This is the largest city in the region. There might be others somewhere in Meriga that are larger, but nobody around here knows of them. It boasts a population of 30,000 sentients. It is an open city, where any genotype can enter the city and be welcome. At least, that is the law. In practice, like in any other town, there is a certain amount of intolerance towards "the other guys", who are defined differently by each group, by some sectors of the population. In general, though, the different genotypes get along well enough. The city is divided into different districts. The market district is one of the busiest in Meriga, with many adventurers & traders travelling many miles to get here to trade their wares or buy artefacts from the many vendors. The residential districts are segregated with one area populated by True Men, and others for Altered Ones, New Animals and Green Folk. The fringes of all these districts are populated by a mixtures of all these genotypes. The unlucky ones, the ones whose mutations are useless or even degenerative fill the slum areas of all these districts, sometimes they are taken for fight pits in less civilized villages and towns, for the amusement of the population that lives there. The slums make no distinction between human, animal or plant, and neither do the pit masters. The city itself has a low stone wall (3m tall), which is just high enough to keep out roving animals and prevent an invading army from just walking in. Cannons are mounted ait intervals along the wall. Governor Slyer has foiled three separate attempts by the Peace Brigade to improve the defenses of the city. he wants the city to remain an open city and not become a fortress. One of the principal influential groups in Ascension is the Restorationists.
Allen awakes in his modest apartment located in the City of Ascension. Looking out his third-story window, he is greeted by the smell of the slums not far to the south, and just a hint of the great lake, Mitchgloom. The sounds from the Great Market, even at this early hour, can clearly be heard from his window.
Ah, another day in Meriga!
Even after four years since his waking, and subsequent wanderings throughout the area he once knew as the Michigan Protectorate, Allen was still in awe of what had become of the old world and this new, vibrant, and very strange new one. If not for his 'owner' Zera, he was sure that he would never have lasted more than a month or two in this strange new world. Thinking of Zera reminded him that he needed to get moving to the enclave or else he would be late...again!
Quickly washing and dressing, he stumbles down the ancient concrete steps of the tenement and into the streets. The traffic is light this early, and he makes good time getting to the Restorationists' compound, where he helped other techies like himself attempt to recreate or repair some of the more esoteric items from the old world.
Entering the compound he spots Zera coming out of the main building, a look of agitation on her face and her antennae twitching.
Tintoretto wakes to the light coming in from the short wide windows at the edge of his apartment. The windows were short and wide because the apartment was short and wide. About a meter high, but he had the whole width of the building. Originally it had no windows, being some sort of utility space, but that wall had fallen and he had put in the windows when he helped repair the building. Much of the silvery glass was broken, but there was enough for his windows.
He gathered up some mushrooms and soilworms from his compost trays and topped it off with some gooberfruit. There was enough for this meal, but the rest was getting old and went into the compost. As he had his breakfast, he watched the comings and goings from his window and checked his communicator. Nothing important, but some of his cousin's eggs had hatched, so he sent his congratulations.
Then he climbed into his cart and unbolted the platform in the utility shaft. He turned the chain and lowered himself down. rolling the cart out, he raised the platform up and rebolted it. Even with that, he kept all his valuables in the cart. He wasn't foolish.
Out in the market square he bought some more fruit and greens. One stall had lots of wire cages of blue crickets so he bought them too. He mentioned offhandedly that Sovetton to the west had been razed by giant radcrickets. They hopped over their short walls and killed a quarter of the folk there. Such a shame.
Al-an! I am glad that you made it on time. I was worried that you would be late again, and they are going to choose teams for another expedition soon, so I want to make sure that we are there, and they see that we are working hard and ready to go. Come on, let's see if we can find room in the front row. ... I hate being cooped up here. We need to get out there and discover new things that can change us for the better... like you. I can't believe that they haven't recognized you as the greatest find of all time, really. There are plenty of pure strains, but do any of them have the same memory or knowledge of the ancients that you have? NO! Overlooked, overlooked. That is the story of my life, no matter how hard I work to be better and stand out...
... She continues to grumble a bit as they continue inside, although Allen knows that she doesn't complain all the time. Only when she's not been allowed to go on a mission in a while. Makes her cranky.
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"Yeah...Yeah...I know. Let's get in there and find a space up front so they will see us first...I mean who else has such a rare artifact!!"
Moving through the crowded arena, Allan and Zera work their way to the front of the crowd, to stand prominently before the stage.
"Ok, we are here and they see us...now where are they sending us this time?"
@Allen and Zera, Aspiration Hall the headquarters of the Restorationists, is a very large building in the center of Ascension and it is made of a mixture of softrock, nograin and metal. The Auditorium is somewhat filled with other Restorationists and there is a table of some as of yet not identified artifacts.
You see some Examiners look at the artifacts and they take rigid notes on paper and try to compare their notes with because some of these look really intricate.
@Tintoretto, a human you are not sure from first glance if she is PSH or Altered responds to your comment on Sovetton and says, "Sheeeyooootttt, I think ma third cuz is from dere. I hope he's alright."
Al-an... let's go see if we can identify anything on that table. That should earn us some points. You might just remember some of them.
She tugs him forward.
::What's your cousin's name? I know some people who are trying to help them out. If I hear anything I'll pass it on,:: he says, emphasizing this with a hint of sympathy and hope*. ::I'll let them know you're thinking of them. What's your name?::
[ooc]When he is back at home, he will report this and ask about the man's relative.
GM Rolls
Zera and Allan walk up to the first table and on it is one small box with some glass on it which also a bunch of knobs and three multidirectional switches and the other was a larger box with a metal stick protruding from it with only one button on it.
The girl talking to Tinteretto says, "Weall, me name is Jean-Ah! I thankin you kindly. Oh, mr. Are ye lookin fer a job, cuz mese uncle needs folx tu help?"
@Vigan
Next to you growing out of the ground is a small little fern and after the pumpkin guy rolled off, the fern deroots itself from the ground and it turns out to be a giant white parsnip with a face and props itself on the stool next to you and says, "Ey, madam, my name is Parsie" and from out of its roots pulls a manilla envelope and says, "Here is your pay, we will be in contact in a few weeks."
Al looks over the strange assortment of items on the table and decides to examine a small box with some switches and such...it looks somewhat familiar and he racks his brain for a name of the item
Use Artifact:
::good to meet you Jean-Ah, I'm Tintoretto. Between jobs right now, so I'd be interested in hearing out your uncle and seeing if I have the skills to help."
Zera takes a look at the other, larger box with a metal stick protruding from it.
Zera and Allan, you recognize the boxes belong to control device for some sort of flying toy. But you do not see the toy anywhere.
Tinteretto, Jean-Ah says, "Well mese Uncle is named Justinian and he is looking for some help out of town, you should go to Aspiration Hall and say I sent you."
With that he will take his leave and begin heading toward Ascension Hall. He's picked up some things there before. Generally a pro-civilization group, even if some of them looked down on more accessible technologies.
He'll roll his way over there and into the Hall. He'll go over to a completely random pair of people. The woman had antennae and lambent eyes The man had no visible mutations but a gun and synthleather that screams either "Adventurer" or "Sexual deviant". He wasn't familiar enough with human culture to know.
Zera and Allen see a turtle with no obvious mutations other than being larger than most. But he's wearing a bulletproof vest over his shell and riding in a cart being pulled by nothing at all. The cart is oldtech, but not powered and has some repairs from the modern era.
They will feel a mild telepathic ping, and if they allow it, they sense his thoughts. If they are familiar with psychic conventions, he's being polite about it. ::Pardon me, but would you know a man named Justinian? I've been referred to him about a job.::
Zera confers with Allen, and then files their official identification with the proper people. She adds anything she can think of to show that they were the best team to choose. She mentions that if she were on an actual mission she would repair the box and use it to see if the remote control whatzit was around, and then notes that the parts from these can be used in any number of other repairs.
____
When the turtle approaches them, she says
Hmm. Justinian? I feel like the name is sort of familiar, but I'm not that great with names... let's see...
Then she realizes what he said.
Wait. ... what sort of a job? Does he need any humans?
She would take whatever job she could get.
Allen shakes his head as the turtle attempts to converse.
"Gaaah..sheesh, I still cannot get used to that!"
He looks over to see if Zera was included in this message, and as she answers he relaxes slightly.
"Justinian...nope can't say I know the name...wait can you understand speech or do we need to...ummm...::THINK:: our answers??"
::I'm sorry about this. I can hear you well. If I could speak, I would. Bur I do carry a slate and chalk if you'd prefer that.:: With the communication a little clearer, he answers the other question.
::I'm not sure about the job. I've just heard about it recently. I'm between opportunities, so I thought I'd hear him out.::
Vigan, as you walk out of the "Wood's Buzz" tavern you see a notice on the board for jobs.
Oh, oh! I've got it. He is the director of special projects. Let's see if I can spot him...
I should probably introduce you to him personally. Maybe he needs some good examiners for this 'special project' as well.
... Oh, my name is Zera, and this is Al-an. He is my greatest find. An ancient full-strain human from a working cryopod. A wealth of knowledge at my fingertips. May I ask your name, esteemed of turtlekind?
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@Vigan, you see a job board regarding different possible employment opportunities in the area.
==The Barony of Horn is looking for enterprising individuals to look into a macabre situation
== The Restorationists are looking for adventurers, come to Ascension Hall
== The Village of Far-Go is looking for help
And a couple of others.
@Allan, Tintoretto and Zera, A+T had seen him while you were looking at the remote control, he took some notes and left the auditorium and probably went to his office on the second floor.
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::I am Tintoretto, a name drawn from a time of hope in the ancient days before the ancient days. As for esteemed, I'm still a bit young for that.
But I'm working on it.::
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Zera makes her way to the Quartermaster and asks for a BUlletproof vest, Tech Level 4 tool kit and a
GM ROlls
The Quartermaster says, "Zera, I hate to break it to you but we do not have any functioning bulletproof vests in stock, you can probably kit up with a normal General Store and get a Jury-rigged one in town. You are in luck though we do have a Toolkit of the Ancients for you and a Taser."
Vigan ties off Domino on a hitching post out front of Aspiration Hall and walks inside there is an altered human sitting at the front desk with an odd lobster claw protruding from the top of his head and you do see an Altered Human, a PSH and a mutant turtle talking in the corner.
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"Well that is not too bad...besides we should not be getting shot at while exploring...well not too much anyway. I have my trusty 6-shooter here just in case. So, Mr. Tintoretto do you also work as an examiner?"
They walk over to the stairs which will take them to the office area of the building, and hopefully to see Director Justinian.
Zera asks the Quartermaster what kinds of Power Cells they have in stock.
___
Zera heads with Allen and Tintoretto to try to find Justinian.
::Oh, I'm not an expert on oldtech. I know a little, but I'm no examiner. I do a lot of work on buildings. Sometimes building new one, more often fixing them up. But that work comes and goes, so I'm open to a wide variety of other work.::
As they move on, the handle of his cart swings out and begins pulling the cart over to the stairs. ::If you two can stay a bit clear, this is going to get bumpy.::
Zera stays clear.
P'Reena wanders into city limits, taking her time. It has been a long and thirsty journey and she is in need of refreshment. She turns into the nearest tavern and approaches the bar, ducking through the doorway as she enters. Though not exceptionally tall, she is tall enough to bump her head on a doorframe.
"Beer, please. Or whatever passes for such around here," she says to the barkeep.
The cart bumps and thumps it's way upstairs, much like it was being pulled by something unseen. At the top he waits for the hominids before rolling on.
Zera moves ahead of the lumbering cart and taps on Justinian's door.
He takes a moment to respond, because this is a very unusual mind. Not for being a plant, but because there is none of the normal background noise most minds have. There is only what was sent intentionally.
::I'm sorry. I'm low and wide and slow. If I climbed up without the cart, I'd likely get stepped on by somebody not paying attention. The name is Tintoretto.::
The plant didn't seem to be carrying any obvious technology, so he went out on a limb vine. ::If you are inquiring about the adventuring job, the person is up here.::
GM Rolls
The Quartermaster says, "What item are you looking to power? I have one but it is extremely expensive"
@Preena, you walk into your favorite watering hole in a Ascension called the Hoop's Surprise and the barkeep says, "Sure thing buddy!" as the humongous mutated Squirrel pours you some suds... "Ascension's Asinine Ale, two domars please! Is there anything else I can do you for?"
@Vigan, The lobster person says, "Yes, you needin to speak to Justinian, he is on the second floor. You should knock on his door and he should tell you what the score be. You can probably follow the two humans and the turtle."
@All, Zera knocks on the door and you hear after a few minutes, "Come in"
Allen watches as the strange vegetation seems to follow them up the stairs. The turtle stares at this newcomer for a few seconds before moving forward.
"Ummm...hello there plant. can we help you?"
P'Reena slaps two domars down on the counter and grins. "Anywhere that a girl can find work around here? Odd jobs, maybe? Trouble that needs shooting?"
Responding to the quartermaster, Zera says
I need to power this Taser that I just bought from you. ... How expensive?
______________
Zera opens the door to Justinian's office after being invited in, then approaches him.
Hello. Word is that you have a job? Got a pretty nice team together... maybe we can help?
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Internally, he thinks that identifying them as a team might be a little premature when they just met, but he does see the value in presenting as such when applying for a mission, so he says nothing.
@Preena, the squirrel tender says, "We-ell, I cain't read but there is a few ads on the board."
Preena looks over at the board and sees these ads:
==The Barony of Horn is looking for enterprising individuals to look into a macabre situation
== The Restorationists are looking for adventurers, come to Ascension Hall
== The Village of Far-Go is looking for help
And then the barkeep says, "There maybe something interesting in Allenville."
@Zera, "Well, Zera the power cell is not the right type. We could try to make an adapter for it but that should take some time. Your tazer should already have a power pack."
@ Rest, you see the man known as Justinian he is wearing a double breasted jacket with a gunpowder horn and a Sam Brown belt across his left shoulder. He has closed crop brown hair with some silver in it looks like he is in his mid 40s with a goattee.
Justinian says, "Zera and Allen, I saw you do a decent job this afternoon identifying the remote control. To the other two, my name is Justinian, the director of Special Projects for the Restorationists here in the Ascension area. Our duties here in town which is not any real surprise is to restore the settlement to a higher tech standard. Are you really a team or have you just met today? What are your names?"
Thanks for giving me a fully charged one, definitely, but these chemical power cells only give you seven shots, and I have no way to recharge them out there, unless you threw a solar power cell in there. The chemical, hydrogen, and solar ones are all compatible with each other, so unless the one you have is one of those huge atomic ones, they should work. ... But if you do have an atomic one, I *definitely* want it... just hold it for me until I get back from this mission and I can jury rig some adapter or something.
If you don't have any spare power cells, I guess I'll just have to live with seven shots and use them wisely until I can get the cell recharged. It's the way of things, I suppose.
If you do get in some solar power cells or a solar charger, hold them for me.
_____
To Justinian she smiles and says
What gave it away? We just met today, but we really are a team if that is what it takes to get the job. This is Tintoretto, and... uh, just a second.
She turns to Vigan, slightly flushed from embarrassment and bows slightly.
My apologies. What is your name?
Justinian nods and says, "Are you interested in making some coin working for the Restorationists?"
Absolutely, we are interested. What does the job entail?
He then shifts his feet a little and says, "Delightful. Here is the situation: An agent of ours is missing. He had been sent to an ancient installation called the Sagow Enstoot a month ago. He is presumed to be dead. It is our standard procedure to attempt to recover the body in such cases. We would like you to do that for us. "
He continues, "Our base rate for such a venture is 200 domars per sentient, 100 of it paid in advance. If you recover the body, there is a 250-domar bonus for each of you, 500 if you bring him back alive. If you bring back proof that he is alive and some clue of his whereabouts, that is also worth 250 domars each. If you return with the results in ten days or less, that is worth another 100 domars each. Of course, we only pay surviving members of the expedition. Are you still interested?"
Zera thinks fast. The payout was per party member, so they could actually pick up a couple more people and be safer, but still guaranteed their payment. And nothing about recovering items in his possession, so presumably those would be theirs as well as anything they found on the way. This was a great deal.
Yes, we are still interested, but not all of our members are here yet.
She pushes Allen towards the door.
Al-an will go and collect them though.
She whispers to Allen
Go grab someone else from downstairs, quick. We need more. If you find two, great, but at least get one.
After Allen leaves, she asks If he is dead, how will we identify the body? Do you have a likeness that we can see, or is he chipped and you have a scanner we can use to identify him? ... Come to think of it, even if he is alive, how would we be sure it was him? We at least need a name.