Scouting Group for Winter Wonderland

[initiates]

The results are in, and after a trip over to Random.Org the following 25 names have come out on top. Congratulations!

Abbey Bominable
Asch the Bloody
Belle
Carlos
Caspian
Chris Pratt
Christopher Chareau de Red
Cross Marian
Elissa Cousland
Elmer C Albatross
Hitsugaya Toushirou
Irisa Nyria
Joy P Buckhead
Kallen Kouzuki
Kili
Leaf
Mai
Merrill
Nathan Sumers
Noh-Varr
Oerba Yun Fang
Raiden
Rinth Ghostshot
Travis Marks
Zelos Wilder

You all have the dubious honor of scouting out the situation Earth-side, and reporting back what it is you find to the people up at the Moon Base. You leave 11/27 0300, arriving planetside at 0800. Gotta love that trip back down.

All those on the scouting mission will need to scavenge supplies beforehand from the Moon Base. They will be told about the temperatures, and as of tonight, the AI has successfully hacked some of the satellites in orbit around Earth to get good imagery of what the ground looks like. Based on heat signatures and taken images, the AI suspects they're dealing with snow, and smaller numbers of people living in scattered groups, centralized around one large, city-like group it plans to land the scouts.

Mission objectives are simple. Locate the Initiative and begin a dialog. It's suggested everyone make use of the holographic technology still maintained on the Moon Base in order to blend in with the locals. Be warned, the holographs don't hold up under actual touch, and they don't change what your footprints look like outside of immediate physical range.

Any and all non-humans will be met with fear, up to and including violence.

Be careful, and be on the lookout. This iteration of the Initiative works on the extreme keep their heads down side. Talk to everyone, and be as subtle as you can be. That's the best way to flush them out of hiding.

Plotting and questions invited below (questions to the questions thread only, please, to not be missed!). The game at large will go down to Earth the first week of December.

Edit: The Scouting log is now up here!

Comments

QUESTIONS

[initiates]

Please ask here!

[falla]

Have the Transports at wide been made aware of this mission? I know they all know about the terrain being clean and all, but if Ella knows about the group leaving she could get them all sorts of equipment (clothes and gear mostly) to make it through the weather, if needed.

[inhumanity]

and here representing 1930s Chicago: so how do things look in new Exsilium for organized crime? Particularly with hiring of assassins and the smuggling of weapons and the like?

PROPOSED IT'S-KIND-OF-A-SCENARIO, AS ADVISED BY ISH TAKING MY JOKES SERIOUSLY: Christopher's thinking is that an underground organization needs supplies, whether it's people to keep them running or weapons to keep them armed. And they can't get either by legal means! So he would want to get down with the criminals and find out especially about smuggling operations to see if they could follow anything back to the Initiative.

Am I doing this right? We just don't know.

[inhumanity]

I didn't think I saw this said anywhere: are they cut off from network communications while scouting like they are on other mission? eg, no texting to friends' inboxes found u great souvenir on earth hope u like yeti fur xoxox, right?

[oldsoldiersneverdie]

1) How far away from civilization are they setting down?
2) For Transports who had to leave things behind - stuff still there, or no? (more specifically, Nate had a motorcycle he rebuilt out of parts that he left out on the edge of the ruins pre-nuking)
3) What sort of information would he be able to lift from the minds of ordinary citizens?

Re: QUESTIONS

[keep_smiling]

Are our characters building a camp down there, or will they be returning to the base when they need to?

ALSO Elmer is heading straight towards any locals he can find to chat their ear off. He'll try to act like he's from somewhere further off (but not TOO far). What can he learn from them? Can we get some general info to thread it out or will mods be tagging in for stuff like that? 8|a

Thanks all!

[commentboxtroll]

Rinth is going to work her way into town as a hunter looking to trade off dead stuff (possibly more for fur than for meat, but whatever), then take whatever she traded for and just... keep going deeper and deeper into the bigger city-ish places.

Mostly she'll be asking about power supplies like some backwater yokel. Would she turn up anything particularly useful? Would her questioning while being some unknown new person garner any attention? :|a

[jackanope]

HOORAY!

[jackanope]

-- wait, violence?!

sob

[maipokerface]

I'm down for any plotting folks want to do for this. For the most part, Mai will be there as your combat support should any hostile critters/folks be met. She'll so a good bit of griping now and then about the cold, of course. She'd rather go on this mission than be bored though.

But she's still an excellent marksman and has both a good sense of distance/aim. She's lived her life somewhat steeped in politics too. She won't be much help negotiating but she could probably over advice and insight - whether you want her to or not.

Plotting with the robot

[highfrequency]

Raiden will be wearing the leather duster and scarf he had the first time he arrived in Exsilium. It doesn't do much to hide his cyborg-ness up close but at a distance his silhouette can at least pass for human.

Skills he will be bringing with him:

-Scouting and tracking ability
-The ability to read the levels of chemicals in various substances with his visual analyzers
-the ability to see structures buried under snow and ice with his augmented reality display/analyzers
-Stealth!
-Ridiculous amounts of strength and speed
-Misc military knowledge

As always his diplomacy skills leave something to be desired so he is not the guy you want talking to people. He is also not the one you want to form strategic plans, like, at all. He'll probably spend a lot of time just scouting, gathering data and protecting the camps. And getting depressed if/when he's mistaken for a UE soldier.

[inhumanity]

Don't be sad, robot friend. ):

With scouting and tracking, if we wanted to try this, would he be able to help them track a smuggling thing?

[encharrneered]

and then rinth ruined everyone's plans by insisting on remaining a large angry cat thing

Though seriously, someone might want to convince her that the holographic disguise is a really, really good idea. The idea of playing at being human will piss her off forever, but common sense will probably win out.

Aside from that, she'll be focusing on locating a decent power source for the transporter (she's an engineer, so, she can reasonably guess despite the differences in tech here) and hunting down and killing a yeti, because she needs to show this stupid world that charr are superior. Also think of how cool that thing's skin will look as a rug. Like. Super cool. though tbh that can probably wait for the week everyone is on Winter Earth.

[inhumanity]

i'm sorry but if Christopher hears debates he would encourage Rinth in looking exactly like she is. YOU GO GIRL DON'T LET THE HUMANS GET YOU DOWN

[keep_smiling]

Elmer is going to be mostly useless until finding people to talk to. He's good at talking. Not good at saying the right things, mind you. Just good at saying a lot of words.

The good news is that he's immortal, so when he's inevitably gored by a walrus it's no big deal.

Anyway, plot with me, people! Who can he tag along with?

ASCH

[iciclerain]

Asch is a pretty well-rounded character for this mission and, since the mutiny, he's learned that there's value in teaming up with semi-random Transports. His primary skill is combat and he can make a good guard/escort for those that are not. He's also familiar with frigid winter environments.

However, he does also have some skill with leadership and can competently pull together a group of strangers into a team. He can do diplomacy, but it's not exactly his thing.

[inhumanity]

Christopher is fine with surviving in high stress situations. If he complains about the cold, he's probably just sulking. He will also provide combat skills very very eagerly. Killing is really therapeutic. AND HE IS CHEERING FOR US GO TEAM GO LET'S BE FRIENDS LET'S GET THINGS DONE!!!!

He also has an interest in Finding The Initiative because he wants to complete this damn mission so they can right and properly get off the moon!! So he'll actually be trying to be helpful on that front in whatever way seems best.

Which, given his background, means getting down with the criminals.

[inhumanity]

OH AND HOLOGRAM: he'll use it when he needs to, but for the most part he'd like to look like himself, thanks.

[icy_heavens]

SNOOOOOOOW!

*Ahem* So yeah. This weather? Perfect for Hitsugaya. He's actually going to be what qualifies as fairly relaxed for him because he finally gets fresh air and the environment is awesome. As for what he brings to the table:

Cold immunity
Super-handy in combat situations
Can make himself invisible to those who can't sense spirits
Has a high-speed movement ability
Decent at talking to people if he has to
Looks like a kid so could be perceived as non-threatening

He won't like that last one, but if we can figure out a way to play with that, I'd love having him try to maintain his dignity while simultaneously not blowing cover or something.

[yourdistraction]

Merrill will ask him what his secret is. Must be all that clothing...

Ella Ellis' Winter Clothes Service

[lar]

One does not simply go to Winter Wonderland in "shorts and tanktops".

So Ella will totally make all sorts of clothes and gears for the ones going down to Earth again. All they need to do is approach her or be in her general vicinity and boom, she'll dress you up.

Any takers?

[inhumanity]

!! Christopher would want to be dressed up in warm fuzzy fluffy things with lots of red and black!! (he is particular about clothes ok)

and don't let him go down with a stupid open collar shirt, please

[yourdistraction]

Someone will really have to convince Merrill to use the holographic tech to look less elf-ish (SHE IS TOO PROUD). Also for that pride/tradition she has never worn shoes, and...probably should now. This likely means she'll slip and slide in them like Bambi for a bit at first, because she won't be able to feel the ground. (Everyone feel free to laugh.)

Other than Kaneis and Elissa she won't know anyone, but that won't stop her from following your character if they seem to be doing something interesting! Likewise, anyone's welcome to follow her and get lost, I haven't planned anything yet.

Here are pros/cons for this mission:

☑ uses magic; from attacking to controlling possible enemies, she can do it all!
☑ stealthier than an average human.
☑ can wrap and stitch wounds (greedy with her poultices).
☑ friendly and curious enough to seek out people to question.
☑ tiny enough to squeeze through tight spots (w/o her staff).
☑ neutral enough to work with almost anyone.

☒ no healing magic.
☒ isn't stealthier than a rogue.
☒ looks like an elf (maybe because she is one).
☒ is not used to snow. srsly may turn into an elfsicle.
☒ friendly and curious enough to seek out people...and get lost.
☒ so awkward she may accidentally ramble herself out of the investigation.

[ardor]

kawaii we need cr

[aequivoci]

Gosh, Winter Wonderland group, how will you handle 5+ redheads??

Anyway, I am open to anything and everything with Cross. He's used to having to be on the downlow and sneaking around, and this is what he brings to the table:

Two guns (one holy, one with customizable ammunition)
A dead woman in an abnormally large chain-wrapped coffin
—— can control others/himself and hide others/himself from view
Sorcery
Great at talking with those of the opposite sex

[yourdistraction]

Yes plz.

[mynameonyourpanties]

Travis is probably going to 1. be miffed at waking up at 3 in the damn morning, and 2. be miffed that he's going on a mission without his partner, but he'll have his head in the game as soon as they land, okay.


As for what he'll be good for?

• He's been a cop for at least a decade, he'll be of much help when it comes to actually looking for the Initiative once they've got enough clues to put two and two together.

• He's pretty good at talking to others, until they kinda tick him off. If all else fails he'll use reverse psychology to get what he wants. Here's an example of said reverse psychology.
(also he lays the charm on thick when talking to women, that could be a plus?)

• Along the same vein of being a cop, he's an expert marksman, and can fend off whatever may attack the group so long as he has the bullets for it. If your character is concerned for their safety while in the winter wonderland and wants protection, Travis is a good guy to fall back on.


Drawback is that he'll probably not be too acclimated to the weather because Southern Cali never gets snow (afaik at least) but he'll have a jacket handy to keep him relatively comfortable.

Also he doesn't know anyone that's on the mission as well, so if anyone wants to group up that's totally fine by me o7

[imperfectness]

Carlos will be focused on the mission and probably trying to figure out how to keep warm (he's fairly okay with cold but THIS WINTER IS STILL BALLS COLD).

Carlos is going to be very intently focused on taking scientific measurements and such at first- BUT he'll get right down to the mission when he needs to. He can make small area illusions if need be, also, though these also don't translate to touch.

He's not really good with schmoozing people, unfortunately, but he IS brave and impulsive and if someone tells him he can find Initiative folks somewhere he will at least go check it out.

wrong account but I'm on my phone

[charming_jerk]

Elmer is better at science than you might imagine, but he's even better st schmoozing. Care for a team up? :D

[oldsoldiersneverdie]

OKAY WHO NEEDS THE RESIDENT TELEPATH. He can camouflage people to ordinary sight though not electronics, has experience avoiding/taking out electronics, and will sigh and mindwipe anyone who has learned something they're not supposed to. He can also keep violence situations from escalating too badly.

For actual scouting! He will probably be, um, casually mind-reading inhabitants to collect information and try to find the Initiative. He can also run telepathic comms for the party! HE IS A BUNDLE OF USEFULNESS OKAY.

[ready_to_bloom]

Caspian's good at hunting and fighting, if need be - he'll have both his sword and bow with him. He's also got diplomacy skills, and he's good at getting to know people and ask questions. He's had experience in scouting in cold terrains. No sciencey or extra abilities, but he's good at understanding things, so if you want to put him to work, he'll be able to handle the easier stuff.

Feel free to grab him for anything!

A Plan: Doing It Like It's The Prohibition

[inhumanity]

as per this

Basically the plan: find some smugglers, stalk some smugglers, convince the Initiative to like them when we get there.

THIS PLAN CANNOT BE DONE ALONE. We need:

1) People to find smugglers. Wheedle info out of people, read minds, stalk people, WHATEVER.
2) People to intercept the smuggling/stalk it. Fighting is an option here. Talking very nicely is also an option.
3) People who can sweettalk the Initiative. Or at least Make An Attempt. I'm not exactly putting my money on this team, is what I'm saying.

So please! COMMENT HERE if you want your character in on one or more of these stages! Multiple stages is great too! Let's greet the Initiative with a bunch of people who can flirt and stalk but suck at actual genuine human interaction! Whatever!

My plan is to get at least two people for each section and send them off in little paired threads to play out info gathering. I can ask the mods about what they want us to do for 2 and 3, if people are interested in this!


ALSOOOOOO Christopher isn't organizing this. He is not suited for that sort of thing. He would just suggest they go through smuggling channels. SO! If any character wants to take charge that'd be awesome too! We can thread out them plotting things, or we can not, depending on what people feel like.

[revolutionized]

This is Fang's player under another account!

She'd be well suited for stages 1 and 2. 3 not so much.

SMUGGLE PARTY THE SEQUEL

[inhumanity]

Stage 1: (info gathering) Fang, Raiden, Merrill, Asch
Stage 2: (intercepting) Fang, Raiden, Merrill, Asch, Kaneis, Christopher
Stage 3: (talks) Travis and Caspian, kind of Asch + potentially Kaneis, Merrill, Raiden, Christopher

Because time is short, getting all our OOC stuff as worked out as much as possible! Long story short, Asch has decided to take over and lead this band of misfits (you're not worse than what he's used to, really) and has done all the organizing and coordinating. Perhaps your character was roped in by him, or perhaps by another (Merrill guess which terrible 'mentor' asked you to join? he loves you) but the point is they are here and now we all have JOBS TO DO!

Headers below for each stage with more info!

STAGE 1: Info Gathering

[inhumanity]

This team has been split off into pairs: Fang + Asch, Merrill + Raiden.

You guys get to find out your information however you want. Hunt people down, listen to the wind, interrogate strangers with tickle torture—work out what you want to do in your team thread. Then hop over to questions with the mods, say what your characters plan on doing to get info, and ask 'em if there's anything else needed from you.

Related the diplomacy stuff above but

[highfrequency]

So! These guys and gals are making first contact so they're also the ones establishing the terms of the relationship between the Transports and the New Initiative.

What are our characters offering to them? What do our characters want in return? Are we being open about the ability to time travel? Do we tell them about the Transporter?

Re: Related the diplomacy stuff above but

[ready_to_bloom]

Wow, sorry, for some reason I thought I had already replied to this.

And yeeeeeeeah, kind of late but the way I figured it went with Caspian: he did make contact with the Initiative, he did tell them about the time travel, and the Transporter, he wasn't offering them full access, but in exchange for helping the Transports get settled back on earth, he was offering them some access to the tech AND the remaining members of the previous Initiative up on the moon base. He didn't say they were all basically refugees on the moon, just that the moonwas one of the places they were - basically implying that the Transports are doing this new Initiative a favor by offering to come down and work with them, not for them.

The basic idea was to let the Initiative think the Transport had a lot more power, and that this was going to be a collaborative effort between Transports and Initiative, not the Initiative calling the shots.

But I don't know if that makes a difference to the overall plot, so... yeah. *hands*