Conaldar

VESANIUS:

As he stands around Vesanius notices the approach of none other than Christian "Hellstorm" Mueller!

Mueller nods at Vesanius, "Hey man what's up? You keeping to yourself here. That's smart." He looks around the area and sniffs, "Too many snakes you know? Hell you should probably be wary of me right? Look I don't know exactly who you are but I DO know what you stand for. The Insurgency's about freedom. You're about changing the ^$# broken chaos out there and making things right! You're about REAL people and what matters to them not some corporate %^#$ looking to screw everybody else over for his own benefit. Everything out there is corporate now. They say what we think. What we do. How we behave as intelligent humans. Because if they can control us - they OWN us. Like slaves man. Right? That's why you're doing it - because you don't want to be their slave! Because people ought to be FREE. Right? 

Look I have a way out of this $@$#hole and back in the game. As insane as this place is there IS a door that gets us out. I mean do you really want to be HERE for the next decade? I've been here two years next month and I'm tired of it man. Tired of being a slave you know? People like us are meant to lead. We're meant to make the world a better place for the others. Look I know you're loyal to your people but you gotta ask yourself: can they get you out of here? I CAN. And I won't tell you what to do or how to think or how to dress and act. Hell once we're out you can do whatever you want. BUT I need you to make this happen. We can be free men brother. Not some corporate slave right? Now I have half the cellblock with me. All I need to know is when we make our move are you with us? They'll be coming for me in a second but just remember what I said."

Mueller looks around and wipes his face. Then the Guardbots shift position and march in his direction! Doorways open in the walls and more droids enter the area to take the abandoned positions! Hellstorm pats Vesanius on the back, "Remember brother."

DICE:

As Henry scans the facility's dimensions he notices the approach of a well-known shirtless inmate: Terron "Blacktop" Hughes! Blacktop had terrorized the American West Coast for nearly a decade with his army of street thugs. Historically no one had ever shutdown entire police departments - until Blacktop showed up. In the early 90's he brought a level of chaos to LAPD that forced them to call in not only AEGIS but the Freedom League as well! Blacktop was nearly invincible physically with very few non-military weaponry making a dent on him. That combined with his immense physical strength (the videos of him pushing over entire skyscrapers remain viral treats) made him one of the most-wanted and dangerous criminals in the U.S. Plus he was a tactical genius with a deep logic steeped in Black Nationalism. He wanted his people above and beyond what African-Americans possessed. He wanted it ALL by any means necessary.

Walking up to Dice Blacktop looked around as if also looking over the facility, "It's a puzzle right? This place. You okay bro? First day is always crazy." Blacktop looked Dice over and smiled then laughed, "MAAAAAN! I remember you! You ran some game in the east Bay once. Had the whole system mixed up trying to find you until they just gave up. Yeah I know who you are. And you probably know who I am. So? How'd you end up with them? I mean your crew is proficient but --- look where they got you. I'll be honest when I saw you I was blown. Because - why? You the one that can walk through the rain and not get wet so - why you here? YOU could've walked away from this I think. You saw trouble coming and could've step aside from it and still been doing your thing on the streets. Why you here? I think it's because you're LOYAL."

Blacktop looked around and pulled a pack of cigarettes out of his pocket. He drew one and offered Dice one, "Don't tell me: you don't smoke. Take one anyway. Smokes are currency here bro and I know you 'aint never been inside so you need that scratch. Just to get by you know? Something as simple as a cigarette can save you from an #^$$@whoopin'." He laughed and lit his smoke from a lighter in his pocket, "You probably never had to deal with that though right? You LUCKY. Really though you ever get put down on a set? Ever had to fight just for the sake of fightin'? The streets is complicated. I got put down when I was ten. Haha! TEN! But you do what you do when they come to you. You rise for your community through any means available. I think that's you in a way: you felt a kind of 'community' with your crew. They told you 'We gonna change the world' and you signed up like the military. But like the Uncle Sam THEY dictate the terms. Yeah. They say what and when and how and STFU about the rest. Right?"

He looked around and blew smoke as he dropped his cig stomping it out under his shoe, 

"In life you gotta choose your sets. You gotta make your peace with those who THINK as you do and DO as you do. Yeah I'm here and that doesn't make me better than your people. But outside in so many places I can be an asset to someone with your power. And of course you can be a powerful asset to me. But - are you down for your people Dice? Are you down for what matters most and won't wash off and won't give you protection from the system THEY'VE established? You ain't here because you're Black. You're probably here because you wouldn't abandon your crew. Now: how will they get you OUT? I can. I know exactly where the exit is but I need someone like you for when we get out. I could run with you here and outside but YOU need to decide what side you on. Where you at Dice? Why not team-up to do something good for OUR people instead of theirs?"

Blacktop walks away turning his head to look at Dice and smiling as his crew comes to meet him ...

@Bananaphone I need a Persuasion check for Siren and she gets a +2 bonus. She can use Luck to reroll if you like. This decides the behavior of the other inmates vs. your attackers.

@wtaylorjr2001 I need an DC26 check Will or Deception or Insight (whichever is highest). This relates to an upcoming conversation with Blacktop and if Dice fails your character begins to see things Blacktop's way rather than the Insurgents.

@SageBahamut I need an DC26 check Will or Deception or Insight (whichever is highest). This relates to an upcoming conversation with Hellstorm and if Vesanius fails your character begins to see things Hellstorm's way rather than the Insurgents.

Why not a little intrigue? 🙃

@cbenny Sure you can make a DC15 Insight check (innuendo) for Herbert to figure out what Granny said exposed what Gaddis is. You can use Luck for rerolls if you want. 

Herbert has the key to escape but the droids are coming for him .... I have no problem with Insurgents doing whatever to protect him.

The Accountant and anyone in the Main Cellblock:

Guradbots shift and begin walking in Herbert's position! At the same time doorways appear and Guardbots exit to take the positions abandoned by the in-transit droids! Four Guardbots march towards The Accountant as Granny raises her head to see them coming, "You should go Herbert. They're coming for you." 

SIREN and MAMMOTH:

During your work-outs you both notice two very well-built Caucasian males with Nazi tattoos walk into the Weights area. One of them eyes Mammoth intently with a wicked half-grin on his face. They move to the squat machine and remove two large plates - probably 100-lb. plates - and then both of them look at Mammoth as they stride in his direction taking the plates in two hands ---

The ACCOUNTANT:

Granny discarded and drew a card from the stock deck which automatically drifted up and into her hand, "Nullifiers? Oh!" She laughs softly almost to herself, "This isn't that kind of facility, Herbert. No ...." She leans a bit across the table while looking down, "They use us AGAINST us here. My malady is when I slept ... when I was sleeping ....." She brought a hand up to rub her face, "Reality shifts. It affects the real world but it also tangles up the dreaming world as well. Did you know that? I didn't know it but they told me when ALL of us sleep we're CONNECTED. It's .... I REALLY like banana pudding, Herbert. And strawberry shortcake. We're having those for lunch and dinner. Can you ....? I've been open with you haven't I? I mean this is how it works here: I give you things you give me things in exchange. I don't mean to be exploitive, Herbert but perhaps you'd be willing to trade with me? If not I understand. You're new here and well you don't know how these things work. It's your move ... OH and Herbert PLEASE don't tell anyone what I've said to you. It needs to be OUR SECRET okay? I'd hate for anything to happen to you. You're so pleasant ..."

Okay so we're good.

Scylla: she does notice now and from before a good six-second moment from the Guardbots pausing, the doorway appearing, the door opening, the droids walking through, the doorway closing and disappearing. Six seconds.

Granny's DC17 Insight check: 

5 hours ago, Oceane said:

Sorry everyone, I've been quite silent the past week, I've been hit by some IRL news that... Change things. I'm not going to be able to focus for a while, so I figured it best to bow out early.

 

Thanks for the opportunity!

@Oceane I hope your RL issue(s) work out in a positive way and thanks for your presence 🙂

That makes six Insurgents. Still enough right? Are we still good? My plan was to gradually introduce elements but the group's been great at interacting with the setting and its NPCs. You're so close to getting the answer to the Insurgents' escape and you're finding it out from three different perspectives. I did not expect that. 

So let me know if we should recruit another player or just run with the six Insurgents. I think we're fine but we're a group.

@cbenny I checked and Private texts aren't available yet.

14 minutes ago, bwatford said:

On the list "to do" not implemented as of yet.

Okay thank you @bwatford

Next: how do I post private text for select players or is that currently unavailable?

Play-by-Post is SLOW folks and I'm only looking for around two posts per week. Please don't let that annoy you. If I were playing here I'd be doing what Dice and Siren are doing: finding out how to escape this boring prison. We're more than a week in and haven't completed one day in-game. Your patience and interaction with the setting are greatly appreciated and if I can do anything to enhance your experience as a player just PM me 🙂

The Accountant:

Granny nodded and smiled at Herbert's responses then gleefully squeezed her hands against her chest when the game began! She sighed, "Well if you haven't gathered this isn't the usual penitentiary. Actually it's something of an 'extended experiment' from many perspectives and so far it's working. The Guardbots do their duty very well indeed and there was an instance where a male inmate assaulted a female but the other inmates made him regret it.  There's a sub-system of order that's been established here like most places I imagine." 

She looked over her ten cards and frowned, "I have a 'difficult condition' as my most recent psychological evaluation states: I can't control my power and unfortunately sometimes ..... people get hurt. It's been this way since late childhood and after decades of unintentionally terrorizing others and myself I ended up here. I was Gaddis' first inmate to be honest and I confess my incarceration is probably for the best. AT least here I can be helpful. 'Normal' even. Being assigned Trustee status means I assist both the Guardbots with everyday duties as well as help inmates with facility issues. That means some see me as a stool-pigeon 'ratting-out' inmates which is both true and also false. I've found myself in the middle of things but it could be worse this I know. But what about you Herbert? How did a distinguished gentleman such as yourself come to be here? I would think a person with your intellect being the CEO of some megacorporation."

12 hours ago, SageBahamut said:

idk, I'm not really engaging with the whole prison sequence as much as I thought I would be. 

tbh I didn't think any of you would find it very engaging but the more your characters learn about Gaddis the sooner they can escape and take over the world. 

Waiting on @Rudolf to make the check.

@DecoyGirl Scylla has visitors.

SCYLLA:

After several minutes (?) passes the door that wasn't there appears and opens! Two Guardbots enter carrying trays of food and a drinks. The food is the exact combination of breakfast meal selections but TWICE the amount still hot! The put the trays down along with the drinks and rise to look at Scylla, "Compliance with Gaddis guidelines can only benefit your sentence inmate Scylla. We are not your enemy. We are simply attendants charged with keeping you safe during your confinement. Please learn to keep Gaddis guidelines and your stay will be far more satisfactory."

Then the Guardbots turn to exit the cell.

This is moving faster than I expected. You folks are really into it! Other than giving your villains the key to the building let me know how I can make it better.

Okay:

Siren and Mammoth need to make DC12 Perception checks for an upcoming ambush!

DICE (this is for wtaylorjr2001 so please don't peek or at least don't let me know you peeked):

GaddisAfter looking the place over thoroughly Dice is perplexed:
1. A cellblock the size of a football field
2. An exercise yard about the same size
3. A massive cafeteria
4. Doors that appear & disappear

He has yet to see the other spaces but Gaddis must be IMMENSE! Larger than any other prison facility on the planet! And the tech behind the doors and architecture is unheard of. The whole place just seems ---

I'll reveal more if he successfully investigates the facility more.

The Accountant:

Granny smiles and positions her hands over the table, "Well the cards you get are projected three-dimensional. Or is it two-dimensional? Um anyway only you or someone on your side of the table can see what you have. Oh I've been dying for some Rummy. Do you play? If not what do you like? You have the mannerism of an educated man soooooo I've learned the more strategic games like chess and Go. I guess ....." Granny pauses and gazes around the huge auditorium at the other inmates, ".... I suppose I'm a little lonely. Most of them avoid me once they've been here a while. Who has time for an unattractive old woman." She smiles at Herbert but the smile withers as she slowly looks away. 

ZARA: 

Chatting with inmates Siren found many of them were FANS of the Insurgency! The loved how her team executed their operations because most bosses had terrible plans that failed in the worst ways. They told Zara the Guardbots patrol the entire structure and respond to "problems" super-quick. They all felt "Granny" was a snitch who exposed any attempt someone had at escaping Gaddis. So Granny got a lot of grief from inmates. Hellstorm and Blacktop specifically told everyone in so many words that talking to Granny was prohibited. 

Most inmates knew Hellstorm or Blacktop had a way out of Gaddis but they only shared it with a tight circle within their crew. Watching the Guardbots didn't reveal a great deal of info and the last person who tried to disable a Guardbot to escape failed in a big way BUT according to rumor he did eventually escape Gaddis. Inmates are very careful about giving that last bit of info as they look around the area for bots and snitches. Then they walk away. 

The casual inmate conversation around Gaddis is a question: "How long before the Insurgents try to break out and what happens when they fail?" Most of the cons continue to watch the Insurgents. Most of the cons Siren approaches want something for the information: desserts, money or protection. And most of the inmates are members of Blacktop's or Hellstorm's crews. 

HERBERT:

As he finds an unoccupied table Granny approaches The Accountant hesitantly saying, "No one wants to play with me much. I like card games. Maybe we could play a bit? My name is Meredith but you can call me Granny."

@Eric I found an exploitable thing here: The Preview feature. Why do gamers need to review a roll? Especially since the "preview" and the actual result can be different. I messed with it a few days ago then again today. The issue is: I preview my roll & it's lower than I like so roll again and get a higher roll that works for me. I JUST did that: 

1. Preview & it was low

2. Rolled & posted & it was higher. 

At the tabletop you can't preview a roll and Thanks be to the Buddha we can't or we'd rarely have bad rolls. I mean okay you could preview a roll, see it's low, roll & post & it's still lower than you like but ....... I see zero value for the preview feature other than certain players trying to "game the dice tower". I'm not saying anyone is doing this BUT the opportunity is there with that completely-unnecessary "Preview" option. I know this is a WIP so consider this wish-list and thank you for your hard work on the site. 

Inmate Checks:

"Walking about":

When your character is walking around Gaddis please let me know what section they visit:

1. Hallway stroll

2. Main Cellblock (chairs and Digi-Tables for games/books)

3. Exercise Yard (sports)

4. Infirmary (grooming, dental/health care)

5. Cafeteria (eating)

6. Conference Facility (contact with the outside)

7. Your cell (relaxation)

I ask because different things will happen at different spaces. 

Didn't see the rolls: 

@Bananaphone Insight is more about "intentions" and the Guardbots' intentions are to keep the peace. "Granny" is truly interested in helping inmates with issues and she communicates those concerns directly to the Guardbots. That's her job as a Trustee and that's why the Guardbots are protective of her. Tech-wise the Guardbots appear to be somewhat advanced robots designed and programmed for "personnel management". Nothing unlike the droids used by some other prisons, tech companies like ASTRO Labs or the military. @wtaylorjr2001 the cafeteria is 150-feet side-to-side and 300-feet front (serving area) to back (where the Insurgents sit). There's no hint of a doorway at the wall and as far as Dice can see no device(s) that seem out of the ordinary. During his examination Dice does get looks from inmates and Guardbots. @cbenny ALL Gaddis TV broadcasts are pre-recorded. 

20 hours ago, cbenny said:

@Conaldar Herbert has Quirk [Nearsighted] among his complications. Did the prison let him keep his glasses (or more likely provide Herbert with a new pair of glasses)?

Herbert's eyeglasses appear to be the exact pair he had prior to arriving at Gaddis @cbenny

Whew! Hot day! 

I guess I should clarify things: 

1. The Insurgents have now seen the inmate population. It's about one hundred men and women combined. Women make up roughly 20%. Mixed population prisons are largely unheard of but Gaddis seems to make it work based on swift Guardbot reaction and cell assignment. There's more than a few supervillains in Gaddis that the Insurgents might recognize so you can make your DC10 checks when you like to possibly identify them. Knowing who to talk to is important.
2. The crew knows that Gaddis has audio/visual sensors mounted on the ceilings so whatever they talk about is most probably heard by whoever is running the prison to include the Guardbots. 
3. Hellstorm has a crew that at a glance looks like thirty inmates from the Cafeteria event. They're all Caucasian. You haven't met Blacktop yet but it's safe to assume he runs a large gang of African-American inmates who dominate the prison population (75%). Based on what Insurgents with criminal knowledge understand Hellstorm and/or Blacktop will look to incorporate the Insurgents into their crews. Right now Mueller is just "setting the table."
4. Inmates putting their hands on another inmate or Guardbot COULD result in physical retaliation. Dice seems to have gotten a pass but maybe not again. Even the most casual interaction can turn nasty here.
5. The doors: they appear and disappear so quickly unlike any prison the Insurgents have heard of or experienced. And it seems the Guardbots command how the doors work. They are the Gatekeepers and to escape it may take one or more of the Insurgents challenging them. 
6. "Granny" walks amongst the inmates. They tell her things and she keeps moving. Whenever an inmate gets nasty with her the Guardbots move in to control the situation. Blacktop's crew tend to get into very short physical altercations (bumping into) with Granny as if they're testing her.