MISSION: DRAKSTADEN

[futurologists]

DRAKSTADEN DOSSIER All characters, old or new, will receive a form of this dossier to their devices today. Thus, consider all information hereon as ICly available to all characters. Please direct all dossier questions below. For questions about the game in general, visit the FAQ. There is a separate page for locations. Mission: Drakstaden bounty board will remain open until the next mission begins, estimated late July. Ultimate mission direction and outcomes are determined by character action. Mission: Drakstaden is estimated to end in late June, but this is subject to change depending on how everything unfolds. MISSION: DRAKSTADEN PLANET: Jordvegur ORBITAL DISTANCE: 1.51 × 108 km DAY LENGTH: 23 hours ORBITAL PERIOD: 334 days ATMOSPHERE: Nitrogen 77.7%, Oxygen 21.1%, Argon 1.1%, Trace 0.1% DROP POINT: Democratic City-State of Drakstaden SEASON: Spring AVG. SURFACE TEMPERATURE: Daytime 9ºC (48ºF), nighttime 1ºC (34ºF) AVG. CHANCE OF PRECIPITATION: 89% SUNLIGHT PER DAY: Nine hours SHARD PRESENCE: Yes ASSIGNMENT: Guild Ophelia Jordvegur is a garden planet with roughly 70% of its surface covered in water, most of which is saltwater that forms oceans and seas. The geographic region Guild Ophelia will be spending time in is known as Heimland, inside an independent city-state called Drakstaden. Heimland is classified as a boreal or subarctic climate, with low flora biodiversity, cold and dry winters, and moderate and wet summers. The current season is spring, so expect moderately cold temperatures with high chances of rain. The natives are biologically analogous to humans, and will thus be referred to as such in this dossier. The local language, Heimlandish, has been uploaded to Ophelia's magitek, and will allow for mutual intelligibility and literacy. Heimland is home to a variety of boreal species such as beaver, caribou, foxes, mice, and wolves, but due to Drakstaden's urban environment, seeing such fauna is unlikely on this mission. Wild animals found in Drakstaden include frogs, mice, rats, ravens, and a variety of arthropods. Natives are known to keep domesticated cats and dogs as pets. MISSION: OBJECTIVES PRIMARY OBJECTIVE: PURGE CORRUPTION FROM THE GOVERNMENT. How this is achieved is up to Guild Ophelia. Your only given guidelines are to avoid annihilation of the lower class populace. SECONDARY OBJECTIVE: RECOVER AND DESTROY TEMPORAL CRYSTAL SHARD. Each Ophelia member is supplied with a laser pen that, when pointed at the shard for 30 minutes, will safely destroy it. MISSION: BRIEFING The government of Drakstaden has always been a corrupt one, even before the Merging. Government officials taking bribes was always common, resulting in a culture where the 'haves' were much more privileged than the 'have-nots'. Despite this inequality, tensions hadn't yet boiled over. Since the Merging, however, things have only gotten worse. Prime Minister Magnus Ivarson wields his power with an iron fist, using it to benefit the privileged few and disenfranchise the rest. The people, who had once been content with bread and circuses, are starting to take notice and they aren't happy. The police force, known as the Vakdir, prowl the streets looking to squash rebellion. There is one form of rebellion they have not yet destroyed: Rost, an underground rebel group comprised mainly of hackers aiming to purge corruption from their government. Rost reached out to Hathaway with a distress signal, and Ophelia will be working directly with them to remove immorality from their government in whichever way they see fit. DRAKSTADEN: OVERIVEW Drakstaden is a densely populated megacity composed of unplanned, skyward development -- what one might consider a walled city. The city is an interconnected, nearly solid block of buildings that takes up six acres, with access to different buildings reached by a maze of haphazardly-planned hallways. Sunlight does not reach the lower levels of Drakstaden, where instead fluorescent and neon lighting reigns supreme. Technology has advanced to the point where all physical imperfections can be cured with cybernetic augments for a price, and the rich pay heavily for it. It's not only a status symbol, it's a necessity; one's imperfect vision, hearing, etc. will severely disadvantage them in this world, where all others have corrected what are perceived as defects. Drakstaden runs on robotics. The wealthiest of citizens have gone beyond correcting imperfections -- they want to go beyond what is humanly possible. Mechanically beating hearts, breathing lungs, and more are all on the table for those who can pay, as are enhanced limbs. Middle-class and below citizens also have cybernetic augments, but theirs are low-grade in both appearance and functionality. The city is quickly becoming a totalitarian state run by the Prime Minister and his corrupt police force, the Vakdir, who are suspected of running surveillance on their citizens. Propaganda is on every corner, although it's not always obvious; with technology as ubiquitous as it is here, it can be difficult to spot. The broadcasting station blares messages to all citizens, informing them of suspicious persons, curfew, and more. Everything one does here is carefully watched. Those who are not passably human will be given cloaking devices which will mask your appearance to all those outside Hathaway. Outsiders will be noticed, so it will be necessary to blend in with a false identity; papers will be forged, but convincingly playing the part will be just as important. Invent a false identity and commit to it. —Compiled by Analyst Iovita

Comments

[vrm]

two questions that are unrelated*!!! HELLO MODS ily so much, i'm glad to be back among you

1. is there any information (common knowledge or rumored) available regarding what exactly happens to the government dissenters who are "never seen again"? ie. are they outright killed or are they sent away?

2. re: the government propaganda channel, is there information on what company or individual? runs or supports this and where the channel is broadcasted from? looking for information related to to a potential subplot regarding hijacking the signal, YOU KNOW THE DRILL

*potentially related

[futurologists]

Welcome back, Pax!

1. There's very little information about this! There's rumors of worse, but also people who claim that all the jailings are overexaggerated to begin with. Characters can draw their own conclusions, but there's nothing that confirms the truth either way.

2. The propaganda and television network in general is outputted from the City-State Broadcast Station! The news is a public broadcast, which means it's largely funded by the government. We'll have something on characters visiting the upper levels where the station is on the next log, so we recommend holding off on this idea for just a bit!

[vrm]

aw snap look at me jumping the gun already re: that public broadcast!

about the jailings, then -- i'm not trying to lead you on this, but would it be a worthwhile endeavor to pursue further information regarding the jailings? possibly looking up if anyone particularly influential or with beneficial ideas ( ie. people to maybe serve as leaders, so it doesn't go all to hell and hurt the lower class ) went missing?

[futurologists]

We received a similar line of questioning from Jem, so we would suggest teaming up with her -- or opening it up to the game at large, if you'd like! We would recommend making either an IC post or an OOC post (or both!) to draw in as many characters as possible.

We will need to see some work on everyone's end before we start handing out information, but to answer your original question, yes! You can certainly investigate the jailings. Characters should begin asking around in the lower levels first, since Vakdir presence there is minimal.

Let us know how you would like to proceed or if you need any more guidance!

[vrm]

HERE I AM, I'M BACK. jem and i got together on the cr meme, and came up with a plan of attack relating back to this: iida and ciri are going to get together and ask around the lower class - arguably the easiest to speak to about Things That Get You Imprisoned - about dissenters who have been imprisoned or just plain vanished. they're not negotiators, but they going to use their roles as a sentinel and a bruiser to rally up what they can.

the two of them are looking for the names/roles of dissenters who are more than just angry revolutionists, they're fishing for information on: vocal moderates?? with long term goals of social reform who were well-received by any of the city's inhabitants -- lower class, middle class, or otherwise. and just for information's sake: they'll ask about people who were rumored to have been imprisoned by political/government opponents under the veil of "omg dissenter". you know. the kind of people with a grudge.

we're totally okay if this leads in the wrong direction, to the "wrong sort" of people.

ciri and iida's goal right now is to gather a list of names to take to Hathaway At Large and we'll open it up to full player involvement and opinion (during the next log??). we thought this might be the Necessary Legwork, but let us know if you need more information from us, if would serve better if we opened it up ASAP or if this intersects heavily with anyone else's investigations!

[futurologists]

Although there is little to no Vakdir presence in the lower levels, people are still extremely reluctant to speak out against the government -- and also to point to anyone else who may be speaking out against the government. You never know who may be a Vakdir spy, after all.

However, they are able to dig up the names of a few people who have been taken by the Vakdir: Oskar Bjorkson, Elsi Simonsdottir, Valdor Fritsson, Gabriel Ymirson, Lilla Sagasdottir, and Camilla Noelsdottir. All these people -- and more -- have been rumored to have been taken due to political dissent, though no one asked will offer any opinions on their political opinions.

This is definitely something that they can bring up to the PCs at large! We will have a search prompt available on the third log (which will go up in mid-May), so making a post after the 28 April log is a fine idea. :)

[vrm]

thank you mods!! from both myself and from jem!

just to clarify because i'm having a Weak Brain Week -- we can post the findings after the upcoming log, correct?

[futurologists]

You can post whenever you would like! You mentioned "during the next log" in your previous reply, so we were just confirming that was fine. ;) But really, any time is fine with us, since the information gathered comes from the lower levels.