I am the Law (ooc/recruting), And the Law won Options

[Meriss]

Hey Imp, does Firewatch have a motto? More importantly does Charlie/Mantis company. If we don't I vote for "Always Ready" for Firewatch, preferably in Latin. For Charlie comp my vote is "Hit em Hard" Also in Latin. As for what we grunts use I think "CHARLIE" shouted at the top of our collective lungs would be cool.

[imperialus]

I figured I'd leave it up to you. Charley team is your team and I thought you might want to invent Firewatches too.

[Fastball]

The watcher spirit was for flavor. I'm assuming you don't want me to roll a summoning and drain test to resist a 1 DV maximum just before I go to bed and heal it. Of course, if you are planning on ambushing me at home, feel free to make a secret roll, even a Firewatch member can glitch a drain test.

As for the invoking, that depends on your plans. Obviously, if we get an assignment on day 1 she won't have time, but if you were planning on making the first few days go smoothly, then Owl Eyes will make a rebinding test for her air spirit, and maybe the guidance spirit. I'll make the rolls and an IC post as necessary.

[imperialus]

This is a very important question I need to ask everyone. In light of the shootings at Virginia Tech yesterday does anyone want/need to step back from this for a few days or drop out entirely? As written, my first planned adventure was going to deal with a situation not entirely unlike the incident yesterday, and up until about noon yesterday it seemed like a good idea but now I'm going to change it.

Realized that this might hit a little close to home for a few people so please let me know (PM Email or post it here) if anything makes you uncomfortable.

In light of this, today’s update will probably end up being posted tomorrow.

[Meriss]

I express my deepest sympathies to any one who has lost any family or friends in this terrible tragedy. That being said, I will support any and all decisions made by imperialus and the group in general.

[Toivoton]

Well not for me. *points at my location*

Rolling for my crank (If you people want them, roll the same dice to see how many you get. I'm not going to roll for the rest since I doubt I'll keel over from drain with DV 2 very fast..):

7 magic, 2 focus, spellcasting 6 = 15 dice
Force 5: 1d6=2, 1d6=3, 1d6=4, 1d6=1, 1d6=4, 1d6=5, 1d6=6, 1d6=6, 1d6=1, 1d6=1, 1d6=6, 1d6=6, 1d6=1, 1d6=2, 1d6=2 = 5 hits (equals 5 hours of sleep)

Drain (DV=2): Charisma 7, Willpower 5, Focused consentration 1 = 13 dice
1d6=3, 1d6=1, 1d6=2, 1d6=5, 1d6=3, 1d6=4, 1d6=5, 1d6=3, 1d6=4, 1d6=2, 1d6=1, 1d6=3, 1d6=6 = 3 hits - no drain.

If there are more then a couple, I'll cast it in order of the captain, people that say that they really need it for a good reason, charlie, rest.

Don't know if I should post the next morning yet so I'll take the middle road - I'll just say here whats the plan. 0500: get up and go running. 0600 breakfast and then to the firewatch building where Walker will start by sparring with Sharp for 1 hour, then he'll go for the summoning materials and bind spirits (force 4 man and force 5 guardian) for the rest of the day taking a nap after both to get rid of drain. If he can't, he'll train in other ways. (shooting range, some spellcasting... you get the idea) Naturally if we get a job, he does that instead of training.. 8)

[SyberCat]

Note 1: I'm still in. Already sent my reply to imperialus. Kudos to him to keeping abreast of possibilities brought out in real life. Sympathies to those who have been hit by this latest tragedy. And I'll echo Meriss' vote of support, too.

Note 2: The US Military uses the term phrase "Semper Fi" as a motto, which is a corruption of "Sempre Fidelus", or Latin for "Always Faithful". Something similar would be reasonable for Firewatch. "Always Ready" is probably good. Here's some of the better ones of what I've found along those lines:

• Sempre Infensus - This could also be read as "Always Armed" a double entendre.
• Sempre Paratus - Could also be "Always Equipped"
• Sempre Facilis - While this is also a "ready" phrase, its other meanings tend towards "Good Natured", and "Without Difficulty"
• Sempre Aptus - Frequently "Ready" in the sense of "adapted to the situation"
• Sempre Praesto - This version tends to be an "on the spot" variation.

That's it.
-Syber'

[Meriss]

This post is for Syber, though if imperialus and the rest of you want to read it that's OK, but please no meta-gaming

[ Spoiler ]

Syber this is to let you know that Bang is now officially drunk. (Yes I know he only had one, but he has no experiance with booze and Sensitive system, so one is all it takes.)

You now have two choices

Choice 1.

[ Spoiler ]

If Casey wants to continue with her plans to get some after party ice cream Bang will happily come along. He will be a happy, cheerful drunk. But he will not be grabby, lecherous or amorous. When they arrive at the place, he will cheerfully consume 8-10 GALLONS of ice cream. He will also offer to pay for half. He will tell strange rambling stories of his years in the Seattle shadows. If Casey listens carefully she will learn three things

[ Spoiler ]

1. Bang is unsure of his age, and has no clear memories of his childhood.
2. He has deeply rooted abandonment issues.
3. He is horribally afraid of being left alone again.

Choice 2.

[ Spoiler ]

If Casey prefers to go home Bang will happily join her on the way home. He will be happy and cheerful. Again he will not be amorous. Apon arriving he will escort Casey to her room, and then stumble to his own.

Either way Bang will be a perfect gentletroll. Around 2430h the manic buzz of the drink will wear off and Bang will begin to get sleepy. If Casey does not suggest they go home soon, Bang will pass out totally around 0100h leaving Casey to find a way to get him home.

[Toivoton]

Good work syber. Voting Sempre Aptus for Firewatch. I think we should continue the charlie motto discussion ingame.

[Meriss]

[imperialus]

[SyberCat]

@Meriss

[ Spoiler ]

Casey will follow up on the ice cream, and will listen carefully as always. She refuses to let Bang pay for the ice cream though. In the morning, Bang might remember in his drunken haze that she said something about "being better able to afford it". Other recollections Bang might have of things Casey said include her assurance that he'll never be alone again, be it Charley or herself, alive or dead, although that last bit seems a little uncertain, and perhaps odd.

Bang will have the option to stay at her suite for the night. He'll have a room all to himself, and the bed really is fit for a troll. When he wakes, there's a chance he might see Casey in something other than "standard appearance", working out on the weights. Her appearance is much more ambiguous at the time, very bland, and not overtly feminine (or masculine, for that matter.) Even her face seems a bit different in the morning.

Let me know how much Bang pokes around in the suite, and I'll fill in some extra details of what he might see there.

@imperialus (but free for all to read!)
Caseys plans for the night are pretty simple - go home, make sure everything is in order, and then get a bit of rest. A couple hours later, she's working out at her home gym, constantly reminding herself of how much she needs to keep up with the rest of the team, at least physically.

Ready for the next day, I think, although other responses may come through for intervening times.

Cheers,
-Syber'

[imperialus]

An aside on Tinman and Elfin-Face:

Tinman and Elfin-Face are both former PC’s from years ago who’ve made recurring appearances in every SR campaign I’ve run since. Their backgrounds change but they are a nice way to introduce NPC’s that have had a lot of thought put into their personalities. Most of this information would be easily accessible to you if you decide to look for it.

Tinman:
Tinman is quite old for a font line combatant; he’s probably around the same age as Captain Holstine but never got promoted past Sergeant. He speaks with a thick Slavic accent and near as you can tell he immigrated to the UCAS sometime during or just after the Euro-War. He joined the Ares armed forces and saw extensive action in the Desert Wars during which he inadvertently shared a foxhole with a hand grenade and ended up getting nearly his entire body replaced with cyberware. Having so much of his body replaced with early generation cyberware caused significant emotional trauma as the connection between essence and cyberware was still not fully understood. He threw himself into his work but his uncaring and callous nature unsettled his commanding officers and he was constantly passed over for promotion. He did however join an Ares special forces unit where he developed a unique and deadly efficient armed combat style using knives that is still taught to Ares recruits.

When KE began to develop suspicions about the Universal Brotherhood in Chicago they formed the first Firewatch team, Tinman received a place in it. He was part of the infiltration team that set off the bomb attempting to destroy the hive and was one of only 3 survivors.

The chaos and death caused by the Chicago crisis was the one event that finally affected what remained of Tinman’s soul and it nearly destroyed him. He blamed himself for the deaths caused by the insect spirits and had a heavy dose of survivor’s guilt and PTSD. After several years of therapy KE psychologists declared that he would probably best recover if he was returned to Firewatch and allowed to resume his duties. Once again he proved to be an exceptional and creative soldier and quickly became the leader of Alpha team but has never been promoted beyond that due to his psych record.

Generally speaking Tinman is quiet and prefers to be left alone. He drinks far too much alcohol but his body has a toxin filter that filters most of it out, or at least keeps it from damaging him too much. It takes a long time for him to become close with anyone as he feels that as soon as he does so something bad will happen to them. When the shit hits the fan though he’s probably one of the best soldiers you’ll ever meet. He can usually be found either watching some of the most violent sports that the 6th world has to offer or firing off thousands of rounds of ammunition at the firing range. He also prepares his own ammunition and is a hobbiest gunsmith. He listens mostly to old Russian classical music but seems to have a praticular place in his heart for the Red Army Choir. Unlike most other Firewatch officers he almost always uses a personally owned and modified AK98 with more gee-gaws stuffed into it than seems possible.

Elfin-Face:
To follow once I get home from work.

[Fastball]

I thought those sounded familiar, especially Elfin-Face but didn't know why. I must have read some posts from your old runs.

Question on the housing arrangements:

A middle lifestyle is a nice house or condo. I imagine a two-to-three bedroom house or condo with the tradeoff being the yard v. condo amenities (gym, pool, tennis courts, etc...). Is this purely character's preference, or is there some strategy to the arrangement (such as keeping the squad together, or conversely, attempting to divide officers amongst various neighborhoods)?

[imperialus]

My general assumption is that you all with the exception of Casey who has a High lifestyle live in reasonably comfertable condos within an Ares facility. I'll leave the details up to each individual person but for the most part your assumptions are correct, 1-2 bedrooms probably averaging around 1000 or so square feet. I was thinking keeping everyone pretty much together, just saves time if an emergency call goes out. Think of the building as a giant comfertable fire station with privacy, most of the inhabitants are KE officers of one kind or another and security is ironclad. It connects with an underground emergency subway with KE's Seattle HQ allowing personell to travel to a central location in the event of an emergency and the top floors have emergency meeting rooms and offices in the event that even that is unavailable.

[Meriss]

@Syber

[ Spoiler ]

Alright Syber, Bang will take Casey's offer of a bed. Considering his complete inability to metabolize alcohol he won't be waking up til long after Casey leaves. I just hope your furniture is troll proof. Also Bang will remember little to nothing of the previous night, feel free to mess with his mind. (not too much he can be emotionally fragile)

@imperialus seeing as how everyone else is doing it, I'll enter Bang's morning routine here and post an IC portion of his waking up in Casey's home. (later must sleep)

[Fastball]

Are you trying to get Eleanor in trouble? An upstanding agent of the law and now she's enabled a minor.

By the way, Mage's fire is 1/3 vodka, 1/3 cinammon schnapps, and 1/3 blue curacao.

[SyberCat]

@Fastball (and all)
Would Ares have hired a minor as an officer of the law? I kind of doubt it, m'self. And that's excluding the shorter lifespan of trolls, which would tend to imply quicker maturation, and therefore leave the status of "minor" sooner. Additionally, Firewatch might be considered Bang's legal guardian (either that, or he's an emancipated minor). In either case, the guardian can elect to permit the minor to drink in a private setting, provided they don't go beyond the realm of reason. In the case of Firewatch being Bang's guardian, that would simply mean that by offering and not refusing Bang access to liquor, they are implicitly permitting it under their supervision.

I think I'm rambling though - short story, to me, is that I suspect Ellie's in the clear, but I'm guessing ... really, I'm just sharing my thoughts. Lord imp' should be returning from work soon, so I'm betting he'll make the call really soon.

@meriss & imperialus, I have a rules question...

[ Spoiler ]

I thought Sensitive System applied only to Cyberware? Or are you playing it as a more global limitation for Bang? I took it for Casey, but that was based on the presumption that it was a Cyberware limitation. Should I be altering my style for her?

Oh, and @meriss once more:

[ Spoiler ]

Casey will remain at home at least until Bang wakes. She's more than patient enough for that. The only things that would prevent that would be an emergency on the home front (or near neighbourhood) or getting a call from Firewatch, in which case she'll attempt to wake Bang before heading to work. (Calls from her "other" employer will result in her declining or postponing the gig.)

@all

So what I'm seeing on the different mottoes and names:

• Decide on mottoes and names for Charley IC
• One vote for 'Sempre Aptus'
• One vote for 'Sempre Infensus
• One undecided (me!)

Any other thoughts on the matter?
-Syber'

[imperialus]

[Fastball]

Just for the record, I wasn't really concerned about the alcohol thing. I was just poking fun at meriss.

I just assume Eleanor didn't realize Bang was underage (if he even is), and I'm sure KE would be willing to look the other way considering the reasonableness of her assumption that anybody in Firewatch is of legal age.

I like Sempre Infensus and Sempre Aptus. Or alternatively: Infensus, Aptus, (and) Praesto.

[SyberCat]

Oh! <laughs at self> I didn't catch that... ah well!

Actually, I really like your suggestion, Fastball, for the motto of Firewatch! Infensus, Aptus, Praesto! Just like the Olympic motto: Citius, Altius, Fortius. (Swifter, Higher, Stronger.), and it matches the emblem on every Firewatch uniform, too! Since the logo has one side of a triangle for every aspect of service, it wouldn't suprise me to see one of these words lining the bottom of each side!

There's my vote! I think it has rather nice symmetry and symbolism.

Groovay!
-Syber'

[Toivoton]

Liking "Infesus, Aptus, Praesto!" too. Changing my vote for vote that.

[Meriss]

No worries, all Bang is nineteen so he's totally legal (Lord Imp we are playing in 2070 yes?) , he just has zero alcohol tolerance. The most booze he gets is in May's (his mage contact) Christmas fruitcake. I'm also voting for "Infenus, Aptus, Praesto!" "Armed, Ready, on the Spot!" I like!

[Meriss]

As promised Bang's morning routine.

Bang wakes late (for Fire watch that is) Around 0630h he stumbles out of bed. He then makes his way on autopilot to the shower (Syber I hope your walls are strong enough). He stands under the water till he is half awake, then on semi-autopilot washes (he's supprisingly clean for a troll) and shaves. He then makes his way to his kitchen, (yes he's still naked at this point, Syber prepare your eyes) where he grabs a power shake out of the fridge. (he buys them by the case at the Stuffer Shack) After consuming the power shake he's finally awake enough to begin his day. He dresses in (his cleanest) fatigues, changes Bob's water, food and leaves the house. He usually wanders around the compound for a while until he decides what to do for the day. Most often he hits the weight room for strength training or a little endurance training. Some times he wanders in to the unarmed combat facility, but unless there is another troll (like Elfin-Face) or a few orks or more than three humans, he doesn't do more than work on the heavy bag. If he's in the mood for a serious workout he grabs his comms (personal and team) and takes the bus downtown to an all troll gym called "Trollz Gim". They use mostly scrap metal and old cars to get the immense weight needed to stimulate a trolls muscles, they also have an extra-large boxing ring and a really heavy bag. He then hits the Firewatch cafeteria for lunch.

[Toivoton]

If Bang has done that a while, he has been asked by Walker to spar with him a few times (he has sparred with most of the people there). Telling him that you learn best in the deep end. He also doesn't seem to know when to quit so unless Bang pulled his punches, he prolly knocked him out.