Iron Stars - zyth

Xin is awakened by the chime of his compad , in the room he has on the Greystar star hab, in orbit over Acastus. The terminal only rings for assignments or priority alerts. Either way, it’s worth getting up to look. Outside you can hear others also stirring in their own cabins , no doubt awakened by the same thing

He walks over to his compad and takes a look, definitely curious about what it's about especially if everyone got the same thing.

A general order has appeared on your screen, stating that anyone interested in a recon and possible recovery mission should proceed to the ready room two decks below this level, and additional details will be provided. A handpicked team will be selected from who arrives. Successful selection for and completion of this mission promises a large payout , and the benefits of becoming a Greystar agent.

He would be very interested in the mission, packs his stuff and heads straight for the lift. He's quiet despite there are others with him as he's pretty shy and doesn't know anyone yet. He quickly finds the ready room and pauses outside it, taking in the busyness of the room full of candidates eager to be picked, hoping that somehow he'd have a chance of being one of the lucky ones to get picked.

There is a map on the holographic display as the last of you lingering outside are shoved into the room and the blast doors are lowered The world is called Jahnavi, about three days from here via spike jump, and the commandant quiets the room with raised hands. “Thank you all for coming. The mission details are as follows. While exploring an abandoned factory ruin in southwest Jahnavi, we lost contact with one of our agents. His name is Finius and we were advised by the crew of the ship that brought him there that both agent finius and his entire marine compliment were killed by the automated defenses inside. The mission is one of figuring out his to deactivate the automated security , and if possible to recover the bodies id both Agent Finius and his team

Zythivarnxanov silently listens to the mission details. It wasn't what he was expected for his first mission actually. Although he isn't a stranger to finding dead bodies, and that does include dead bodies of people he knows, going on recovery missions is always hard, especially when it's an entire team of people. That actually never happened to him before, it was only single people previously. Though, this doesn't put him off wanting to sign up. There is a chance, he knows, that someone somehow survived, even against all odds. Finally, he locked on to the deactivating security part of the mission. He figures that his technical expertise and possibly precog abilities could be useful in this area. He supposes that it is time to flex some skills. (We weren't told to speak out/sign up or anything so I'm still being quiet. Also since you said marine, am I understanding that ship in this case is a watercraft or at least combined watercraft/spacecraft?)

(I’m probably not going to spell out that entire name every time , or even most of the time. My severe dyslexia is already not very kind and this seems difficult to routinely spell out even to someone without reading difficulties. It’s a space ship. Youd be going to another planet) (edited)

17:19

“Anyone who’s not frightened off by the mission details, we will be taking a small team to investigate the ruins on Jahnavi where our agent went missing. I’m going to leave the room, anyone who backs out won’t be thought less of. I’ll be back in five minutes and I’ll pick from whoever has put their name on the list”

(but you said marine? which means naval? Feel free to shorten the name or copy/paste)

(Space ships are naval)

(oh!)

(The navy usually refers to star ships rather than blue water type sailors , the army would still be your traditional understanding of the army )

Zythivarnxanov hesitates a few, waiting to see if who else would be signing up first, after all, if he got picked, some of them would be on his team. After seeing a few put their names down, he walked briskly to the sign up board, meanwhile noticing that lots of other agents had been leaving the room, clearly not interested. As soon as he stood at the sign up board, he immediately put his name down, nodded to the agent that was behind him, waiting to put his name on the list as well and walked back to where he stood earlier. The room had been noticeably cleared of at least half the agents. It was time to patiently wait for the 5 minutes, well, perhaps 3 minutes now before people were chosen.

18:00

(so how do you refer to forces that man actual water type vessels?) (edited)

(Someone’s been on a boat maybe five times at most over the whole course of the game. Hasn’t really been important enough of a disambiguation).

(oh ok i see, too bad i was excited about exploring the waters or even underwater of other planets.)

(Still can. We just haven’t done much of it)

(sure! maybe later)

The mission commander enters the room again and looks back at the sheets. “Zyth...” and he lists off a few other names , bringing the total to six , seven including himself. “Alright. We leave in two hours. Prep your gear, get your heads right , say your goodbyes. We meet in the starboard expedition hangar in two hours “

Zythivarnxanov perks his head up in both awe and surprised at his name getting called. He missed all the other names as he was only paying attention to his own so, with a mall roll of his eyes, thinks he'd have to figure out who his team members are later. After all, he'd still need to put a face to the name, since none of the names would have meant anything to him right in the moment. Although, it could have been an opportunity to start memorising names so he could put a face to them later instead of doing both at the same time. He supposes there would be plenty more time for later, after all, there would be 3 days just to get there. He stood there for a few moments but finally walking toward the exits like most everyone else so he can get back to his room and finish preparing his stuff. It took an than hour to finish preparations and headed to the hangar. Since he was early, he decided to take a long stroll through the corridors.

You see a few of the faces from the meeting who opted out of the assignment but the star Hab in orbit over Acastus is a very big place and it’s not uncommon to go entire days seeing only new people. The station is generally at ease, there are no direct threats to greystar space and conditions even for spacers have improved quite a bit.

16:32

The hangar bay is loud when you approach as machinists finish the last few small repair items to the shuttle.

Zythivarnxanov thinks he probably wouldn't even recognise some of the same people even if he saw earlier if there are that many and haven't had much interaction before. He in fact, has a large family and doesn't even recognise everyone even if they met more than once. Walking into the hangar bay, he cringes at the loud noise at first but I get used to it soon after. He looks around and sees if they could spot where he's supposed to wait or talk to anyone else milling around. (do we have our own rooms or we do have roommates, people that i'd probably get to know more unless they are out of course)

(Are you asking if you have Your own rooms here on the star hab, or will you have your own rooms on the shuttle ?)

(on the star hub, i wrote it as if I was in my own room or at least no one was there at the same time as me. but details about the rooming on the shuttle is good too among other descriptions of the setting :))

(It's a VERY big station and most of it doesnt even have fittings , so there's a lot of empty space)

14:50

(You'd likely have your own room)

(cool. things like are there windows and what do I see out of it. how about doors, are they automatic, do I have a keycard, are they biometric etc..and all sorts of basic facilities and stuff or even personal decorations. I thought of adding about cleaning up aka toilet/shower while getting ready but not sure what's available. So I kinda wrote basic things instead of details. Not easy to rp the signing up also since I'm not sure what was expected, so I just decided there was a physical signup board. But it could just so easily be something different.)

The machines shut off, and the pilot, co pilot, and crew chief- the only crew required of a shuttle begin entering the hangar as well. A ramp lowers as it detects the pilots approaching, and they signal everyone to begin getting aboard. "Grab your bags. Everyone gets their own cabin, and we'll be taking off in about fifteen minutes. Make sure your lockers and any loose articles of gear are strapped down!" The crew chief especially seems a boisterous fellow, interested in keeping the ship and its passengers safe. Accompanying you are two taros , and three humans. The taros keep to themselves, favoring matte black combat field uniforms and laser rifles. The humans are a more motley bunch, talking among themselves and inching a bit closer to you. Their gear is not standard, likely other want-to-be agents using whatever they had on hand.

15:01

(95% of what you described just kind of happens off screen. I don't think a story is really moved forward by describing the fine details of life that are obviously happening anyway. It doesn't really add anything to a scene. ) (edited)

(This feels like such a huge immersive game the details for me make it realistic and visual. I visualise things. Imagine a long novel without these details - just bare.)

(I feel like there was a fair amount with what I just posted)

(I hadn't looked at the new post yet but yeah looks much better. But it's okay if you don't want to detail things. I guess I'll feel free to add stuff.) (edited)

(you've got some liberty with the little details)

15:14

(it doenst really matter to me what specific kind of wood a door is made out of, so long as you're aware there's a woodendoor there)

Zythivarnxanov has been hanging around seeing the taros and humans talking to their own species. The taros feel a bit intimidating with those gear and weapons, but imagines they'd be great on the front lines. That's not exactly where he wants to be, he's more of a behind the scenes expert instead. As for the humans, well great to see fellow humans. He doesn't know them yet and feels pretty shy while they seem to already be deep in a conversation. He notices the gear they had and thinks hmm, where did they get all those things because they aren't what he was told to choose among. He guesses they might could possibly not be full agents like he is, or at least new. Guess he'll find out since they started walking towards him. But before they could get acquainted... He hears the pilot yelling out instructions. The co pilot and crew chief standing right behind the pilot and the ramp was being lowered slowly. He momentarily forgets the people who were approaching him and immediately starts heading towards the ramp as he had all his stuff on him already, noticing that the other humans had begun registering it, and started making off to pick up some of their stuff they had laid down while they were talking. The taros were behind him at this point but he could hear their footsteps as well.

The ship is humming gently as you board, the drive systems already beginning their long charge cycle. Cabins are spartan in appearance, with a bed, a storage locker, a seat bolted to the deck, and a small desk attached to the wall where you can work on tasks. Everything is naval issue, simply machined metal and rough fabric to be made as cheaply as possible while still providing function. Ahead of the rest of the group, you can hear them in their cabins settling things for themselves, and one is inspecting the galley, ensuring cabinets and cookware are either mag locked to the counters or snapped closed.

17:17

The crew begins heading up toward the cockpit and the heavy door slams and bolts behind them as the pilots prepare for takeoff.

Zythivarnxanov finds the gentle hum rather pleasing. He runs his fingers on the side of the ship, feeling the slight vibrations both exciting and calming. While turning the first corner inside, it's pretty much as expected. It's not an extremely comfy first class shuttle, but it is clean, neat, and everything feels just right. He barely registers the crew that is heading into the cockpit until the door slams and he starts with a tiny jolt, quickly glancing behind them, on realising what the sound was, he chuckles a little. He notices some of the rest of the team had been a little startled as well as they were checking out the shuttle as well. He starts making his way to the cabins, which are neatly labelled. Passing the gallery, he sees someone inspecting it and pauses for a moment looking at the setup and sees if there is any hint of how meals would be handled. Seeing the cookware, he's smiles on knowing they'd be real food and not bland food bars nor instant meals. Moving on to the cabins, which are neatly labelled, he finds the one with his name and sets his backpack on the ground and then sits on the bed with a sigh. Finally, he thinks, finally starting off on the mission. He supposes there's not much of a hurry to arrange his stuff, no in need of using them immediately so he lays on the bed and relaxes.

There is a tri tone beep as you lay on the bed and the cabin door closes automatically. This is your captain speaking, we're going to be departing Acastus, and as a security protocol you'll be confined to cabin until we make it into spike space. I know you're all trusted operatives, but the Kestrel incident is still fresh. You remember news of the incident, where Still Lady cult infiltrators managed to take control of a Greystar warship, and escape with it to Freeguild territory. Those traitors are dead now, along with the Freeguild, but the mistrust sewn by the incident has lingered far beyond their deaths. The trip takes about six hours, and you're let out halfway through under guard by the co-pilot and the crew chief to stretch your legs for ten minutes and use the facilities if needed. You're about to drift off into something like a boredom nap when the shuttle bucks, and makes the jump, preparing to head to Jahnavi, three days from here. )we have a handout on the top of the roll20 handout with things you can do during your downtime , if you wanted to apply the 3 passing days to something)

Zythivarnxanov hears the soothing but commanding voice of the captain announcing the departure. He shudders when the Kestrel incident is mentioned. That incident was a rather disturbing one, he remembers. Good thing he was far from being caught up in it and no one he knows had been either. He isn't a completely trusting person in the first place, though it did make him wonder about how trustworthy everyone else is. His mind then ran through a whole bunch of other assorted memories and things and he lost track of time. When the doors opened, he finally realised where he was. He walked out the cabin, stretching as he went and wandered off to the washrooms. When finished, he went back to his cabin for a nap. He felt the shuttle bucking, and smiled knowing the the jump had just started. It was going to be a long 3 days waiting. He might spend some of the time napping some more. There's no need to expend too much energy right now.

11:29

(I think he's going to take a rest for now)

11:32

(Or handle some NPCs he can talk to? How about mission research?)

11:32

(3 days certainly is time for mission briefings)

(There really isn’t more to know about your mission until you get there and see what things on the ground look like. I’ve invested a lot of time making legions of npcs for people who just end up quitting or ghosting us. If you stay around for a little bit ill name some)

14:02

(Jahnavi also has an article on the world anvil with a surface map, which is there so I don’t have to repeat the same info. Anything on the world anvil is information your character would know) (edited)

(ok thanks)

(that info being out there, if there's something else you wanted to use the 3 days for, we can make sure its accounted for. Otherwise we'll move on to the mission)

(haven't had a chance to look yet, will let you know later)

(isn't my character supposed to be working with a team of NPCs anyway? shouldn't they get names and i should know how what they are good at? also. ready for the mission now.)

(They’re coming with you, yes. If decisions you make require skills they have that you Might not , I will let you know what your options are or who can help you )

(ok i got it)

15:39

(though it's sort of backwards as well. i can decide on better plans if i already know what's available to me. i can't always think of something if it wasn't presented. and if my character was on a team, they'd probably know what's available. they don't think up something and oh can anyone do this? it's like a jigsaw puzzle. i see the pieces then i can fit them together. i don't say i need a piece that may look like ___ is there a piece somewhere like that?)

(I’ve told you how I’m doing this. There are reasons for it that have developed over the years of me doing this)

(okay i see. it's just a bit unfamiliar to me though.)

(I’ll move ahead to the mission once I sit down again later)

Three days pass with some loose discussion, a few games of cards, and a lot of resting. Entering into Jahnavi local space, the platform here, dubbed Lower Heaven welcomes you into the system. Abbot Balvarata , the local governor of this world, usually requires ships to dock at the platform first by inspection by Red Sangha, before landing on the surface itself, but as a Greystar Confederation member-ship on an urgent rescue or recovery mission, he is willing to dispense with protocol given the time sensitive nature. Agent Finius and his team were last reported seen at the circled coordinates, far from the planet's green belts and deep in the badlands

16:55

Zythivarnxanov watches the shuttle preparing to land from the window. The landscape is rather beautiful and he looks forward to getting out there. Of course, there is a mission to do, but there's no reason he can't admire the beauty along the way, especially since at the moment there wasn't anything mission related to do. (where are we landing? or am I to assume we're landing near the circle? make sense but doesn't mean it's a suitable landing place. what are the distances by the way?)

(Youd be landing at the circle, just north of that little ruins icon on the map. Its north of that ruins icon because its a good landing zone)

The shuttle begins making its twenty minute long orbital run. Once in atmosphere, it will level out and the last few moments will be spent ensuring gear is just right, before being dropped into a short walking distance of the ruins.

The shuttle sets down in a sandy bowl , punctuated by some rocks about your size, though otherwise uninteresting. Your target site is 500m to the north- which resembles an old military base. Dozens used to dot the surface of Jahnavi , built as staging areas during the brutal civil war here. They're just ruins now, along with most of their planet, now that the war is over.

Zythivarnxanov was rather ready to get on the mission by the time the shuttle landed in a rather boring landing site. Oh well, there wasn't a need for much, there was much to do here. Though perhaps, after the mission, there might be time to explore around a bit and see more than just around the area. He hasn't seen the ruins up close yet, but it could actually be interesting to see. Just because they are ruins, doesn't mean it didn't look great. After all, it's not much different than historical sites and could be just as amazing as newly built and dazzling architecture. He does wonder where everyone lives though since there are so many ruins around. Getting off the shuttle, he shuffled his feet in the sand, finally feeling the ground beneath him. It was a great feeling to be here, despite the circumstances. Everyone else had got off the shuttle as well and he mingled with his team. He hopes the mission commander would start leading the way to the base.

The group begins adjusting their gear and are eager to be off as the hot sun of Jahnavi’s ash desert is high in the sky right now and there are few shadows and places to take shade. Cresting the dune, the mission commander signals everyone to go low, as you all move up to see the walled fort ahead. There’s a spot close to the walls where a ship landed and heavily scorched and breached wall sections where the ship marines had traded fire with the automated defenses. Those autonomous guns are down now , slagged beyond any kind of salvageability. “I need two of you to head forward and get closer eyes on that breach, while the rest of us provide overwatch and covering fire from up here if you need it. Zyth, Mckass? You up for it ?”

Zythivarnxanov went though his gear one last time making sure everything is there and working. When the mission commander lead the way, he followed close behind. It was rather hot and he was glad he had dressed for the weather, well, as much as possible of course. When they reached the crest of the dune, ahead of him, stood a walled fort. It was stunning, seeing as the rest of the time they saw nothing but desert. He finally got to where he needed to go. Noticing the fort closely, he could see the remains of a firefight. It was shocking to see all the scorched remains and wall sections that were simply empty. He head the commander say his name volunteering him to check out the breach along with another named Mckass. "I'm defintitely up for it." He replies promptly.

"Alright, move and cover, switch every 20m or so until you get to the breach. If it looks clear, wave us in, and we'll move one at a time forward to link up with you"

14:24

"Keep low, and things will work out fine"

Zythivarnxanov takes out his gun while Mckass does the same. He signals to Mckass that he'll take the first move and starts forward, crouching low. This is it, he thinks. Hope we don't run afoul of anything the second we start. He was already starting to sweat from the heat. He moves up ahead, then Mckass does, switching places, and looking vigilantly at their front, watching out for any threats. Unless something happens while we're moving up, we eventually reach the breach and take a look around. (Do I need to roll anything yet?)

(sneak/dex)

(2d6 + dex mod right? 12)

(2d6 + Dex Mod + Sneak Skill, If you take your sheet off of edit mode and then click then Sneak skill it will automatically include all relevant modifiers.)

18:20

(So with your roll of 12 + 0(Dex) + (-1)Sneak = 11)

(yep. I just figured it. so the -1 = 11 Thanks!!) (edited)

Sneaking to the breach, you and Mckass hunker down behind a chest high pile of fallen bricks. Peering inside, you can see a large door 30m across the courtyard that leads into the keep itself. It's been blown open with a demolition charge already and there isn't enough of it left to see what it might have been made of once. Irrelevant now anyway. A helicopter, left to ruin, and the shot up remains of two floating eyebot security robots occupy a stamped cement helipad within the wall section, 15m to the left once you're through the breach. There are no other buildings beside the central keep, with the vault below it where Finius vanished.

Zythivarnxanov finally manages to make it to the breach, breathing heavily. He looked at the surroundings carefully, trying to take in every piece of information, no matter how small. Seeing no immediate danger, especially seeing the security robots having already been shot up and useless, he signals the rest of the team to follow.

13:36

(btw how is the lighting inside? or does the sun manage to reach inside)

(Outside the keep itself the wall interior is open to the sky, so sunlight )

(ok, nothing to add. continue?)

The team spends a few minutes leapfrogging over one another to your position, everyone snuggling close into the breach. They take in the same sights before your squad leader takes a deep breath and thinks for a moment. "We're going to need to get in there to figure out what happened to our man. No bodies out here, but security forces came this way" he also notes the helicopter and dead robots. "Alright everyone, one scrambler grenade each, just in case we run into more of those things inside"

Zythivarnxanov watches as the rest of the team leapfrogging over another, it's rather hilarious and to be honest, sort of weird, and totally not what he would have expected from his teammates. It didn't seem at all the time time to be fooling around. He listened intently to the squad leader and took a scrambler grenade. He also speaks up, "I think it would be a good idea to enter the central keep, but stay at the entrance and assess the surroundings before we venture in further."

"I should get eyes on it directly, the two of us then, while the rest cover....you two" he points to two other members of the team. "See what you can do with the helicopter, or those robots. Even if its just draining the databanks. Anything we can bring back helps" Hefting his shear rifle, the squad leader moves out slightly ahead of you to the left side of the keep door, panning his weapon in.

14:29

(you guys would be right outside room 1, on the right side of this map)

Original message was deleted or could not be loaded.

Pinned a message.

Zythivarnxanov watches as two members leave to check the helicopter and robots and then follows the squad leader to the keep door but on the right side. His pistol is pointed straight ahead and the scrambler grenade is sitting in the side pocket of his backpack, easy to reach if needed. He's feeling a little nervous venturing into the unknown and wants to hang back and assess as much as possible before going on, after all, Finius and his team were probably not idiots who simply wander in without taking precautions, besides after already disposing of the security outside they probably took extra precautions going in, yet the entire team got taken out. (so that now we're looking inside, there's no more sunlight?)

(there are internal lights, but no more sunlight. I just didnt want to throw you right into the ruins in the event you had anything you needed to ready beforehand)

14:55

He counts down from three, and upon closing his fist he palms the keypad to the left of the door, where he is standing. The remains of the gate swing open, allowing the entire team to make their way into Room 1, an entryway with another battle damaged door ahead of you. The keypad here has also been hacked to allow opening and closing of the doors at will. They're in a closed position now

(is the entire team in here? i thought two were checking the helicopter/robots?)

(didn't say anything about the entire team. There are four of you, since two are outside)

(you said allowing the entire team to make their way into room 1. i thought that meant we all entered?) (edited)

(There are four of you, since two are outside)

(ok. well, four isn't the entire team.)

(this level of pedantry is unnecessary)

15:03

(your next post should be how you plan to proceed)

(sorry but that isn't close to pedantry to me. because when you said 'entire' I include everyone so I didn't understand what happened to the 2 outside. it's a basic head count.) Zythivarnxanov thinks they would go into room 2 and have a look around. Perhaps also wait for the ones outside to come back with any info they might have found. (edited)

The doors to room 2 open, and you can see a large freestanding terminal set into a metal housing in the middle of the floor. The password screen has been disengaged already, so someone has tried accessing it and managed to get through. Camera controls, deactivated turret controls, and a now corrupted log message are menu options on the terminal. The lighting is still common interior lighting that most facilities use across the galaxy. From outside, after ten minutes the two scouts return, with little to show for their efforts aside from some helicopter navigation data and its black box. It will have to be examined later in a more specialized facility.

Zythivarnxanov goes up to the terminal and tries to access as much information as he can. Especially checking the camera to see which ones are still up or any recorded footage. He'd then like to have a look at the turret controls and also see whether he could understand the log message and perhaps fix it. As for the navigation data and black box, he wonders if they might be able to find any kind of that specialised facility in these ruins that may still be functional. (Did we ever find out what Finius' original mission was - other than exploring - or what this factory is for? Why is it known it's a factory when it resembles a military fort.)

(It’s a fort. And his mission was only exploring. That’s was a valid enough reason to the player that used to play him)