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

[interior]

I know you've covered a bit of this in your answer to Alison, but how readily accessible is information about the world outside Drakstaden and what kind of state it's in? Will Drakstaden citizens talk about it much, or is it a dangerous topic? Do they ever travel outside the city much?

I'm mindful this is me tugging on an idea that could unspool a whole lot of probably unnecessary worldbuilding work, so to let you know what I'm aiming at: specifically Kovacs is looking at what kind of governments exist outside Drakstaden, what their opinions are of Drakstaden, and also to see if there's any chance the corruption has been created by/is supported by an outside nation and/or if Rost could find some support that way.

[futurologists]

Hi, Koke! The Drakstadish are familiar with the outside world on a surface level, restricted to what they are taught in government-sponsored schools or government-approved Internet. Current events are largely unknown; they mostly know about history and geography-related topics. It's not exactly dangerous to talk about the outside world, but there isn't much to say. As far as travel, most citizens never leave Drakstaden: the upper class because they don't want to, and the lower classes because they can't afford it.

If Kovacs accesses the illegal connection to the "wider" Internet in Rost headquarters, he will find that other nations have decried the human rights violations in Drakstaden and many have cut off trade until situations improve, but none seem to be attempting to actively do anything. Global governments include democracies and republics, monarchies, and constitutional monarchies. As far as Kovacs can tell, there is no evidence of outside support of the current Drakstaden government, other than tinfoil hat theories he might find on social media.

[interior]

Awesome, thank you!