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revivalproject2025-10-13 01:04 pm
trpmods) wrote in revivalproject2025-10-13 01:04 pm
Entry tags:
[Event] [Mingle] The Delicate Dance
WHO: He Rows
WHERE: Byvilie
WHAT: A Dance and a Heist
WHEN: October 23th-25th (forward dating is okay)
WARNINGS: CW: References to enslavement and the trading of sentient beings.
NOTES: While this is a mingle log, players are welcome to make their own Posts as well to cover the rest of October and this event.
After a week of rest, Venidelosia's voice returns on the intercom. She begs that all He Rows who can spare themselves come to their ships’ respective Deep End for a briefing on their upcoming task. As people settle in, they receive a brief message on their communication device asking if they wish an accurate display shared with the other ship or just a simple representation. Seems like she's gonna make sure everyone can see everyone else.
Once those willing to be briefed arrive, she begins to explain the general shape of what she has learned. Firstly, Estariev is a notorious information dealer and a hoarder of unique things. Per Yurebia’s notes that does include sentient beings. Among his collections are limitless detailed star charts of various sectors of space, detailed collections of racial information, and other things that might be useful in your search for the Agrii homeworld. The former two are the most obvious ways to seek what you will need, but Yurebia confirmed that this might not be the only path.
Byvilie is a planet that Estariev has taken as his base and that he has influenced from his youth. The ball there usually occurs twice for what those from Earth might call one and a quarter centuries, but which would be considered twice a stellar cycle there.These are big affairs, with fluctuating themes meant to build Estariev’s collections, make political moves, and allow the elite among the Byvilians to compete in political and financial games. These games and deals are the basis for the social hierarchies of the rest of the stellar cycle. Representatives of many spacefaring races sent delegations to reap what they could and to reinforce their ties to the powerful world.
According to Vendilosia's documents, Byvilie turns out to actually be the frozen moon of a gas giant planet far from its star, and she believes that only the powers and technology at Estariev’s command makes the ice covered seas habitable. The dome the ball will be held within is accessible only by a device that Yurebia sent up with the other supplies. Unfortunately the device is magical, so Venidelosia knows not how to replicate it. The device itself will trigger to send all down for the ball and fetch them back up either at the close or at their request. But it can only send and return each He Row once, so be certain that you want to leave. Not all will be sent down at once, of course, that would be suspicious.
Through the lady’s contacts they also have a very rough map of the layout of the ball dome and the grounds of the rest of the palace around it. The maps were gained through a wealth seeking noble and are not more exact because they are based on the past ball and Estariev is known to change things regularly. The general map is uploaded to all communication devices then and it is helpfully color coded. The ball related areas are a faint violet and the rest are dark orange. There is however no scale. The orange areas Venidelosia notes are either partially or fully flooded and will thus be trouble.
The He Rows will need to, by subterfuge, trade, chaos, or theft, acquire at least the race data to know which star charts they will have to acquire. The gifts of Yurebia's people in the hold will be available for trade or bribes, but Venadolosia has been warned that the Byvilians have taken after Estariev and try to acquire things that are either unique, highly valuable, or otherwise hard to acquire. And, unfortunately, the services of others are often bought and sold.
So plan your best plans and prepare for anything. Or perhaps resolve yourself to just enjoy the party and play backline support for your fellows. But please, beloved crew, have caution, she does not wish to lose you.
After time to prepare, the day finally comes, or rather the series of days, given the fact that a night on Byvilie is equivalent to three days on Agra-10. Garments have been donned, masks are fixed into place, and of course a new subsystem has been added to your communication devices to summon you back or initiate transfers for bribes and trades. There is an air of tension in Venidelosia’s words as she herds you to the fountains to be magically swept to the planet in ones and twos.
And oh, what a sight you behold after you were caught up within and released from the saltwater scent of Yurebia's magic. The walls of the receiving room seem to be made of burnished copper and lit by candles held in stained glass lanterns. The air around you is perfumed with a pungent burn of incense. A... well, it could only be called a wisp of light–glowing blue, violet, and peach while trailing a stream of sparks–bobs before you.
“And how shall thou be announced?” the light asks, its colors pulsing with the words spoken.
Per Yurebia’s warning, any name that you give to this greeter will be taken as your identity for the rest of this journey, so choose well. Once your name has been given, the orb floats over to an alcove with a chest carved of what might be a single piece of ivory. If, that is, the creature it came from was large enough to drive a semi down the gullet of. The chest opens itself. On one side is a slot for the engraved platinum card that is your invitation. Upon the other is something gilded and shaped, not unlike a scale.
“One gift for the master shall be received and measured.”
At least this much you have been prepared for. The Goddess had mentioned this was part of the entrance. So load the scale with your gift and when the scale is satisfied with the value of all you have given, the chest will shut and the room around you will begin to glow. The glow swells to nearly blinding before it all dissolves away in a shower of sparks and dancing moats of light. The orb that spoke to you chimes out your chosen title in a few languages, giving you a moment to think and orient yourself. This, of course, is ultimately a dizzying prospect because the dome overhead is larger than that on the ships. It is distant and shines like crystal, and with the faint blue-green and teal-gold coloration, giving the illusion that the light is more living than traditional. There are more candles and torches behind stained glass scattered about as well, though now that you think of it the ‘glass’ could be plates of thin cut gemstones. All in all the lighting alone creates a dreamy atmosphere. Or perhaps it's the various perfumes in the air that achieve that.
Below the end of the grand staircase you stand upon is a ballroom on a scale that could be compared to Olympic stadiums on Earth, and so much of it is covered with a wealth of bodies in fancy clothes and masks. It's not all ball gowns and suits that you see, as not all those who are present are bipedal. In fact, if you get a chance to look closely at some of your fellow guests, not all of them even seem fully corporeal. Altogether, it seems like a sea of roving, gossiping, dancing and feasting bodies created of a mix of every imaginable creature of stories of gods and fae, as well as any alien species that you could ever imagine.
As your eyes continue to search, it becomes clear that the dome holds not only a ballroom floor. There is clearly an area set aside with tables and chairs carved of… Well if you get the chance to inspect them closely, it'll be clear that the furniture seems unstable, merely the suggestion of light and shadow, and yet all of it holds weight easily. Sitting or standing by a table immediately causes another sparkling arm of light to float up from it and ask what food or drink you might wish. More specifically, it asks to know what feeling you wish to have evoked and to put payment upon the table. Then it will touch you with its light and zoom off, soon to return with a floating bubble containing a serving of food or a glass of something to drink. The flavor will precisely meet your described desire, and how good and filling it will be will be found to depend upon the quality of your payment.
This is only one example of the many fine amenities of the ball. Merely call for existence in one of the modes of light will appear to help you. They will guide you to private balconies raised high above on pillars of water that flow right up against the crystal of the Dome and. A word. They will take you to a private bedroom to rest or have your own personal rendezvous, one of the many prepared for guests to whom the knight might seem too long. There are sea gardens, a delightful maze for quiet conversation, and even places bestpelled to be completely unseen and heard by all not within their space. All but the places to rest are offered at a cost, unless of course, you wish to wander about yourself to find them. Given how large and layered the dome is, it might not be easy, but with enough time and determination, anything is possible.
Throughout the evening, your host comes and goes with no question as to which person in particular he is. All bow their heads as he passes, a being of nearly eight feet, with eyes like swirling galaxies, skin of golden and violet nebulae barely covered by a sea blue toga like garb, and a crown of what is either dim stars or orbs like the lights that have guided you around, pressing down upon his brow. Estariev wears no mask, and so neither his smile nor his eyes are hidden as he casts his attention about; receiving private words, adoration and even wealth in rarities delivered right into his hand. At times, strange unmasked people are presented to him, the silver lead on a long silver bracelet delivered right into his hand before the unmasked disappears in a shower of sparks.
No doubt he will even seek you out in time. Beware his charms.
And then there are the Byvilians. They are marked by being the most numerous of the guest races and the least dressed. They are recognizable by their not one but three separate forms, all an indication of their race's varied sexes.The mater are four legged lizard-like beings with scales, all of the colors of light bearing frills around their fang laden muzzles. The frills themselves are hung with bejeweled chains and their claws have many jewels worn upon them. To call them dragons would not be quite wrong for all that they are merely the size of a pony. Hopefully you don't need to find out whether they breathe fire or not.
Then there are the fater who look as if they are angry bipedal lizards. Please choose to protect themselves in chains and cloaks of amazing design as they have no frills themselves to pierce. They do have crowns of gilded horns topped with beautiful gems. These may even be spun glass with how delicately they are shaped.
As for the nuter, these look like serpents who have sprouted arms and hold themselves upright. The flaring cobra hoods that frame their expressive faces and seem painted with metal flecked paints. Of the three they alone wear garments, these styled much like their master's toga. The neuter alone make a nod towards the Masquerade theme by holding fans of beautiful and diverse feathers before the lower half of their faces.
No matter the sex, they all seem unashamed of approaching. They will offer you dances, information, offers to purchase something upon you, or even more varied delights. No doubt they too pose a great danger to you. Or perhaps they will be a potential source for you to turn to your advantage.
Yet you are not here for the party alone. The sharp eyed will no doubt be looking for ways to exit the ballroom. Perhaps one should follow the bobbing lights. But now when those move, they seem to phase through solid walls. Drat. Instead, one will need to carefully watch the Byvilians and prepare to get behind the scenes.
No matter how you achieve this feat, your going will soon prove rough. The less public spaces are often flooded, either partially or fully. Closer to the ballroom will be support facilities like kitchens, gift storage and sorting, places with cleaning supplies, and even a room where orbs of light float tightly, packed in a cage of twisted metals and jewels. Can lights float forlornly? Maybe, maybe not.
The early reaches of the private halls are the busiest for now, meaning that getting around will be hard in those early moments. But once you get deep enough, people will become rarer. However, the ones you will see will clearly be more dangerous. The fater and nuter occasionally moving around will be ones with weapons on them. Mostly these are swords and spears, but some even seem to have guns and crossbows.
Make your way past them and there may be other rooms of interest. Rooms with metal cabinets of information etched onto metal or crystal plates. Rooms that are dry and filled with extensive libraries of many varieties. Rooms with shelves and chests of carefully labeled treasures. And of course with cubes and small spaces sealed by force fields or magical barriers. Those within, whether animal or person, all seem sad to be there.
Chances are you might find your answers in one of these areas. Or maybe you'll find another notable place to dig. All of that is up to you. Don't forget that the goal is to try to get out unseen with the information you acquire. This will be a very long night for you and your task is quite dangerous. Gather your skill, wits, luck and maybe some fellows so that you can hopefully by the end of the night, have something to show for it. Maybe everyone will. Maybe no one. But in the end you'll want to approach this from a variety of angles. Surely there's nothing wrong with more information than you expected.
FAQ
What are the dates for this event?
He Rows will officially arrive for the party on October 23rd, and it will last through the end of October 25th. The nights on Byvilie are rather long. That said, players are free to forward date their event logs. Characters will return to their ships at their will or at the end of the 25th, and from there these ships will flee from Byvilie and be your base of operations until the beginning of November.
Do we have to get involved in the heist elements of this event?
No. You can either choose to engage with a party merely as a masquerade ball, or you could approach this question from a more diplomatic angle. You will see below in the event post that we have a thread for NPCS. You can basically just tag it there to speak to Estariev himself or anyone else present theoretically at the party to see if they might be able to help you.
Can we just trade Estariev for the information?
You can absolutely try. I will note here out of character that at the very least he will require the trading over of 2 player characters and one ship. Yes, we already have a price established for what it would take to get the information out of him. As no individual character owns the ships, you would actually have to speak with others out of character to see if this is an approach that your character would accept if the offer was made.
Are we getting an actual map of the area?
Alas, no. Maps are not quite our specialty.That said, if there's someone that you want to go, we are more than help. Happy to help you find a path to that, and to help you find the kind of adventure that you're looking for here.
Could we in theory just do this as a smash and grab?
Yes, in theory that is completely possible. If you want to do so, please let us know. You will absolutely face combat and there is a chance that you will become severely injured. Anyone who fails in this attempt will of course be captured, and it would be up to their fellow He Rows to try and break them out if this happens. Or to leave them to their fate.
How much detail do we have to go into about our costumes?
As little or as much as you see fit. As all of the He Rows on your ship will have been gathered together before being sent down in waves, assume that it is fair that any of the other members of your ship at least have seen what you are dressed as and thus will be able to pick you out in a crowd.
Will we be able to bring weapons down with us?
If it can be even vaguely associated as part of your costume, absolutely.The culture here is very much encouraging of the concept of weapons being an art form that should be donned. That said, threatening people with said weapons will cause you some problems. Not only are the natives a potential source of problem for you, but any of the guests may just as well be armed like you are. Not that that needs to stop you.
Can we opt out of this event?
Yes, those players who were not big on balls, or characters who were not big on balls have no requirement to head down to the surface. They just have to let Venidelosia know that they will be staying behind. In fact, this might be a good argument for some characters, as they could serve as backup, showing up fashionably late to the party. They could also serve as a safety net. One could even argue that they're staying behind on the ships to be prepared to get everybody out quickly if that is necessary. Or they could just be wallflowers. That said, if you want your character to be at the ball and you're not sure how to get them down, think about what skills they might have. That could help with sneaking information. Are they someone that looks unique and thus could win the attention of helpful or natives or visiting dignitaries? Would one of their fellow heroes decide to haul them down as a date or because they have a specialized skill that might help them get through into the back rooms? Think about where your skills would fit and how that might make your character available.
My character has a special ability that I think would give them an advantage in the infiltration aspect. Can I make use of this?
This is one of those events where we highly encourage that. If your power were to let you snap your fingers and suddenly have all of the information no 'cause that just cuts it all too short. The powers of mental manipulation, phasing through walls, being able to lie to people or weave illusions, that is all fair game. There's also the gifts that Yurebia gave to you. These will work on nearly everybody but Estariev himself, so do you consider how they might help you but also remember their limitations.
You know I wanna bust out all of this guy’s Collection of people, right?
And doesn't that sound like a splendid distraction tactic? Or a great way to cover your escape? Who knows, maybe there's even guests present that would more than happily help you with that. Chaos is always a tactic.
I've got a particularly daring and complex plan that I want to run by you.
Oh, we are so excited to hear it. Please throw it in the comments below and we would happily help you make that work. Or happily help you make it blow up in your character's face.
So just how much information do we have to walk away with here?
He Rows will need first to acquire some race profile information, This basically being the data that confirms that the species that you're looking for the information of are in fact the Agrii ancestors. You will also need some space charts. Now whether what you get comes in the form of actual data sets or some kind of specialist that knows this kind of stuff that you can kidnap off the planet, or possibly some kind of victim in the vaults is up in the air. This is an area where you can fulfill your needs in a variety of ways. And the best part is that redundancy is not a bad thing here. The more information you have, even if it's just doubling previous information, means that you have more likely the correct information. So by hook or by crook, get what you can.
I have lots of other questions.
Please ask them. We are not limitless in our insight as to what you will need. Do you know that due to current policies going on in a certain US state and how it affects access to DW, Mod Churby will not be on as constantly as normal and therefore there may be a small delay in answers to your questions. But she’s gonna try!
Pssst you misspelled something.
Sorry, there's complications when voice-to-text happens. Please let us know below.
WHERE: Byvilie
WHAT: A Dance and a Heist
WHEN: October 23th-25th (forward dating is okay)
WARNINGS: CW: References to enslavement and the trading of sentient beings.
NOTES: While this is a mingle log, players are welcome to make their own Posts as well to cover the rest of October and this event.
After a week of rest, Venidelosia's voice returns on the intercom. She begs that all He Rows who can spare themselves come to their ships’ respective Deep End for a briefing on their upcoming task. As people settle in, they receive a brief message on their communication device asking if they wish an accurate display shared with the other ship or just a simple representation. Seems like she's gonna make sure everyone can see everyone else.
Once those willing to be briefed arrive, she begins to explain the general shape of what she has learned. Firstly, Estariev is a notorious information dealer and a hoarder of unique things. Per Yurebia’s notes that does include sentient beings. Among his collections are limitless detailed star charts of various sectors of space, detailed collections of racial information, and other things that might be useful in your search for the Agrii homeworld. The former two are the most obvious ways to seek what you will need, but Yurebia confirmed that this might not be the only path.
Byvilie is a planet that Estariev has taken as his base and that he has influenced from his youth. The ball there usually occurs twice for what those from Earth might call one and a quarter centuries, but which would be considered twice a stellar cycle there.These are big affairs, with fluctuating themes meant to build Estariev’s collections, make political moves, and allow the elite among the Byvilians to compete in political and financial games. These games and deals are the basis for the social hierarchies of the rest of the stellar cycle. Representatives of many spacefaring races sent delegations to reap what they could and to reinforce their ties to the powerful world.
According to Vendilosia's documents, Byvilie turns out to actually be the frozen moon of a gas giant planet far from its star, and she believes that only the powers and technology at Estariev’s command makes the ice covered seas habitable. The dome the ball will be held within is accessible only by a device that Yurebia sent up with the other supplies. Unfortunately the device is magical, so Venidelosia knows not how to replicate it. The device itself will trigger to send all down for the ball and fetch them back up either at the close or at their request. But it can only send and return each He Row once, so be certain that you want to leave. Not all will be sent down at once, of course, that would be suspicious.
Through the lady’s contacts they also have a very rough map of the layout of the ball dome and the grounds of the rest of the palace around it. The maps were gained through a wealth seeking noble and are not more exact because they are based on the past ball and Estariev is known to change things regularly. The general map is uploaded to all communication devices then and it is helpfully color coded. The ball related areas are a faint violet and the rest are dark orange. There is however no scale. The orange areas Venidelosia notes are either partially or fully flooded and will thus be trouble.
The He Rows will need to, by subterfuge, trade, chaos, or theft, acquire at least the race data to know which star charts they will have to acquire. The gifts of Yurebia's people in the hold will be available for trade or bribes, but Venadolosia has been warned that the Byvilians have taken after Estariev and try to acquire things that are either unique, highly valuable, or otherwise hard to acquire. And, unfortunately, the services of others are often bought and sold.
So plan your best plans and prepare for anything. Or perhaps resolve yourself to just enjoy the party and play backline support for your fellows. But please, beloved crew, have caution, she does not wish to lose you.
After time to prepare, the day finally comes, or rather the series of days, given the fact that a night on Byvilie is equivalent to three days on Agra-10. Garments have been donned, masks are fixed into place, and of course a new subsystem has been added to your communication devices to summon you back or initiate transfers for bribes and trades. There is an air of tension in Venidelosia’s words as she herds you to the fountains to be magically swept to the planet in ones and twos.
And oh, what a sight you behold after you were caught up within and released from the saltwater scent of Yurebia's magic. The walls of the receiving room seem to be made of burnished copper and lit by candles held in stained glass lanterns. The air around you is perfumed with a pungent burn of incense. A... well, it could only be called a wisp of light–glowing blue, violet, and peach while trailing a stream of sparks–bobs before you.
“And how shall thou be announced?” the light asks, its colors pulsing with the words spoken.
Per Yurebia’s warning, any name that you give to this greeter will be taken as your identity for the rest of this journey, so choose well. Once your name has been given, the orb floats over to an alcove with a chest carved of what might be a single piece of ivory. If, that is, the creature it came from was large enough to drive a semi down the gullet of. The chest opens itself. On one side is a slot for the engraved platinum card that is your invitation. Upon the other is something gilded and shaped, not unlike a scale.
“One gift for the master shall be received and measured.”
At least this much you have been prepared for. The Goddess had mentioned this was part of the entrance. So load the scale with your gift and when the scale is satisfied with the value of all you have given, the chest will shut and the room around you will begin to glow. The glow swells to nearly blinding before it all dissolves away in a shower of sparks and dancing moats of light. The orb that spoke to you chimes out your chosen title in a few languages, giving you a moment to think and orient yourself. This, of course, is ultimately a dizzying prospect because the dome overhead is larger than that on the ships. It is distant and shines like crystal, and with the faint blue-green and teal-gold coloration, giving the illusion that the light is more living than traditional. There are more candles and torches behind stained glass scattered about as well, though now that you think of it the ‘glass’ could be plates of thin cut gemstones. All in all the lighting alone creates a dreamy atmosphere. Or perhaps it's the various perfumes in the air that achieve that.
Below the end of the grand staircase you stand upon is a ballroom on a scale that could be compared to Olympic stadiums on Earth, and so much of it is covered with a wealth of bodies in fancy clothes and masks. It's not all ball gowns and suits that you see, as not all those who are present are bipedal. In fact, if you get a chance to look closely at some of your fellow guests, not all of them even seem fully corporeal. Altogether, it seems like a sea of roving, gossiping, dancing and feasting bodies created of a mix of every imaginable creature of stories of gods and fae, as well as any alien species that you could ever imagine.
As your eyes continue to search, it becomes clear that the dome holds not only a ballroom floor. There is clearly an area set aside with tables and chairs carved of… Well if you get the chance to inspect them closely, it'll be clear that the furniture seems unstable, merely the suggestion of light and shadow, and yet all of it holds weight easily. Sitting or standing by a table immediately causes another sparkling arm of light to float up from it and ask what food or drink you might wish. More specifically, it asks to know what feeling you wish to have evoked and to put payment upon the table. Then it will touch you with its light and zoom off, soon to return with a floating bubble containing a serving of food or a glass of something to drink. The flavor will precisely meet your described desire, and how good and filling it will be will be found to depend upon the quality of your payment.
This is only one example of the many fine amenities of the ball. Merely call for existence in one of the modes of light will appear to help you. They will guide you to private balconies raised high above on pillars of water that flow right up against the crystal of the Dome and. A word. They will take you to a private bedroom to rest or have your own personal rendezvous, one of the many prepared for guests to whom the knight might seem too long. There are sea gardens, a delightful maze for quiet conversation, and even places bestpelled to be completely unseen and heard by all not within their space. All but the places to rest are offered at a cost, unless of course, you wish to wander about yourself to find them. Given how large and layered the dome is, it might not be easy, but with enough time and determination, anything is possible.
Throughout the evening, your host comes and goes with no question as to which person in particular he is. All bow their heads as he passes, a being of nearly eight feet, with eyes like swirling galaxies, skin of golden and violet nebulae barely covered by a sea blue toga like garb, and a crown of what is either dim stars or orbs like the lights that have guided you around, pressing down upon his brow. Estariev wears no mask, and so neither his smile nor his eyes are hidden as he casts his attention about; receiving private words, adoration and even wealth in rarities delivered right into his hand. At times, strange unmasked people are presented to him, the silver lead on a long silver bracelet delivered right into his hand before the unmasked disappears in a shower of sparks.
No doubt he will even seek you out in time. Beware his charms.
And then there are the Byvilians. They are marked by being the most numerous of the guest races and the least dressed. They are recognizable by their not one but three separate forms, all an indication of their race's varied sexes.The mater are four legged lizard-like beings with scales, all of the colors of light bearing frills around their fang laden muzzles. The frills themselves are hung with bejeweled chains and their claws have many jewels worn upon them. To call them dragons would not be quite wrong for all that they are merely the size of a pony. Hopefully you don't need to find out whether they breathe fire or not.
Then there are the fater who look as if they are angry bipedal lizards. Please choose to protect themselves in chains and cloaks of amazing design as they have no frills themselves to pierce. They do have crowns of gilded horns topped with beautiful gems. These may even be spun glass with how delicately they are shaped.
As for the nuter, these look like serpents who have sprouted arms and hold themselves upright. The flaring cobra hoods that frame their expressive faces and seem painted with metal flecked paints. Of the three they alone wear garments, these styled much like their master's toga. The neuter alone make a nod towards the Masquerade theme by holding fans of beautiful and diverse feathers before the lower half of their faces.
No matter the sex, they all seem unashamed of approaching. They will offer you dances, information, offers to purchase something upon you, or even more varied delights. No doubt they too pose a great danger to you. Or perhaps they will be a potential source for you to turn to your advantage.
Yet you are not here for the party alone. The sharp eyed will no doubt be looking for ways to exit the ballroom. Perhaps one should follow the bobbing lights. But now when those move, they seem to phase through solid walls. Drat. Instead, one will need to carefully watch the Byvilians and prepare to get behind the scenes.
No matter how you achieve this feat, your going will soon prove rough. The less public spaces are often flooded, either partially or fully. Closer to the ballroom will be support facilities like kitchens, gift storage and sorting, places with cleaning supplies, and even a room where orbs of light float tightly, packed in a cage of twisted metals and jewels. Can lights float forlornly? Maybe, maybe not.
The early reaches of the private halls are the busiest for now, meaning that getting around will be hard in those early moments. But once you get deep enough, people will become rarer. However, the ones you will see will clearly be more dangerous. The fater and nuter occasionally moving around will be ones with weapons on them. Mostly these are swords and spears, but some even seem to have guns and crossbows.
Make your way past them and there may be other rooms of interest. Rooms with metal cabinets of information etched onto metal or crystal plates. Rooms that are dry and filled with extensive libraries of many varieties. Rooms with shelves and chests of carefully labeled treasures. And of course with cubes and small spaces sealed by force fields or magical barriers. Those within, whether animal or person, all seem sad to be there.
Chances are you might find your answers in one of these areas. Or maybe you'll find another notable place to dig. All of that is up to you. Don't forget that the goal is to try to get out unseen with the information you acquire. This will be a very long night for you and your task is quite dangerous. Gather your skill, wits, luck and maybe some fellows so that you can hopefully by the end of the night, have something to show for it. Maybe everyone will. Maybe no one. But in the end you'll want to approach this from a variety of angles. Surely there's nothing wrong with more information than you expected.
What are the dates for this event?
Do we have to get involved in the heist elements of this event?
Can we just trade Estariev for the information?
Are we getting an actual map of the area?
Could we in theory just do this as a smash and grab?
How much detail do we have to go into about our costumes?
Will we be able to bring weapons down with us?
Can we opt out of this event?
My character has a special ability that I think would give them an advantage in the infiltration aspect. Can I make use of this?
You know I wanna bust out all of this guy’s Collection of people, right?
I've got a particularly daring and complex plan that I want to run by you.
So just how much information do we have to walk away with here?
I have lots of other questions.
Pssst you misspelled something.
Questions and comments?
Re: Questions and comments?
Also, how likely are the Byvilians to notice them? (They will be attempting to fly steathily)
no subject
As for the Byvilians, given the size and speed of the drones and their ability to reach height they will not really be noticeable to the mater and pater variants of the Byvilians. There will need to be more caution with nuter just because like with snakes part of their core sense organs is based on heat. I don't remember how much heat the drones throw off.
The real threat for notice for the drones is actually from the glowing orb things like the announcer and the food servers. Those will notice the drones. What they choose to do about it will depend on where they are encountered and how they behave.
no subject
Two drones are gonna be staff in the ballroom itself, with basically one staying with Murderbot and the other getting up high and finding someone inconspicuous to sit and get a good vantage point over the ballroom. The other four drones will be out scouting in the Suspicious Areas, but they won't really be doing anything other than flying around - they're basically gathering intel and that's it. They'll also attempt to hide when at risk of being spotted.
I'm also planning to make a post where Murderbot puts its mapping / the info it finds up there for everyone - are there any issues with that or particular things I should note?
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NPC Interactions
Estariev
Byvilians
Light Orbs, Other Guests, or Other NPCs
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The SecUnit had arrived, been announced (ugh), given it's obligatory gift (ugh), and then immediately made a beeline for the furthest corner of the ballroom. The darkest, least inviting one. It sits on a chair, turns to face the wall, and then proceeds to attempt to ignore the event occurring around it as much as possible. Or at least, it looks like it's ignoring everything. (There's a drone flying above its head. It's definitely watching very closely through that.)
Even its chosen outfit conveys a sense that it would like be completely and utterly unnoticed. Black dress slacks, dark blue dress shirt, loose untailored black vest. It's an outfit that has aimed for the bare minimum of formality while also trying to be as boring an uninteresting as possible. Its mask - the only thing about all of this that it actually likes - is just basic, black, and unadorned.
ii. When the servers won't fucking stop talking to you [open]
It's having a problem.
"Honoured guest, what dish do you desire?" one of the service light (drone?) thing asks.
"I don't want anything," it replies.
"Honoured guest, you must desire food! Or perhaps a delightful beverage!"
"...No."
"Honoured guest, I must take your order! What feeling do you wish your nourishment to provide?"
"...I am going to find your power cell and fucking crush it."
iii. Sneaky sneaky drone time [open]
Thanks to the weird machine that can apparently replicate anything, the SecUnit now has a total of six drones. Drone One and Drone Two are stationed within the ballroom itself, but Drones Three through Six have snuck out into the more private areas.
Perhaps one of the other He Rows will notice one of these four drones. Or maybe triangulate their location from the map that they are updating on the network.
Or perhaps - particularly if a He Row starts doing anything especially risky, or dangerous, or stupid - the drone will start following them.
Wallflower
A three-foot purple jerboa/weasel cross is standing near him, speaking in a Texas drawl. He doesn't seem bothered by any of this.
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It's pretty sure that fauna aren't meant to be able to talk, however.
"...What the fuck are you," it says, ignoring the Fauna's statement entirely.
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"Fang the Hunter right now. Never keep one name too long back home, but eh, here I've got no real reason to change it yet."
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(Meanwhile, it's still staring at the wall. It's made a few glances his way, just because that's what a human would do. But mostly, it's not looking - except through the drone, which has drifted closer.)
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"I didn't know fauna could...talk," it says. (It's seen serials where they do. But those are the very, very unrealistic ones.)
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And he smirks. "It's normal in my world. There's somebody else here from there too. Different dimension than mine, though."
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It is not going to look it up. It doesn't care, so its not going to bother. The drone flies back up again, no longer getting in close to look at Fang.
And then the SecUnit just...sits there, in an awkward silence. Still staring at the wall.
This is clearly someone who is not good at carrying a conversation.
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"So about these drones," he says. "Tell me about 'em. They look high-tech."
And he loves high-tech.
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"You can't have my drones," it says. The drone above them rises higher. Just to make sure its really out of grabbing distance.
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(Okay, so maybe it's a little on edge. What with the big, overwhelming social gathering it's now stuck in and all. It might be being even more of an asshole than usual.)
"...Sorry," it says. "I didn't make them."
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"...A manufacturing company."
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“They’re common where you’re from?”
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(These were intelligence drones. They were common for SecUnits, and so were pretty common in places where SecUnits were deployed. In other places? Not so much.)
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So it just...shrugs.
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"...They're for scouting," it says finally. "They have visual and audio sensors."
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How far can they see, hear, etc.
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Heavy sarcasm.
Keith
For anyone who had been at Keith and Lance's wedding, they might recognize what Keith was wearing (without the hat and gloves). He matched it with a simple, yet fancy enough mask over his face. On his waist, he was carrying his Marmora Blade on his belt, the glowing emblem making it an interesting and eye-catching piece for those interested in trading weapons.
But, Keith was definitely not selling.
He could be found alternating between wallflowering, determining if the food was really worth spending a ton of treasure on, and trying to listen to smalltalk. He wasn't good at making small talk, but if he could get someone else to spill or stand close by to another conversation and just listen, that worked just as well.
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Wandering the Halls
At some point, Keith did manage to get outside the ballroom, and found himself in some very... wet... hallways. He wasn't going to let that go to waste, either, so he made his way around the venue, investigating everything he could find. The people that seemed to be getting traded as property, though... that bothered him. It reminded him of some of the things the Galra Empire had been doing under Zarkon, and he'd spent a good several years of his life fighting against that sort of thing.
He might be trying to come up with some ideas on how to break them out... someone should probably help him... or stop him.
Wandering
“We should pool our resources,” he said. “Perhaps we can set things right here.”
The man once renowned as a hero across worlds was still a hero at heart. He also could not witness what was going on here without being determined to stop it. They just needed the perfect plan. They couldn’t simply free everyone haphazardly. Could they?
Re: Wandering
"I take it you've been looking around a bit, too?" he then said quietly.
Re: Wandering
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"I can break them out."
It was a sharp blade. But, even if it couldn't cut open the holding cells, Keith might actually be able to use it to break some locks.
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That was a plan... or something of one.
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The ones he talked to were all for the plan. He went back to wait.