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Edea Mater Edea laughs at that, covering her mouth as she takes some time to regain her composure. "A cure? Hah... I eh... I've never really considered that. I don't think anyone ever really looked for it. It is possible that if you ignore it long enough, it would go away? I've never heard of that, but then, who would know? Perhaps hunderds of people have these 'moments' every day and just ignore it until it goes away? I don't really understand how people can... catch it, really. I'm curious to know how it happens. Did something happen recently before you started noticing it?" She smiles. "I've had this since always. I used to have a much more... pronounced version as well. I cannot quite imagine life without it." She ponders, then looks at him. "Now, if you wish to understand it more, what I recommend is this. First, follow your instincts, try to not simply understand what you see, but influence it. Just a bit. And if that works, what I would recommend to do, is to find someone you feel you can do a favour with that. Not a close friend I would say. Just someone you think is deserving. And make sure they realize that it is you doing that. For them." She looked at him. "I wonder how it would feel for you. I wouldn't do it now though. Not after all these drinks. But tomorrow, I recommend you do it. Someone caught your scent, and others will soon too. There's a whole new rat race you just entered in, Mr. al-Masayir, and there's some rats that are quite bigger than you or I, and you should get your bearings." She took a business card, crisp and professional. "Have my personal number. I'll try to make sure to keep my schedule as flexible as possible the coming days. I believe this can be educational and profitable for the both of us. And beware Mr. Savage. Among us 'rats', he's quite the big and nasty one. And, the scruffy one, he's one too, though I don't know him. Not quite sure how long he's been in the race. I'd chide him for being vague and cryptic, but that'd be terrible hypocrisy."
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Dec 21, 2017 22:39
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Mekhistos "No, a meeting won't be necessary, not yet. Instead, I'd like you to bring me samples of everything your gang and the others are dealing with. If I know what we're working against, I'll be able to make sure your stuff will make anyone else's look like sugar water. By the way, are you still dealing or did you move higher in the world?"
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Dec 21, 2017 23:14
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Tariq al-Masayir, the Novus Fortuna Fate Points = 0 Tariq twirls the card in his hand, "Thank you Ms. Mater, I'll take that to heart. I imagine I will most certainly be in touch." * * * Later in his hotel, he conferenced with his PA, hiding out in his room as he considered.  "Munira, please reach out to Savage's people. He approached me about a possible joint venture but we weren't able to follow up. Start getting the details of his full proposal and work on drafting a robust risk assessment for whatever he suggests. If we do wind up pursuing an engagement, I want every possible contract iron tight." (Utilizing Global CEO +4, try and get an inkling of how Savage wants us to toe the line.) "Also... I want you to take a look at the severance files for all the Motoroza people that were let go after the AtlantiComm split, before we acquired. Send me a dossier on the best five, use your judgment - integrity and talent prioritized, please." He paused, "Or if anyone just jumps out at you. Thank you." He ordered room service, and took in the view while he waited. Someone who needs my help. Let's see what we can find.
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Dec 22, 2017 00:06
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Sygyzy, God Of Telecommunication Fate Points = 1"This is pretty sweet," Sygyzy muses... to an empty closet. "I didn't even have to mention Maisie, and here she is getting promoted. That worked out well! Still, I suppose I should get out there and do stuff, huh?" He's talking to a dress that Maisie wore as a bridesmaid in her best friend's wedding and has not touched since. It's hard being a God confined to someone's closet. "Oh hey! I know who could use a divine visitation..." and then poof! He's gone. Archibald Watson is one of the rarest of creatures: someone who actually believes in Sygyzy. Well, sort of believes. Doesn't entirely disbelieve, let's put it like that. See, Archie got into this habit, just after grad school, of saying "Sygyzy preserve our infrastructure" whenever he walked into the IT Department at the company he was interning at; it had been an in-joke between he and one of his professors (who referred to it as the Mantra of the Network Engineer, referring to a long-running joke that he and Reg Vidankham had shared back on comp.dcom.telecom back in the day). And for seven months he did that every day when he walked in, and everything went fine, and then one day he was having a deep discussion of the latest Toxic Masculinity Stereotype With A Sword movie with a coworker he'd met up with in the hall, and he didn't say it... and that was the day the network crashed and the company ended up losing a ton of money. Now, Archie's not stupid, he knows perfectly well that it was almost certainly a coincidence. The Mantra isn't a magic spell. Except... in the back of his brain, the part of the human mind that insists on giving personality traits to cars ("she doesn't like to run in the winter, you have to coax her along a bit") and names to guitars... he has to wonder. Maybe, just maybe, it matters. And he can rationalize it all he likes ("the Mantra just focuses my mind and makes sure I'm mindful and attentive at work"), but in some small way, he actually, kinda sorta, believes. (It should be noted that Sygyzy is happy to take credit for crashing the company's servers and all, but this event took place three years before he first Manifested in Maisie's home; he is not entirely certain if he existed as some sort of God-Potentiality before that point and actually had a hand in the crash, or if it's just cosmic coincidence and synchronicity and his 'memories' of crashing the network are all just fabrications filling in his 'backstory'. However, he's also not at all sure that he cares - he's a God of Telecommunications, not a God of Theological Navel-Gazing.) At any rate, the good Mister Watson is arguably the most actually devout follower Sygyzy has - which, admittedly, isn't saying much, given how not-devout his 'flock' tends to be. So when Sygyzy notices him muttering prayers while frantically trying to replace a server rack that just came out of maintenance before the increased workload causes problems on any of the other racks, well, least he can do is give the guy a hand, right? He is at least wise enough to help the system remain stable before he puts in a physical appearance, lest Archie freak out and run away and leave the job half-finished, but once that's done, he appears next to the newly-replaced rack with a smile. "You asked for help, I came. Please don't scream, it would be very hurtful. Hi, Archie." Using Telecommunications [+2] to assist Archibald Watson in a fairly mundane maintenance procedure before showing up and being all "Hi I'm your God" at him. Let's see how he reacts.
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Dec 22, 2017 06:56
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 Veränderung - FP: 0 Wiping the blade of his knife on the sleeve of a dead soldier, Veränderung slipped it back into his sheath. "Come, brothers! Our work has only just begun. They've given us a tank; let's not squander such a generous gift." Using Soldiering [+4] to prepare this tank (and its new crew) for use in the Revolution.
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Dec 22, 2017 18:06
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Milton "Wally" Simmons FP = 1 It was only after the conversation was over that Milton realized he had zoned out. That would concern most people, but the godling accepted it with bit of a shrug and some slight dissapointment at having missed out. So he stayed at the party for a little longer before wandering home, pockets full of stolen food. *** "Evening, sir." James Mathews said as Milton entered the penthouse suite, kicked off his flip flops, and took his shorts off. James was a dark skinned man from one of the southern countries and served as both butler and seneschal. Milton had learned early on that getting other people to do things for you was the key to happiness, so he hired the best could afford. James ran the household, the accounts, and also made sure the place stayed clean. In return, he was paid rather handsomely. Milton was also pretty sure the man was embezzling but that didn't really matter. It was only money. The man had one thing that made him stand out above all others, despite being around Apathy all the time, he never seemed to not care. The penthouse was always spotless, the accounts were clean (other than the little retirement fund) and he took a great deal of pride in his work. "Hey James, I'd say don't call me sir but we both know you'll do it anyway. Ill be in the lab." The Lab. It was a grandiose name for a room consisting mainly of random bits of electronic scrap, three industrial 3D printers, and a large desk covered in monitors and pieces of computers. Hanging from the ceiling were seven robotic arms on a rail system. It had taken a lot of effort, mostly other people's, to set up but the automation it allowed suited Milton a great deal. His computer, too, had a sophisticated voice control system and virtual intelligence to allow him to be as hands off as possible. If it wasn't for the impeccable standards on the cleaning staff imposed by James, this room probably would have had a fine layer of dust on everything. It hasn't been used in months. For some reason, it was the lack of dust that irked Milton. It belonged there, dangit. Collapsing into the large leather computer chair, which failed to produce a cough-inducing cloud, Milton flipped the big novelty power switch to turn everything on. For once in a long time, he had a mission. The older woman had intrigued him and seemed to have information he wanted. Like what was going on. Of course Milton didnt know who she was, or even where the party had taken place. Random chance had placed him there. But in a few keystrokes and commands, he had a program grab the GPS data off his phone so he knew where he had been. A few more commands had several programs crack open the security camera photage of the door while another ran facial recognition based off the description he gave it. An hour later he knew who she was, where her was, and how to locate her. By this time Milton was feeling tired, the burdens of command and all that. So he tagged her phone and sent a drone to her with a message containing all the info needed to contact him and a request for a dinner meeting. Easier than doing it himself. After all that was done, and despite the five star resteraunt located on the ground floor of his building, he ordered pizza. Ok let me know if I can't do this, but Im using Apathy +2 to unwittingly create a disciple, James, whose only power is that he isnt really affected by mine. Im also using Independently Wealthy +2 to get some sweet digs and Electrical and Electronic Systems +4 to have a pretty rad setup in The Lab Also sending a drone to Edea to set up a date. Milton wants to learn more about what she knows. Also the massive winter storm turned put to be nothing so yay.
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Dec 23, 2017 07:49
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Edea Mater FP=0 Edea was on her way to her office in the city. A small, basement floor thing. Neat and spacious, but a bit of an anomaly, when usually, high powered CEO's preferred the views high up. She had just driven her large SUV (every little bit helps) to the parking garage when the drone found her. She was a bit wary, half wondering if Cruelty would somehow decide this was her fault anyway, but it was a message from Mr. Milton. A dinner meeting? Well, that could be arranged. She quickly replied. "Thank you for the invitation. There is a small Helladic restaurant on 8th street. Quiet and discreet. And the food should be better than the, I must agree, sub-standard prawns at the party. Would 10 p.m. suit you? rsvp, so I can make arrangements." She was curious. All these new faces. A possible threat? Or a possible opportunity?
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Dec 23, 2017 23:09
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Milton "Wally" Simmons FP = 1 Milton was in the middle of a space 4X game when one of his monitors beeped. Edea appeared through then drone's camera and on her end, a small screen flipped over to show him. "Sounds great, I'll meet you there." A small plastic business card suddenly pops out of then drone and lands on the ground. "Dangit, sorry. Haven't fixed that part yet. Anyway my contact info is on there if there's a change of plans." The drone waits a moment for a response before flying off.
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Dec 23, 2017 23:20
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Edea Mater FP=0 "Naturally. Please have a look at my own business card, so we can pretend you did not simply find out all the information you could about me anyway." She held out one of her cards for the camera, then went in to her office. A quick call alter arranged a table in a seperate room of the restaurant. Edea often went there. She was always a hungry eater, and the food reminded her of old times. And of course, she trusted the owners as far as one could trust humankind. The place was small scale, an the right amount of class. High quality and expensive enough to not just be a glorified snack bar, but not ritzy enough to really get a ton of attention. She is there at five minutes before ten, ordering a glass of water and some cheese while she waits for the enigmatic figure.
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Dec 23, 2017 23:56
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Milton "Wally" Simmons FP = 1 'Gussy Up' is not a term one would normally associate with Milton. He was, already, decidedly average looking. Putting fancy clothes on him was kind of like tossing a nice throw blanket on an old frat couch. Thus, Milton left the penthouse wearing exactly the same thing as yesterday. He arrived just a little past what might be considered fashionably late, eating a hot dog. Nobody seemed to pay any attention to him even after he placed the partially eaten street treat on someone's plate. "Hey," Milton said in way of greeting. "Thanks for meeting me. It's been strange the last few months and something tell me you know why that is."
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Dec 24, 2017 02:47
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Edea Mater FP=0 "Good evening, Mr Milton. You are not wrong, though I do not have all the answers. In fact, I was hoping I might learn something in this meeting myself. It might help me ascertain what exactly is going on." She took another drink of water. "What exactly has been going on these last months? I assume that your abilities to have your behavior go... without response have been born out of this?" She gave a smile. "And another question, if you will allow me some lack of tact, is about your parentage. Are you aware of your parents? Were there any particularities regarding your birth? I know this can be a touchy subject, but it might very well be very germane to the subject at hand."
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Dec 24, 2017 03:00
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Milton "Wally" Simmons FP = 1 Ordering a martini, shaken violently then threatened with a slice of lime, Milton sits down at the table. "Please, call me Wally. Never been a fan of my real name. This bread is pretty good. Anyway, I was working at this warehouse in Farnam and day I just decided not to. It wasn't even a job I needed, which I guess helped the leaving, but it was something to do. Ive already been a success and I never really had any goals. Things changed from there. Ive stopped... caring I guess would be the term. Mostly, I still care about some things, like my comfort or good food, but the rest just doesn't seem to matter any more." Milton's martini arrives and he tosses it back. "And I had a pretty normal childhood. Mom came from old money, dad was an electrician for the union. Got along great but I fell by the wayside a lot. Took a few years after they died, a tragic piano mishap, but I got over it."
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Dec 24, 2017 04:22
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Edea Mater FP=0 "Hm, no explanation there.. And it is since then you have gained the ability to make others not care about things. I do wonder..." She takes another sip. "But you mentioned that your attention is a fickle thing, so I will be less that subtle about it, Wally. With the risk that you will not believe me. As far as I can understand and detect..." "You are a god." As she sipped water, her eyes drank in his reaction, curious how that would be taken.
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Dec 24, 2017 04:31
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Milton "Wally" Simmons FP = 1 He briefly considered laughing at her, the very idea was pretty ludicrous after all. But despite outward appearances, Milton was not a stupid man. The part of his mind that often wandered off was the same part that could connect a number of pieces to make a full puzzle. And at Edea's words, several things clicked into place. "Huh, kind of makes sense," he replies to her before sipping his second martini. "So do I get a certificate or something? Is there a club to join, and if so does it come with a jacket? But mostly importantly... why me?"
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Dec 24, 2017 05:16
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Edea Mater FP=0 "I actually have no idea why you, or why now? You aren't the only one who's new to this at that party. I was actually hoping to find out something about it. Do you have any kind of fame or infamy in a way? Especially since the area where your abilities seem to focus. Indifference, sloth and apathy? Did anything occur in the days or weeks before? For mortals to become divine is a rare occurrence. And I wonder what it means that it happens now." "As to clubs and certificates, you will not need a certificate. We can recognize each other. You'll learn in time. Consider for example what is different about me, or Mr. Savage. It's only fair to even the playing field and say that we are 'members' of this exclusive little club. Long-time members. Very long-time. Mr. Savage is not one to make an enemy off lightly. He is among the more powerful of us in these days, and I do not refer to his impressive stock-portfolio." The server came by, and Edea ordered a platter in perfect Helladic. Once he'd gone she continued. "And of course, there is the matter of worship. You'll find that the aspect of existence that you align with empowers you a bit. And so, you may strengthen your power. Yet not quite so much as worship. Mortals venerating you as a patron, dedicating part of their lives to you, or even their whole lives. Of course, in these days when mortals wield such power themselves, true religious awe is... not quite as easy to obtain in large amounts as it once was. But then, perhaps you are satisfied with simply laying low? Much has been said about the fickleness of gods towards mortals, but mortalkind is just as fickle. Still, power has always been a rather compelling argument." "What kind of god would you like to be, Wally?"
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Dec 25, 2017 23:33
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Milton "Wally" Simmons FP = 1 Milton considered the question carefully for a few moments before shrugging. "Honestly, I don't know. Kind of hard for a god of not-giving-a-crap to drum up followers. I mean, I'm an athiest, but only because actual faith takes more effort than I think its worth. Actively worshipping me would kind of go against my shtick." That made him pause. "But, what if my worshippers were like the reverse? Like, people pray to me in order to give a poo poo." He drops his voice and raises his hands in false veneration. "Praise be to Wally for he gives not a poo poo. Let him take my apathy, whether he likes it or not, and allow me to my pointless tasks," he intones. "Holy crap, would that work? There'd be a shrine of me in every corporate office."
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Dec 26, 2017 05:34
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Sygyzy, God Of Telecommunication Fate Points = 1 Archibald Watson does not scream. He sits down rather heavily though. More like collapsing into a tailor's seat if we're being honest. "Oh my god. I've finally gone round the bend. Although if you ask my wife I've been crazy for years. And now I'm talking to myself and my hallucination. Excellent." He waves his hand through you and to his surprise, can't. Possibly to your surprise too. "Jackpot, auditory, visual, and now physical hallucinations. Might as well make the best of things until someone takes me to the funny farm. Praise Syzgzy! Blessed be your fiber optic cables and rat-free be your cable runs. Thank you for your help and for not letting me unintentionally knock over any of the server racks while I'm delusional. You helped me. How can I help you?" You're probably pretty annoyed by the data tap some creepy spooks installed in data closet 3c?" Veränderung - FP: 0 Your comrades rejoin you at the tank after chasing the fleeing infantry off. They murmur in awed voices. "Did you see that shot? How the hell did he not get run over? gently caress that, I want to know how he didn't get shot." *** The rebels are very impressed with you and you have little trouble persuading them to crew your tank. The fighting has gone on for so long here though that they've had very little education and only one of them has any experience driving anything larger than a car. His experience driving semi-trucks doesn't translate very well to the vastly more complicated drivetrain of the tank, but you teach him what he can learn in a day. The government forces don't attack again and you have no trouble evacuating the children's hospital or the other forces in the area. Back at base you learn of a supply convoy and also of a company of 4 tanks that are planning on moving through the area tomorrow. You can get yourself and your tank into position to intercept either if you want. Two possible targets for you or you can do something else. Also, you have a very minimally trained tank crew. Milton "Wally" Simmons FP = 1 You remember when the first hired James. You'd hired several other people first but they always became more and more apathetic over time. That felt good at first, but eventually you got tired of living in a pig sty and hired someone new; only for the cycle to start over again. When you hired James you were pretty over the whole thing, and you hoped he'd be immune, protected somehow. A shining halo sprang up around him, and you felt a sense of loss. As if you'd cut yourself off from something irreplaceable. You were sick for a whole week, and he took perfect care of you the whole time. He's a respectful and dignified butler, but anytime you ask him he always has very definite opinions. About everything. As if he is incapable of not caring. You have retroactively protected your butler from apathy, and as a side effect also given him minor resistance to other forms of divine fuckery. However, you also discovered that eliminating aspects of your own domain is actively harmful to you. You might have better success drawing the apathy of others into yourself than providing them permanent protection. [quote="Barbed Tongues" post="479564825"] Tariq al-Masayir, the Novus Fortuna Fate Points = 0 "Sir, here's the severance list you asked for. Sofie Moxie: AI researcher, fired by her new manager for 'personality conflicts.' Whatever that means. Lucia Minerva: Recruiter let go when we consolidated HR teams. Giotto Plumbata: Salesman who opted for the severance package but is still looking for a new position. Adorjan Flambeau: Office Manager let go when we consolidated buildings. Xander Rochambo: Construction foreman let go when we consolidate buildings and canceled the new office being built. And one more sir that stood out to me; Camilia Valentine. She left the company just before the scandal that triggered Atlanticom's breakup. I think she might have been the whistleblower. If you're planning on fighting Savage, she would be useful to have on your side." "I'm still working on the Savage deal. I'll let you know as soon as I have something solid." Couple people you can pick from to talk to. Mekhistos He brings you some drug samples. It's a fairly typical assortment of street drugs plus all of the common white collar "performance enhancers." [quote="Valhawk" post="479552120"] Marcus Seward FP = 0 You successfully escape the bathroom and make it through the rest of the day without further entanglements. The assassin does not show for your meeting, but your manager is still alive the next day, even if he doesn't know what you did for him. Eliam, God of  The teacher uses the information you gave her to try and drag her accusers down with her. The whole city is boiling over with the news. Several people are in the process of losing their jobs when the national news agencies get involved and start running stories on the front page of their websites and nightly news. A wave of distrust briefly surges across the nation and when it receeds, people's faith in their religious institutions has been tarnished. You've successfully created a mega-scandal to discourage true faith and thereby increase the numbers of half-hearted hypocrites. Gain a one-time +2 boost you can use on anything. This particular vein is mined out though. Time to move onto something new. Jonathan E. Stryfe - His Apartment, Atlantica City  You reach out with the senses your dad tried to teach you how to use. It's been so long since you practiced what he taught you that you can't understand the sensations. They're horrible though. You've never felt anything worse. At the meeting, the VP tells you that they've been having trouble with terrorists in Nurada. He'd be delighted if you could fly out and inspect the sites to make suggestions or possibly reach out to someone who could loosen export controls to let them ship new weapons to arm their local forces with. LLSix fucked around with this message at 22:50 on Dec 26, 2017 |
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Dec 26, 2017 22:21
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Sygyzy, God Of Telecommunication Fate Points = 1 "Oh, sweet! I'm physical! Must be from growing faith." Sygyzy spends a moment or so poking at his own chest in delight before remembering that he's here for a reason. "Sorry, sorry. New at this. Ahem! I..." Pause. Slight frown. "Crap, I forgot to compose an appropriately grandiose speech. Pretend I said something suitably portentious about how I'm here to check up on the Faithful and reward their prayers with... I don't know, stuff? I've been a manifested divine presence for, like, a couple of weeks now, it's all pretty much a kludge at this point. Also, for the record, your wife doesn't really think you're crazy, but judging by her texts to your mother-in-law she does worry that you work too hard. C'mon, stand up, you're making me all self-conscious." Sygyzy extends a hand to help Archie to his feet - marveling over the fact that he actually has hands, too, that's new and interesting - before shrugging. "Seriously, though, I'm winging it here. Finding the faithful, letting 'em know I'm not just an in-joke, occasionally mulling over how that happens to be the case, and seeing what they need out of life and whether or not I can help them out with that. That's the gig, right? Get faith, reward it. Which sparks more faith, which lets me get bigger and stronger - don't ask me how I know that, I'm not a hundred percent sure - which lets me help more believers. Believe it or not there's no FAQ for divinity. So whatcha need, Archibald Watson? Also don't worry about the data tap, it's only going to work as long as I let it." Just trying to set poor Archie at ease and get him to breathe a bit. Maybe he has a problem Sygyzy can fix, like Maisie did! If not he's probably going to have to issue Commandments or some crap, and he's still deciding whether he wants to do that. Sygyzy is coming to the realization that being a God is tricky.
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Dec 27, 2017 00:38
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Mekhistos Mekhistos eyes the proffered samples, and after a quick glance he speaks with a disdainful tone. "Well, this all looks like pretty standard fare, bordering on the mediocre. I think I'll have no problems eclipsing it, it'll take but a couple of days. In the meantime, I have a gift for you." He reaches into his coat pockets, and produces a small object dangling from a chain.  "As long as you wear this, everything you sell shall be more potent and addictive. Believe me on this, you will sell like you've never sold before." Using Drugs[+2] to give Nick a blessed amulet that makes any dose he sells supernaturally potent and addictive.
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Dec 27, 2017 00:58
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Edea Mater FP=0 "That is something that HAS been done. Something like a Sin-Eater. But it is not an easy task that. Since you do not advance but rather deny your own... essence, you are working against yourself. Does who have managed, long ago, mostly used it in some kind of cycle. No, but you are thinking in the right directions. Are you familiar with the concept of propitiation? You demand worship. And if denied, you unleash what you have. In these days, there usually should be someone who feels they don't owe anything to anyone. I wouldn't do it against Atalanticomm or Novus Fortuna. Or for that matter 'Mater Mining'." She smiled. "And of course, in this day and age, there are plenty of people eager to curse their opponents. The challenge is of course finding people who believe without... having things get ugly." "There's a reason we are not actually currently sitting on thrones and openly demanding worship. Mankind has... gotten far. They don't fancy kneeling as much anymore. They have grown powerful and proud, and in their pride, most of us have grown weaker. If you are too... unsubtle, well, the reactions might be unpleasant. And they'd mess things up for all of us. So do try to be smart." He could work in her advantage. Mankind was starting to get really nervous, and there was only so much she could do to direct their attention away from the looming environmental collapse. Some indifference and apathy would actually be very welcome now. And idea erupted. "In fact, I have a proposal for you. I think I've been helpful, and there might be a target I would actually very much like to... take things a bit easier. There is a company called Energy 4 2morrow. They seem to be hard at work on all kinds of Energy alternatives. Solar and Wind for the most part. It's... harmful to my interests. Do you think you could strut your stuff at them a bit?"
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Dec 27, 2017 01:03
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Marcus Seward FP = 0 Marcus was disappointed the assassin failed to show, but not surprised. If he ever saw the hitman again, he'd learn the price of crossing Marcus. It was a strange thought, but a pleasant one, the idea that he might have the ability to impose a price on someone for annoying him. Still, the failure of his effort had closed off one route to making use of his new power. There was still, of course, the matter of why his boss was being targeted in the first place. He knew it had to be about money, things like that were always about money. Fortunately, he was an accountant with access to all of the firms books, if this was related to the company it had to be in those documents somewhere, it was just a matter of finding it. Marcus is using his skills and access as an Accountant[+4] for the company to try and figure out why his manager was targeted for assassination. Basically he's looking for any potentially shady dealings (the sort of things he could leverage as blackmail material).
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Dec 27, 2017 01:08
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Milton "Wally" Simmons FP = 1 Milton chewed thoughtfully on some dolmades as he considered her proposal. "But, isn't that stuff good for the planet or something? Not sure why. Never paid a lot of attention to it. But, I suppose I could try. You have any idea how? My... powers usually just do their own thing."
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Dec 27, 2017 01:28
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Edea Mater FP=0 "It is difficult for me to know how your powers feel. I would say to exert your will on someone or something, but in your case that might be the opposite effect. Perhaps you simply need to be there, and just... be yourself." She was briefly quiet as the meal was delivered and started to eat. "But I'm sure you'll get the hang of it. It'll be as easy as breathing soon."
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Dec 27, 2017 01:37
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Milton "Wally" Simmons FP = 1 "Alright, I'll give it a shot. But in return, I want you to do something for me, something minor. Just to see if it works. People these days like their little in jokes, like to be part of that joke. Start a joke or rumor at your company that a little prayer to Wally will help get work done faster. Or something like that. You know what I mean? I want to see if it works, if I can take that apathy and not caring from people. You do that, and Ill head down to this company rival of yours and dick around for a while. If it's anything like what happened to my other employees, it will work."
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Dec 27, 2017 02:29
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Edea Mater FP=0 Up until now, Edea had seemed like she could not be bothered by anything, ever, but those last remark cuased her fork to stop midway to her mouth , those fingers tensing slightly. It was but a moment, and perhaps easily missed. "I... would allow you to seek to attempt this on my workers. Make them more dilligent by draining their indifference. Even if I cannot say seeing rituals to another god done in a place that belongs to me would be... vexing. But let me give you this advice as well. The role for someone to spread the word of a god in that god's name is that of a priest or prophet. To suggest another god serve as your priest of prophet is something that many would take as a deep insult, an utter humiliation simply for suggesting it. You are young, and you could not know. But suffice to say, I will not spread your word myself, nor would I ever expect you to spread mine. It is... degrading to the likes of us."
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Dec 27, 2017 03:54
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Tariq al-Masayir, the Novus Fortuna Fate Points = 0 Tariq set down Valentine's file for the third time. Slipping onto the balcony, he reached up for a long stretch of his arms, rubbing the tired from his eyes. I'm missing something. He was still looking at these people like a CEO. He was tempted to place a call to Edea, but doing so this quickly, and without anything to show for his nascent efforts was bit too embarrassing. "I'm missing something." He said out loud this time. His normal instincts were pushing two individuals to the top of the list. Valentine - a possible asset against Savage, she might be used as an achille's heel or to trigger a provocation. Tariq also was drawn to Minerva - the recruiter. If he was going to pursue this new - I don't even know what to call it yet - avenue, she would likely be a better asset than Munira. Inhaling deeply at the outside air, he returned to the folders and dossiers. He closed his eyes, doing a little meditative breathing. Stop overthinking. Listen to what these files are saying on another level. (Using Material Wealth +2 to open Tariq up to more information about the dossiers. Mainly this is a kind of experiment - a sort of listening to prayers - as he tries to get comfortable with his abilities. Who needs his help the most? Can he get a sense of their debt/wealth ratios? Insights like that to help him bridge the gap between his mortal life and his divine domain.) edit: if the action fails or deadends, set up a meeting with Minerva. Barbed Tongues fucked around with this message at 15:47 on Dec 27, 2017 |
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Dec 27, 2017 15:21
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Milton "Wally" Simmons FP = 1 Milton completely misses the little body language cues that would clue him in. "Oh... I suppose that makes sense. Fine, in that case you'll owe me a favor. One of equal value. I will influence this company and should the need arise, you will do the same for me one day. Not that I can think of when I might ever need that."
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Dec 27, 2017 16:12
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Edea Mater FP=0 "Agreeable." Edea said, once more going at her meal. Owing favours didn't have to be a bad thing. It gave Wally reason to keep in touch, and if he kept in touch, she could learn things. "And the future can be uncertain. You never know. I'd be careful with Mr. Savage though. He is more powerful than most, more powerful than me. For your sake, I hope you managed to make him indifferent to you sufficiently that he forgot you."
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Dec 27, 2017 18:22
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Eliam, God of Aaaah. The gift that keeps on giving. It didn't matter to him if the hypocrites were in their present positions or forced to move on, didn't even matter if they were happy or even content: The outcome of the scandal was not going to make them any less prideful or sanctimonious when it came to their own faith. The wave of disillusionment energised him, but better to let this field lie fallow to refresh for future harvests. For now, it was time to move on, and he knew just the person to call. Sending forth his will to one of his most adept purveyors of false faith, a televangelist by the name of Hank Burroughs, "There's a wretched den of sinners over in Shargeton that are just ripe for your brand of revival. Fly on in and lay down the good word, then lend out your jet to a good brother who has some work to do in Atlantica City, keep the chain of blessing going." Using Hank's Religiosity +2 coupled with Eliam's Firebrand Oratory +4 to get him complying, with Every Church an Open Door +2 to hitch a lift on the private jet to where all the action is up in Atlantica City.
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Dec 27, 2017 20:31
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Jonathan E. Stryfe - VIP meeting, Atlantica City What Jon sensed was bad. Really bad. Whoever or whatever happened in here... He shook it off. He had a meeting to catch. After being seen in, the VP told him about the situation in Nurada. Jon decided to fly out and see where he could do some creative problem solving on behalf of his client. "I'll take a look at the sites, let you know what I find and how to enhance the situation." Jon agreed. Travelling to Nurada.
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Dec 27, 2017 23:28
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Milton "Wally" Simmons FP = 1 "Sounds good, a deal it is then." He holds out a hand for a shake as he stands. "Also I already paid for the meal since I offered to take you out. Mom did manage to drill some manners into my brain." ---------- When Milton got back to the penthouse he dropped his coat on the floor and removed his pants, as was his custom. James was there, of course and his look spoke of many things to talk about. They were probably all politics or issues of the day. Milton endured his butler's daily verbal diarrhea with a certain amount of disdain, but the man was probably the most competent person he'd ever met. Getting rid of him now just because he had Opinions would be far more of a hassle than it was worth. Before James could speak, however, Milton had a thought. "James, wasn't there something in the news about some hackers or something overseas that can influence social media? Just a bunch of kids or something. Anyway put together a budget, I want to hire a bunch of them. I have a project." Using Independently Wealthy +2 to hire a bunch of young adults from overseas (ala those guys from Macedonia that make fake newsll to drop memes, make blogs, whatever is needed to start an online joke presense of The Wally. A mythical figure that, if a little prayer is said to, will take your apathy away for a time. Or maybe make it less, or something. Basically I want to build a mythos like Slenderman, who started right here on SA (I was on ground floor for that thread). It will take time, sure, to really make an impact. But its an experiment and Wally has the cash.
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Dec 28, 2017 19:33
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Tariq al-Masayir, the Novus Fortuna Fate Points = 0 As you flip through the dossiers your assistant provided, you start to get a feel for their networth and general financial situation. That person isn't accumulating debt, but also can't save much because they're supporting twins. This person just bought a house and is fine. Ahah, this person's savings have run out and is living on their business credit. Xander Rochambo hasn't been able to land a new contract but he's still paying all his employees at half wages while trying to line up the next construction job. You dig a little deeper into his history and find that he completed his last two jobs ahead of schedule and on budget. Of course, his bids were on the high side. Probably why he's having trouble finding a new gig now. Marcus Seward FP = 0 You find a paper trail indicating that your manager has been embezzling money. Millions of dollars. A skilled accountant, you are surprised when you can't find any indication of what he's been spending the money on, so you keep digging. Soon, you discover that the changes to the accounting database were made using the VP of Human Resources account and password. The VP has been spending more money than their personal income can account for. It looks like your manager was framed by the VP of Human Resources - Charlotte Dewell. According to her calendar, she's in a meeting with all of her subordinates right now. You could confront her after the meeting. Or even during if you want to. Gossip around the water cooler is that the CEO is on site today too. He's got an office up on the top floor. You could try to bring this to him if you want, but he is notorious for his bad temper and if you're right about why the assassin was sent, may already be aware of the situation and trying to avoid a scandal. Mekhistos The amulet seems to be working perfectly. You can feel an upsurge in drug addictions in the city. More and more people are worshiping at your altar though they know it not and propitiating your favored dealers with cash and other favors. You gain +2 to your next action as a result of the sudden upswing in "worship" Eliam, God of  Hank welcomes you like a brother. Truth be told, Hank wouldn't even spit on his brother if he was dying of thirst, but he treats you like a decent human being would treat their brother. He's happy to fly you to Atlantica City in his very comfortable private jet. Jonathan E. Stryfe - VIP meeting, Atlantica City  Your flight into Aleasima, the capitol of Nurada, is uneventful. The city is much like any city, although the police carrying assault rifles might have been a surprise. You take a tour of Enronm's refining operations. The guards are equipped more like stateside cops, pistols and nightstick. The other security measures are on a similar scale. There hasn't been any trouble here, although they have had several trucks transporting oil disappear on the way from the oil wells. They're considering investing in pipes instead of trucks to transport from their wells to their refinery operations here. The local manager offers to arrange a jeep to take you on a tour of the extraction facilities if you want. He does not offer the use of the helicopter very visibly parked on the roof of his office. He seems to think they don't need an outside consultant. Sygyzy, God Of Telecommunication Fate Points = 1Archie, bewildered, accepts your help standing up. He examines his hand closely after you let it go. "You're polite for a hallucination, but then, you're supposed to be. I guess. What do I need help with? Well, you just helped me twice. Third times, the charm. Isn't that the way fairy tales work? Ummmm, I kind of used to solving my problems myself. I guess I could wish for money, but you're not a genie and that's not how hallucinations work. I've got it, can you make sure that my personal computer gets the latest stock market information first in the whole world. Just by 3 or 4 nanoseconds should be enough. I wrote a stock trading script but it's having a hard time competing with BATSS global. I think it's because they've got those fancy dedicated fiber lines and get information before I do and can distort the market." He's totally wishing for money. Milton "Wally" Simmons FP = 1 Hiring bored teenagers isn't hard. Transferring funds overseas is harder, but James manages it before Wally's enthusiasm lapses back into apathy. Soon, posts about the Wally Mantra, a cure for apathy start springing up in all sorts of odd nooks on the internet. And Wally starts hearing whiny whispering asking him to help them be less bored. Whelp, you're hearing prayers now. How are you planning to answer them? I think that's everyone. Shogeton, I'm enjoying reading your dialogue a lot. I hope I didn't miss your action.
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Dec 31, 2017 19:09
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Sygyzy, God Of Telecommunication Fate Points = 1 "That is totally wishing for money, Archie." Sygyzy crosses his arms and looks stern for a second before giving up and snickering. "Money's easy, though. Tell you what - I can do that without too much trouble, but I don't want to make manipulation of data flows real obvious; it'll just bring the SEC down on you if suddenly all your trades are successful when they weren't before. So I'll bless your computer to get faster financial information - for two out of every three sets of data. That will give you great returns with an above-average rate of success without establishing an obvious pattern that any regulators might get whiny about. Deal? Oh, make sure when people ask you how you've started getting more money you tell 'em it was Sygyzy's help. Most of them will laugh at you, but that's okay. The smart ones'll listen." Gonna Bless Archie's computer, as promised - but, as mentioned, only about 66% of his incoming data will be 'sped up.' This is for "not being obvious" reasons as well as for general capriciousness. If he protests, well, tough poo poo, it's happening anyways; shouldn't've taken the easy option, Arch. Telecommunications [+2] should apply. Once that's done I want to check out these dedicated fiber optic lines of BATSS global. Also, figure out who BATSS global is. Any company smart enough to employ dedicated top of the line telecommunications networks is bound to have some believers, or potential believers, around it.
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Dec 31, 2017 19:32
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Marcus Seward FP = 0 + 2 Marcus smiled at the findings, this was juicy information indeed. That afternoon, after her meetings for the day were concluded, Marcus made his way into Ms. Dewell's office, careful to avoid prying eyes. She was behind her desk, and surprised by his appearance. "Good afternoon Ms. Dewell," Marcus said with a predator's confidence. "I've been thinking about my future lately, and I thought I would come and visit you and see what you could contribute to that. You see, I know all about your little... what shall we call them, indiscretions. Stealing millions of dollars from the company, and trying to put the blame on my poor manager." He mockingly wagged his finger at her. "Now, I'm thinking of retiring to pursue other opportunities, and I'm wondering what that silence on your actions is worth to you? I imagine the CEO or the Feds would be very interested in fairly incontrovertible proof of your guilt. Now, I imagine we're both busy people, so let's skip the part where you protest your innocence, and get straight down to your opening offer." Marcus takes a seat across from her. "Oh, and before you make that offer, you should probably know that a professional assassin tried to pay my boss a visit yesterday. I scared him off, but clearly someone is very upset about the money going missing, upset enough to kill. So... Just how much is my silence, and by extension, your life worth to you?" Marcus is making an attempt to blackmail the guilty VP, using a mix of his skills as a Fast Talker[+2] and the knowledge he has as an Accountant[+4] to get her to give him a big payoff to keep him quiet. His Greed is causing him to go all out, and he'll incur 2 FP to gain an additional [+4] on the action.
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Dec 31, 2017 22:06
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Edea Mater FP=0 Edea Mater politely ended the meeting, finished her meal, and retreated. She thought a lot about things. Several new gods. So close to humanity finally having the wax melt of their finely crafted wings. She had to be ready. If they were going to be a help, she would have to make sure to have people ready for the new world and worshiping her. If they would be hostile to her, then she needed them to gain power. Unlike many others, she hadn't really focused that much on gathering human flocks. Ironically, a lot of the people who did give her drops of worship were the same people who cursed her mortal name. Literally trying to curse her. But no, she wasn't one to cultivate a cozy little cult and get comfortable in her reduced role. Hunger would drive her forward, while others were planting little gardens to sustain a new humble lifestyle, she was preparing the soil for a feast not seen in century. But now that the soil was nearly ready, she needed to actually plant some seeds. So she went to her office, looking over the internet and purchasing a small lodge in a certain mountainous area of the country. On a persona ldeed. Untied to the company. Before that, she had to actually finish some duties. To be honest, she wasn't 100% sure the oil platform would be made in time to really aid in anything. It would take a fair amount of time to be done, but you never know, and it wouldn't do to trash her reputation. So, she spent time designing some new oil platforms. They included 'new, modern safety measures to 100% guarantee a safe and environmentally conscious extraction of the oil, for sustainable growth for tomorrow' and all those things she had the PR department for. And you know, they would probably actually do those things. After all, she was fine with the oil being taken out and going into cars and into the air rather than in the sea. She wanted those oil prices good and low. She'd actually been really irritated at the earlier disasters. So the systems were well crafted, and secure. Another company might cut corners to make a profit, but profit was never the intent of Mater Mining. Of course, there was the matter that the place was run to work suitably automated and mechanized. After all, human error was responsible for so much calamity. 'With cutting edge techniques, Mater Mining reacts accurately within microseconds to any natural or man made disaster, faster than any time before' And of course, it meant less workers on the platform, which saved on costs. The humans that were there wouldn't need to know much of a lot of the things. They mostly needed to understand the software, and to keep the electronics hardware functioning. Manual overrides were cut out wherever possible, or made difficult and complicated to access, and she made a note to slip some errors in the manual for it, once this was finished. Who'd ever need them, with the software taking care of everything. Of course, when things would start to fall apart. When these computers and their systems would break down, as electronics so often did, and there would be replacements, this place would soon stop working. It was another part of her plan. Once the collapse started, it was important that it collapsed completely and thoroughly. The oil that she had so eagerly given had to be near impossible to get, lest humanity managed to manage to craft something else and hold onto civilization. Of course, this design wasn't completely done by her. She did not work this alone. Some parts were delegated to others. Not the drills though, the parts that would actually go under the earth and tear in it to find the black gold underneath. No, those she designed herself. They always amazed people, how each of the drills was custom made for its purpose. There had been seismic scans of course, and soil reports, but it was like Edea Mater just had a knack for knowing exactly what kind of ground they'd break through. Now and then she had drills made that geologists claimed would not work, only to be vindicated. Other times, she insisted on expensive measures to go through harder rock for an area that was expected to be soft, only for hard bedrock to grudgingly yield to diamond studded force. Now, working on her laptop, this is where the magic happened. She still knew the earth, even under the sea, and she could pick the right drill for the job as easy as a child places the square peg in the square hole. Gonna design that Oil platform. Gonna make it a good one, with no intent to cause oil disasters, but just trying to get that crude oil to those refineries. However, they are made to become pretty much defunct after a short while in case that society collapses. But that's not gonna happen right? Earth +2 and Engineering +4
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Jan 1, 2018 07:11
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Milton "Wally" Simmons FP = 1 Milton put the finishing touches on his new drone design. This one was a package delivery drone for a large online retailer and could handle 50lbs easily. He actually enjoyed this part, the design. One of the few things he actually enjoyed any more. The actual construction would be automated and he hired out the testing, that part was boring, but the design was nice. How the nagging in the back of his skull was growing irritating. When it started, he thought he was finally going mad. Then he realized what it was... people actually following his Mantra and saying a little prayer. He honestly wasn't sure if his idea would work, but it seemed to. Of course at this point he was lost on what to do. Actually answering the prayers seemed like a lot of work and he had better things to do, like binge watching that show about naked people and dragons. But what if he could automate that too? Not the show watching, the answering of prayers. It would take effort and a bit of time but it could be done. Edea had said he was a god, could a god change himself? Grabbing a fresh energy drink from the mini fridge, he sat down in his chair to try and do just that. Using Apathy +2 as well as Electronics +4 to hack Milton's brain. It's just like writing a automation program, right? Partition a section of the mind to handle all those prayer requests, absorbing people's apathy. Of course actively trying to do something difficult will probably be invoking Lazy +2. After all, it's a cool idea and might work, but is it worth the effort?
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Jan 1, 2018 14:45
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Edea Mater FP=0 Thanks to Edea's divine knowledge of the earth strata to be drilled through, the oil platform comes online months ahead of schedule. And according to plan, it has only a third of the usual workforce, which makes her contractor, Enronm this time, very very happy. They're arrogant, if not ignorant enough, to not really care that the whole thing runs through spare parts many times faster than other offshore drilling rigs and will quickly chew itself to bits if society collapses as Edea hopes for.
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Jan 1, 2018 16:12
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Edea Mater FP=0 With those responsibilities secured, Edea started on another project, taking a holiday and having her assistants handle everything except dire emergencies. She'd have to check up on everything of course, to make sure none of them started cutting corners to enrich themselves. But that would come then. For now, she'd bought that lodge she had an eye on, keeping careful to keep it off the grid as much as possible. Not that she intended to do anything hidden there, but the role she was to play demanded she act like she had. She took a plain there, booked a cheap hotel somewhere out of town, and transformed herself. Not in divine ways. Simpy shedding the pantsuit, 50 $ haircut, understated make-up and clip on nails of Edea Mater, and putting on the sensible flat-heeled boots, all weather, practical clothing and a pragmatical bun in her hair. Her car was still an SUV, but an older model, one that had seen actual work. In the back were seeds, fertilizer, garden and hunting equipment and food supplies. After checking herself in the mirror for any tell-tale marks of CEO Edea Mater and not finding any, she drove off, taking an hours long trip to the furthest out in the boonies you can be without being in an actual desert. The lodge was a small thing. No central heating, no electricity except from a generator on the inside, no cell-phone reception, water from a well, and waste into an old septic tank. She spent some time getting it all in order, getting into the role of Althea Mehter, survivalist. Once she had sufficiently unpacked, she stepped in the car. Time to see if she could prepare a harvest. Survivalists were generally not the most eager to put themselves out there for obvious reasons. But they had their communities. And the person she was heading towards was apparently an influential figure in their circles. So, gonna try to find some survivalist, see if we can make that a cult, and probably some chosen to get Edea's support in the times to come. But I figure I'd let you decide what kind of person this survivalist is and how they run their operation
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Jan 1, 2018 20:50
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Jonathan E. Stryfe - Aleasima, Capitol of Nurada FP=0 Jon wore his sunglasses, the hot region something of a cliche. Typical police over-armament, security guards armed-up completely. The missing shipments were troublesome of course, but nothing outside of what Jon would or could handle. The helicopter would be too tempting a target, hand held missile launchers were cheap and mobile in this part of the world. Thanks dad. Jon thought grumpily. He kept the manager waiting a bit, just to let him know who was in charge. Jon was of course hired because they did need a consultant. He smiled in a reassuring way to the man. "Everything looks good so far, I'm just here to let upper management know what we both already know. There's nothing wrong here. I'm on your side. Just show me everything and I can write the report and be on my way...Mr?" Jon hadn't caught the man's name. Jon entered the same jeep as the manager, the convoy of vehicles should have a car or two in front and one to three behind their own vehicle. Fire teams of security in each. They'd be there to take any hits of course should things go wrong. In any case Jon was sure he could feel the trouble long before they encountered it. "Shall we go?" Time for a tour!
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Jan 2, 2018 05:44
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| # ? Apr 26, 2024 17:39 |
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Tariq al-Masayir, the Novus Fortuna Fate Points = 0 Sleep went out the window. Tariq followed these new sensations and insights as if he were chasing the dragon. He pushed off a motivational call to an under-performing sales branch so that he could spend the next day immersed in the currents. When he finally did lay down to rest, his mind kept him awake, spinning in overdrive. Eventually, some caution crept back in. If he was going to pursue this (he was), then separating his new path from his old holdings would be good. Too many wildcards and unknowns - let alone possible malicious actors - were a risk that was unfair to place on his shareholders. He compiled a report to the boards on the state of Motoroza, the volatility of its market, the likelihood that it would take the fall on the net neutrality eviscerations, the likely intent of AtlantiComm to make an under-market bid and apply pressure to see the bid accepted. A shifting of assets to see Motoroza held by a new company - linked, but not under the old. The Novus Fortuna Network. This would be the brand and company heading that Tariq used to direct his divinity related assets. Savage's eyes on Motoroza made NFИ a logical home for it. If NFИ got crushed by his machinations, hopefully it wouldn't hurt Tariq's overall portfolio as bad. And if Savage brought enough leverage to bear that Motoroza had to be sacrificed, at least it was now nicely bundled up for transfer. (Utilizing Global CEO +4 to create a new shell company to handle his adventures in godhood. Company Name = Novus Fortuna Network. Logo pictured above. Foundational asset to be the remains of Motoroza.) Should NFИ be set up without a major hitch, Tariq will reach out to Xander Rochambo for talks about a new HQ for the new company. Barbed Tongues fucked around with this message at 20:26 on Jan 2, 2018 |
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Jan 2, 2018 19:59
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