gistfile1.txt

<rms> (October 23 0600); you have each been called in for a meeting with Captain Ambercrombe.  (Arrive early, late, ontime?)
<FearMeForIAmPink1> Early. But not by too much
<Bolt> Early, of course.
<ChessyPig> Right on time, but it's probably Anya's fault he's not late
--> TautologicalCat ([email protected]) has joined #exaltedout
<-> FearMeForIAmPink1 is now known as RelentlessExigencyConcluder
<-> ChessyPig is now known as AlekseiVasiliev
<rms> <Cpt> (Captain Aloysius Ambercrombe) "Good morning ladies and gentlemen.  As you are no doubt aware, we have begun scouting the outlying area as per our mission.  Which we are begining 25 years early.  Each of you has shown great feats and somehow become something more than mere man or machine."
<rms> (Con't)
<rms> <Cpt> "That is why, today, on the 75th aniversary of our planet's greatest mistake, you will set out and prepare for our ascention into glory.  To the south is a mostly intact power plant, Sundance.  It has become a refuge for a group calling themselves The Claw.  They are lightly armed."
<rms> (Con't)
<rms> <Cpt> "To the west, there is an old and mostly intact Chryslus Motors plant.  It's being occupied by a small cult.  Your objectives are to secure both locations so they may be made operational again.  How you deal with the occupants is entirely your choice.  I am trusting Officer Cadet Concluder to be the military's voice in this operation."
<rms> (end)
<RelentlessExigencyConcluder> "Sir, do we have any information on the equipment level of the cult, or the level of training of either group?"
<rms> <Cpt> "The cult keeps to themselves mostly and has a few guard armed with pistols.  The Claw have been raiding nearby areas and are armed with shotguns, hunting rifles and a single rocket launcher."
<Bolt> "Can we keep anything interesting that we find?"
<rms> <Cpt> "Anything that won't hinder the next phase."  (which is getting them online)
<AlekseiVasiliev> "Do we have the space to put people if we end up needing to bring some of them back with us? Or should we assume we need to keep them accommodated on site if possible?"
<rms> <Cpt> "Recovery of citizens near the Chryslus plant is feasible as it is only a few hundred kliks away.  The Sundance plant is a few thousand.  Regardless, we've been preparing for more people for a long while."
-*- AlekseiVasiliev nods. "Excellent, thank you."
-*- Bolt stands up straight, shoulders and head back, and saluts, "Permission to kill, sir?!"
<rms> <Cpt> "Yes."
-*- AlekseiVasiliev looks sidelong at Bolt. "Hopefully that won't be necessary," he offers.
-*- Bolt reverts to her more relaxed stance, "Hah. Always wanted to do that. You military types are great. What else do we need to know?"
<rms> <Cpt> "We still have no idea what caused your situation.  Reasearch is ongoing.  There is a chance you may meet people who have the same gifts as you do.  There are also rifts to both sites.  Be careful of riftwalkers, we still have no idea what they are exactly."
<RelentlessExigencyConcluder> "We should probably discuss what our intended approach will be, which we will go for first, and what equipment we need for doing this."
<rms> <Cpt> "If there are no further questions I will leave you to it.  You are to depart by 0800.  You have been cleared for use on an APC."  (If none of you have Drive, an NPC was offered)
<rms> He packs up his papers to leave.
<AlekseiVasiliev> "Will there be body armour available, for those of us who don't usually carry it around?"
<rms> <Cpt> "We have loaners, yes."
<rms> (So... which location first, what's the plan, who is driving, etc...?)
<AlekseiVasiliev> "Who have we got here? I'm sure I've seen you all around before, but I'm not convinced I know exactly what it is you do."
<RelentlessExigencyConcluder> "I'm generally known as Relentless. I scout, and I hunt threats to the vault."
<Bolt> "Bolt," She holds a hand out to shake, relaxed but energetic, "I was a brainbot working for the scientists that maintained the water supply, but for now I'm just a general handy-bot. I'll fix whatever I find, even if no one asked me to."
-*- AlekseiVasiliev returns the handshake; it is a good firm handshake but not some kind of crushing attempt, which is presumably just as well given Bolt's solidity
<AlekseiVasiliev> "So it sounds like Relentless should take the lie of the land, then I'll head in and talk to whoever we can find in shouting range; then Bolt can check out the area once it's a bit calmer and work out how to best secure it?"
<RelentlessExigencyConcluder> "That works, and does not require me to appear human, which helps, as that means I will not need to reconfigure before we go."
<RelentlessExigencyConcluder> "I will also note that I can potentially extract information from the minds of anyone we capture, however this capability is not currently installed, it would take a little while in the field to do so.
<AlekseiVasiliev> "I'm hoping it won't get to that, either, although the cult at the motor plant sound like an easier sell to start with - as well as being closer."
<Bolt> "I think the motor plants the best place to get first, we can focus our energy on the power plant once we've tried out what we're going to be doing. I like it!"
<rms> (23 October 2152 1108); it was a long trip, but the APC avoided all of the known rifts along the way.  It stops a few kliks away so the group can scout or approach on foot.  There are two guards in front of a mandoor.  No other guards can be seen.
-*- AlekseiVasiliev looks at Relentless. "Want to have a closer look, or should I just head up and see what they have to say?"
-*- Bolt jumps the gun and activates the telescopic version of Optical Enhancement, with a quiet whirring coming from her head, she takes a good look at the guards, "I'm zoomin in on them right now!"
-*- AlekseiVasiliev squints in the general direction of the guards, wondering vaguely if anyone has spotted them yet and what first impressions they might be making.
<rms> Neither guard appears to have noticed the group, although Bolt was informed about people still living in such a decayed state, there is still a certain amount of surprise at seeing a ghoul in person for the first time.
<-- RelentlessExigencyConcluder ([email protected]) has quit (Ping timeout)
<Bolt> "Oooh. A ghoul." Lost in fascination with something new she whispers just loud enough for Aleksei to hear. "Freaky. How do they live like that...?"
<AlekseiVasiliev> "A ghoul?" Aleksei sounds genuinely confused. He's probably filed that information under 'things he doesn't need to bother to remember'.
<Bolt> "Mhm! The one of the left there, he's a ghoul. They're human-like beings showing very advanced stages of decay, though they're not dead. Or. They don't act like they're dead, maybe they are... They're weird lookin." She squints in, focusing on it,  "I want one."
<rms> (AlekseiVasiliev: Assume Relentless isn't going to scout please)
<AlekseiVasiliev> "Okay. Hang back a bit, and I'll wave you in when I'm pretty sure there's going to be no shooting?"
<AlekseiVasiliev> "Or I guess you could play the dumb robot for now, but that doesn't seem to be your style."
<Bolt> "It isn't. I could try but it wouldn't work too well. I should approach with you for a bit, my godcannon has shorter range than where we're standing and I couldn't cover you if there was shooting. Not that I want there to be shooting, of any kind."
<AlekseiVasiliev> "Sure; I just don't want to find out the hard way that they're scared of robots, as we haven't seen any with them."
-*- AlekseiVasiliev strides confidently forwards, watching the door (and the guards when he can make them out) for their reactions.
-*- Bolt will follow, and turn invisible when we're just outside the range where we could be seen, then take a position within 500y.
<rms> The guards notice once Aleksei is half a kilometer away.  They do not make any hostile actions.  Once he gets closer...
<rms> <guard a> "A strange guest.  Are you here for the ceremony?"
<AlekseiVasiliev> "I'm afraid you have me at a disadvantage, friend. Could you tell me of this place, and the ceremony you speak of?"
-*- Bolt will set up prone on a rock, still invisible, and aim at the not-ghoul.
<rms> <guard a> "We are a simple church.  Three of our maidens have agreed to join the priestesshood.  Today is the final stage of their initiation before the trials."
<AlekseiVasiliev> "Ah. I have come with a message of great import to your people, but I would not want to disrupt your important business. Could you show me who I might talk to as a representative of your church?"
<rms> <guard a> "You're free to watch the ceremony, after that you can talk to our head priestess.  She's obviously busy at the moment."
<AlekseiVasiliev> "May I bring my robots? I understand that different people have different reactions to mechanical beings, so I did not want to walk straight up with them."
<rms> The two guards look confused for a moment.
<rms> <guard a> "I guess if you have one..."
<rms> <guard b> "It better not interupt anything."
<AlekseiVasiliev> "Don't worry, they are no more prone to interrupting than any other courteous traveller."
-*- AlekseiVasiliev makes a show of going back a little way to pick up Bolt and Relentless, to make it less blatantly obvious that they were watching the whole time within gun range
-*- Bolt will sling her rifle over her back and become visible behind a rock, as if she were hiding. "What'd they say? Are we in? Did the ghoul breath funny?"
<AlekseiVasiliev> "We're in, but you might want to at least make some attempt to be quiet, I'm afraid."
<Bolt> "Quiet. Can do!" She nods and follows along.
-*- AlekseiVasiliev returns to the door and the guards, with the expectation of being let in to watch the ceremony.
<rms> (23 October 2152 1118); The group enters the factory and is led to an office that has been converted into a gathering area.
<rms> <high priestess> "... and it is on this day, the aniversary of the begining of the end days, that our initiates will begin their trek to speak with the End Mother."
<rms> You see three women dressed in white gowns, kneeling before a crude altar.  The priestesses are all dressed in tight dresses made out of numerous straps of leather, the only skin you can see is their faces and hands.
<rms> About thirty others, ghouls and healthy human alike, have gathered to watch, they stay silent.
-*- Bolt stands with Aleksei but watches everything she can in as much detail as possible, while remaining quiet and respectful.
-*- AlekseiVasiliev watches, silently, with interest - making a fairly superficial attempt to catalogue who is here and what stuff like their clothes and where they're sitting says about their social order
<AlekseiVasiliev> (basically mirroring what the other watchers are doing)
<rms> The high priestess gestures to one of the kneeling women, she stands, walks to the altar and lays upon it.
<rms> The high priestess takes a ceremonial knife from another priestess.  She positions herself in behind the center of the altar.  Taking the knife in both hands, pointing downward, she raises her hands.
<rms> <hp> with more force and emotion than before, "Just as I have undergone the journey, just as my sisters have, our priestesses-in-waiting shall be rebirthed from the knowing womb of our great End Mother!"
<rms> None of the others react.
-*- AlekseiVasiliev isn't going to interfere with their cultural customs yet, although he casts an eye over the 'initiates' - do they appear to be bought into this, or are they displaying signs of being unreasonably coerced?
-*- Bolt watches intently, entranced by this new, strange ritual.
<rms> The initiates are all calm, even as the high priestess drives the knife into the laying one's heart, causing her to gasp then fall still once she twists and removes the knife.  Two of the other priestesses take the body away, the high priestess gestures at another of the initiates.
<rms> <hp> "Let our prayers guide her to our greatest End Mother.  Let our prayers be heard so that another priestess may be reborn into our flock!"
<rms> The group becomes more solemn, many of them take praying positions.
-*- AlekseiVasiliev is slightly distressed by the knifing, but the general calm demenour of everyone involved convinces him it's probaby okay. Mirroring those not in an awkward praying position.
-*- Bolt wants so badly to interupt this ceremony, but she promised she'd be good. She continues to watch, but doesn't bow or move to pray, etc.
<rms> One by one, the remaining initiates are ceremoniously sacraficed, at least to your perceptions anyways.
-*- Bolt turns to Aleksei and raises an eyebrow, silently trying to ask his opinion on these goings on.
<rms> The ceremony ends, the crowd begins to disperse and the head priestess walks up to you.
<rms> <hp> "Welcome travelers," her voice rings with an eery detachment as she gives a kindly smile, "I know that many would be compelled to interupt our maidens' journeys.  But you were quite polite, and for that you have our thanks."
-*- AlekseiVasiliev shrugs minutely, attempting to convey 'it's not like they didn't volunteer for it'
<AlekseiVasiliev> "They seemed to be willing; why would we interfere with your cultural practices?"
-*- Bolt nods, "Mhm! I had so many questions. Like that part where you stabbed three people, why did you do that?" She asks, eager and earnest.
-*- AlekseiVasiliev looks slightly embarrassed and apologetic, but doesn't actually interject before the High Priestess has a chance to answer
<rms> <hp> She smiles again, "Our practices are strange to you not?  Interesting... But it seems I have forgotten to introduce myself, if you'll excuse my rudeness.  I am High Priestess Sandra Russell of the Final Days Church.  As for the stabbing, I assure you it brings about the best state of mind to speak to the End Mother."
<Bolt> "Would she be okay with that? I know sometimes I come off as /too/ intrusive, I ask a lot of question. I wouldn't want to be rude."
<rms> <Sandra> "Why whould who be okay with what?"
<AlekseiVasiliev> "Aleksei Vasiliev, of Bunker 92. I would be quite interested in hearing more of your general philosophy; I have come with a message, but I would like to understand you a little further before delivering it."
<AlekseiVasiliev> "And I hope you don't mind my robot; she gets a little over-excited sometimes."
<rms> <Sandra> "It's quite alright.  What would you like to know?"
<AlekseiVasiliev> "You've mentioned the Final Days, and you mentioned some kind of anniversary; which suggests something has happened fairly recently to inspire some of your philosophy?"
<rms> <Sandra> "Today is October 23rd.  75 years ago our world ended in countless flashes of light as pointless fury was unleashed.  Some of our members were changed by that event and they remember it well.  While others, like myself, are descendants of those who foresaw the doom arriving and sought the sheilding embrace of the earth herself."
<rms> (The bombs fell)
<rms> (2077-10-23 for the lazy)
<AlekseiVasiliev> "Ah, yes. As you can see, we found a similar solution, although we had prepared it some time in advance. I was also hoping that you might be willing to tell me a little about the End Mother, and how you have come to settle in this place."
<rms> <Sandra> "I was part of a newer farming community, about seven months ago" (when the rifts and Exaltions started) "we were attacked by a strange creature.  Neither human nor ghoul, speaking in a language we did not recognize, let alone understand.  His powers were stange, with a touch he could change people, remove their will to flee.  I was one of the few who escaped.  That night some of us had the stangest dream, like a great force came to speak to us.  She called herself the End Mother and she heard our plight.  She told us to stay hidden and away from our homes for three days, and then to return immediately.  We complied and found the creature turned into calcium.  It is then that we began to worship her, and she has continued to guide us since then."
<rms> (that was longer than I'd have hoped...)
<AlekseiVasiliev> "And she guided you here?"
<rms> <Sandra> "Yes.  She said that the misguided would seek out this place, we are to warn them that such futile efforts are best spent enjoying what you have, for the Final Days are few and we will soon run out of them, our story will end and we will have toiled fruitlessly."
<AlekseiVasiliev> "Does she have some kind of physical form, or does she speak only in dreams and through the kind of ceremony that we witnessed?"
<rms> <Sandra> "As a priestess, we hear her endless dreams every waking hour and our dreams are blessed with her gentle presence."
<Bolt> "Have you ever met her?"
<Bolt> "Face to face met, like this I mean." She motions with her hands between herself and the priestess.
<rms> <Sandra> "In person?  No.  She comes though, like a great dark beacon that consumes the sky."  (That description reminds AlekseiVasiliev of something he saw from his visions at Exaltation) "She is inevitable."
<AlekseiVasiliev> "I am afraid you might consider us misguided, then; I represent a reasonably-sized concern of scientists and other professionals, who would love to examine and maybe repair those things that can be salvaged in this place. If it helps, I do believe that for many of them - including my colleague here - there is nothing they would enjoy more than restoring old technology, regardless of whether they ever see any use for its output."
<rms> <Sandra> "The end has been nigh for a long time.  Enjoy what you have."
<Bolt> "Oh definitely! I'd have this place shining like new in no time... Well, some time. It'd be too fun to take it all apart. But I would put it back together again, I promise!"
<rms> <Sandra> "I think it might be time for you to meet someone.  If you would follow me?"
<AlekseiVasiliev> "Certainly." While he's following along, Aleksei tries to work out what the dark beacon description reminds him of. If only he had the notes that he'd been asked to write down about his visions with him...
-*- Bolt nods and follows along, looking around at everything while she can.
<rms> She leads you down into the factory floor where all the assembly would be taking place, she continues along and stops at a double-door, the edges of which have been smashed wider, the doors barely close.  She moves to open then.
-*- Bolt looks at the pretty automated production line and lemants that it lies still.
-*- AlekseiVasiliev pauses a respectful distance behind her, still somewhat lost in thought
<rms> She opens the doors, and enters a dark room, you see seven candles held by other priestesses in the background as they circle around a very large and bulky figgure.  His mass and height dwarf the large double doorway.
<rms> <Dan> "Dan see strange people."  His voice is a deep rumble, like thunder before a storm.  "Dan smash?"  His jaw is held to his face with a tight strap of leather.
<rms> <Sandra> Coldly, "Yes."
<rms> (4bp)