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Mid-Range Game 40: A Defiant Rebellion


Elandera

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It was not a good day for Ironsides. She had more important things to focus on - like the constant battle with the Krell - than some petty uprising among Defiant elites. But instead, she was having to waste away an afternoon in the lower caverns pandering to the National Assembly Leaders.

"Admiral, I'm sure you understand the implications of what we're dealing with."

"Yes," she said, leveling her gaze at the man who'd addressed her. "While it may become a problem, I'm sure the leaders of this assembly are able to control a rebellion without needing to call me away from Alta."

He shifted uncomfortably in his seat, clearly new in his position. Most other members had grown accustomed to her abrasiveness. "Well, we're not sure yet who's involved. We believe some, if not several, may be members of the DDF. Which would put the investigation under your jurisdiction."

Ironsides sighed. Of course they'd claim the Disputers would be in the DDF. Anything to avoid doing their jobs. "Fine. I'll get some people working on the problem. Though don't count on it being a problem from inside the DDF. There are plenty of people in the caverns unhappy with your decisions. I'd appreciate if you kept some people of your own investigating this as well."

With a curt nod, she turned and walked out of the assembly's meeting hall. Only an hour and she felt like she could go a whole year without more politicking. It made her wonder why she'd accepted the admiral position in the first place.

---

Welcome to MR40: A Defiant Rebellion!

IMPORTANT RULES ANNOUNCEMENT!

Some of the item rules have been adjusted. See spoiler box for further information:

Spoiler

Radio - Now costs 20 chits, rather than 15

Destructor Pistol - Now costs 60 chits, rather than 40. There are also only two available for purchase

The rules doc has been adjusted accordingly in bolded purple font.

---

Players can pass both items and requisition chits. Doing so will be the item action for that cycle. Any number of chits/items may be passed to one player in a single action. If you wish to pass to more than one player, it will require more than one action.

This cycle will end at 10 P.M. PST on Tuesday, February 18th.

Reminder: PMs are closed unless you have a radio. Those with a radio must still submit the request through the GM.

Player List

Spoiler
  1. Kynedath
  2. Zillah
  3. Elkanah
  4. Kidpen
  5. Rathmaskal
  6. StrikerEZ
  7. Araris Valerian
  8. The_God_King
  9. Xinoehp512
  10. Coda
  11. Fifth Scholar
  12. Abstrusity
  13. shanerockes
  14. Sart
Edited by Elandera
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Hello everybody! I for one am pretty hyped for this game. At the moment the most suspicious person to me is (rolls d14) Abstrusity. @Abstrusity the fact that you haven't posted despite the cycle being up for a whole (checks time stamp) 7 minutes is rather suspicious. Any thoughts?

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20 minutes ago, Kidpen said:

Hello everybody! I for one am pretty hyped for this game. At the moment the most suspicious person to me is (rolls d14) Abstrusity. @Abstrusity the fact that you haven't posted despite the cycle being up for a whole (checks time stamp) 7 minutes is rather suspicious. Any thoughts?

XD

I literally just finished this book five minutes ago! So good!

Analysis and baseless accusations to come in the morning.

I look forward to drinking the blood of my enemies from goblets fashioned from their own skulls!

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Hello everyone! Glad to be making it back to SE for another game. Hopefully I can stick to consistent activity this time. :P 

Looks like there is a reward for being active, intriguingly enough. I don't think I've ever seen people getting rewarded for contributing to discussion before... although it really does seem like it would be a good idea, so I have no idea why not.

Anyway, here's some thoughts on the rules, I guess.

Quote

First Citizen - You fought bravely in the Battle of Alta, and survived when so many did not. You are heavily merited and hold a distinguished spot among the elite of the Defiant League. That influence allows you to have a stronger voice in important matters.

  • Your vote can count as two. This is not a passive ability. If you die, your ability will pass to a random Heir. This does not apply if you are arrested. You start with a radio and a light-line.

Having the power to double your vote is , of course, an important responsibility. Make sure you're paying attention and voting!

Also important to note is that this is (as far as I can see) the only power that will add a vote. If you use this ability more than once, you have a significantly higher chance of giving yourself away. On the flip side, if you do want to roleclaim, it should be fairly easy to prove who you are. Given that the village has essentially spare versions of this role, this might not be as bad of an idea as it would be in other games.

Quote

Heir of a First Citizen - You grew up in the Deep Caverns, privileged and pampered. You are expected to become a cadet, though you know your time as a full pilot will be short. You have been training in politics and in your family’s business. Your status as a child of a First Citizen means you often receive special treatment.

  • One vote will be removed from the total count against you at the end of the cycle. If a First Citizen dies, you have a chance at gaining their ability. You start with a radio. 

This, unlike the First citizen role, seems to be a passive ability. (@Elandera is this correct?) However, also unlike the First Citizen role, this is not the only vote manip role that will remove votes. Worth noting that there could be multiple of this role- the role will always pass to one of them. (So presumably if there was only one, the chance would be 100%)

Quote

Pilot on Deep Reserve - Currently on R&R in the Deep Caverns, you are a well-known pilot for the DDF. Unfortunately, you’ve been requested to help fend off the internal battle. Luckily, your status as a Pilot of the DDF has given you a certain amount of influence, and you find many are willing to listen to your suggestions.

  • You can cancel one person's vote. You start with a radio and a light-line.

This role is similar to the First Citizen, with the main difference being the lack of an Heir. 

Quote

Vici Warrior - Descendent of the marines of the Defiant, you grew up in the Vici cavern. Your people are well-known to be great warriors. You are among those great warriors, and cannot easily be taken down.

  • You will survive one attack. This does not apply to being arrested.

Not much to say here. Drawing eliminator fire to yourself would certainly be a valid strategy, if you could pull it off.

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Bountiful Gunner - You were raised in the Bountiful Caverns and became a skilled gunner - not just with AA guns, but also destructor pistols. The manners you were taught, though, means you will only use your knowledge in defense of the Defiant League or its citizens.

  • You start with a destructor pistol. If you are in possession of a destructor pistol, you can protect one player per turn from attack. If you or that player are targeted, you will retaliate and shoot the player who attacked you, dying in the process.  If your retaliation action is used, the pistol will be destroyed. If you possess more than one pistol, only one will be destroyed.

Potentially an extremely powerful role. Try not to die from friendly fire. Worth making note of that this destroys the pistol- after this, there'd only be one available.

Quote

Igneous Engineer - It’s incredible what you can learn about someone through the use of technology. Your skills working in the developmental engineering department of the Igneous Caverns have helped you learn how to stealthily hack the various programs and security systems.

  • You can choose to track someone and learn which action they took. You do not learn whom they targeted. You can also send one anonymous PM per cycle as a bonus action.

A useful enough scan. @Elandera, will the elim kill and a destructor pistol action be differentiated to this scan?

That's it for roles. Thoughts on items to come later.

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@KidpenYou got me there. I suppose my fate is sealed then? :P

However, I'm curious as to where you got a d14. They aren't manufactured by any group I know of. At least... not within the law.

I'm calling you out, Kidpen! For illegal possession of dice whose side count is not sanctioned by the Treaty of Skymaw, I hereby motion for your summary and painful execution. Your machinations will die today. There will be no mercy. 

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11 minutes ago, xinoehp512 said:

Potentially an extremely powerful role. Try not to die from friendly fire. Worth making note of that this destroys the pistol- after this, there'd only be one available.

From my understanding, they start off with a destructor pistol that isn't included in the two in the shop. @Elandera, is that correct, or will the destructor pistol the gunner starts with take one away from the market?

The changes in the items will be making this game a bit more conservative with the items, hopefully that will make them easier to track.

6 minutes ago, Abstrusity said:

@KidpenYou got me there. I suppose my fate is sealed then? :P

However, I'm curious as to where you got a d14. They aren't manufactured by any group I know of. At least... not within the law.

I'm calling you out, Kidpen! For illegal possession of dice whose side count is not sanctioned by the Treaty of Skymaw, I hereby motion for your summary and painful execution. Your machinations will die today. There will be no mercy. 

Not really game relevant, but out of curiosity I looked up d14 dice, and there are plenty of manufacturers of speciality dice out there! Just a little interesting piece of trivia for you.

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1 hour ago, xinoehp512 said:

This, unlike the First citizen role, seems to be a passive ability. (@Elandera is this correct?)

Correct.

1 hour ago, xinoehp512 said:

A useful enough scan. @Elandera, will the elim kill and a destructor pistol action be differentiated to this scan?

No. They will both appear simply as attacks.

1 hour ago, Kynedath said:

From my understanding, they start off with a destructor pistol that isn't included in the two in the shop. @Elandera, is that correct, or will the destructor pistol the gunner starts with take one away from the market?

Any Gunner's pistol is separate from the number available from the quartermaster. 

Another general rule announcement!

Players can pass both items and requisition chits. Doing so will be the item action for that cycle. Any number of chits/items may be passed to one player in a single action. If you wish to pass to more than one player, it will require more than one action. 

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Sdpp, Abstrusity kx cdvkuzgdph yzc! Jupdxx nd'x ulg... Abstrusity

Izgyd StrikerEZ ! Yjg gndu zbzku, ul StrikerEZ

Rpdtdf wandered through Igneous. This cavern was so much bigger than the cavern he had grown up in! He might have felt a bit agoraphobic if he hadn't already had the opportunity to be a pilot above ground. In the distance, he could see the apparatus. 

"So that's how we're going to win this war, huh?" He said, incredulous.

Still, it allowed them to create ships at a decent rate. Faster, even, than they could train pilots. That's what brought him here. 

Rpdtdf had always technically been a Defiant. He'd even belonged to the Defiant Defense Force. His cavern, however, still asserted it's independence. An independence Rpdtdf was loathe to relinquish. 

Still, his ship wouldn't fix itself. The DDF had offered a generous amount of merits in addition to fixing and allowing him to fly his own ship. It looked more like a scout ship than it did a Poco. It was longer than the Poco and maybe a little wider allowing for an extra large destructor Canon on the front. For this, the Xzugz Izfkz gave up some of it's speed. It was able to blow through the krell shields in only five hits (three fewer than a Poco) and Rpdtdf loved his blasters. The power of life and death (his and others) in his hands. 

I'm going to post this now because I have stuff to do. I'll be back to finish the character setup later.

Can anyone confirm to me that there are non named players this game? I don't recommend you do it in thread, but if you have a radio and no role let me know via PM. Or better! Put it in the thread in code! The harder the code the better. (But still crackable plz);p. that way only I will make the time to crack it!

A couple more clarifications if you don't mind, @Elandera:

Do the deep reserve pilots cancel one, both, or neither of the first citizen's votes? 

Also, is there a limited number of radios available?

/Questions

There was something else I wanted to say, but I don't remember what it was. Maybe it will come back to me as I wander Igneous:/

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39 minutes ago, Elkanah said:

A couple more clarifications if you don't mind, @Elandera:

Do the deep reserve pilots cancel one, both, or neither of the first citizen's votes? 

Also, is there a limited number of radios available?

It would cancel both, since it's technically one vote with the power of two.

There is no limit to the number of radios available.

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20 minutes ago, Elkanah said:

Sdpp, Abstrusity kx cdvkuzgdph yzc! Jupdxx nd'x ulg... Abstrusity

Izgyd StrikerEZ ! Yjg gndu zbzku, ul StrikerEZ

Well, Abstusity is definately[sic] bad! Unless he's not...

Matbe[sic] StrikerEZ! But then again, no.

----

Taifend sat quietly at the lunchroom table, casting furtive glances around as his fellow luncheoners. Relaxed cheer filled the air all around, a hundred conversations mingling into one loud hubbub. Not exactly the kind of thing Taifend cared for in particular, but nothing overtly threatening in any way. Nothing to suggest that there were traitors hiding in the mix. 

But traitors there were, masking their dark intentions under facades of friendliness. Colleagues, friends… well, not his friends. He didn’t have any friends. But other people’s friends, they could be traitors, working to bring down the DDF from the inside.

He shouldn’t know this. If this was broadly known, there would be distrust and bad feeling everywhere. Many people were disgruntled with the First Citizens and the DDF- that didn’t make them evil, but people could very well turn against them for it. Civil war was the last thing they needed- fight amongst themselves, and the Krell could very well wipe them out completely.

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Elkanah, why are you asking all the roleless players to claim to you? It would be very helpful for the elims to know this, and relatively unhelpful for the village.

My main comment on roles/rules is that with the clarification on passing chits, the elims will almost certainly get one of the two pistols.

Probably 3 elims, and we have a decent chance at eventually getting one of them for free, due to the Gunner role (although I suppose this may not be in the game).

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Rayne stepped lightly over shards of scrap metal, picking his way through the debris. Rotten, this whole scudding business. He'd thought they were better than this. With the Krell at their doorstep, could they not keep at least a bit of loyalty to the only ones they could count on, the only humans they knew? At least salvage duty provided respite from the worries.

The acclivity ring was busted. Resignedly, he hefted what was left of the thing and began dragging it back towards the caverns. Perhaps the engineers could use it. Someone offered to help him, but he silenced them with a glare. He couldn't trust anyone now. 

He made it back to a rudimentary lunch, the few people still remaining chatting idly among themselves while he ate in silence. Is this life now? What does our defiance mean if we defy even ourselves?

The questions would probably have answers a bit sooner than he'd like.

Edited by Abstrusity
RP.
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1 hour ago, Elkanah said:

There was something else I wanted to say, but I don't remember what it was. Maybe it will come back to me as I wander Igneous:/

Oh yeah! I wanted to compliment @Elandera on your PAFO quote. Excellent!

1 hour ago, xinoehp512 said:

Well, Abstusity is definately[sic] bad! Unless he's not...

Matbe[sic] StrikerEZ! But then again, no.

Sos! K ckcu'g fdzpkwd nls ijrn k fdpkdc lu xqdpprdro! Sdpp clud rfzrokub gnkx xl ajkroph!

48 minutes ago, Araris Valerian said:

Elkanah, why are you asking all the roleless players to claim to you? It would be very helpful for the elims to know this, and relatively unhelpful for the village.

Mostly to see if they would. Also to see if there are any normal villagers. I believe there is likely a coward among us with her own goals. If there is an SK type third faction, it would be likely that more of us would have power roles. You're right that it is more beneficial to the village to discover who has powers than it is to find those without, but if I had asked for that, I'd look like an eliminator :P

RP still to come

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Just now, Abstrusity said:

Sorry, new to the game. What is SK?

Sorry, It's a serial killer. they typically are a one man faction with the ability to kill. They usually only win independently, but the village can win with them still alive because the village isn't trying to stop the killing, they're just trying to stop the evil faction. 

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Cobb stepped out of the classroom. Another batch of cadets, waiting for their time to die. What were we even fighting for anymore? Cobb thought as he limped to his office. Those scudding Disputers, what were they thinking? If we didn't defend ourselves from the Krell then we would all be killed. We couldn't live like roaches anymore. With all the flaws of the DDF, it was the best hope we had to survive. Cobb sat down at his desk and saw a piece of paper written in what was obviously code. "Scudding spies!!" He exclaimed and tore the paper to shreds. He didn't have time to play mind games. Now to focus on the task at hand. These disrupters weren't worth the time we were spending. We needed more resources for flying and training not for dealing with people whose feelings were hurt that surviving meant that people died. Once we won the war then we could work on being "democratic"

Edited by The_God_King
hit 150
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The words I haven't, won't and can't

Dare to reveal to you

A link between my whispers, then

Will find you a key true.

CEfjae ENTE EJGLhe LEopppP KAn'tRE 'EreSKuueoueEEWejj@333 SE3939 4

Edited by Abstrusity
codes are scudding hard
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3 minutes ago, Abstrusity said:

The words I haven't, won't and can't

Dare to reveal to you

A link between my whispers, then

Will find you a key true.

CEfjae ENTE EJGLhe LEopppP KAn'tRE 'EreSKuueoueEEWejj@333 SE3939 4

tenno2.png

Quote

Igneous Engineer - It’s incredible what you can learn about someone through the use of technology. Your skills working in the developmental engineering department of the Igneous Caverns have helped you learn how to stealthily hack the various programs and security systems.

  • You can choose to track someone and learn which action they took. You do not learn whom they targeted. You can also send one anonymous PM per cycle as a bonus action.

I just realized that having an anonymous report feature is highly useful for a scanning role :P Do that, engineers! It doesn't matter who to- even an elim would have to report any message they received or fall under suspicion. You might as well add an anonymous signature of some sort, something you can use to prove it was you, just in case you need to roleclaim later.

Quote

Requisition Chits - Each player will begin with a random number of chits (no more than 25). Chits can be used to purchase additional items. Players may also earn chits through interaction with the game. 

  • 5 chits for 150-word RP post (up to once per cycle)
  • 10 chits for making two post contributing to discussion (up to once per cycle)

These seem to be a way to encourage activity. At max, people can get 15 per cycle.

Quote

Light-line - Cannot be purchased. This item, which creates a rope of light, can be used to prevent someone from taking an action that turn. Pilot light-lines will be returned to the quartermaster permanently upon death. First Citizen light-lines will be passed to the Heir who receives their ability.

Hmm... I wonder, @Elandera could First Citizens/Heirs be dissenters?

Quote

Radio - 20 chits[/i]. Players with a radio can open PMs with other players, so long as they also possess a radio. Requests to open the line must go through the GM. Opening a radio connection requires an item action, but may used be freely once it has been established.

  • A small number of radios will be distributed at the beginning of the game, aside from those assigned to roles.

I've never really figured out how to use PM's to their full effect, so I don't have much to say here.

Quote

Destructor Pistol - 60 chits[/i]. This item can be used one time to attack and kill one player. Only two (subject to change) are available from the quartermaster. If more requests are submitted to purchase a pistol than pistols available, priority will be given to those who sent the request first.

Araris makes a very good point that the elims could get this soon. However, given that this is a one-time use item only, a hovercar might be more useful.

Quote

Hovercar - 100 chits. Hovercars allow for quick movement through the large caverns. Using a Hovercar is a free action, and will grant a bonus action to the user, which can be used by a role action or an item action. The same item cannot be used twice in one turn (e.g. A player with a hovercar, destructor pistol, and light-line may use all three that turn, but not the light-line twice). Disputers may not use their bonus action for an extra faction kill.

This is really only useful if you have another item that you want to use simultaneously with your role action. It would be most useful to those with lightlines and the elims.

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25 minutes ago, Abstrusity said:

The words I haven't, won't and can't

Dare to reveal to you

A link between my whispers, then

Will find you a key true.

CEfjae ENTE EJGLhe LEopppP KAn'tRE 'EreSKuueoueEEWejj@333 SE3939 4

There goes my afternoon :P I am so stoked

46 minutes ago, xinoehp512 said:
'Zkz' qhe 'wlvoodyvdi' qcv jmwwlvoove, rbm. ;) 

Haha Thank you!

1 hour ago, Elkanah said:

Sos! K ckcu'g fdzpkwd nls ijrn k fdpkdc lu xqdpprdro! Sdpp clud rfzrokub gnkx xl ajkroph!

*Sls! K ckcu'g fdzpkwd nls ijrn k fdpkdc lu xqdpprndro! Sdpp clud rfzrokub gnkx xl ajkroph!*

1 hour ago, The_God_King said:

"Scudding spies!!" He exclaimed and tore the paper to shreds.

XD :ph34r: We're everywhere!

37 minutes ago, xinoehp512 said:

I've never really figured out how to use PM's to their full effect, so I don't have much to say here.

:ph34r:

3 hours ago, Elandera said:

It would cancel both, since it's technically one vote with the power of two.

There is no limit to the number of radios available.

Thank you! @Elandera, Does buying take an action?

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3 hours ago, Elkanah said:

Mostly to see if they would. Also to see if there are any normal villagers. I believe there is likely a coward among us with her own goals. If there is an SK type third faction, it would be likely that more of us would have power roles. You're right that it is more beneficial to the village to discover who has powers than it is to find those without, but if I had asked for that, I'd look like an eliminator :P

Emphasis mine. The elims gain from learning who has/hasn't got powers because it can help them direct their kills. The village sort of can gain, but only if they know something concrete about the role distribution. Also, I'm pretty sure that there aren't any secrets roles/factions in this game. When such mechanics are present, the GM generally makes it clear that there is at least the possibility for those mechanics, so that players don't go crazy trying to out-think the GM (always a bad idea).

Araris sat on the edge of his bunk, rubbing the scar across his face. He once believed the same things the DDF taught to its new pilots. He'd marked himself as a coward as a disguise, but also because in the back of his head, he'd felt it also to be the truth. Now though, he knew that bravery didn't always mean fighting to the death. Sometimes, death was the coward's way out, while to live with the shame and recrimination from your actions was the honorable decision. None of that changed his duty, however. Humanity was at war, and during war, politics just got in the way. The time to fix things, to make an equitable government, that was all work for after. Ironsides was a good enough leader, and that was as much as you could hope for in times like these.

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Sam "Silver Fox" Navallo tried to examine the contraband problem. The rebels had a clear advantage when it came to funds, because they would be able to give chits to one another. This would allow them to illegally obtain a pistol, which would have lethal consequences. Was there anyway to stop that from happening? He had to come up with a plan. After all, he was the Silver Fox, known for his inventive stratagems. So, how could they prevent money from being handed over? If everyone had an alibi, they could confirm that no one was channeling funds. He thought through the item distribution. He was assuming no one had started with a hovercar as those were prohibitively expensive. Radio usage was easy enough to confirm. The other party just had to respond, and then that alibi would be set. Obviously, a pistol would have lethal side effects, so he was not in favor of resorting to violence yet. A light lash could apprehend criminals, so they would be useful if used properly. Plus, the person who was ensnared could confirm the action.

However, what of the people who started with no items? No one could confirm if they were funneling their money elsewhere. His eyes gleaned as he came up with a strategy. If those without items gave just 1 chit away to the person next to them, it would confirm that they weren't funneling all their money to their teammate. It was an imperfect stratagem, but it would do in a pinch. By using all available items, they would hamper the rebels enough to prevent needless bloodshed.

TLDR: If you have items, use them. If you don't, give 1 chit to the person below you in the player order.

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