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.

[initiates]

Yes. Ella is more than welcome to help on request to make sure no one goes down dressed in shorts and tanktops!

[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.

[encharrneered]

Don't worry, we'll just violence them right back.

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.

[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.

[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.

[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.

[encharrneered]

Finally, a human-looking thing that has some sense.

LET THE USELESS MICE OF EXSILIUM LOOK UPON REAL STRENGTH or whatever idk god why are charr so full of themselves.

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?

[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.

[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]

Merrill needs boots. This would be her first time wearing shoes.

[crocodilesmiles]

Organized smuggling is the thing, okay! Weapons and the rest are not. These are very closely watched, so finding any hint of them in the time of the scouting mission is highly improbable, since signs of such things can get entire villages disappeared. Politely. By the United Earth.

They will need smuggled tech parts, and be taking up lots of diverted power, and require all sorts of odd supplies. Follow those sorts of lines to end up crossing pathways with the Initiative!

(And remember that almost anything can be weaponized... it's just a question of making it as obtuse a process as possible.)

His best bet is to stalk any/all he pegs as part of a smuggling operation based on overhearing or being told (from loose lips) a shipment's getting moved in that week. By himself or with others along, he would then be able to intercept or approach the receiving party.

Again, hope you talk fast or have good bargaining skills, because the Initiative will need wooing as to why they let you near at all, strangers who might as well be a United Earth spy!

[lar]

Red and black! Done! Warm fuzzy fluffy things coming his way, all turtlenecks.

[lar]

Ella will make them extra comfy.

Nothing else?

[inhumanity]

this will be so unhelpful

because every series needs at least one Really Proud Species??

[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.