Byte

Gray Heroics: True Earth!

Alright, I'll bite.

I guess my first question is about the actual setting. You're talking about a sort of fantasy-style medieval kingdom, but there's elements that suggest space travel (one race that left earth, unless you meant "extinct") and cybernetics (cyborgs). So I'm really trying to get a sense of how advanced tech has gotten, since the impression I got was medieval fantasy style.

Second question is about the logistics of the Abraham United Kingdom, which I'm guessing is part of the Americas (?). Just wondering if it actually is one massive sprawling city (because Jesus that is humongous and would require micro-managing with I'm guessing district officials), or in a similar way Attack on Titan had its walled off city where the epicentre was one giant Metropolis-like system, but the more outward you got it was more akin to small towns and villages spread out across fields/forests/lakes/etc.

Third, why is that "one newborn recruitment" policy in place, exactly? Is the kingdom at war? Is it just for the sake of adhering to an archaic rule that nobody really bothered to look closer if it was still relevant? This is mostly for my own curiosity, and potentially for a character who'd be very interested in why that rule is in place once they're old enough to comprehend the enormity of that sacrifice (since it's essentially forcing parents to give up a child).

Fourth is mostly what the general idea/plot is for this story beyond just exploring a world and having generic adventures. Which ties back to my intial curiosity on why that policy is in place, which may suggest political or military necessity - and imply there's war or some trouble brewing.

Fifth. What's generally the purpose of the AUK's military? Do they simply serve as war fodder, or do they also have duties in enforcing laws, maybe even protection jobs of high priority individuals within the city?

And my final question: is it just humans who are subject to the child policy thing? Or is it strictly a human controlled settlement where interaction with other races is strictly political and there aren't actually any other races living within AUK walls?

board games

Monopoly is an excercise in how quickly you can start hating friends and family for owning that one bit of property.

Quite like Scrabble. As for my favourite boardgame? Well, I never get to play it all that much but: Arkham Horror. Nice little co-operative board game / tabletop-y mix of investigative story, dice rolls and more often than not failing to defeat whatever cosmic horror is threatening the town because it's just mean like that. Fun, but hard to find a group to play it with that isn't online.

this or that

Setting monthly goals, which I end up meeting more than any New Years resolution I've ever set for myself.

Hoodies or sweaters?

Feelings about RPGs with Strong Narratives

Honestly? A strong narrative can work provided it doesn't prevent players from adding their own little things into the mix. I think the reason sandbox- / character-focused roleplays are popular is because it's all up in the air what happens next and relies on everyone adding their own flavour. After all roleplaying in general is a collaborative effort, and being too focused on the actual story beats might put some players off from joining because they may as well be playing expected beats and not contribute anything that's entirely of their own making.

I liken it to tabletop. The GM knows the general beats, has a story and a world to explore and tell, but the players actions have a lasting impact and consequences - literally shaping the world in small ways while maintaining consistency. Which is personally what I prefer when joining roleplays. Some rules and pre-determined ideas and goals, but allowing some deviation and player input.

tl;dr: Strong narrative is fine for me, but allowing player input and agency that adheres to world rules.

Discovery: A Broken Galaxy

@Xandrya Do you have an actual questionaire in mind?

@Penny

Wondering about that as well, kinda curious. I've a feeling Anna is part of that 53% who have neglected to fill in the form. x)

Or one of the marines got too gung-ho about following orders to mess with the engineers

@Cyrania

AI going berserk? Because that's historically gone well in sci-fi.

Chronicles of Minadra

Me and Templar were planning on doing one final collab-y post to at least establish Fig and Elenor joining the group - that way we won't have to retroactively insert them somewhere.

Discovery: A Broken Galaxy

The Arcadian - 24 September 2190

Dr. Anna Rauss

---

The first thing that everyone always noticed with Dr. Rauss was; Annoyance.

The woman had huffed for the nth time this hour. A pen tapped at her desk, brow furrowed so deep it may as well cause wrinkles on principle, a hand braced against her right temple and massaged the inevitable migraine from a particular someone filing medicine in five different fucking formats.

“Alphabetical is fine, numerical if you’re running out of letters.” And unique characters if you were having a stroke. But whatever the chief medical officer had probably planned was more akin to filing on taste, colour and favourite shape. Eccentricity for the sake of it, she figured.

“May I suggest the Russian version? Thirty-three letters by my count.” She offered evenly if only for her own sanity. Not that Richtofen was of a mind or position to listen to anything she offered.

Her head dipped slightly, loose strands of her black hair falling over her hand as she didn’t bother to tug them back into place. Didn’t matter anyway, nobody here to impress beyond the vials and microscopes. And she was sure they wouldn’t ask for proper appearances.

“God’s help.” There was the groan, that I-don't-want-to-deal-with-this sound, Anna had perfected over the ages. Her hand rubbed profusely at the throbbing temple as she jotted down calibrations on a piece of paper she had scavenged off the quartermaster’s domain. The sad thing was? She was going to remember that demented system Richtofen had devised with due diligence, and that damned piece of paper was going to be a sacred text.

Anna’s slouch straightened once she jotted a full stop down, pen twirling lazily between her fingers as her black eyes looked out of the porthole that so conveniently sat at eye-level. Her lips twitched in what some people might call a smile as she took in the sight and the promises it teased so well.

Digimon: Recompilation

---

Vigilemon

Location: Gateway
Skills/items used: None

---

It started with a flicker, an infinitesimal bundle of light; flames licking outward when it grew. Slowly at first like a candle flame, then a more pronounced shape as a pocket-size ball that had detached from a torch.

Small and shapeless it floated in the middle of a receptacle mounted on one of the pillars. Flames curling gently into vague blueish shapes. A clump of long hair that didn't quite look right, a perfectly round head, two beady bright dots for eyes that blinked in rythm to its breathing and burning form.

The helmet on its head felt too big, one- maybe two sizes. Lopsided, dented and the creaky visor hung just over where its beady eyes could blink underneath curiously.

The blueish hue flickered into a pale white, briefly, awareness. Then a soft yellow, pride. And finally back to blue; its neutral state.
The digimon descended from what seemed like a divine height, fluttering down elegantly if it had any limbs to spread in an awe-like figure. Something, or some things, had died, and it had been born in place. Not replace, but simply a new cycle; a new generation to pick up where predecessors had stopped.

A vigilemon...

The wisp floated its body near Dominimon, bopping up and down energetically as if to say “Hi, I heard you and headed the call.” The blueish hue delving into purples, curiosity, then back to a lighter blue shade as it took notice of all the other things, creatures and humans that had been summoned. Vigilemon tilted its head, the helmet flopping sideways as it hovered slowly around every new arrival tenderly. Warmth flickered from its small body, a silent greeting that said “Friendly.”

It took its time observing each individual, each fellow digimon, orbiting them once until it lingered near the shape of a tall, lanky human. Dressed too neatly for a temple visit, something pulled it towards him. Flames flickered curiously as her body lifted, beady eyes meeting tired ones.

It paused... And then bopped eagerly.

It was saying “Hi”, but almost in a bonding tone. A connection.

Digimon: Recompilation

---

Siobhan O’Riley

Location: Gateway
Skills/items used: None

---

PING-A-LING

Siobhan scowled at the jingle like it had offered to improperly file a resignation form. Glasses slid down her nose in tandem with the lower jaw that couldn’t quite reach her desk in spite of its determination.

“Oh, fer God’s sake-”

DOCUMENTATION PROJECT #1215 and in closed brackets (AMENDMENT EIGHT)

Her arms flew upward with a tired huff; a guttural groan resounding with the effort of a teenager grumbling at their bean and sprout dinner. If there was one thing Siobhan hated more than soggy instant noodles dripped on her week old jeans, it was a last minute e-mail.

“Me entire feckin’ day wasted, ya eejits!” Siobhan didn’t even have the strength to stop her hands from whatever they were doing to her messy ginger mop; pulling aimlessly as though she secretly hoped it’d fall out with the rest of her sanity.

She never quite understood why she bothered. Or more to the point, why didn't she just consider buying some fisherman’s shack and live the rest of her life off the grid. Because honestly? She had a better chance baiting fish than a bunch of snooty executive suits nodding along to their suggestive desk toy.

Sighing proved equally fruitless, however, and she figured shouting at a pointed e-mail detailing someone’s lack of understanding the point of documentation at least put the exasperation to good use.

Her hands flexed at the built-in keyboard like they had the perfect, snarky retort ready. Instead one lifted and adjusted the slanted glasses on her nose and the other pushed Siobhan off the ergonomic chair in defeat.

“Right, coffee.” She murmured towards the empty condo, a dingy little place in the middle of the city center Siobhan rented for the better part of a year now. Her socks flopped across the wooden boards towards the kitchen.

And that’s when it happened…

First there was the static behind her eyes and ringing in her ears, a flicker of something not unlike a white screen flashed as though her brain had suddenly decided to crash on principle. And then she fell. Not fell-fell, but that sense of vertigo as you’re hurdled through a roller coaster with inhuman g-force that made unprepared stomachs churn their half-consumed contents back out.

“Jaysus,” The Irish accent lilted aimlessly as Siobhan’s consciousness sippled through the layers of quiet distress she’d come to master with a firm poker face. Her green eyes fluttered closed and open again, body splayed against the cold floor in ways she had grown familiar with during her student years; though missing the raging migraine she was pretty sure would come sooner or later.

Several voices rang through the room, and Siobhan had found the energy to pull her body into a cross-legged sit while she took stock of her new environment.

Her thoughts swayed between ‘Don’t remember havin’ a cult altar in me place’ and ‘Shite, I’ve died’, the latter prospect seemingly likely as she took notice of the angel-like creature standing in the middle who’d rambled about prophecies and destiny like it was a generic MMO with a million chosen ones running around.

And along with that several odd little creatures, things that didn’t seem it’d belong in either a petting zoo or a farm. One flickered oddly, like blocks of data fading in and out. And that’s when Siobhan noticed the weird device clipped to her belt; the tech piece seemingly reacting with beeps and static as though it had a life of its own.

“Right. Drank meself stupid and put me VR kit on. Noted.” She muttered, deciding that was as good a reason as any before standing up and waving lazily at the other people there for want of a greeting.

Discovery: A Broken Galaxy

Aaand... Edited Anna back to her preferred, non-managing role. :P