Torg
GM, 9 posts
Thu 1 Sep 2022
at 22:06 | Act I - Northward we go! | |
Location: Library and Archives Canada, Ottawa, Ontario
Axioms: Core Earth (Dominant)
Snow falls lightly in Canada’s capital. You and your team members arrive by plane to receive your next mission briefing. A driver meets you at the airport and takes you to a non-descript government office building. Inside, you meet a petite Caucasian woman with jet black hair. Her name is Alice “Ghost” Burton. She is the head of Marathon Division and the de facto head intelligence operative in the Delphi Council.
“Welcome. Please be seated,” she says when you arrive, motioning to the chairs arranged around a table that can seat a much larger number of people. She dims the lights, activates a projector, and presses a key on the laptop computer sitting in front of her. A photo of a young woman with blond hair appears on the projection screen. It is obviously from an ID card.
“This is Samantha Kendal,” Burton explains. “She works as a security guard at a research center operated by Honoki Biomedical and located on the otherwise abandoned University of Toronto Mississauga campus, in western Toronto, ten kilometers from the stelae boundary of the Living Land. U. of T. closed the campus shortly before Canadian government issued evacuation orders for the entire region. Not all activity ended, however, and the university was only too happy to lease the entire campus to Honoki Biomedical for biotech research.
Samantha Kendal contacted us a week ago, via our anomaly reporting system, to express concerns over the nature of the center’s research on living dinosaurs. Her background check revealed no security risks, so we deemed her a potential asset and issued her a secure cell phone. Two days ago, she used that phone to report the lab’s dinosaur capture team returned with a number of human prisoners dressed in military-style uniforms. Judging from her descriptions, we suspect the prisoners are shocktroopers from the Nile Empire. She agreed to acquire security passes for our operatives, but we have not heard from her since.
Your primary mission is to reconnoiter the facility, determine the nature of Honoki Biomedical’s research, and investigate the apparent capture and detainment of shocktroopers. Your secondary mission is to rescue Samantha Kendal.”
Alice then distributes a packet containing highlights from Kendal’s background check, notes on several locations on campus, such as the main research facility and Kendal’s apartment, and some basic information regarding Honoki Biomedical. She explains it as follows.
“Honoki Biomedical was founded five years ago. Despite initial successes with medical treatments derived from genetically-modified stem cells, the company’s major products failed their clinical trials. Afterwards, the investors withdrew and the company sank further into debt until two years ago, when Honoki sold its assets to a privately-held firm called Magnolia Research. Before the invasion, Magnolia ran all its operations from its North American headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia. Magnolia now operates from its Asian HQ in Kobe, Japan.
Until we heard from Kendal, we had no reason to suspect Honoki Biomedical was anything other than it seemed—just another acquisition. Now we have reason to believe Magnolia is in league with at least one of the invading realms, most likely the Kanawa Corportation in Pan-Pacifica. Although we can’t prove this conspiracy, Director Sebastian believes the acquisition of Honoki fits the pattern.”
Another picture pops up on the screen—that of a middle-aged man of Japanese ethnicity. “This is Doctor Reginald Osato, Chief Administrator of the Honoki Biomedical Research Center,“ Burton continues. “He was born in America, he graduated cum laude from Johns Hopkins University, and his career, though successful, is nonetheless unremarkable. Nothing about his backgroud raises any red flags, which of course makes me doubly suspicious.” The hint of a smile dances at the corners of Barton’s mouth.
“Hackers attempted to breach Honoki’s systems, and the lab’s internet presence went down shortly thereafter. We don’t know if they detected our activities and cut their connection deliberately, or if something else is to blame. This is why we need you to infiltrate the base and access their computers. Good luck and Godspeed.”
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Daqeim Aster
player, 3 posts
Priest of Shali
Theomagician
Sun 25 Sep 2022
at 00:32 | Act I - Northward we go!Daqeim's previous missions had acclimated him to this "projector" technology, and he had heard about this "internet" thing from others, but there were still many things in that briefing that escaped him. The important part, however, was the mission: discover what the compound is doing, and rescue the informant (if possible). These were concepts he could understand.
In previous missions, this would be the time for people to make requests for specific equipment that might be needed, but he didn't need much more than what he already carried: a holy symbol, spell components, and a few daggers in case something really goes wrong. A few things did concern him, and this is what caused him to speak up.
"Ms. Burton, I don't know much about how Core Earth works, but I do know something about infiltration missions. In Aysle, if we were to attempt such a mission, we would find ourselves greatly helped if we had a map of the area. Since this compound was rented before, it is likely that there were maps of what it looked like before being transferred. Could one of those maps be found for us?"
He then turned to the group. "Also, for us, it sounds like navigating this internet might be a useful skill. Do we have someone who can do that?"
Daqeim didn't ask about transportation; the Delphi Council was usually good for providing vehicles or at least cab fare.
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Solar Shield
player, 8 posts
Aka-Jacob Amar
Weilder of the Sun Disk
Sun 25 Sep 2022
at 01:05 | Act I - Northward we go!Jacob had arrived early, as he tried to get these briefings done quickly. He was always being sent on a new mission, a new assignment, with a new target. It was a war after all.
Granted the Solar Shield was a symbol against Mobieous and a rallying cry against the high lord's tyranny, but Jacob Amar needed downtime once in a while. Drinks, fun, maybe a pleasant female compainion. Just for a night or two before he was to go and get himself killed. He was starting to get cynical after all these missions.
Still, he listened to his new assignment. He sat, leaning back and tapped his fingers. "What about these...shocktroopers? Anyone I might be familar with?" He doubted any of the men in question knew Jacob, but no doubt they all knew the Solar Shield. Looking for the big promotion for bringing in his head.
This message was last edited by the player at 21:04, Fri 30 Sept 2022.
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Charlotte Harris
player, 5 posts
Victorian Occult
Investigator
Sun 25 Sep 2022
at 02:31 | Act I - Northward we go!Despite being dressed for work -- which was to say, in loose-fitting trousers and a plain, practical blouse -- Charlotte still contrived to enter the room and sit in a way that suggested she was wearing a proper Victorian dress. She was not entirely accustomed to the technology of Core Earth, naturally, but it was at least familiar enough now for her to no longer feel the urge to gape at it, as she once would have done. And she was certainly accustomed to being the only woman in any given group of operatives, for better or worse.
After two of her new compatriots spoke up, she glanced over at the other two, trying to decide from their attire where they might originally hail from. "I am also unfamiliar with advances such as the internet," she admitted, in a polished British accent. "Perhaps one of you gentlemen might be able to assist with that? Also, has anyone attempted any further investigation of this Dr. Osato? As you say, the very spotlessness of his known record raises a great deal of suspicion," she said, dryly.
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Konstantin Svobodov
player, 5 posts
Awakened acolyte
Escapee from Tharkold
Sun 25 Sep 2022
at 12:28 | Act I - Northward we go!Konstantin slouched in his chair, looking disheveled as always. In heavily accented English he said, "Infiltration, yes. Battle, no. This Internet, no, maybe similar to demonweb? Can try, promise nothing."
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Daqeim Aster
player, 6 posts
Priest of Shali
Theomagician
Mon 26 Sep 2022
at 02:42 | Act I - Northward we go!Daqeim perked up a bit at Konstantin's remarks and replied, "The internet deals with computers, so if this demonweb is about computers, too, then we should be good. Maybe even better, since we probably don't have to deal with demons."
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Max Chaban
player, 9 posts
Street Personality
Core Earth
Mon 26 Sep 2022
at 07:03 | Act I - Northward we go!Max reminissed about the clusterf*** of his last mission to Ireland. Nigal's computer knowledge ould have been benificial on this mission, if he still had it. Too bad his mind went native and his laptop and their phone became an abacus and a passenger pidgeon. He wondered how many of these people were from other realms or had lost their minds. Perhaps he could ask Alice in private later.
"Internet's not likely to help us as their computer is not connected to it anymore. It'd be like trying to access a library book where the section has been moved to another country. We'll have to go there and look ourselves."
He turned towards their presenter, steepling his fingers. "What is our official cover for being in the Mississauga area as it has been cleared by the Canadian government, Ms. Burton? I am also guessing that we will need to meet with this security guard in order to get security passes to infiltrate this building. "
Max turned back to the group. "Think of it as obtaining the proper keys to the locks that they would have put in place."
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Daqeim Aster
player, 7 posts
Priest of Shali
Theomagician
Tue 27 Sep 2022
at 14:47 | Act I - Northward we go!"Officially, we're Delphi agents, and we investigate these sorts of things. Unless we're in invaded territory or have to deal with a paranoid leader like they have in Russia (no offense intended, Konstantin), that should be sufficient. The fact we are within kilometers of a foreign realm works in our favor with convincing the government of our right to be there. It's what we were recruited for."
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