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Author Topic: [IC Thread] City of Secrets: A Magical Criminal RTD  (Read 3386 times)

Fniff

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[IC Thread] City of Secrets: A Magical Criminal RTD
« on: October 25, 2013, 07:30:19 pm »

OOC Thread
Spoiler: Jakob Haynes (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Kathryn Fry (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Lilith Evans (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Mary Black (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Derya Nithra (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Ben Miko (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Willian Puckett (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Tim Gerber (click to show/hide)
Chapter One: Bad Dreams
Stagelights flick on above you. Below you the wood is stained with foottracks. This stage has been obviously used a lot. You look out at the audience, and see eight people on the front row, the only visible part of the stage. One of them is paying particular attention to you. You are not sure if you should feel good about this.

Stage left, four people enter. One wears a long black cloak with a bird mask of bone. One is all pale, in trenchcoat, in pallor, in hair, but he has the greenest eyes you have ever seen. One wears a blue t-shirt with reddish hair and brownish skin and rather frightening eyes. One wears a gasmask and a hoodie: nothing else is visible.

The green-eyed one speaks up first, and smiles at the audience. "We do apologize for the delayed start, there was a bit of stage fright before the opening... you know how it is. Bear with us, ladies and gentleman and all those in-between."

He looks at you. "And now you, of course. If you are confused as to your identity, this is perfectly fine. It will all become clear. For now, you are a player. An actor, the lead. The director told you the basics, but he didn't tell you everything... how like him. He likes keeping people in the dark. A problem of his."

The cloaked one says, in a pious and monotone voice, "We all have to bear our judgments. Such is the way of the light. But a helping hand is not heretical. What you see here is the truth. This world is a stage, and the people you will meet are simply shadows and tricks. However, seven are real. You'll know who they are when you see them."

The girl steps forward. She pulls out a gun and holds it. "I bet you're wondering who we are. I'm Farah, the others won't give you their names. They're pretty fucking big on the whole mysterious advisor shit. Me? I'm going to give it to you straight unlike these other assholes. I'm going to teach you how to kill people." She holds the gun to her head, and she grins unpleasantly. "If you can't kill someone, in my book, you're not a man. People were born to kill. That's just how it goes."

The one in the hoodie holds up it's hand, then a ball of flickering blue fire appears above it. It hovers in place, clear magic. The audience is obviously interested in this. It closes it's hand, and the flame is snuffed out. There is a light smattering of clapping, and the hooded one looks at the audience with an aura of distain.

Farah walks over and holds out a workman's hammer, grip first, to you. You take it. "You're going to do some pretty fucking bad things when this all plays out. Don't feel bad. That's just how it goes. I'm going to be the only one who tells you that what you are going to do is alright. Everyone else is going to hate you. But you and me, we both know we're the only people who matter in this situation. Everyone else is just fucking dust and shadow and tricks of the light. There are three things that matter: you and the other seven, the director, and random chance. Random chance comes with twenty possibilities, but really it boils down to six. You can have a major failure, a bad failure, a minor failure... then a major success, a good success, and a major success. As an actor, you know that kinda shit backwards, at least I hope so. Kill this fucker for me, will you?"

The lights focus on a patch of dirt on the wall. The dirt floats up and with the shadow, and the light, it seems vaguely humanoid. Then it is, a real human being, just an ordinary person. Farah pushes you forward, and you hold your hammer carefully. [20/Major Success+1=OVERSHOOT]You rush up to them and smash them in the face, causing them to fall over. It shudders and twists on the ground.

Farah says "Nice. Okay, now you're in an overshoot. That's what happens when you do your best, and your best is assisted by your skills. When you overshoot, you can finish the fucker off... But you gotta do it fancy. Do it cool. Make the audience gasp and wet their pants in pure spinecrawling motherfucking fear. Try it."

You lay your foot on the chest of the shadow, then stamp down on it. It gasps in pain, it's lungs unable to cope with the strain. You bring the hammer down on it's face, smashing it's nose. You feel the shock up your arm from the impact. Blood runs down it's face in rivers. Disgust at the sensory and moral implications of what you've done coldly pools in your stomach. You finish it's stupid, pathetic life by stamping down hard on it's throat, breaking something badly. The audience gasps in horror. Farah gives an encouraging little clap. "Awesome. You're just a natural born killer, aren't you? Just like me."

Farah Tips
This operates on a D20, but the results are separated into six result categories: Major Failure, Bad Failure, Minor Failure, Minor Success, Good Success, Major Success. In combat,  minor success does one damage, good success does three, major success does five. Enemies typically have ten health.

When you get a major success but your modifier makes it go over 20, then you trigger an Execution. Your post will then describe the specifics of your success. If your prose is good, then I will make it the official result. If I don't think it's good, then I'll just roll for the attack. This applies to all skill rolls, including combat, speech, and other such things.


The cloaked one steps forward while Farah steps back. He looks at you with glass, unseeing, unfeeling eyes. He says "As you grow in fame and skill, so shall your challenges. Things below you will be easier, and the only threat from them being numbers. However, challenges above you are more difficult and will provide a larger threat. The reason for this, I believe, is that you should not bore the audience with minor problems like battling a single enemy, and that growing skill is not adequately portrayed when the hero is halted by one solitary problem. I do not speak the language of theatrics. In theater, there is a chance for ambiguity, but there is only the light and the darkness. I do not speak lies, and thus I do not speak theatrics. Now. These shadows are below your skill level. Dispose of them."

A group of threatening people step towards you. You feel frightened for a moment, but then you realize that they're handling their weapons badly, and they leave themselves open to attack. You toss your hammer up and catch it on the way down, then smile. This is going to be fun. [8/Minor Failure] You smash their heads open, but more just keep coming. They keep piling up on you and slicing at you with knives and trying to break you with pipes. It seems like you're outnumbered... until it stops, and they are revealed to be dust and tricks of the light. The cloaked one says "You may be wondering why, despite killing several of them, you lost. Even though you are guaranteed to kill several of them, you have to think tactically. The fight is not about pulverizing your enemies. It is a question of tactics. Who is better organized? Who has more men who are ready to fight? You see why many warriors find the business too complicated and keep to killing low amounts of wildlife with excessively forceful weaponry. Now, when dealing with problems above you, you will be at a serious disadvantage. They will gain bonuses while your attacks will seem almost tender. However, you might still have an advantage. And now we move over to stealth."

Another figure forms. Now this fellow is threatening. You feel a low fear as you look at it. However, it doesn't seem to be aware of you.

"Watch him closely. He is Unaware of your presence, but that may change. If you make too loud a noise, he will become Suspicious, then if you reveal yourself he will be Alert. Try going past him without alerting him."

You carefully crawl past it, where the light does not cover. [4/Bad Failure] However, it turns around and raises an eyebrow. You realize he's Suspicious and he will be looking out for you. Thankfully, he disappears before too long.

Angel Tips
Challenge Ratings are ways of measuring your characters ability. It applies mainly to fights, though it also applies to talking, constructing things, farming, etc. For non-combat activities, it generally means that you can take on bigger problems: at Challenge Rating 1 convincing one normal person to do something simple is rolled for. At the end of the Challenge Ratings, convincing politicians that their whole rhetoric is bullshit is rolled for. You start out with a Challenge Rating of one and gain it when I decide it would be appropriate. When fighting those below you, they are rendered as crowds because that would be the only thing that could stop you. Fighting those above you gets you a negative modifier while they get a bonus.

Meanwhile, while sneaking around, it is measured by awareness. Awareness goes up when you get successes, and goes down when you fail. When someone is Unaware, they do not know you're there. Suspicious, however, means they will actively seek you out giving a -1 to further sneaking. Alert means they are fully aware of you, meaning you are unable to sneak.


The green eyed man steps forward, nodding to the audience. He knows how to play the crowd. The cloaked one looks at him with an air of dislike.

"Well, then! I see that you haven't decided to gain skills in conning people. Not unreasonable, but you will find that talking to people will in fact be of note within this play. I imagine that in future you will be regretting not having one grifter on your list. Such is life, I'm afraid! I suppose I should introduce the basics of talking to people, as you do look quite socially inept. The mechanics work like this. When convincing someone, you are adding numbers to a total. That total is how convinced they are. You roll the numbers, you see, and... well, demonstrate it yourself."

You think, and ask him if he could jump a foot into the air.

[7] [0%] "Badly put, I'm afraid! I am not convinced to do so. However, in a context within the play, you could keep going. However, you see, you are on a time limit. Most people have a tendency to get bored of you asking questions. Hence, their composure forms a limit on the convincing. This is usually about ten minutes [turns] of time. at the end of this period, they will stop the conversation. Hopefully you shall have it completed by then... but then again, you might not."

He steps forward and points to a figure forming. You recognize it... it looks just like someone you know. "As you aren't precisely sure of your identity, let me fill you in on who this is. This is your sister, your mother, your darling, whatever. Assign whatever role you like. Just know this: they are really bloody annoying. They need things like food and rest that cost money, they need problems solved, such and such. I don't know why you bother, really, but I suppose you have your reasons. Now, in a play, it isn't like reality. Time is dictated by how appropriate it would be. After you do a certain amount, not number, of activites the week comes to an end. If you spend what seems like a few hours of building things, you will be surprised to find the week is up for you, but if you spend ages fighting one single enemy you will be interested to know the week isn't finished. And you will find some people aren't even finished with their weeks. Time is a precarious thing around here. Good thing too. At the week, you have to pay your rent. And this one has to be fed too, so that costs you ten pounds extra. I bet you just miss being a bachelor now."

The green eyed man smiles devilishly, then steps back.

Green Eyed Tips
When talking to someone, you are adding to a total. The amount you add is rolled for. When it reaches 100%, then you convince the person. However, you are limited by their composure. If you cannot reach 100% within ten turns (Or whatever their composure limit is), then the conversation shuts down.

At the end of the week, rent has to be paid. Along with this, you also have to spend ten dollars extra for your burden. Luckily, the end of the week comes only when you have done actions that would reasonably take a week, and isn't decided by a time limit.


The one in the gasmask steps forward, leaving the others behind it. It looks at the ones behind it, shakes it's head, then points downward.

Stranger Tips
The Stranger is mute. Do forgive it, it would like to tell you about things, but alas...

Rituals have ten uses. After this, it is depleted and you must recharge it. Spells, however, can be used constantly but are limited by their strength. Do note that spells are random and often won't suit your needs entirely. Finding the right spell is sort of like finding the right set of clothing: it never happens, and even when it does it is disappointing.


"Well, that's all we can reveal for now." says the green eyed man. "It is time to begin."

Farah rolls her eyes. "Yeah, keep fucking talking." She walks off into the darkness. The gasmasked one nods, then follows her. Then the cloaked one goes. Just before the green eyed man goes, you call out and ask just who he is.

"Me? Call me an observer. You may encounter me again. Though, if things go differently, maybe you won't!" he grins, then heads off into the darkness. "Break a leg!"

Before you can call out again, you open your eyes. And the dream dissipates like wet tissue paper as the morning sun glares through your window.

It is morning in your apartment at the beginning of the week.

What do you do?
« Last Edit: November 03, 2013, 05:58:30 pm by Fniff »
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Flying Dice

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Re: [IC Thread] City of Secrets: A Magical Criminal RTD
« Reply #1 on: October 25, 2013, 09:08:51 pm »

Pulling myself out of bed, I sleepily head towards the kitchenette, searching through the cabinets. Dim sunlight filters through the smog and soot-stained glass of our small window, brightening the chipped plastic bowls as I pour out cereal, just a little bit more into the second, which I push across to the other side of the little round table. Liz walks in a few minutes later, I've already finished my breakfast and set out a glass of juice beside her cereal. The carton was still half-full, it'll last long enough.

"Morning, sis," I smile, trying to be cheerful. Today's going to be a long day. Not because it was scheduled that way--the dockyard foremen have pretty loose policy, by and large; they'll take ya for whenever you're willing to work--but because I've got plans. There's a little hole-in-the-wall family grocery about a mile away, fairly new. They've been doing well, though I haven't gone there. Well-off enough that they won't miss it too much. That's for tonight, though. I've kept careful watch, they only bank their money once a week, and that won't be 'til two days from now. Besides, it's a chance to get some more food, too, good stuff we couldn't afford.

Walk Elizabeth to school.

IF: NOTHING IMPORTANT HAPPENS:
Afterwards, head down to the docks and clock in. Work until it's close to time for school to let out, then clock out for lunch and meet up with sis to walk her home and make a sandwich. Back to work after that, clock out around 9:00PM.

((If you've got a specific way you want to handle things that'll take longer, let me know! Just happy to see this is still alive. :))))
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Harry Baldman

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Re: [IC Thread] City of Secrets: A Magical Criminal RTD
« Reply #2 on: October 26, 2013, 03:03:20 am »

Today is the first day of what is hopefully a new beginning, Tim thinks as he looks over at Terrance, still asleep.

Well, no sense in dawdling. There is work to do. Not valet work, of course. That only starts in the afternoon. Now, though? Now it's time for planning.

Review contacts, people I know, people who owe me favors and people who I owe favors. Review assets fully. Check if I've got all the necessary ingredients for the ritual - if so, do it. Then wash up, get ready and head off to work.
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Tsuchigumo550

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Re: [IC Thread] City of Secrets: A Magical Criminal RTD
« Reply #3 on: October 26, 2013, 09:00:20 am »

Rising slowly, Derya rubs her eyes and looks around her somewhat dingy apartment- at least the rent is low- and notices a sleeping figure next to her.
"He came in last night and I didn't even notice... I guess that means Leon got in trouble again and he needed a place to be.... I hope whatever happened didn't follow him here, though.

I look around the apartment for something to eat, finally deciding on instant ramen. Not that there was much choice in the matter in the first place... if it wasn't for the ramen cups, the back of the cabinet would be the easiest thing to see. Filling it with questionable tap water and setting it in a well-used microwave, I tried to clean up a little. Tried to keep my mind off of everything going on, to keep busy for the minute or so that the ramen needed so I wouldn't have time to think. Thinking about your own life is easy to do, but when you're like me, it's the most dangerous thing you can think about. The microwave's electronic beep brought me back to the task at hand- eating a quick, insufficient breakfast before showing up to work.

"Maybe you'll be able to afford McDonalds or something today."
"L-leon? Jeez, you scared me... So..."
"Rent... again. My landlords keep getting meaner and meaner."
"Well... mine shouldn't be around for a while, so, you shouldn't need to worry..."

Leon hugged me. I don't know why I felt so awkward about it... I've never been able to get too close with anyone though.  Maybe it has to do with who I am. Maybe it's because I'm worried that one day, I'll kill him with my powers. Maybe it's because I'm too shy to pursue a relationship... maybe because I don't feel like I'd be worth getting that close with. I can tell Leon likes me, especially since he's gotten very close to being clean before just for me, but... I'm too afraid to get close. At least, not until I know myself better.

"I... I don't know what you see in me, Leon..."

Wave goodbye to Leon, and head over to ChkDsk, the computer repair store that I work for on busy days to see if they need me. If not, go home and try breaking into some low-security online games with a real-money currency, just to see if I can without being detected. If possible, try to implant a keylogger on their shop page that sends an encrypted version of what it collects to me through a bunch of false emails.

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wolfchild

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Re: [IC Thread] City of Secrets: A Magical Criminal RTD
« Reply #4 on: October 27, 2013, 04:22:24 am »

((Now I can't frigging remember the age back between Mary and her Sis, I think the sis is still school age though))

Mary makes sure that Darla is packed before the bus arrives, then she checks her second E-mail, the one she only uses when routing through multiple networks. The one that jobs and targets come in.
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lawastooshort

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Re: [IC Thread] City of Secrets: A Magical Criminal RTD
« Reply #5 on: October 28, 2013, 03:50:26 am »

[Ben]

Bad dreams… weren’t unusual, but they were getting more and more, recently. Ben tiptoed to the bathroom, pausing outside Chloe’s door until he made out her breathing, then carried on and pulled on the light. He woke himself up with water over his face and looked himself in the eye. They weren’t just getting more and more, the bad dreams, they were getting… less bad. Or rather, there was more bad stuff in them, but they weren’t nightmares anymore. He was getting numb. A couple of nights ago he’d dreamt he’d accompanied Amy on a drug deal, which was pretty implausible in itself, and it somehow went wrong, he told her to get out quick, and he’d ended up chased down the metro by the cops, which was kinda plausible, where there was zombies, which wasn’t at all, and where he’d ended up killing a serial killer with a power drill through the eye, which was a little more.

What was least plausible, or most worrying, was that he woke up with it all fresh in his mind, and with his reaction to it, and he was totally happy with it all. Felt alright powerdrilling someone in the eye. Thinking back he felt a little sick at this.

Anyway.

Today was a school day. They’d had a pretty nice weekend, and now it was back to the drudge. He had no reason to think that the increase in weird and weirdly detailed dreams was anything to worry about, so didn’t. He hoped it’d be a normal week. He got out the shower, dried off, went back to his bedroom, and did a few press-ups and other exercises for ten minutes waiting for Chloe to stir. He got dressed and opened her door.

Get Chloe ready for school; walk her to school; go to see Charlie about what days and hours I can work this week; see about speaking to a contact to see if there’s any less regular work to be had. Nothing too serious. Try to fit in a few shifts of work this week, do the regular school runs, try to get a criminal job of some sort just to make sure the rent's covered and try to get babysitting for Chloe to cover for that.

edit: Oh, and for reference for the moment: OOC thread

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Dwarmin

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Re: [IC Thread] City of Secrets: A Magical Criminal RTD
« Reply #6 on: October 31, 2013, 12:29:05 am »

Kathryn Fry kicked off the covers on her bed with a grunt-late for work. She groped for clothes, her bare skin chilly in the morning air.'

She couldn't remember much about the strange dream except for a man with cloak who reminded her of her father. The thought fluttered away a moment later like a moth escaping her hand, but the feeling of unease would sour her mood for the rest of the day. She couldn't remember what had happened the night before. A few drinks...some dancing...and nothing. There might have been a guy. If there he was, he'd probably hopped out of the window. She would have done the same, in the opposite situation.

...

Kat sighed, shouldering her bag as she left her dingy apartment. It wasn't much of a home-passed down furniture and second hand amenities. There were no pictures on the walls, nothing to show she even lived here-Styrofoam takeout boxes scattered in the trash, most of them Chinese food. She didn't cook. It was casually messy. Once a month she opened the windows to  air the place out, vacuumed and dusted. Her life was not one of stability, and she preferred not to be tied down, in case she had to run again. It was telling she usually didn't even bother to lock the door. There was nothing to steal.

...

If she could be said to have had a true home, it was her bike. That was kept in immaculate condition-shined and polished, kept as in tune as she could make it. It was only when riding she felt any sort of peace. There was another world-one that only someone like her could see, feel and smell.

In the old days, they would have called her a Druid, but there was no name for what she was now. Because, it seemed as the cities of man began to crawl over the world, magic-or something else-had adapted.

She could smell the powerlines thrumming under her feet and over her head like a vampire could a living pulse. The clogged waters of the cities sewers roared. She could hear a million billion cockroaches chewing on the insulation of the city, skittering in pipes, dying, being born. The streets-an ocean of asphalt, upon which she was its most assured sailor. She could even feel the radio waves that flowed above her like a chaotic aurora borealis, a cacophony of sound and speech. And here and there, marks of life-and death. A slum where the negative energy of the people living there was so strong it made her head hurt. Sick minds and bad hearts-pistols and pocketknives. A small point of goodness in a Church where they remembered their vows, like a candle in the dark. She made a point to drive past it at least once every day, though she had never entered it.

And somehow...life. Amid all the stone and plastic, glass and asphalt. There was so much of it.

She had long ago learned to seal all these feelings and thoughts back behind waves of self control-otherwise they would have eventually driven her to true madness, like it had often done to those with similar gifts in the past. Only instead of a mad forest witch, dancing naked in the trees she'd have more likely become a bum with a shopping cart, raving about the government. But, her means...her fathers means...had at least provided her education, if not wisdom.

...

Malcolm Fry is not a nice person. Never has been. He's a classic narcissistic sociopath-unable to cope with humanity as a whole, he began to steadily withdraw at an early age. Sorcery was the thing that made him different though, where he might have normally just been an asshole who keys your car because you stole his parking spot. It made him into something very much like a monster.

He has always enjoyed control and cruelty. He kicked a stray dog to death at 12-for no more than the fact it was following him, begging for food-and it was too weak to defend itself. His first experiments in magic tended to be extensions of that singular act. As every day in his life since then has been. He's built an empire on this fear-grasping into all sectors of industry. He may be more civilized on the outside, sure. A three piece suit that cost $3000. A real gold watch. The latest in cosmetic-magic surgery keeping him young and fit, for what's vanity after all the other sins? He's got the magic touch-the keys to the city. Like a genie, he can wave his hand and give you whatever you desire-for a price. For those that incite his anger, he can call the thunder down upon them-smiting his enemies like an old, cruel God. He foresees absolutely nothing that will ever threaten his power.

Kat wishes she could kill him. Like a good many people do. But, Malcom Fry is clever-before he even had learned to control through fear and greed, he learned that magic could be used to bend wills and break resolve. And he found he could fashion the strongest curses from his own blood. Like the one she feels, gnawing on her mind.

...

Time for work. Enough of the expository bullshit, she thinks from somewhere back in her mind.

Pizza delivery wasn't very fulfilling, but...it wasn't working for her father. That was enough. And she could ride-be alone. Go as fast as she liked, really. Ten minutes or it's free, and she certainly had never given anyone a free meal. She decided she'd check her drop box later. It was an unassuming little thing in the lot of a collapsed house-if someone needed her and wanted to be quiet about it, well, they'd drop a letter in the box and she'd show up. Most of the time.

Action: Kat checks her drop point for any 'unofficial' mail, then goes to work for the day.
« Last Edit: October 31, 2013, 09:12:04 am by Dwarmin »
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Dorsidwarf

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Re: [IC Thread] City of Secrets: A Magical Criminal RTD
« Reply #7 on: October 31, 2013, 10:55:07 am »

Jakob fumbled for the alarm as it blared into his ears, jolting him from his mantle of sleep. He hit the snooze, and sat up groggily.

That nightmare had been... more coherent than usual. Weirdos in cloaks and... something? He couldn't remember, so it was probably just something horrifying. He struggled out from under his threadbare mattress, wincing at the brightness of the light streaming through his curtains. He pulled them shut.

Some time later, after dressing and showering, he sat on a chair in his apartment's kitchen, munching at a slice of bread, flicking through the channels on the TV. He checked his phone messages. Nothing. Nobody had asked him for any jobs lately, and that worried him. While his rent was certainly nothing impressive - It had to be cheap, what with the state of the dump - It was still there, and he was going to run out of money in another couple of weeks. He sighed, running his fingers through his unkempt hair. Life was going down the drain for him.
Of course, there was always the chance that the reason none of his contacts were... contacting him was because they assumed he got taken in the police attack. He didn't dare call them, in case he was being watched. To make matters worse, there was a leak in the main room. He'd put a bucket under it, but by the time he'd discovered it, it had ruined some of his notes on Evans.

He swung his feet on the chair, then made up his mind. He might as well go out in the town, meet some people. See if any of his contacts were afloat, catch up with events.

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Fniff

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Re: [IC Thread] City of Secrets: A Magical Criminal RTD
« Reply #8 on: November 07, 2013, 10:05:29 am »

Chapter One: Bad Dreams
Spoiler: Jakob Haynes (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Kathryn Fry (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Lilith Evans (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Mary Black (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Derya Nithra (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Ben Miko (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Willian Puckett (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Tim Gerber (click to show/hide)

Angel Tips
There are three types of job that you can take.
Open Jobs are the easiest to catch. You do things for people for cash. However, other players can take these jobs, so you'll run into them a lot and it might require planning.
Personal Jobs are jobs related to your burden. These come by with plot developments in your story. They progress your need/strengthen your relationship with your relative, but rarely pay.
Crew Jobs are things you do by yourself or with other players. They are activated when you do something independently or team up with other players to rob a bank or hack a website. These pay out quite a bit since all the profit goes to you, but they are the most risky since the heat will be directly on you and you must plan it out well.
Jobs are the primary way of increasing your Challenge Rating.

Spoiler: Open Jobs (click to show/hide)

Green Eyed Tips
Gangs are people you can enroll with to have access to resources and less heat directed to you. However, you are required to their jobs for them for free, and you can't do jobs for other gangs. The amount of gangs you can join grows with your challenge rating: these are the ones who are in your local area and/or need jobs for a man of your level.

Spoiler: Gangs (click to show/hide)

Quote from: Flying Dice
Walk Elizabeth to school.

Afterwards, head down to the docks and clock in. Work until it's close to time for school to let out, then clock out for lunch and meet up with sis to walk her home and make a sandwich. Back to work after that, clock out around 9:00PM.
Thank God for the school's positioning. Without it, you doubt you'd have the time for walking her, and the thought of your little sister walking alone in this city makes you worried. At least your boss lets you walk her home at lunch. You push the thought aside as she waves goodbye to you at the school door, then heads inside with all the other kids. You keep walking to the docks where you clock in, and already you want to clock out. Time for 12 hours of back-breaking labor. [8 = Minor failure] Back-breaking labor that doesn't go too well. There was a stuck crate that you had to move which ate up precious hours, and you didn't fulfill your quota. You at least have enough to pay for food for a day, but what about the end of the week? Your savings don't look good at all. You walk home and arrive to see Elizabeth sitting on the couch watching television. She smiles at you.

"Hey, Bill!" she says. "How was work?"

You tell her it was the same as per usual.

"Hey, at least it's usual, right?" she says. You smile, and sit down with her to watch the television with her. Maybe tomorrow will be better.

Quote from: Harry Baldman
Review contacts, people I know, people who owe me favors and people who I owe favors. Review assets fully. Check if I've got all the necessary ingredients for the ritual - if so, do it. Then wash up, get ready and head off to work.
You have plenty of contacts in a lot of places, mostly low but a few high ones. [10 = Minor failure] No-one owes you a favor. [13 = Minor Success] You are of a similar status, luckily. Being in debt is not a good feeling. [2 + 2 = 4 = Bad Failure] You are low on ingredients. Nothing feels right. You'll cross that bridge when it comes to it. Though, you feel full up for now. You walk to work, walking into the decorative lobby then to the locker room. You get your suit on, then spend the day cleaning up after the guests, taking at turn on the reception, and just looking busy. [9 = Minor Failure] You get paid your dues, but nothing is left for your savings. You take off your fancy suit and get into your civvies. Time to clock out.

Quote from: Tsuchigumo550
Wave goodbye to Leon, and head over to ChkDsk, the computer repair store that I work for on busy days to see if they need me. If not, go home and try breaking into some low-security online games with a real-money currency, just to see if I can without being detected. If possible, try to implant a keylogger on their shop page that sends an encrypted version of what it collects to me through a bunch of false emails.
You walk to work after saying your goodbyes to Leon, and check if they need any help. [15 = Good Success] Thankfully, it looks like a busy day, customers all screeching for their precious electronics to be fixed. Thank God for the computer illiterate. 80% of the customers today accidentally deleted the shortcut for Internet Explorer and think it's lost forever.

One of your coworkers, Brynhilder (A pretty bizarre name until you take into account her parents are neopaganists), says "You know, I bet a robot uprising would cause the most panic if they just made it impossible to access your browser."

You agreed.

You walked home with money in your pocket and enough time to do a quick job. You checked out Alona (A particularly scammy browser game that puts keyloggers on your computer, limits the amount of actions you can do a day but allows you to pay real money to refresh them, and covers the net with softcore porn adverts despite the fact it's a farming simulator). Despite the fact they are complete scammers, they don't have great net protection. Time to do a test of your abilities.

Alona Hacker Defense: Challenge Rating 1
[12 + 2 = 14 = Good Success] You set up your proxy then go straight in. The tracers don't even activate when you break their password system easily then delete all history that you were even there. [1 + 2 = 3 = Major Failure] Unfortunately, you get too cocky. Putting a keylogger on the shop page tricks some anti-hacking software they have. Bastards. You quickly retract the keylogger and get the hell out of dodge. [Enemy Roll: 2 - 1 = 1 = Major Failure] You quickly escape the tracer, but then something goes hilariously wrong for Alona. The shop page is now replaced by a readout of the processes of the keyloggers already on for recording the pin numbers of people buying at the online shop. The tracer must be badly programmed enough that not only does it expose all keylogger processes (Even the ones the developers planted), but it proudly displays it all on the shop page.

Try explaining that one, Alona developers. That was close, but not close enough for you to get caught.

Quote from: Wolfchild
Mary makes sure that Darla is packed before the bus arrives, then she checks her second E-mail, the one she only uses when routing through multiple networks. The one that jobs and targets come in.
Darla's already out the door when you check your email. A friend emails you some jobs. Problem is, a lot of jobs only need the assistance of a hacker, thus are primarily in meatspace. No matter. You know some nice tricks for doing stuff in meatspace while still being on your computer. You could come along for the jobs, but you are happiest at your computer.

Quote from: Lawastooshort
Get Chloe ready for school; walk her to school; go to see Charlie about what days and hours I can work this week; see about speaking to a contact to see if there’s any less regular work to be had. Nothing too serious. Try to fit in a few shifts of work this week, do the regular school runs, try to get a criminal job of some sort just to make sure the rent's covered and try to get babysitting for Chloe to cover for that.
After dropping off Chloe, you walk from the school gates walk to work. You call up one of your contacts, Aleid. She used to be the mechanic for a gang you ran with, who didn't ask questions (Instead making snarky remarks), but now she's made it big working for the Shinebrights since she can repair their cars which get crashed a lot, due to them being... well, the Shinebrights. She gives you the deal on the jobs: there's three open jobs anyone can get that sound real good, but you might have to deal with other guys trying to get a quick buck. One is specifically working for the Shinebrights, which makes you almost immediately turn it down until you hear that A. No Shinebrights are immediately involved and B. It pays a lot. You both then give updates on what's happening in your lives, then you say your goodbyes.

You park your car and walk into the kitchen. Charlie smiles at you and you both make casual smalltalk, then you get to work. [1] It's hard work, but at least it's honest. You walk home with cash-in-hand, but when you go to the benefits office on the way back you hear one of the payments you thought was coming down the tube has been cut. Dammit, you were relying on that, since you had to pay out the nose to fix a broken window one of the asshole kids around your home threw a rock at.

You go home without much cash, not even for buying things. You'll have to eat into your savings or you and Chloe might not have your weekend cooking. Looks like you might have to take a job after all.

Quote from: Dwarmin
Kat checks her drop point for any 'unofficial' mail, then goes to work for the day.
[1 = Major Failure] You drive fast for a pizza deliverer, and no-one gets any free meals. However, when you drive back, you find that some scumbag kicked the door down to your apartment. They didn't even need to do that. Of course, nothing was stolen, but you're going to have to buy a new door, and that is going to take money. Looks like you'll have to spend some cash from your savings or get a job quick. You close the door as best you can, then get on your bike and stop off at the drop-off. You head in. It's exposed corridors and large chambers always put you on edge, along with that vague feeling that you're not alone. You've checked it out and you're pretty sure -- no, very sure -- that there is no-one in the building. Hell, there's no-one in the adjourning buildings. However, there's always that feeling... You open the dropoff in the middle of the room and check for the jobs. Yep, three pieces of mail. Looks like you'll have jobs at least...

Green Eyed Tips
When you fail majorly at your job, you enter a deficit. This is when you don't have enough money to feed your relative. You can either spend cash (5 dollars, specifically) from your savings to feed your family, or put them into Hunger. Hunger goes in stages. Hunger 1 doesn't do much, but when a week passes it passes onto the next stage. Hunger 2 means every so often, I will roll. The relative will take damage. After ten points of damage, they will die. You should avoid this.


Quote from: Dorsidwarf
Go out in the town, meet some people. See if any of his contacts were afloat, catch up with events.
[1] Unfortunately, due to a recent and brutal turf war, a lot of your useful contacts got shot in the head, so they're obviously out. You strike them out on your list. However, you ring up one of the few people who aren't dead, Ivana. She meets you at a street corner. Ivana's from one of those shitty Eastern European nations that fell apart during some bloody uprising that no-one really cares about. Now she's a clean-up agent for the Thriller Killers: wiping away any traces of their nighttime activities.

"Mike." she says amiably with a thick accent. "How's business?"

You small talk for a few minutes, maybe ten. Then you cut right to the chase: what's the news?

"There's is jobs going. Some pay well, others not so much but are easy. Only one for gang, so no worry about allegiances if you go for that." She talks about the jobs. There's about three, all of which sound pretty good. What to pick, what to pick...

Quote from: Tiruin
Bring sister to school, check on work schedule and head to work after securing safety of our home. Inquire about the pay in regard to my profession, and what is the context of our neighboring buildings(to our work area as a perfumer)? As in, what are their purposes?
While you're working, you go over a few things with your boss, Tori. She goes along with it and tells you a few things about the specifics of your contract, since you've only been hired here for a few months.

Since you're working minimum wage as non-essential staff (You make sure the perfume being sent from China isn't contaminated while it was traveling by applying tests to it), you get paid 7 dollars an hour. This comes to $420 a week, with  little extra coming from benefits. However, counting groceries and benefit cuts, you're lucky if you're left with $30 total at the end of the week, and that's if you don't spend anything. As for the neighboring buildings, since this is an industrial district those are most likely factories and warehouses.

"So, that's the long and short of it." Tori says, as she often does. "Anything else you wanna know?"

You say thanks, but that's it. She nods and says to just ask if there's any questions left. You go back to work. [17 = Good Success] You go home with cash in pocket and without any major incidents on the way home. Not a bad day in all.
« Last Edit: November 07, 2013, 10:09:29 am by Fniff »
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Tsuchigumo550

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Re: [IC Thread] City of Secrets: A Magical Criminal RTD
« Reply #9 on: November 07, 2013, 09:07:21 pm »

Shit... I'm going to need money. I'm tired of just scraping by like this. I want... more. Am I really planning to live the rest of my life like this? A quick, brutal exit is the only thing I'll get, unless the feds get wise, and even then...
"You know, you should really take some kind of martial art."
"Leon, I... You know how I feel about that."
"Oh come on. Sure, you might not like the idea of learning hands-on, where you might accidentally Gorgon-eye someone, but... It's not safe to rely on a power that can only deal with one person per... erm, ritual."
"...I... can't say the thought hasn't crossed my mind, but... I don't know. I don't know about a lot of things these days."
"It's like that when you're this low on the ladder. Can't see the sky for everyone else above you. But, I know a couple of things."
"I'm not getting high with you. I... I'm not trying anything like that again."
"That's not what I was going to say. I'm going to come out and say this: A person like you isn't safe anywhere in this city. You're reasonably fit, but don't know how to fight, you don't like to carry weapons, you're definitely good looking, and while you may not be in a gang, you're involved in their world."
"Leon... ... I'll... look into it. You know... I'm afraid things are going to start changing really fast. It may be good things to know for what's ahead."
"You sound awfully dark today."
"I have a feeling things are headed that way... just preparing for the worst."

Browse the undernet ((excuse for knowing about the jobs)) and hit up various "crime Craigslists" to see if anyone is interested in working together. ((excuse to allow us to join up without awkward bumping-intos)) Consider the jobs named "Recession Transgression" and "Diamond Eye", though don't act on them unless some interest gets drummed up from others.

While waiting, attempt another MMO hack, but go for a small game with an online shop this time. It needn't be an obvious money-grab, but definitely nothing that many people play. Focus on getting in quietly- if I can't drop a keylogger in, just try to leave the backdoor open rather than smash everything like I did last time.

Lastly, look into various martial arts based around fighting multiple foes, and possibly focusing on non-lethality.

It's... getting really late, now... Leon's still showering, so... I'll just crawl into bed...
Vaguely register another person drawing near -Leon- before falling completely asleep.

Begin Dreaming

Insignia... symbols... bronze, silver, gold... more? More, but... unknown...
Coils... Coils, amassing around the World... The World's lifeline...
Soldiers of the Insignia come, soldiers of the Insignia fall before the mighty coils of the mighty snake...
Soft buzzing, as metal and concrete behemoths stab through... The World...\
Seek, observer... The World will fall...
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There are words that make the booze plant possible. Just not those words.
Alright you two. Attempt to murder each other. Last one standing gets to participate in the next test.
DIRK: Pelvic thrusts will be my exclamation points.

Dwarmin

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Re: [IC Thread] City of Secrets: A Magical Criminal RTD
« Reply #10 on: November 08, 2013, 12:04:39 am »

Kat sipped tapwater from a chipped porcelain mug, realizing that freedom wasn't cheap or easy.

She wondered if someone broke into her apartment specifically-being the daughter of Malcolm Fry had it's 'perks' after all. She had once heard of some fellows that actually planned to kidnap and hold her for ransom against the crime lord. She had never seen them, and assumed her father had dealt with it in his usual manner, even if he didn't seen to care much about her welfare-he wasn't one to let a valuable resource go to waste...

...

She opened up her laptop and logged on to to the undernet-opening a thread and using the codeword in the job sheet. Anyone who got the job would see the key words, and know what it wasn't a mere complaint.

Quote
~Frygirl19 posted~
Rochard Oskarsson is a real asshole. I mean, he steals all that money...puts the economy into a recession...and his transgressions go unpunished. What a world we live in, right?

I mean, I hear he's still got all sorts of evidence lying around that could lock him away for life, if anyone was brave enough to extradite and prosecute. Hopefully a good citizen finds it and they nail the son of a bitch. PM me if you have also an interest in seeing justice done.

Action: Undertake Recession Transgressions with whoever else is in.

Also, make sure to check my apartment for any 'surprises' that might have been left by my clumsy intruder-either electronically bugs or magical doodads.
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Dwarmin's fell gaze has fallen upon you. Sadly, Your life and your quest end here, at this sig.

"The hats never coming off."

Harry Baldman

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Re: [IC Thread] City of Secrets: A Magical Criminal RTD
« Reply #11 on: November 08, 2013, 02:11:53 am »

Review suppliers and markets available to me, check up on Terrance. In addition, wonder if my job as a valet has produced any valuable information for me to use for profit.
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wolfchild

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Re: [IC Thread] City of Secrets: A Magical Criminal RTD
« Reply #12 on: November 08, 2013, 07:18:22 pm »

Check on the job details, including anyone else that may be involved
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You really can both sig it.
But... That would break the laws of sigging! We can't have everyone running around with the same quotes. IT MAKES THEM UNFUNNY FASTER!

Flying Dice

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Re: [IC Thread] City of Secrets: A Magical Criminal RTD
« Reply #13 on: November 08, 2013, 07:58:40 pm »

Lying awake, William thought about the poor showing of the day. Even with full pay the work was barely enough for two people to scrape by on, and he had to do more than just live paycheck to paycheck.

I can't keep doing this. This is why I started the dirty jobs, wasn't it?

Ask around for news on open jobs tomorrow after taking Elizabeth to school. Push for further details on them, but not too hard. If time permits, scout out local businesses for potential small-time robberies. Make sure to take time to walk 'Liz home. It's a shame that there aren't any buses that run near our apartment, and it eats up time, but there's no way in hell my little sister is walking alone through the heart of this cesspit.
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Aurora on small monitors:
1. Game Parameters -> Reduced Height Windows.
2. Lock taskbar to the right side of your desktop.
3. Run Resize Enable

lawastooshort

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Re: [IC Thread] City of Secrets: A Magical Criminal RTD
« Reply #14 on: November 11, 2013, 03:15:31 pm »

Well shit. No more money than this morning and twice as much hunger...

Ben considered the situation. There was obviously one job stood out, probably more risky than others but the return being not having to work again so soon. The jeweller's didn't sound right, everything from those assholes was tainted one way or another, in his experience, and he wasn't a thief. The jeweller hadn't done anything to him, right? And then the other one, knocking off a few meth dealers?

Maybe next time. For now he wanted to make sure both their bellies were full next weekend. Bit more spare cash to not have to jump at the first job to come along next time would be sweet too.

Before checking his shotgun - he'd nicknamed her Mister Shitter, for reasons long lost - and his stock of cartridges, he logged on to find out about the job.

Quote
~Frygirl19 posted~
Rochard Oskarsson is a real asshole. I mean, he steals all that money...puts the economy into a recession...and his transgressions go unpunished. What a world we live in, right?

Quote
~chopyouey private messaged~
Shit, I hate recession and transgressions, this little bastard should totally pay... I think we might be able to help each other...

Apart from my strident political views, I can offer reliable heavy lifting and a good argument in favour of said political views.

Also undertake Recession Transgressions with whoever else is in. Before doing so, make sure I have plenty of ammo. Put the shotgun in my black canvas bag. Arrange someone to take care of Chloe for the evening cos I have to work a sudden extra shift at the restaurant.
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