spellgrinders | [WEEKLY UPDATE

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*weekly update

[WEEKLY UPDATE | JANUARY 20TH]

OOC NOTES

▢ This post is Incredibly Late (tm) due to some unforeseen IRL circumstances -- don't panic, it's not really an emergency! Just a little personal issue that lasted over the weekend and it's all done now. This is later than even I (head mod) anticipated but I came home from work today and had to crash for a while! Thanks for the understanding on Plurk and sorry for the interrupted plot. Now back to your regularly scheduled programming.

▢ Because of the mod emergency, the TDM has been moved to this Saturday! So reserves will open on the 25th and the TDM will go up on the 27th. Apps open on the 1st, blah blah blah.

▢ In case you missed it, the new world information is live! There’s a whole bunch of good information there, so make sure to keep it in mind when playing stuff out in Shehui. This is copypasted from last time, but doop doop easily linked new world info.

▢ Hey! Do Your AC!

IC EVENTS

▢ Here are two relevant posts to the furthering of the Shehui plot: the kidnapping and outside reactions.

▢ Sooooo kidnapping happened. Great! Over the first two days, life will be relatively boring for those who are in Shehui custody. However, individuals will be moved from their holding rooms to a more interrogation-like room starting on Day 3 of their captivity. Based on your character's magic, upper-level monitors will try to prod their magic out of them for advanced study. This also includes blood tests, heart monitors, extensive DNA panels, and all of these samples will be taken involuntarily unless you willingly consent without further pressure. These tests will start out at a low level; monitors will ask questions about your magic based on the information characters may or may not have provided. If the character didn't offer up their magic to the monitors, they will try a variety of tests to figure out what it is.

This can include introducing characters to harsh stimuli, like being put into a freezing/sweltering room, being hurt, being shocked -- you have a bit of freedom to say what has been done to your character based on your comfort level. No one will force you to put them through a gruelling mind probe or horrific beating unless you're okay with that! So, based on this purposefully vague guideline, you can figure out what all the monitors may do to try and learn more about your character's magic. If you have any questions about what may or may not be utilized, you can ask them here!

▢ On the other hand, those who haven't been captured are welcome to try and figure out what all they can do to try and break their comrades out of this prison in the meantime -- and on that note, those who are captured are allowed to pitch in ideas as well! While it can be assured that there will be an upcoming opportunity to further this idea next week, those who are proactive about trying to free characters can offer up their ideas and we'll tell them how their attempts will go. It is likely that characters will fail, but any action can and likely will affect what happens next week. Bonus AC will also affect this outcome positively. If you have any escape ideas, feel free to toss them here!

PROMPTS

▢ A flat box will arrive at the homes of all coven members with a package that contains a very rare and exquisite treat -- the opportunity for permanent Shehui residency. That is, this is what will be given to you if you decide to offer up information about any of the listed individuals who have been captured for questioning. Something about this seems obviously fishy...why are they offering leniency to someone who would surely know magic in an attempt to try and eradicate magic? A good question...one that may sway your decision, despite the packet that you've been given assuring you that your own capability for magic will be forgiven and overlooked.How do they react to this offer? They can scan their ID against a laminated paper in the packet in order to confirm their commitment, and from there a recording prompt will play on their ID -- could they always do that? Anyway, your information will be recorded and from their its value will be assessed. Are you going to play into the tempting offer?

▢ Characters who completed Bonus AC in December will also be given the opportunity to partake in a new drug study that bellies a reward of another free week in Shehui. This simple, at-home injection that looks very similar to glucose meter, is said to...well, it actually says a lot. Depending on who it gets sent to, the tiny injection might say it clears up acne, increases libido or gives you more energy than ever before. Maybe it's something a little more tailored to your character's needs. A good night's sleep, better grades...if they happen to utilize the device, they won't notice any side effects on the first day, but the next day they'll see their magic dip in strength. While their telepathy is renewed, their magical abilities will be lowered to half-power for a few days -- what this means for your specific character is up to you! If your character completed Bonus AC AND was taken, this injection may be forced on them by a monitor if you so choose. Monitors will refer to this as an Antima [antee-muh]. You can probably guess what it's an abbreviation of.

▢ A few days after the Chosen 12 are exposed to the world, something of a kiss-ass campaign starts to crop up in Shehui. The signs that point out signet users are taken down, and the better jobs begin to show back up on the apartment building's job board. There are even welcoming signs and offers given to coven members at local businesses, directly calling the coven by name (well, they just say "coven," but you know.) The Shehui government might be trying to make coven members feel comfortable again...but for what purpose? Do they have who they need from the coven now? And yet where is Qri? The mysteries may come to a head next week!

IMPORTANT DATES

▢ Keep track of the calendar here!

Threaded | Top-Level Comments Only

Leave 'em here buckaroos!

[the theme from Titanic plays for some reason]

I'm just putting here for posterity that Geir obligingly offered to cooperate with the shot thing, but the needle couldn't get through his scales. This is why nonhumans are the worst

joins the 'nonhumans are the worst' train

SO JULIUS IS NOT A HUMAN AND IS ACTUALLY SOME KINDA HIVEMIND OF 5 BILLION SINGLE-CELLED ORGANISMS THAT CAN CONSUME EVERYTHING THEY TOUCH

Obviously he's not going to give up and disintegrate into a destructive slime puddle, but I'd assume any data they can get from him will be weird and they can't make sense of it much. Is that alright?

Also can he possible integrate the signet into his body? He absorbed it so it's lodged inside of him instead of being out and visible to everyone, but I'd like to ask if he can fragment it into tiny pieces and have it distributed all around himself to escape detection.

Lastly he's non-magical from canon but would the monitors have any reaction to evidently scientific cell interactions (ge science is a pain in the ass i'm so sorry)? especially if he accidentally eats a tube or something under stress :|a

this is ludicrously silly but --

is it possible to destroy any of the weaponry or capturing tools? in particular, if someone were to use their very specific vine manipulation to break them from within, would it be successful in any measure?? i assume this would also mean being constrained more also BUT i want to check!

my second question is just as silly so i apologize. jade merged with her dog who was also a god and one of the sources of her powers in canon; would there be any testing done that might detect something like that? i.e. that someone was merged with a dog.

and lastly: how bitable are the guards.

thanks, mods!!!!

edit: ONE MORE QUESTION AFTER THREADING A BIT... sorry. would it be possible to get any information out of monitors or guards?

Edited 2018-01-24 06:55 (UTC)

Hello! Query for the nerds! EDIT scratch that question, apparently directions are way easier.

Also is it possible to, if hacking is successful, hijack the system to broadcast a message to the entirety of the population that may, for example, say, "You took our friends. Your shit is wrecked." Asking for a very calm and not at all dramatic friend.

Edited 2018-01-23 07:45 (UTC)

SO, AN ESCAPE IDEA! Do the characters who were taken know exactly where they were taken, and would they be able to share that information? I'm thinking of how Geir flew overhead to it especially because if so, uh. Can characters who weren't taken kind of just. Walk over to it and essentially bust their way in.............

hi so today in bad ideas

percival used to work as hospital security and managed to upgrade to general law enforcement, aka a police officer a few weeks ago...as a result, an idea that was discussed is—

basically, percival physically incapacitating a few of his coworkers, stealing their uniforms and badges and using them to help a remote group of other coven members disguise themselves as cops. another small group of people, or perhaps one individual (we keep joking about 2B BUSTIN IN for example) would make a scene at the government building and attempt to infiltrate in plain sight.

meanwhile, our group of cops would arrive on the scene with seemingly good intentions — and then use the opportunity to locate the manhole and infiltrate the vicinity.

so basically...fake cops coming thru.

What would happen if someone asked for more antima after seeing the effects...

Ritsuka has been making friends with the local strays that she thought were Familiars but are actually normal animals that only she can talk to.

now that she has realized she can communicate with birds, dogs, cats, rodents, etc, she would try to ask the ones that hang out near the residences, the nearby parks, and along the streets if they saw which way people were taken on that day. or if they saw any altercations between people and monitors.

(she doesn't know the people on the list personally, so she cannot offer the descriptions.)

... I like this idea a lot if only because this idiot would be on board with it.

If a kidnapee happened to have an Eltos pendant on them, would it have been confiscated? For that matter, would they just go ahead and confiscate any jewelry they suspect might have magical properties?

Madoka has lots of magical jewelry

Definitely got to ask what all 9S can do with his hacking ability in this particular setting. Canonically if it's electronic he can essentially force a wifi connection with his mind and hack into...well. Whatever's in proximity. This also seems to work with magic-based things as well.

He's hacked the YoRHa database on more than one occasion for example, and while greater security measures will take more time for him to break into, it's what he was made for.

So my questions:
1. Through scouting around with A2 and 2B, could they find and identify a computer or similar device connected to government/law enforcement?
2. What kind of data could be obtained through hacking the above if it's possible to find?
3. In terms of rescue stuff he'll be working with Dirk's organized effort and seems to fit the criteria for hacking the door. How difficult is this, and how sophisticated is it?

Piggybacking on this, but regarding jailbreaking: if the three of them were to scout the outskirts of the city, what would they find/would they be able to find anything in terms of where the captives and rescuers can hide out?

So Shirley's been open in questioning about the fact that she's an ex-magical girl from a magical world, but has kept mum on the coven. Would they still be trying to figure out if she has any coven-related powers, or would they focus on the stuff she's already admitted to?

10/10 yes.

They would certainly be given some more! There will be a request on the job board for further participation, so just keep signing up and you'll keep getting Antima.

Hell. Yes.

Follow up: is Antima at all addictive?

Sorry for the late response! The monitors and guards will be very tight-lipped when it comes to getting info out of them. They've been instructed to not trust these people and that they're dangerous, so trying to reason with them...ehhh, the results won't end very well.

When it comes to breaking tools and fighting back, yes it's possible! It will definitely be an uphill battle, but defiance won't be without some reward. The tools will keep coming and will also get stronger and more severe in their nature, but resistance isn't totally futile.

Homestuck weirdness, eh? Yeah...they'd be able to see some dog DNA or something if you think that's how that would all work scientifically. If not, they likely have some kind of residual test that can tell regardless.

Guards are indeed bitable. Gnaw on 'em good, Jade.

No -- though, like anything, you can get addicted if you like the effect enough. But, is it purposefully addictive? No.

If the guards find it, yes. If it's hidden well enough, they can keep it -- but that also means maintaining keeping it hidden. The captives are closely monitored so it's hard to keep anything from guards.

In terms of jewelry, it wouldn't be immediately confiscated. If they suspect that it's magic afterwards, it will be taken -- but they won't immediately think anything of it.

A bit of both -- what she's admitted to will of course be a concern, but they actually do want to hone in on the coven stuff a bit more. The monitors have to discern why some magic isn't being totally shut off and coven members are the only ones thus far who have this trait. The main focus will be coven stuff, but other magical ties won't be totally off base when it comes to questioning.

Gotcha. Thank you very much!

Yes! Because Julius is so...odd...their readings on him will be very concerning based on how unintelligible they are.

He can indeed fragment his signet! And yes, in general the monitors will be very hyper-focused on Julius because he's such an anomaly, which will mean his testing is likely more intense than what they'd put other people through (per your comfort, of course).

That is INDEED possible. Feel free to fuck up their broadcasting as much as possible, even for annoying things like looping horrible songs or strings of curse words.

re: late response, it's fine, just please make sure youre ok <3!

two last quick questions!!! sorry about that. first: is it fair to assume that increased force could potentially result in bruising or would it escalate to potentially breaking bones if necessary?? and second, assuming that prisoners are fed, would any steps be taken to ensure they eat or aren't about to die of starvation, i.e. intravenous or force feeding of some kind? THIS ONE IS INCREDIBLY MORBID, but jade would be try to test limits to see how far they're going in terms of keeping them alive for questioning.

thank you and please make sure to rest as much as possible as soon as possible :c

If you're telling Dirk Strider he can put Rick Astley from his personal files on loop on EVERY PROJECTOR IN THE CITY during their DISTRACTION AND DESTRUCTION plan, then there is no way he isn't doing that.

They would be able to share this information! It's next to impossible to just bust in with physical force, but investigating the area and the door is possible if someone is willing to sneak in.

However, getting close to the area is certainly a big no-no -- characters who do try will potentially be forcibly removed by guards around the premises.

An excellent idea! Guards have a certain level of clearance, but. If someone with a uniform approaches them and gets the jump on them it is totally possible to incapacitate them and from there fuck some shit up.

AKA this idea is totally plausible and after eyeing your OOC post, looks like you're good to go! This is a little late due to OOC issues, but is there a specific OOC date you'd like to set the whole plan into motion?

First up: yes! You can definitely go that intense if you want to, just be aware that characters willing to give that level of intensity would likely be receiving a similar level of intensity. It's not like the monitors will break their bones or something in return, but the testing could intensify or something similar.

Secondly, yes! If the prisoners go on hunger strike or something, there will be attempts made to keep them alive.

Also thank you! Things are going a lot better, and a blanket thank you to you and others who are understanding and lovely ♥

i'm telling you that and hoping for it

Please, don't even worry about it! And I'm glad to hear it — the plan has expanded quite a bit but here's a google doc put together by the lovely Ink that summarizes the gist of it.

OOCLY, I was thinking this weekend — I'd like to give you guys time to adjust accordingly so Sunday (2/4) may be more optimal than Saturday (2/3). ICly, we were thinking Friday (2/2).

aaaa thank you so much!!!! sorry for all the questions, but thank you for putting up with them!

Okay! If Madoka were to have something like, say, her ring confiscated, would that be something relatively easy to retrieve when breaking out/escaping?

Like would they keep it in a drawer in a desk somewhere or would it be more closely guarded

1. Yes they could!

2. A lot of good data, honestly -- and if and when he is successful with this hacking, there will be an open information page/paragraph/source for all the available data farmed. Right now, I can tell you the subjects of the data gained! This can include maps of the full government facilities, room locations, history of Shehui, data on weaponry and their information on magic, etc.

3. The door is pretty sophisticated -- in fact, the reason it's easier to hack into their database is because they put most of their security emphasis on the initial gate. If you can't crack that, you can't crack anything else, right? Oops. The hack job is difficult in that there are tons of walls put in place to protect the information necessary to finally crack it open. It's not a quick job and can take days to finally infiltrate it.

The city is essentially a totally monitored bubble. Anything within the city isn't great for hiding out, even long term. There's a lot of open area around the edge of the city, and a lot of the more natural terrain parks end up here, but it's still an area that can be quickly monitored.

Despite this fact, if people are looking to stay hidden, actually hiding in the middle of the vegetative areas is the best bet. The walls can be easily traversed, but staying in the middle of forested areas is a bit more reclusive.

If it's considered to be magical and taken for that reason, then it will be locked away somewhere a bit more guarded. If it's taken for another reason, yeah it'd just be put in a drawer or desk.

That works! It's also before the new applicants arrive which is Good News. Sunday is a good day for the log to go up, and ICly the 2nd works out just fine!

Thank you for the reply, mods!

The android trio started scouting around without delay, and were given some directional information from Julius which included his and Gier's observations of where they were taken. Would that give them a good idea of what area to search?

I'm thinking by now they could have found and hacked something based on this information. Since 9S told people he'd share whatever was found right away, could I request a write-up for that information when it's convenient?

And geez what an intense door...good thing androids don't have to sleep. Boy he's going to want to soak in a bath after all this.

Just another day in his life, really. 8)

Thanks for the response!

Hey mods! If the hackers aren't able to get information on what's outside the barrier and what shields it or the history of this world, Dirk and Jake want to take the opportunity after the prisoners are released to go after a higher government official (whoever makes most sense to know this) and kidnap them for information. Because they're bad kids. But since their questions are mostly about what's going on, why they hate people, what's outside the barrier, etc, if that's answered elsewhere, they won't need to!

A follow-up on point two. I was waiting on this write-up paragraph because I was hoping to have 9S post those findings before the jailbreak. It felt like a great opportunity to do something generative, and furthermore, deliver on his IC assurances to others that he would do just that.

I don't know if the content of the latest log was meant to serve that purpose, but if it was, I feel like it was a lost opportunity for a network post. I had looked forward to that write up and waited since it sounded like I should not proceed with the information I was given here.

I'd like to say that as a player in this lovely game, I will always prefer the chance to play something out rather than have it summarized or waved off. So if in the future those opportunities exist, I'd like the chance to play with what you mods have given us rather than have it be handwaved as part of a log that transpires after such post(s) could have been made.

I hope I'm not out of line in saying this but I really was excited for that chance to participate and be part of the buildup. Rather like with the first world I feel there are aspects that are more fun if played out instead of summed up. It opens a lot more room for participation in my view.

Threaded | Top-Level Comments Only

[WEEKLY UPDATE | JANUARY 20TH]

TESTING & MONITOR/UNDERGROUND QUESTIONS

ESCAPE IDEAS

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Re: ESCAPE IDEAS

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