rekindle_ooc | Mystery and Intrigue

Mystery and Intrigue

Hello everyone, new players and oldies alike. I heard that some of you like plot. So we're gonna put some plot in our plot.

As the newbies have learned in Rhea's letter, and players present last month may have noticed, stuff has gone down. Specifically, stuff insinuating that parts of the people in charge of the city--the science division specifically--aren't exactly trustworthy. Given they kind of zapped everyone from their worlds without their permission, that's not terribly hard to believe. The group called the Rangar, some of whom live outside the walls, hacked into the network and left a post where they pointed out things were kind of suspicious, and where anyone could ask them questions about what they knew and what they wanted.

Several characters took them up on their offer and got info, some of which was included in the newbie letters this month! Yay. But it was also pointed out that there's a lot still being hidden, and that the Rangar can only do so much to infiltrate due to the way the scientists are kind of hidden away.

That's where I come in. Thanks to some breaking and entering, terrifying of poor ladies, stalking, and stupid decisions that somehow haven't bitten him in the ass (yet), Mr. Barnes has discovered one of the secret entrances the scientists use to get in and out of their ~underground lab~, oooh. Now, he doesn't know a whole lot of people who are interested in this, but he does know a few. And those few people also know more people. And those people know more people... and you get me.

Therefore, the information is very likely to get out, and this post is for helping you figure out how your character can discover it! Newbie and want to get involved? No problem. Maybe you can come across a group of people suspiciously muttering amongst themselves, or maybe you met someone at the welcome center who can fill you in! Contact involving sensitive information on the network is probably not the greatest idea (and Bucky discouraged it in his note to Fortuna), given that the scientists have access to the network as much as anyone, probably even more so, given the fact that the entry the Rangar posted was deleted shortly after being discovered by the city leaders.

So characters get to know stuff. Then what? Well, that's up for discussion! A pretty obvious option is to infiltrate and see what characters can find out, hopefully before they're caught. If enough characters want to get directly involved, maybe we could even have multiple sneaky-sneak attempts? Causing a ruckus with a lot of people trying to get in at the same time is probably going to get people caught, after all. But if one attempt does fail, maybe the characters could organize more searching attempts to find other entrances? (These are all just suggestions of course!)

Tl;dr: The scientists are withholding stuff. The Rangar want what secrets they're hiding, and maybe your character does too! A secret entrance to their base was discovered. There are a lot of characters with different skill sets who can work together to get inside and get those secrets. Here is where we can talk and figure out how.

And of course... we're in no rush. This is just a post for brainstorming and communicating so we can set up for whatever we'd like to do, whenever we're ready to do it. So let's do this thing.

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For stuff like "X will/can tell Y this information", or "Z wants to know things, who can tell them?"

Bucky knows a fair amount of stuff thanks to his snooping and direct questioning of some people. Some things include:

-Cyntia and her assistant have special abilities, with the later having magnetic-based abilities. Meaning people who have metal parts can get pretty messed up.
-The Rangar think the scientists aren't trying to improve the situation, and want to know what they're doing with the energy being generated instead.
-Many natives in the city are over a hundred years old, and don't age.
-The Rangar trust Rhea, as does he.
-There is a crater above the underground lab, and it's in a closed district, making it hard to reach above ground.
-The location of an entrance (as stated above!)
-A way of contacting the Rangar

He is telling Steve and Tony everything he knows, has left Fortuna a note with the location of the entrance and is willing to tell her more should she contact him, and is willing to tell a couple other folks. If your character knows Bucky and wants to find out, just let me know.

Edited 2014-08-20 03:48 (UTC)

What do you think about having a log with or handwaving Bitty running into Bucky at some point to tell him what he found out? Lord James is one of the people who I can definitely see him wanting to talk to about this. Diarmuid wouldn't ask for information in return, so Bucky can tell him whatever he would feel comfortable sharing with someone Bitty's age.

Hmm... I'm not sure about having a log about it, but we can definitely handwave. He knows Diarmuid was talking to Zeloph so if he ran into him and Dia asked him anything about it, he'd probably tell him what he knows and just ask him to keep it off the network and out of hearing of anyone native to the city but Rhea. Who knows who they can trust!! :[

(I will be putting up a log for Bucky in ~a couple weeks, but I'm not sure if that's too far off or not, so.)

Handwaving is just fine with me which is why I mentioned it! I am sure more things will be going on in a few weeks, so there is no reason to hold off on it--at least in my opinion. Consider Bucky told and he doesn't need to worry, Diarmuid will definitely keep it off the Network. He doesn't like that the original post was deleted like that. It just makes the scientists look more guilty to him.

Works for me! And yeah, scientists are lookin super suspicious. Bucky follows orders pretty readily but he's become aware enough now to notice things like that.

(Also the scientists didn't promise that he could keep his memories so that may have a little bit of an influence on him.)

(Yes, the memory thing is pretty important to Diarmuid too. His 'Do Not Like' list is very small and Cynthia is at the top of it right now.)

So Mewtwo knows that Bucky knows things and wants to know the things Bucky knows. I think they should meet up. Possibly in a dark alley because neither of them know how to make friends.

Dark alleys are his favorite place to meet people, how did you know??

Most of what Diarmuid found out is background information, though, one important thing he did find out is who is responsible for wiping their memories of this place when they leave and why. Yu was with Diarmuid when he was talking to Zeloph, and the two went together to talk to Rhea, so anything Diarmuid knows it is safe to assume Yu knows as well. Shinju was also nearby for the network conversation, so he would have that information too.

--Despite being separated for a long time, it is obvious the siblings care about each other a lot considering Rhea is the only one inside that Zeloph trusts and Rhea herself almost collapsed when she got news her brother was still alive.

--Zeloph has many different titles including the 'Thunderer Dragon'/'Dragon of Thunder' and was a monk at the shrine before the Unleashing occurred. For whatever reason, he refers to his past self as 'the man I was before.'

--'Rangar' pertains to a holy word for the Goddess Ahilani. Zeloph would not give out the full meaning, though.

--The symbol that the 'vandals' were leaving in the city is an omen of destruction tied to what happened in the past.

--Though those living have stopped aging, Zeloph said that they are still dying slowly despite what those outside are doing to hold back the 'plague' so it doesn't spread farther.

--The reason people cannot remember things when they leave the city is because Cynthia doesn't believe in allowing them to remember things from a world that shouldn't exist. Should she be swayed, though, it would be possible for people to remember things when they leave.

--Rhea is key to bringing people to the city.

--Rhea and Cynthia were once friends, but something happened that Rhea cannot forgive her for even after all the time that has passed.

--There is a small chance of the miasma leaking through to other universes, and Rhea once had a vision that showed that happening.

The only person that Diarmuid has talked to about this (besides any discussion that might have happened between him and Yu) is Kit as they met a little while afterward and discussed a few things. Diarmuid will probably tell his brother as well (should Lotus want to get Cu Chulainn in on things). However, he has replaced his old pouch for carrying things with the violet bag he got his regain from the Cultists in, so anyone who lit a candle has an easy way of knowing he did the same.

He trusts most people in the city he has met, so if one of them asks him about what he learned he will be glad to share the information with them.

So basically Robin is new 'round here but he's ~*~Robin, Boy Wonder, son of BATMAN~*~ and he knows nothing but would like to know things.

All the things.

Especially all the things that give him license to punch people in the face.

As linked above, Fortuna knows where the lab entrance is. She will tell Ramza and Yu, and may tell others but is not likely to unless she trusts them.

She will tell anyone who wants to know about the Rangar (details pending completion of a certain log), however, provided they don't seem like they'll rat them - or her - out.

If there's anything you want to know in particular, tag me and we can see if something can be worked out!

So Mewtwo sort of ended up hacking into Fortuna's convo with Zeloph (if that's alright with you - the mods did a random roll and told me he'd successfully hacked it, haha). LET'S TALK MORE, SORT OF FRIEND. TELL HIM ALL THE STUFF HE MISSED OUT ON? :D

I am totally fine with that and sure! Once their meeting log gets underway. Fortuna will be glad to share the details because good hacker on her side? Hell yes. Can't go wrong with a hacker on the team.

Basically everything in this thread, but here are the basics:

• Where the Rangar base is.
• An inside "man" in the hospital. (Spoilers, it's Mai.)
• Zeloph is indeed over a hundred years old, and was once called the "Thunderer".
• The scientists tried to harness the power of the gods, nearly killing one in the process, and caused the miasma to leak from the gods' plane of existence into this world.
• The miasma outbreak and the energy crisis one and the same.
• Some Rangar can channel the miasma, like Zeloph. Other members are their sympathizers.
• The Rangar used to be part of the city, but were shunned by many due to the "Carriers" and their abilities.
• Their excursions into the city and hacking incidents were supposed attempts to reach the player characters and tell them what's really going on. Lightning uses the word "supposed" strongly.

Lightning will tell Noel, Steve and Bucky, but only Noel will know where the base is, and Mai's involvement with the Rangar-- the other two will only know that there's someone in the hospital who is a sympathizer, but she's willing to show them where the base is if they ask really nicely, and as long as they don't out its location to the wrong people, or tell others without informing her about it. If you want your character to know what Lightning knows, we can work something out!

Edited 2014-08-21 06:57 (UTC)

Bucky would tell Lightning what he knew in return, especially regarding the hidden entrance and the abilities of the scientists. Don't use metal weapons if you've got those, Lightning. Yeah.

He's already got a way of contacting the Rangar, so he wouldn't ask about the base. He would be curious about the sympathizer, just because he likes to know his allies ~~so he doesn't accidentally murder them~~, but he wouldn't push it if she didn't answer.

Sureness o7 Also Lightning would warn him not to shoot down any owls, especially tawny ones since one of them may be their "friend" in the hospital.

NOW WITH RIGHT ACCOUNT gdit

Thankfully he is not a proponent of violence against animals ~~unless they are trying to murder him~~.

Now he will wonder if the owl he was told to give information to is the same one... Also his ass was kind of saved by an owl (possibly also the same one?? he has no idea) when he was trying to find the entrance so yeah, birds are friends.

it may or may not be. Who truly knows but I?
Though for certain it was that they could not allow him to die.

get outta here shantotto we got no time for your shenanigans

Oh-hohohohoho~

Shantotto, go away. Come back and bother us another day. :|

Was that an invitation you meant to hand out?
Or have you the foggiest what you're talking about?

Awesome, Noel learns a thing or...well, several.

Obviously he doesn't have useful information for Light at present, he's still got that new arrival smell (I fancy it's like Lemon Pledge), but yes. He's liable not to repeat anything, he don't know these folks.

It's okay Noel, she'll teach him. If he's lucky he may even get to meet one of the Ranger one day.

Teach Me, Mogster! Light Edition. He might even stay out of trouble. Maybe. Possibly.

And boy wouldn't that be an interesting experience. Noel gets on so well with strangers nowadays.

Science turtle requires data. He'll gladly accept it from anyone.

Okay, so thanks to ~~his new best friend, seriously do you want a hoverbike, just say the word!~~ Wily-Kit, Donnie has now been apprised of the situation as far as what she knows, and will happily share the information with anyone who so much as bumps into him casually.

Kit knows some background stuff due to to both her talk with Zeloph and her talk with Diarmuid later. Barring future threads, here are some of the things she knows.

-The people of the city haven't aged since the Unleashing, and can't have children.
-The Ragnar trust Rhea, and so does she.
-Rhea and Zelpoh are brother and sister.
-Though the Ragar's power keeps them alive outside the city, it hurts them in some other way.
-Rhea is the key to bringing new people to the city.
-The miasma is what's causing all the problems; everything that they're doing now is just a stopgap measure and doesn't actually fix anything.
-The energy everyone generates used to be used to open new districts, but hasn't been since some time before she arrived.
-The Ragnar absorb the miasma, rather than repel it, which makes those in the city consider them monsters.
-The Ragnar used to be poor and of a lower social caste then those in the city.

Kit has talked to Diarmuid and will be talking to Rhea about things. She would probably tell Bucky or ask him about it next time she sees him, though so we can handwave that, if you like.

I'd probably prefer handwaving for the information this time around. He'd definitely tell her what she doesn't already know--that there's a crater where the lab's public entrance use to be, how to contact the Rangar if she needs to, the two scientists having abilities, and the entrance (but ask her to not go alone of course, too dangerous).

He probably wouldn't be interested in much information that wasn't about how to get in, avoid/take out the scientists, and get the secrets they're hiding, but he'd listen if she just told him outright.

*nods* Righto. Kit will def be interested in that info for a variety of reasons. She'll assure him that she has no plans of going alone. She will def want to be in on the break in though, as I said, and will tell him about the Forever Bag (though she probably wouldn't give him the magic word) and her flupe abilities (she mentioned the latter to him already, but didn't elaborate on their exact nature). She may also mention that she has a bit of experience with breaking and entering and general burglary.

Bucky would be slightly hesitant with Kit coming along but then would just figure he could keep a close eye on her. Plus those hypnotism abilities could come in handy.

He'd keep her bag in mind if they found anything particularly useful, too, or if they needed to bring any tools or anything. He has a bag of holding himself so he'd probably just use his but the more space the better. More stuff is always better when it doesn't mean more weight to have to carry.

Indeed, more space for more stuff is better. Especially when that stuff can be made reasonably secure, like in a bag that has its contents inaccessible to any who don't know the magic words. :3

So I ended up making my own tracking post for Mewtwo's IC info in his journal! Ta da. Basically he knows quite a bit, but also has a variety of gaps that could be filled by others. He's very interested in solving things, but unfortunately not super into sharing with others. However, I am up for plotting! Please. Let's plot. :D

What are your character's skills? Would they be willing/unwilling to work with anyone in particular? What sorts of plans does your character have?

Bucky is the Winter Soldier, so his expertise is staying out of sight, sneaking into places, and murdering people.

Let's hope the last part doesn't come into play.

He doesn't trust a whole bunch of people, but he trusts Steve's judgment, so if Steve trusts your character he'll probably be willing to work with them.

Yu Narukami would be willing to help out and thanks to Rhea's gift of a mask, he can change into a cat form so he can sneak in. He also has Banchou who was one of the kitten experiments mainly in being stealthy and has been in the lab where Cyntia made her network post. You have him to thank for having her show her face apparently.

So who wants cats?

Diarmuid himself is obviously not fit for an infiltration attempt because he's just a kid (even if he is training to be a knight). However, he would be good for any kind of support that they might need before or after the attempt. If there is some kind of safe house location for meeting, he can help set up food or supplies. He is also good for running messages between people, since who is going to suspect a kid? His regain was a magical bracelet that slightly increases his strength and will deflect the first shot/blow someone hits him with, plus he can dual-wield swords, so it's not like he is completely defenseless!

One thing that might help a little more directly with the infiltration is his cloak of invisibility. It is actually his father's, so it will hide a full-sized adult from almost all means of detection (magical, physical etc). Though it is magical in nature, the person using it doesn't have to be magically inclined to activate the ability. It is activated just by raising the hood.

If anyone is interested in using it, feel free to let me know!

Edited (Typo!) 2014-08-20 22:30 (UTC)

Bitty you would tell Mewtwo everything you know wouldnt you.....8>

Of course he would! All Mewtwo has to do is ask. :-) ~~Perhaps at the pond while learning about this strange thing called a family...~~

Kiddo's skills include:

Espionage! (he has some useful tech for this)
Infiltration! (fitting in very small spaces and moving very quietly)
Kicking ass and taking names! (assassin training, master in hand-to-hand combat and a huge range of weapons)
Mechanical engineering! (he can modify designs and build some cool, handy gadgets)

He can work with pretty much anybody, but he's distrustful and has quite the mouth on him, so most people can't stand working with him for very long. Does best on solo missions or with partners who don't treat him as a sidekick/kid.

Plan-wise, he's super new to the city, so he's getting a feel for the layout. Plans include establishing multiple safe-houses/stocking up on supplies and gear/weapons, as well as investigating areas that are labeled no-go/discouraged from visiting; basically sticking his nose anywhere and everywhere it isn't invited, as well as watching the network.

Luckily, Fortuna's career is built on infiltration! Unluckily...her usual tactic is pretending to belong there. Which won't work here. So instead, she's going to largely be relying on her drones, like getting into air ducts and stuff. Part of this will be searching from the roof of the building thanks to her black chocobo, Violet. Violet can also carry a person up there with the drones, but it's probably best if that person isn't like 8-10 feet tall.

For getting in herself, she has recently gotten a laser microphone, which can basically listen through a wall. But she will probably need someone's help getting in.

Oh man Mewtwo wants to play with that microphone. Can he take it apart. HE'LL PUT IT BACK TOGETHER. HE PROMISES.

Only if he agrees to help her get in undetected somehow. Can't exactly get that equipment here, after all!

Count Donatello in. He can physically infiltrate the place and beat people with a stick when he gets there. He can also build/work just about any tech one might need, including a bit of computer hacking.

Edited 2014-08-21 23:16 (UTC)

Once Kit finds out that it's a thing, she'll definitely want in on any sneaking. She want's to know what's going on too.

She'd bring her burglar skills to the table, as well as her hypnotic abilities with her flupe and the Forever Bag, her very own magical bag of holding that can hold several warehouses worth of supplies, if need be, and can only be accessed by someone who knows the magic word, "Rankin-bass!". Kit is unlikely to tell anybody the magic word unless necessary, though.

She could potentially be useful in the actual infiltration, though whether the adults would be willing to bring her is another story. If not, she can join Diarmuid in a support role.

Noel's got a few things going for him. Given that he's got centuries of experience under his belt, and his inclination to want to get home, he may participate.

So, what's he good at? He's your man for hunting, tracking, and well...let's face it, stalking. Going undetected is something he's gotten pretty darned good at. While he prefers using weapons, he's got a wide variety of magical abilities, which include recovery and offense, so he's got that going for him too. Hasn't worked in a large group before, and tends to be more comfortable with smaller ones, but he's a good sport. Mostly.

This being said, he's new here and will likely take a while to trust people for reasons. Noel's also not your man if you need something ruthless done - he disdains taking lives where it's avoidable and just won't do it. If somebody gets Lightning on board with a plan though, chances are he'll follow her whether she likes it or not.

MEWTWO'S SKILLZ:

- hacking/programming/technology. I'm actually pretty interested in him trying to set up some sort of secret network that the natives can't access at some point, or possibly a complex secret language or something.
- mind reading, but unfortunately this is limited in Saeng Seong - especially because he doesn't really get enough hugs to have all of his powers :|b
- stalking everyone because who needs sleep
- being tall and intimidating
- hitting things really hard
- turning into a kangaroo

Alas, Mewtwo is very distrustful of others and would rather get info than share it. However, he does recognize the value of cooperation. At the moment other than the secret code/network area, I don't have too many ideas, but I am open to things! He is also going to hang out around the shrine a lot, because he heard that's an important place, haha. XD

Edited 2014-08-28 06:11 (UTC)

If anyone has any questions, feel free to ask here! Someone probably has the answer!

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Mystery and Intrigue

CHARACTER COMMUNICATION/WHO KNOWS WHAT/WHO CAN TELL WHOM

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HI i am new but this is a thing relevant to interests, yes.

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wrong Terra account but idc

also wrong-ish account but idc

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Re: CHARACTER COMMUNICATION/WHO KNOWS WHAT/WHO CAN TELL WHOM

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MEWTWO IS BATMAN

INFILTRATION IDEAS/WHO CAN DO WHAT/WHO CAN WORK WITH WHOM

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OTHER DISCUSSION/QUESTIONS/COMMENTS