Almost. I have set up a potential answer. However, the question is 'why do the corporate leaders decide', which means they can either give in to threats/offers as I am pushing it, or they could somehow fight back and end up leaving on their own terms. It's up to the players adopting Corporate characters to decide this.
However, if everyone agrees that being threatened causes the 'Exodus' then I do not mind ending on that
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AuralynxDarkness is a perspectiveWatching the ego workRegistered Userregular
I was at a wedding this weekend and just am not having much luck sliding something in here. I'm game to draft up some sort of appeal to statistics and sustainability as a contrast to DuVarr's more forceful approach, though.
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AuralynxDarkness is a perspectiveWatching the ego workRegistered Userregular
The hour is almost up when a political aide approaches the table, purposefully leaves a file in front of the accused, and leaves swiftly and silently. Within the file is a single document, giving a range of details of the Planet Knoxos, a newly discovered planet in the Outer Galaxy which is believed to hold a near-identical atmosphere to Earth. With this description lie statistics, hinting at potential natural resources and their potential selling rate. With this document is a note.
During the recess, Dr. Padmanabhan has been closeted with Chairman DuVarr and a handful of other officials and researchers. Much of his work has gone in to compiling this very persuasive report, but it does, after all, leave out a lot of information. Notably, that the trip to Knoxos is effectively one-way. It's taken a lot of discussion to get to this point, but for now it's down to a room containing the Chariman, the Doctor, and a handful of other men who are very clever, very persuasive, or both. Most still need some convincing that this is the right plan.
"Sirs, while it is difficult to condone unleashing a swarm of human locusts upon another world, it is true what the Chariman has said here today: if we do not send someone away, we cannot sustain our world as a viable home for our race. For too long, now, we have been without a frontier, and our conflicts can only be resolved by destruction and exhaustion. Short of packing up the world's armies, sending away the people least able to appreciate the need for adopting sustainability as our goal is the safest course of action. Surely if we do this, the adventurers of the world will wish to take ship as well, and we are not wrong to assist the corporations in selling passage on their journey. In fact, if you will observe the graph on Page 4 of your briefing, we stand to make a sizable profit in terms of land and material assets by doing so, clearing the way for a program of demolition and fallow-lying in the following areas..."
As he talks with a practiced lecturer's cadence, Padmanabhan wonders to himself whether the rest of the Unionists will be doing their best to reserve their own berth the way he intends to.
A shout to @AlfredR and @Egos. We've pretty much answered the question now, so if you'd like to influence the scene further this is your last chance.
If not, I'll close the scene when I get home from work in about 8 hours
The Brayster on
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AlfredRI take weekends off from the internetRegistered Userregular
edited October 2014
My silence has not been lack of interest, it has been nursing my fiance's broken elbow - I have been reading intently, though! I have an idea for a little scenery chewing with Emilio, but we've totally answered the question so I'm going to can it. The corporations leave because Knoxos is just better and Earth is full of whiny narrow-minded politicos. I'm loving this game, let's keep the good times rolling! : D
EDIT: Also I updated my slideshow. I'll update the scene's answer with the appropriate wording when you close us out, @The Brayster
A clatter of opinions erupt across the room. Several short debates rage back and forth before DuVarr raises his hand to silence the room.
"Thank you Doctor Padmanabhan.
Ladies. Gentlemen. You have all seen the report. I have already taken the liberty of having my people send all relevant individuals an offer they cannot refuse. Today is the day we create a better world for our children.
You all know what you must do, now let us go out there and vote with a good conscience"
SCENE CLOSED
Question: 'Why do Corprorate Leaders abandon Earth in favor of the Outer Galaxy?
Summary: World Leaders accuse Obsidian Industries and Exo-Corp of environmental negligence and permanent damage to the Planet Earth. Chairman DuVarr and his supporters seek to force Industry Leaders to bankrupt themselves through reparations and restorative projects, despite claims by President Cassandra Valen and Liason Stanston of political sabotage and over-discriminate punishment.
Rather than face ruin and/or a forced exile, Obsidian, Exo-Corp and many other major industries opt to engage in a transferal of capital to the Outer Galaxy world of Knoxos, with an objective of establishing a colony and continuing their work there, away from the scrutiny of Earths leadership.
Answer: "Corporations are forced to operate off-world or face virtual annihilation"
While not the most interesting or action packed scene to start on, we have set a precedent for future events and attitudes, and you have all been able to see how scenes work. Remember, you are free to call for a Roleplay Scene, OR you may dictate a scene, if you feel you have something specific in mind/ roleplaying wouldn't suit the question/circumstance
We are now back to regular play, and the standard turn order, so @Egos you're up now to make a Period/Event/Scene.
Remember folks, we are still operating on the focus of 'The Exodus from Earth', so keep it somehow relevant.
You're free to simply dictate the scene yourself if you want to explore an event deeper without turning it into a full Roleplay session if you like, if that's what's stopping you
I'll add an Event : Discovery of the "Passage" (light ) in the "Refugees Organize themselves into Colonies to Survive" (Dark) period. Happens right after "UN offers deal to leave Earth or face ruin" (Dark).
Early settlers on Knoxos Prime discover a passage leading to a small "underground world" where the impossible seemingly occurs. Be it miraculous, beyond scientific logic or what have you. This leads to the formation of a small but dedicated religious community amongst the initial settlers before the Corporations arrive.
You're up @Auralynx! (If you've been busy or coming up with something, that's alright, just making sure you know it's your turn)
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AuralynxDarkness is a perspectiveWatching the ego workRegistered Userregular
edited October 2014
Okay, let's add another Event: Exo-Corp diverts colonists to Knoxos Tertius B (light), occurring right after Discovery of The Passage.
Exo-Corp had a good reason for agreeing to the UN colonization plan: as by far the most advanced manufacturers of orbital habitats, they were in a position to do far more than merely ship out to another planet. The advance colonists, in addition to exploring Knoxos Prime, were equipped to survey the rest of the system. Their scientists flagged the second moon of Knoxos Tertius, a ringed gas giant, as having surprising density for an object of its size. Exo-Corp's response was to divert an entire shipment of pre-fabricated facility components, 3-D printers, and an elite crew of engineers and professionals culled from their orbital businesses and qualified volunteers to begin exploitation of the moon's resources rather than landing on Knoxos Prime.
Although the plan renders Exo-Corp less than popular with the Earth government or the main colony, the KTB facility quickly becomes an immensely productive source of rare metals and other materials difficult to mine safely anywhere you're planning to live in the long term. At least initially, it's a promising development.
Auralynx on
+2
AlfredRI take weekends off from the internetRegistered Userregular
edited October 2014
Event: The Exile of the Heavenly Mandate (dark) occurring right before Exo-Corp diverts additional colonists to KTB.
The conditions to which Exo-Corp, Obsidian, and other corporations had agreed were simple enough: leave the planet, go exploit elsewhere, or we'll try you and exile you someplace worse. So yeah, they packed up, they left, and Knoxos wasn't a bad place to get started again. They brought laborers who wanted to leave - or who at least saw profit in leaving. It was all done fairly willingly so there weren't a lot of hurt feelings even when things got hard at the start.
Maybe the Union took a vote after everyone had already left and decided it was for the best. Maybe someone in power was bitter that the corporations were getting the surprisingly good new planets. One way or another, the powers that be fired the Heavenly Mandate colony ship straight at Knoxos. It wasn't until the ship was well within the system and a mere 3 months from the planet's orbit that its nature became clear over communications.
The Heavenly Mandate was a prison ship, crammed to the brim with political dissidents from all sides, disgraced journalists, traitors to the United Earth Powers, criminals and generals of the Oil Wars, and hundreds of the guilty still serving their life sentences... all dropped on the corporations' collective doorstep, all expected to be housed and fed and taken care of, all on the Corps' dollar.
AlfredR on
+3
AlfredRI take weekends off from the internetRegistered Userregular
Okay, I will finish off this focus with an Event and a nested scene (dictated this time)
Event: 'Apollos' Fire' reaches Knoxos on its last legs' (Dark). Set during 'The Golden Age of Knoxos Prime'
The Colony Ship 'Apollos Fire' completes its 20 year journey from Earth to the Outer Galaxy World of Knoxos. The journey was undertaken by aspiring colonists from Earth who had heard of the success of the now bustling City of Knoxos Prime. However, the journey saw much disaster and only a small percentage of the original roster survived the trip to see Knoxos.
Scene: 'Why does the command structure of Apollos Fire crumble? (Dark_
The setting - Executive Deck.
Staff Commander Yvette Burke saw her voice tremble as she brought her thoughts to the officers in the board room. It was 2.35 AM, yet everyone was in full dress and very much alert. Everyone was also armed, which was far from customary for officers on a civilian vessel.
Yet to call the Apollos Fire civilian was not entirely correct anymore. Not since the transmission. Not since the crew had split into factions - the sane and insane. Not since they had heard The Voice.
"We're barely holding this together". She panted, her hand holding a patch of her uniform on her side, burned away and covered in blood. It is time to end this. We can't all just watch as the Captain continues his reign of madness. He and his squad of lunatics have executed far too many good men. I don't know what this thing is that has possessed them. I do not understand its existence. But we can't allow it to continue.
We can't follow him blindly anymore. There are good men and women on the lower decks, fighting against a superior enemy they do not understand. It is time to end it all!"
The rest of the officers glanced at each other with exhausted, frightened eyes.
"I have liaised with downstairs. They're confused, and scared" Operations Chief DuVarr interjected. "But I'm not sure instigating a civil war up here is the best course to take. We have been through hell, I know. The last couple of years especially. But we are mere months away from Knoxos. Would it not be better to just, survive? Yes, it is regrettable that the engineering unit attacked us, and yes, it is regrettable they have to die, but maybe-"
Before the dialogue could end, Captain Harvard storms into the room at the head of a unit of armed guards and three heavily bound engineers.
"We have them. We have them and we can put an end to this...this... insurrection!" The Captain motions to one of the guards, who kicks the knee of one of the engineers to bring him to a crouched position. SC Burke and OC DuVarr jump to their feet and approach the Captain.
"Stop this madness! These men do not deserve to die like this!"
Captain Harvard scowls.
"So, you're the one they talked to. You're the one who LET THEM IN! Burke! I command you to KILL THE TRAITOR!"
Burke slowly circled around behind the Captain, being careful to keep eyes fixed on DuVarr. Slowly, she unholsters her blaster pistol. She eyes the other officers, who are slowly reaching for their own weapons.
She raises her weapon towards DuVarr, her finger resting firmly on the trigger. "With Pleasure, Sir" . She swings the pistol towards the back of the Captains head, and pulls the trigger.
Answer: Following the reception of a seemingly 'Alien' transmission, The Captain and several of his associates start behaving erratically, leading to armed conflict on board the ship, and pushing the Officers to breaking point.
With that, my term as the Lens is done. @AlfredR, as the player to my 'Right', this is your opportunity to pick anything from the first round to establish as your Legacy, and choose an Event or Dictated Scene to establish now in relation to it (not restricted to the Focus, as that is now over).
Following that, @Egos will take over as Lens, cite the Focus of the new round and create his first nested Period/Event or Event/Scene.
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AlfredRI take weekends off from the internetRegistered Userregular
@The Brayster remind me how legacies work in play once chosen.
In the meantime, I'll claim "Colonies at Knoxos Tertius B" as my Legacy. That seems like a fun sandbox to play in opposite Knoxos Prime colony stuff.
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AlfredRI take weekends off from the internetRegistered Userregular
edited October 2014
And for my thing I'll offer, during the Golden Age of Knoxos Prime, an Event: The Vox Movement Seizure (bright).
The Vox Movement, in perfect synchronocity, seized the means of production on three of the four helium-refineries in low-orbit of exotic gas giant Knoxos Tertius.
How they communicated/coordinated such a large-scale plan in the dead center of Exo-Corp corporate space without being detected? Who exactly made up the membership of the Vox Movement? All mysteries at the time of the seizure.
For the next three years, Exo-Corp's economic power and social standing dwindled, while the Vox Movement's occupation was legitimized by the other corporations' decision to do business with them directly.
I'll post in the morning , can I pick any time era to have my focus in or does it have to be in chronologically order? I assume latter makes the most sense ,even if it isn't mandatory, but just wanted to double check.
@AlfredR I'm very bad at putting it to words, so here is what the book says:
Legacies are common threads that may stretch through time and influence
history. A Legacy can take many forms–an object, a person, a place, a blood
line, an organization, or even a philosophical ideal.
The ideals of the founding fathers, a code of laws, a noble
order of knights, an ancestral curse, or a sword fallen from
the heavens–these are all Legacies.
You make Legacies to identify things you think are interesting and want to
keep in the spotlight. Legacies are explored during a special phase of play
between one Focus and the next.
Because you aren’t restricted by a Focus during the Legacy phase, it is a broad opportunity to explore something
that interests you. Just like anything in the history, a Legacy can also be
brought into play or explored during normal play.
Choose a New Legacy
The player to the right of the Lens looks back over what happened during
this Focus and picks something to be a Legacy. It has to be something that
appeared in play this round, either for the first time or reappearing from
earlier in the game.
You are not making something new, just singling out
something already in the history. Choose something you are interested in
and want to explore more. It has to be something specific from the history,
not a broad concept or idea.
‘Betrayal’ is not a valid Legacy because it’s a generic
concept. ‘The Betrayal of the Sea Tribes’ works because it’s
something specific that happened in the history.
Write the Legacy on a card along with the name of the player. Fold the card
in half and stand it up so it doesn’t get mixed up with other history cards.
If you already have a Legacy, you can only make a new one if you remove
your old one. There can only be as many Legacies as there are players. That
thing still exists in the history; it just isn’t a Legacy. If another player wants
to keep your old Legacy, they can choose to immediately drop their own
Legacy and replace it with the one being discarded. Repeat as needed.
Having your name on a Legacy gives you no special authority except to
decide whether to keep or replace that Legacy.
Explore a Legacy
The same player picks a Legacy and makes an Event or dictated Scene about
it (not a Period or played Scene). It does not have to be the Legacy they just
created. Since this is between Lenses, there is no required Focus, just the
Legacy itself. When that is done the Legacy phase ends and the next player
becomes the new Lens.
TL;DR, it is basically an element of established history you want to turn up again to be explored. The legacy player each round (To the right of the lens) can use their own Legacy (each player can only have one) or another existing Legacy to establish an Event or Dictated Scene related to it but free of the Focus. As you were the first person to establish a legacy, you can only choose that one.
Neither. The Focus gives... well, focus, to what everyone contributes, but it can be broad enough to span several periods. For example, I used 'The Exodus from Earth' last round. While the most obvious way of contributing to that Focus was during the first period, when the initial settlers left Earth, I was still able to create an Event/Scene a couple of periods later (which I envision as potentially hundreds of years) regarding a colony ship arriving from Earth after hearing about the prosperity of Knoxos.
Likewise, if 'The Sacking of Rome' was a focus in another game, player contributions could include events during the actual sacking just as much as Archaeologists coming across remnants of the event 2,000 years later.
Your focus could be as small as a battle, or as large as the overall fortunes of an entire planet. It could even just be the name of a person or a city.
You also never have to be chronological. At any time, so long as relevant to the Focus (or Legacy, if that applies) You can place Periods, Events or Scenes anywhere between the initial bookend periods. You can establish the end of a story (A catastrophic war, for example) before you've even decided a beginning (who started the war).
You're okay, we said from the start we can be relaxed.
I've just been reading over the rulebook for Microscope again, as well as it's sister game Kingdom (which is a game I also want to run, but damnit Brayster, one at a time).
Also turns out that I got it wrong, when coming to Roleplay scenes. The person calling the scene is supposed to pick their character and make their posts last, not first, as I did with Chairman DuVarr. So err, oops?
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AlfredRI take weekends off from the internetRegistered Userregular
No rush! I was just bumping the thread and being a little goofy. No hard feelings intended!
I'll have something up tomorrow, originally was thinking of doing a scene since I had a neat idea but I think it would feel a bit out of place with the periods currently in play. I'll have a Period-Event up soon, I think...sometime between 10am-1pm Central Time.
Alright, I’d like to focus on ”The Schism” . Essentially I’d like to explore how and why the colonists turn on each other. This can include the expected Corporate Wars and how it started and perhaps escalated. The sides may not be very clear cut, as there are other forces in play : the prison ship, religious sects, etc.
For this, I will create a new period ”The Colonization of Knoxos” (dark) and place it between “"Refugees Organize themselves into Colonies to Survive" (Dark)” and "The Antecedent Upheaval" (Dark).
I was debating how to label this period but ultimately went with (dark). Despite the seemingly vast riches of the planet, I imagine conflict would arise either through one or more corporations extending their reach. Not to mention the many ways in which a powerful organization may exert control in a world with no rules. Add in the unwanteds from Earth, religious Sects, strange happenings and unexpected hiccups and it kinda seems like you have a recipe for some "not so great things" happening. Even if there are brighter moments of progress and the like.
To get this started, I’ll add an event at the tail-end of this period.
Head of Exo-Corp Converts to Aeonism(Bright)
The legitimization of the Cult of Aeon and it’s growth in popularity among colonists and Exo-Corp “employees” lead to the acting head to officially convert to the religion. Lawrence Halloren becomes the only “Corporate Head” to officially throw his lot in with the religion. Whether the act is genuine or not is unknown. Regardless it gains him the support of a small but powerful minority. Although the relationship may not turn out to be as one-sided as he may hope.
Egos on
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AlfredRI take weekends off from the internetRegistered Userregular
edited October 2014
Is that event Bright or Dark, do you think, @Egos?
EDIT: Speaking of tone, I realized I forgot to say the Vox Movement Seizure is a bright Event, at the time, for a lot of people.
oh sorry, I'm gonna go with it having the outward appearance of being (Bright) even if the implications are potentially dark
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AuralynxDarkness is a perspectiveWatching the ego workRegistered Userregular
Though it's clearly not a permanent development given later entries, I'll add another Event: Earth Cuts Off Contact (Dark) during The Colonization of Knoxos Prime, and clearly before Egos' contribution. Possibly at the beginning of our new period, but feel free to wedge something in beforehand.
Knoxos Prime is about as good a place to live as people could ask for other than Earth. It's fairly hospitable, there's plenty of land and no shortage of manpower. That being said, many of the people don't get along and, at this time, are mostly segregated into corporate enclaves, sometimes-strange Utopian communities like that near the Passage and more ordinary settlements. One such settlement, Keller City, is a community welded together by some of the political criminals aboard the Heavenly Mandate. Keller City's primary asset: remote access to a satellite constructed from the Mandate's communications array, still powerful enough to pick up rare, time-delayed messages from Earth... until one day, they stop.
This didn't catch the settlers entirely by surprise. Colony ships and materiel deliveries from the remaining corporate assets on Earth had dwindled to a trickle and with no feasible means of manufacturing their own fuel or vessels for space travel, few on Knoxos Prime were in any position to try to change that trend. Many ongoing conversations and information-exchanges, however, ended abruptly on the day the satellite stopped receiving signals from Earth. Such diagnostics as were available suggested it was still functioning, but for many years, the satellite hung dead in space.
Loss of contact with Earth sent shockwaves through the still-forming cultures and economies of Knoxos Prime, with effects that would reverberate for years to come.
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AlfredRI take weekends off from the internetRegistered Userregular
edited October 2014
A Scene!
1) Question: How does Obsidian 'acquire' Keller City and the Mandate uplink? Worker drones being upset is bad for business, so its time to put the kibash on this whole "no contact from Earth" thing.
2) Nested inside Event: Earth Cuts Off Contact.
The scene takes place inside the Keller City Mandate Uplink - a re-purposed scrap bunker with a laser satellite on the roof, in the heart of a hodge-podge scrap city.
Exo-Corp, Obsidian, Daystrom Industrial, and the other monolithic corporations exiled to Knoxos have been harassing the Keller City all week - court orders, the public good, whatever excuse they can cook up - because no one trusts anyone else with the Mandate Uplink, and especially not civvies, and especially especially not criminals.
The city's leadership and a couple aids are inside the Uplink room, and Obsidian leadership has just been escorted in. The city's enforcers have cordoned off the facility from the mob of... activists? protestors? loons? who want answers. On the other side of the mob? Corporate security teams. They've just been standing there, but who knows how long they'll stay like that.
3)We've got to have Omar Hall, ex-corporate wageslave from earth and Keller City's representative who has kept the place out of corporate control for some time now. We've also got to have President Cassandra Valen, exiled to a new world and proud of herself for all she's accomplished and confident she's going to win today. Other possibilities are the aids, technicians, security, and the like.
I was going to say I'd go for the concept of Time and play the ever decreasing patience of the crowd, but I'm not sure the escalation is entirely appropriate without delving in first.
Instead, I shall play Captain Jorah Zym, Obsidian-hired head of the security team inside the bunker, constantly on radio to his teams outside.
Steam: TheBrayster
PSN: TheBrayster_92
+1
AlfredRI take weekends off from the internetRegistered Userregular
Hmmm. I think I'll play Carmella al-Hubari, the Keller City Chief of Security, right-hand of Omar Hall, escorting the Valen & co into the bunker.
Let's hit it then, shall we?
Carmella is shouting instructions over the sounds of the crowd of onlookers pressing themselves into the fences surrounding the Uplink Facility. She's waving, signaling to Valen, Zym, and their retinue to get closer to her, get inside - and she's signing to her men to reinforce the perimeter. Her handgun is drawn the whole time, kept at her side. She pulls open the door to the bunker-like facility, waves the Obsidian "guests" inside and pulls the bulkhead door shut behind them.
She's trying to convince herself that she isn't nervous - and she's doing a lousy job of it - as she guides the party to the terminal room. She gestures for Valen and her party to enter the room first. Its crowded with computers, built out of colony ship scrap, and its dim now that the windows have been half-covered from the inside.
"Mr. Hall, may I introduce Miss Cassandra Valen, Obsidian CEO. Miss Valen... Mister Omar Hall, elected representative of Keller City."
Carmella watches Zym's body language to get a read on his disposition; she tries to recollect anything she may have heard of the Obsidian security officer.
0
AuralynxDarkness is a perspectiveWatching the ego workRegistered Userregular
Omar Hall is an older man with a caramel complexion, shaved head, and what passes for a good suit on Knoxos. He looks worn-out and worried, and glances Valen and her group over with hunted eyes.
"Hello, Miss Valen. I don't know if you remember me from the Allegiant Capital trial, but I think we've met under better circumstances. I used to work for Richard Hamill, who I believe was one of your predecessors? All the mergers and my time in prison have left me a bit confused about what happened in the business world, but no matter. Of course you knew Hermann Keller, who founded the City, as well. Was it from when he was Reichskanzler, or only from after we landed here?"
Hall moves over to the Uplink console, leaning heavily on it. His resigned face is lit by the glow of a monitor as he stares at readouts indicating nothing but silence.
"Although it probably doesn't address the real reason you're here, I feel I ought to point out that as far as we can tell, the Array is working; there's just nobody on the other end. Carmella has been doing an admirable job keeping a lid on things, but your arrival - and the others' - likely means we'll need to step aside, now. Which brings me to the reason you're here and the other corporate leaders are not: I feel you and I can work something out that I can live with. Exo-Corp can't be trusted with control of yet another resource in orbit, and that thug Daystrom is much more interested in drafting my people into his factories and his army than he is in the uplink. If a new banner must fly over Keller City, I'd prefer it be yours."
Hall turns his head to stare Valen in the face.
"Of course, you have most of the leverage, so what I want isn't that important. What do you want, Miss Valen?"
Before following Hall, Cassandra exchanges a glance with Jorah and nods. As she enters the uplink room, she tries to contain a smirk.
"We met briefly in Zürich." , ambiguous whether she means Hall or Keller. Little of what Hall says seems to reach or even strike a cord.- who is seemingly far too enamored by her surroundings that is until he asks her what she wants. Her ice blue eyes glimmer as she turns to face Omar, "You." She spreads her arms out "THIS!"
She sits down in a chair near one of the derelict consoles "All of this. This array, this city, the people who made it all display a certain quality,a very human quality, that the rest of Knoxos lacks: ingenuity. The corporations, the initial settlers- neither have evolved to this new world. Not truly. The former face uncertainty by turning to superstition while the latter simply follow outdated protocols. Exo-Corp still act as suppliers-gatherers; milkmen for nonexistent houses. Atlas execs hides away in their compound like frightened little pups. UEI tries to replicate the democracy of old in vain, while the Daystrom settlements have become Orwellian nightmares...."
She pauses, becoming less enthused and more depressed as she goes on
"...seemingly in response to warlords like Gutiérrez and Moro. Like you, they were passengers on the Heavenly Mandate. But unlike you, they chose a path that leads to annihilation. You have guilty and innocent among your ranks, despite that you have managed to come together and survive. Something the Corporations haven't been able to do... "
"I don't believe Obsidian is weak, but I do think it can be made stronger. "
+1
AuralynxDarkness is a perspectiveWatching the ego workRegistered Userregular
Hall is barely listening to Valen's megalomaniacal rant, and looks deeply into the console as he listens.
"For what it's worth, I used to do Moro's books. He was my second choice; the man's not a savage, just ruthless in a way that even a shark like you might have trouble competing with. Unfortunately, I think most of his men are tied up elsewhere. Yours aren't. I'm not as clear on the situation outside as I'd like to be, but the fact remains that if we can't fight off the other companies or find some other way to get them to disperse, there's every chance there won't be an Uplink any longer."
He frowns and glances at Jorah and the other security team members.
Posts
You've basically answered it haven't you? Companies are threatened by a draconian UN council with absolute authority.
edit: if you need me to answer it ;-) : "Corporations are forced to operate off-world or face virtual annihilation"
However, if everyone agrees that being threatened causes the 'Exodus' then I do not mind ending on that
PSN: TheBrayster_92
During the recess, Dr. Padmanabhan has been closeted with Chairman DuVarr and a handful of other officials and researchers. Much of his work has gone in to compiling this very persuasive report, but it does, after all, leave out a lot of information. Notably, that the trip to Knoxos is effectively one-way. It's taken a lot of discussion to get to this point, but for now it's down to a room containing the Chariman, the Doctor, and a handful of other men who are very clever, very persuasive, or both. Most still need some convincing that this is the right plan.
"Sirs, while it is difficult to condone unleashing a swarm of human locusts upon another world, it is true what the Chariman has said here today: if we do not send someone away, we cannot sustain our world as a viable home for our race. For too long, now, we have been without a frontier, and our conflicts can only be resolved by destruction and exhaustion. Short of packing up the world's armies, sending away the people least able to appreciate the need for adopting sustainability as our goal is the safest course of action. Surely if we do this, the adventurers of the world will wish to take ship as well, and we are not wrong to assist the corporations in selling passage on their journey. In fact, if you will observe the graph on Page 4 of your briefing, we stand to make a sizable profit in terms of land and material assets by doing so, clearing the way for a program of demolition and fallow-lying in the following areas..."
As he talks with a practiced lecturer's cadence, Padmanabhan wonders to himself whether the rest of the Unionists will be doing their best to reserve their own berth the way he intends to.
If not, I'll close the scene when I get home from work in about 8 hours
PSN: TheBrayster_92
EDIT: Also I updated my slideshow. I'll update the scene's answer with the appropriate wording when you close us out, @The Brayster
"Thank you Doctor Padmanabhan.
Ladies. Gentlemen. You have all seen the report. I have already taken the liberty of having my people send all relevant individuals an offer they cannot refuse. Today is the day we create a better world for our children.
You all know what you must do, now let us go out there and vote with a good conscience"
SCENE CLOSED
Question: 'Why do Corprorate Leaders abandon Earth in favor of the Outer Galaxy?
Summary: World Leaders accuse Obsidian Industries and Exo-Corp of environmental negligence and permanent damage to the Planet Earth. Chairman DuVarr and his supporters seek to force Industry Leaders to bankrupt themselves through reparations and restorative projects, despite claims by President Cassandra Valen and Liason Stanston of political sabotage and over-discriminate punishment.
Rather than face ruin and/or a forced exile, Obsidian, Exo-Corp and many other major industries opt to engage in a transferal of capital to the Outer Galaxy world of Knoxos, with an objective of establishing a colony and continuing their work there, away from the scrutiny of Earths leadership.
Answer: "Corporations are forced to operate off-world or face virtual annihilation"
We are now back to regular play, and the standard turn order, so @Egos you're up now to make a Period/Event/Scene.
Remember folks, we are still operating on the focus of 'The Exodus from Earth', so keep it somehow relevant.
PSN: TheBrayster_92
PSN: TheBrayster_92
Early settlers on Knoxos Prime discover a passage leading to a small "underground world" where the impossible seemingly occurs. Be it miraculous, beyond scientific logic or what have you. This leads to the formation of a small but dedicated religious community amongst the initial settlers before the Corporations arrive.
PSN: TheBrayster_92
Exo-Corp had a good reason for agreeing to the UN colonization plan: as by far the most advanced manufacturers of orbital habitats, they were in a position to do far more than merely ship out to another planet. The advance colonists, in addition to exploring Knoxos Prime, were equipped to survey the rest of the system. Their scientists flagged the second moon of Knoxos Tertius, a ringed gas giant, as having surprising density for an object of its size. Exo-Corp's response was to divert an entire shipment of pre-fabricated facility components, 3-D printers, and an elite crew of engineers and professionals culled from their orbital businesses and qualified volunteers to begin exploitation of the moon's resources rather than landing on Knoxos Prime.
Although the plan renders Exo-Corp less than popular with the Earth government or the main colony, the KTB facility quickly becomes an immensely productive source of rare metals and other materials difficult to mine safely anywhere you're planning to live in the long term. At least initially, it's a promising development.
The conditions to which Exo-Corp, Obsidian, and other corporations had agreed were simple enough: leave the planet, go exploit elsewhere, or we'll try you and exile you someplace worse. So yeah, they packed up, they left, and Knoxos wasn't a bad place to get started again. They brought laborers who wanted to leave - or who at least saw profit in leaving. It was all done fairly willingly so there weren't a lot of hurt feelings even when things got hard at the start.
Maybe the Union took a vote after everyone had already left and decided it was for the best. Maybe someone in power was bitter that the corporations were getting the surprisingly good new planets. One way or another, the powers that be fired the Heavenly Mandate colony ship straight at Knoxos. It wasn't until the ship was well within the system and a mere 3 months from the planet's orbit that its nature became clear over communications.
The Heavenly Mandate was a prison ship, crammed to the brim with political dissidents from all sides, disgraced journalists, traitors to the United Earth Powers, criminals and generals of the Oil Wars, and hundreds of the guilty still serving their life sentences... all dropped on the corporations' collective doorstep, all expected to be housed and fed and taken care of, all on the Corps' dollar.
Updated.
Event: 'Apollos' Fire' reaches Knoxos on its last legs' (Dark). Set during 'The Golden Age of Knoxos Prime'
The Colony Ship 'Apollos Fire' completes its 20 year journey from Earth to the Outer Galaxy World of Knoxos. The journey was undertaken by aspiring colonists from Earth who had heard of the success of the now bustling City of Knoxos Prime. However, the journey saw much disaster and only a small percentage of the original roster survived the trip to see Knoxos.
Scene: 'Why does the command structure of Apollos Fire crumble? (Dark_
The setting - Executive Deck.
Staff Commander Yvette Burke saw her voice tremble as she brought her thoughts to the officers in the board room. It was 2.35 AM, yet everyone was in full dress and very much alert. Everyone was also armed, which was far from customary for officers on a civilian vessel.
Yet to call the Apollos Fire civilian was not entirely correct anymore. Not since the transmission. Not since the crew had split into factions - the sane and insane. Not since they had heard The Voice.
"We're barely holding this together". She panted, her hand holding a patch of her uniform on her side, burned away and covered in blood. It is time to end this. We can't all just watch as the Captain continues his reign of madness. He and his squad of lunatics have executed far too many good men. I don't know what this thing is that has possessed them. I do not understand its existence. But we can't allow it to continue.
We can't follow him blindly anymore. There are good men and women on the lower decks, fighting against a superior enemy they do not understand. It is time to end it all!"
The rest of the officers glanced at each other with exhausted, frightened eyes.
"I have liaised with downstairs. They're confused, and scared" Operations Chief DuVarr interjected. "But I'm not sure instigating a civil war up here is the best course to take. We have been through hell, I know. The last couple of years especially. But we are mere months away from Knoxos. Would it not be better to just, survive? Yes, it is regrettable that the engineering unit attacked us, and yes, it is regrettable they have to die, but maybe-"
Before the dialogue could end, Captain Harvard storms into the room at the head of a unit of armed guards and three heavily bound engineers.
"We have them. We have them and we can put an end to this...this... insurrection!" The Captain motions to one of the guards, who kicks the knee of one of the engineers to bring him to a crouched position. SC Burke and OC DuVarr jump to their feet and approach the Captain.
"Stop this madness! These men do not deserve to die like this!"
Captain Harvard scowls.
"So, you're the one they talked to. You're the one who LET THEM IN! Burke! I command you to KILL THE TRAITOR!"
Burke slowly circled around behind the Captain, being careful to keep eyes fixed on DuVarr. Slowly, she unholsters her blaster pistol. She eyes the other officers, who are slowly reaching for their own weapons.
She raises her weapon towards DuVarr, her finger resting firmly on the trigger. "With Pleasure, Sir" . She swings the pistol towards the back of the Captains head, and pulls the trigger.
Answer: Following the reception of a seemingly 'Alien' transmission, The Captain and several of his associates start behaving erratically, leading to armed conflict on board the ship, and pushing the Officers to breaking point.
With that, my term as the Lens is done. @AlfredR, as the player to my 'Right', this is your opportunity to pick anything from the first round to establish as your Legacy, and choose an Event or Dictated Scene to establish now in relation to it (not restricted to the Focus, as that is now over).
Following that, @Egos will take over as Lens, cite the Focus of the new round and create his first nested Period/Event or Event/Scene.
PSN: TheBrayster_92
In the meantime, I'll claim "Colonies at Knoxos Tertius B" as my Legacy. That seems like a fun sandbox to play in opposite Knoxos Prime colony stuff.
The Vox Movement, in perfect synchronocity, seized the means of production on three of the four helium-refineries in low-orbit of exotic gas giant Knoxos Tertius.
How they communicated/coordinated such a large-scale plan in the dead center of Exo-Corp corporate space without being detected? Who exactly made up the membership of the Vox Movement? All mysteries at the time of the seizure.
For the next three years, Exo-Corp's economic power and social standing dwindled, while the Vox Movement's occupation was legitimized by the other corporations' decision to do business with them directly.
history. A Legacy can take many forms–an object, a person, a place, a blood
line, an organization, or even a philosophical ideal.
The ideals of the founding fathers, a code of laws, a noble
order of knights, an ancestral curse, or a sword fallen from
the heavens–these are all Legacies.
You make Legacies to identify things you think are interesting and want to
keep in the spotlight. Legacies are explored during a special phase of play
between one Focus and the next.
Because you aren’t restricted by a Focus during the Legacy phase, it is a broad opportunity to explore something
that interests you. Just like anything in the history, a Legacy can also be
brought into play or explored during normal play.
Choose a New Legacy
The player to the right of the Lens looks back over what happened during
this Focus and picks something to be a Legacy. It has to be something that
appeared in play this round, either for the first time or reappearing from
earlier in the game.
You are not making something new, just singling out
something already in the history. Choose something you are interested in
and want to explore more. It has to be something specific from the history,
not a broad concept or idea.
‘Betrayal’ is not a valid Legacy because it’s a generic
concept. ‘The Betrayal of the Sea Tribes’ works because it’s
something specific that happened in the history.
Write the Legacy on a card along with the name of the player. Fold the card
in half and stand it up so it doesn’t get mixed up with other history cards.
If you already have a Legacy, you can only make a new one if you remove
your old one. There can only be as many Legacies as there are players. That
thing still exists in the history; it just isn’t a Legacy. If another player wants
to keep your old Legacy, they can choose to immediately drop their own
Legacy and replace it with the one being discarded. Repeat as needed.
Having your name on a Legacy gives you no special authority except to
decide whether to keep or replace that Legacy.
Explore a Legacy
The same player picks a Legacy and makes an Event or dictated Scene about
it (not a Period or played Scene). It does not have to be the Legacy they just
created. Since this is between Lenses, there is no required Focus, just the
Legacy itself. When that is done the Legacy phase ends and the next player
becomes the new Lens.
TL;DR, it is basically an element of established history you want to turn up again to be explored. The legacy player each round (To the right of the lens) can use their own Legacy (each player can only have one) or another existing Legacy to establish an Event or Dictated Scene related to it but free of the Focus. As you were the first person to establish a legacy, you can only choose that one.
@Egos
Likewise, if 'The Sacking of Rome' was a focus in another game, player contributions could include events during the actual sacking just as much as Archaeologists coming across remnants of the event 2,000 years later.
Your focus could be as small as a battle, or as large as the overall fortunes of an entire planet. It could even just be the name of a person or a city.
You also never have to be chronological. At any time, so long as relevant to the Focus (or Legacy, if that applies) You can place Periods, Events or Scenes anywhere between the initial bookend periods. You can establish the end of a story (A catastrophic war, for example) before you've even decided a beginning (who started the war).
PSN: TheBrayster_92
just to let you know I'm not "not thinking about this game"
PSN: TheBrayster_92
I've just been reading over the rulebook for Microscope again, as well as it's sister game Kingdom (which is a game I also want to run, but damnit Brayster, one at a time).
Also turns out that I got it wrong, when coming to Roleplay scenes. The person calling the scene is supposed to pick their character and make their posts last, not first, as I did with Chairman DuVarr. So err, oops?
PSN: TheBrayster_92
For this, I will create a new period ”The Colonization of Knoxos” (dark) and place it between “"Refugees Organize themselves into Colonies to Survive" (Dark)” and "The Antecedent Upheaval" (Dark).
I was debating how to label this period but ultimately went with (dark). Despite the seemingly vast riches of the planet, I imagine conflict would arise either through one or more corporations extending their reach. Not to mention the many ways in which a powerful organization may exert control in a world with no rules. Add in the unwanteds from Earth, religious Sects, strange happenings and unexpected hiccups and it kinda seems like you have a recipe for some "not so great things" happening. Even if there are brighter moments of progress and the like.
To get this started, I’ll add an event at the tail-end of this period.
Head of Exo-Corp Converts to Aeonism(Bright)
The legitimization of the Cult of Aeon and it’s growth in popularity among colonists and Exo-Corp “employees” lead to the acting head to officially convert to the religion. Lawrence Halloren becomes the only “Corporate Head” to officially throw his lot in with the religion. Whether the act is genuine or not is unknown. Regardless it gains him the support of a small but powerful minority. Although the relationship may not turn out to be as one-sided as he may hope.
EDIT: Speaking of tone, I realized I forgot to say the Vox Movement Seizure is a bright Event, at the time, for a lot of people.
EDIT2: Updated.
Earth Cuts Off Contact (Dark) during The Colonization of Knoxos Prime, and clearly before Egos' contribution. Possibly at the beginning of our new period, but feel free to wedge something in beforehand.
Knoxos Prime is about as good a place to live as people could ask for other than Earth. It's fairly hospitable, there's plenty of land and no shortage of manpower. That being said, many of the people don't get along and, at this time, are mostly segregated into corporate enclaves, sometimes-strange Utopian communities like that near the Passage and more ordinary settlements. One such settlement, Keller City, is a community welded together by some of the political criminals aboard the Heavenly Mandate. Keller City's primary asset: remote access to a satellite constructed from the Mandate's communications array, still powerful enough to pick up rare, time-delayed messages from Earth... until one day, they stop.
This didn't catch the settlers entirely by surprise. Colony ships and materiel deliveries from the remaining corporate assets on Earth had dwindled to a trickle and with no feasible means of manufacturing their own fuel or vessels for space travel, few on Knoxos Prime were in any position to try to change that trend. Many ongoing conversations and information-exchanges, however, ended abruptly on the day the satellite stopped receiving signals from Earth. Such diagnostics as were available suggested it was still functioning, but for many years, the satellite hung dead in space.
Loss of contact with Earth sent shockwaves through the still-forming cultures and economies of Knoxos Prime, with effects that would reverberate for years to come.
1) Question: How does Obsidian 'acquire' Keller City and the Mandate uplink? Worker drones being upset is bad for business, so its time to put the kibash on this whole "no contact from Earth" thing.
2) Nested inside Event: Earth Cuts Off Contact.
The scene takes place inside the Keller City Mandate Uplink - a re-purposed scrap bunker with a laser satellite on the roof, in the heart of a hodge-podge scrap city.
Exo-Corp, Obsidian, Daystrom Industrial, and the other monolithic corporations exiled to Knoxos have been harassing the Keller City all week - court orders, the public good, whatever excuse they can cook up - because no one trusts anyone else with the Mandate Uplink, and especially not civvies, and especially especially not criminals.
The city's leadership and a couple aids are inside the Uplink room, and Obsidian leadership has just been escorted in. The city's enforcers have cordoned off the facility from the mob of... activists? protestors? loons? who want answers. On the other side of the mob? Corporate security teams. They've just been standing there, but who knows how long they'll stay like that.
3)We've got to have Omar Hall, ex-corporate wageslave from earth and Keller City's representative who has kept the place out of corporate control for some time now. We've also got to have President Cassandra Valen, exiled to a new world and proud of herself for all she's accomplished and confident she's going to win today. Other possibilities are the aids, technicians, security, and the like.
@Auralynx chooses character first, then @Egos, then @The Brayster, then Me.
Instead, I shall play Captain Jorah Zym, Obsidian-hired head of the security team inside the bunker, constantly on radio to his teams outside.
PSN: TheBrayster_92
Let's hit it then, shall we?
Carmella is shouting instructions over the sounds of the crowd of onlookers pressing themselves into the fences surrounding the Uplink Facility. She's waving, signaling to Valen, Zym, and their retinue to get closer to her, get inside - and she's signing to her men to reinforce the perimeter. Her handgun is drawn the whole time, kept at her side. She pulls open the door to the bunker-like facility, waves the Obsidian "guests" inside and pulls the bulkhead door shut behind them.
She's trying to convince herself that she isn't nervous - and she's doing a lousy job of it - as she guides the party to the terminal room. She gestures for Valen and her party to enter the room first. Its crowded with computers, built out of colony ship scrap, and its dim now that the windows have been half-covered from the inside.
"Mr. Hall, may I introduce Miss Cassandra Valen, Obsidian CEO. Miss Valen... Mister Omar Hall, elected representative of Keller City."
Carmella watches Zym's body language to get a read on his disposition; she tries to recollect anything she may have heard of the Obsidian security officer.
"Hello, Miss Valen. I don't know if you remember me from the Allegiant Capital trial, but I think we've met under better circumstances. I used to work for Richard Hamill, who I believe was one of your predecessors? All the mergers and my time in prison have left me a bit confused about what happened in the business world, but no matter. Of course you knew Hermann Keller, who founded the City, as well. Was it from when he was Reichskanzler, or only from after we landed here?"
Hall moves over to the Uplink console, leaning heavily on it. His resigned face is lit by the glow of a monitor as he stares at readouts indicating nothing but silence.
"Although it probably doesn't address the real reason you're here, I feel I ought to point out that as far as we can tell, the Array is working; there's just nobody on the other end. Carmella has been doing an admirable job keeping a lid on things, but your arrival - and the others' - likely means we'll need to step aside, now. Which brings me to the reason you're here and the other corporate leaders are not: I feel you and I can work something out that I can live with. Exo-Corp can't be trusted with control of yet another resource in orbit, and that thug Daystrom is much more interested in drafting my people into his factories and his army than he is in the uplink. If a new banner must fly over Keller City, I'd prefer it be yours."
Hall turns his head to stare Valen in the face.
"Of course, you have most of the leverage, so what I want isn't that important. What do you want, Miss Valen?"
"We met briefly in Zürich." , ambiguous whether she means Hall or Keller. Little of what Hall says seems to reach or even strike a cord.- who is seemingly far too enamored by her surroundings that is until he asks her what she wants. Her ice blue eyes glimmer as she turns to face Omar, "You." She spreads her arms out "THIS!"
She sits down in a chair near one of the derelict consoles "All of this. This array, this city, the people who made it all display a certain quality,a very human quality, that the rest of Knoxos lacks: ingenuity. The corporations, the initial settlers- neither have evolved to this new world. Not truly. The former face uncertainty by turning to superstition while the latter simply follow outdated protocols. Exo-Corp still act as suppliers-gatherers; milkmen for nonexistent houses. Atlas execs hides away in their compound like frightened little pups. UEI tries to replicate the democracy of old in vain, while the Daystrom settlements have become Orwellian nightmares...."
She pauses, becoming less enthused and more depressed as she goes on
"...seemingly in response to warlords like Gutiérrez and Moro. Like you, they were passengers on the Heavenly Mandate. But unlike you, they chose a path that leads to annihilation. You have guilty and innocent among your ranks, despite that you have managed to come together and survive. Something the Corporations haven't been able to do... "
"I don't believe Obsidian is weak, but I do think it can be made stronger. "
"For what it's worth, I used to do Moro's books. He was my second choice; the man's not a savage, just ruthless in a way that even a shark like you might have trouble competing with. Unfortunately, I think most of his men are tied up elsewhere. Yours aren't. I'm not as clear on the situation outside as I'd like to be, but the fact remains that if we can't fight off the other companies or find some other way to get them to disperse, there's every chance there won't be an Uplink any longer."
He frowns and glances at Jorah and the other security team members.
"Perhaps you've got an idea?"
Valen looked disgusted as she tapped her index finger on the nearby console
"Why don't you just tell me what you had in mind?"