OOC- Shadow's Dawn: Diving into the past Options

[Sephiroth]

Seth, do you mind if I have Fearghas be a now-heavily disillusioned military officer or spy? As a former Lightbearer, I imagine he would have been one of many who were deceived by Hitler's ambitions to restore the pride of Germany after what it went through in WW1. At this point, after visiting Auschwitz, I imagine he has secretly begun to hate the Nazi regime. I don't know whether you're having us be aware at this point of Alachia's involvement in the Nazi party, but if not, well... since Fearghas has a lot of pride in his metarace, and is of the opinion that Alachia betrayed all of the Blood Elves with the mistake that was the Ritual of Thorns, finding out that she's connected to the Nazi party would certainly reverse his prior support of it mighty quickly.

Before I roll for Shape Earth to help improve the visibility in the reactor control room, has Alyena definitively cleansed the BGC in there yet?

[sabs]

Honestly, we don't really need the shape earth (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)
We've already all left the control room, and the dust cloud would help us out tremendously

[Seth]

@Sephiroth
Oh yes you are aware that Alachia is heavily involved in the Nazi party. To give her some (a small) amount of credit, she is regretting her involvement, and you suspect is not aware of Auschwitz (most people in the Nazi camp were not).

I would be delighted if you were a Nazi general. Some names that would be particulary appropriate (as they are real people) are:

• Colonel Henning von Tresckow,
• Brigadier-General Hans Oster
• General Ludwig Beck
• Field Marshal Erwin von Witzleben

You can chase them all up on Wikipedia and pick one. Or invent your own name (I'm not actually trying to be historically accurate)

@everyone
OK we have two groups defined for the main timeline, and we have a new IC thread. If you want to move towards the objectives in the main IC thread that would be good (I can do the next two rounds) your spy in their tactical net will tell you what is going on. If you want to do your first posts in the WWII thread that would be good too. You do have the option of eliciting the aid of Queeny based on your Auschwitz experience (I am sure you took a photographer, and made notes).

You will have to decide:

• Are you going to steal Hitlers briefcase?
• Are you going to set the bomb?
• Are you going to enlist help from other immortals?
• Queeny is Eva Braun
• Ehran is Wilhelm Zander (an aide to Martin Bormann who has gone as mad as Hitler)
• You don't know where many of the others are

[Sephiroth]

I think some of von Tresckow's personal qualities make him the most appropriate choice for Fearghas. So he will be Henning von Tresckow during WW2.

[Big Fella]

OK I'm planning on being a jackbooted SS officer. Hans Bär.

@WWII
I vote we bomb Hitler!
I don't how we swap the bomb for the briefcase. Bjeorn would suggest that the ideal distraction is a punch up (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif) but is that too stealthy?

@present
Rolling for surprise as I go down the corridor http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/2939507/
To bash the two guard's heads together I take one success for an attack on each of them using the 4:1 rule

I am in bear form so damage is 14P each.

[Seth]

Bjeorn ran to the end of the corridor and saw two guards. I didn't trouble myself with rolling their 8 die for surprise, as Bjeorn had 10 successes, and they spent the first round just looking.

Their soak rolls were 2 and 2 so Bjeorn does them 12 damage each. Time to go to beddy byes!

Bjeorn is now half up the stairs towards the ground floor of the pyramid.

[Alyena]

Hi there,

Alyena has cleansed the corridor outside the Control room and the background count here is now zero.

For the WWII link she will be a relic hunter. Since returning from Auschwitz she is beginning to think that a holiday in S America is a good idea.

I'm in favour of swapping the briefcases, leaving the bomb ticking in Hitler's office, stealing the 'Bird of Hope' and getting out of Dodge.

In the main thread Alyena has decided it's not worth cleansing an area we're not spell casting in. She will follow Bjeorn, wait until he has stopped rampaging ahead and she can catch up! Hopefully there will be somebody left to zap when he slows down (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)
At the moment his rampaging is working well, as surprise is on our side.

[Aria]

@everyone/group split
I think this group split decision is holding a lot of people up. I am tempted to suggest a modification of Alyena's plan with Sab's observation that Mandala is a pacifist.

• Group Alpha/Warder: Bjeorn, Alyena, Aren, Markduk
• Group Beta/27a: Ambrose, Fearghas, Mandala and Ryl

I think I managed to confuse myself...is this the agreed team split now? No problem with it but I don't want to IC having Ryl run after the others if 27a is just here...

...are the door controls connected to the matrix node I'm in somehow or is some more old fashioned lock picking needed to get into 27a (WWWII style lock picking?)?

I'm not sure Ryl can afford to leave matrix overwatch to go on a memory jaunt...it sounded like an eternity of matrix time...so she'll be there in spirit and you can fill her in afterwards (you know how much she hates not having info!!!) ...Frauline Petra Klien, spy

[Seth]

@Aria

I think I managed to confuse myself...is this the agreed team split now?

Lets assume it is

Room 27a is out of the door turn left. Bjeorn, Alyena and Marduk are heading out of the door turning right and running upstairs

Even if you are not taking part in the memory jaunt you can still post in it (you were there you just won't remember the results)

Edit: Just noticed your question about the door. The door controls are part of the tactical map that the aztech soldier icons are standing in.

@Fearghas
Henning von Tresckow it is. Given that choice probably you have met with Meyer before (in fact you probably recruited him),

@everyone
I have slightly changed the IC WWII brief: Fearghas will be in the meeting with Hitler, the rest of you are in that room.

[Aria]

Edit: Just noticed your question about the door. The door controls are part of the tactical map that the aztech soldier icons are standing in.

So I need to change nodes to one full of soldiers in order to open it?!?

[pbangarth]

Mandala's Assensing of the door to Room 27A: 11 dice ==> 5 HITS

[pbangarth]

OK, so if the background count is -5 during WWII, then here are some thoughts for Mandala.

1) With his Free Spirit Powers, including Resist Background (1), he will be able to maintain a Force of 5, so he will have to lose 4 points of Free Spirit Powers. I'm not sure whether he can switch them in and out as needed. Seth can you tell me how you see that working?

2) If no switching is allowed, or for general situations, the only way it makes sense for him to be able to maintain his disguise is to drop Aura Masking and Movement, keeping all the other Powers. This means astrally aware creatures will see his Spirit aura.

3) Can this kind of Background Count be affected by the Cleansing metamagic? I know that lasts only Magic hours, but at the right time it could be good to make everyone full strength. Seth, your thoughts?

When I know the answers to these, I can post in the WWII thread.

[Seth]

@Mandala
On the astral plane the door is writhing mass of snakes whose bodies merge and separate and are reaching towards you. You are a fair way out of reach.

The door is a horror construct. 5 hits is exactly what you needed to see that the door is linked to its creator. Given that the link is still active, you suspect that the creator is within the bounds of the pyramid. Did I mention that this is a horror construct... With time (an hour or so) you could track the creator. You could use the door to act as a link to the creator in a ritual spell (as long as the door wasn't eating you).

The door is alive and watching you, waiting for you to get a bit closer.

@Group Beta / room 27a
I screwed up a bit, and should have started the WWII thread a bit sooner, sorry about that. I'll try and plan the next flashback so that it finishes in sync with the main thread. I suggest the main focus of the door opening group should move to the WWII thread.

To cover my mistake: the opening ritual takes a few combat rounds: the same number as needed to get the appropriate point in the WWII thread. As Ol' Scratch is being NPCed, I will have him do the ritual, while the rest of you do stuff. You know the ritual is going to take a little while, so you can make any preparations you wish.

Up to this point you have been mostly unopposed (the councils plan wasn't bad, and there is very big distraction taking place). I suspect that this situation will change very soon.
Assetts that you can mess with:

• The control room is full of dust. Shape earth could move that dust cloud out into the corridor.
• The control room also has desks and chairs.
• the store room opposite is full of stuff. Lots of stuff. Boxes, tables, armour, guns, food bags, crates of grenades, missiles, tools, paperclips, books, barrels, chests, rope... Ryl can enter the store room node on the matrix (accessed from the tactical map: each room on the map has a hyperlink) to tell you whats in there if you want something specific. Ask and ye shall receive

[Seth]

I thought I would do another summary of where people are

Current situation:

• It is the start of rounds 9&10
• The time is 00:00:36
• The background count is zero in the corridor, up the stairs and on the first floor it is aztech 4
• Aren is being NPCed, and has zipped ahead. I'll give his report tomorrow
• Bjeorn, Alyena and Marduk are heading up the stairs (the doors while strong are currently on free flow - its general quarters so loads of people are rushing around the pyramid). Bjeorn has just knocked out 2 guards, so in a few seconds the biomonitors will report this (it takes about a combat round for them to detect the change in life signs)
• Ol'Scratch is being NPCed, and is performing the ritual to open door 27a. The ritual will be concluded when the flashback discovers the secret.
• Mandala, Fearghas and Ryl are in the basement corridor, and free to do what they want.
• Ryl has initiated a conversation with Zero, and has admin privileges in the security area. There are people actively hunting him, but for the last 4 combat rounds they have failed to find him. The security system is on alert, and you suspect its only a matter of time before they find you.

External

• General Quarters is still sounding
• Ryl's assessment is that the guards that were off duty will still be getting their armour on / equipped for another 20..30 seconds.
• The fast response groups and the on duty guards are now equipped and ready to rock 'n' roll, although they currently have no target.
• You have no update on the hypersonic aircraft, or large astral forms that were announced.
• Plan 'Blood Alpha One' has been activated and the hideous blood ward is now fully in place.

WWII

• I'm waiting for you to post...

Ryl's sending you a copy of this tactical map - link here The red is where the people connected to the tac net are. There is no data available for the top two layers

[pbangarth]

I understand there is a ritual to be performed to open the door. Just so I know how to have Mandala behave in similar circumstances, though, could someone tell me some general rules about interacting with Horror constructs?

For example, would there be dire consequences if such a thing were attacked with a spell... I don't know... a link is made between the spell caster and the construct, and the caster is royally screwed... that sort of thing?

WWII post to come soon today.

[sabs]

Horror Construcst are basically undead creations. They're about as dangerous as that sounds (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

So no you're not screwed for casting spells at it. Mostly it means that the Horror can usually see what a construct sees and some horrors can choose to use powers/spells through the LOS of the construct.

[Seth]

Sabs summary was pretty accurate. Like undead the constructs vary in intellect (mindless zombies to uber-intelligent Lich) . The link that Mandala spotted indicates that the horror is in somesense aware of its creation. Right now you suspect that the horror is being bombarded with information (the pyramid is underattack, general quarters is active, so if it had other constructs they would all be reporting activity) so its fair to say that its probably distracted.

I hope the new map is helpful.

[Aria]

Current situation:

• Ryl has initiated a conversation with Zero, and has admin privileges in the security area. There are people actively hunting him, but for the last 4 combat rounds they have failed to find him. The security system is on alert, and you suspect its only a matter of time before they find you.

Ok Ryl, her, Fraulien etc ((IMG:style_emoticons/default/nyahnyah.gif) ) will be planning something while she hauls her arse out of the corridor and into the storeroom (less chance of free flying lead)

...can I overwrite the access log to dump all the spiders out of the node? Would I need to restart it? As they are likely to find me soon anyway I don't think matrix stealth will serve much longer...

Is there an external link to the matrix from this node? If there is I will write Aria an admin code and send it to her...backup might be needed! I will also contact Zero and see if he/she/it would like to help in exchange for a promise to free the TM...

Will try and post IC today...

[Aria]

Where's the ritual group doing their thing? I hope they've ducked into the store room too?!?

Will wait to post IC until I hear from Seth on the matrix connections (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[Seth]

I've had a tough time at work: lots of hours, lots of travelling, and currently staying in a hotel with lousy internet, so I have been a bit slow answering.

I'm sorry Ryl, I will remember the female thing next time. Its not that you haven't told me before...

If you want to boot all the spiders you can revoke their privileges. As an admin this is quite easy: no need to roll. It does of course say "I am here very loudly" but you might not care. The IC is constantly interrogating everything it sees, and you suspect there is a fair chance it would attack them. The IC may be specially keyed to not attack them, but if it is you can spoof the IC to persuade the IC that they are not who the IC thinks they are.

As far as you can see there isn't an external link to the matrix for this node. You suspect that there must be, because ZERO sent you some messages, but you just cannot see one.

In round 9, the guard from the entrance comes into the tactical display, flanked with 2 huge dogs. Fortunately for you, they still haven't seen Ryl but they are sniffing. Although the building is on alert, the software system isn't you suspect that is because it would degrade the performance of their tactical software, which they want quite a lot.

In round 10 another leaf flys your way, on the back of the leaf it says JONATHAN'S COMING. HE'S THE BEST. HE WILL FIND YOU. PLEASE DON'T HURT HIM. HE'S NICE

Ambrose is doing the ritual in front of the door (IMG:style_emoticons/default/ork.gif) So you might need to defend him. The tactical map in my last summary shows roughly were you believe the pyramid's forces to be.

[Aria]

Ok, IC post coming up tomorrow now I think...

Any chance you could clarify for me exactly what this node does? (Sorry for being slow (IMG:style_emoticons/default/nyahnyah.gif) )

Cameras?
Doors?
Tacnet?
...

Thanks

...oh, and crap, defend anyone?!? I need to be a drake to do that and then can't use the matrix (IMG:style_emoticons/default/frown.gif)

[Seth]

The node you are in has a map of the pyramid in it with red splotches on it that represent the guards. Its basically a tacnet, and you can "click" on a guard and see through the eyes. The previous room has all the cameras in it (in the form of obsidian mirrors). Click here for a view of the tacnet

The doors on the map, are all on free flow at the moment, but you think you could touch them and change their settings. (i.e. this is where you open and close doors)

Around round 10 the two guards that were sent down the stairs to the basement turn to a red flashing light.

You may not be aware of "subscriptions". You can be present in multiple nodes at once: I forget how many and am "away from books" but I think its your system or something similar. That means you can look through the cameras, and watch the tacnet all at the same time. You can only act in one node at once though.

The cameras are showing lots of movement: loads of guards hustling through the corridors. The cameras also show Bjeorn, Alyena and Marduk heading upstairs, and you can see yourself, and Fearghas downstairs. At the end of the corridors on the first floor (you can see big red blobs on the tactical map) you see three guards (in each place) setting up a semi-portable machine gun that will cover the corridor.

[Seth]

@WWII
Thanks for kicking off the WWII thread. This is a bit of an experiment for me: running a flashback and the real game at the same time! Still lets see how it works.

You have in your possession a facsimile of Hitler's briefcase. It has a bomb in it with a clockwork timer. Fraulein Klein will tell you that it should go off at 13:00 plus or minus 30 seconds.

You have a timeline:
At 12:20 you will be picked up by an honour guard.
At 12:30 you will be present to Hitler for him to give you medals personally
At 13:00 the bomb goes BOOOMMM!! and you might want to be out of the fortress (with an explosion the fortress will go into lockdown you suspect)

Its about 30 seconds to get to room 27A from Hitler's briefing area if you want to recover the bird.

I think the tricky bit is "how do we swap our briefcase for his briefcase", and I think you need to plan that. I suggest this thread for that planning.

[Sephiroth]

I'm sorry I haven't been able to post lately. I'm back home for spring break, and the internet is extremely lousy here (not to mention that there's a million things that need to be taken care of), but I'm tentatively hoping to get a post up by tomorrow. For the moment, Fearghas is following the rest of the 27A crew.

Seth, what is the specific situation with von Tresckow in the WWII thread, since he is not present with the rest of the group (I think you said he was already with Hitler?)?

[pbangarth]

@WWII
Thanks for kicking off the WWII thread. This is a bit of an experiment for me: running a flashback and the real game at the same time! Still lets see how it works.

You have in your possession a facsimile of Hitler's briefcase. It has a bomb in it with a clockwork timer. Fraulein Klein will tell you that it should go off at 13:00 plus or minus 30 seconds.

You have a timeline:
At 12:20 you will be picked up by an honour guard.
At 12:30 you will be present to Hitler for him to give you medals personally
At 13:00 the bomb goes BOOOMMM!! and you might want to be out of the fortress (with an explosion the fortress will go into lockdown you suspect)

Its about 30 seconds to get to room 27A from Hitler's briefing area if you want to recover the bird.

I think the tricky bit is "how do we swap our briefcase for his briefcase", and I think you need to plan that. I suggest this thread for that planning.

OK, so this is an alternate history, and Hitler could get killed by such a bomb, right? Or are we reenacting Valkyrie?

As far as getting out before 13:00, Mandala is the least in danger of getting caught, as he can dematerialize at any time. This may be useful for decoying, distracting, placing something...

Ooohh. Mandala gets to act like he likes the person pinning a medal on him! The role of a lifetime.