff to keep your character moving along.

There ya have it. This isn't a one time offer, this will be ongoing. Teens will find themselves among other adults, and sometimes just by themselves. The line between age groups fizzles when survival is at stake.

Sure.

[The BranRiech]

Fuck.

I feel so bad, guys. I've been really horrible with posting recently. I've been trying to find a job, schoolwork needs completing, and friends all take me away from NS sometimes. I'll post right now, and then I'll give it my best to keep up on schedule with all of you.

[The Carlisle]

Alright. I'll see about getting a post up today!

[Giovenith]

Gio:

Varg
-as is established, she is primarily an informational resource on dragons, as well as a possible line of diplomacy with Varg himself.
-she will be integral in deciding the weapons and strategies used to slay Varg.
-she is also a healer, both in skill with first aid, as well as possessing her purple smoke.

Weaknesses
-the fact that she is a godling is rather irrelevant if you don't particularly care about gods or just don't know anything about the pantheon she belongs to.
-is not a physically adept person.
-because this is a creature that probably breathes fire, her only real source of weaponry, her paper, is rendered useless. She now has absolutely 0 chance of being able to actually fight when it comes to Varg, so in the event that she must directly speak to him, this will be a huge risk for her.

[Swith Witherward]

Quick clarification on Marcus' "busywork" over the winter...

He needs to be too focused on stuff to delve into his parentage. He's doing legwork for the group to save us time, and because parking him is the only other alternative. He brings the stuff back for the rest to analyze. This frees up other characters, giving them more time to task their own projects instead of wasting hours pawing through libraries. A useful niche for a priest. Other characters can do the same, sure. Once Cer gives me info about Galli dragons/Varg/Litches/history, I'll post it here for everyone to process. It's the same as if Marcus dropped a bunch of books on the table and said "Here's the passages."

Except the blacksmith. That ties in with his weird artwork projects.

Prim is going to take a break for a bit, although he's going to finish up Gio's story. Real Life stuff summons him.

[Chedastan]

Lets see here.

Romy:

Strengths
-Held the highest commanding military position of his empire, that is always expanding due to constant campaigning, to the point that its already pretty hard to even comprehend how big it even is.
-17 years of military service and experiences in said never ending campaigns.
-Education prior to that in an officer academy designed to produce potential candidates to become a General.
-Wielder of a blade that is extremely potent against the vast majority of things, and masterful swordsmanship to use it to great effect.
-Enhanced human status, which includes regenerative abilities and superhuman-like endurance, added in with his naturally strong strength.

Weaknesses
-Still only a (enhanced) human, and thus still have a lot of the associated limitations of being human.
-Not as adequate with firearms as he is with melee weapons.
-Still a recently arrived outsider to a strange land, he still mostly has just surface knowledge on how most things work regarding the building and its residents.
-Obviously doesn't has his armies of billions of well-trained men, and has to still adjust to using the rabble that the building can muster.

[Torsiedelle]

Torii:

Pros:
- Combat Experience, can move quickly and is a crack shot. Favors Guerilla/Terrorist tactics like running and gunning, ambushing, using improvised weapons, and vicious in melee.
- Intelligent. She isn't a genius, but she can learn many different things, and help with logistics or research. Smart enough to work with the Raptors and not be totally lost.
- Used to manual labor.

Cons:
- Slow to trust others, and isn't used to being a team player in some cases.
- Easy to anger, discourage, and generally put down.
- No formal schooling or education, no credentials.
- trouble adapting to new environments, still not very knowledgeable about the world around her.

May do other characters later.

Damnit, I can't remember where I was taking the carnival anymore...I had it all in my head a week ago.

[New Aksarben]

Oh are we doing all characters, I thought we were just doing Varg questers

[Tiltjuice]

That was my impression.

[Swith Witherward]

Torii:

Pros:
- Combat Experience, can move quickly and is a crack shot. Favors Guerilla/Terrorist tactics like running and gunning, ambushing, using improvised weapons, and vicious in melee.
- Intelligent. She isn't a genius, but she can learn many different things, and help with logistics or research. Smart enough to work with the Raptors and not be totally lost.
- Used to manual labor.

Cons:
- Slow to trust others, and isn't used to being a team player in some cases.
- Easy to anger, discourage, and generally put down.
- No formal schooling or education, no credentials.
- trouble adapting to new environments, still not very knowledgeable about the world around her.

May do other characters later.

Damnit, I can't remember where I was taking the carnival anymore...I had it all in my head a week ago.

Does this help?

"Oh, inside my head? Let me see."

Torii led the two inside. At first, it was just the inside of a tent, grass at their feet and canvas all around them. Torii turned to face her guests. "I wanna show you something special."

And, just as she said that, the grass around them began to slowly grow...

Katya's eyes twinkled. "Oh, is it. Going to be in a forest?"
"Kind of. Just watch."

And then what started slowly began to accelerate around them. The walls of the tent faded away as a bright night sky formed over them. The grass at their feet, a curious shade of blue-green, reach up to tickle their shins, and a soft breeze swept across the open field that had become their new world. A dark, ominous forest surrounded the field, except for in one direction, which seemed to go on endlessly, except for the far-off view of a beautiful fantasian castle on the horizon.

"This is my own little magical realm. I like to call it my Lunar Sanctuary.", Torii admitted, feeling a little embarrassed at the name. "This is my "happy place" when I dream. Well, I usually have my favorite dress on, too."

And Torii snapped her fingers, and so it was done. "The dress fits the scene I always imagine.", She explained, waving her arms around like a child talking about their favorite storybook scene. "And with my bare feet, I can feel the moist, cool grass, and prance around in the fields of moon-lillies and lunar daisies, and look up at the sky where I can see the great planet my sanctuary orbits."

And, just as Torii had described, there it was. Hovering above them, the shadow of an ominous red planet sat, breaking up the canvas of twinkling stars and colorful bands of sky that watched over their twilight world. It was indeed a scene from a dream, with the three all alone in the empty, breezy field, gazing up at the lively night sky. Along the horizon to the right of the red planet, red blips and bright white lights streaked across the sky like shooting stars, only lasting a moment, but so frequent that it seemed like a meteor shower.

"And that's the war above, where legions of men sail towards the stars to fight for their princess. I like to think that this represents all my bad dreams and worries, and that the fleet above us represents my happy thoughts going out to push the darkness away. They do it so I can be at peace here in my world. Oh, and while they do, I can watch from my little shrine."

A soft rumble behind them, and up sprung a marvelous, tiny ruin. A small hexagonal area, with intricate black and white marble tiles and four busted pillars, one tipped over to make a perfect little bench. From here, Torii could sit and think to herself, gazing at the sky above.

Katya smiled. "And are you the princess?"

Torii couldn't hide her embarrassed smile.

Katya shot another glance Bran's way. "She has an imagination, doesn't she?"

Oooh... philosophy thread.

[Torsiedelle]

Katya
Pros:
- Businesswoman. Katya was taught by her mother, and comes from a wealthy, educated background. She isn't a master, but she has knowledge of trade.
- In leading: Katya can organize, and is a fairly good speaker, she's charismatic, and always eager to help.
- Is no healer, but she can take care of others, whether it be by helping with beds, decorating, or cooking.

Cons:
- She isn't as old or experienced as many of the adults, and doesn't seem to fit in anywhere. She secretly has some heavy self-esteem issues.
- She can become frustrated with others, and very jealous. She desires influence, even if just a small amount.
- She's very proud and vain. She isn't accustomed to having no money, or doing manual labor, or having to speak to people who are technically ber superiors, with the exception of her Mother.

Sadly, it doesn't really help, Swith. I just lost steam all of a sudden.

Ugh, I can keep it going, I just won't be satisfied with my words.