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Messages - piecewise

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286
Roll To Dodge / Re: Magnum Opus
« on: May 17, 2021, 08:53:48 am »
Quote from: Fire and Glory on May 17, 2021, 03:53:21 am
Spoiler: Grey (click to show/hide)

Your verb is "Maintain"
Quote from: The Lupanian on May 17, 2021, 01:08:54 am
Spoiler: Luta (click to show/hide)
Quote from: King Zultan on May 17, 2021, 03:20:59 am
Spoiler (click to show/hide)
You are both in.

Quote from: A_Curious_Cat on May 16, 2021, 09:20:33 pm
Go over to the metal box and motion for the girl to come over.  Ask the box if we might open it to see it’s contents.  Explain that we are both in need of clothing and hope that the box contains something suitable for us to wear.  With the box’s permission, of course.  Be polite.

Spoiler: The Speaker (click to show/hide)
[2]
The speaker asks the metal box if it is ok to open it. The box, in a grinding metal voice, sort of hurrumphs and quite stubbornly refuses to speak to him. He wonders if it might be in a bad mood. Or maybe tsundere? He mentally envisions a blushing box explaining how it doesn't care if he opens it.

Quote from: Ozarck on May 17, 2021, 12:07:42 am
Waddle over to the box and take what I find there. Meanwhile, reflect on other things i know but don't know how I know, since apparently I know how to read and about the weird machine and the wizards.
Once I have the things fro mteh box, familiarize myself with the cavern, noting any plaques, unique locations, NPCs, and useable objects/creatures as I go.

Spoiler: Character: Creation (click to show/hide)
Creation isn't quite so interested in getting the consent of the box and instead simply throws the lid open and looks inside. There are three objects inside:

1. A purple robe with a large red eye embroidered on the back.
2.A pair of white gloves with a similar eye on the palm.
3.What appears to be a 4 foot long sewing needle made of black iron. Its sides are blunt but its tip is deadly sharp, and the “eye” has knurling around it so that it can be used as a handle.

There is somehow always enough of these objects in the box for everyone to have one of each. Those who already have them find the box mysteriously empty.   

[2]
Creation considers his existance and knowledge for a long moment...then shrugs. Eh, it will work itself out.

Creation wanders out of the first room and stars looking around. This place is indeed a cavern, mostly natural but with a few additions here and there. Like larger doorways cut into the stone, metal gratting stretched over the bare stone floor to make it level, lighting in the form of hanging lanterns, etc. However, one thing he can't find is an exit: They seem very distinctly trapped here.

To the left of the Cauldron room is what appears to be the living quarters. There are beds and, on one side, a metal counter and some tables. A plaque above the counter marks it as the "Food Conduit". On one end there's a box that seems to produce plates and silverware, and like the other box it seems to know when you aready have some. Along the top of the counter are several inlaid gold circles; not magic circles just big gold rings large enough to encircle the plate. When a plate is placed inside the circle, food seems to sprout straight from its surface. Different cirlces produce different food. At the end is another box which gladly swallows up the leftovers, including plate and silverware.

To the Right of the cauldron room is a library, its shelves carved straight into the stone. Its relatively small, maybe all of 200 or so books, and seems mostly focused on history, society, and large collections of non-fiction information. A Plaque describes it as a "Reference library".

Behind the Cauldron room, down a passage that snakes past the living area and around back, is a gym of sorts. Perhaps a practice arena is more fitting? It has training dummies, a sparring ring, an obstacle course...mabye? A strange collection of metal cubes and bars that looks like an obstacle course at least.  The Plaque here calls the place a "Training Hall" and explains that the dummies will refresh themselves every few minutes if needed.

Finally, there are two rooms directly in front of the Cauldron room, one straight ahead and one branching off to the left of that. The one straight ahead contains an archway made of metal thats set directly into the cavern wall. The room is described as the "Teleportation Gate" by its plaque and has a fair amount of instructions.

This is the Teleportation Gate. It is the one way out of this cavern and it will activate when you are needed. The blank plaque next to it will display your instructions when the time is right. When you pass through the gate you will find a teleportation conduit where you appear. It displays an image of a roughly 3 meter tall spike with a globe shaped crystal on the top. All who walk through this gate will appear at that conduit. The conduit can be moved, but its destruction is final and will, in all likelihood, result in your failure. Be aware that setting it up in areas of high ambient magic may also result in teleportation failures.

The rooom off to the side of the teleport room is relatively small and contains a huge glass vessel inlaid into the ground like a fishbowl shaped inground pool. The plaque here marks it as the "Deposit room", where any object which was asked to be retreived from the mission should be deposited. Anything dangerous can be placed there as well.

 
Quote from: NJW2000 on May 17, 2021, 03:54:14 am
Youare finishes reading, wonders briefly if he was over-hasty in naming himself, and peers into the box.

Watch the box being opened, take an appropriate number of whatever's in there
Youare takes exactly as much as the box is willing to let him have. Ie one robe, one pair of gloves, and one big ass needle.



287
Roll To Dodge / Re: Magnum Opus
« on: May 16, 2021, 09:06:07 pm »
Quote from: A_Curious_Cat on May 16, 2021, 08:39:42 pm
Quote from: piecewise on May 16, 2021, 08:32:37 pm
Quote from: A_Curious_Cat on May 16, 2021, 08:11:17 pm
Just posted my sheet.
Looks ok but remove that stuff from your inventory. We're all naked here...for now. Maybe check that box.

How’s that?  I changed the description and status, too.
Looks good to me. Feel free to act. Just make sure to bold actions so I know they're...actions.

288
Roll To Dodge / Re: Magnum Opus
« on: May 16, 2021, 08:32:37 pm »
Quote from: A_Curious_Cat on May 16, 2021, 08:11:17 pm
Just posted my sheet.
Looks ok but remove that stuff from your inventory. We're all naked here...for now. Maybe check that box.

289
Roll To Dodge / Re: Magnum Opus
« on: May 16, 2021, 07:44:26 pm »
Quote from: NJW2000 on May 16, 2021, 07:18:24 pm
Spoiler: Youare (click to show/hide)
Quote from: NAV on May 16, 2021, 04:46:11 pm
Spoiler (click to show/hide)
Quote from: Aigre Excalibur on May 16, 2021, 04:15:20 pm
Spoiler: Amyclas (click to show/hide)
All three of ya are in, feel free to look around.

290
Roll To Dodge / Re: Magnum Opus
« on: May 16, 2021, 05:06:15 pm »
Quote from: NAV on May 16, 2021, 04:46:11 pm
Spoiler (click to show/hide)
Your verb is "discharge"

291
Roll To Dodge / Magnum Opus: Welcome Home.
« on: May 16, 2021, 03:58:49 pm »
MAGNUM OPUS

You awaken with a spasm and try to suck in a breath. Your mouth fills with acrid slime and you flail your limbs in slow motion as you realize  you’re submerged. You open stinging eyes just long enough to glimpse light above you, dark forms of other bodies adrift all around. You swim blindly upwards until you finally breach the surface, gulping in great lungfuls of cold and musty air while you search for something to grab hold of. Questing hands slam down hard on the metal lip  of the vessel and you drag yourself up and out, sliding like a mucous coated eel down the side of the giant cauldron and onto the cold stone of a cavern.  You rub slime out of your eyes and cough it out of your throat, glancing about as others like you escape the cauldron and join you on the cavern floor. After a few minutes to recover you begin looking around. The Cauldron is connected, by many hundreds of pipes, to a great and incomprehensible machine in the ceiling. You can only see a bit of it, poking out through the stone, with the vast bulk of it stretching up far above you. You have no idea how you know that,  but you do.

There is only one exit to this room, a rough hewn doorway on the opposite side.  Next to this doorway is a huge brass plaque, with a metal box the size of a coffin affixed to the stone under it.   The plaque reads as follows:

You are a Homunculus. You have been created for the purpose of carrying out our will. Do your work well and you will be rewarded. Fail or betray us and you will be destroyed. This cavern has been outfitted with all you will need. Instructions for all you need to know will be found on plaques like this one. Take what you find in this box below and familiarize yourself with the cavern and our instructions.

When the time comes, heed our call. Do not disappoint us.

Spoiler: What the hell? (click to show/hide)

Spoiler: System (click to show/hide)

Spoiler: Character Creation (click to show/hide)

Spoiler: Map (click to show/hide)

292
Roll To Dodge / Re: MOOK: Fixer upper
« on: May 16, 2021, 11:38:13 am »
Quote from: King Zultan on May 14, 2021, 03:22:19 am
Keep searching through the internet looking at any info from before the disaster, like what they were doing and such.
Spoiler: Is finally dead, spoiler is only around to keep track of stats and inventory. (click to show/hide)
[4] Inquiry in this way about this subject seems to be reaching the end of its usefulness, but you do find out that, according to a source within the aquisitions department, there was a large supply of lithium ordered for the project.

Quote from: NAV on May 14, 2021, 12:07:39 pm
Chill in the driver's seat of the aircraft tug. Just chill. Wait for someone to be done with the thing's battery.

Check if it has enough computery goodness to hold Burt. We could always use a BurtPC to match the EdPC.

Spoiler: Edward (click to show/hide)

[2] The Tug does have a computer, but it looks quite simple. Nowhere near powerful enough to run Burt's brain.

Quote from: The Lupanian on May 15, 2021, 05:09:14 am
See if I can find out where the institute’s operations in the airport were located. Maybe an office or a shipping dock, or a secret bunker or something. They have to have had infrastructure to move things from the airport to the lab.

After that’s done, search the planes for valuables, then help load crates of electronics onto the EPC

Leave my boxes of stuff with the other crates for now
Spoiler: Ji (click to show/hide)
[3]
Ji searches around. She assumes that if these guys were shipping things in and out with any frequency they must have some sort of logistics center set up here. Maybe nothing but some manager tucked into a closet, but something. After a great deal of searching, the only thing she manges to find is a box stuffed in with a lot of other boxes in the abandoned admin offices. Most of the paper work is badly rotted by water, but she manages to gleen a few things from what is still legible.

Apparently they shifted their operations out of here a few weeks before the disaster, having completed their use of the airport. It mentions another "Shipping Center" though, in detroit itself. It gives no real indication as to what it is, but there's an address.

Quote from: Ozarck on May 15, 2021, 06:55:19 pm
Remain in plane.
Await fate.
Anticipate Big Snack.

Spoiler: Team Mascot (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: things Bob did this mission (click to show/hide)
BOB

Quote from: heydude6 on May 15, 2021, 10:31:10 am
”The real question to ask right now is if we should leave someone inside the airport while the shift happens or if we should make sure to exit the place first. My money’s on the former.

“Actually, No, there’s an easy way to find out if it’s safe or not. Let’s just go find a squirrel, or a snail or something and see what happens to it!”

Go outside the airport and start looking for small defenceless animals. Digging for worms/grubs/beatles is an option as well. Put them in a universal containment pod and then leave it somewhere in the airport

Also, ponder if the pass-locked briefcase may be the cause of these time-warping shenanigans. I mean there had to have been something in this airport to cause it.

Spoiler: Baldwin (click to show/hide)
[5]
Baldwin runs out into the tall grass and returns with a big fat rat in a containment pod. He places it down next to the plane.
[3]
Hmmm. He doesn't think the source of this is in the suitcase.


Quote from: Radio Controlled on May 15, 2021, 10:18:55 am
Quote
The other planes reveal similar things on their recorders and data logs. The crates contain carefully packaged and sealed electronic components: huge circuit boards and wrapped in milky plastic and held in custom fitted foam. They have numbers and designations connected to them but their purpose isn't readily conprehensible.
Send pics of these to command, maybe they can make some more sense out of what these could have been used for. 

Quote
However, there is one final package that he finds aboard the "Ghost" plane that Bob restored. it was tucked in a corner of the cargo hold, apparently forgotten. Its only about the size of a large suitcase but is excessively robust and densely armored. Unlike the other metal crates this one is locked tight. [2] Yagyu isn't sure what the password for it would be either.

Does it seem like the electronic lock could be hacked? If yes, hook it up to EdPC and see if he can do something. If not, does it seem like we could just pick the lock? What roll would this require?

If also not, could I cut/break open the lock/briefcase in a bout of handiwork without damaging what's inside? Does it look like the briefcase might have anti-tampering measures or that it might destroy what's inside when not opened properly? 

"I think we'll want to wait with loading these crates into EdPC until we know for sure what happens to them during a ghostplane event.

Also, I think we have a few building left to explore as well, so let's not leave quite yet."

Let's hold off on loading the crates into EdPC for now, just in case. Instead, leave one a few meters away from where we found it (but still on the airport grounds), and leave one just outside of the airport grounds (but with line of sight of the place we found it if possible). In case the behavior is different when the crate leaves the anomalous area.

Finally, we still had some building we haven't explored yet, right? Or were they part of what we looked through already?


Spoiler: Yagyu d'Aubigny (click to show/hide)
Yagyu uploads the pics to the Omniscient network.

[2] Hacking the lock seems like a viable strategy so Yagyu wirelessly connects the EdPC to it. If only the team had some sort of dedicated computer hacking member. Maybe one in a super powerful robotic body or something . Oh well.
[2]
The EdPC attempts to hack into the container but is rebuffed. Hmm.

[7] When the clever way fails, Yagyu moves on to the crafty way. He checks the box over for any tampering countermeasures and carefully disconnects the thermite bomb attached near the rear hinges. That done, he severs the lock with a bit of careful laser application and lifts the lid. Within the box is a layer of protective foam, a shrink wrapped capsule, more foam in side that, and finally a metal tube. He twists an endcap off that and pulls out a rack of what look like thick slices of glass. These miniture slabs are about 6 inches tall and 4 wide and 2 thick, perfectly clear except for a sort glittery haze. That haze seems most dense in the center and fades out towards the edges. Closer examination reveals the haze to actually be a massively complex network of golden wires each several times thinner than a human hair. The slabs are featureless except for a small alphanumeric code inscribed on one face.


Yagyu's alarm goes off.

293
Roll To Dodge / Re: MOOK: Fixer upper
« on: May 13, 2021, 09:44:43 am »
Quote from: King Zultan on May 11, 2021, 05:13:16 am
"Hey Yagyu you know that weird thing you were picking up is the same Hz as human theta brain waves."
Keep looking on the internet for any additional info on that institute of human advancement.
Spoiler: Is finally dead, spoiler is only around to keep track of stats and inventory. (click to show/hide)
[4]
Information is easy to find as it turns out, though a large amount of it is of...questionable. The institute's connection, or supposed connection, to the disaster is well known enough that it has given rise to a vast amount of speculation and conspiracy theories regarding the origin of the disaster and the purpose of the research there. The official information is actually more sparse that what the team was told in the beginnign briefing and a lot of the theories regarding the disaster are undermined by the information known as well as...common sense. The best Burt can find is some complied interviews with former staff that were not caught up in the disaster. Though interesting these don't seem to really shed any new light on the events...at least not right now.

Quote from: The Lupanian on May 11, 2021, 11:34:35 am
Well, might as well loot. Look around for anything that might be sellable at the Bazaar. Check the hangar and the offices.
Spoiler: Ji (click to show/hide)
[3]
The best Ji can find in terms of lootables is a few small boxes of antiquated electronics and mechanical parts as well as a small case of those little wing pins they used to give to kids riding the planes. Those are VERY old.

Quote from: syvarris on May 11, 2021, 11:04:14 am
"Alright, I'm low on ideas here.  The way I see it, we need some way to contact the scientist, which we might need to get into their intranet to do.  To get into the intranet, we either need to send some kinda vulnerable drone in, send a vulnerable team member in, or bribe someone local to give us access.  I'm not good at the whole "ambassador" thing, myself, unless it involves shooting and or hitting Xenos.  And I ain't waltzing into this place without artillery support.  So... yeah.  Not sure what else to do, though maybe I can get one of these camera drones in."

Would a hacked camera drone be able to connect to their intranet, if it flew up and got a physical connection?  Or maybe someone or other might connect a wireless device to it, which we could remotely connect through?  Ponder our options here; I'd like some way to get into their network without marching inside the compound.

Also, you know what, ask OMNIcorp for information on the scientist's old email address and whatnot.  I mean, people apparently have internet access, so maybe we can just send him a text saying "yo wassup?"

Spoiler: Sheet (click to show/hide)
Anything which could physically connect to the wires of the intranet would be able to broadcast from it.  That is the inherent issue though: getthing to those wires. Theres no map as to where they run (at least none in the data being accessed here, maybe old hospital construction records would say) but Wilred knows from the information intercepted on the public network that they do run though the tunnel network under the buildings. Those tunnels had all sorts of uses in the old hospital and are, from descripitions of them in conversations, now mostly used for storage and generally not patrolled or inhabited. The most effective means of reaching the intranet seems to be accessing those tunnels and then finding one of the cables down there. Blueprints of the hospital would be useful, as well as knowledge of any outside connections they had, like to sewer lines or maybe drainage into the river. Digging into the tunnels is another option, though obviously not as easy or potentially covert.

Quote from: Radio Controlled on May 11, 2021, 12:57:27 pm
Go read the data that Bob just unlocked, make a copy to my computing cube if possible. Maybe cross-correlate the findings with whatever EdPC gleans from the flight record.

Then go check out the other two planes and see if they have any secrets to divulge. If nothing of interest here, give those crates a scan.

EdPC in case of no post: check out flight record and see what's up.

Quote from: King Zultan on May 11, 2021, 05:13:16 am
"Hey Yagyu you know that weird thing you were picking up is the same Hz as human theta brain waves."

"That's weird but good to know, thanks. Hmm, theta waves are associated with sleeping. I swear, if all that we see or seem is but a dream within a dream I am going to be so pissed."


Spoiler: Yagyu d'Aubigny (click to show/hide)

The flight records and general data from the plane is rather boring as a whole, just as you'd expect such data to be. However, Yagyu is able- looking at it as a whole and picking out details- to gleen some interesting things.

First, these flights were not flukes or rarities. The institute was running regular flights out of this airport and had been for several years prior. Second their logs were spotty and suspitiously light on details. Cargo often times just noted as "Materials" or "Personnel",  pilot names were left blank, and the flight's origin was often recorded as simply "Foreign".  The plane's flight data and internal logs were more detailed but always written in what seemed to be coded language, exact contents and actions hidden behind euphemisms. "Organic testing supplies" and and the like which, with the right mindset, have a definite sinister tone.

[8] Yagyu's interpretation of all the data is this: The institue was using this airport- as opposed to the larger, more official one in detroit proper- to ship in materials that would otherwise not be able to be brought in. It was, smuggling things in for unknown purposes. Could they have been doing it to bypass laws? Or simply to remain confidential in their research? He already knows that the subject of their research was highly guarded and unknown to basically anyone outside of the upper echalons of the project. Its why this entire thing is such a mystery: no one knows what the hell they were doing.  But why?

The other planes reveal similar things on their recorders and data logs. The crates contain carefully packaged and sealed electronic components: huge circuit boards and wrapped in milky plastic and held in custom fitted foam. They have numbers and designations connected to them but their purpose isn't readily conprehensible. However, there is one final package that he finds aboard the "Ghost" plane that Bob restored. it was tucked in a corner of the cargo hold, apparently forgotten. Its only about the size of a large suitcase but is excessively robust and densely armored. Unlike the other metal crates this one is locked tight. [2] Yagyu isn't sure what the password for it would be either.

294
Roll To Dodge / Re: MOOK: Fixer upper
« on: May 10, 2021, 02:15:43 pm »
Quote from: NAV on May 09, 2021, 08:45:08 am
Keep an eye out for any airport vehicles. Like a baggage tug or airplane tug or broom truck or de-icing rig or motorized stairs or something. Should be some of those around, if they haven't completely rusted away to nothing.

Spoiler: Edward (click to show/hide)
[6]
A quick search does reveal an airplane tug sitting out to the side of the hanger. Its fairly heavily rusted and decayed but does start up, though with a great deal of protest.

Quote from: King Zultan on May 07, 2021, 03:56:12 am
"It turns out the logo on the plane is for that institute of human advancement thing, not sure if that helps or anything but we should at least search the plane."
See if I can find anything else on the internet that'll help the situation.
Spoiler: Is finally dead, spoiler is only around to keep track of stats and inventory. (click to show/hide)
[5] Burt searches around for something to correlate with the strange oscillation that Yagyu was picking up. He finds that the Hz of that oscillation matches with the Hz of human theta brain waves.

Quote from: The Lupanian on May 08, 2021, 04:07:58 pm
”If you guys are planning to knock out the Smiles’s power, do you think it might be smart to let the military know, incase they want to take advantage of the situation? It could earn us some brownie points with them.”
Search online for ways to kill ghosts
Spoiler: Ji (click to show/hide)
Because ghosts have, somewhat recently, become a demonstrable and occasionally homicidal phenomena there is actually a great deal of information. The quality of that information seems...variable though. [2] Ji has a hard time figuring out what is the correct information and what is bullshit. A lot of it contradicts. The best she can figure is that "occult" objects are needed.

Quote from: Ozarck on May 07, 2021, 08:06:17 pm
locate a functional battery of sufficient size to power the computer in the plane. Drag said battery to the plane. Attach battery to plane. Ignore battery's protests.

Spoiler: Team Mascot (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: things Bob did this mission (click to show/hide)

[4]
Bob hears the chug of an engine and promptly follows it over to where one of his teammates -he can't tell any of them apart- has found a machine!  He promptly steals the battery from that machine and drags it back over to the plane with some degree of difficulty.  He connects the battery to the plane's systems and then begins waiting patiently for someone to come over and read the information he's unlocked.  Because he can't read. Not because he's an alligator, because he got kicked out of grade school for political reasons (and biting the teacher).


Quote from: heydude6 on May 08, 2021, 04:44:05 pm
"If I'm going to be honest with you guys, taking the intranet down seems unnecessary. To me, it makes more sense to jack someone in there and have them access their system.

"Who knows what kind of stuff we'll find in the there. Could be blueprints, could be accounting reports, could be employee dossiers, info I'm sure some rival gang would be interested in purchasing. Besides paydata though, I imagine that jacking in will give us access to the security system which should at the very least allow us to pinpoint the exact location of our guy, though I'm sure you'll be able to do much more with it if you're creative enough. Especially if they have security robots.

"If we had access, we'd be probably be able to shut it down as well."


Assist Yagyu on his anomaly ponderings again.

Spoiler: Baldwin (click to show/hide)
Quote from: Radio Controlled on May 07, 2021, 07:57:26 am
Set a timer, make sure to be aware of when another event is getting closer to occurring (have plenty of leeway in case Yagyu's estimate if off). Warn peeps when it gets near.

Send the flight record to EdPC so he can try to decode it (unless he objects or there's a chance for ghostly contamination). Again though try to minimally disturb the environment for now.

For the plane computers, could we maybe hook it up to Burt's shield generator to provide power? It'd only need to power it for a little bit, we'd just want to download whatever flight data of black box info there is in there. Either way, also look around to see if there isn't some sort of battery lying around we could use (I think we'd rather not hook up our suits or EdPC in case of ghostly contamination).

(actually, I don't think we'd even need power to get to the black box data? Just hook it up and download it, supposing we can locate it?)

Can Yagyu intuit anything about what would happen if we eg. move crates around, would this interfere with the echo in some dangerous way? What about being in the airport when it triggers?


Spoiler: Yagyu d'Aubigny (click to show/hide)
Ok.

Ok

Already done, slowpoke

[2] Unknown. Its possible that the echo has little to do with the current arrentment of objects. After all, they've been decaying this whole time and thats gotta be a change from what they once were. Then again, maybe the shifted objects will be violently ripped back into position. Or maybe they'll  phase out and back in. Or maybe they'll "rewind" back into position. Or maybe the echo was broken the moment things were moved. Yagyu really isn't sure.

295
Roll To Dodge / Re: MOOK: Fixer upper
« on: May 06, 2021, 04:08:24 pm »
Quote from: King Zultan on May 05, 2021, 05:47:36 am
Contemplate the logo and see if I can't figure out what it means, if that fails use the internet.
Spoiler: Is finally dead, spoiler is only around to keep track of stats and inventory. (click to show/hide)
[5] Burt remembers the logo from the briefing, though it only appeared for a moment. Its the logo of The Neo-Detroit Institute of Human Advancement.




Quote from: heydude6 on May 05, 2021, 10:32:27 am
"Did you see any mechs? Supposedly our guy is their mech specialist so there should be a few walking around. Don't forget part two of the plan (ie. hack random shit). With an army like this, it seems like subterfuge is mandatory. Maybe we can transfer Burt's consciousness into some key piece of infrastructure and sabotage it? Someone is going to have to repair it. If we're really lucky, we can upload Burt into one of their own mechs and attempt the first plan."


Assist Yagyu on his anomaly ponderings. Accompany him to the hangar. Keep a decent distance from anything that my watch may detect.

"So what exactly are we trying to do here? Find an artifact?"

Spoiler: Baldwin (click to show/hide)
Quote from: Radio Controlled on May 05, 2021, 08:13:39 am
"Hey Burt, if you can't find out what that logo means maybe you can ask command to look into it? Run a background check and all that."

"Alright gang, let's look around for clues and see what's up. Try not to break anything before we know what it might mean, and I suggest you stay on your guard and be ready to leave the airport grounds when the next ghostplane event triggers. I dunno what would happen if we interact with the temporal echo, but I for one am not yet ready to find out first hand before we know more."

By putting together this recent event and past observations of ghostplane, try to figure out when the next occurrence will be, or what conditions trigger an event. Or at least if there is some sort of warning we can look out for before it really starts.

Leave EdPC at the edge of the anomalous zone and go in. Try to use the hole Bob made (or go through where the fence is down) and for now try not to touch or disturb too many things, just take a closer look at the areas of interest. Give flares to teammates if they want some, and use some myself to light the way. Also use scanner to gather extra info.

Note, if you want me to choose a thing to investigate first, then start with the hangar (Bob has the plane covered for now I guess, lol). 

Quote from: syvarris on May 05, 2021, 07:32:46 am
snippety

((Damn, I laughed at this one, nice.  :D ))

Spoiler: Yagyu d'Aubigny (click to show/hide)
[9] Its more of a guess or gut feeling, but Yagyu feels like these events will likely recur on a semi-regular basis. However, the stories about this place only seem to state that this happens during the night, so chances are it will have a "window" somewhere between sunset and sunrise where it occurs. How many times it occurs he's not sure. Again, another guess, but maybe every 90 minutes or something similar? Signs of starting would likely be transient or weak double exposure phenomena which then strengthens into the full event.

Yagyu, Baldwin, and assumedly a small group of other people, follow Bob's path of destruction into the airfield and begin searching around. They search the hanger first. There are two other planes in there, both in better condition than the one outside but still badly degraded. One has the same logo as the other plane, while the third is a logo of a globe with an arrow shooting around its circumference: a mail service no doubt. Beyond the planes are several metal crates with that same logo stamped on them, all tightly sealed.  The group searches through the main building, through the rotten departure lounges, through the employees only rooms, through the tower, and finds little of interest. About the best they find is what seems like an electronic record of flights that came through, though its encoded.

Examination of the area with an eye for the impossible yields...surprisingly little. There's transient residue of the strange events but nothing about this place seems, at least right now, any different than anywhere else in the disaster zone. That is to say, a little weird, but nothing worth writing home about.



Quote from: Ozarck on May 05, 2021, 05:01:37 am
Plan Atomic Man Airplane Renovation go! First, waddle around and find as many cinder blocks as I can to prop the plane on, New Detroit style. Then, if i have time this turn, waddle into the hangars and find any and all spare landing gear and supplies i can get my teeth and tentacles on and haul them out to the wreckage. Then locate the damaged parts of the plane's landing gear and remove them, whether via tentacle or spiderbot (well, if the spiderbot is needed, I guess it will be next turn since I can only use one body per turn). It's okay if I only get through part of this action this turn. Can't rush a good renovation.

Spoiler: Team Mascot (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: things Bob did this mission (click to show/hide)
[5]
Bob begins the completely hopeless mission of repairing the plane.  He definitely can't get it up on cinderblocks, nor does the hanger have anywhere near the spare parts needed to repair it. After some examination he does, however, think there are enough supplies for him to get the plane's electronic systems back online. Which is honestly about the best he can do without a full shop and supply lines. 

After a good 30 or 45 minutes he slams  a panel closed with his tail and nods. The computers inside this hunk of junk are now operable at least. Though they'll probably need a new battery and someone to actually turn them on...








Quote from: syvarris on May 05, 2021, 07:32:46 am
"Alright, I have bad news.  The Smiles are not your run of the mill gang, we're more of a gang than them.  This place looks like a fucking military base, and they have an entire power grid fuelled by the local dam.  It's a helluva thing, fuck Derp.  Long story short, I don't see us fighting our way in and out without a lot more firepower.  We'd have a helluva time finding our guy, even then.  Infiltration might work, I do have a horrifying sexflesh abomination here with me, but even that would be a long shot.  Our best chance would be attacking their dam, shutting down power somehow, then trying to find our scientist in the confusion.  And that'd require precision, teamwork, and competence--great weaknesses of ours."

Wilfred sighs heavily over the radio.  "We might have to resort to diplomacy."

Start scanning for wireless signals.  Do these people have anything like a local net?  Something that could be hacked into and searched for information on our target?

Spoiler: Sheet (click to show/hide)
Wilfred has Sam take the Silverfish back a bit and down into the trees on the other side of the river, just so no one catches sight of their fat chrome plated ass as they hang around attempting to hack into the hospital's systems.
[8]
A scan of the area's signals reveals a few things.

1. There are a lot of signals around here; enough to rival a densely packed city block. Hundreds of  them really.  Most appear to belong to individuals or small groups inside the compound; their personal devices connecting to wireless signals of the wider world instead of any sort of official system. 

2. Searching through the available personal systems reveals something important: The hospital has an intranet. Its entirely wired, no broadcasted signals, just cables running between important computers and servers all around the complex. Apparently its not a creation of the Smiles, but actually the old Hospital's intranet system they're just using. Its cables are built into the walls and underground sections of the buildings themselves, not hanging overhead.

3. This intranet is the core of the entire complex's organization. Motor pool, communications, logistics, maps, Armory, everything is organized and contacted using this intranet as its core. Taking that down will, at least for a time, cripple their organizational capacities.

296
Roll To Dodge / Re: MOOK: Fixer upper
« on: May 04, 2021, 05:54:27 pm »
Team Airport Shenanigans

Quote from: The Lupanian on May 04, 2021, 10:16:14 am
Consider whether my guns can shoot ghosts or not.
Spoiler: Ji (click to show/hide)
[3]
Ji is pretty sure her guns cannot harm spirits. Well...maybe the experimental gun had some kind of ghost killing ammo but...that's kind of impossible to know one way or another.

Quote from: NAV on May 03, 2021, 10:26:53 am
See if I can detect anything strange with my anomaly watch. Try to film a ghosty plane and examine the footage. Try to use motion detector on a ghosty plane or some other moving ghosty object and see if it detects.

Spoiler: Edward (click to show/hide)
We'll assume you tired this when it first happened because its not happing now and it won't happen again for [Unknown] hours.

During the entire process the detector did detect something. In standard mode it pointed an arrow towards the field and displayed a magnitude of 7.9.  The scale goes to 10 but appears to be logarithmic.  Now the watch is detecting random things, its arrow spinning to pick out unseen phenomena that seem to be blinking into and out of existence in the distance. None rate more than a 1.5 on the scale.

The motion detector DOES pick up movement from the ghostly plane- it isn't a simple hallucination.

Quote from: King Zultan on May 02, 2021, 05:12:20 am
"Well damn, I guess I'll just sit here and think happy thoughts, wonder if I could borrow the Pushbot at some point in the future?"
Sit and see if I can learn anything while being stuck inside the car.
Spoiler: Is finally dead, spoiler is only around to keep track of stats and inventory. (click to show/hide)
Burt does have access to all the car's cameras and capacities, assuming the dominant force of the EdPC doesn't slap his ghostly hands away. [4] He does a quick search using the EdPC's internet, trying to find out more info about this place.

According to what he can find the place was actually still operating right up until the end, but on a very limited basis. Private craft. VIP's wanting to land somewhere other than the main airport, occasional military planes, shipping companies, etc. As he searches through images he finds one of the runway with a plane landing on it. The plane has a rather distinct logo, though you're not sure what for.

Quote from: Radio Controlled on May 03, 2021, 03:36:28 am
Those standard kit flares, can I shoot them using the ferromagnetic accelerator (and without damaging it)?

If yes, then light one and shoot it over the airfield to illuminate it and take a better look at what is going on. Do this a few times if needed to get a good illumination, we have quite a few spare flares. I’m willing to get a little closer to take the shot if needed (dunno what the range is on this weapon) but don’t get onto the airport itself.

Once illuminated, take a closer look at what is going on. Use scanner to gather more information.

EdPC: use the main gun to fire a flare round if Yagyu’s plan fails or doesn’t illuminate properly. Also use the SPOT! light if it helps. Since currently a regular round is loaded, have pushbot unload it, load in a flare, then reload after shooting the flare (assuming thid wouldn't 'waste' the regular shell, if it would then disregard for now).

"If one of you could send in a drone of sorts to take a closer look, that'd be nice. If not we can shoot one using EdPC but those are in short supply."


Spoiler: Yagyu d'Aubigny (click to show/hide)
Yagyu tests if he can fire a flare. The answer is "Sort of". The flare does have usable magnetic metal inside it, but not very much. Firing it any real distance would be difficult without tearing it apart. However, there is an alternative. He finds a rock that he thinks is roughly the weight of the flare and gives it a hard toss. [8] It is hard to tell where it goes, but the arc  it takes while still visible is promising. So he lights a flare and hurls it out into the airport.  The flare tumbles through the night and [5] lands squarely atop the rusted hulk of the  airplane that seemed to have just landed, illuminating it and everything nearby.  The EdPC turns its spotlight around  and uses it to illuminate a strip between the flickering red island of flare light and the road they're currently standing on.

[9]

The layout of the airport is rather simple: The actual airfield itself is in the center, with the majority of buildings off along the western edge and a few scattered buildings on the east and south edges. The buildings are all quite minimal, simple metal hangers and prefab buildings squatting on wide slabs of cracked and grass riddled concrete. It is clear that this place was once far larger, as the area before the buildings proper is a vast expanse of dirt and rust coated concrete and badly degraded parking lots. Beyond these are the main buildings themselves, with the largest of them being a long, low, almost hanger like building running north to south.  A chain-link fence topped with barbed wire encloses the entire area, though it has fallen here and there. There areas of interest that Yagyu can pick out are the plane, of course, along with the three hangers near it. The only "Gate", which the plane was heading towards, as well as the tower connected to it are potentially interesting. The museum on the east edge of the airport might have something worth stealing, but probably won't tell them much about what's going on.

No sign of any people or animals, aside from some dragonflies zipping around above standing water in a drainage ditch.



Quote from: Ozarck on May 02, 2021, 12:26:38 am
Those rusty airplanes ain't gonna buff themselves. Waddle into the darkness. Keep an eye out for equipment in need of repair, especially facilities related stuff like plumbing, electrical lines, etc. Also, keep an eye out for BIG SNACK. They seem to like the darkness.
Spoiler: Team Mascot (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: things Bob did this mission (click to show/hide)
Bob, fearless as ever, waddles forward and immediately tumbles down the grassy embankment. He rights himself at the bottom with slow and laborious dignity and then scrambles out as the flare flies in over his head and illuminates the area.  He reaches the outer chain-link fence [6] and bashes straight through with complete abandon, knocking it over with his prodigious scaly girth.  He scrambles across the overgrown yard and onto the concrete, slither running across the vast expanse of industrial nothing until he reaches the main building. Nothing seems to happen out of the ordinary.

The entire place is in desperate need of repair: it was clearly ancient even when the disaster happened but now its a rusted shell of itself. The windows are all broken, the steel walls brown and orange with rust. The focal point, the old plane, is laying there like a beached whale. Its landing gear are snapped and its resting on its belly, one wing snapped off and the other pointing up into the air. Gleaming aluminum is somehow corroded and blackened but even still, the logo on the plane's side is still visible. Its a man, or at least the upper half of a man, with what appears to be a corona made of the interlocking circles of a Bohr atomic model.


Team Nerd Nabbing
Quote from: heydude6 on May 02, 2021, 01:51:25 pm
"Well, that's all I have time for here. I have another engagement to head towards unless someone here wants to fly the silverfish in my place."

Baldwin radios to Wilfred and agrees on a rendezvous point a safe distance from smile's territory. He then takes the silverfish and flies it so he can pick up Wilfred. (Sam too if there is space for her).

They will fly high into the sky and try to obtain a bird's eye view of the area. Focus on these targets in particular:

Spoiler: Targets (click to show/hide)

EDIT: Wilfred will then drop him off at the airport


"So to tell you the truth Will, I think the guys at the airport need someone with my set of skills. This thing isn't too hard to fly, so do you think Sam can pilot it in my place? She can drop me off and then it will just be the two of you."

Spoiler: Baldwin (click to show/hide)
Quote from: syvarris on May 02, 2021, 06:01:02 am
((Quick post, not sure what to do yet.  Will almost certainly edit.))

"Hey, we've ran into a Smiles barricade.  Armored vehicles, infantry, a lot of them.  Apparently these guys have an entire working power grid!  But we're not getting in there unnoticed unless we fly.  Maybe not even then."

Zoom in on the infantry.  What level of armament do they have?  Anything that looks dangerous to my hardsuit?  Rockets, explosives, etc?  How good is their equipment besides; do they have real armor?  Night vision equipment?

Edit: After sizing up the smiles, give them a friendly little wave then just leave and go back the way we came.  Find an area to rendezvous with Baldwin in the Silverfish, and have it pick Wilfred up (still in his hardsuit, as cargo) while SAM flies.  Plan is to drop off Baldwin with the airport team, then head back to Smiles territory.  Fly in from the north side, though.

Spoiler: Sheet (click to show/hide)
Quote from: ANGRY_DEMON_NOISES on May 02, 2021, 11:43:18 am
"That's a whole lot of smiles Willfrederick, kinda wishing we brought Pathos or Wagyu Steak here."

SAM will use her medical knowledge to ascertain the state of the Smiles. Are they a half-starved militia of child soldiers? An army of elite superman? Or maybe something in between like a regiment of scurvy riddled young adults.

EDIT: Guess SAM will pilot the thing, evolve some wings or gliders in case she fails at that and needs to bail.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)
Sam and Wilfred both examine their would be targets. They appear to mostly be young men, late teens and early to mid twenties, with a few older men in what seem like leadership positions among the groups. Most are wearing normal street clothing, usually without even so much as a helmet for protection, but a few are in vests and one -a gunner in the back of a truck, is wearing what looks like a bomb disposal tech's suit complete with huge ballistic collar.  As per weapons, those are highly varied. Most seem to have a rifle at least, often times with multiple hand guns secured around their person as well. There are two RPGs  that they can see, along with the previously mention truck which looks like it has a mounted laser with giant battery packs filling most of the truck bed around it.  The majority of their arms are beneath the notice of the hardsuit...but a few in there could be trouble.  And that's only what's visible.

Sam and Wilfred wave to the blockade and jet back out of the city, heading back the way they came. A truck follows them for a few blocks, keeping a respectable distance, but doesn't follow them beyond the bounds of downtown.  They rendezvous with Baldwin and the Silverfish a few miles out, in an overgrown park, and go through the motions of flying back to the airfield. The silverfish can indeed carry the armored suit -a rather impressive feat considering its size and weight- though doing so slows it down and lowers its vertical ceiling considerably. So when they are making their return, circling around towards the north, they have to fly even lower to stay out of everyone's sight.

From the north the previously obscured university hospital is far more visible. It is a massive complex, at least 5 huge buildings, each 7 or 8 stories tall. They're blocky, almost castle like with protrusions that look like battlements and towers; a modern day fortress of concrete.  Hundreds of electrical cables cover the place, stretching from the main building out across the grounds and beyond, into open windows or crudely drilled holes. There are hundreds of people just in the open spaces between the buildings. It looks more like the army base than a gang hive, complete with motor pools and organized supply depots. All or at least most of the buildings are lit and the place shines like a white diamond against the ashen world beyond.

The Huron runs to the east of the complex, skirting its outer walls and then curving away and heading further east. The dam extends out from the hospital complex, Near two helipads and a parking lot along the north west edge. The dam itself is a huge wall of steel and concrete topped with a medusa's mane of cables and transformers that feed power back into the main building. It is at once both ramshackle and impressive; the work of someone with great knowledge and terrible tools. 

297
Roll To Dodge / Re: MOOK: Fixer upper
« on: May 01, 2021, 07:26:34 pm »
Team Airport Shenanigans
Quote from: heydude6 on April 27, 2021, 10:34:14 pm
Quote from: heydude6 on April 26, 2021, 03:52:29 pm
Then ask the Artifact vendors about the kinds of people who usually buy such expensive trinkets. They wouldn't set the price so high if no one ever bought them. I want to find out more about them.

You didn't cover this part of my action. You checked the gun's connection to H.E.L.L, but you didn't interview the merchant.


With no real plan and a lack of essential materials for recon, Baldwin chooses to remain in the EDPC and head with his team towards the airport. Surely he'll be able to find parachutes there! The Silverfish is still mounted on top of the vehicle anyway.

1. In response to the supernatural sight, Baldwin checks his watch for any info. Did it give off any anomalous readings prior to the plane's disappearance? If it didn't then perhaps this isn't an anomaly after all and may instead be honest to goodness ghosts! Surely an occult expert would be able to tell the difference (ie. roll occult to try to determine if these ghosts have any connection to H.E.L.L)

2. Also check the time and the moon phase. Maybe this plane appeared as a result of the clock striking midnight or something like that? Maybe it's a full moon?

3. Look around the area with my newly found binoculars.

Spoiler: Baldwin (click to show/hide)

People buying artifacts tend to be artifact hunters or disaster tourists looking for souvenirs. Occasionally private buyers looking for something specific to carry away quietly, without military knowledge.  The price of these things is quite high but not unreasonably so, they say, considering what people will often pay for them. Get your own artifacts out there and you'll make your fortune soon enough.

1. During the entire process the detector did detect something. In standard mode it pointed an arrow towards the field and displayed a magnitude of 7.9.  The scale goes to 10 but appears to be logarithmic. [6] Occult knowledge leads Baldwin to believe this is a temporal anomaly. The plane and the area exist but what Baldwin saw was clearly their actions and existence at two different times: The present and some point in the past. Knowledge of the rumors surrounding this place indicate that this same scene, or something like it, has played out before to others. A loop then.  He sets his watch to count the time between iterations.

2. Moon phase is unknown, clouds are too thick, but the time is 8:32 PM.

3. The area, now unlit by the phantom double exposure, is pitch black. In fact almost everything around here is. The closest lights, not counting those of the EdPC are several miles away.  A flare or something would help.

Quote from: Radio Controlled on April 28, 2021, 03:32:44 am
"Hey Pathos, could you give that area a quick scan with your fancy new peepers and see what you can find?"

Keep one of the wristwatches for now since nobody on our team asked for one yet. Use it, and the environment scanner, to try and get more information on what is going on there. Also try turning on the biorhythm tracker to see if it picks up on anything. 


Spoiler: Yagyu d'Aubigny (click to show/hide)
Scans reveal much of what Baldwin discovered, with two additions. First, a general very low level of electrical charge seems to be hanging over the entire area. The sort you'd expect during a lightning storm: nothing concentrated just sort of everywhere. Second, and this only seemed to occur during the event, the biorhythm sensor seems to be picking up interference of some kind. It displays a slowly throbbing pulse in the 5 or 6 Hz range and nothing else. No localization, no focus, just all around.

Quote from: King Zultan on April 28, 2021, 04:17:10 am
"Oh god I'm dead and I'm in the car, oh shit what am I gonna do."
See if there is some way for me to interact with the outside world, that doesn't involve shooting it.
Spoiler: Is finally dead, spoiler is only around to keep track of stats and inventory. (click to show/hide)

The only possible way to interact meaningfully with the outside world that Burt can find is the "Pushbot" that someone has placed in the EdPC.

Quote from: NAV on April 28, 2021, 09:36:42 am
Consider

Spoiler: Edward (click to show/hide)
[2]
If cannibalism is illegal, is biting your nails a crime?

Hmmm.

Quote from: The Lupanian on April 30, 2021, 05:26:17 pm
Comb the net to see if there’s any info about the airport anomaly at all. 
Spoiler: Ji (click to show/hide)
[?]
According to the sites Ji can find, the airport is haunted. By who varies, but generally some kind of world war 2 spirit like a dead airman or something like that.



Team Nerd Nabbing
Quote from: syvarris on April 28, 2021, 01:49:41 pm
Quote from: heydude6 on April 26, 2021, 03:52:29 pm
Operation: Mile-High Recon[/b]

Phase One will involve two us getting in the dragonfly and flying around central Anne Harbour to take in the sights. Our altitude should be high enough such that we will only look like a small dot in the sky. Key things to look out for will include military vehicles, guard patrols, large clusters of Smiles members, anti-air defenses (I don't expect them to have such a things since I expect aircraft to be a very rare occurrence here), training camps, and seemingly safe places to land that are near the hospital. I also have an interest in seeing their farms and how their society is run along the river. And the hospital obviously.

Phase two will involve hacking into their communications and other electronic data stuff. We need as much info as possible. That mean's we're going to need to bring a tech guy on board our flying machine. Do we have anybody like that? In a perfect scenario, we'd be able to hack into some device in the hospital and be able to communicate with our guy directly though that, but I doubt Piecewise will make it that easy. Be on the lookout for any gliders as well.

Now this isn't a complete plan, but hopefully after this we will have everything we need to come up with a proper one.))

((This is a good plan, and Wilfred has the tech to try hacking.  It sounds like he can be carried as cargo in the silverfish, and the hardsuit doesn't need a parachute due to possessing jump jets.  Unfortunately, you seem to have decided to leave with the airport team, so...  ::) ))

"Ugh, alright.  I can't fit in that thing to fly it, so whichever two of you chucklefucks decide you want to help scout, fly it over towards the hospital once you're ready.  We'll rendezvous by radio."

Does the hardsuit have built-in binocular abilities?  Oh, and snag the second anomaly detection watch from Yagyu before he leaves.

Start skimming towards the hospital, by way of M14.  Keep an eye on the anomaly watch, and scan for radio signals of any kind.  Basically just keep alert for danger while traveling.

Spoiler: Sheet (click to show/hide)
Yes. And Ok.

Quote from: ANGRY_DEMON_NOISES on April 28, 2021, 02:09:13 pm
"I didn't major in no tech shit, so I guess I'm just gonna cling to ya Wilfried Chicken. When we get to the hospital do you'll think they'll have any bodies in there? I'm starving man."

SAM will jump on top of Wilfred's head like a cat, a horse-sized chitinous swiss wet dream cat, but a cat nonetheless. a cat who doesn't want to walk while there's a perfectly good clanker around to carry her

Spoiler (click to show/hide)



Wilfred and his frightening hat head north, deeper into the city and towards the University of Michigan hospital.  He follows side streets and tries to remain in relatively abandoned areas, keeping his ear on the radio as he advances. Around William street it becomes impossible to continue avoiding populated areas and so he simply skims through quickly, ignoring the glowing windows and dark shadows gazing out on him. He's officially in downtown now; the homes from before are replaced by the ruins of businesses and official buildings, poorly maintained but generally not overgrown. Banners and graffiti hang here and there displaying smiling faces and there are at least a dozen men wearing the emblem that he sees in his rapid push north. He reaches Huron street, traveling up Main Street past what appear to be shopfronts converted into tenements, and pauses to look to the east, towards the Hospital and the river. That entire area is lit up. Not like the orange haze which hovers over this area, smoke and flame from gasoline lanterns, instead its the white glow of electric lights. Distant rumble of machinery can be heard, along with the roar of water. Electrical lines hang over the entire area like cobwebs, all originating in a giant metal tower growing out of the hospital buildings already impressive height.

Down the road are at least two dozen smiles with an armor truck parked sideways across the road. They're eyeing Wilfred but aren't engaging yet.  A quick check of other roads near by shows similar blockages and guards spread out in a semicircle encompassing several blocks around the hospital.

298
Roll To Dodge / Re: MOOK: Fixer upper
« on: April 27, 2021, 09:26:40 pm »
Quote from: heydude6 on April 26, 2021, 03:52:29 pm
((So I just looked at the Interactive Map. There's a lot of good info in there actually.

There are two things that stuck out to me:

1. The university Hospital (ie. the place where our guy is kept), is located next to river. Not directly adjacent to it, but pretty close.

2. The place for my sidequest is pretty far into the orange zone. It is something that can be done later.

As useful as this info is, it's now clear to me that we need more. It would be useful to know things like the layout of the hospital and where our guy is kept, as well as what the security of the Smile's is like deeper into the town. As well as along the river.

With this in mind, here is what I think our next step should be:

Operation: Mile-High Recon

Phase One will involve two us getting in the dragonfly and flying around central Anne Harbour to take in the sights. Our altitude should be high enough such that we will only look like a small dot in the sky. Key things to look out for will include military vehicles, guard patrols, large clusters of Smiles members, anti-air defenses (I don't expect them to have such a things since I expect aircraft to be a very rare occurrence here), training camps, and seemingly safe places to land that are near the hospital. I also have an interest in seeing their farms and how their society is run along the river. And the hospital obviously.

Phase two will involve hacking into their communications and other electronic data stuff. We need as much info as possible. That mean's we're going to need to bring a tech guy on board our flying machine. Do we have anybody like that? In a perfect scenario, we'd be able to hack into some device in the hospital and be able to communicate with our guy directly though that, but I doubt Piecewise will make it that easy. Be on the lookout for any gliders as well.

Now this isn't a complete plan, but hopefully after this we will have everything we need to come up with a proper one.))


Use occult to ponder whether the flesh zapper has any connection to H.E.L.L. Then ask the Artifact vendors about the kinds of people who usually buy such expensive trinkets. They wouldn't set the price so high if no one ever bought them. I want to find out more about them.

Afterwards, buy two parachutes, as well as a pair of high-powered binoculars (Or a high-powered sniper scope). Trade in my fancy airpods.

Actually, let me check if my team already has binoculars or an equivalent.

"Guys, do you have binoculars or an equivalent?"

Spoiler: Baldwin (click to show/hide)
[2] Baldwin can understand nothing about the gun other than it contains a fragile darkness.
You should mark down how much money you have. Megabucks I mean.

Baldwin gets himself a pair of military grade electronic binos for 120 megabucks. He trades the "Airpods" for 20. Parachutes, at least ready made ones, are not available.

Quote from: NAV on April 27, 2021, 10:40:23 am
Sell 4 Nutrient Paste. Buy the anomaly watch.

Mosey back to the EdPC, slowly enough that they kinda want to leave without me but just quicklu enough that they don't actually leave without me.

Spoiler: Edward (click to show/hide)
Done.


Doooo....ooooo....ooooo...nnnnnn....eeee


Quote from: Radio Controlled on April 27, 2021, 07:48:48 am
"Ok, we now have 2 more anomaly detection watches. Do any of you on team ghostplane want one? I'll expect you to be careful with it and to inform your allies when you spot something suspicious."

Action still the same, go check out the airport, be careful going there and stop a ways out so we can observe. Maybe ask the guide if he has any more intel or rumors regarding what is going on there.

Is Yagyu aware that Burt is in EdPC, and can he talk to him? If yes, explain to him what happened.

Can we say then that Yagyu took/found a small sample of Bob for tracking purposes?

Spoiler: Yagyu d'Aubigny (click to show/hide)
OK.

Yes.

Sure.





The EdPC, with its cargo of well meaning looters heads off, traveling south until they hit the 94 and then out towards the Willow run Airport. The ride is, for the most part, quiet. The 94 traces the edge of the former city and at this point is far beyond the truly inhabited sections. The road is dark and abandoned, but for the most part in relatively good shape. There is one section where the EdPC has to detour off into  the surface streets to bypass a collapsed overpass, but otherwise the drive is almost entirely uneventful. At one point there is the distinct plink of small arms fire against the armor but it ends before anyone can even realize what it was and never comes again.

Willow Run - according to the guide - was nearly abandoned even before the disaster; a relic of the second world war that had been swallowed up by the expanding cities and outshined by the new air and space ports. When the disaster happened it was servicing only a handful of freight aircraft and occasional private planes.  That makes its current state all the stranger: As the EdPC arrives, coming up along the 12 and parking with a somewhat unrestricted view over the airport grounds, the darkness fades away. Lights slowly rise, growing brighter and brighter until the entire runway  and buildings around it are lit up. The entire place, visible from a distance, has an odd haze over it, as though being viewed through a Vaseline blurred lens. It has an air of compete unreality, a double exposure with fresh tarmac and cracked overgrown concrete occupying the same space.  Unbroken broken windows shine with utter darkness, abandoned buildings filled with the shadows of people. And then spotlights pierce the night, swinging wide and into the air. A plane is coming down, gliding in under its own power, shiny and rotten with rust all at the same time. The double exposure hurts to look at, cognitive dissonance crystalized. A wingless aluminum derelict glides down on shining wings and touches down softly.  It rolls a bit and then, as it turns towards the gate to disembark passengers, the lights flash out.  And now there is only darkness in that great expanse, a void which might -terrifyingly- contain anything.

299
Roll To Dodge / Re: MOOK: Fixer upper
« on: April 26, 2021, 02:52:03 pm »
Quote from: ANGRY_DEMON_NOISES on April 22, 2021, 08:19:43 pm
KNOW WHAT TIME IT IS? TIME TO TRY AGAIN, SAME AS IT EVER, SAME AS IT EVER WAS, SAME AS IT EVER WAS

Spoiler (click to show/hide)
[3]
Sam takes the form of some kind of only vaguely phallic beast. Something a swiss weirdo might draw.  Frightening, erotic, potentially copyright infringing.

Quote from: King Zultan on April 23, 2021, 02:56:33 am
"What the fuck just happened, why can't I feel anything?"
Curl into a small ball and be sad until I know what's happening.
Spoiler: Is finally dead, spoiler is only around to keep track of stats and inventory. (click to show/hide)
Burt attempts to curl into a ball, but cannot do so as he has no body and is just a mass of data on a hard drive. He speaks out through the internal speakers of the EdPC. Whether anyone responds, I'm not really sure.

Have you ever played Soma? Never mind.

Quote from: heydude6 on April 23, 2021, 12:21:00 pm
"Hey Sam, I found a note that's got directions to a shady meet-up spot. Wanna come with and possibly crack some skulls? We'll probably get some drug money, or possibly even drugs."

"Also, if anyone else wants to come, feel free to join."

Head off to the address in the note with my team, assuming I have one.

EDIT: Since nobody wants to join. New action.

Go window shopping. Look for camera drones, bodyguards, as well as artifacts. I'll decide if I'll make a purchase after I see the options and their prices. Also, check if there is a casino.

Spoiler: Baldwin (click to show/hide)
Camera drones are fairly common, all of them obviously captured and reprogrammed. Most don't even bother to spray over the original markings and so the display racks are a cacophony of corporate colors.  Bodyguards are slightly less common; there's no helpful recruiting station but it seems like almost anyone here would be willing and likely able if well compensated. Everyone, aside from the sellers, has that rough and tumble look to them. Very rugged, very potentially homicidal.   Artifacts are where things get interesting. There doesn't seem to be a huge market for selling them to people, but there are signs advertising buying artifacts on almost every stall, complete with assurances of best prices.  The artifacts that are being sold are generally displayed almost like jewelry: sparse, separated, boxed, and generally tightly guarded by the look of it. Some look like bits of random debris -rocks, bits of metal, polished glass- while others have a more unearthly appearance, like clouds trapped in plastic spheres or what looks like a snowflake the size of a man's hand, constantly shifting between frozen fractal shapes. The one that seems the most interesting is a toy laser gun which appears to have living tissue inside it, peeking out through clear colored plastic and screw holes. Its price is nearly a million megabucks.

Quote from: syvarris on April 23, 2021, 02:25:37 pm
"Yeah yeah yeah, sounds fine to me.  I can yell at people.  Fuck Derp, last mission I made someone save a security team member's life!  Now, which of you fools can fly the drone, and which of you can shoot the gun?"

I want to make the drone automated.  No tech rolls for using it, ideally, because Wilfred will not have tech soon.

Can Wilfred ride in the Silverfish, while wearing his hardsuit?  Or would he be too heavy?  And what stat is used for flying it?  Is it intuitive enough to control that it doesn't need rolls for simple stuff?

And the address Baldwin found.  Is it in the direction of Smiles territory, or would it be leading off somewhere random?

Oh, Wilfred will see if he can grab some kind of living creature.  A random lizard would do.  For use with Yagyu's bio tracker thingy.  Maybe grab Bob and toss him over a shoulder, he'd do fine.

((*syvarris looks at the post above his*))
((...))

Wilfred suddenly notices Baldwin waving around a dirty napkin containing a nebulous promise.  "Hey, where the fuck are you running off to?  We've got a mission!"

Spoiler: Sheet (click to show/hide)
1. Ok. It responds to instructions, though anything very complex and the drone itself will roll to understand. it rolls d6.
2. The weight limit in the guidebook indicates it can lift that much, theoretically, but his hardsuit would in no way fit in the cramped cockpit. It uses Tech for complex actions, but is user friendly enough to fly without rolls most of the time.
3. The address is a real place on the map. Its in the orange zone, near the intersection of the 96 and Telegraph. I've marked it on the interactive map. Heading off somewhere random.
4. Wilfred snatches up bob and tosses the very random lizard over his shoulder.

Quote from: NAV on April 23, 2021, 03:29:45 pm
I want one of those anomaly watches. Costs 600.

Sell my generic sidearm + ammo for 500.

Check how much megabucks i can sell my crap for:
-nutrient paste
-toolkit charge
-medikit charge
-hammer
OMNITECH Omni-eye camera
OMNITECH "Omni-fun" VR System
OMNITECH Laser Trip Sensor
OMNITECH Motion Sensor
OMNITECH Omni-light
OMNITECH Null Rod
OMNITECH Analog Hand
OMNITECH Mental Purgant

Also see if the bazaar is selling any scrap bits of kevlar or other good armour materials. Want to reinforce my armoured space suit and my shield for more protection. Y'know, as their respective modifications.


Spoiler: Edward (click to show/hide)
Code: [Select]
-nutrient paste (25)
-toolkit charge (50)
-medikit charge (80)
-hammer (10)
OMNITECH Omni-eye camera (40)
OMNITECH "Omni-fun" VR System (35)
OMNITECH Laser Trip Sensor (60)
OMNITECH Motion Sensor (75)
OMNITECH Omni-light (45)
OMNITECH Null Rod (15)
OMNITECH Analog Hand (30)
OMNITECH Mental Purgant (100)
Sold Gun and ammo.

The armor being sold here seems to be of a more...medieval variety.  Rather than Kevlar it seems to be more normal fabrics with plates of metal or ceramic sewn into them in strategic places. Actual Kevlar and other bullet resistant fabrics are around, but are more expensive. Any scraps appear to be used up in the creation of larger pieces instead of sold piecemeal. Metal and ceramic plates are, however, fairly common and can be had for a fraction of the price.

 
Quote from: Xantalos on April 24, 2021, 01:11:11 pm
"...and so ED did speak to me in the voice of the Operator's Manual installed in my cerebellum, saying, "Ensure that the patient is weighed down by an assistant or other form of stabilizing weight in order to focus the adjustment entirely on the correct joint." Just as He did adjust my spiritual cognizance into the correct plane, so too shall we seek the center of these urban disturbances and correct it to channel ED's influence! Your lives will no longer be subject to random distortions, snaps, and blasphemies, if you but follow me, and bear the weight of the Sacred Name!"

Continue babbling procedurally-generated religious preaching and hopefully finalize the conversion of these four new folks. Then have them spread the word about our forming expedition into the center of Detroit, and promise future Church of ED friendliness if the merchants here aid our endeavor. Maybe see if we can't snag a deal on one of them anomaly watches, eh?

Spoiler: EEEDD (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Congregation of ED (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: STANpool (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Things done (click to show/hide)
[/quote]
[2]
The potential converts eventually leave and EEEDD is left without new followers or sweet deals.  Disappointing.

Quote from: The Lupanian on April 24, 2021, 08:34:52 pm
See if there happen to be any vehicles for sale at the Bazaar. Cheap cars trucks or atvs or something.
Spoiler: Ji (click to show/hide)
[4]
While there's no full size vehicles for sale, there is what the seller calls a "Side by Side". Sort of the love child between an ATV and a Golf Cart; its got two seats, a roll cage top, and what look like good off road tires and suspension. Its a bit dinged up and has one or two bullet holes in the metal door panels, but seems perfectly functional. It costs 20,000 Megabucks.

 
Quote from: Radio Controlled on April 23, 2021, 11:24:34 am
1) Sell 3x generic side arm (3*500), the earbuds, jumpsuits and mug (13 bucks). Then buy 2 anomaly watches with that (1200). Put the spare 313 bucks back into the team fund again. The other team (team nerdsnatch?) already has 2 people with such watches so keep both on our team for now (team ghostplane?).

2) Also, if there are still people that don't have a radio, buy a simple send&receive radio using teamfund (sell another set of side arms if needed) if they ask for one.

3) Try to offer the ammo conversion service and/or the good booze in return for some of the metal scrap ammo.

4) Give all relevant info we have to the nerd interrogation team.

5) Then gather stragglers&gators (unless they object), board EdPC and off we go!

Action for EdPC: at the end of the turn, after people are done with their crap, plot a course for the spoopy airfield and off we go! Try to avoid hazards or convoys and such, work together with our guide for this. 

((Pan said he won't be able to post actions for a while and if I could take over for a bit, pw approved it already.))


Spoiler: Yagyu d'Aubigny (click to show/hide)

1.Okie Dokie
2. -100. We will now assume everyone has one.
3. [3] In return for booze and changing some bullets Yagyu gets a d8 use box of metal scrap for ammo. It does either d8 or d10 damage.
4. Done.
5. Gathered.






Does anyone else in the Nerdgrabbing team have shit to do here? I'm giving you 24 hours to respond before I complete this turn and drive off to the airport

300
Roll To Dodge / Re: MOOK: Fixer upper
« on: April 22, 2021, 07:37:12 pm »
Quote from: ANGRY_DEMON_NOISES on April 19, 2021, 03:13:16 pm
SAM will use hand signs to gesture she'd be up for interrogating the egghead, oh, and she'll also try to turn into an H.R Giger wet dream creature once again.

Also 1 flesh to STR
Spoiler (click to show/hide)
[1]
ALL DICK ALL THE TIME. CENTIPEDE DICK. A WORM DICK WITH LITTLE DICK LEGS. 100% DIIIIICK.

Shifted.

Quote from: heydude6 on April 19, 2021, 05:00:48 pm
Yes! I think I got a perfect roll on that. I assume I'm in the EDPC now.

Safely inside the vehicle, examine my loot. Read the paper, count the money in the wallet, etc.

Also ask Piecewise to write a description for the prospector's watch I can copy and paste into my character sheet. I want to know about this thing's features!


As Baldwin counts the money in his hands, he decides to offer his own opinions on the mission.

"Well the way I see it, money is power. I think our plan should be to go to the Langford Nature area, loot a bunch of artifacts, sell those things for mad bucks, and just buy the right to speak to our man. I mean, we don't actually need to free him, all we want is an interview. I'm sure we can get that without making an enemy out of these Smiles"

Truly a capitalist at heart...

Spoiler: Baldwin (click to show/hide)
Baldwin shucks the wallet of its payload and counts it out. 247 Megabucks. Not terrible. 

He unfolds the wad of paper. It is badly crumpled and appears bloodstained. Or maybe oil?  Hard to say.  It reads:
Code: [Select]
PLYMOUTH AND OUTER DRIVE, NORTH WEST.
IN THE OLD DIESEL GATE.
ENGINE HEART.
The watch, as some of your teammates found out, is basically an anomaly detector.  In its default mode it will point to the nearest anomaly and categorize it on a simple "Power" scale. It has a display and menu you can search through to access the specific sensors within it. These sensors include temperature sensor, atmospheric pressure sensor, oxygen level indicator, broad range toxin detectors, Gravity sensor, temporal stability sensor, radiation detector, and something called an "impossible spectrum analyzer".    Its all pretty complex so it will need a tech roll to do anything other than use it normally. Yours is a bright orange yellow square of metal with a tiny screen and a rubbery wrist strap.

Quote from: Radio Controlled on April 19, 2021, 06:02:08 pm
Quote
"Well the way I see it, money is power. I think our plan should be to go to the Langford Nature area, loot a bunch of artifacts, sell those things for mad bucks, and just buy the right to speak to our man. I mean, we don't actually need to free him, all we want is an interview. I'm sure we can get that without making an enemy out of these Smiles"
"The team on nerd interrogation duty will be free to fulfill their objective as they see fit, I suppose that's one way to do it. Though note that our guide hinted they might simply not be up for such offers, and also to stay away from that area because it's quite dangerous."

Quote
SAM will use hand signs to gesture she'd be up for interrogating the egghead, oh, and she'll also try to turn into an H.R Giger wet dream creature once again.
"Ah, hmm. You. I will consider letting you saunter off on this assignment only if you can promise me you won't cause any undue shenanigans. No eating our target, no making needless enemies or calling down unholy bullshit, no intentionally messing up the job. Cause if I hear you went full Akira downtown and we have to come deal with it, we will deal with it rather permanently. Capiche? You can, euh, wobble if you understand."

I would like to buy one (or more if affordable) of those anomaly watches. These are the things I can offer:

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Note, if they complain because my weapons are built-in, then just ask them to have a vendor come outside instead.

Also could I buy some ammo for my ferro thingie? Like just buy some metal poles or some small construction materials that are suitable. How much for some items that are at least d8 in damage? Or d10 if possible/available? I have clean water, kelp and ammo forge conversion service to offer.

Finally, Burt had 12,300 megabucks on him, could we buy some sort of body for him with that here at the bizarre? Or maybe a vehicle he could be uploaded to? 


Spoiler: Yagyu d'Aubigny (click to show/hide)
Anomaly detectors cost 600 a piece. They vary greatly in appearance and are obviously constructed- at least their outer shells- out of odds and ends. Each is unique.
[spoiler:values]
Service: ammo forge conversion (Unable to value)
High visibility flares x3 (25 each)
4x [OMNITECH Generic Personal Sidearm (d4 ranged attack) x3 Magazines (d4 use die)] (500 Each)
OMNITECH electrical behavior modification implant (20)
OMNITECH Generic Security Baton (45)
blindfold (1)
ear plugs (1)
Silly trashcan helmet (0)
Pathos' text-to-speed earbuds (5)
2x OMNITECH Red Jumpsuit (3 total)
2x OMNITECH Black Jumpsuit (3 total)
tiny mug with a flower on the side (2)
Zip tie (singular? 0)
2x Isolation Suit. (400 each)[/spoiler]

Yagyu searches the bizarre for things that would work well with his launcher. The best thing he ends up finding is a man selling mechanical scrap. Much of it is ferromagnentic and a billiard ball sized metal ball bearing or  60 lb metal gear is relatively cheap and relatively deadly.

Finally he looks for a body for the recently deceased Burt. He can't find anything really usable as one, but does get word that some of the factories in the area used robots, so there are some around.

Quote from: Ozarck on April 19, 2021, 07:49:45 pm
SpiderBob will explore the golf course looking for machinery in need of maintenance and/or repair, while Bob continues his soak. Neither is aware of the need to reconvene with teammates, so this may be where Bob is at the end of the mission, assuming a snap doesn't take him.

Since Bob was swept up by the straggler hunters, he'll waddle past the armed guards, chuck his tail gun at tehir collection point, and greet the Bizarre's patrons and their snacks.

Spoiler: Team Mascot (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: things Bob did this mission (click to show/hide)
Bob drops his gun and wanders into the bizarre, growling in a...friendly? fashion at all the people he meets. There's a large centrally located water feature in the area and he immediately flops down into it and begins demanding tribute in the form of snacks.

Quote from: syvarris on April 19, 2021, 10:34:02 pm
"I'll go with the interrogation team.  I can hack, for now, and kill most things.  If you're heading to the airport, we'll have a good balance of heavily armored and armed murderbots."

Wilfred doesn't physically respond when Baldwin knocks on his hardsuit.  But oh boy does he verbally respond!  "I don't know what you're talking about, but like fucking hell I'm leaving my hardsuit as bait, in this horrible place!  You try anything, and I'll personally make sure a dead elder god eats your filthy little cultist balls!"

Fiddle with the corpo observation drone.  Can Wilfred hack it into being his own personal scout eye?  Preferably without it immediately smashing into a thousand pieces on the nearest rock.

Spoiler: Sheet (click to show/hide)
[1]
... You eye the rock. You consider the rock very carefully.
[3]
No...its very tempting but...not this time old friend. Not this time.

AGAIN
[6]
Wilfred thinks he can indeed make this into a personal scout. But does he want to automate its actions or make it effectively remote control?

Quote from: King Zultan on April 20, 2021, 03:47:44 am
Just upload me into the EDPC and I'll find a corner to quietly sit in.

Also if I'm in there can I talk to people on my team and is the cognition copier a one use item?

(If my money can be used to buy me a new body go ahead, also if being in the EDPC at the same time as Edward isn't wanted we could just upload me into the laptop I had.)
Spoiler: Is finally dead, spoiler is only around to keep track of stats and inventory. (click to show/hide)
Done.

You can indeed talk to anyone in or around the EdPC, much like Ed can.

The CC is technically not single use, but yours got smashed along with your head so...in your case it is.

Quote from: The Lupanian on April 21, 2021, 12:41:10 am
”I’ll stick with the airport team”
See if the smiles are approaching the Bazaar. Load the APC guns that need to be manually loaded if they’re not already.
Spoiler: Ji (click to show/hide)
They do not appear to be. They are still moving east, towards the crash site of the drone.

Quote from: Xantalos on April 21, 2021, 10:59:37 pm
"CharliED, my boy, I have had a revelation! These pills will protect us, and the most pressing danger these peoples live under - aside from the spiritual catastrophe of not knowing ED and having misaligned vertebrae - is the anomaly afflicting this fine city. It is clearly ED's intention for us to resolve this crisis! Either that or use the source of the aberration to summon His true form into this fragile reality, but we'll figure that out once we get there."

Pocket the BlessED sleeping pills and attempt to capitalize on the credibility performing a miracle may have given me to try to attain more converts. The Congregation must grow, and we have spiritual insurance on our side!

Spoiler: EEEDD (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Congregation of ED (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: STANpool (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Things done (click to show/hide)

(1,3)
EEEDD walks to the central water feature, stepping over Bob as the big lizard slides into it, and begins preaching to the masses. A fair number just walk past and ignore him but within a few minutes he has 4 people who are listening to him intently.

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