Sunday, January 6, 2013

13- Communism and Hash Browns


Soo: [Kali dVostog] Kali nods. "So we'll do it like that. Mari will pass off as my servant so we don't have to risk any undue trouble." She then sits back and begins flipping through a catalog.
Ian: [Mari Shasho] "I'd be lying if I said I liked this idea, but I can't argue with logic. Unpleasant logic is logic none-the-less." She flops down on the floor and begins eating a sandwich she packed.
Kyle: [Bailey Hunt] "Wha'cha reading there m'lady?"
Soo: [Kali dVostog] "A catalog of steam-mech parts. I'm starting to think it'd be humane to have GR-210 armed with something intentionally designed to kill, rather then just creatively used to do so."
Joe: [OOC] Dane, can this train explode or something? We're at the point where we're discussing me rather then admonishing me.
Dane: [GM] Does anyone have any other prep for the train before it arrives tomorrow?
Ian: [OOC] I'm good, got my sammich.
Soo: [OOC] I'm fine.
Kyle: [OOC] Yeah, I think we're good to go.
Dane: [GM] The train arrives early the next morning in Colton. The weather is clear with a thick layer of snow on the ground. The sky is clear winter blue and cloudless. The town is built into the side of a mountain face and the smoke rising from the top indicates that the mining operations are likely up at the top of the slope of the town. A large house dominates a terrace near the lower-center of town. It stands out because of the wide private grounds that surround it, ringed by a stone privacy wall. The rest of the town is made of smaller buildings like shops, flophouses, bunk buildings and bars. A massively complex system of copper pipes: some small, some large, none uniform, run from building to building. Steam wafting from the shoddy connections tell you these are probably heating pipes.
Joe: [OOC] Disliking the rich, dirty heavy industry AND sharing heat? I'm starting to think that Favored Enemy (Communists) trait is going to pay for itself.
Dane: [GM] The train station itself is little more then a pair of railroad tracks, a turnaround, and a wooden dock. Off to the east of it is a wide airstrip for landing airships. It has a runway, but the mess of wood, canvas, and engine parts stuck in the snowdrift at the end of it tells you that it's hard to fly aircraft out of the snowy town. 
Dane: [Guard Benoit] As you get off the train, a man walks up to you in a pseudo-military uniform trimmed in purple. There is a dusting of snow on his decorative shako hat and his scarf doesn't cover his large mustache. "Welcome to Colton. When management heard that a Lady was visiting, they wanted to make sure a representative of the MacGruder Mining Firm was here to greet you ma'am." He salutes, clearly addressing Kali.
Soo: [Kali dVostog] Kali nods politely. "Thank you goodman. I have a single steam-mech in the storage car. It should be able to handle my bags. My entourage and I are on business, so I'd like to know where we can rent space to set up our things."
Joe: [GR-210] The figure of a shining master-being lumbers out of the storage car, tossing aside anyone who may be trying to unload things.
Joe: [OOC] I'm perfectly willing to roll an attack for each person in the way, I know the math for my back-handings.
Dane: [GM] That won't be unnecessary.
Ian: [Mari Shasho] Mari looks around, immediately colder then she expected to be.
Kyle: [Bailey Hunt] Bailey saunters out of the train and breathes deep of the local air. "Dirt, smoke and industry. It's like being home again. Wish that was a compliment" He puts on his cowboy hat and shrugs to himself.
Ian: [Mari Shasho] Mari looks over at Bailey, having known him for a while, but never heard his full backstory.
Joe: [OOC] No goddamit, we've already had Dane put out three paragraphs, no fucking flashbacks.
Kyle: [OOC] At least I have a backstory.
Joe: [OOC] I have one too, but decency and several court orders forbid it's telling.
Dane: [Guard Benoit] The guard nods, thinking. "The town isn't much to look at ma'am. But the Bleached Oak Inn on the main avenue is the most upscale of the town's renters." He looks over Kali's shoulder and looks at Mari. "If I may say so ma'am, you're associate there isn't dressed for the area. The cold here can be deceptive."
Soo: [Kali dVostog] Kali says "Oh, my fr-" before remembering the gimmick. "My servant is surprisingly resilient goodman, but I agree she's ill-prepared. Sometimes I think she puts her health at risk like this to show her loyalty to me." It's not truthful, but she feels the need to justify Mari's clothing.
Dane: [GM] Can you give me a quick Speechcraft roll for that lie.
[Soo] ROLLS. [GM] RECEIVES RESULTS.
Dane: [Guard Benoit] The man nods. "I see. Well I should warn you. This town has something of a problem with the working folk grinding against the upper crust. The MacGruder company will, of course, do everything needed to ensure a Lady's safety, but please mind your servants. The agitators can be very convincing to the lesser folk." The guard nods, eyeing Bailey and Mari like they've already done something wrong.
Soo: [Kali dVostog] "I will, though I don't think I'll worry much. Mari is extremely loyal to me. I'm firmly faithful that she'd lay down her life for me at a moment's notice."
Ian: [OOC] Let's discuss the definition of a moment's notice, shall we?
Soo: [OOC] If Mari's life could, in some way, be sacrificed to get Kali breakfast at McDonalds after 11AM, would she?
Kyle: [OOC] We agree with Joe once and create a new monster.
Joe: [OOC] I've tried that Soo. No matter how much blood of the innocent you bring, once they stop making hash browns, they just plain stop making hash browns for the day.

Saturday, January 5, 2013

12- Her Resplendence


Dane: [GM] It is day one of your two day train-ride to Colton. So far, it's very much peaceful as the rolling hills of the mainland give way to the slightly-snowy fields of the north. Your car is lavishly appointed and it's likely far nicer then anything you're going to encounter once you get there.
Ian: [Mari Shasho] Mari rocks back and forth by the window singing a little mindless song to herself about trains. Her only consideration for the cold weather is to put on a pair of wool socks with her sandals.
Kyle: [Bailey Hunt] Bailey walks in from the bar car, holding a full bottle of cheap table wine. He sits down in one of the comfortable armchairs and sets the bottle on the desk beside it. "If anyone asks, this was in here when we boarded, okay?" he remarks.
Joe: [OOC] Why is everyone getting more descriptive?
Kyle: [OOC] Easier to type long-form when I'm not racing to stop you from doing something.
Soo: [Kali dVostog] Kali is sitting on one of the other armchairs and sipping something of far better vintage then Bailey's swill. She's taken to dressing a bit simpler for this trip. Not so much that she no longer seems like a lady, but less ostentatious in light of heading to a rough coal mining town.
Kyle: [Bailey Hunt] "So, I think we're doin' good so far Lady dVostog, but there's some concerns we ought to address before we get to town tomorrow." Bailey says, tilting his head in Mari's direction.
Ian: [Mari Shasho] Mari looks over, knowing full well what Bailey means. 
Soo: [OOC] I'm not exactly following...
Dane: [GM] I'll clarify, since Soo is kind of a newcomer to the setting lore. Mari is a mage, someone born with magical proficiency, which in the Imperia voids her civil rights. Magi are so useful to nobles as military tools, advisers  and servants that they casually make them into effectively property. A spellcaster on his/her own is effectively begging to be kidnapped, arrested, or otherwise sold off to a noble. 
Kyle: [OOC] And Ian's character is a pyromancer, one of the more 'showy' types, so it'll be hard for Ian to be helpful AND keep being a mage out of the way.
Soo: [OOC] Oh, I see. And we're going into a rough, lawless area, so we should figure some sort of plan out.
Ian: [OOC] Yeah.
Joe: [OOC] Soo could make Ian her slave.
Soo: [OOC] What?!
Kyle: [OOC] Here we go again...
Joe: [OOC] I mean Kali could make Mari her slave. I have a logic behind this.
Dane: [GM] I'd love to hear it... oh wait, no I wouldn't.
Joe: [OOC] Issue 27 of The Eldarian had a side article on the mechanical effects of class and station, to flesh them out better then just the Status trait can. A character who is a slave to another character loses all Resources and Status they have, but gain a fixed Status equal to half the owner's Status because they're connected to them. Ian, what's your current Resources and Status?
Ian: [OOC] Mari is a vagabond freelance adventurer, she has Status 2 and Resources 1.
Joe: [OOC] Kali has Status 9. If Kali starts calling Mari her slave, Ian will lose a measly 1 Resources (which is irrelevant given Soo can pay for all of us all the time), and actually GAIN 3 Status by rounding up half of 9 to a 5. Basically by having Mari kiss-boot in public, we reap all the perks and none of the downsides.
Dane: [GM] I had to go look it up, but he's not bullshitting.
Joe: [OOC] Also, the party is a noblewoman, a combat robot, a commoner gunslinger, and an outlaw wizard. There's a lot of places of usefulness (like fancy parties) that ONLY Kali can get into. Kali's a socially built character, not a fighter. If Mari is her attendant, she can come along with her to those sort of things. She's the ideal back-up because she's a spellcaster so she can't be disarmed. Also, being her property will mean no one in their right mind will fuck with our mage since that'd be fucking with a noblewoman.
Kyle: [OOC] This is making a terrifying amount of sense...
Ian: [OOC] Joe, is it possible you're somehow humiliating me AND helping me?
Joe: [OOC] Emo-hair, when I say I love torturing you, I'm still technically saying I love you.
Ian: [OOC] That sentence makes no sense.
Soo: [OOC] Ian, we'll discuss this in-character, but I like to be addressed as "Her Resplendence". 

Friday, January 4, 2013

11- I Like Trains


Dane: [GM] Okay guys, let's get back to work on this. 
Soo: We know that the nobleman has been taken to the town of Colton up in the mountains. I'm going to guess that transportation options aren't privy knowledge?
Dane: [GM] It's not super far, so yes. You could rent or buy another motorcar, I don't think yours is exactly up to it, being in half and all. Alternatively you could ride the train or hire an airship.
Ian: Mari crosses her arms, tapping her foot as she thinks "I'm going to say airships are out of the question." She has a phobia about them. "Also I dislike anything I can plummet to my death out of."
Joe: Phobia(Airships)? Really? Of all the shit you could take a fear of for points, you take a fear of something useful? I have Phobia (Anachronistic Pirate Fights) for shitsake!
Dane: [GM] Just you wait Joe. Just you wait.
Kyle: Bailey nods in agreement. "Personally, I'm thinking a train. Money-wise, makes the most sense. 'sides, Miss Kali's affluence can make it a rather upscale experience."
Joe: The gleaming robotic god exclaims "Negative, Meat-Creature. We will travel by riding on my tireless metallic legs. I shall carry one of you under each arm and drag the third by a rope."
Soo: Kali waves off the robot's suggestion. "I prefer plans that don't involve someone dying from protracted trauma. The train it is. First class all the way."
Ian: "I like trains!"
Joe: "Since the flawed meat-creatures wish to waste money, the train is the most acceptable option. However, I wish to list the following reasons why I am a superior mode of transportation..."
Kyle: When did GR-210 start calling people 'meat-creature'?
Soo: Dane, I buy us a first class car for the whole trip on the next available line out. The funds are money I could wipe with, but I'll take it off my character sheet.
Dane: [GM] After a tasteful montage of travel preparations, the group boards a train for Colton. You rent out a first-class car for yourselves, courtesy of Kali's connections. As per transit safety laws, GR-210 is packed in the storage car.
Ian: Was one of those montage scenes us cleaning up an entire roadblock full of murdered people?
Joe: Who cares! We're being literally railroaded.
Kyle: Bailey spends virtually the entire trip at the bar. I have a feeling I'm going to need enough to coast through the rest of this mission.
Joe: By storage car, do you mean purely baggage, or is there livestock in here?
Dane: [GM] Why is that rel... oh wait. I almost forgot who I was talking to.