Duplar arrives at the workshops to find Hank and Roy with Galtheyn, trying to take in the strange alien technology of the place.
Duplar arrives at the workshops to find Hank and Roy with Galtheyn, trying to take in the strange alien technology of the place.
Duplar arrives at the workshops to find Hank and Roy with Galtheyn, trying to take in the strange alien technology of the place. He is now smartly dressed in the usual style for members of the Karazthan. The only subtle difference is the tailoring of his left sleave, which conceals his withered arm. On the way to the workshops he has paused at the armoury to get a fresh lightning wand and at the bursars office to collect some funds for anticipated expences. "Good morning all! "I'm sure there are many questions to be asked on both sides, but before things go too far I need to sort out a few administrative matters with Hank and Roy. I think our office will be a quiet spot right now. If you will join me please?" Conscious of his Guildmaster's desire to get the guests out of the workshops, at least until such time as they are members, he ushers Hank and Roy to the office area he uses when he is actually in the guild. It's not the best accommodation: a smaller desk than one might expect with a stool, a small filing cabinet and a thin wardrobe have been squeezed round a well upholstered couch - which is slightly higher than normal. He takes the stool. "Sorry I can't offer much in the way of seating, but the couch should take two." -- No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Anti-Virus. Version: 7.0.308 / Virus Database: 266.11.9 - Release Date: 12/05/05
On Fri, May 13, 2005 at 04:31:44AM -0500, Michael Orton wrote: > Conscious of his Guildmaster's desire to get the guests out of the > workshops, at least until such time as they are members, he ushers Hank and > Roy to the office area he uses when he is actually in the guild. It's not > the best accommodation: a smaller desk than one might expect with a stool, a > small filing cabinet and a thin wardrobe have been squeezed round a well > upholstered couch - which is slightly higher than normal. > > He takes the stool. > > "Sorry I can't offer much in the way of seating, but the couch should take > two." Unless the couch is _really_ high, Roy sits on one of the arms, feet still on the ground. "What's up, Duplar?" -- Chuk Goodin cgoodin@sfu.ca Alien Light GM http://www.phoenyx.net/alienlight
[Duplar] > Unless the couch is _really_ high, Roy sits on one of the arms, feet still > on the ground. "What's up, Duplar?" [Ah, perhaps we have a different usage of the word couch here... Are you thinking of what in the UK would be called a sofa? The furniture in question is shaped more like something you would find in a psychiatrist's consulting room, but a much thicker "matress". There are no arms, and if Roy were to sit on the "pillow" end he feet would not be on the ground.] "Well, it's time for you two to find out a bit more about the way the society you have landed in works. These are dangerous times for humans. There are some out there who think all of you should be slaves or dead - and a few who think even the slavery option is a bit generous. "There are four main ways people get on here, but not being Kandar you are not going have family political power behind you. If you have any skill with the mind then the local Academy has risked admitting a few Humans to the rank of Apprentice, but it has caused trouble. Reylorna has been advised to keep well clear of their premises until things are calmer. "If you have skills with living things then you could apply to the Guild of Life. I'd recommend against that. I hope they'd be more interested in you as members than as alien subjects to experiment on, but I'm not sure. "That leaves you with us. We are not interested in race or station of birth, but in what people can do. We gather ancient artefacts and maintain such devices as we can. It gets a little depressing at times as we learn more of the things our people were once able to do, and because we know what terrible things they did with their devices we have resolved never to let certain things be built again. "You come to us from another land where devices we cannot imagine are common-place. It is probable that you could teach us many things, and we can provide a home which will be closer than anyone else can get to that which you are most used to. "We are also the only organisation which even a slight hope of getting you back where you came from, but given the state of the equipment which brought you here I must emphasise that it is a very slight hope. "I'm not asking you to join us right now, because you don't yet understand why we keep our secrets and if you don't understand why you won't want to keep them too. Jathren and I have enough trouble keeping things safe here. I don't want to think about the headaches you two could cause. "So what I'd like to suggest is that you two stay as our guests for a while and when you have had a chance to look about you can make an informed choice of what you want to do. "First off, you need to look more like natives. I think we should go shopping. "But first, any questions?" -- No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Anti-Virus. Version: 7.0.308 / Virus Database: 266.11.12 - Release Date: 17/05/05
> "First off, you need to look more like natives. I think we should go > shopping. [And I am immediately reminded of a one time character, Karela, or rather her player, Marielle. Who used to claim she sold off parts of her boyfriend's comic collection so that she could spend the money on shoes....]
>"But first, any questions?" "Yes- with your permission..." 1) "Where are we to stay" (Hank's not leaving his stuff where it'll be picked over. A Workhouse on-the-floor dormitory won't really do it, either...) 2) "What are the conditions?" (OOC: The jist of this question: Do they have freedom of movement/speech/privacy, or are they someone's "wards", and unable to go/do/say anything without their say-so?) 3) "If- as you say- it's possible that we _don't_ wind up as Guild members... what then? Are we to be _sold_?" (OOC: Still not sure what the 'kind' of slavery is here- debt? Chattel? Indentured?) 4) "Do we have any word on Mr. Kylar's condition? I was worried for him." 5) "Will we see our other traveling companions, again?" Beyond this, Hank seems glad that they'll see the city. (And sees the point of blending in- no point in being a target...)
[Duplar] "Good questions all and I'll try and answer them in order. "Where are you to stay? "You are invited to stay here at the guild. I should warn you that recent events have shown that it is possible for giant sea monsters to appear in the centre of the building, but I think it is still going to be a less dangerous place for you to base yourselves. As far as we can tell, monsters have no bias in favour of eating Humans over Kandar. "I have no personal control over which room or rooms you will be offered. Again space is at slightly more of a premium than usual until the rebuilding is completed. I guess you will be asked to share to begin with." [As for security, this guild controls all technology. This includes locks so guess who knows most about picking them? There is no physical security the Kazathran cannot get round if they want to.] "What are the conditions? "Well, Guild membership mainly involves keeping our secrets. One of my tasks in the Security Section is eliminating knowledge which has leaked where it should not be and I prefer prevention to cure. Guild members have no specific limitations other than no taking Guild tools or materials out of the workshops and not doing anything more than small favours in the way of repairs on devices for friends. Sometimes I wish we could enforce curfews and the like. We cannot prevent violations, but we are proficient at catching up with people we want to find. [Again, in a world where the Academy can read your mind and dowse for your location, can privacy exist?] "If you don't join? "Well, you would become Free Humans. You would be able to seek employment, but I don't think you would like the jobs available. We could not let you stay here indefinitely and I think you are used to a higher standard of accommodation than can be afforded here on the income you could earn. "You could leave the city, and there are bands of Humans out in the uncivilised areas. You could join up with them and probably get yourselves in a lot of trouble. Many of them have fanatical leaders who are trying to overthrow our society. I suspect one of these bands is behind the current wave of terrorist attacks, but we don't yet know which and our warriors want to stamp on all of them on general principles. The recent assassination of a senior member of the Academy has not helped matters. "Do we have any word on Kylar's condition? "No, but we could ask after him on our travels. "Will we see our other travelling companions, again? "Probably. I expect Reylorna will offered guest accommodation here until it is safe to return to the Academy. Ryzar is another involuntary immigrant, like yourselves, and I expect he will be made a similar offer to yours. If you join us then you will see Jathren quite a bit. I tend to work under-cover: not being easy to see is part of what I do. Does that help? -- No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Anti-Virus. Version: 7.0.308 / Virus Database: 266.11.12 - Release Date: 17/05/05
> "I have no personal control over which room or rooms you will be offered. > Again space is at slightly more > of a premium than usual until the rebuilding is completed. I guess you > will be asked to share to begin with." [That's a reasonable assumption. Although the monster did deplete the Karazthan's personnel, Duplar will have noticed many have already been replaced by transfers from other cities] > [As for security, this guild controls all technology. This includes locks > so guess who knows most about picking them? There is no physical security > the Kazathran cannot get round if they want to.] [Duplar may well believe this to be true, but only the GM knows for sure :) ] > [Again, in a world where the Academy can read your mind and dowse for your > location, can privacy exist?] [Actually, Duplar knows of enough technological devices than can defeat mind-probes. Not *quite* tinfoil hats, but something along those lines] Any responses to Duplar's questions, or are we ready to move on?
